Surah An-Naazi'aat (79) — Ayah 1

(Ayah 2,1) {وَ النّٰزِعٰتِ غَرْقًا … : ’’ النّٰزِعٰتِ ‘‘} and {’’ النّٰشِطٰتِ ‘‘} refer to the angels who extract souls with severity and ease. Although other interpretations of these words have also been given, in Tafsir Tabari, this interpretation is narrated with sound chains from Ibn Abbas and Ibn Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with them), and it is also supported by authentic ahadith. As in Musnad Ahmad, in a lengthy hadith from Bara’ bin Azib (may Allah be pleased with them both), the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: [ وَ إِنَّ الْعَبْدَ الْمُؤْمِنَ إِذَا كَانَ فِي انْقِطَاعٍ مِّنَ الدُّنْيَا… ثُمَّ يَجِيْءُ مَلَكُ الْمَوْتِ عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ حَتّٰی يَجْلِسَ عِنْدَ رَأْسِهِ فَيَقُوْلُ أَيَّتُهَا النَّفْسُ الطَّيِّبَةُ! اخْرُجِيْ إِلٰی مَغْفِرَةٍ مِّنَ اللّٰهِ وَ رِضْوَانٍ قَالَ فَتَخْرُجُ تَسِيْلُ كَمَا تَسِيْلُ الْقَطْرَةُ مِنْ فِي السِّقَاءِ… وَ إِنَّ الْعَبْدَ الْكَافِرَ إِذَا كَانَ فِي انْقِطَاعٍ مِّنَ الدُّنْيَا… ثُمَّ يَجِيْءُ مَلَكُ الْمَوْتِ حَتّٰی يَجْلِسَ عِنْدَ رَأْسِهِ فَيَقُوْلُ أَيَّتُهَا النَّفْسُ الْخَبِيْثَةُ! اخْرُجِيْ إِلٰی سَخَطٍ مِّنَ اللّٰهِ وَغَضَبٍ قَالَ فَتَفْرُقُ فِيْ جَسَدِهِ فَيَنْتَزِعُهَا كَمَا يُنْتَزَعُ السَّفُوْدُ مِنَ الصُّوْفِ الْمَبْلُوْلِ ] [مسند أحمد : ۴ /۲۸۷،۲۸۸، ح : ۱۸۵۶۱] "And when a believing person is about to depart from this world... then the Angel of Death comes and sits by his head and says: 'O pure soul! Come out to Allah’s forgiveness and pleasure.' So it comes out just as a drop of water comes out from a water-skin... And when a disbeliever is about to depart from this world... then the Angel of Death comes and sits by his head and says: 'O wicked soul! Come out to Allah’s wrath and anger.' So it scatters within the body, and he pulls it out with such severity as a hot iron rod is pulled out from wet wool." In Mishkat, Shaykh al-Albani (may Allah have mercy on him) has declared its chain to be Sahih.

{’’ النّٰزِعٰتِ ‘‘} "Those who pull out with severity." {’’ غَرْقًا ‘‘} "By drowning." That is, by the oath of those angels who extract the souls of the disbelievers by drowning, meaning they reach every part of their bodies and pull them out with severity, while the soul does not wish to come out. {’’ النّٰشِطٰتِ ‘‘ ’’نَشَطَ الْعِقَالَ‘‘} (n) To untie the knot of a rope. The angels extract the soul of a Muslim by untying the knot, and it rushes happily towards Allah’s forgiveness and Paradise. This difference between the disbeliever and the believer is in the state of the soul; the pain of the body is separate, in which both the Muslim and the disbeliever are equal. (Summary of Mawdih)