Is the Hadith About an Angel or Demon Sent One Year Before Death Authentic?

Answered by Mawlana Ilyas Patel

Question

Is the hadith stating that Allah sends an angel or demon one year before death authentic? If so, what is its reference?

Answer

In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful and Compassionate.

I pray you are in good faith and health. Thank you for your question.

I have not been able to locate the hadith you mentioned. However, there is a similar one mentioned, but it is fabricated according to Ibn ‘Iraq in Tanzih al-Shari‘a. The hadith is as follows:

Anas reports,

“Every day, the Angel of Death looks up to 70 times into the whereabouts of the servant. When (the Angel of Death) is sent to the servant and he laughs, (the Angel of Death) says, ‘How astonishing! I am sent to you in order to seize your soul, and you are laughing?’” [Ibn Iraq, Tanzih al-Shari‘a al-Marfu‘a ‘an al-Akhbar al-Shani‘a al-Mawdu‘a]

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I pray this helps with your question.
Wassalam,
[Mawlana] Ilyas Patel
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Abdul-Rahim Reasat

Mawlana Ilyas Patel has received traditional education in various countries. He started his schooling in the UK and completed his hifz of the Quran in India. After that, he joined an Islamic seminary in the UK, where he studied secular and Aalimiyya sciences. Later, he traveled to Karachi, Pakistan, and other Middle Eastern countries to further his education. Mawlana has served as an Imam in the Republic of Ireland for several years and taught the Quran and other Islamic sciences to both children and adults. He also worked as a teacher and librarian at a local Islamic seminary in the UK for 12 years. Presently, he lives in the UK with his wife and is interested in books and gardening.