564 — Abū Jafar ibn Yahyā al-Hulwānī narrated to us, saying: Khalaf ibn Hishām al-Bazzār narrated to us, saying: Abū Shihāb—that is, al-Hannāt—narrated to us, from al-Amash, from Khaythamah and Umārah ibn Umayr, from Masrūq, who said:

Abū Atiyyah and I entered upon Aisha—may Allah be pleased with her—and said, “O Mother of the Believers, Abū Abd al-Rahmān—meaning Ibn Masūd—says: ‘Whoever loves to meet Allah, Allah loves to meet him; and whoever dislikes meeting Allah, Allah dislikes meeting him.’ Yet which of us loves death?”

She replied, “May Allah have mercy on Ibn Umm Abd. He related the beginning of the hadith but withheld its ending.” She then proceeded to narrate, saying:

“When Allah wills good for a servant, He sends him an angel one year before his death who guides him aright and grants him success, until he dies in the best state of his life. The people then say, ‘So-and-so died in the best state of his life.’ When death comes to him and he sees what has been prepared for him, he begins trying to heave his soul out, so eager is he for it to depart. At that moment, he loves to meet Allah, and Allah loves to meet him.

“But when Allah wills otherwise for a servant, He appoints a devil for him one year before his death, who leads him astray and turns him away until he dies in the worst state of his life. The people then say, ‘So-and-so died in the worst state of his life.’ When death comes to him and he sees what has been prepared for him, he goes so far as to swallow his soul back down, unwilling for it to depart. At that moment, he dislikes meeting Allah, and Allah dislikes meeting him.”