Sharh Riyad as-Saliheen by Ibn Uthaymeen — Volume 1 (شرح رياض الصالحين) — Page 592

Line-by-line translation · المعاني

بَابُ الْمُبَادَرَةِ إِلَى الْخَيْرَاتِ.

10. Chapter: Hastening to do good.

وَفِي هَذَا دَلِيلٌ عَلَى أَنَّ الْإِنْسَانَ إِذَا تَكَلَّمَ فِي سِيَاقِ الْمَوْتِ فَإِنَّهُ يُعْتَبَرُ كَلَامُهُ إِذَا لَمْ يَذْهَلْ، فَإِنْ أَذْهَلَ حَتَّى صَارَ لَا يَشْعُرُ بِمَا يَقُولُ فَإِنَّهُ لَا عِبْرَةَ بِكَلَامِهِ، لِقَوْلِهِ: «حَتَّى إِذَا بَلَغَتِ الْحُلْقُومَ قُلْتَ: لِفُلَانٍ كَذَا، وَلِفُلَانٍ كَذَا، وَقَدْ كَانَ لِفُلَانٍ».

This indicates that a person’s words during the throes of death are legally binding provided they remain lucid. If they have lost their senses to the point of not knowing what they are saying, their words carry no weight, as implied by the verse: "When it reaches the throat, you say: 'Give such-and-such to so-and-so, and such-and-such to so-and-so,' when it already belonged to someone else."

وَفِيهِ دَلِيلٌ عَلَى أَنَّ الرُّوحَ تَخْرُجُ مِنْ أَسْفَلِ الْبَدَنِ، تَصْعَدُ حَتَّى تَصِلَ إِلَى أَعْلَى الْبَدَنِ، ثُمَّ تُقْبَضُ مِنْ هُنَاكَ، وَلِهَذَا قَالَ: «حَتَّى إِذَا بَلَغَتِ الْحُلْقُومَ»، وَهَذَا كَقَوْلِهِ تَعَالَى: ﴿فَلَوْلَا إِذَا بَلَغَتِ الْحُلْقُومَ وَأَنتُمْ حِينَئِذٍ تَنظُرُونَ﴾، فَأَوَّلُ مَا يَمُوتُ مِنَ الْإِنْسَانِ أَسْفَلُهُ، تَخْرُجُ الرُّوحُ بِأَنْ تَصْعَدَ فِي الْبَدَنِ، إِلَى أَنْ تَصِلَ إِلَى الْحُلْقُومِ، ثُمَّ يَقْبِضُهَا مَلَكُ الْمَوْتِ نَسْأَلُ اللَّهَ أَنْ يَخْتِمَ لَنَا وَلَكُمْ بِالْخَيْرِ وَالسَّعَادَةِ.

This also shows that the soul leaves from the lower body, ascending until it reaches the top, where it is then seized. This is why the text mentions: "When it reaches the throat," mirroring the Almighty’s words: "Why then, when it reaches the throat, and you are at that moment looking on?" Death begins at the feet; the soul ascends through the body until it reaches the throat, where the Angel of Death takes it. We ask Allah to grant us and you a blessed and happy end.

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Vocabulary · المفردات (26 verbs · 36 nouns)

• تَكَلَّمَ — to speak
• اِعْتَبَرَ — to consider
• ذَهَلَ — to be distracted
• بَابٌ — chapter
• مُبَادَرَةٌ — initiative
• خَيْرٌ — good