The Meaning of Death in the Statement: "Indeed, I am taking you and raising you to Myself"
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The questioner:
The questioner: What is the meaning of the phrase in the verse, "Indeed, I am taking you"? How do we reconcile this with the fact that he did not pray two units of prayer?
The Shaykh:
The Shaykh: This refers to a death other than death by illness. Therefore,[An-Nisa 4:159] this occurs in the end times, after he descends. He will not die except in the end times, after he descends and is killed by the Dajjal. The Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) will die, and no one else will die.
As for the death mentioned in His statement, "I will take you," it is a specific death. It was said that its meaning is the taking of the soul: "I will take you" means I will take your soul, a specific taking where He takes it and raises it to Allah, Mighty and Majestic. It was also said that the death intended here is death in sleep, meaning that some sleep and drowsiness overtook him, as Allah the Exalted said:[Az-Zumar 39:42] Allah the Exalted said: [Al-An'am 6:60] The death here is a minor death, death in sleep, not the death that is the separation of the soul from the body. So Jesus will be taken and remain alive, not having died the death that is the separation of the soul from the body, until he descends in the last of time and kills the Dajjal. Then he will die, peace and blessings be upon him. That is why it is said of the People of the Book: "They will surely believe in him before his death," meaning that he did not die. Yes.
The questioner: What is the meaning of the phrase in the verse, "Indeed, I am taking you"? How do we reconcile this with the fact that he did not pray two units of prayer?
The Shaykh:
The Shaykh: This refers to a death other than death by illness. Therefore,
none from the People of the Scripture but that he will surely believe in Jesus before his death
مِّنْ أَهْلِ الْكِتَابِ إِلَّا لَيُؤْمِنَنَّ بِهِ قَبْلَ مَوْتِهِAs for the death mentioned in His statement, "I will take you," it is a specific death. It was said that its meaning is the taking of the soul: "I will take you" means I will take your soul, a specific taking where He takes it and raises it to Allah, Mighty and Majestic. It was also said that the death intended here is death in sleep, meaning that some sleep and drowsiness overtook him, as Allah the Exalted said:
Allah takes the souls at the time of their death, and those that do not die [He takes] during their sleep
اللَّهُ يَتَوَفَّى الْأَنفُسَ حِينَ مَوْتِهَا وَالَّتِي لَمْ تَمُتْ فِي مَنَامِهَاAnd it is He who takes your souls by night and knows what you have committed by day
وَهُوَ الَّذِي يَتَوَفَّاكُم بِاللَّيْلِ وَيَعْلَمُ مَا جَرَحْتُم بِالنَّهَارِ
Source
شرح العقيدة الواسطية [ صالح الفوزان ] [ الشرح القديم ]، بداية من قوله : وقوله : { ولله العزة ولرسوله وللمؤمنين } — islamhouse.com (1:07:03)
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.