Where the story is told

The hadith is narrated by Abu Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him. It is in Sahih al-Bukhari (1339 and 3407) and Sahih Muslim (2372), where it comes in two narrations with some differences in wording. The two books are in agreement on the main events.

It is not told in the Quran. It comes only through the Sunnah, and the details below are only those found in these narrations.

The story in the hadith

The angel of death was sent to Musa. When the angel came to him, Musa struck him. In Sahih Muslim (2372), the narration says that he put out the angel's eye.

The angel returned to Allah and said: you sent me to a servant who does not want death. Allah restored his eye (Sahih al-Bukhari 1339, Sahih Muslim 2372) and told him to go back and say to Musa that he may place his hand on the back of an ox, and for every hair that his hand covers he will be given one year of life.

Musa said: "My Lord, then what?" Allah said: then death. Musa said: «فَالآنَ», which means: then now. He asked Allah to bring him near the Holy Land, a stone's throw away. In Sahih Muslim (2372), his words are that he asks to die near the Holy Land «رَمْيَةً بِحَجَرٍ».

The Prophet ﷺ then said that if he were there, he would show his Companions the grave of Musa by the side of the road, near the red sand dune. Sahih al-Bukhari 1339 has "near the red dune", and Sahih al-Bukhari 3407 has "under the red dune".

How scholars understand the story

Many scholars explain that the angel of death came to Musa in the form of a man and that Musa did not recognise him. Musa, thinking that a stranger had come to take his life, defended himself. The text supports the idea that no lasting harm came to the angel, since Allah restored the eye. The hadith does not give Musa's reason in words, so this is the scholars' reading of it.

The same scholars note that Allah then gave Musa a choice, and that once Musa learned the end of the matter, he accepted it at once and asked only to be near the Holy Land when it came.

Some people raise questions about this narration. Al-Bukhari and Muslim both accepted it as sound, and scholars of hadith answered those questions with the explanation above.

What the hadith does not tell us

The hadith does not say how old Musa was, or when this happened. It does not name the exact place of the grave. The Prophet ﷺ only described where he would show it if he were there.

It also does not name the Holy Land. The Quran uses the same words in Musa's address to his people (Quran 5:21), but the hadith does not say which place is meant. Sahih Muslim (2375) reports that the Prophet ﷺ passed by Musa on the night of the Isra at the red dune, standing in prayer in his grave.

Lessons from this story

  • Loving life is natural, and it is not blamed in the hadith. The story shows that Musa, like every person, found it hard to meet death.
  • Death is certain for everyone. The Quran says that every soul will taste death (Quran 3:185).
  • When Allah's decree was made clear, Musa accepted it at once. A believer can ask for what is good while submitting to what Allah has decided.
  • Nearness to blessed places can be a wish of the righteous. Musa asked to be near the Holy Land when his time came.
  • We should speak of prophets with respect, take only what is reported, and not guess about what is not told.

General information for learning, not a fatwa. For your own situation, ask a qualified scholar.

Sources