Custodian of Souls
\r\n Al-Sajdah (The Prostration) - Chapter 32: Verse 11
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Tell them: "The angel of death who has been charged with your souls shall gather you, and then you shall be brought back to your Lord."
The Quran tells the unbelievers that the true essence of their existence will not be lost in the earth. When the appointed time comes, the angel of death will seize a person's essence in its fullness, allowing no part of it to be lost. The whole of it will be taken by the angel of death and he will subsequently place it before his Lord.
\r\nThis verse throws light on a number of truths that merit serious consideration:
\r\ni. The verse clarifies that death is not a mechanical process; it is not like a watch that automatically comes to a standstill because its machine needs rewinding. On the contrary, God has appointed a special angel who seizes every person's soul at an appointed time in the manner an official takes something into his custody on behalf of the state.
\r\nii. It also clarifies that death does not lead to man's extinction. After being extracted from a person's body, the soul continues to exist. The verse clearly indicates that people's souls will continue to exist, for obviously a non-existent thing cannot be placed in someone's charge. The statement also implies that what has been taken charge of will remain intact with its custodian, the angel of death.
\r\niii. It also indicates that what the angel of death seizes at the time of a man's death is his "ego" rather than his biological being. Man's ego lies at the core of his being. His ego is extracted intact, without subjecting it to any addition or diminution in respect of its essential features. Thereafter, it is this ego that is brought back to the Lord. It will be restored to a new body when man is resurrected on the Day of Judgement and will face God's reckoning and receive reward or punishment
\r\nCompiled From:
\r\n "Towards Understanding the Quran" - Sayyid Abul Ala Mawdudi, Vol. 8, pp.167-168