Sunan an-Nasa'i 1833

‘Ubaydullah ibn Sa‘id narrated to us: Mu‘adh ibn Hisham narrated to us: My father told me, from Qatadah, from Qasamah ibn Zuhayr, from Abu Hurayrah, that the Prophet said: ‘When the believer is near death, the angels of mercy come to him with a white cloth and say: “Come out, content and with approval upon you, to Allah’s mercy and provision, and to a Lord who is not angry.” The soul comes out with a fragrance sweeter than musk. They pass it from one to another until they bring it to the gate of heaven, where they say: “How sweet is this fragrance that has come to you from the earth!” Then they bring it to the souls of the believers, who rejoice over it more than any of you rejoices when an absent loved one arrives. They ask him, “What happened to so-and-so? What happened to so-and-so?” They say, “Let him be; he was in the distress of the world.” When he asks, “Did he not come to you?” they say, “He was taken to his mother, the Abyss [Hell].” When the disbeliever is near death, the angels of punishment come to him with a coarse cloth and say: “Come out, displeased, with wrath upon you, to the punishment of Allah, Mighty and Sublime.” The soul comes out with a stench fouler than a putrid corpse. They bring it to the gate of the earth, where they say: “How foul is this stench!” Then they bring it to the souls of the disbelievers.’