ٱللَّهُ يَتَوَفَّى ٱلْأَنفُسَ حِينَ مَوْتِهَا وَٱلَّتِى لَمْ تَمُتْ فِى مَنَامِهَا ۖ فَيُمْسِكُ ٱلَّتِى قَضَىٰ عَلَيْهَا ٱلْمَوْتَ وَيُرْسِلُ ٱلْأُخْرَىٰٓ إِلَىٰٓ أَجَلٍۢ مُّسَمًّى ۚ إِنَّ فِى ذَٰلِكَ لَءَايَٰتٍۢ لِّقَوْمٍۢ يَتَفَكَّرُونَ

“It is Allāh Who takes away the souls at the time of their death, and those that did not during those sleep. He keeps those (souls) for which He has ordained death and sends the rest for a term appointed. Verily, in this are signs for a people who think deeply.” • [39:42]

Ibn Taymiyyah said: “Here Allāh explains that the taking away of souls is of two types:

He takes them away at the time of death, and He takes away the souls that did not die in their sleep. Then when they sleep, He keeps the soul of the one who dies in his sleep and He sends back the soul of the one who did not die in his sleep. Hence, when the Prophet ﷺ went to bed, he would say:

بِاسْمِكَ رَبَّيْ وَضَعْتُ جَنْبِيْ، وَبِكَ أَرْفَعُهُ، فَإِنْ أَمْسَكْتَ نَفْسِيْ فَارْحَمْهَا، وَإِنْ أَرْسَلْتَهَا فَاحْفَظْهَا بِمَا تَحْفَظُ بِهِ عِبَادَكَ الصَّالِحِيْنَ.

‘”In Your name my Lord, I lie down and in Your name I rise, so if You should take my soul then have mercy upon it, and if You should return my soul then protect it in the manner You do so with Your righteous servants.”

● [مجموع الفتاوى ٥٧٢/٤]