Angel Of Death & Solomon

Angel of Death & Prophet Solaiman – قصةُ سليمان عليه السلام ومَلَكُ الموت

There is this terrifying incident narrated:

Shahr Ibn Hawshab, a Tabi’i Imaam of the Salaf, said:

دَخَلَ مَلَكُ الْمَوْتِ عَلَى سُلَيْمَانَ عليه السلام فَجَعَلَ يَنْظُرُ إِلَى رَجُلٍ مِنْ جُلَسَائِهِ؛ يُدِيمُ النَّظَرَ إِلَيْهِ، فَلَمَّا خَرَجَ قَالَ الرَّجُلُ: مَنْ هَذَا؟قَالَ: هَذَا مَلَكُ الْمَوْتِ. قَالَ: لَقَدْ رَأَيْتُهُ يَنْظُرُ إِلَيَّ كَأَنَّهُ يُرِيدُنِي!قَالَ: فَمَا تُرِيدُ؟قَالَ: أُرِيدُ أَنْ تَحْمِلَنِي الرِّيحُ، فَتُلْقِيَنِي بِالْهِنْدِ!قَالَ: فَدَعَا بِالرِّيحِ، فَحَمَلَهُ عَلَيْهَا، فَأَلْقَتْهُ بِالْهِنْدِ.ثُمَّ أَتَى مَلَكُ الْمَوْتِ سُلَيْمَانَ عليه السلام فَقَالَ: إِنَّكَ كُنْتَ تُدِيمُ النَّظَرَ إِلَى رَجُلٍ مِنْ جُلَسَائِي؟ قَالَ: كُنْتُ أَعْجَبَ مِنْهُ؛ إِنِّي أُمِرْتُ أَنْ أَقْبِضَ رُوحَهُ بِالْهِنْدِ، وَهُوَ عِنْدَكَ

“The Angel of Death entered the gathering of Prophet Solaiman (in human form).
The Angel kept staring at a particular man who was sitting in the gathering.
When the Angel left, the man asked Solaiman: “Who was this man?”
Solaiman replied: “This was the Angel of Death.”
The man said: “He looked at me, like he wanted to take my soul!”
Solaiman asked: “What do you want to do?”
The man relied: “I want the wind to take me away, to a far away land: India!”
Solaiman commanded the wind to carry him to India.
Then the Angel of Death came back to Sulaiman.
Sulaiman asked the Angel: “Why were you staring at that man in my gathering?”
The Angel of Death replied: “I was surprised to see him here, because I was commanded to take his soul in India and he was sitting right here, next to you.”

[Narrated by Ahmad Ibn Hanbal in ‘Kitab al-Zuhd’, 222].

END QUOTE.

His escape plan led him to his destiny.

Meaning: there is no escape from death, as Allah says:

أَيْنَمَا تَكُونُوا يُدْرِككُّمُ الْمَوْتُ وَلَوْ كُنتُمْ فِي بُرُوجٍ مُّشَيَّدَةٍ

“Wherever you are, death will find you even if you hide yourselves in firmly constructed towers.” (Qur’an 4:78).