Earlier nations in the Sunnah 4 min read
A well-known hadith in Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim tells how the angel of death was sent to Musa (Moses), and how Allah gave Musa a choice about his life. The Prophet ﷺ ends it with a remark about Musa's grave. It is a story about the certainty of death and about meeting Allah with acceptance.
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 (2372a), with a second narration (2372b) that differs somewhat 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 angel of death was sent to Musa. When the angel came to him, Musa struck him. In Sahih Muslim (2372a), 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 2372a) 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 (2372a), 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".
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.
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 (2375a) reports that the Prophet ﷺ passed by Musa on the night of the Isra at the red dune, standing in prayer in his grave.
General information for learning, not a fatwa. For your own situation, ask a qualified scholar.
Updated 6 October 2026
The hadith does not state his reason. Many scholars explain that the angel came in the form of a man, Musa did not recognise him, and he defended himself. This is their understanding, not a statement in the hadith.
Allah told him that he could place his hand on the back of an ox and live one year for each hair under his hand. When Musa asked what would come after, he was told that it was death, and he chose to have it now.
The texts do not give a known place. The Prophet ﷺ said that if he were there he would show the grave by the road, near the red sand dune, but he did not name the place.
