Praise be to Allah, and may peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah. To proceed:
The Angel of Death is a specific angel whom Allah Almighty has appointed to take souls, and he has assistants from among the angels who carry out what Allah has commanded them to do. The abilities of angels should not be compared to those of human beings, for Allah created them with forms and abilities suited to the tasks assigned to them. As for the presence of a dog or an image in a house, this does not prevent the Angel of Death and his assistants from entering it to take a soul, because the angels who refrain from entering a house containing a dog or an image are the angels of mercy and blessing, not all angels.
The Angel of Death Has Assistants from Among the Angels
Allah Almighty says:
“Say, ‘The Angel of Death, who has been entrusted with you, will take you; then to your Lord you will be returned.’”
[As-Sajdah: 11]
And He says:
“Until, when death comes to one of you, Our messengers take his soul, and they never neglect their duty.”
[Al-An‘am: 61]
The first verse mentions the Angel of Death, while the second mentions messengers from among the angels who take people's souls. There is no contradiction between the two, because the Angel of Death is entrusted with this task and has angelic assistants.
Ibn Kathir, may Allah have mercy on him, said:
“What is apparent from this verse is that the Angel of Death is a specific individual from among the angels… and he has assistants.”
Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen, may Allah have mercy on him, also explained that the assistants of the Angel of Death help bring the soul out of the body until it reaches the throat, after which the Angel of Death takes it.
How Does He Take the Souls of People Who Die at the Same Moment?
Many people may die at the same moment in distant countries, but this poses no problem once we understand that the abilities of angels are not like those of humans.
It was narrated from Ibn ‘Abbas, may Allah be pleased with them both, that he was asked about two souls dying at the same moment, one in the East and the other in the West. He said:
“By Him in Whose Hand is my soul, the power of the Angel of Death over the people of the East and West, darkness and light, and the seas is only like the power of a man over his table; he takes from it whatever he wishes.”
It was also narrated from Mujahid, may Allah have mercy on him, regarding Allah's statement, “Say, ‘The Angel of Death will take you,’” that he said:
“The earth was gathered for him and made like a basin before him, from which he takes wherever he wishes.”
With the existence of the Angel of Death's assistants, the difficulty disappears altogether.
However, the detailed manner in which this occurs belongs to the unseen, which we have not been required to know. Therefore, we should not measure the world of angels according to the laws governing human movement and ability.
Does the Dying Person See the Angel of Death?
In the hadith of Al-Bara’ ibn ‘Azib, may Allah be pleased with him, describing the departure of the believer's soul, it is mentioned that angels descend to him, then:
“The Angel of Death, peace be upon him, comes and sits by his head and says: ‘O good soul, come out to forgiveness from Allah and His pleasure.’”
Regarding the non-believer, it states:
“The Angel of Death comes and sits by his head and says: ‘O wicked soul, come out to the wrath and anger of Allah.’”
[Narrated by Ahmad]
This indicates the presence of the Angel of Death when the soul departs and that, at death, the dying person witnesses aspects of the unseen world that the living people around him do not see.
Ibn al-Qayyim, may Allah have mercy on him, explained that Allah has made the affairs of the Hereafter and what is connected to them unseen to the people of this world, and that the dying person sees the angels when they descend to him.
Why Did Jibril Not Enter the Prophet’s ﷺ House Because of a Dog?
It is authentically reported from ‘Aishah, may Allah be pleased with her, that Jibril, peace be upon him, promised the Prophet ﷺ that he would come to him but was delayed. The Prophet ﷺ then found a puppy under his bed and ordered that it be removed. Jibril then came and said:
“The dog that was in your house prevented me. We do not enter a house in which there is a dog or an image.”
[Narrated by Muslim]
Authentic hadiths also state that angels do not enter a house in which there is a dog or an image.
However, this does not refer to all angels without exception.
Does a Dog Prevent the Angel of Death from Entering a House?
No. Scholars have explained that the angels who refrain from entering a house because of a dog or an image are the angels of mercy, blessing, and seeking forgiveness.
As for angels assigned duties that must be carried out, the presence of a dog or an image does not prevent them from fulfilling Allah's commands.
Imam An-Nawawi, may Allah have mercy on him, said:
“As for these angels who do not enter a house in which there is a dog or an image, they are angels who go about bringing mercy, blessing, and seeking forgiveness. As for the recording angels, they enter every house and do not leave the children of Adam under any circumstances, because they are commanded to record and write down their deeds.”
The same applies to the Angel of Death and his assistants. Allah has commanded them to take souls, so the presence of a dog or an image does not prevent them from performing their task.
If a person dies in a house where there is a dog, the Angel of Death and his assistants take his soul as Allah Almighty has commanded them.
The World of Angels Should Not Be Compared to the Human World
Angels belong to the unseen world, and Allah has granted them abilities suited to the tasks He has assigned to them.
Therefore, we do not need to know in detail how the Angel of Death reaches this or that person, or how angels carry out their duties in many different places at nearly the same time.
What is required is to believe in what Allah and His Messenger ﷺ have told us and to refrain from speculating about the exact manner of matters for which no authentic text has been revealed.
Conclusion
The Angel of Death is a specific angel entrusted with taking souls, and he has assistants from among the angels. Allah has granted them abilities that enable them to carry out what they have been commanded to do, even if many people die in different places at the same time.
At the time of death, the dying person witnesses aspects of the world of angels that the living do not see.
As for the hadith stating that angels do not enter a house containing a dog or an image, it refers to the angels of mercy and blessing, not all angels. Therefore, the presence of a dog does not prevent the Angel of Death and his assistants from entering the house and taking the soul of the person whose death has come.
The precise details of how angels perform their duties belong to the unseen, and we have not been required to know their exact nature.
And Allah knows best.