This is going to sound gloomy, but it’s a serious question.
What are some signals or signs which indicate that a person is heading towards death [as a Muslim]?
Does that person begin moving towards a realm of reality?
Does he/she become capable of differentiating between a truth or a lie?
Does he appear aloof?
Share your thoughts or experiences that you encountered with someone promptly before a few months up till the day of their final departure.
The closest encounter to someone's death was of a person who swallowed 200 over the counter sleeping pills to commit suicide. I visited the hospital, person was on the bed, hooked up to dozens of tubes and wires, all bloated because I think liver was already failed, abd in comma. While I was talking to the nurse, a blue light in one of the monitors lit up. Nurse told me that I have to leave and she ran to the pa system, announcing 'code blue', 'code blue', and calling the doctor. Few minutes later doctor came to us telling that the person is gone.
No sign on the face as I was looking at the person when the monitor lit up. No sound of anything escaping the body. Nothing.
Re: Closer to Death
If he/she is lucky or pious even - then a warning may come as a dream.
The angels ask the Muslim that they have come to take their soul ... they don't just rip it out surprisingly like they do to kaafirs.
I personally would like to believe that the moment of death to the people on the outside may feel like a few seconds, but for the person going through the process - the experience is a lot longer. I would like to believe that as true ... this is because people have come back from near death experiences and have related such lengthy stories that it would be hard to assume that time is the same in those last few moments ... also it gives the Muslim ample time to make his last wishes and seeking of forgiveness.
I do think life taken from a healthy soul is quite painful - very painful despite the soft touch of the angel on Muslims ... and as the people gets weak or old taking the life away is easier and less painful ... It is because we hold tighter to our lives when we are strong ...
I don't think there are many other ways - because that would be too obvious
Re: Closer to Death
The angels ask the Muslim that they have come to take their soul ... they don't just rip it out surprisingly like they do to kaafirs.
interestingly petty even in the idea of death. gods please save us from the narrow-minds of the religious.
Re: Closer to Death
maut kaa ek din mo'aiyan hai
neend raat bhar kiuN nahiiN aatii?
Re: Closer to Death
coffee? 
Re: Closer to Death
Someone we know very distantly narrated the story of his own father who was a Quran Hafiz and had been leading the tarawi prayers in Masjid during Ramadan. One evening after returning from Masjid (this was towards the end of Ramadan) as he was lying in bed he turned to his wife and said “its my time to go now” and read Qalma aloud and was gone 
I have also heard of when people who are close to death can see “people” that we cannot??
Allah Knows best