127. CONCERNING THE VERSES AND HADITH WARNING OF THE DEATH OF THE MESSENGER OF ALLAH
Jabir said: I saw the Messenger of Allah (Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him) throw at the Jimar then he stood and said: “Take from me your rites of Hajj for I may not perform Hajj after this year of mine.”Allah, Most High, says:
“Indeed you are to die and indeed, they are to die. Then indeed you, on the Day of Resurrection, before your Lord, will dispute.” (Soorah Az-Zumar: 30, 31) “And we did not grant to any man before you eternity (on earth), so if you die would they be eternal?” (Soorah Al- Anbiya’: 34) “Every soul will taste death. And we test you with evil and with good as a trial; and to Us you will be returned.” (Soorah Al-Anbiya’: 35)
“Everyone shall taste death. And only on the Day of Resur- rection shall you be paid your wages in full. And whoever is removed away from the Fire and admitted to Paradise, he indeed is successful. The life of this world is only the enjoyment of deception (a deceiving thing).” (Soorah Aal ‘Imran: 185). “Muhammad is not but a messenger. (Other) messengers have passed on before him. So if he was to die or be killed, would you turn back on your heels (to unbelief) ? And he who turns back on his heels will never harm Allah at all; but Allah will reward the grateful.” (Soorah Aal ‘Imran: 144)
The above-mentioned Verse is the one As-Siddeeq (Abu Bakr) recited on the day of the passing of the Messenger of Allah (Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him). When the people heard it, it was as though they had never heard it before.
Allah said: “When the victory of Allah has come and conquest. And you see the people entering into the religion of Allah in multitudes. Then exalt (Him) with Praise of your Lord and ask for forgiveness from Him. Indeed He is ever Accepting of repentance.” (Soorah An-Nasr: 1-3). ‘Umar and Ibn ‘Abbas mentioned: “It was the time (death) of the Messenger of Allah (Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him) that was made known to him.”
Ibn ‘Umar mentioned: It was revealed in the middle of the days of Tashreeq in the Farewell Pilgrimage, so the Messenger of Allah (Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him) knew it was a farewell. Thereafter he addressed the people with a sermon he commanded them with good and forbade them from evil, the famous sermon as mentioned earlier.
The Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said to his daughter, Fatimah: “Verily, Jibraeel used to revise the Qur’an with me once every year, and this year he revised the Qur’an twice, and I do not see except that my time has come near.”
In Saheeh Al-Bukhari Abu Hurairah said: “The Messenger of Allah (Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him) used to makeI‘tikaf (staying in the mosque as an act of worship) every month of Ramadan for 10 days, then, when it was the year in which he passed away he performed I’tikaf for 20 days.”
Abu Muwaihibah narrated: “The Messenger of Allah (Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him) was ordered to pray upon the people of Al-Baqi (graveyard in Madinah). He prayed upon them three times, then, when it was the third night, he said: ‘Abu Muwaihibah, place the saddle on my riding animal.’ Then he rode and I walked until he reached them, then he descended from his riding animal, then I held the riding animal and he stood, or he said, he stood by them and said: ‘Let it be easy for you the state you are in, in contrast to what the people are in. The trials are like pieces of the dark knight, each piece follows the other, the last is worse than the first, so let the state you are in be easy for, in contrast to what the people are in’.”
‘A’ishah (May Allah be pleased with her) narrated: The Messenger of Allah (Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him) returned from Al-Baqi and found me while I had a headache and I was saying: “My head!” He said: “Rather me, ‘A’ishah (May Allah be pleased with her) and my head.” She continued: Then he said: “What would harm you were you to die before me and then I stood by you, wrapped you, prayed over you, and buried you?” I replied: “By Allah, it is as though I was with you, were
you indeed do that. It was as if I indeed returned to my house and had a feast with some of your wives.” Then the illness of theMessenger of Allah (Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him) peaked while visiting his wives, until his illness intensified in Maimoonah’s house. He called his wives, and sought permission from them to be nursed in my house so they gave him permission. Then the Messenger of Allah (Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him) exited being helped by two men from his family, one of them was Al-Fadhl Ibn ‘Abbas and another man, while having his head tied and dragging his feet, until he entered my house. ‘Ubaidullah mentioned: So I informed Ibn ‘Abbas then he asked: ‘Do you know who the other man was? He was ‘Ali Ibn Abi Talib’.”
A’ishah also said: When the Messenger of Allah (Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him) fell ill and his pain intensified, he asked permission from his wives to be nursed in my house so they allowed him. Then he exited while being helped by two men while his feet were dragging on the floor between ‘Abbas Ibn ‘Ubaid and another man. ‘Ubaidullah said: So I informed ‘Abdullah – i.e. Ibn ‘Abbas – what ‘A’ishah (May Allah be pleased with her) mentioned. Then ‘Abdullah Ibn ‘Abbas said: “Do you know who the other man was who ‘A’ishah (May Allah be pleased with her) didn’t mention?” I replied: “No.” Ibn ‘Abbas said: “He was ‘Ali.” Then ‘A’ishah (May Allah be pleased with her) used to say that the Messenger of Allah (Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him) entered my house when his illness intensified, and said: “Pour on me water from seven water skins, and not complete the contents, i.e., not all of the water from them in order that I take a covenant from the people.” So we sat him in a tub belonging to Hafsah, the wife of the Prophet (Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him), and we began to pour on him from those containers, until he began to indicate to us with his hand that you have done what he had wanted. A’ishahsaid: Then he exited to the people and led the prayer and addressed them.
‘A’ishah (May Allah be pleased with her) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him) used to ask in during illness from which he died: “Where am I tomorrow, where am I tomorrow?” He intended the day with ‘A’ishah (May Allah be pleased with her), so his wives allowed him to be where he wanted to be. So he stayed in ‘A’ishah (May Allah be pleased with her)’s house until he died. ‘A’ishah (May Allah be pleased with her) said: He died on the day that he was going to see me in my house, and Allah took him while his head was between my chest and my neck and his saliva mixed with mine.
She said: ‘Abdur-Rahman Ibn Abu Bakr entered brushing with a Siwak (twig like toothbrush), and the Messenger of Allah (Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him) looked at him. I said to him: “Give me that Siwak, ‘Abdur Rahman.” So he gave it to me and I cut it and softened it, and then gave it to the Messenger of Allah (Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him). He brushed it while leaning on my chest.”
Narrated by ‘A’ishah (May Allah be pleased with her): “Verily the Messenger of Allah (Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him) would read upon himself when ill the Mu‘awwidhat (the last three Soorahs of the Qur’an) and blow on himself, then wipe his hands on himself. When he fell ill from the illness that led to his death, I began to blow on him with the Mu‘awwidhat like he would, and wipe with the hand of the Prophet (Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him) upon him.
It is affirmed in the Saheehain that ‘A’ishah (May Allah be pleased with her) narrated: “The wives of the Messenger of Allah (Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him) gathered around him. Then Fatimah came walking her gait (which) was not different to her father’s. He said: ‘Welcome my daughter,’ and she sat to his right or left. Then he whispered something to her in secret and she cried, then he whispered another thing to her in secret and she smiled. I asked her: ‘The Messenger of Allah (Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him) favored you in particular with a secret and you were crying.’ When she stood, I said: ‘Inform me of what he shared with you?’ She replied: ‘I am not to spread the secret of the Messenger of Allah (Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him) “When he passed away I asked her: ‘I ask you for the right that I have upon you, that you inform me.’ She replied: ‘As for now, then yes. He whispered to me on the first occasion: Verily I used to recite the Qur’an to Jibraeel once every year, and I recited it to him this year twice, and I do not see except that my time has come near, so fear Allah and remain patient for I am a good predecessor for you, so I cried. Then he whispered to me: Are you not pleased that you are the leader of the women believers, or the leader of the women from this nation? so I smiled’.”And this Hadith has other paths narrated by ‘A’ishah (May Allah be pleased with her).
Narrated by ‘A’ishah (May Allah be pleased with her):“We gave the Messenger of Allah (Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him) medicine during his illness, so he began to indicate to us not to give him that medicine. Then we said (we thought or said to ourselves), (that it was) the hatred of the sick for medicine. When he recovered he said: “Did I not forbid you from administering medicine to me?” We said (we thought or said to ourselves) (that it was) the hatred of the sick for medicine. Then he said: “Nobody should be left in the house except that he is given this medicine – while I watch – except for Al-‘Abbas because he did not see you (give the medicine).”
‘A’ishah (May Allah be pleased with her) narrated: The Prophet (Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him) used to say in his illness from which he died: “‘A’ishah (May Allah be pleased with her), I still feel the pain from the food that I ate in Khaibar (after he was poisoned by the Jews of Khaibar), so this is a time I find myself gasping from that poison.”
‘Abdullah Ibn ‘Abbas narrated that ‘Ali left the company of the Messenger of Allah (Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him)during the illness from which he died. The people said: “Abul- Hasan, how did the Messenger of Allah (Peace and Blessings ofAllah be upon him) reach the morning?” He replied: “He is better with Allah’s praise.” Then ‘Abbas Ibn ‘Abdul-Mutalib took his hand and said to him: “You, by Allah, after three (nights he will die) are the worshipper of the stick (an example for someone who begins to follow someone else), and I truly see that the Messenger of Allah (Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him) shall pass away by this illness of his. Verily, I know the faces of Bani ‘Abdul-Muttalib at the time of death. Take us to the Messenger of Allah (Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him) and then let us ask him for whom is the command? If it is us then we know, but if it is other than us then we will be informed and give Wasiyyah (i.e. appointment of the Caliph after him).” Thereafter ‘Ali said: “If we, by Allah, were to ask the Messenger of Allah (Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him) for Wasiyyah then he denies us from it then the people won’t give it to us after him, for surely by Allah I will not ask the Messengerof Allah (Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him) for it.”
Ibn ‘Abbas narrated: “Thursday, and what happened on Thursday? The illness of the Messenger of Allah (Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him) intensified.” Then he said: “Come to me I will write a message for you, after it you will never go astray.” Thereafter they began to argue and it is not appropriate to argue in the presence of a Prophet. So they said: “What is the matter with him that he is in such pain?” They questioned that, so they began to defend him by making excuses for him. Thereafter he said: “Leave me, for that condition in which I am is better than what you are calling me to.” Then he advised them on three matters. He said: “Expel the idolaters from the Arabian Peninsula, and treat the delegations in the way that I would.” And he remained silent about the third, or he said: “I forgot it.”
A’ishah said that the Messenger of Allah (Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “Indeed I intended to send for AbuBakr and his son and take a covenant lest those who speak were to speak, or those who wish were to wish.” Then he said Allahrefuses, or the believers repel, or Allah repels and the believers refuse (to accept anyone other than Abu Bakr as the Caliph).
In Saheeh Al-Bukhari and Muslim it is narrated from Muhammad Ibn Jubair Ibn Mut‘im from his father that he said: A woman came to the Messenger of Allah (Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him) and he ordered her to return to himafter some time. So she asked: “If I were to come and not find you?” As though she intended his death. He said: “If you do not find me then go to Abu Bakr.”And that which is apparent And Allah (SWT) knows best that she only said that to him in the illness from which he died.
He conveyed on Thursday before he was taken by five days a great sermon, in which he made clear the virtues of As-Siddeeq (Abu Bakr) in the presence of all of the Companions, as well as what he specifically mentioned about him leading the Companions in prayer – as will be explained – in the their presence. It might be that this sermon was preparation for what he wanted to write. And he indeed had a bath before this noble sermon, they poured on him seven water skins and not their complete contents and this is from seeking a cure with seven from water, as has been mentioned in other Hadiths in other places. That which is intended is that he had a bath then exited and led the people in prayer. Afterward, he addressed them as was mentioned in the Hadith of ‘A’ishah (May Allah be pleased with her).
By: Ibn Katheer
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