Chapter: The sickness of the Prophet (saws) and his death

The Prophet (ﷺ) in his ailment in which he died, used to say, "O `Aisha! I still feel the pain caused by the food I ate at Khaibar, and at this time, I feel as if my aorta is being cut from that poison."

I heard the Prophet (ﷺ) reciting Surat-al-Mursalat `Urfan (77) in the Maghrib prayer, and after that prayer he did not lead us in any prayer till he died.

`Umar bin Al-Khattab used to let Ibn `Abbas sit beside him, so `AbdurRahman bin `Auf said to `Umar, "We have sons similar to him." `Umar replied, "(I respect him) because of his status that you know." `Umar then asked Ibn `Abbas about the meaning of this Holy Verse:-- "When comes the help of Allah and the conquest of Mecca..." (110.1) Ibn `Abbas replied, "That indicated the death of Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) which Allah informed him of." `Umar said, "I do not understand of it except what you understand."

Thursday! And how great that Thursday was! The ailment of Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) became worse (on Thursday) and he said, fetch me something so that I may write to you something after which you will never go astray." The people (present there) differed in this matter, and it was not right to differ before a prophet. Some said, "What is wrong with him ? (Do you think ) he is delirious (seriously ill)? Ask him ( to understand his state )." So they went to the Prophet (ﷺ) and asked him again. The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Leave me, for my present state is better than what you call me for." Then he ordered them to do three things. He said, "Turn the pagans out of the 'Arabian Peninsula; respect and give gifts to the foreign delegations as you have seen me dealing with them." (Sa`id bin Jubair, the sub-narrator said that Ibn `Abbas kept quiet as rewards the third order, or he said, "I forgot it.") (See Hadith No. 116 Vol. 1)

Ibn `Abbas said, "When Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) was on his deathbed and there were some men in the house, he said, 'Come near, I will write for you something after which you will not go astray.' Some of them ( i.e. his companions) said, 'Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) is seriously ill and you have the (Holy) Qur'an. Allah's Book is sufficient for us.' So the people in the house differed and started disputing. Some of them said, 'Give him writing material so that he may write for you something after which you will not go astray.' while the others said the other way round. So when their talk and differences increased, Allah's Apostle said, "Get up." Ibn `Abbas used to say, "No doubt, it was very unfortunate (a great disaster) that Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) was prevented from writing for them that writing because of their differences and noise."

The Prophet (ﷺ) called Fatima during his fatal illness and told her something secretly and she wept. Then he called her again and told her something secretly, and she started laughing. When we asked her about that, she said, "The Prophet (ﷺ) first told me secretly that he would expire in that disease in which he died, so I wept; then he told me secretly that I would be the first of his family to follow him, so I laughed ( at that time).

Used to hear (from the Prophet) that no Prophet dies till he is given the option to select either the worldly life or the life of the Hereafter. I heard the Prophet (ﷺ) in his fatal disease, with his voice becoming hoarse, saying, "In the company of those on whom is the grace of Allah..( to the end of the Verse )." (4.69) Thereupon I thought that the Prophet (ﷺ) had been given the option.

When the Prophet (ﷺ) fell ill in his fatal illness, he started saying, "With the highest companion."

When Allah 's Apostle was in good health, he used to say, "Never does a prophet die unless he is shown his place in Paradise ( before his death ), and then he is made alive or given option." When the Prophet became ill and his last moments came while his head was on my thigh, he became unconscious, and when he came to his senses, he looked towards the roof of the house and then said, "O Allah! (Please let me be) with the highest companion." Thereupon I said, "Hence he is not going to stay with us? " Then I came to know that his state was the confirmation of the narration he used to mention to us while he was in good health.

`Abdur-Rahman bin Abu Bakr entered upon the Prophet (ﷺ) while I was supporting the Prophet (ﷺ) on my chest. `AbdurRahman had a fresh Siwak then and he was cleaning his teeth with it. Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) looked at it, so I took the Siwak, cut it (chewed it with my teeth), shook it and made it soft (with water), and then gave it to the Prophet (ﷺ) who cleaned his teeth with it. I had never seen Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) cleaning his teeth in a better way. After finishing the brushing of his teeth, he lifted his hand or his finger and said thrice, "O Allah! Let me be with the highest companions," and then died. `Aisha used to say, "He died while his head was resting between my chest and chin."

Whenever Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) became ill, he used to recite the Muawidhatan (i.e. the last two surahs of the Qur'an) and blow his breath over himself (after their recitation ) and rubbed his hands over his body. So when he was afflicted with his fatal illness. I started reciting the Muawidhatan and blowing my breath over him as he used to do and then I rubbed the hand of the Prophet (ﷺ) over his body.

I heard the Prophet (ﷺ) and listened to him before his death while he was leaning his back on me and saying, "O Allah! Forgive me, and bestow Your Mercy on me, and let me meet the (highest) companions (of the Hereafter)." (See the Qur'an (4:69) and Hadith #4435)

`Aisha said, "The Prophet (ﷺ) said during his fatal illness, "Allah cursed the Jews for they took the graves of their prophets as places for worship." `Aisha added, "Had it not been for that (statement of the Prophet ) his grave would have been made conspicuous. But he was afraid that it might be taken as a place for worship."

(the wife of the Prophet) "When the ailment of Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) became aggravated, he requested his wives to permit him to be (treated) nursed in my house, and they gave him permission. He came out (to my house), walking between two men with his feet dragging on the ground, between `Abbas bin `Abdul--Muttalib and another man" 'Ubaidullah said, "I told `Abdullah of what `Aisha had said, `Abdullah bin `Abbas said to me, 'Do you know who is the other man whom `Aisha did not name?' I said, 'No.' Ibn `Abbas said, 'It was `Ali bin Abu Talib." `Aisha, the wife of the Prophet (ﷺ) used to narrate saying, "When Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) entered my house and his disease became aggravated, he said, " Pour on me the water of seven water skins, the mouths of which have not been untied, so that I may give advice to the people.' So we let him sit in a big basin belonging to Hafsa, the wife of the Prophet (ﷺ) and then started to pour water on him from these water skins till he started pointing to us with his hands intending to say, 'You have done your job." `Aisha added, "Then he went out to the people and led them in prayer and preached to them."

`Aisha and `Abdullah bin `Abbas said, "When Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) became ill seriously, he started covering his face with his woolen sheet, and when he felt short of breath, he removed it from his face and said, 'That is so! Allah's curse be on the Jews and the Christians, as they took the graves of their prophets as (places of worship),' intending to warn (the Muslims) of what they had done."

`Aisha added, "I argued with Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) repeatedly about that matter (i.e. his order that Abu Bakr should lead the people in prayer in his place when he was ill), and what made me argue so much, was, that it never occurred to my mind that after the Prophet, the people would ever love a man who had taken his place, and I felt that anybody standing in his place, would be a bad omen to the people, so I wanted Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) to give up the idea of choosing Abu Bakr (to lead the people in prayer).

The Prophet (ﷺ) died while he was between my chest and chin, so I never dislike the death agony for anyone after the Prophet.

`Ali bin Abu Talib came out of the house of Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) during his fatal illness. The people asked, "O Abu Hasan (i.e. `Ali)! How is the health of Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) this morning?" `Ali replied, "He has recovered with the Grace of Allah." `Abbas bin `Abdul Muttalib held him by the hand and said to him, "In three days you, by Allah, will be ruled (by somebody else ), And by Allah, I feel that Allah's Apostle will die from this ailment of his, for I know how the faces of the offspring of `Abdul Muttalib look at the time of their death. So let us go to Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) and ask him who will take over the Caliphate. If it is given to us we will know as to it, and if it is given to somebody else, we will inform him so that he may tell the new ruler to take care of us." `Ali said, "By Allah, if we asked Allah's Apostle for it (i.e. the Caliphate) and he denied it us, the people will never give it to us after that. And by Allah, I will not ask Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) for it."

While the Muslims were offering the Fajr prayer on Monday and Abu Bakr was leading them in prayer, suddenly Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) lifted the curtain of `Aisha's dwelling and looked at them while they were in the rows of the prayers and smiled. Abu Bakr retreated to join the row, thinking that Allah's Apostle wanted to come out for the prayer. The Muslims were about to be put to trial in their prayer (i.e. were about to give up praying) because of being overjoyed at seeing Allah's Messenger (ﷺ). But Allah's Apostle beckoned them with his hand to complete their prayer and then entered the dwelling and let fall the curtain.

It was one of the favors of Allah towards me that Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) expired in my house on the day of my turn while he was leaning against my chest and Allah made my saliva mix with his saliva at his death. `Abdur-Rahman entered upon me with a Siwak in his hand and I was supporting (the back of) Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) (against my chest ). I saw the Prophet (ﷺ) looking at it (i.e. Siwak) and I knew that he loved the Siwak, so I said ( to him ), "Shall I take it for you ? " He nodded in agreement. So I took it and it was too stiff for him to use, so I said, "Shall I soften it for you ?" He nodded his approval. So I softened it and he cleaned his teeth with it. In front of him there was a jug or a tin, (The sub-narrator, `Umar is in doubt as to which was right) containing water. He started dipping his hand in the water and rubbing his face with it, he said, "None has the right to be worshipped except Allah. Death has its agonies." He then lifted his hands (towards the sky) and started saying, "With the highest companion," till he expired and his hand dropped down.

`Aisha said, "Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) in his fatal illness, used to ask, 'Where will I be tomorrow? Where will I be tomorrow?", seeking `Aisha's turn. His wives allowed him to stay wherever he wished. So he stayed at `Aisha's house till he expired while he was with her." `Aisha added, "The Prophet (ﷺ) expired on the day of my turn in my house and he was taken unto Allah while his head was against my chest and his saliva mixed with my saliva." `Aisha added, "Abdur-Rahman bin Abu Bakr came in, carrying a Siwak he was cleaning his teeth with. Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) looked at it and I said to him, 'O `AbdurRahman! Give me this Siwak.' So he gave it to me and I cut it, chewed it (it's end) and gave it to Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) who cleaned his teeth with it while he was resting against my chest."

The Prophet (ﷺ) expired in my house and on the day of my turn, leaning against my chest. One of us (i.e. the Prophet's wives ) used to recite a prayer asking Allah to protect him from all evils when he became sick. So I started asking Allah to protect him from all evils (by reciting a prayer ). He raised his head towards the sky and said, "With the highest companions, with the highest companions." `Abdur- Rahman bin Abu Bakr passed carrying a fresh leaf-stalk of a date-palm and the Prophet (ﷺ) looked at it and I thought that the Prophet (ﷺ) was in need of it (for cleaning his teeth ). So I took it (from `Abdur Rahman) and chewed its head and shook it and gave it to the Prophet (ﷺ) who cleaned his teeth with it, in the best way he had ever cleaned his teeth, and then he gave it to me, and suddenly his hand dropped down or it fell from his hand (i.e. he expired). So Allah made my saliva mix with his saliva on his last day on earth and his first day in the Hereafter.

Abu Bakr kissed the Prophet (ﷺ) after his death.

We poured medicine in one side of the Prophet's mouth during his illness and he started pointing to us, meaning to say, "Don't pour medicine in my mouth." We said, "(He says so) because a patient dislikes medicines." When he improved and felt a little better, he said, "Didn't I forbid you to pour medicine in my mouth ?" We said, " ( We thought it was because of) the dislike, patients have for medicines. He said, "Let everyone present in the house be given medicine by pouring it in his mouth while I am looking at him, except `Abbas as he has not witnessed you (doing the same to me).

It was mentioned in the presence of `Aisha that the Prophet (ﷺ) had appointed `Ali as successor by will. Thereupon she said, "Who said so? I saw the Prophet, while I was supporting him against my chest. He asked for a tray, and then fell on one side and expired, and I did not feel it. So how (do the people say) he appointed `Ali as his successor?"

I asked `Abdullah bin Abu `Aufa "Did the Prophet (ﷺ) make a will? ' He replied, "No." I further asked, "How comes it that the making of a will was enjoined on the people or that they were ordered to make it? " He said, "The Prophet (ﷺ) made a will concerning Allah's Book."

Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) did not leave a Dinar or a Dirham or a male or a female slave. He left only his white mule on which he used to ride, and his weapons, and a piece of land which he gave in charity for the needy travelers.

When the ailment of the Prophet (ﷺ) got aggravated, he became unconscious whereupon Fatima said, "Oh, how distressed my father is!" He said, "Your father will have no more distress after today." When he expired, she said, "O Father! Who has responded to the call of the Lord Who has invited him! O Father, whose dwelling place is the Garden of Paradise (i.e. Al-Firdaus)! O Father! We convey this news (of your death) to Gabriel." When he was buried, Fatima said, "O Anas! Do you feel pleased to throw earth over Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)?"