[AI] The Messenger of Allah ﷺ was commanded to pray for the people of al-Baqi, so the Messenger of Allah ﷺ prayed for them one night three times. Then when it was the second night, he said: "O Abu Muwaihibah, saddle my riding animal for me." He said: So he rode, and I walked until he came to them. Then he dismounted from his riding animal, and the animal halted, and he stood over them — or he said: he stood among them — and he said: "Glad tidings to you for what you are in, compared with what the people are in. The trials have come like pieces of the night, each one mounting upon another; the latter is more severe than the first. So glad tidings to you for what you are in."

Then he returned and said: "O Abu Muwaihibah, I have been given — or he said: I was given a choice between — the keys to what will be opened for my ummah after me and Paradise, or meeting my Lord." So I said: By my father and mother, O Messenger of Allah, then tell us. He said: "That it would be turned back on its heels for as long as Allah wills; so I chose the meeting of my Lord ﷻ." He remained only seven or eight days after that until he was taken in death ﷺ. Abu al-Nadr said once: It is turned back on its heels.

أُمِرَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ أَنْ يُصَلِّيَ عَلَى أَهْلِ الْبَقِيعِ، فَصَلَّى عَلَيْهِمْ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ لَيْلَةً ثَلَاثَ مَرَّاتٍ. فَلَمَّا كَانَتْ اللَّيْلَةُ الثَّانِيَةُ قَالَ: «يَا أَبَا مُوَيْهِبَةَ، أَسْرِجْ لِي دَابَّتِي». قَالَ: فَرَكِبَ، وَمَشَيْتُ حَتَّى انْتَهَى إِلَيْهِمْ، فَنَزَلَ عَنْ دَابَّتِهِ، وَأَمْسَكَتِ الدَّابَّةُ، وَوَقَفَ عَلَيْهِمْ، أَوْ قَالَ: قَامَ عَلَيْهِمْ، فَقَالَ: «لِيَهْنِكُمْ مَا أَنْتُمْ فِيهِ مِمَّا فِيهِ النَّاسُ، أَتَتِ الْفِتَنُ كَقِطَعِ اللَّيْلِ، يَرْكَبُ بَعْضُهَا بَعْضًا، الْآخِرَةُ أَشَدُّ مِنَ الْأُولَى، فَلْيَهْنِكُمْ مَا أَنْتُمْ فِيهِ».

ثُمَّ رَجَعَ، فَقَالَ: «يَا أَبَا مُوَيْهِبَةَ، إِنِّي أُعْطِيتُ، أَوْ قَالَ: خُيِّرْتُ، مَفَاتِيحَ مَا يُفْتَحُ عَلَى أُمَّتِي مِنْ بَعْدِي وَالْجَنَّةَ، أَوْ لِقَاءَ رَبِّي». فَقُلْتُ: بِأَبِي وَأُمِّي يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ، فَأَخْبِرْنَا. قَالَ: «لَأَنْتُرَدَّ عَلَى عَقِبِهَا مَا شَاءَ اللهُ، فَاخْتَرْتُ لِقَاءَ رَبِّي ﷻ». فَمَا لَبِثَ بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ إِلَّا سَبْعًا أَوْ ثَمَانِيًا حَتَّى قُبِضَ ﷺ. وَقَالَ أَبُو النَّضْرِ مَرَّةً: تُرَدُّ عَلَى عَقِبَيْهَا.

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ sent for me in the middle of the night and said, "O Abu Muwayhibah, I have been commanded to seek forgiveness for the people of al-Baqi, so come with me." So I went with him. When he stood among them, he said, "Peace be upon you, people of the graves. How good is what you have come to this morning compared to what the people have come to this morning. If only you knew what Allah has saved you from! Trials have come like pieces of a dark night, each one following the other; the later one is worse than the first."

He said: Then he turned to me and said, "O Abu Muwayhibah, I have been given the keys to the treasures of the world, everlasting life in it, then Paradise; and I was given the choice between that and meeting my Lord ﷻ and Paradise." He said: I said, "May my father and mother be sacrificed for you; then take the keys of the world, everlasting life in it, then Paradise." He said, "No, by Allah, O Abu Muwayhibah, I have chosen the meeting with my Lord and Paradise." Then he sought forgiveness for the people of al-Baqi, then he left. When morning came, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ was stricken with the illness in which Allah ﷻ took him.

بَعَثَنِي رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ مِنْ جَوْفِ اللَّيْلِ، فَقَالَ: «يَا أَبَا مُوَيْهِبَةَ، إِنِّي قَدْ أُمِرْتُ أَنْ أَسْتَغْفِرَ لِأَهْلِ الْبَقِيعِ، فَانْطَلِقْ مَعِي». فَانْطَلَقْتُ مَعَهُ، فَلَمَّا وَقَفَ بَيْنَ أَظْهُرِهِمْ قَالَ: «السَّلَامُ عَلَيْكُمْ، يَا أَهْلَ الْمَقَابِرِ، لِيَهْنِ لَكُمْ مَا أَصْبَحْتُمْ فِيهِ مِمَّا أَصْبَحَ فِيهِ النَّاسُ. لَوْ تَعْلَمُونَ مَا نَجَّاكُمُ اللهُ مِنْهُ! أَقْبَلَتِ الْفِتَنُ كَقِطَعِ اللَّيْلِ الْمُظْلِمِ، يَتْبَعُ أَوَّلُهَا آخِرَهَا، الْآخِرَةُ شَرٌّ مِنَ الْأُولَى».

قَالَ: ثُمَّ أَقْبَلَ عَلَيَّ، فَقَالَ: «يَا أَبَا مُوَيْهِبَةَ، إِنِّي قَدْ أُوتِيتُ مَفَاتِيحَ خَزَائِنِ الدُّنْيَا وَالْخُلْدَ فِيهَا، ثُمَّ الْجَنَّةَ، وَخُيِّرْتُ بَيْنَ ذَلِكَ وَبَيْنَ لِقَاءِ رَبِّي ﷻ وَالْجَنَّةِ». قَالَ: قُلْتُ: بِأَبِي وَأُمِّي، فَخُذْ مَفَاتِيحَ الدُّنْيَا وَالْخُلْدَ فِيهَا، ثُمَّ الْجَنَّةَ. قَالَ: «لَا وَاللهِ، يَا أَبَا مُوَيْهِبَةَ، لَقَدِ اخْتَرْتُ لِقَاءَ رَبِّي وَالْجَنَّةَ». ثُمَّ اسْتَغْفَرَ لِأَهْلِ الْبَقِيعِ، ثُمَّ انْصَرَفَ، فَبُدِئَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ فِي وَجَعِهِ الَّذِي قَبَضَهُ اللهُ ﷻ فِيهِ حِينَ أَصْبَحَ