“What is the matter with you, O Abu Muhammad? Perhaps you are upset about your cousin being appointed as caliph?” [referring to Abu Bakrؓ ]. He said: “No.” And he spoke highly of Abu Bakr ؓ , [then he said:] “But I heard the Prophet ﷺ say: ʿ[There is] a word which no one says when he is dying but Allah will relieve him of distress and his colour will brighten.” Nothing prevented me from asking him about it except the fear of not being able to comply with it and I did not ask him about it until he died.” ‘Umar said to him: “I know what it is.” Talhah said to him: “What is it?ʿ ‘Umar said: “Do you know any word that is greater than the word he enjoined his uncle to say when he was dying, ‘La ilaha illallah’?” Talhah said: “You are right. By Allah, that is what it is.”
لَا وَأَثْنَى عَلَى أَبِي بَكْرٍ وَلَكِنِّي سَمِعْتُ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ يَقُولُ كَلِمَةٌ لَا يَقُولُهَا عَبْدٌ عِنْدَ مَوْتِهِ إِلا فَرَّجَ اللهُ عَنْهُ كُرْبَتَهُ وَأَشْرَقَ لَوْنُهُ فَمَا مَنَعَنِي أَنْ أَسْأَلَهُ عَنْهَا إِلا الْقُدْرَةُ عَلَيْهَا حَتَّى مَاتَ فَقَالَ لَهُ عُمَرُ إِنِّي لَأَعْلَمُهَا فَقَالَ لَهُ طَلْحَةُ وَمَا هِيَ؟ فَقَالَ لَهُ عُمَرُ هَلْ تَعْلَمُ كَلِمَةً هِيَ أَعْظَمَ مِنْ كَلِمَةٍ أَمَرَ بِهَا عَمَّهُ؟ لَا إِلَهَ إِلا اللهُ؟فَقَالَ طَلْحَةُ هِيَ وَاللهِ هِيَ