“I asked ‘Aishah: ‘O mother! Tell me about the sickness of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.’ She said: ‘He felt pain and started to spit (over his body), and we began to compare his spittle to the spittle of a person eating raisins. Like a person eating raisins and spitting out the seeds. He used to go around among his wives, but when he became ill, he asked them permission to stay in the house of ‘Aishah and that they should come to him in turns.’ She said: ‘The Messenger of Allah ﷺ entered upon me, (supported) between two men, with his feet making lines along the ground. One of them was ‘Abbas.’ I told Ibn ‘Abbas this Hadith and he said: ‘Do you know who the other man was whom ‘Aishah did not name? He was ‘Ali bin Abu Talib.’”  

سَأَلْتُ عَائِشَةَ فَقُلْتُ أَىْ أُمَّهْ أَخْبِرِينِي عَنْ مَرَضِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَالَتِ اشْتَكَى فَعَلَقَ يَنْفُثُ فَجَعَلْنَا نُشَبِّهُ نَفْثَهُ بِنَفْثَةِ آكِلِ الزَّبِيبِ وَكَانَ يَدُورُ عَلَى نِسَائِهِ فَلَمَّا ثَقُلَ اسْتَأْذَنَهُنَّ أَنْ يَكُونَ فِي بَيْتِ عَائِشَةَ وَأَنْ يَدُرْنَ عَلَيْهِ قَالَتْ فَدَخَلَ عَلَىَّ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ وَهُوَ بَيْنَ رَجُلَيْنِ وَرِجْلاَهُ تَخُطَّانِ بِالأَرْضِ أَحَدُهُمَا الْعَبَّاسُ فَحَدَّثْتُ بِهِ ابْنَ عَبَّاسٍ فَقَالَ أَتَدْرِي مَنِ الرَّجُلُ الَّذِي لَمْ تُسَمِّهِ عَائِشَةُ؟ هُوَ عَلِيُّ بْنُ أَبِي طَالِبٍ  

“The Prophet ﷺ used to seek refuge using the following words: ‘Adhhibil-ba’s, Rabbin-nas, washfi Antash-shafi, la shifa’a illa shifa’uka, shifa’an la yughadiru saqaman (Take away the affliction, O Lord of mankind, and grant healing, for You are the Healer and there is no healing that leaves no sickness).’ When the Prophet ﷺ fell sick with the sickness that would be his last, I took his hand and wiped it over his body and recited these words. He withdrew his hand from mine and said: ‘O Allah, forgive me and let me meet the exalted companions (i.e., those who occupy high positions in Paradise).’ Those were the last words of his that I heard.”  

كَانَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ يَتَعَوَّذُ بِهَؤُلاَءِ الْكَلِمَاتِ أَذْهِبِ الْبَاسَ رَبَّ النَّاسِ وَاشْفِ أَنْتَ الشَّافِي لاَ شِفَاءَ إِلاَّ شِفَاؤُكَ شِفَاءً لاَ يُغَادِرُ سَقَمًا فَلَمَّا ثَقُلَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ فِي مَرَضِهِ الَّذِي مَاتَ فِيهِ أَخَذْتُ بِيَدِهِ فَجَعَلْتُ أَمْسَحُهُ وَأَقُولُهَا فَنَزَعَ يَدَهُ مِنْ يَدِي ثُمَّ قَالَ اللَّهُمَّ اغْفِرْ لِي وَأَلْحِقْنِي بِالرَّفِيقِ الأَعْلَى قَالَتْ فَكَانَ هَذَا آخِرَ مَا سَمِعْتُ مِنْ كَلاَمِهِ ﷺ  

“I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ say: ‘There is no Prophet who fell sick but he was given the choice between this world and the Hereafter.’ She said: ‘When he became sick with the illness that would be his last, (his voice) became hoarse and I heard him say, “In the company of those on whom Allah has bestowed His grace, of the Prophets, the true believers, the martyrs, and the righteous.’” [4:69] Then I knew that he had been given the choice.”  

سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَقُولُ مَا مِنْ نَبِيٍّ يَمْرَضُ إِلاَّ خُيِّرَ بَيْنَ الدُّنْيَا وَالآخِرَةِ قَالَتْ فَلَمَّا كَانَ مَرَضُهُ الَّذِي قُبِضَ فِيهِ أَخَذَتْهُ بُحَّةٌ فَسَمِعْتُهُ يَقُولُ مَعَ الَّذِينَ أَنْعَمَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِمْ مِنَ النَّبِيِّينَ وَالصِّدِّيقِينَ وَالشُّهَدَاءِ وَالصَّالِحِينَ فَعَلِمْتُ أَنَّهُ خُيِّرَ  

“The wives of the Prophet ﷺ gathered together and not one of them lagged behind. Fatimah came, and her gait was like that of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. He said, ‘Welcome to my daughter.’ Then he made her sit to his left, and he whispered something to her, and she smiled. I said to her: ‘What made you weep?’ She said: ‘I will not disclose the secret of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.’ I said: ‘I never saw joy so close to grief as I saw today.’ When she wept I said: ‘Did the Messenger of Allah ﷺ tell you some special words that were not for us, then you wept?’ And I asked her about what he had said. She said: ‘I will not disclose the secret of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.’ After he died I asked her what he had said, and she said: ‘He told me that Jibra’il used to review the Qur’an with him once each year, but he had reviewed it with him twice that year, (and he said:) “I do not think but that my time is near. You will be the first of my family to join me, and what a good predecessor I am for you.” So I wept. Then he whispered to me and said: “Will you not be pleased to be the leader of the women of this Ummah?” So I smiled.’”  

قَالَتِ اجْتَمَعْنَ نِسَاءُ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ فَلَمْ تُغَادِرْ مِنْهُنَّ امْرَأَةٌ فَجَاءَتْ فَاطِمَةُ كَأَنَّ مِشْيَتَهَا مِشْيَةُ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَقَالَ مَرْحَبًا بِابْنَتِي ثُمَّ أَجْلَسَهَا عَنْ شِمَالِهِ ثُمَّ إِنَّهُ أَسَرَّ إِلَيْهَا حَدِيثًا فَبَكَتْ فَاطِمَةُ ثُمَّ إِنَّهُ سَارَّهَا فَضَحِكَتْ أَيْضًا فَقُلْتُ لَهَا مَا يُبْكِيكِ؟ قَالَتْ مَا كُنْتُ لأُفْشِيَ سِرَّ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَقُلْتُ مَا رَأَيْتُ كَالْيَوْمِ فَرَحًا أَقْرَبَ مِنْ حُزْنٍ فَقُلْتُ لَهَا حِينَ بَكَتْ أَخَصَّكِ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ بِحَدِيثٍ دُونَنَا ثُمَّ تَبْكِينَ؟ وَسَأَلْتُهَا عَمَّا قَالَ فَقَالَتْ مَا كُنْتُ لأُفْشِيَ سِرَّ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ حَتَّى إِذَا قُبِضَ سَأَلْتُهَا عَمَّا قَالَ فَقَالَتْ إِنَّهُ كَانَ يُحَدِّثُنِي أَنَّ جِبْرَائِيلَ كَانَ يُعَارِضُهُ بِالْقُرْآنِ فِي كُلِّ عَامٍ مَرَّةً وَأَنَّهُ عَارَضَهُ بِهِ الْعَامَ مَرَّتَيْنِ وَلاَ أُرَانِي إِلاَّ قَدْ حَضَرَ أَجَلِي وَأَنَّكِ أَوَّلُ أَهْلِي لُحُوقًا بِي وَنِعْمَ السَّلَفُ أَنَا لَكِ فَبَكَيْتُ ثُمَّ إِنَّهُ سَارَّنِي فَقَالَ أَلاَ تَرْضَيْنَ أَنْ تَكُونِي سَيِّدَةَ نِسَاءِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ أَوْ نِسَاءِ هَذِهِ الأُمَّةِ فَضَحِكْتُ لِذَلِكَ  

“I never saw anyone suffer more pain than the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.”  

عَائِشَةُ مَا رَأَيْتُ أَحَدًا أَشَدَّ عَلَيْهِ الْوَجَعُ مِنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ  

“I saw the Messenger of Allah ﷺ when he was dying, and there was a bowl of water next to him. He put his hand in the vessel and wiped his face with the water, and said: ‘O Allah, help me to bear the agonies of death.’”  

رَأَيْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ وَهُوَ يَمُوتُ وَعِنْدَهُ قَدَحٌ فِيهِ مَاءٌ فَيُدْخِلُ يَدَهُ فِي الْقَدَحِ ثُمَّ يَمْسَحُ وَجْهَهُ بِالْمَاءِ ثُمَّ يَقُولُ اللَّهُمَّ أَعِنِّي عَلَى سَكَرَاتِ الْمَوْتِ  

“The last glance that I had of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ was when he drew back the curtain on Monday, and I saw his face as if it was a page of the Mushaf (Qur’an), and the people were praying behind Abu Bakr. He (Abu Bakr) wanted to move, but he (the Prophet ﷺ) gestured to him to stand firm. Then he let the curtain fall, and he died at the end of that day.”  

سَمِعَ أَنَسَ بْنَ مَالِكٍ يَقُولُ آخِرُ نَظْرَةٍ نَظَرْتُهَا إِلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ كَشْفُ السِّتَارَةِ يَوْمَ الاِثْنَيْنِ فَنَظَرْتُ إِلَى وَجْهِهِ كَأَنَّهُ وَرَقَةُ مُصْحَفٍ وَالنَّاسُ خَلْفَ أَبِي بَكْرٍ فِي الصَّلاَةِ فَأَرَادَ أَنْ يَتَحَرَّكَ فَأَشَارَ إِلَيْهِ أَنِ اثْبُتْ وَأَلْقَى السِّجْفَ وَمَاتَ مِنْ آخِرِ ذَلِكَ الْيَوْمِ  

“The prayer, and those whom your hands possess.”* And he kept on saying it until his tongue could no longer utter any words.  

أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ كَانَ يَقُولُ فِي مَرَضِهِ الَّذِي تُوُفِّيَ فِيهِ الصَّلاَةَ وَمَا مَلَكَتْ أَيْمَانُكُمْ فَمَا زَالَ يَقُولُهَا حَتَّى مَا يَفِيضَ بِهَا لِسَانُهُ  

“They said in ‘Aishah’s presence that ‘Ali was appointed (by the Prophet ﷺ before he died), and she said: ‘When was he appointed? He (the Prophet ﷺ) was resting against my bosom, or in my lap, and he called for a basin, then he became limp in my lap and died, and I did not realize it. So when did he ﷺ appoint him?’”  

مَتَى أَوْصَى إِلَيْهِ؟ فَلَقَدْ كُنْتُ مُسْنِدَتَهُ إِلَى صَدْرِي أَوْ إِلَى حِجْرِي فَدَعَا بِطَسْتٍ فَلَقَدِ انْخَنَثَ فِي حِجْرِي فَمَاتَ وَمَا شَعَرْتُ بِهِ فَمَتَى أَوْصَى ﷺ ؟