Peace be upon you, abode of a people who are believers. What you were promised would come to you tomorrow, you receiving it after some delay; and God willing we shall join you. O Allah, grant forgiveness to the inhabitants of Baqi' al-Gharqad. Qutaiba did not mention his words:" would come to you".

أَنَّهَا قَالَتْ كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ كُلَّمَا كَانَ لَيْلَتُهَا مِنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَخْرُجُ مِنْ آخِرِ اللَّيْلِ إِلَى الْبَقِيعِ فَيَقُولُ السَّلاَمُ عَلَيْكُمْ دَارَ قَوْمٍ مُؤْمِنِينَ وَأَتَاكُمْ مَا تُوعَدُونَ غَدًا مُؤَجَّلُونَ وَإِنَّا إِنْ شَاءَ اللَّهُ بِكُمْ لاَحِقُونَ اللَّهُمَّ اغْفِرْ لأَهْلِ بَقِيعِ الْغَرْقَدِ وَلَمْ يُقِمْ قُتَيْبَةُ قَوْلَهُ وَأَتَاكُمْ

Shall I not tell you about myself and about the Messenger of Allah ﷺ? We said, “Yes.” He said: She said: When it was my night, the night in which the Prophet ﷺ was with me, he returned, placed his cloak down, took off his sandals and put them by his feet, spread the edge of his waist-wrapper over his bed, and lay down. He remained only long enough to think that I had fallen asleep, then he took his cloak slowly, put on his sandals slowly, opened the door and went out, then closed it gently. I put my shift over my head, covered my head, wrapped my waist-wrapper around myself, and then set out following him until he came to al-Baqi. He stood there and lengthened his standing, then raised his hands three times. Then he turned away, so I turned away; he quickened his pace, so I quickened mine; he trotted, so I trotted; he hastened, so I hastened; then I got ahead of him and entered.

No sooner had I lain down than he entered and said: “What is the matter with you, O Aish? Are you out of breath, with your chest heaving?” She said: I said, “Nothing.” He said: “You must tell me, or the Subtle, the All-Aware will surely inform me.” She said: I said, “O Messenger of Allah, may my father and mother be sacrificed for you,” and I told him. He said: “So you were the dark figure I saw ahead of me?” I said, “Yes.” He gave me a shove in my chest that hurt me, then said: “Did you think that Allah and His Messenger would deal unjustly with you?” She said: Whatever people conceal, Allah knows it? “Yes.” He said: “Jibril came to me when you saw me; he called me, concealing it from you, and I answered him, concealing it from you. He would not enter upon you when you had put off your clothes. I thought you had fallen asleep, so I disliked waking you, and I feared that you would feel lonely. He said: Your Lord commands you to go to the people of al-Baqi and ask forgiveness for them.” She said: I said, “How should I speak to them, O Messenger of Allah?” He said: “Say: Peace be upon the inhabitants of these abodes, among the believers and the Muslims. May Allah have mercy on those of us who have gone ahead and those who come later, and we, if Allah wills, will surely join you.”

أَلاَ أُحَدِّثُكُمْ عَنِّي وَعَنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ؟ قُلْنَا: بَلَى. قَالَ: قَالَتْ: لَمَّا كَانَتْ لَيْلَتِيَ الَّتِي كَانَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ فِيهَا عِنْدِي، انْقَلَبَ فَوَضَعَ رِدَاءَهُ وَخَلَعَ نَعْلَيْهِ فَوَضَعَهُمَا عِنْدَ رِجْلَيْهِ، وَبَسَطَ طَرَفَ إِزَارِهِ عَلَى فِرَاشِهِ فَاضْطَجَعَ، فَلَمْ يَلْبَثْ إِلاَّ رَيْثَمَا ظَنَّ أَنْ قَدْ رَقَدْتُ، فَأَخَذَ رِدَاءَهُ رُوَيْدًا وَانْتَعَلَ رُوَيْدًا، وَفَتَحَ الْبَابَ فَخَرَجَ ثُمَّ أَجَافَهُ رُوَيْدًا، فَجَعَلْتُ دِرْعِي فِي رَأْسِي وَاخْتَمَرْتُ وَتَقَنَّعْتُ إِزَارِي، ثُمَّ انْطَلَقْتُ عَلَى إِثْرِهِ حَتَّى جَاءَ الْبَقِيعَ، فَقَامَ فَأَطَالَ الْقِيَامَ، ثُمَّ رَفَعَ يَدَيْهِ ثَلاَثَ مَرَّاتٍ، ثُمَّ انْحَرَفَ فَانْحَرَفْتُ، فَأَسْرَعَ فَأَسْرَعْتُ، فَهَرْوَلَ فَهَرْوَلْتُ، فَأَحْضَرَ فَأَحْضَرْتُ، فَسَبَقْتُهُ فَدَخَلْتُ.

فَلَيْسَ إِلاَّ أَنِ اضْطَجَعْتُ فَدَخَلَ، فَقَالَ: «مَا لَكِ يَا عَائِشُ حَشْيَا رَابِيَةً». قَالَتْ: قُلْتُ: لاَ شَىْءَ. قَالَ: «لَتُخْبِرِينِي أَوْ لَيُخْبِرَنِّي اللَّطِيفُ الْخَبِيرُ». قَالَتْ: قُلْتُ: يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ، بِأَبِي أَنْتَ وَأُمِّي، فَأَخْبَرْتُهُ. قَالَ: «فَأَنْتِ السَّوَادُ الَّذِي رَأَيْتُ أَمَامِي». قُلْتُ: نَعَمْ. فَلَهَدَنِي فِي صَدْرِي لَهْدَةً أَوْجَعَتْنِي، ثُمَّ قَالَ: «أَظَنَنْتِ أَنْ يَحِيفَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْكِ وَرَسُولُهُ». قَالَتْ: مَهْمَا يَكْتُمِ النَّاسُ يَعْلَمْهُ اللَّهُ؟ «نَعَمْ». قَالَ: «فَإِنَّ جِبْرِيلَ أَتَانِي حِينَ رَأَيْتِ، فَنَادَانِي فَأَخْفَاهُ مِنْكِ، فَأَجَبْتُهُ فَأَخْفَيْتُهُ مِنْكِ، وَلَمْ يَكُنْ يَدْخُلُ عَلَيْكِ وَقَدْ وَضَعْتِ ثِيَابَكِ، وَظَنَنْتُ أَنْ قَدْ رَقَدْتِ، فَكَرِهْتُ أَنْ أُوقِظَكِ، وَخَشِيتُ أَنْ تَسْتَوْحِشِي، فَقَالَ: إِنَّ رَبَّكَ يَأْمُرُكَ أَنْ تَأْتِيَ أَهْلَ الْبَقِيعِ فَتَسْتَغْفِرَ لَهُمْ». قَالَتْ: قُلْتُ: كَيْفَ أَقُولُ لَهُمْ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ؟ قَالَ: «قُولِي: السَّلاَمُ عَلَى أَهْلِ الدِّيَارِ مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَالْمُسْلِمِينَ، وَيَرْحَمُ اللَّهُ الْمُسْتَقْدِمِينَ مِنَّا وَالْمُسْتَأْخِرِينَ، وَإِنَّا إِنْ شَاءَ اللَّهُ بِكُمْ لَلاَحِقُونَ».

" Peace be upon the inhabitants of the city (i. e. graveyard)." In the hadith transmitted by Zuhair (the words are):" Peace be upon you, the inhabitants of the city, among the believers, and Muslims, and God willing we shall join you. I beg of Allah peace for us and for you."

كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ يُعَلِّمُهُمْ إِذَا خَرَجُوا إِلَى الْمَقَابِرِ فَكَانَ قَائِلُهُمْ يَقُولُ فِي رِوَايَةِ أَبِي بَكْرٍ السَّلاَمُ عَلَى أَهْلِ الدِّيَارِ وَفِي رِوَايَةِ زُهَيْرٍ السَّلاَمُ عَلَيْكُمْ أَهْلَ الدِّيَارِ مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَالْمُسْلِمِينَ وَإِنَّا إِنْ شَاءَ اللَّهُ لَلَاحِقُونَ أَسْأَلُ اللَّهَ لَنَا وَلَكُمْ الْعَافِيَةَ