ʿUmarؓ saw Talhah bin ʿUbaidullah looking upset and said: “What is the matter with you, O Father of so and so? Perhaps your cousin being appointed as caliph has upset you, O Father of so and so?” He said: “No, but I heard a Hadeeth from the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and nothing prevented me from asking him about it except the fear of not being able to comply with it sand I did not ask him about it until he died. I heard him say: ʿI know a word which no one says at the time of death but his colour will brighten and Allah will relieve him of his distress.ʿ Umar ؓ said: “I know what it is.” Talhah said: “What is it?” ’Umarؓ 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.”  

سَمِعْتُ مِنْ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ حَدِيثًا مَا مَنَعَنِي أَنْ أَسْأَلَهُ عَنْهُ إِلا الْقُدْرَةُ عَلَيْهِ حَتَّى مَاتَ سَمِعْتُهُ يَقُولُ إِنِّي لَأعْلَمُ كَلِمَةً لَا يَقُولُهَا عَبْدٌ عِنْدَ مَوْتِهِ إِلا أَشْرَقَ لَهَا لَوْنُهُ وَنَفَّسَ اللهُ عَنْهُ كُرْبَتَهُ قَالَ فَقَالَ عُمَرُ إِنِّي لأعْلَمُ مَا هِيَ قَالَ وَمَا هِيَ؟ قَالَ تَعْلَمُ كَلِمَةً أَعْظَمَ مِنْ كَلِمَةٍ أَمَرَ بِهَا عَمَّهُ عِنْدَ الْمَوْتِ لَا إِلَهَ إِلا اللهُ قَالَ طَلْحَةُ صَدَقْتَ هِيَ وَاللهِ هِيَ  

“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  

I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ say: ʿI know a word which no one says, sincerely from the heart, but he will be forbidden to the Fire.” ʿUmar bin al-Khattab ؓ said to him: I will tell you what it is: it is the word of al-ikhlas by means of which Allah, may He be blessed and exalted, caused Muhammad ﷺ and his companions to prevail and it is the word of taqwa that the Prophet ﷺ of Allah urged his uncle Abu Talib to say when he was dying, the testimony that there is no god but Allah.  

سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ يَقُولُ إِنِّي لَأَعْلَمُ كَلِمَةً لَا يَقُولُهَا عَبْدٌ حَقًّا مِنْ قَلْبِهِ إِلَّا حُرِّمَ عَلَى النَّارِ فَقَالَ لَهُ عُمَرُ بْنُ الْخَطَّابِ أَنَا أُحَدِّثُكَ مَا هِيَ؟ هِيَ كَلِمَةُ الْإِخْلاصِ الَّتِي أَلْزَمَهَا اللهُ تَبَارَكَ وَتَعَالَى مُحَمَّدًا ﷺ وَأَصْحَابَهُ وَهِيَ كَلِمَةُ التَّقْوَى الَّتِي أَلَاصَ عَلَيْهَا نَبِيُّ اللهِ ﷺ عَمَّهُ أَبَا طَالِبٍ عِنْدَ الْمَوْتِ شَهَادَةُ أَنْ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللهُ  

“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.” (Using translation from Aḥmad 1386)  

لَا وَأَثْنَى عَلَى أَبِي بَكْرٍ وَلَكِنِّي سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَقُولُ «كَلِمَةً لَا يَقُولُهَا عَبْدٌ عِنْدَ مَوْتِهِ إِلَّا فَرَّجَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ كُرْبَتَهُ وَأَشْرَقَ لَوْنُهُ» فَمَا مَنَعَنِي أَنْ أَسْأَلَهُ عَنْهَا إِلَّا الْقُدْرَةَ عَلَيْهَا حَتَّى مَاتَ فَقَالَ عُمَرُ إِنِّي لَأَعْرِفُهَا فَقَالَ لَهُ طَلْحَةُ وَمَا هِيَ؟ فَقَالَ لَهُ عُمَرُ «هَلْ تَعْلَمُ كَلِمَةً هِيَ أَعْظَمُ مِنْ كَلِمَةٍ أَمَرَ بِهَا عَمَّهُ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ» فَقَالَ لَهُ طَلْحَةُ هِيَ وَاللَّهِ هِيَ  

ʿUmarؓ saw Talhah bin ʿUbaidullah looking upset and said: “What is the matter with you, O Father of so and so? Perhaps your cousin being appointed as caliph has upset you, O Father of so and so?” He said: “No, but I heard a Hadeeth from the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and nothing prevented me from asking him about it except the fear of not being able to comply with it sand I did not ask him about it until he died. I heard him say: ʿI know a word which no one says at the time of death but his colour will brighten and Allah will relieve him of his distress.ʿ Umar ؓ said: “I know what it is.” Talhah said: “What is it?” ’Umarؓ 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.” (Using translation from Aḥmad 1384)   

لَا وَأَثْنَى عَلَى أَبِي بَكْرٍ وَلَكِنْ كَلِمَةٌ سَمِعْتُهَا مِنْ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ لَا يَقُولُهَا عَبْدٌ عِنْدَ مَوْتِهِ إِلَّا فَرَّجَ اللهُ عَنْهُ كُرْبَتَهُ وَأَشْرَقَ لَوْنُهُ فَمَا مَنَعَنِي أَنْ أَسْأَلَ عَنْهَا إِلَّا الْقُدْرَةُ عَلَيْهَا حَتَّى مَاتَ قَالَ عُمَرُ إِنِّي لَأَعْرِفُهَا قَالَ طَلْحَةُ وَمَا هِيَ؟ قَالَ هَلْ تَعْلَمُ كَلِمَةً أَعْظَمَ مِنْ كَلِمَةٍ عَرَضَهَا عَلَى عَمِّهِ عِنْدَ الْمَوْتِ؟ قَالَ طَلْحَةُ هِيَ هِيَ  

"عن يحيى بن طلحة بن عبيد الله (قال: رأى عمر طلحة بن عبيد الله) حزينًا، فقال: مالك؟ قال إنى سمعت رسول الله ﷺ يقول: "إِنِّى لأَعْلَمُ كلِمَةً - وفى لفظ: كَلِمَاتٍ - لَا يَقُولُهُنَّ عَبْدٌ عِنْدَ المَوْتِ إِلَّا نُفِّسَ عَنْهُ، وَفِى لَفْظٍ: إِلَّا فَرَّجَ الله عَنْهُ كُرْبَةً وَأَشْرَقَ لَهَا لَوْنُهُ وَرَأَى مَا يَسُرُّهُ، فَمَا مَنَعَنِى أَنْ أَسْأَلَهُ عَنْهَا إِلَّا الْقُدْرَةُ عَلَيهَا حَتَّى مَاتَ، فَقَالَ عُمَرُ: إِنِّى لأَعْلَمُ مَا هِىَ، قَالَ: هَلْ تَعْلَمُ كلِمَةً هِىَ أَفْضَلُ مِنْ كلِمَةٍ دَعَا إِلَيْهَا رَسُولُ الله ﷺ عَمَّهُ عِنْدَ الْمَوْتِ؟ قالَ طلحة: هى والله هِىَ قال عمر: لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا الله".