Mother of the Believers: We, the wives of the Prophet ﷺ were all sitting with the Prophet ﷺ and none of us had left when Fatima came walking, and by Allah, her gait was very similar to that of Messenger of Allah ﷺ .' When he saw her, he welcomed her, saying, "Welcome, O my daughter!" Then he made her sit on his right or his left, confided something to her, whereupon she wept bitterly. When he noticed her sorrow, he confided something else to her for the second time, and she started laughing. Only I from among the Prophet's wives said to her, "(O Fatima), Messenger of Allah ﷺ selected you from among us for the secret talk and still you weep?" When Messenger of Allah ﷺ got up (and went away), I asked her, "What did he confide to you?" She said, "I wouldn't disclose the secrets of Messenger of Allah ﷺ" But when he died I asked her, "I beseech you earnestly by what right I have on you, to tell me (that secret talk which the Prophet had with you)" She said, "As you ask me now, yes, (I will tell you)." She informed me, saying, "When he talked to me secretly the first time, he said that Gabriel used to review the Qur'an with him once every year. He added, 'But this year he reviewed it with me twice, and therefore I think that my time of death has approached. So, be afraid of Allah, and be patient, for I am the best predecessor for you (in the Hereafter).' " Fatima added, "So I wept as you (ʿAisha) witnessed. And when the Prophet ﷺ saw me in this sorrowful state, he confided the second secret to me saying, 'O Fatima! Will you not be pleased that you will be chief of all the believing women (or chief of the women of this nation i.e. my followers?")  

إِنَّا كُنَّا أَزْوَاجَ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ عِنْدَهُ جَمِيعًا لَمْ تُغَادَرْ مِنَّا وَاحِدَةٌ فَأَقْبَلَتْ فَاطِمَةُ عَلَيْهَا السَّلاَمُ تَمْشِي لاَ وَاللَّهِ مَا تَخْفَى مِشْيَتُهَا مِنْ مِشْيَةِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَلَمَّا رَآهَا رَحَّبَ قَالَ مَرْحَبًا بِابْنَتِي ثُمَّ أَجْلَسَهَا عَنْ يَمِينِهِ أَوْ عَنْ شِمَالِهِ ثُمَّ سَارَّهَا فَبَكَتْ بُكَاءً شَدِيدًا فَلَمَّا رَأَى حُزْنَهَا سَارَّهَا الثَّانِيَةَ إِذَا هِيَ تَضْحَكُ فَقُلْتُ لَهَا أَنَا مِنْ بَيْنِ نِسَائِهِ خَصَّكِ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ بِالسِّرِّ مِنْ بَيْنِنَا ثُمَّ أَنْتِ تَبْكِينَ فَلَمَّا قَامَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ سَأَلْتُهَا عَمَّا سَارَّكِ قَالَتْ مَا كُنْتُ لأُفْشِيَ عَلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ سِرَّهُ فَلَمَّا تُوُفِّيَ قُلْتُ لَهَا عَزَمْتُ عَلَيْكِ بِمَا لِي عَلَيْكِ مِنَ الْحَقِّ لَمَّا أَخْبَرْتِنِي قَالَتْ أَمَّا الآنَ فَنَعَمْ فَأَخْبَرَتْنِي قَالَتْ أَمَّا حِينَ سَارَّنِي فِي الأَمْرِ الأَوَّلِ فَإِنَّهُ أَخْبَرَنِي أَنَّ جِبْرِيلَ كَانَ يُعَارِضُهُ بِالْقُرْآنِ كُلَّ سَنَةٍ مَرَّةً وَإِنَّهُ قَدْ عَارَضَنِي بِهِ الْعَامَ مَرَّتَيْنِ وَلاَ أَرَى الأَجَلَ إِلاَّ قَدِ اقْتَرَبَ فَاتَّقِي اللَّهَ وَاصْبِرِي فَإِنِّي نِعْمَ السَّلَفُ أَنَا لَكَ قَالَتْ فَبَكَيْتُ بُكَائِي الَّذِي رَأَيْتِ فَلَمَّا رَأَى جَزَعِي سَارَّنِي الثَّانِيَةَ قَالَ يَا فَاطِمَةُ أَلاَ تَرْضَيْنَ أَنْ تَكُونِي سَيِّدَةَ نِسَاءِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ أَوْ سَيِّدَةَ نِسَاءِ هَذِهِ الأُمَّةِ  

We, the wives of Allah's Apostle ﷺ, were with him (during his last illness) and none was absent therefrom that Fatima, who walked after the style of Messenger of Allah ﷺ, came there, and when he saw her he welcomed her saying: You are welcome, my daughter. He their made her sit on his right side or on his left side. Then he said something secretly to her and she wept bitterly and when he found her (plunged) in grief he said to her something secretly for the second time and she laughed. I ('A'isha) said to her: Messenger of Allah has singled you amongst the women (of the family) for talking (to you something secretly) and you wept. When Messenger of Allah ﷺ recovered from illness, I said to her. What did Messenger of Allah ﷺ say to you? Thereupon she said: I am not going to disclose the secret of Messenger of Allah ﷺ. When Messenger of Allah ﷺ died, I said to her: I adjure you by the right that I have upon you that you should narrate to me what Messenger of Allah ﷺ said to you. She said: Yes, now I can do that (so listen to it). When he talked to me secretly for the first time he informed me that Gabirel was in the habit of reciting the Qur'an along with him once or twice every year, but this year it had been twice and so he perceived his death quite near, so fear Allah and be patient (and he told me) that he would be a befitting forerunner for me and so I wept as you saw me. And when he saw me in grief he talked to me secretly for the second time and said: Fatima, are you not pleased that you should be at the head of the believing women or the head of this Umma? I laughed and it was that laughter which you saw.  

كُنَّ أَزْوَاجُ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ عِنْدَهُ لَمْ يُغَادِرْ مِنْهُنَّ وَاحِدَةً فَأَقْبَلَتْ فَاطِمَةُ تَمْشِي مَا تُخْطِئُ مِشْيَتُهَا مِنْ مِشْيَةِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ شَيْئًا فَلَمَّا رَآهَا رَحَّبَ بِهَا فَقَالَ مَرْحَبًا بِابْنَتِي ثُمَّ أَجْلَسَهَا عَنْ يَمِينِهِ أَوْ عَنْ شِمَالِهِ ثُمَّ سَارَّهَا فَبَكَتْ بُكَاءً شَدِيدًا فَلَمَّا رَأَى جَزَعَهَا سَارَّهَا الثَّانِيَةَ فَضَحِكَتْ فَقُلْتُ لَهَا خَصَّكِ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ مِنْ بَيْنِ نِسَائِهِ بِالسِّرَارِ ثُمَّ أَنْتِ تَبْكِينَ فَلَمَّا قَامَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ سَأَلْتُهَا مَا قَالَ لَكِ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَالَتْ مَا كُنْتُ أُفْشِي عَلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ سِرَّهُ قَالَتْ فَلَمَّا تُوُفِّيَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ قُلْتُ عَزَمْتُ عَلَيْكِ بِمَا لِي عَلَيْكِ مِنَ الْحَقِّ لَمَا حَدَّثْتِنِي مَا قَالَ لَكِ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَقَالَتْ أَمَّا الآنَ فَنَعَمْ أَمَّا حِينَ سَارَّنِي فِي الْمَرَّةِ الأُولَى فَأَخْبَرَنِي أَنَّ جِبْرِيلَ كَانَ يُعَارِضُهُ الْقُرْآنَ فِي كُلِّ سَنَةٍ مَرَّةً أَوْ مَرَّتَيْنِ وَإِنَّهُ عَارَضَهُ الآنَ مَرَّتَيْنِ وَإِنِّي لاَ أُرَى الأَجَلَ إِلاَّ قَدِ اقْتَرَبَ فَاتَّقِي اللَّهَ وَاصْبِرِي فَإِنَّهُ نِعْمَ السَّلَفُ أَنَا لَكِ قَالَتْ فَبَكَيْتُ بُكَائِي الَّذِي رَأَيْتِ فَلَمَّا رَأَى جَزَعِي سَارَّنِي الثَّانِيَةَ فَقَالَ يَا فَاطِمَةُ أَمَا تَرْضَىْ أَنْ تَكُونِي سَيِّدَةَ نِسَاءِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ أَوْ سَيِّدَةَ نِسَاءِ هَذِهِ الأُمَّةِ قَالَتْ فَضَحِكْتُ ضَحِكِي الَّذِي رَأَيْتِ  

You are welcome, my daughter, and made her sit on his right side or on his left side, and then talked something secretly to her and Fatima wept. Then he talked something secretly to her and she laughed. I said to her: What makes you weep? She said: I am not going to divulge the secret of Messenger of Allah ﷺ. I (ʿA'isha) said: I have not seen (anything happening) like today, the happiness being more close to grief (as I see today) when she wept. I said to her: Has Messenger of Allah ﷺ singled you out for saying something leaving us aside? She then wept and I asked her what he said, and she said: I am not going to divulge the secrets of Messenger of Allah ﷺ. And when he died I again asked her and she said that he (the Holy Prophet) told her: Gabriel used to recite the Qur'an to me once a year and for this year it was twice and so I perceived that my death had drawn near, and that I (Fatima) would be the first amongst the members of his family who would meet him (in the Hereafter). He shall be my good forerunner and it made me weep. He again talked to me secretly (saying): Aren't you pleased that you should be the sovereign amongst the believing women or the head of women of this Ummah? And this made me laugh.  

قَالَتِ اجْتَمَعَ نِسَاءُ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ فَلَمْ يُغَادِرْ مِنْهُنَّ امْرَأَةً فَجَاءَتْ فَاطِمَةُ تَمْشِي كَأَنَّ مِشْيَتَهَا مِشْيَةُ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَقَالَ مَرْحَبًا بِابْنَتِي فَأَجْلَسَهَا عَنْ يَمِينِهِ أَوْ عَنْ شِمَالِهِ ثُمَّ إِنَّهُ أَسَرَّ إِلَيْهَا حَدِيثًا فَبَكَتْ فَاطِمَةُ ثُمَّ إِنَّهُ سَارَّهَا فَضَحِكَتْ أَيْضًا فَقُلْتُ لَهَا مَا يُبْكِيكِ فَقَالَتْ مَا كُنْتُ لأُفْشِيَ سِرَّ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَقُلْتُ مَا رَأَيْتُ كَالْيَوْمِ فَرَحًا أَقْرَبَ مِنْ حُزْنٍ فَقُلْتُ لَهَا حِينَ بَكَتْ أَخَصَّكِ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ بِحَدِيثِهِ دُونَنَا ثُمَّ تَبْكِينَ وَسَأَلْتُهَا عَمَّا قَالَ فَقَالَتْ مَا كُنْتُ لأُفْشِيَ سِرَّ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ حَتَّى إِذَا قُبِضَ سَأَلْتُهَا فَقَالَتْ إِنَّهُ كَانَ حَدَّثَنِي أَنَّ جِبْرِيلَ كَانَ يُعَارِضُهُ بِالْقُرْآنِ كُلَّ عَامٍ مَرَّةً وَإِنَّهُ عَارَضَهُ بِهِ فِي الْعَامِ مَرَّتَيْنِ وَلاَ أُرَانِي إِلاَّ قَدْ حَضَرَ أَجَلِي وَإِنَّكِ أَوَّلُ أَهْلِي لُحُوقًا بِي وَنِعْمَ السَّلَفُ أَنَا لَكِ فَبَكَيْتُ لِذَلِكِ ثُمَّ إِنَّهُ سَارَّنِي فَقَالَ أَلاَ تَرْضَيْنَ أَنْ تَكُونِي سَيِّدَةَ نِسَاءِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ أَوْ سَيِّدَةَ نِسَاءِ هَذِهِ الأُمَّةِ فَضَحِكْتُ لِذَلِكِ