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Seerah / Final days

Reviewed

His passing

Date
Rabi' al-Awwal, 11 AH · established
Location
Madinah
People
Aisha (RA), Abu Bakr (RA), 'Umar (RA)

Aisha (RA) narrates in Sahih al-Bukhari his last words, 'O Allah, with the highest companion'. When people were shaken, Abu Bakr (RA) recited 'Muhammad is no more than a Messenger…' (3:144), as she also narrates.

As it was narrated

The story, in the words of those who were there

Read slowly. These are the Companions' own words, from the verified hadith collections.

Hadith
Hadith collection

حَدَّثَنَا إِسْمَاعِيلُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ، حَدَّثَنَا سُلَيْمَانُ بْنُ بِلاَلٍ، عَنْ هِشَامِ بْنِ عُرْوَةَ، عَنْ عُرْوَةَ بْنِ الزُّبَيْرِ، عَنْ عَائِشَةَ ـ رضى الله عنها ـ زَوْجِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم مَاتَ وَأَبُو بَكْرٍ بِالسُّنْحِ ـ قَالَ إِسْمَاعِيلُ يَعْنِي بِالْعَالِيَةِ ـ فَقَامَ عُمَرُ يَقُولُ وَاللَّهِ مَا مَاتَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم‏.‏ قَالَتْ…

Narrated 'Aisha: (the wife of the Prophet) Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) died while Abu Bakr was at a place called As-Sunah (Al-'Aliya) 'Umar stood up and said, "By Allah! Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) is not dead!" 'Umar (later on) said, "By Allah! Nothing occurred to my mind except that." He said, "Verily! Allah will resurrect him and he will cut the hands and legs of some men." Then Abu Bakr came and uncovered the face of Allah's Messenger (ﷺ), kissed him and said, "Let my mother and father be sacrificed for you, (O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)), you are good in life and in death. By Allah in Whose Hands my life is, Allah will never make you taste death twice." Then he went out and said, "O oath-taker! Don't be…

Sahih al-Bukhari · Hadith 3668 · Companions of the Prophet
Translation: Sahih al-Bukhari — English. Hadith data: fawazahmed0/hadith-api (numbering and gradings as published there).

Grading information unavailable in source data · from a collection regarded as sahih

Open source
Hadith
Hadith collection

حَدَّثَنَا بِشْرُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ، حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ، قَالَ يُونُسُ قَالَ الزُّهْرِيُّ أَخْبَرَنِي سَعِيدُ بْنُ الْمُسَيَّبِ، فِي رِجَالٍ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْعِلْمِ أَنَّ عَائِشَةَ قَالَتْ كَانَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَقُولُ وَهْوَ صَحِيحٌ ‏"‏ إِنَّهُ لَمْ يُقْبَضْ نَبِيٌّ حَتَّى يَرَى مَقْعَدَهُ مِنَ الْجَنَّةِ، ثُمَّ يُخَيَّرَ ‏"‏‏.‏ فَلَمَّا نَزَلَ بِهِ وَرَأْسُهُ عَلَى فَخِذِي غُشِيَ عَلَيْهِ، ثُمَّ أَف…

Narrated `Aisha:When the Prophet (ﷺ) was healthy, he used to say, "No soul of a prophet is captured till he is shown his place in Paradise and then he is given the option." When death approached him while his head was on my thigh, he became unconscious and then recovered his consciousness. He then looked at the ceiling of the house and said, "O Allah! (with) the highest companions." I said (to myself), "Hence, he is not going to choose us." Then I realized that what he had said was the application of the narration which he used to mention to us when he was healthy. The last word he spoke was, "O Allah! (with) the highest companion

Sahih al-Bukhari · Hadith 4463 · Military Expeditions led by the Prophet (pbuh) (Al-Maghaazi)
Translation: Sahih al-Bukhari — English. Hadith data: fawazahmed0/hadith-api (numbering and gradings as published there).

Grading information unavailable in source data · from a collection regarded as sahih

Open source

What Allah revealed

Qur'an
Qur'an

وَمَا مُحَمَّدٌ إِلَّا رَسُولٞ قَدۡ خَلَتۡ مِن قَبۡلِهِ ٱلرُّسُلُۚ أَفَإِيْن مَّاتَ أَوۡ قُتِلَ ٱنقَلَبۡتُمۡ عَلَىٰٓ أَعۡقَٰبِكُمۡۚ وَمَن يَنقَلِبۡ عَلَىٰ عَقِبَيۡهِ فَلَن يَضُرَّ ٱللَّهَ شَيۡـٔٗاۚ وَسَيَجۡزِي ٱللَّهُ ٱلشَّـٰكِرِينَ

Muhammad is not but a messenger. [Other] messengers have passed on before him. So if he was to die or be killed, would you turn back on your heels [to unbelief]? And he who turns back on his heels will never harm Allah at all; but Allah will reward the grateful

Surah Ali 'Imran (Family of Imran) · 3:144
Translation: Sahih International. Qur'an text: Uthmani script (The Noble Qur'an Encyclopedia, quranenc.com), distributed via quran-json.
Read context

Lessons

  • Our attachment is to Allah, who is Ever-Living; the Prophet ﷺ taught us that.
  • Even the best of creation met death — prepare with hope.

Lessons are editorial reflections drawn from the event and its sources.

Pause for a moment

Which moment of your own life does this remind you of? Sit with it for a minute, then send salawat on the one who lived it ﷺ.

Send salawat ﷺ

Bibliography

  • Sahih al-Bukhari 4463, 3668 (Aisha) · primary source
  • Ibn Hisham, al-Sirah al-Nabawiyyah (further reading)
  • Ibn Kathir, al-Sirah al-Nabawiyyah (further reading)
  • Safiur Rahman Mubarakpuri, Ar-Raheeq al-Makhtum (further reading)

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