Tag: Q n A, Muslim

When the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) suffered from illness of which he died, and in the hadith transmitted by Ibn Mus-hir, the words are: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) was brought till he was seated by his (Abu Bakr’s) side and the Apostle (ﷺ) led the people in prayer and Abu Bakr was making takbir audible to them, and in the hadith transmitted by ‘Isa the (words are):” The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) sat and led the people in prayer and Abu Bakr was by his side and he was making (takbir) audible to the people.”

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) ordered Abu Bakr that he should lead people in prayer during his illness, and he led them in prayer. `Urwa said: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) felt relief and went (to the mosque) and Abu Bakr was leading the people in prayer. When Abu Bakr saw him he began to withdraw, but the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) signaled him to remain where he was. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) sat opposite to Abu Bakr by his side. Abu Bakr said prayer following the prayer of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), and the people said prayer following the prayer of Abu Bakr.

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) breathed his last on that very day.

The last glance that I have had of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) (before his death) was that when he on Monday drew the curtain aside. The hadith transmitted by Salih is perfect and complete.

When the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) fell ill and his illness became serious, he asked permission from his wives to stay in my house during his illness. They gave him permission to do so. He stepped out (of’A’isha’s apartment for prayer) supported by two persons. (He was so much weak) that his feet dragged on the ground and he was being supported by ‘Abbas b. ‘Abd al-Muttalib and another person. ‘Ubaidullah said: I informed ‘Abdullah (b. ‘Abbas) about that which ‘A’isha had said. ‘Abdullah b. ‘Abbas said: Do you know the man whose name ‘A’isha did not mention? He said: No. Ibn ‘Abbas said: It was ‘Ali.

I tried to dissuade the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) from it (i. e. from appointing Abu Bakr as the Imam.) and my insistence upon it was not due to the fact that I entertained any apprehension in my mind that the people would not love the man who would occupy his (Prophet’s) place (i. e. who would be appointed as his caliph) and I feared that the people would be superstitious about one who would occupy his place. I, therefore, desired that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) should leave Abu Bakr aside in this matter.

When the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) came to my house, he said: Ask Abu Bakr to lead people in prayer. ‘A’isha narrated: I said, Messenger of Allah, Abu Bakr is a man of tenderly feelings; as he recites the Qur’an, he cannot help shedding tears: so better command anyone else to lead the prayer. By Allah, there is nothing disturbing in it for me but the idea that the people may not takeevil omen with regard to one who is the first to occupy the place of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). I tried to dissuade him (the Holy Prophet) twice or thrice (from appointing my father as an Imam in prayer), but he ordered Abu Bakr to lead the people in prayer and said: You women are like those (who had) surrounded Yusuf.

I visited ‘A’isha and asked her to tell about the illness of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). She agreed and said: The Apostle (ﷺ) was seriously ill and he asked whether the people had prayed. We said: No, they are waiting for you, Messenger of Allah. He (the Holy Prophet) said: Put some water in the tub for me. We did accordingly and he (the Holy Prophet) took a bath;and, when he was about to move with difficulty, he fainted. When he came round, he again said: Have the people said prayer? We said: No, they are waiting for you, Messenger of Allah. He (the Holy Prophet) again said: Put some water for me in the tub. We did accordingly and he took a bag, but when he was about to move with difficultyhe fainted. When he came round, he asked whether the people had prayed. We said: No, they are waiting for you, Messenger of Allah. He said: Put some water for me in the tub. We did accordingly and he took a bath and he was about to move with difficulty when he fainted. When he came roundhe said: Have the people saidprayer? We said: No, they are waiting for you, Messenger of Allah. She (‘A’isha) said: The people were staying in the mosque and waiting for the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) to lead the last (night) prayer. She (‘A’isha) said: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) sent (instructions) to Abu Bakr to lead the people in prayer. When the messenger came, he told him (Abd Bakr): The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) has ordered you to lead the people in prayer. Abu Bakr who was a man of very tenderly feelings asked Umar to lead the prayer. ‘Umar said: You are more entitled to that. Abu Bakr led the prayers during those days. Afterwards the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) felt some relief and he went out supported by two men, one of them was al-‘Abbas, to the noon prayer. Abu Bakr was leading the people in prayer. When Abu Bakr saw him. he began to withdraw, but the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) told him not to withdraw. He told his two (companions) to seat him down beside him (Abu Bakr). They seated him by the side of Abu Bakr. Abu Bakr said the prayer standing while following the prayer of the Apostle (ﷺ) and the people Bald prayer (standing) while following the prayer of Abu Bakr. The Apostle (ﷺ) was seated. Ubaidullah said: I visited ‘Abdullah b. ‘Abbas, and said: Should I submit to you what ‘A’isha had told about the illness of the Apostle (ﷺ)? He said: Go ahead. I submitted to him what had been transmitted by her (‘A’isha). He objected to none of it, only asking whether she had named to him the man who accompanied al-‘Abbas. I said: No. He said: It was ‘Ali.

It was in the house ofMaimuna that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) first fell ill. He asked permission from his wives to stay in her (‘A’isha’s) house during his illness. They granted him permission. She (‘A’isha) narrated: He (the Holy Prophet) went out (for prayer) with his hand over al-Fadl b. ‘Abbas and on the other hand there was another person and (due to weakness) his feet dragged on the earth. ‘Ubaidullah said: I narrated this hadith to the son of ‘Abbas (‘Abdullah b. ‘Abbas) and he said: Do you know who the man was whose name ‘A’isha did not mention? It was ‘Ali.

A hadith like this has been transmitted by Hammam b. Munabbih from the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) on the authority of Abu Huraira.