Mu'jam Kabir Tabarani 2877 — from his father, Sayyiduna Husayn bin

Ali bin Husayn (may Allah have mercy on him) narrates from his father, Sayyiduna Husayn bin Ali (may Allah be pleased with him), that three days before the death of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), Jibril (peace be upon him) descended to him (peace and blessings be upon him) and said: "O Muhammad! Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, has sent me to you out of honour for you, out of favour to you and as a distinction for you. I ask you about something He knows better than you; He says: How do you find yourself?" The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "O Jibril, I find myself grieved; O Jibril, I find myself distressed." The narrator said: Then, when the third day came, Jibril (peace be upon him) descended, and with him descended the Angel of Death (peace be upon him), and with the two of them there descended in the air an angel called Isma'il, who was in charge of seventy thousand angels, and there was no angel among them who was not in charge of seventy thousand angels. Jibril (peace be upon him) brought them, and said: "O Muhammad! Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, has sent me to you out of honour for you, out of favour to you and as a distinction for you. I ask you about something He knows better than you; He says: How do you find yourself?" The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "O Jibril, I find myself grieved; O Jibril, I find myself distressed." The narrator said: Then the Angel of Death sought permission at the door, and Jibril (peace be upon him) said: "O Muhammad! This is the Angel of Death asking your permission. He has never asked permission of any human before you, nor will he ask permission of any human after you." He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Give him permission." So Jibril (peace be upon him) gave him permission, and he came forward until he stood before him (peace and blessings be upon him) and said: "O Muhammad! Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, has sent me to you and has commanded me to obey you in whatever you command me. If you command me to take your soul, I will take it; and if you dislike that, I will leave it." The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said to him: "Will you really do that, O Angel of Death?" He said: "Yes, and that is what I have been commanded: to obey you in whatever you command me." At this Jibril (peace be upon him) said: "Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, longs to meet you." The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Carry out what you have been commanded." Then Jibril (peace be upon him) said: "This is my last step upon the earth; my only purpose in the world was this." Then, when the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) passed away and the time of condolence came, someone came whose voice the people could hear but whose form they could not see. He said: "Peace be upon you, and the mercy of Allah and His blessings. Every soul shall taste death. Indeed, in Allah there is consolation for every calamity, a replacement for everyone who perishes, and recompense for everything that is lost. So trust in Allah and place your hope in Him alone, for the truly afflicted one is he who is deprived of the reward. And peace be upon you and the mercy of Allah."