Reports on the death of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him)

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) that when the blessed soul of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) was taken, Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) was (at that time) in an outlying part of Madinah. Then he came and entered upon the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) while he (peace and blessings be upon him) was covered. He placed his mouth on his (peace and blessings be upon him) forehead and began kissing him (peace and blessings be upon him) and weeping, and he said: "May my father and mother be sacrificed for you! You were fragrant in life and you are fragrant in death." Then when Sayyiduna Abu Bakr came out (from there), he passed by Umar bin al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him), who was saying: "The Messenger of Allah has not died, and he (peace and blessings be upon him) will not die until Allah Almighty brings death upon the hypocrites and until Allah Almighty disgraces the hypocrites." The narrator says: (The hypocrites) had rejoiced at the death of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), and so they had raised their heads. Sayyiduna Abu Bakr said: "O man! Stop (be quiet for a moment), for the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) has passed away. Have you not heard the words of Allah Almighty: 'Indeed, you will die, and indeed they will die' [Al-Zumar: 30]? And the saying of Allah: 'And We did not grant eternal life to any human being before you; so if you die, will they live forever?' [Al-Anbiya: 34]" Then Sayyiduna Abu Bakr came to the pulpit and ascended it. He praised and glorified Allah and then said: "O people! If Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) was your god whom you worshipped, then know for certain that your god Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) has passed away. And if your God is the One who is in the heavens, then be certain that your God has not died." Then Sayyiduna Abu Bakr recited this verse: "And Muhammad is only a messenger; messengers have passed away before him. So if he dies or is killed, will you turn back on your heels?" [Al Imran: 144], until he completed the verse. Then he came down, and (now) the Muslims rejoiced at these words and were greatly delighted, and affliction fell upon the hypocrites. Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) said: "By the One in whose hand is my soul! It was as though there were veils over our faces which had been removed."

Ibn Jurayj narrates from his father that the noble Companions were uncertain about the grave of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): where should they bury him (peace and blessings be upon him)? Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) said: I heard the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) saying: "A prophet is not moved from his place; he is buried where he dies." So the noble Companions moved his (peace and blessings be upon him) bed to one side, and his grave was dug at the place of his (peace and blessings be upon him) bed.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Jarir (may Allah be pleased with him): I was in Yemen when I met two men of the people of Yemen named Dhu Kala' and Dhu Amr. I began telling them about the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), and they both said: "If what you are saying is true, then this companion of yours (peace and blessings be upon him) completed his term of life three days ago." So I set out and they set out too, until when we had covered part of the way, a party of riders was coming towards us from the direction of Madinah. We asked them and they replied: "The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) has passed away, Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) has been appointed caliph, and the people are in a good state." The narrator says: Then the two of them said to me: "Tell your companion (Sayyiduna Abu Bakr) that we came, and perhaps we shall return, if Allah wills." And (then) the two of them went back to Yemen. The narrator says: I told Sayyiduna Abu Bakr what they had said, and he said: "Why did you not bring them?" The narrator says: Then after that Dhu Amr said to me: "O Jarir! You have an honour over me, and I am telling you something. You Arabs will always remain in a state of goodness so long as, when (your) leader dies, you accept another as leader. But when the sword comes, then (your leaders) will be kings, whose anger will be the anger of kings and whose pleasure will be like the pleasure of kings."

It is narrated from Ata that he said: It has reached us that when the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) passed away, the people would enter (the chamber) to him (peace and blessings be upon him), pray over him and go out, and then others would go in likewise. The narrator says: I asked Ata: "Did they pray and make supplication?" Ata said: "They prayed and sought forgiveness."

Ja'far narrates from his father that no imam led the (funeral) prayer over the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). Rather, the people would enter (the chamber) to him (peace and blessings be upon him) in groups, offer the funeral prayer over him (peace and blessings be upon him) and come out.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Tariq bin Shihab (may Allah be pleased with him) that when the blessed soul of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) was taken, Sayyidah Umm Ayman (may Allah be pleased with her) began to weep. She was asked: "O Umm Ayman! Why are you weeping?" She replied: "I am weeping because the news from heaven has (now) been cut off from us."

It is narrated from Thabit that when the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) passed away, Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) said to Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him), or Sayyiduna Umar said to Sayyiduna Abu Bakr: "Come with us to Umm Ayman so that we may visit her." So the two of them went to her, and she began to weep. The two Shaykhs said to Umm Ayman: "O Umm Ayman! What is with Allah Almighty for His Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) is better." At this Umm Ayman said: "Indeed, I too know that what is with Allah Almighty is better for the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), but I am weeping because the news from heaven has been cut off from us." So Umm Ayman moved Sayyiduna Abu Bakr and Sayyiduna Umar to tears as well, and both of them began weeping with her.

Ja'far narrates from his father that when the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) passed away, Sayyidah Safiyyah (may Allah be pleased with her) came out, gesturing with her garment and saying: "Indeed, after you (peace and blessings be upon him) there have been many matters and severe affairs. Had you witnessed them, the calamities would not have multiplied."

It is narrated from Sa'id bin al-Musayyib that, of all the people, those who were entrusted with the burial of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and with lowering him into the grave were four people: Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him), Sayyiduna al-Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him), Sayyiduna al-Fadl (may Allah be pleased with him), and Salih, the freed slave of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). They made a side-niche (lahd) for him (peace and blessings be upon him) and set unbaked bricks in place over him (peace and blessings be upon him).

It is narrated from Amir that Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him), Sayyiduna al-Fadl (may Allah be pleased with him) and Sayyiduna Usamah (may Allah be pleased with him) entered the grave of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him).

Al-Sha'bi said: Marhab or Ibn Abi Marhab narrated to me that Sayyiduna Abd al-Rahman bin Awf (may Allah be pleased with him) also entered the grave with them.

It is narrated from al-Sha'bi that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was washed by Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him), Sayyiduna al-Fadl (may Allah be pleased with him) and Sayyiduna Usamah (may Allah be pleased with him).

The narrator says: Ibn Abi Marhab narrated to me that Sayyiduna Abd al-Rahman bin Awf (may Allah be pleased with him) also entered the grave with them.

The narrator says: Al-Sha'bi said: "Those who take charge of the deceased are none other than his own family."

In the narration of Ibn Idris, through Ibn Abi Khalid, it is reported that Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) began saying: "May my father and mother be sacrificed for you! You were fragrant in life and you are fragrant after death."

It is narrated from Muhammad bin Ali (may Allah have mercy on him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was washed in a shirt. Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) was entrusted with the lower part of the shirt, and Sayyiduna al-Fadl (may Allah be pleased with him) with the part of him (peace and blessings be upon him) from the chest to the armpit and side. Sayyiduna al-Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) was pouring the water. The narrator says: Sayyiduna al-Fadl was saying: "Give me relief, you have cut my main artery. I feel something coming down upon me." The narrator says: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) was washed from the well of Sa'd bin Khaythamah at Quba. This is the same well that is called the well of Aris. The narrator says: By Allah! I (myself) have drunk from this well and bathed in it as well.

It is narrated from Sa'id bin al-Musayyib that Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) sought from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) what is looked for from a deceased person, but he found nothing, so he said: "May my father and mother be sacrificed for you! You were fragrant in life and you are fragrant after death."

Ja'far narrates from his father that when the Companions intended to wash the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), there was a shirt on his (peace and blessings be upon him) blessed body. They wanted to remove this shirt, but they heard a voice from the room: "Do not remove the shirt."

It is narrated from Sayyidah Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) and Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) that Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) kissed the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) after his (peace and blessings be upon him) death.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) that when the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) passed away, the people began to weep. At this Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) stood in the mosque to deliver a sermon and said: "Let me not hear of anyone claiming that he (peace and blessings be upon him) has passed away. Rather, his (peace and blessings be upon him) Lord has sent for him, just as his Lord sent for Musa. Allah Almighty sent for Musa, and he stayed (away) from his people for forty nights. By Allah! I firmly hope that the hands and feet of those men will be cut off who claim that death has come upon him (peace and blessings be upon him)."

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Sa'id al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) that one day the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) came out to us (from his blessed chamber) while we were in the mosque, in his (peace and blessings be upon him) final illness, with his (peace and blessings be upon him) blessed head bound with a strip of cloth. He (peace and blessings be upon him) moved towards the pulpit until he (peace and blessings be upon him) was seated on it, and we followed him. Then he (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "By the One in whose hand is my soul! Indeed, I am standing at the Pool of Kawthar at this moment." Then he (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Indeed, the world and its adornment were presented to a servant, but he chose the Hereafter." No one understood this except Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him). His eyes flowed with tears and he wept. And Sayyiduna Abu Bakr said: "May my father and mother be sacrificed for you! Rather, we would sacrifice for you our fathers, our mothers, our lives and our wealth." The narrator says: Then he (peace and blessings be upon him) came down, and (after that) he (peace and blessings be upon him) did not sit on the pulpit (again, until his death).

Ja'far narrates from his father that when the illness of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) grew heavy, he (peace and blessings be upon him) asked: "Where will I be tomorrow?" The people said: "With such-and-such wife." He (peace and blessings be upon him) asked (again): "Where will I be after that?" The people said: "With such-and-such wife." From this his (peace and blessings be upon him) pure wives realised that his (peace and blessings be upon him) intention was Sayyidah Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her). So all the wives said: "O Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him)! We have given our turns as a gift to our sister Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her)."

It is narrated from Ubaydullah bin Abdullah bin Utbah that he said: I came to Sayyidah Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) and said: "Tell me about the illness of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him)." She said: "Yes (I will tell you). The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) fell ill, his (peace and blessings be upon him) condition grew heavy, and he (peace and blessings be upon him) fainted." Sayyidah Aishah says: Then he (peace and blessings be upon him) recovered and said: "Put water for me in the tub." So we carried out this order. Sayyidah Aishah says: Then he (peace and blessings be upon him) performed the ritual bath, and he (peace and blessings be upon him) was about to get up when he fainted. Sayyidah Aishah says: Then he (peace and blessings be upon him) recovered and said: "Put water for me in the tub." Sayyidah Aishah says: We carried out this order. She says: Then he (peace and blessings be upon him) performed the ritual bath and was about to get up when he (peace and blessings be upon him) fainted again. Then he (peace and blessings be upon him) recovered and said: "Put water for me in the tub." Sayyidah Aishah says: I said: "We have done so." She says: Then he (peace and blessings be upon him) performed the ritual bath and was about to get up when he (peace and blessings be upon him) fainted again. Then he (peace and blessings be upon him) recovered and asked: "Have the people prayed?" We said: "No, O Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him)! The people are waiting for you (peace and blessings be upon him)." Sayyidah Aishah says: The people were staying (in the mosque), waiting for him (peace and blessings be upon him) so that he (peace and blessings be upon him) might lead the people in the Isha prayer. 2. Sayyidah Aishah says: He (peace and blessings be upon him) performed the ritual bath, and he (peace and blessings be upon him) wanted to get up when he (peace and blessings be upon him) fainted. Then he (peace and blessings be upon him) recovered and asked: "Have the people prayed?" I said: "No." So he (peace and blessings be upon him) sent a message to Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) that he should lead the people in prayer. Sayyidah Aishah says: The messenger came to Sayyiduna Abu Bakr and said: "The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) has ordered you to lead the people in prayer." Sayyiduna Abu Bakr said: "O Umar! Lead the people in prayer." Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "You are more deserving of it. It is to you that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) has sent the messenger." Sayyidah Aishah says: So Sayyiduna Abu Bakr led the people in the prayers during those days. 3. Then the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) felt some lightness in himself, so he (peace and blessings be upon him) came out for the Zuhr prayer between Sayyiduna al-Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) and another man. He (peace and blessings be upon him) said to the two of them: "Seat me on the right side of Abu Bakr." When Sayyiduna Abu Bakr heard this and sensed his (peace and blessings be upon him) presence, he began to move back. He (peace and blessings be upon him) ordered him to stay in his place. Sayyidah Aishah says: So the two Companions seated him (peace and blessings be upon him) on the right side of Sayyiduna Abu Bakr. Sayyiduna Abu Bakr then prayed (following) the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) while he (peace and blessings be upon him) was seated, and the rest of the people prayed (following) Sayyiduna Abu Bakr.

The narrator says: Then I came to Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) and said: "Shall I not present to you the hadith that Mother Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) narrated to me?" He said: "Bring it." So I presented this hadith to Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas, and he objected to nothing in it, except that he said: "Did she tell you who the other man was?" The narrator says: I said: "No." He said: "That other man was Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him)."

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Sa'id (may Allah be pleased with him) that when the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) passed away, the speakers of the Ansar stood up, and one of them began saying: "O company of Muhajirun! When the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) appointed one of you as an official (leader), he would join with him a man from among us. So our opinion is that this matter (of the caliphate) should also be entrusted to two men, one from you and one from us." The narrator says: So many speakers of the Ansar said the same thing, one after another. At this Sayyiduna Zayd bin Thabit (may Allah be pleased with him) stood up and said: "Indeed, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) was from the Muhajirun. Therefore the Imam will also be from the Muhajirun, and we will be helpers of that Imam just as we were the helpers of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him)." Then Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) stood up and said: "O company of Ansar! May Allah Almighty give you the best reward and keep your speaker firm." Then he said: "By Allah! If you had done (decided) otherwise, we would not have made peace with you."

Sa'id bin al-Musayyib states that when the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) passed away, he (peace and blessings be upon him) was placed on a bier, and the people would enter his (peace and blessings be upon him) chamber in groups, pray over him (peace and blessings be upon him) and come out, but no one led them as imam. His (peace and blessings be upon him) death took place on Monday, and he (peace and blessings be upon him) was buried on Tuesday.