The Prophet's ﷺ Illness and Death
🕯️ The Prophet's ﷺ Illness and Death: The Sun Sets
📅 Context: Safar-Rabi' al-Awwal, Year 11 AH (May-June 632 CE)
Three months after the Farewell Pilgrimage. The Prophet ﷺ had conveyed the message, perfected the religion, and prepared the successors. The moment of returning to his Lord was approaching.
🌙 The Final Days: Early Signs
The Visit to the Cemetery
📜 Scene :
One night, the Prophet ﷺ rose secretly and went to the cemetery of al-Baqi'.
Abu Muwayhibah, his servant, accompanied him.
Upon reaching the cemetery, the Prophet ﷺ said:
"Peace be upon you, O inhabitants of the graves! Blessed are you in what you experience compared to what the people experience. Tribulations are coming like pieces of the dark night, one following another, each worse than the one before."
Then he turned to Abu Muwayhibah and said:
"O Abu Muwayhibah, I have been offered the keys to the treasures of this world and eternal life in it, then Paradise. Or meeting my Lord and Paradise."
Abu Muwayhibah said: "May my father and mother be sacrificed for you, take the keys to the treasures and eternal life, then Paradise!"
He ﷺ replied: "No, by Allah, O Abu Muwayhibah. I have chosen to meet my Lord and Paradise."
The next day, the illness began.
— Source: Musnad Ahmad, Ibn Hisham
The Beginning of the Illness
The illness began with severe headaches and high fever.
| Symptom | Description |
|---|---|
| Fever | So intense it could be felt through the cloth |
| Pain | Unbearable headaches |
| Duration | About 13-14 days |
📜 Scene :
The Prophet ﷺ wore a bandage around his head due to the pain.
Abdullah ibn Mas'ud entered and touched him. He said:
"O Messenger of Allah, you have a very strong fever!"
The Prophet ﷺ said: "Yes, I have a fever equivalent to that of two of you."
Ibn Mas'ud asked: "Is that to have a double reward?"
He ﷺ replied: "Yes, it is so. There is no Muslim touched by illness or other harm except that Allah removes his sins as a tree sheds its leaves."
— Source: Sahih al-Bukhari
🏠 At Aisha's Home: The Final Moments
Permission from the Wives
📜 Scene :
The Prophet ﷺ would visit his wives despite his illness.
But he would constantly ask: "Where will I be tomorrow? Where will I be tomorrow?"
His wives understood that he wished to be with Aisha.
They all permitted him to stay with Aisha.
He settled there, supported by 'Ali and al-'Abbas.
— Source: Sahih al-Bukhari
The Last Sermon at the Mosque
📜 Scene :
A few days before his death, the Prophet ﷺ gathered his last strength.
With his head bandaged, he climbed the minbar.
He said:
"Allah has given a servant the choice between this world and what is with Him. And that servant has chosen what is with Allah."
Abu Bakr understood and began to weep. He said: "We would ransom you with our fathers and mothers, O Messenger of Allah!"
People were surprised by his tears.
The Prophet ﷺ said: "The one who has been most generous to me with his companionship and wealth has been Abu Bakr. If I were to take an intimate friend (khalil) other than my Lord, it would be Abu Bakr. But the brotherhood of Islam suffices."
Then he said: "Close all the doors that open into the mosque except the door of Abu Bakr."
— Source: Sahih al-Bukhari
The Order for Prayer
📜 Scene :
The illness worsened. The Prophet ﷺ could no longer lead the prayer.
He ordered: "Tell Abu Bakr to lead the prayer."
Aisha said: "O Messenger of Allah, Abu Bakr is a soft-hearted man. If he stands in your place, he will weep and be unable."
The Prophet ﷺ repeated: "Tell Abu Bakr to lead the prayer. You are like the women of Yusuf!"
Abu Bakr thus led the prayers during the Prophet's ﷺ illness.
— Source: Sahih al-Bukhari
☀️ Monday, 12 Rabi' al-Awwal: The Day of Departure
The Last Look at the Mosque
📜 Scene :
On Monday morning, during the Fajr prayer, the Prophet ﷺ lifted the curtain of Aisha's chamber.
The Companions were praying behind Abu Bakr.
When they saw the Prophet's ﷺ face, they almost abandoned their prayer out of joy.
His face was radiant "like a page of the Mushaf" (Quran).
The Prophet ﷺ smiled and gestured for them to continue their prayer.
Then he let the curtain fall.
It was the last time they saw his face.
— Source: Sahih al-Bukhari
The Siwak and the Final Words
📜 Scene :
The Prophet's ﷺ head rested on Aisha's chest.
'Abd ar-Rahman ibn Abi Bakr entered with a siwak (miswak stick).
The Prophet ﷺ looked at it intently.
Aisha understood that he wanted it. She took it, softened it with her teeth, and gave it to him.
The Prophet ﷺ brushed his teeth with unusual vigor.
— Source: Sahih al-Bukhari
The Very Last Words
📜 Scene :
A container of water was beside the Prophet ﷺ.
He would dip his hand in it and wipe his face while saying:
"لاَ إِلٰهَ إِلَّا اللهُ، إِنَّ لِلْمَوْتِ لَسَكَرَاتٍ"
"There is no god but Allah. Indeed, death has its agonies."
Then he raised his finger toward the sky and said three times:
"بَلْ الرَّفِيقَ الأَعْلَى... بَلْ الرَّفِيقَ الأَعْلَى... بَلْ الرَّفِيقَ الأَعْلَى"
"Rather the Highest Companion... Rather the Highest Companion... Rather the Highest Companion..."
His hand fell. His blessed soul ascended to his Lord.
— Source: Sahih al-Bukhari
The Exact Moment
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Date | Monday, 12 Rabi' al-Awwal, Year 11 AH |
| Gregorian date | June 8, 632 CE |
| Time | Mid-morning (Duha) |
| Place | Aisha's chamber, Medina |
| Age | 63 years |
| Position | Head on Aisha's chest |
😢 The Companions' Reaction
The News Spreads
📜 Scene :
Aisha gently placed the Prophet's ﷺ head on a pillow.
She and the other women began to strike their faces, weeping.
The news spread through Medina.
"The Prophet is dead... The Prophet is dead..."
— Source: Sahih al-Bukhari
'Umar Refuses to Accept
📜 Scene :
'Umar ibn al-Khattab stood up, sword in hand, and said:
"Some hypocrites claim that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ is dead! By Allah, he is not dead! He has gone to his Lord as Musa went, and he will return! I will cut the hands and feet of anyone who says he is dead!"
The people were lost, some weeping, others sitting stunned.
— Source: Sahih al-Bukhari
Abu Bakr's Arrival
📜 Scene :
Abu Bakr was at al-Sunh (a neighborhood of Medina).
When he heard the news, he rushed on horseback.
He entered Aisha's chamber, uncovered the Prophet's ﷺ face, and kissed his forehead.
He said, weeping:
"May my father and mother be sacrificed for you! You were good in life and you are good in death. By the One who holds my soul in His hand, Allah will not make you taste death twice."
— Source: Sahih al-Bukhari
Abu Bakr's Speech
📜 Scene :
Abu Bakr went out to the mosque.
'Umar was still speaking, refusing to accept.
Abu Bakr said: "Sit down, O 'Umar." 'Umar refused.
The people turned to Abu Bakr and left 'Umar.
Abu Bakr praised Allah, then said:
"O people!
Whoever worshipped Muhammad, then Muhammad is dead!
And whoever worshipped Allah, then Allah is Ever-Living and never dies!"
Then he recited:
﴿ Muhammad is not but a messenger; messengers have passed before him. If he dies or is killed, will you turn back on your heels? ﴾
— [Al-'Imran: 144]'Umar later said: "By Allah, when I heard Abu Bakr recite this verse, my legs gave way and I fell to the ground. I knew then that the Prophet ﷺ had truly died."
— Source: Sahih al-Bukhari
⚰️ Preparation and Burial
The Washing
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Who washed him? | 'Ali, al-'Abbas, his sons al-Fadl and Qutham, Usama ibn Zayd, and Shuqran |
| How? | With his clothes on (out of modesty) |
| Water | Water from the well of Ghars |
The Prophet ﷺ had said during his lifetime: "Wash me with my clothes on."
— Source: Sunan Abu Dawud
The Shroud
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Fabric | 3 pieces of white Yemeni cloth |
| No shirt or turban | Wrapped simply |
The Prayer over the Prophet ﷺ
📜 Scene :
Muslims entered in groups into the chamber.
They prayed over him without an imam, each individually.
First the men, then the women, then the children.
This took the night of Monday and the night of Tuesday.
— Source: Ibn Hisham
The Burial
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| When? | Night of Wednesday |
| Where? | In Aisha's chamber, at the exact spot where he died |
| Who dug? | Abu Talha al-Ansari |
| Type of grave | Lahd (lateral niche) |
Abu Bakr said: "I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ say: 'There is no prophet who dies except that he is buried where he died.'"
They thus removed the bed and dug beneath it.
— Source: Sunan al-Tirmidhi
💔 Impact on the Ummah
Fatima, His Beloved Daughter
📜 Scene :
Fatima said after her father's death:
"يَا أَبَتَاهُ، أَجَابَ رَبًّا دَعَاهُ... يَا أَبَتَاهُ، جَنَّةُ الْفِرْدَوْسِ مَأْوَاهُ... يَا أَبَتَاهُ، إِلَى جِبْرِيلَ نَنْعَاهُ..."
"O my father, he has answered a Lord who called him... O my father, the Paradise of Firdaws is his abode... O my father, it is to Jibril that we announce his death..."
Then she said: "How could your souls bear to throw dirt upon the Messenger of Allah ﷺ?"
She died 6 months later.
— Source: Sahih al-Bukhari
Anas ibn Malik
📜 Scene :
Anas said:
"On the day the Messenger of Allah ﷺ entered Medina, everything was illuminated. And on the day he died, everything darkened. We had barely wiped our hands from his grave when we felt our hearts had changed."
— Source: Sunan al-Tirmidhi
📜 Final Recommendations
The Prophet ﷺ made several recommendations in his final days:
| Recommendation | Quote |
|---|---|
| Prayer | "الصَّلاَةَ الصَّلاَةَ" — "The prayer! The prayer!" |
| Slaves | "وَمَا مَلَكَتْ أَيْمَانُكُمْ" — "And what your right hands possess" |
| Not making his grave a place of worship | "لَعَنَ اللهُ الْيَهُودَ وَالنَّصَارَى اتَّخَذُوا قُبُورَ أَنْبِيَائِهِمْ مَسَاجِدَ" |
| Expelling polytheists from the peninsula | "أَخْرِجُوا الْمُشْرِكِينَ مِنْ جَزِيرَةِ الْعَرَبِ" |
💎 Lessons from the Prophet's ﷺ Death
First Lesson: The Prophet Was Human
"Muhammad is not but a messenger; messengers have passed before him."
He was born, lived, suffered, and died — like every human being.
Second Lesson: Islam Continues
The death of the Prophet ﷺ did not end Islam. The message is eternal.
Third Lesson: We Worship Allah, Not Muhammad
"Whoever worshipped Muhammad, then Muhammad is dead! Whoever worshipped Allah, then Allah is Ever-Living and never dies!"
Fourth Lesson: Death is a Reality
Even the best of mankind had to taste death. No one is immortal.
﴿ Every soul will taste death ﴾
— [Al-'Imran: 185]
Fifth Lesson: The Importance of Prayer
His final words concerned prayer: "الصَّلاَةَ الصَّلاَةَ" — "The prayer! The prayer!"
Sixth Lesson: The Prophet's Choice
He chose "الرَّفِيقَ الأَعْلَى" — the Highest Companion — over this world.
📊 Timeline of the Final Days
| Day | Event |
|---|---|
| ~15 days before | Visit to cemetery, illness begins |
| ~10 days before | Settles at Aisha's home |
| ~5 days before | Last sermon at the mosque |
| Days before | Abu Bakr leads the prayer |
| Monday morning | Last look at the Companions |
| Monday mid-morning | Death |
| Tuesday | Preparation, individual prayers |
| Wednesday night | Burial |
💡 Lesson Summary
| Moment | Significance |
|---|---|
| The Prophet's ﷺ choice | He preferred to meet Allah |
| The final words | "Rather the Highest Companion" |
| 'Umar's reaction | Overwhelming love |
| Abu Bakr's speech | Leadership and clarity |
| The burial | Beneath the very spot of his death |
📖 Sources for this lesson
- Sahih al-Bukhari
- Sahih Muslim
- Sunan al-Tirmidhi
- Sunan Abu Dawud
- Musnad Ahmad
- Sira of Ibn Hisham
- Al-Raheeq al-Makhtum
صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَعَلَى آلِهِ وَصَحْبِهِ وَسَلَّمَ تَسْلِيمًا كَثِيرًا
والله الموفق والهادي إلى سواء السبيل