Allah (Glory be to Him) said to Prophet Muhammed (peace be upon him), {(O Prophet), you are destined to die and they too are destined to die. Then eventually all of you will dispute with one another before your Lord on the Day of Resurrection} [Surah Zumar: 30, 31].
Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) related, [related by Al-Bukhari].
Az-Zaraqany said, “One of Prophet Muhammed’s miracles is that he was not affected by it (the poisoned sheep) at that time, as they (the Jews) had said, ‘If he was a Prophet, he will not be affected by it (the poisoned sheep). And if he was only a king, we would be relieved of him.’ When he was not affected by it, they became sure he was a Prophet, as it was even said that the Jewish lady embraced Islam. But she left it 3 years later in order for Prophet Muhammed (peace be upon him) to be honored with martyrdom”
[Az-Zaraqany’s explanation of the Prophet’s biography (Al Muwahib Al-Laduniya bil Minah Al-Muhamadiyah)].
Prophet Muhammed (peace be upon him) started to feel the effect of the poisoned sheep at Khayber. Prophet Muhammed (peace be upon him) said [related by Al-Bukhari].
The first signs of Prophet Muhammed’s illness appeared on 28 or 29 of the month of Safar, 11 A.H.
Abdullah ibn Masoud (may Allah be pleased with him) said,
[related by Al-Bukhari and Muslim].
When Prophet Muhammed’s illness became more severe, he asked his wives, They understood what he meant, so they gave him permission to stay wherever he wanted. As a result, he went to Aisha’s quarters, walking between Al-Fadl ibn Abbas and Ali ibn Abu Talib, with a bandage tied around his head, walking until he entered Aisha’s room. He stayed the last week of his life at her home.
Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) used to read the last two surahs of the Quran (Al-Mu'awwidhatan) and supplications which she had learnt from Prophet Muhammed. She used to blow on his hands and then wipe them over him, hoping for the blessings from his hands.
What does the fact that Prophet Muhammed (peace be upon him) kept asking his wives, indicate?
Five days before his death, Prophet Muhammed (peace be upon him) had a severe fever, which increased his pain and made him fall unconscious. Therefore, Prophet Muhammed (peace be upon him) said, [related by An-Nasa’i].
So they kept pouring the water over him until he said, <Enough, enough” [The Biography of the Prophet by Ibn Hesham].
After this, he felt better. Consequently, he entered the mosque, wrapped in a sheet covering his shoulders. His head was tied with an oily tape cloth. He sat on the pulpit. This was the last time he sat with the people. Prophet Muhammed (peace be upon him) praised and glorified Allah, and then he said, <‘Oh people, come to me.’ They went towards him. Prophet Muhammed (peace be upon him) continued, ‘Woe to the Jews and Christians; they made the graves of their Prophets mosques (where they worship)> [related by Al-Bukhari]. He also advised them, saying, [related by Al-Buhkari]. Prophet Muhammed (peace be upon him) felt that his time on earth was coming to an end.
Prophet Muhammed (peace be upon him) said, < No fatigue, nor disease, nor sorrow, nor sadness, nor hurt, nor distress befalls a Muslim, even if it were the prick he receives from a thorn, but that Allah expiates some of his sins for that> [related by Al-Bukhari].
When Prophet Muhammed (peace be upon him) was ill, he asked anyone who had rights they should take from him to take his right, saying, [related by At-Tabarani]. This was because Prophet Muhammed (peace be upon him) was very eager not to meet Allah having oppressed anyone.
Prophet Muhammed (peace be upon him) said,
[related by Al-Bukhari].
One man stood up and said, <‘Oh Prophet Muhammed, you owe me three dirhams.’ Prophet Muhammed (peace be upon him) said, “I do not deny your claim or swear that it is true. How did I take them from you?’ He said, ‘Do you remember when a poor person passed by you and you ordered me to give him some money on your behalf, saying, “Give him some money on my behalf, Oh Fadl”?’> [related by At-Tabarani
Then he gave advise to the people with regards to the Ansar in the last meeting he had, saying, This was the last meeting Prophet Muhammed (peace be upon him) had with the people.
Prophet Muhammed (peace be upon him) also told his Companions (during the meeting), <‘Allah asked a slave to choose between being given what he wants of luxuries of this world and what is with Allah, so the slave chose what is with Allah> [related by Al-Bukhari].
Abu Bakr understood what Prophet Muhammed meant, so he cried and said, “May we sacrifice our mothers and fathers for you!” We (the Companions) were amazed at what he said. The people said, “See this old man?! Prophet Muhammed (peace be upon him) told us about Allah asking a slave to choose between receiving the luxuries of this world and what is with Allah, and he replies, ‘May we sacrifice our fathers and mothers for you!’” But Prophet Muhammed was the slave that was given this choice. Abu Bakr explained to the Companions what Prophet Muhammed meant by what he had said.
Prophet Muhammed (peace be upon him) warned us about taking his grave as a mosque, prohibiting this. He (peace be upon him) stressed this point during his final illness. What does this indicate?
Prophet Muhammed (peace be upon him) presented himself for anyone to take retaliation from him, saying that if he owed any right to anyone, the person should take it from him at that time, in this worldly life. What is the message we learn from this?
Prophet Muhammed (peace be upon him) was eager to pay off any debt before dying, and he did not pray the funeral prayer over one who died leaving a debt behind him. What does this indicate?
1) If you become ill, and the illness becomes severe, be patient and hope for Allah’s reward. Remember that Prophet Muhammed (peace be upon him) experienced the pain of two men.
2) If you have a fever, wash often, as Prophet Muhammed (peace be upon him) said, [related by Al-Bukhari].
