In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
And Medina grew dark at the end.
'Ubadah Ibn al-Samit (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates
that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:
"Whoever loves to meet Allah, Allah loves to meet him."
And from 'A'ishah (may Allah be pleased with her),
that he (peace be upon him) said:
"No prophet is ever taken in death
until he is shown his seat in Paradise."
And from Abu Muwayhibah (may Allah be pleased with him),
the freed slave of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), who said:
"The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) summoned me in the night,
and said:
'O Abu Muwayhibah,
I have been commanded to seek forgiveness for the people of al-Baqi'.'
So I went out with him until we reached al-Baqi'.
He raised his hands and prayed for their forgiveness for a long time.
Then he said:
'May you be congratulated for what you have reached, compared to what the people have reached.
Trials have approached like pieces of a dark night,
the latter part following the former,
and the latter is worse than the former.
O Abu Muwayhibah,
I have been given the keys to the treasures of the world and eternity therein,
and then Paradise.
I was given the choice between that
and meeting my Lord and Paradise.'
So I said:
'O Messenger of Allah,
may my father and mother be sacrificed for you,
take the keys to the treasures of the world and eternity therein,
and then Paradise.'
He said:
'By Allah, O Abu Muwayhibah,
I have chosen to meet my Lord and Paradise.'"
Then the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) departed.
When morning came,
he began the illness in which Allah took his soul.
And Monday comes,
the heaviest day in the memory of the Ummah for the Ummah,
the day the Prophet (peace be upon him) was taken.
The day he moved, by his own choice, to the Highest Companion.
Monday comes.
While the Muslims were in the dawn prayer on Monday,
and Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) was leading them in prayer,
they were suddenly surprised by the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him).
He had pulled back the curtain of 'A'ishah's chamber,
and looked at them while they were in the prayer rows.
Then he smiled, as if laughing.
Abu Bakr stepped back to join the row,
thinking that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him)
intended to come out for the prayer.
The Muslims were about to be distracted in their prayer
out of joy for the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him).
But the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) signaled to them with his hand
to complete their prayer.
Then he entered the chamber and let the curtain fall.
That was his final smile.
It was the last day of the world,
and the first day of the Hereafter.
Just as she (may Allah be pleased with her) used to say:
"He (peace be upon him) died in my house,
on my day, and between my chest and my neck.
And Allah joined my saliva with his at the time of his death."
'Abd al-Rahman (Ibn Abi Bakr) entered upon me with a tooth-stick (siwak) in his hand,
while I was supporting the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him).
I saw him looking at it,
and I knew he loved the siwak.
So I said, "Shall I take it for you?"
He signaled with his head, "Yes."
So I took it,
but it was too hard for him.
I said, "Shall I soften it for you?"
He signaled with his head, "Yes."
So I softened it.
He used it as well as he had ever used a siwak.
Then he handed it back to me.
Then he raised his hand,
and began to say:
"To the Highest Companion."
Until his soul was taken and his hand fell, (peace be upon him).
So he died (peace be upon him).
And he (peace be upon him) moved to the Highest Companion.
He was pure in life and pure in death.
That was on Monday,
the darkest and gloomiest of days for the Muslims.
Monday.
The world falls silent,
the universe grows still,
voices quiet down,
the news from heaven ceases,
and Jibril stops—a matter most grave, truly most grave.
The momentous event occurs
with the death of the Prophet (peace be upon him).
The Companions weep,
'Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) is struck with disbelief,
and the death becomes a reality.
Every house in Medina tastes the bitter sting of death.
Every loved one tries to push the news of the Prophet's (peace be upon him) death from their thoughts,
for they cannot believe that he (peace be upon him) has died.
And Medina grew dark.