Tarikh (al-Tabari) 1739
The illness of the Prophet ﷺ and his death
مَرَضُ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ وَوَفَاتُهُ: لَقَدْ أَخْبَرَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى نَبِيَّهُ ﷺ فِي غَيْرِ آيَةٍ مِنْ كِتَابِهِ الْعَزِيزِ بِأَنَّهُ مَيِّتٌ وَأَنَّ جَمِيعَ الْخَلَائِقِ مَيِّتُونَ فَمَهْمَا طَالَ الْعُمْرُ لَا بُدَّ مِنَ الْمَوْتِ، فَقَالَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى: إِنَّكَ مَيِّتٌ وَإِنَّهُمْ مَيِّتُونَ وَقَالَ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ: وَمَا جَعَلْنَا لِبَشَرٍ مِنْ قَبْلِكَ الْخُلْدَ أَفَإِنْ مِتَّ فَهُمُ الْخَالِدُونَ ؟. إِلَى غَيْرِ ذَلِكَ مِنَ الْآيَاتِ الْبَيِّنَاتِ. وَقَدْ وَقَعَتِ الْعَدِيدُ مِنَ الْعَلَامَاتِ الدَّالَّةِ عَلَى قُرْبِ أَجْلِهِ ﷺ وَمِنْهَا مُعَارَضَتُهُ جِبْرِيلَ الْقُرْآنَ مَرَّتَيْنِ فِي رَمَضَانَ، وَنُزُولُ سُورَةِ النَّصْرِ عَلَيْهِ ﷺ، فَفِي الْحَدِيثِ لَمَّا نَزَلَتْ إِذَا جَاءَ نَصْرُ اللَّهِ وَالْفَتْحُ [النَّصْرِ 1] قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ: «نُعِيَتْ إِلَيَّ نَفْسِي وَقَرُبَ أَجَلِي». وَقَدْ خَيَّرَ اللَّهُ سُبْحَانَهُ نَبِيَّهُ ﷺ بَيْنَ الْبَقَاءِ فِي الدُّنْيَا وَمَا عِنْدَهُ سُبْحَانَهُ فَاخْتَارَ جِوَارَ رَبِّهِ سُبْحَانَهُ. وَابْتَدَأَ مَرَضُ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ وَقَدِ اخْتُلِفَ فِي الْيَوْمِ الَّذِي مَرِضَ فِيهِ وَعَدَدِ أَيَّامِ مَرَضِهِ ﷺ، وَقَدْ حَرَصَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ ؓ أَنْ يُمَرِّضَهُ فِي بَيْتِهِ وَقَدْ كَانَ يَطُوفُ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ عَلَى أَزْوَاجِهِ فَلَمَّا اشْتَدَّ بِهِ الْمَرَضُ اسْتَأْذَنَهُنَّ أَنْ يُمَرَّضَ فِي بَيْتِ عَائِشَةَ ؓ فَأَذِنَّ لَهُ ﷺ. وَاشْتَدَّ شَكْوَاهُ حَتَّى غُمِرَ عَلَيْهِ مِنْ شِدَّةِ الْوَجَعِ، فَاجْتَمَعَ عِنْدَهُ نِسَاؤُهُ وَعَمُّهُ الْعَبَّاسُ وَأُمُّ الْفَضْلِ بِنْتُ الْحَارِثِ وَأَسْمَاءُ بِنْتُ عُمَيْسٍ، فَتَشَاوَرُوا فِي لَدِّهِ، فَلَدُّوهُ وَهُوَ مَغْمُورٌ، فَلَمَّا أَفَاقَ قَالَ: "مَنْ فَعَلَ بِي هَذَا؟ هَذَا مِنْ عَمَلِ نِسَاءٍ جِئْنَ مِنْ هَاهُنَا وَأَشَارَ بِيَدِهِ إِلَى أَرْضِ الْحَبَشَةِ، وَكَانَتْ أُمُّ سَلَمَةَ وَأَسْمَاءُ لَدَّتَاهُ، فَقَالُوا: يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ! خَشِينَا أَنْ يَكُونَ بِكَ ذَاتُ الْجَنْبِ. قَالَ: " فَبِمَ لَدَدْتُمُونِي"؟ قَالُوا: بِالْعُودِ الْهِنْدِيِّ وَشَيْءٍ مِنْ وَرْسٍ وَقَطَرَاتٍ مِنْ زَيْتٍ. فَقَالَ: "مَا كَانَ اللَّهُ لِيَقْذِفَنِي بِذَلِكَ الدَّاءِ " ثُمَّ قَالَ: "عَزَمْتُ عَلَيْكُمْ أَنْ لَا يَبْقَى فِي الْبَيْتِ أَحَدٌ إِلَّا لُدَّ إِلَّا عَمِّي الْعَبَّاسُ). وَقَدْ كَانَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ يُوعَكُ كَمَا يُوعَكُ الرَّجُلَانِ، وَذَلِكَ لِأَنَّ لَهُ أَجْرَيْنِ وَذَلِكَ لِأَنَّ الْأَنْبِيَاءَ أَشَدُّ النَّاسِ بَلَاءً. وَفِي أَثْنَاءِ مَرَضِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ اسْتَبْطَأَ إِنْفَاذَ بَعْثَ أُسَامَةَ بْنِ زَيْدٍ وَأَمَرَ بِإِنْفَاذِهِ فَخَرَجَ جَيْشُ أُسَامَةَ حَتَّى نَزَلُوا بِالْجَرْفِ وَتَتَامَّ النَّاسُ هُنَاكَ إِلَّا أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ كَانَ قَدْ ثَقُلَ فَأَقَامَ أُسَامَةُ هُنَاكَ وَالنَّاسُ حَتَّى يَنْظُرُوا مَا اللَّهُ قَاضٍ فِي رَسُولِهِ ﷺ. وَقَدْ طَلَبَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ أَنْ يُصَبَّ عَلَيْهِ الْمَاءُ فَصَبُّوا عَلَيْهِ ﷺ سَبْعَ قِرَبٍ مِنْ آبَارٍ شَتَّى ثُمَّ خَرَجَ ﷺ فَعَهِدَ إِلَى النَّاسِ، وَطَلَبَ الْقَوَدَ مِنْ نَفْسِهِ الشَّرِيفَةِ. وَاخْتُلِفَ فِي مُدَّةِ مَرَضِهِ ﷺ وَهِيَ عَلَى الْأَكْثَرِ ثَلَاثَةَ عَشَرَ يَوْمًا وَقَدْ أَرَادَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ أَنْ يَكْتُبَ كِتَابًا لِأَصْحَابِهِ إِلَّا أَنَّهُ لَمْ يَفْعَلْ ﷺ، وَقَدْ أَخْرَجَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ مَا مَعَهُ مِنْ مَالٍ وَأَعْتَقَ عَبِيدَهُ، كَمَا أَسَرَّ لِفَاطِمَةَ ابْنَتِهِ ؓ بِمَوْتِهِ وَأَنَّهَا أَقْرَبُ النَّاسِ لُحُوقًا بِهِ ﷺ، وَقَدْ أَوْصَى النَّبِيُّ ﷺ بِالْأَنْصَارِ عِنْدَ مَوْتِهِ، بِأَنْ يُحْسِنَ إِلَى مُحْسِنِهِمْ وَيَتَجَاوَزَ عَنْ مُسِيئِهِمْ، وَقَدْ جَمَعَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ الصَّحَابَةَ رِضْوَانُ اللَّهِ عَلَيْهِمْ فِي بَيْتِ عَائِشَةَ ؓ وَوَعَظَهُمْ وَأَوْصَاهُمْ بِالصَّلَاةِ وَالْمُحَافَظَةِ عَلَيْهَا وَحَذَّرَهُمْ مِنَ اتِّخَاذِ قَبْرِهِ عِيدًا. وَقَدِ اخْتَلَفَ الْعُلَمَاءُ فِي آخِرِ صَلَاةٍ صَلَّاهَا النَّبِيُّ ﷺ قَبْلَ مَوْتِهِ هَلْ هِيَ الْمَغْرِبُ أَمِ الصُّبْحُ أَوِ الظَّهْرُ؟ وَقَدْ قُبِضَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ حَتَّى رَأَى مَقْعَدَهُ مِنَ الْجَنَّةِ، ثُمَّ رُدَّتْ إِلَيْهِ رُوحُهُ وَخُيَّرَ فَاخْتَارَ الرَّفِيقَ الْأَعْلَى. فَاسْتَأْذَنَ عَلَيْهِ حِينَئِذٍ مَلَكُ الْمَوْتِ فَأَذِنَ لَهُ فَقُبِضَتْ رُوحُهُ الشَّرِيفَةُ ﷺ. وَلَمْ يُصَبِ الْمُسْلِمُونَ بِمُصِيبَةٍ هِيَ أَعْظَمُ عِنْدِهِمْ مِنْ مَوْتِ نَبِيِّهِمْ ﷺ حَتَّى كَانَ كَمَا قَالَ أَنَسٌ: لَمَّا كَانَ الْيَوْمُ الَّذِي [دَخَلَ فِيهِ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ الْمَدِينَةَ أَضَاءَ مِنْهَا كُلُّ شَيْءٍ، فَلَمَّا كَانَ الْيَوْمُ الَّذِي] مَاتَ فِيهِ أَظْلَمَ مِنَ الْمَدِينَةِ كُلُّ شَيْءٍ. وَقَدْ كَانَ أَعْظَمُ هَذِهِ الْأُمَّةِ ثَبَاتًا أَبُو بَكْرٍ ؓ فَقَامَ فِي النَّاسِ خَطِيبًا فَوَعَظَهُمْ وَذَكَّرَهُمْ بِمَا جَاءَ فِي كِتَابِ رَبِّهِمْ مِنَ النَّصِّ عَلَى مَوْتِ نَبِيِّهِمْ ﷺ. وَذَهَبَ الْعُلَمَاءُ إِلَى أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ قَدْ جَمَعَ اللَّهُ لَهُ مَعَ النُّبُوَّةِ الشَّهَادَةَ وَذَلِكَ مِنَ السُّمِّ الَّذِي كَانَ فِي الشَّاةِ الْمَسْمُومَةِ فَعَنْ أُمِّ مَعْبَدٍ امْرَأَةِ كَعْبٍ أَنَّ أُمَ مُبَشِّرٍ دَخَلَتْ عَلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ فِي وَجَعِهِ الَّذِي قُبِضَ فِيهِ فَقَالَتْ: بِأَبِي وَأُمِّي أَنْتَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ مَا تَتَّهِمُ بِنَفْسِكَ ؟ فَإِنِّي لَا أَتَّهِمُ بِابْنِي إِلَّا الطَّعَامَ الَّذِي أَكَلَ مَعَكَ بِخَيْبَرَ، وَكَانَ ابْنُهَا مَاتَ قَبْلَ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ قَالَ: وَأَنَا لَا أَتَّهِمُ غَيْرَهَا هَذَا أَوَانُ انْقِطَاعِ أَبْهَرِي». وَقَدْ تُوُفِّيَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ عَنْ عُمْرِ ثَلَاثٍ وَسِتِّينَ سَنَةً وَقِيلَ غَيْرُ ذَلِكَ.
Translation
✧ The illness of the Prophet ﷺ and his death: Allah, may He be exalted, informed His Prophet ﷺ in more than one verse of His Mighty Book that he would die and that all creatures would die; for however long life may last, death is inevitable. Allah, may He be exalted, said: "Indeed, you are to die, and indeed they are to die" [Q 39:30]; and He, mighty and majestic, said: "And We did not grant to any man before you eternity [on earth]; so if you die, would they be eternal?" [Q 21:34], along with other clear verses. Numerous signs indicating the nearness of his appointed time ﷺ occurred, among them his reviewing the Qurʾān with Jibrīl twice during Ramaḍān, and the revelation of Sūrat al-Naṣr to him ﷺ. In the ḥadīth, when "When the victory of Allah has come and the conquest" [Q 110:1] was revealed, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: "My own death has been announced to me, and my term has drawn near." Allah, glory be to Him, gave His Prophet ﷺ the choice between remaining in this world and what is with Him, glory be to Him, and he chose the company of his Lord, glory be to Him. The illness of the Prophet ﷺ began, and there is disagreement concerning the day on which he fell ill and the number of days of his illness ﷺ. Abū Bakr ؓ was eager to nurse him in his own house. The Prophet ﷺ used to go around to his wives, and when his illness grew severe, he asked their permission to be nursed in the house of ʿĀʾishah ؓ, and they gave him permission ﷺ. His complaint grew so severe that he became unconscious from the intensity of the pain. His wives gathered around him, along with his uncle al-ʿAbbās, Umm al-Faḍl bt. al-Ḥārith, and Asmāʾ bt. ʿUmays. They consulted one another about giving him a ladūd, so they gave him a ladūd while he was unconscious. When he regained consciousness he said: "Who did this to me? This is from the action of women who came from here," and he pointed with his hand toward the land of Abyssinia. Umm Salamah and Asmāʾ were the ones who gave him the ladūd. They said: "O Messenger of Allah! We feared that you had pleurisy." He said: "Then with what did you give me a ladūd?" They said: "With Indian aloeswood and a little wars dye and drops of oil." He said: "Allah would not afflict me with that disease." Then he said: "I adjure you that no one remain in the house except that he be given a ladūd, except my uncle al-ʿAbbās." The Prophet ﷺ used to suffer fever as two men suffer fever, and that is because he has two rewards, and because the prophets are the most severely tried of people. During the illness of the Prophet ﷺ he deemed the dispatch of the expedition of Usāmah b. Zayd to be delayed, and he commanded that it be sent forth. The army of Usāmah set out until they encamped at al-Jurf, and the people assembled there, except that the Prophet ﷺ had grown gravely ill, so Usāmah and the people remained there until they should see what Allah would decree for His Messenger ﷺ. The Prophet ﷺ asked for water to be poured over him, so they poured over him ﷺ seven water-skins from various wells. Then he went out ﷺ and entrusted his final instructions to the people, and he requested retaliation from his own noble self. There is disagreement concerning the duration of his illness ﷺ, which according to the majority was thirteen days. The Prophet ﷺ wanted to write a document for his companions, but he did not do so ﷺ. The Prophet ﷺ gave away whatever money he had with him and manumitted his slaves, as he confided to his daughter Fāṭimah ؓ about his death, and that she would be the closest of people to join him ﷺ. At his death the Prophet ﷺ enjoined good treatment of the Anṣār: that one should be good to their good-doers and overlook their wrongdoers. The Prophet ﷺ gathered the Companions, ؓ, in the house of ʿĀʾishah ؓ, admonished them, enjoined upon them the prayer and its observance, and warned them against taking his grave as a place of festival. The scholars differed concerning the last prayer the Prophet ﷺ prayed before his death, whether it was maghrib, or ṣubḥ, or ẓuhr. The Prophet ﷺ was taken in death until he saw his seat in Paradise, then his soul was returned to him and he was given the choice, and he chose the highest companion. Then the Angel of Death asked permission to enter upon him, and he granted him permission, and his noble soul was taken ﷺ. The Muslims suffered no affliction greater in their eyes than the death of their Prophet ﷺ, so much so that it was as Anas said: "On the day the Messenger of Allah ﷺ entered Madinah, everything in it shone; and on the day he died, everything in Madinah darkened." The greatest of this community in steadfastness was Abū Bakr ؓ. He stood up among the people as a preacher, admonished them, and reminded them of what is in the Book of their Lord concerning the explicit mention of the death of their Prophet ﷺ. The scholars held that Allah combined for the Prophet ﷺ, along with prophethood, martyrdom, and that was from the poison that was in the poisoned sheep. From Umm Maʿbad, the wife of Kaʿb: Umm Mubashshir entered upon the Messenger of Allah ﷺ during his illness in which he was taken, and said: "May my father and mother be your ransom, O Messenger of Allah ﷺ, what do you suspect in yourself? For I do not suspect in my son anything but the food he ate with you at Khaybar." Her son had died before the Prophet ﷺ. He said: "And I do not suspect other than it. This is the time of the severing of my aorta." The Prophet ﷺ died at the age of sixty-three years, and it is said otherwise.
Grades by grader
No grade is recorded for this wording.