Book: Al-Muhtadirin [The Dyings] by ibn-abi-duniya

Chapter on Comforting the Soul at the Time of Death with Patience and Reckoning

125 - Narrated Abdullah: "Narrated to us Da'ud bin Rusheid, who said: Narrated to us Al-Walid bin Muslim, from Said bin 'Abdul Aziz, from Isma'il bin 'Ubaydullah, from Abu Muslim. He said, 'I entered the presence of Abi Dardaa on the day of his death - and in their time, they valued their honor as much as life - so Abu Muslim began to repeat 'Allahu Akbar (God is Greater)'. Abu Dardaa then said, 'Indeed, speak as such, for when Allah decrees a matter, He loves to be pleased.'"

126 - Narrated to us by Abdullah, he said: Narrated to us by Dawood ibn Amr Ad-Dabbi, he said: Narrated to us by Muhammad ibn Al-Hasan Al-Asadi, he said: Narrated to us by Ibn Al-Mubarak, from Abdurrahman ibn Yazid ibn Jabir, from Ismail ibn Ubaidullah, he said: Umm Dardaa narrated to me, she said: ⦗110⦘ Abi Dardaa passed out, and his son Bilal was with him. He said: "Leave me". Then he asked: "Who will work for the likes of my resting place? Who will prepare for such an hour? {And We will turn their hearts and their eyes just as they refused to believe in it the first time, and We will leave them in their transgression, wandering blindly}" [Al-Anam: 110] Then he passed out again, and when he woke, he would repeat it, until he passed away.

127 - Abdullah narrated to us saying: Mahmoud bin Khidash told us that Shuja bin Walid reported from Amr bin Qais: When death approached Muadh bin Jabal, he said, "Is it morning yet?" It was said, "We are not yet at dawn." Until it was told to him, "You have reached dawn." He said, "I seek refuge with Allah from a night whose morning leads to Hellfire. Welcome death. Welcome, a returning beloved visitor who comes at need. O Allah, you know that I used to fear You, but today I hope in You. I did not love the world and desire a long life in it 111 for the sake of flowing rivers, nor for planting trees, but for the thirst of the pioneers, the struggles throughout the hours, and competing with the scholars during the gatherings of remembrance."

128 - We were informed by Abdullah who said: "Muhammad bin Hussein told me; 'Obaidullah bin Musa told me; 'Shaiban narrated to us, from Al-A'amash, from Shahar, from Al-Harith bin Umeira Al-Zubaidi who said, 'Certainly, I was seated by Mu'adh bin Jabal as he was dying. He would lose consciousness, then regain it. So I heard him say during his lucidity, "Take your time, for by your glory, indeed, I love you."'"

129- Abdulla narrated, he said: Rabie bin Tha'lab told me, he said: Faraj bin Fadala narrated to us, from Asad bin Wada'a, he said: When Hudaifa fell ill, the illness he eventually died from, he was asked: 'What do you desire?' ⦗112⦘ He said: 'I desire paradise. They said: So, what do you complain about? He said: 'My sins.' They said: Shall we call the doctor for you? He said: 'The doctor is the one who caused my illness. Truly, I lived among you under three conditions: Poverty among you is more beloved to me than wealth, and humility among you is more beloved to me than honor, and as for the one who praises or blames me truthfully from among you, it makes no difference to me.' Then he said: 'Did we reach morning? Did we reach morning?' They replied: 'Yes.' He said: 'O Allah, I seek refuge in you from the morning of fire. A beloved one came upon hardship. The one who regrets will not be successful.'

130 - Narrated to us by Abdullah, who said: Ya'qoub bin Obaid told me, who said: Yazid bin Haroun informed us, who said: Hisham told us, from Al-Hasan who said: Hudhaifah said during his illness: "A friend came on a mission. He who regrets will not succeed. The secret after me is what I know. Praise be to Allah, who made me precede the trials, its waves, and its ascents."

131 - Narrated to us by Abdullah, who said: Narrated to us by Ishaaq bin Isma'eel, who said: Ahmad bin Abdul-Jabbar narrated to me, who said: Sufyan bin Uyayna narrated to us, from Raqaba bin Masqala who said: When Al-Hasan bin Ali was on his death bed, he said: "Take out my bed to the courtyard". He then raised his head towards the sky and said: "O Allah, I have entrusted myself to you, for it is the most precious of souls to me".

132 - Abdullah told us, he said: Abd al-Rahman ibn Salih al-Ataki and Muhammad ibn Uthman al-Ijli told us, they said: Abu Usamah told us, through Ibn 'Awn, from 'Umair ibn Ishaq who said: "A man from Quraysh and I entered upon Hasan ibn Ali. He stood and went out, then returned and said: "I have just expelled something from my liver, turning it with this stick. And I have been poisoned many times, but never was the poison more potent than this time." (114).

He then started to say to that man: "Ask me before you cannot ask me." The man replied: "I have nothing to ask you. May God heal you." So we left his presence and returned to see him the next day.

He had fallen ill and was in bed. His brother Husayn came and sat beside his head, asking: "Brother, who is with you?" He replied: "Do you want to kill him?" Husayn said: "Yes."

Hassan replied: "If he is the companion I think he is, then Allah will exact a greater revenge from him. And if he is innocent, I wouldn’t want him killed."

133 - Abdullah told us, saying: Ahmad bin Ibrahim Al-Nukri told us, saying: Shababa bin Sawwar told us, saying: Yunus bin Abi Ishaq, from Abi Al-Safr, said: "When death came to Khalid bin Al-Waleed and people were around him, a man among those present said: 'By Allah, he is agonizing.' Khalid heard this, then a man said: 'Seek help from Allah.'

134 - Narrated to us by Abdullah who said: Narrated to us by Abdurrahman ibn Salih who said: Narrated to us by Muhammad bin Abdullah bin Zubair, from Sufyan, from Abu Ishaq who said: Abu Sufyan bin Al-Harith, when death approached him, said to his family, "Do not weep for me, for I have not been involved in any sin since I embraced Islam."

135 - Abdullah narrated to us, he said: My father, may Allah have mercy on him, had told us: Ismail son of Ibrahim informed us, he said: Uyaina son of Abdur Rahman had told me that his father had told him: When Aba Bakrah fell ill, his children suggested they bring a doctor to him (116), but he refused. When his end was near and he knew death was imminent –and they knew it from him– he said: "Where is your doctor to reverse it, if he was telling the truth? They said: And what would it help now? He said: Not even before." His daughter, 'Amatullah, came to him. When she saw his condition, she cried. So, he told her: "My dear child, do not cry." She said: "Father, if I don't cry for you, for whom should I cry?" He said: "Do not cry, I swear by Him, in whose hands my soul is, there is no being on this earth I would love more to replace me in my condition, not even a buzzing fly." Then he turned to Humran, who was near his head, and said: "Shall I tell you why I feared him? By Allah, I fear he would prevent me from the path of Islam."

136 - Narrated to us by Abdullah, who said, "Narrated to us by Khalid ibn Khidash, who said, 'Narrated to us by Hammad ibn Zayd, from Ibn Awn, from Hasan, who said, "When death approached him, he requested some time, and he stretched out his arms (117), and moved them and said, 'This is the position of patience and acceptance.'"

137 - Reported to us by Abdullah who said: And reported to us by Khalid ibn Khidash who said: Salih al-Murri told us, from Yunus ibn Ubaid who said: When death approached Hasan, he began to gasp. His son Abdullah leaned over him and said: "O father, you have caused us great distress, have you seen anything?" He replied: "It is my soul that has never been stricken like this."

138 - Narrated by 'Abdullah who said: Hajjaj narrated to us. He said: Abu 'Aasim narrated to us, from Sahl al-Siraj. He said: When death approached Ibn Seereen, he kept saying: "Indeed we belong to Allah, and indeed to Him we will return" [Al-Baqarah: 156], he was told to say: there is no deity but Allah, but he would say: "Indeed we belong to Allah, and indeed to Him we will return" [Al-Baqarah: 156].

139 - Narrated to us by Abdullah who said: Aaron son of Abu Yahya also narrated to me that Hasan son of Dinar had told him: Muhammad son of Sireen used to say whilst on his deathbed: "For the sake of Allah, my soul is the most beloved to me."

140 - Narrated to us by 'Abdullah, who said, "Narrated to us by Dawud ibn 'Amr al-Dabbi, who said, 'Narrated to us by Muhammad ibn al-Hasan al-Asadi, from Yahya ibn Salamah, from his father, who said, "I entered upon Salim ibn Abi al-Ja'd while he was in self-exertion, he looked at me and then said, 'He who regrets will not succeed.'"

141 - Narrated to us by Abdullah who said: Narrated to us by Khaled Ibn Khidash who said: Narrated to us by Hammad Ibn Zaid, from Habib Ibn Al-Shaheed, from Thabit Al-Bunani who said: When Jabir Ibn Zaid was on his deathbed he said: "Sit me up". So he was sat up, then he said: "Lay me down". So he was laid down, then he said: "I seek refuge in Allah from the fire and the evil of reckoning". Three times.

142 - We were informed by Abdullah who said: "We were also informed by Khalid bin Khidash who said: 'Hammad bin Zaid narrated from Khalid bin Rukhaym who said: 'When Ata bin Abi Rabah was on his deathbed, he heard weeping and exclaimed: "Call for me Ibn Abi Hussein - a Qurayshi man - and said: Dispel them. He then said: "O scream of the virtuous, O scream of the virtuous".'

143 - Narrated to us by Abdullah who said: Narrated to us by Ubaidullah bin Umar Al-Jushami who said: Narrated to us by Hazm bin Abi Hazm who said: I heard Hassan saying: "Indeed, a man among the Muslims was at the brink of death, his family said to him: 'Give your testament, O so and so.' He said: 'Consider the ending of Surah An-Nahl (The Bee) and take good counsel by it: ‘Indeed, Allah is with those who fear Him and those who are doers of good.’ [An-Nahl: 128]"

144 - Narrated to us by Abdullah who said: Dawood bin Amro Ad-Dabbi narrated to us, he said: Abu Shihab Al-Hannat narrated to us, from Abu Hayyan At-Taymi, from his father he said ✘120✖: I visited Rabi' bin Kuthaym while Bakr bin Ma'az was tending to him in his illness. He noticed some sputum on his beard and felt disgusted by it, so Rabi' said to him: "Are you disgusted? By Allah, I would not like him to swear an extreme oath by Allah."

145 - Narrated to us by Abdullah, he said: and narrated to us by Dawood son of Amro, he said: Narrated to us by Abdul Rahman son of Mahdi, from Sufyan, from Sariyya al-Rabi' who said: When al-Rabi' was on his deathbed, his daughter cried. He said: "O my daughter, do not cry, but say: O glad tidings, today my father has met goodness."

146 - Narrated to us by Abdullah who said: Also narrated to us by Abdul Rahman bin Salih who said: Narrated to us by Abdul Rahman bin Muhammad al-Muharibiyu, from Abdul Malik bin Umair who said: Rabi bin Khuthaim was asked, "Should we call a physician for you?" He looked around and then reflected, saying: "And 'Aad and Thamud and the companions of the Rass, and much between that" [Al-Furqan: 38].

Then he mentions their zealousness for the temporal world and their desire for it. There were sick among them, and there were physicians. But I do not see the one who treated remained, nor the one who was treated. Both the one who called out death and the one death it was called for have perished."

147 - Narrated to us by Abdullah, who said: Narrated to us by Ishaq bin Ismail, who reported from Jarir, on the authority of Mugheerah, who quoted Abu Ma'shar as saying:

"We visited Ibrahim Al-Nakha'i when he was seriously ill. He was consistently saying: 'There is no deity but Allah, He is alone and has no partner. To Him belongs the dominion, and to Him belongs all praise. He has power over everything.'

When his condition worsened, his statements reduced until he said: 'There is no deity but Allah, He is alone. There is no deity but Allah.' And then he passed away."

148 - Abdullah told us, saying: "Isaac son of Ishmael told us, from Abu Mu'awiyah, from Muhammad son of Souqah, from Imran the weaver who said ⦗122⦘: I went in to see Ibrahim while he was crying, so I said: 'What is making you cry, O Father of Imran?' He replied: 'I am waiting for the angel of death, I do not know whether I will be given good news of Paradise, or of the Fire.'

149 - Abdullah narrated to us, he said: Ibrahim bin Said Al-Jawhari told me, he said: Abu Usama told us. He said: Zakariya bin Yahya Al-Kindi said: I went to Sha'bi while he was complaining. I asked him: "How do you feel?" He said: "I feel painful exertion. O Allah, I consider my soul in Your keeping, for it is the dearest to me."

150 - We were told by Abdullah who said: "Muhammad bin Hussein told me that Al-Alaa bin Abdul Jabbar said: Hazm bin Mahrane reported to us from Al-Hasan, or someone else ⦗123⦘, who said: 'A group from the first generation visited a man on his deathbed. One of them asked him: 'What is your state in this moment of death?' He replied: 'Complete acceptance and surrender to the will of God.' They didn't leave until he passed away. Al-Hasan said: 'By Allah, he knew that their destiny is for the better.'

151 - Abdullah narrated to us, he said: Muhammad narrated to us, he said: Salih ibn Abd al-Karim narrated to me, he said: An elder who used to sail the sea narrated to us. He said: There was a devout man in Basra, known as Azwan. When death approached him, he was asked: What do you desire? He replied: "The hastening of death." They asked: What if you are granted good health? He replied: "The lengthening of this night and day."

152 - Narrated by Abdullah: "Muhammad told me: 'Yunus ibn Yahya Al-Umawi, Abu Nabata, narrated to us. He said: 'Muhammad bin Mutarrif told me [124]: "We visited Abu Hazim the Lame when he was on his deathbed. We asked him, 'How are you, Abu Hazim?' He replied, 'I am in good health. I have hope in Allah and good thoughts about Him.' Then he said, 'By Allah, the one who spends his days preparing for the hereafter, ensuring it comes before him before death does, he stands for it and it stands for him. But the one who spends his days in the worldly life, building it for others, and returns to the Hereafter with no portion or share in it, he is not the same."

153 - Narrated to us by 'Abdullah, who said: "Muhammad had told me, and he said: Narrated to us by Khalid bin Yazid, who said: Narrated to us by Bishr the illiterate but articulate, who said: When death approached Abu Hazim, he said: "We have not touched anything in the world except for the remembrance of Allah. Indeed, this night and day do not proceed except through that which they have decreed. Death is a relief for the believers". He then read: 'And what is with Allah is better for the righteous.' (Family of Imran: 198)

154 - Narrated by Abdullah, he said: Narrated to us by Abū Bilāl al-Ash'arī, he said: Hafs bin Ghiyāth told us, from Dāwūd bin Abī Hind, from Shahr bin Hawshab who said (125): 'Abdur-Rahman bin Mu'ādh bin Jabal was stabbed, his father came to him and asked him: "How are you feeling, my son?" He said to him, "Indeed, the truth is from your Lord, so do not be among the doubters [Al-Baqarah: 147]. Mu'ādh said to him: "You will find me, if Allah wills, of the patient ones [As-Saffat: 102].'

155 - Narrated by Abdullah who said: I was informed by Umar bin Bukair Al-Nahwi, from an elder from Quraysh who said: Umar bin Abdul Aziz visited his son during his illness and asked: "My son, how do you find yourself? He replied: I find myself in truth. He said: My son, for you to be in my balance (of deeds) is more beloved to me than I being in your balance. His son said: And I, dear father, prefer what you love over what I love."

156 - Abdullah narrated to us, saying: Muhammad bin Al-Hussein also narrated to me, saying 🤍126🤌: Khalid bin Yazid narrated to us, saying: Rooh bin Musayyib narrated to us, from Abdullah bin Muslim Al-Abdi, who said: Mutarrif said when death approached: "O Allah, decree for me the best in what You have ordained for me concerning the affairs of this world and the Hereafter. He instructed them to carry him to his grave, and he finished reciting the Quran there before he died."

157 - Abdullah relayed to us, he said: Muhammad told me, he said: Rustam bin Usama conveyed to us, he said: Marwan bin Muawiya related to us, he said: Zuhair bin Abi Atiya said, when Alaa bin Ziad Al-Adawi was on his death bed, he cried. It was asked of him: "What makes you cry?" He said, "By Allah, I would have liked to face death with repentance." It was said, "Then do so, may Allah have mercy on you." He then asked for ablution water, performed the purifying ritual, then asked for a new garment and wore it. He then faced the Qibla, nodded his head twice or so then laid down and died. "

158 - Narrated by Abdullah. He said: "Muhammad bin Hussein told me." He said: "Ya'qoub bin Ishaq Al-Hadrami told us." He said: "We were informed by Rabia'a bin Kulthum bin Jabr, on the authority of his father." He said: "When Hassan's pain intensified, he wept. It was said to him: 'What makes you cry?' He said: 'Nufaisah is helpless and the matter of these people is great, "To Allah we belong and to Him we shall return" [Surah Al-Baqarah: 156]."

159 - Abdullah told us, he said: Muhammad bin Hussein told me, he said: Muhammad bin Abdulaziz bin Salman told me, He said: Mudar told me, he said: I said to Dhaygham during an illness of his: "May Allah keep you to His obedience, O Father Malik". He replied: "Say: Or may He take you to His mercy". So I said: "Or may He take you to His mercy". Then he said: "Amen". By Allah, he did not recover from that illness.

160 - Narrated to us by Abdullah, he said: Narrated to us by Khalid bin Khidash, he said: Narrated to us by Hammad bin Zaid, from Ayub, from a man who was admired by Ubaid bin Umayr. He said (128): "When Ubaid bin Umayr was on his deathbed, he was asked: 'What do you desire?' He said: 'I desire a man who is convinced by the Quran to recite it to me.'

161 - Narrated by Abdullah who said: Narrated by Haroon bin Abdullah who said: Narrated to us Sayyar who said: Narrated to us Ja'far from Muhammad bin Thabit Al-Bunani who said: "I went to recite to my father at [his] death and he said: ' O my son, leave me for I am in my seventh repetition. It seems he was reciting while his soul was departing. '"

162 - Abdullah narrated to us. He said: Ahmed bin Ibrahim told us. He said: Khalaf bin Al-Waleed told us. He said: A Kufi Nahshali Sheikh told me. He said: We entered upon Abu Bakr Al-Nahshali while he was in the market and he was indicating, so Ibn Al-Sammak said to him: "Is this the condition?⦗129⦘" He replied: I hasten to fold the sheet.

163 - Narrated to us by Abdullah who said: Muhammad bin Al-Muthanna Al-Nakha'i told me: Narrated to us by Abdus Salam bin Harb, that Khasif said at the time of death, "O Angel of Death, when you come to us. Oh Allah, know what is in me, for indeed, You know that I love You and love Your messenger".

164 - Narrated by Abdullah, who said: "Muhammad bin Yazid Al-Adami told us: 'Abdullah bin Raja' narrated from Abdul Aziz bin Abu Rawad, who said, 'I visited Al-Mughira bin Hakim during his illness that he died from. I asked him, 'Advise me.' He replied, 'Work for this place of rest.'."