Siyar Aʿlām al-Nubalāʾ - Shams al‑Din al‑Dhahabi - (سيرة 2/467)

Siyar Aʿlām al-NubalāʾShams al‑Din al‑Dhahabi

my hand, for I imagined he wished to touch my head. A cool drop from his mouth fell upon my collarbone—or upon my chest—then he leaned over and collapsed on the mattress. I covered him with a cloth, and because I had never seen a dead person before, I could not recognise death by any other sign.

ʿUmar then came seeking permission to enter, accompanied by al-Mughīrah ibn Shuʿbah. I admitted them and drew the curtain. ʿUmar said, ‘ʿĀʾishah, what is wrong with the Prophet of Allah?’ I replied, ‘He has been unconscious for about an hour.’ ʿUmar uncovered his face and exclaimed, ‘Oh, the anguish! This is indeed real anguish!’ Then he covered him again, while al-Mughīrah remained silent. When they reached the threshold, al-Mughīrah said, ‘ʿUmar, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ has died.’ ʿUmar retorted, ‘You are lying! The Messenger of Allah has not died, nor will he die until he commands us to fight the hypocrites. Rather, you have been disturbed by a fitnah (trial).’

Abū Bakr then arrived and asked, ‘How is the Messenger of Allah?’ I answered, ‘He is unconscious.’ He uncovered the Prophet’s face, placed his mouth between his eyes, set his hands upon his temples and cried, ‘O my Prophet! O my chosen one! O my intimate friend!’ Then he affirmed, ‘Allah and His Messenger have spoken the truth: “Indeed, you are to die, and indeed they are to die” (39:30); “We granted no human before you everlasting life. So if you die, will they live forever?” (21:34); “Every soul shall taste death” (3:185).’

He then covered him once more, went out to the people and said, ‘O people, does anyone possess a pledge from the Messenger of Allah ﷺ?’ They replied, ‘No.’

He continued, ‘Whoever worshipped Allah—Allah is Ever-Living and never dies; and whoever worshipped Muhammad—Muhammad has indeed died.’ He then recited: ‘Indeed, you are to die, and indeed they are to die,’ along with the other verses.

ʿUmar asked, ‘Is this really in the Book of Allah, Abū Bakr?’ He replied, ‘Yes.’ ʿUmar then declared, ‘This is Abū Bakr, the Companion of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ in the cave, the second of the two—so pledge allegiance to him.’ Only then did they pledge allegiance to him.

It was narrated by Muḥammad ibn Abī Bakr al-Maqdamī from him, and Aḥmad likewise recorded it in his Musnad.

يدي وظننت أنه يريد أن يصيب من رأسي، فوقعت من فيه نقطة باردة على ترقوتي أو صدري، ثم مال فسقط على الفراش، فسجيته بثوب، ولم أكن رأيت ميتا قط، فأعرف الموت بغيره، فجاء عمر يستأذن ومعه المغيرة بن شعبة، فأذنت لهما، ومددت الحجاب، فقال عمر: يا عائشة ما لنبي الله؟ قلت: غشي عليه منذ ساعة، فكشف عن وجهه فقال: واغماه، إن هذا لهو الغم، ثم غطاه، ولم يتكلم المغيرة، فلما بلغ عتبة الباب، قال المغيرة: مات رسول الله ﷺ يا عمر، فقال: كذبت، ما مات رسول الله، ولا يموت حتى يأمر بقتال المنافقين، بل أنت تحوسك فتنة. فجاء أبو بكر فقال: ما لرسول الله؟ قلت: غشي عليه، فكشف عن وجهه، فوضع فمه بين عينيه، ووضع يديه على صدغيه ثم قال: وانبياه واصفياه واخليلاه، صدق الله ورسوله ﴿إِنَّكَ مَيِّتٌ وَإِنَّهُمْ مَيِّتُون﴾ [الزمر: ٣٠] ، ﴿وَمَا جَعَلْنَا لِبَشَرٍ مِنْ قَبْلِكَ الْخُلْدَ أَفَإِنْ مِتَّ فَهُمُ الْخَالِدُونَ﴾ [الأنبياء: ٣٤] ، ﴿كُلُّ نَفْسٍ ذَائِقَةُ الْمَوْت﴾ [آل عمران: ١٨٥] ، ثم غطاه وخرج إلى الناس فقال: أيها الناس، هل مع أحد منكم عهد من رسول الله ﷺ؟ قالوا: لا. قال: من كان يعبد الله فإن الله حي لا يموت، ومن كان يعبد محمد فإن محمدا قد مات، وقال: ﴿إِنَّكَ مَيِّتٌ وَإِنَّهُمْ مَيِّتُون﴾ والآيات. فقال عمر: أفي كتاب الله هذا يا أبا بكر؟ قال: نعم قال عمر: هذا أبو بكر صاحب رسول الله ﷺ في الغار، وثاني اثنين فبايعوه، فحينئذ بايعوه. رواه محمد بن أبي بكر المقدمي عنه. ورواه أحمد في "مسنده"