of two kinds: either a righteous man or a reprobate.

It was also said that the one who broached the matter with him was their uncle, Maslamah.

Hammād ibn Zayd narrated—from Ayyūb—that people once said to ʿUmar ibn ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz: “Commander of the Believers, if you would only go to Medina! Should Allah decree your death, you would be buried in the fourth resting-place beside the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him.” He replied, “By Allah, for Allah to punish me with anything short of the Fire is dearer to me than that He should know from my heart that I deem myself worthy of such an honor.” (1)

Ibn Shawdhab transmitted the same from Maṭar.

Layth ibn Abī Ruqayyah reported that ʿUmar ibn ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz said, “Sit me up.” They sat him up, whereupon he declared, “I am the one whom You commanded—and I fell short; whom You forbade—and I disobeyed,” repeating this three times, “yet there is no god but Allah.” Then he fixed his gaze and said, “I can see something green; they are neither human nor jinn.” After that his soul was taken.

A similar account was narrated by Abū Yaʿqūb al-Khattābī from al-Sirrī ibn ʿUbayd Allah.

Al-Mughīrah ibn Ḥakīm said: I asked Fāṭimah bint ʿAbd al-Malik, “I used to hear ʿUmar ibn ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz during his illness saying, ‘O Allah, hide my condition from them, even for a single moment.’” She replied, “I said to him, ‘Shall I leave you alone? You have not slept.’ So I went out, and I could hear him repeating over and over: ‘That abode of the Hereafter We assign to those who desire neither exaltation on earth nor corruption, and the outcome belongs to the God-fearing’ ⦗al-Qasas 28:83⦘. Then he fell silent. I waited a long while without hearing a sound from him, so I said to a young servant, ‘Woe to you—go and see!’ He entered, cried out, and I went in to find him dead, his face turned toward the qiblah, one hand over his mouth and the other over his eyes.” (2) Jarīr ibn Ḥāzim heard this report from her.