1113 — Abū Abd Allah al-Husayn ibn Muhammad ibn Ufayr al-Ansārī also narrated to us, saying: Muhammad ibn Yahyā al-Azdī narrated to us: al-Muthannā ibn Bahr al-Qushayrī narrated to us: Abd al-Wāhid ibn Sulaymān narrated to us, from al-Hasan ibn al-Hasan ibn Alī, from his father, from Alī ibn Abī Tālib, may Allah be pleased with him, who said:

Three days before the Prophet’s death, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, Gabriel, peace be upon him, descended to him and said, “O Muhammad, the One who knows better than you what you are experiencing has sent me to you as a special distinction, honor, and favor for you. He asks you, ‘How do you find yourself?’” He replied, “O Gabriel, I find myself grief-stricken, and, O Gabriel, I find myself in anguish.”

When the ⦗1625⦘ second day came, Gabriel, peace be upon him, descended to him and said, “O Muhammad, the One who knows better what you yourself are experiencing has sent me to you as a special distinction, honor, and favor for you. He asks you, ‘How do you find yourself?’” He replied, “O Gabriel, I find myself grief-stricken, and, O Gabriel, I find myself in anguish.”

When the third day came, Gabriel descended, accompanied by the Angel of Death and by an angel at his left named Ismāīl. His host consisted of seventy thousand angels, and each angel among them commanded a host of one hundred thousand. “None knows the hosts of your Lord except Him.” [al-Muddaththir: 31]

He had sought his Lord’s permission—Glorified and Exalted is He—to meet Muhammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and greet him. Gabriel, peace be upon him, went ahead of them and said, “Peace be upon you, O Muhammad. The One who knows better what you yourself are experiencing has sent me to you as a special distinction, honor, and favor for you. He asks you, ‘How do you find yourself?’” He replied, “I find myself grief-stricken, and I find myself in anguish.”

The Angel of Death then sought permission to enter. Gabriel said, “O Muhammad, this is the Angel of Death seeking permission to enter upon you. Know that he has never sought such permission from anyone before you, nor will he seek it from anyone after you.” He said, “Permit him to enter, O Gabriel.”

He entered and said, “Peace be upon you, O Muhammad. My Lord and your Lord—Glorified and Exalted is He—has sent me to you and commanded me to obey whatever you command me to do. If you command me to take your soul, I shall take it; and if you do not wish it, I shall leave it.” He asked, “Will you truly do that, O Angel of Death?” He replied, “That is what I have been commanded to do, O Muhammad.”

Gabriel then turned to him and said, “O Muhammad, Allah—Glorified and Exalted is He—has longed for you and desires to meet you.” The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, then turned to the Angel of Death and said, “Proceed with what you have been commanded to do.” He then took the soul of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace.

We heard a speaker say, though we could see nothing: “In Allah lies consolation for everyone who perishes, compensation for every calamity, and a replacement for everything that is lost. Therefore, place your trust in Allah and set your hope on Him, for truly deprived is the one deprived of the reward.” ⦗1626⦘

Muhammad ibn al-Husayn, may Allah have mercy on him, said: In my Book on the Virtues of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, I have already recorded the account of his death, his washing, how the funeral prayer was performed over him, the time of his burial, how blessings are to be invoked upon him after his death, and the reward of one who invokes blessings upon him time after time. We shall now mention the virtues of his Companions, may Allah be pleased with them, whom Allah—Glorified and Exalted is He—chose for him as relatives by marriage, supporters, and ministers: the Emigrants and the Helpers, may Allah be pleased with them. May He benefit us through our love for them.

Muhammad ibn al-Husayn said: I have been informed that when the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, had been buried, Fātima, may Allah be pleased with her, came and stood beside his grave, whereupon she began to recite:

[Kāmil meter]

Traces of tears remain upon my cheek tonight—
In grief for you, while wounds fill my heart.
Patience is beautiful in every circumstance—
Except over you, when patience merits blame.
There is no fault in my grief for you, if only
The weeping of my eyes could last forever.

⦗1631⦘

In the name of Allah, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful. In Him we seek help.

Muhammad ibn al-Husayn, may Allah have mercy on him, said: Praise be to Allah, who graciously bestows upon us enduring blessings and beautiful favors, outwardly and inwardly, secretly and openly—with the praise of one who knows that his Generous Master loves praise. To Him belongs all praise in every circumstance. May Allah bless the master of the first and the last—that is Muhammad, the Messenger of the Lord of the worlds, may Allah bless him and grant him peace—and his pure family, his chosen Companions, and his wives, the Mothers of the Believers.

To proceed: Among what Allah the Generous facilitated for me in composing the Book of al-Sharīʿa, He enabled me to record therein some of the virtues of our Prophet Muhammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. After that, I shall mention the virtues of his Companions, may Allah be pleased with them, whom Allah—Glorified and Exalted is He—chose for him, making them his ministers, relatives by marriage, supporters, and the caliphs after him among his nation. They are the Emigrants and the Helpers, whom Allah—Glorified and Exalted is He—commended in His Book in the finest terms and described in the most beautiful manner. Allah—Glorified and Exalted is He—has also informed us in His Book that He commended them in the Torah and the Gospel in the finest terms and described them in the most beautiful manner: “That is Allah’s bounty, which He grants to whomever He wills. Allah is the Possessor of immense bounty.” [al-Hadīd: 21]

As for the Emigrants, may Allah be pleased with them, they believed in Allah and His Messenger and proved the truth of their faith through deeds. They remained steadfast alongside the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, during hardship. They preferred abasement for Allah’s sake—Glorified and Exalted is He—⦗1632⦘ to honor attained for the sake of anything other than Allah, and preferred hunger for Allah’s sake—Glorified and Exalted is He—to being well fed for any cause other than His. For Allah’s sake—Glorified and Exalted is He—they opposed both those near and those far. They emigrated with the Messenger, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, parting from fathers, sons, families, and clans. They left behind their wealth and homes and departed impoverished. All this arose from their love for Allah—Mighty and Majestic is He—and His Messenger, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. Allah—Glorified and Exalted is He—and His Messenger, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, were dearer to them than everyone we have mentioned. They possessed sincere faith, strengthened minds, noble souls, sound judgment, and gracious patience, all through the enabling grace of Allah—Glorified and Exalted is He. May Allah be pleased with them, and may they be pleased with Him. “Those are the party of Allah. Surely, the party of Allah alone are the successful.” [al-Mujādala: 22]

As for the Helpers, may Allah be pleased with them, they are a people whom Allah—Glorified and Exalted is He—chose to support His religion and follow His Prophet. They believed in him at Mecca, pledged allegiance to him, and remained true to their pledge. They loved him, supported him, and “followed the light sent down with him.” [al-Arāf: 157]

Out of their love for him, they wished to take him with them to Medina, but the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, asked them to leave him until a later time. They then departed for Medina and told their brethren of their faith, whereupon their brethren believed and affirmed the truth. When the Messenger, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, emigrated to join them, they rejoiced and were delighted at his arrival. They honored and revered him, recognizing that this was a blessing Allah—Glorified and Exalted is He—had bestowed upon them.

The Emigrants then arrived after them, and they rejoiced at their arrival, gave them the finest welcome, made room for them in their homes, preferred them over their own families and children, and loved them deeply. They became brothers for Allah’s sake—Glorified and Exalted is He—and their hearts grew harmonious, by the enabling grace of the Beloved, after they had been enemies. Allah—Glorified and Exalted is He—said to His Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace: “He is the One who strengthened you with His aid and with the believers, and brought ⦗1633⦘ their hearts together. Had you spent everything on earth, you could not have brought their hearts together, but Allah brought them together. Indeed, He is Almighty, All-Wise.” [al-Anfāl: 63]

Then He—Glorified and Exalted is He—said to them all: “Remember Allah’s blessing upon you when you were enemies, and He brought your hearts together, so that through His blessing you became brothers. You were on the brink of a pit of Fire, and He saved you from it.” [Āl Imrān: 103]

Thus, they all united in loving Allah—Glorified and Exalted is He—and loving His Messenger, may Allah bless him and grant him peace; in helping one another to support him; and in listening to and obeying him in hardship and ease, whether eager or reluctant. No reproach from any critic deterred them in Allah’s cause. Allah—Glorified and Exalted is He—therefore commended the Emigrants and the Helpers in numerous passages of His Book with every fine and beautiful quality. He promised them Paradise, wherein they shall abide forever, and informed us that He is pleased with them and they are pleased with Him. “Those are the party of Allah. Surely, the party of Allah alone are the successful.” [al-Mujādala: 22]

If someone asks, “Then cite for us from the Book of Allah—Glorified and Exalted is He—what supports what you have said,” he is told: It is not permissible for us to say anything except what accords with the Book, the sunnah, and the statements of the Companions, may Allah be pleased with them. I shall mention enough of this for Allah the Generous to bring joy to the eyes of the believers and grief to those of the hypocrites. Allah alone grants success in what we have set out to accomplish. There is no power and no strength except through Allah, the Most High, the Magnificent.