It was narrated on the authority of Ibn ‘Abbaas, may Allah be pleased with him, that he said,
[It was] Thursday and what a Thursday that was! The illness of the Messenger of Allah sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) worsened, and he said:“Fetch me a writing tool so that I may have something written to you after which you will never go astray.”The people who were there wrangled, and it is improper to wrangle in the presence of a prophet. Some of them believed that the Messenger of Allah sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) was too ill to do so,and also believed the Quran was sufficient for them. His household disagreed; some of them said that they wanted to fetch something for the Prophet sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) so that he could order something to be written to them which could protect them from going astray, while others had different suggestions. When they talked and disputed for a long time, the Prophet sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) said:“Leave me, for what I have now is better: I advise you of three things: to drive the polytheists out of the Arabian Peninsula, to give to the foreign delegations as I used to give them.” Ibn ‘Abbaas, may Allah be pleased with him, kept quiet as regards the third piece of advice, or he said, “I forgot it.” [Al-Bukhari and Muslim]
Ibn Hajar may Allaah have mercy upon him commented on this by saying,
The Prophet sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) gave them three pieces of advice while he was in such a state. This means that the thing that he had wanted to have written down for them was not obligatory. Had what he wanted to say been obligatory, he would not have overlooked it and Allah The Almighty would have punished those who prevented him from conveying it. Also, he would have conveyed it to them orally, just as he had ordered them to drive the polytheists out of the Arabian Peninsula. The Prophet sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) lived for some days after that incident and the Companions memorized other verbal instructions from him. Perhaps this was all that he wanted to write for them.
The third piece of advice that was not mentioned in the Hadeeth may have been related to preserving the Quran or allowing the army of Usaamah, may Allah be pleased with him, to fulfill its mission. It could have also been related to observing prayer or being kind to slaves. It is also probable that the Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ), wanted to warn the Muslims not to idolize the grave of the Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ). It has been authentically reported that the Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ), gave all such pieces of advice. It was narrated on the authority of ‘Abdullaah ibn Abi 'Awfa, may Allah be pleased with him, that he was asked if the Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ), gave people instructions; He said, “The Prophet sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) instructed us to hold onto the Book of Allah The Almighty.” [Al-Bukhari and Muslim] This instruction means that Muslims should preserve the Quran - physically as well as intrinsically - and to honor and guard it and abide by its teachings. Muslims have to obey the orders of the Quran and avoid its prohibitions. They must recite the Quran regularly, study it, and teach it.
The Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ), had enjoined upon the Ummah (Muslim nation) to hold onto the Book of Allah The Almighty on many occasions. He did so in the Khutbah (sermon) he gave on ‘Arafat [Muslim], in the Khutbah he gave in Mina [Ahmad] and when he returned from Makkah at the stream of Khumm. The Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ), said: “I am leaving among you two weighty things: the first of them is the Book of Allah in which there is right guidance and light; so hold fast to the Book of Allah and adhere to it.”-He exhorted us here to hold fast to the Book of Allah, and then said -:“And [the second is] the members of my household; I remind you to [fear] Allah regarding the members of my household.” He repeated it three times.[Muslim] When he was dying, the Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ),exhorted people to abide by the Book of Allah The Almighty upon his death.[Bukhaari and Muslim]
Also, the Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ), advised his people to allow the army of Usaamah, may Allah be pleased with him, to fulfill its mission. Ibn Hajar may Allaah have mercy upon him stated that the preparation of the army of Usaamah was on a Saturday, two days before the death of the Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ). The preparation started before the Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ), became ill, and he summoned people to invade the Byzantines at the end of the month of Safar. He called Usaamah, and said: “Move to the place where your father died and trample on them with your horses, for I have appointed you the command of this army.”
The Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ), began to fall ill on the third day and he handed the standard to Usaamah. The Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ), assigned prominent figures of the Muhaajiroon (emigrants) and the Ansaar (helpers) to be in the army with Usaamah. After that, the Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ), became seriously ill. On that, the Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ), said: “Let the army of Usaamah march.” Abu Bakr, may Allah be pleased with him, equipped it after he assumed the caliphate, and the army travelled for twenty nights in the designated direction. Usaamah, may Allah be pleased with him, killed the murderer of his father and the army returned safely after taking its booties.
It was narrated on the authority of ‘Abdullaah ibn ‘Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, that he said, “The Prophet sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) dispatched a brigade which he appointed Usaamah as a commander of. Some people contested his being commander, so the Prophet sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) said: ‘If you contest the command of Usaamah, then you would also be contesting the command of his father. By Allah! His father was more entitled to the command and was one of the most beloved of people to me. Indeed, Usaamah is one of the most beloved of people to me after his father.’” [Al-Bukhari and Muslim] Usaamah was only eighteen years old when the Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ), died.
The Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ), ordered the Muslims to perform prayers and to be kind to slaves. It was narrated on the authority of Anas, may Allah be pleased with him, that he said, “The general advice that the Prophet sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) gave upon his death was:‘[Observe] prayer, [observe] prayer and [be kind to] your slaves.’ The Prophet sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) kept on repeating it until it trembled in his bosom but he could not pronounce it.” [Ahmad and Ibn Maajah] It was narrated on the authority of ‘Ali, may Allah be pleased with him, that he said, “The last words of the Prophet sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) were:‘[Observe] prayer, [observe] prayer, and [be kind to] your slaves.’” [Ahmad and Ibn Maajah]
In conclusion, this chapter teaches us some lessons, such as:
1- The obligation of driving the polytheists out of the Arabian Peninsula, because the Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ), ordered us to do so upon his death. ‘Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, drove them out at the beginning of his caliphate; whereas, Abu Bakr, may Allah be pleased with him, was too busy with the wars launched against the apostates to do so.
2- Respecting delegations and giving them their due hospitality, as the Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ), would do. Moreover, the Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ), ordered us to do so.
3- The obligation to preserve the Quran physically and intrinsically; to honor it, guard it, and to abide by its teachings. Muslims must obey the orders of the Quran and avoid its prohibitions. They must recite the Quran regularly and study and teach it. The Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ), enjoined us to do so on many occasions, and this marks its great significance, along with the Sunnah of the Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ).
4- The importance of prayer, which is the greatest pillar of Islam and second in importance only to the two testimonies of faith. Thus, the Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ), enjoined us to perform it when he was dying.
5- Fulfilling the rights of slaves, maids and those put under our charge, because the Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ), said: “[Observe] prayer, [observe] prayer, and [be kind] to your slaves.”
6- The excellence of Usaamah ibn Zayd whom the Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ), appointed as a commander of a large army that included many of the Muhaajiroon and the Ansaar, and ordered his Companions to let it do its mission.
7- The excellence of Abu Bakr, may Allah be pleased with him, who abided by the order of the Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ), regarding the army of Usaamah. He let it leave, since Allah The Almighty Says (what means): {So let those beware who dissent from the Prophet's order, lest Fitnah strike them or a painful punishment.} [Quran 24:63]
