Section One (Continued): Incidents of Sahaabah RadhiAllaahu Anhu Who Would Cry Out Of Love On Merely Thinking Of Rasulullaah SallAllaahu Alaihi Wasallam
1.) Abu Sa'eed RadhiAllaahu Anhu narrates, "Rasulullaah SallAllaahu Alaihi Wasallam once came out to us from his room during the illness in which he passed away. He had a bandage wrapped around his head and he went towards the pulpit until he sat upright on it.
We followed Rasulullaah SallAllaahu Alaihi Wasallam (towards the pulpit), where he said, 'I swear by the Being who controls my life that at this moment I am standing upon my fountain (Kowthar). When a servant of Allaah was given the choice between this world with its splendour (and the Aakhirah), he chose the Aakhirah (Hereafter).'
No one besides Abu Bakr RadhiAllaahu Anhu understood the message of this statement. His eyes therefore filled with tears and he started weeping.
He then exclaimed, 'May my parents be sacrificed for you, O Rasulullaah SallAllaahu Alaihi Wasallam! In fact, may all our fathers, our mothers, ourselves and our wealth be sacrificed for you!' Rasulullaah SallAllaahu Alaihi Wasallam then descended from the pulpit and has not stood there again to this day."
(Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah no. 38192)
2.) Aaishah RadhiAllaahu Anhua narrates,
“All the wives of Rasulullaah SallAllaahu Alaihi Wasallam were present with him when Faatimah RadhiAllaahu Anha came. There was no difference in her walk and the walk of Rasulullaah SallAllaahu Alaihi Wasallam. When he saw her, he welcomed her saying, ‘Welcome to my daughter.’
He then seated her to his right or left. He then said something in secret to her, on account of which she began crying profusely. When he saw her agony, he said something in secret to her a second time. She then began to laugh. I said to her, ‘Rasulullaah SallAllaahu Alaihi Wasallam said some secrets exclusively to you in the presence of his wives and you began crying?’
When Rasulullaah SallAllaahu Alaihi Wasallam stood up and left, I asked her, ‘What did Rasulullaah SallAllaahu Alaihi Wasallam say to you?’ She replied, ‘I cannot disclose the secret of Rasulullaah SallAllaahu Alaihi Wasallam.’ When Rasulullaah SallAllaahu Alaihi Wasallam passed away, I said to her, ‘On the basis of the right which I enjoy over you (i.e. I am your step mother), I take an oath and ask you to relate to me what Rasulullaah SallAllaahu Alaihi Wasallam said to you.’
She replied, ‘I can now disclose it to you. When he spoke to me secretly the first time, he informed me that Jibreel Alayhis Salaam used to revise the Quraan with him once or twice every year. This year, he already revised it two times. [He SallAllaahu Alaihi Wasallam said], ‘I think that my time [of departure from this world] has drawn near. You should therefore fear Allaah Ta’ala and exercise patience. I am an excellent predecessor for you.’ I therefore cried in the manner which you saw me.
When he saw my agony, he spoke to me secretly a second time, saying, ‘O Faatimah! Would it not please you to be the leader of the believing women? Or the leader of the women of this ummah?’ I therefore laughed in the manner which you saw me.’”
(Muslim no. 2450)
3.) ‘Alaa RadhiAllaahu Anhu reports that when Rasulullaah SallAllaahu Alaihi Wasallam was about to leave this world, Faatimah RadhiAllaahu Anha started weeping.
Rasulullaah SallAllaahu Alaihi Wasallam said to her, "Do not weep, dear daughter. When I pass on, you should say, 'Innaa Lillaahi wa Innaa Ilayhi Raaji’oon' because by reciting these words, a person receives something in return for every calamity."
"Even in return for losing you, O Rasulullaah SallAllaahu Alaihi Wasallam!" asked Faatimah RadhiAllaahu Anha.
"Even in return for losing me," replied Rasulullaah SallAllaahu Alaihi Wasallam.
(Ibn Sa'd Vol.2 page 271, Chapter on the grief over Rasulullaah SallAllaahu Alaihi Wasallam, those who mourned and those who cried over him)
4.) Mu'aadh ibn Jabal RadhiAllaahu Anhu narrates that when Rasulullaah SallAllaahu Alaihi Wasallam sent him (as governor) to Yemen, Rasulullaah SallAllaahu Alaihi Wasallam walked with him as he gave him advice.
Mu'aadh RadhiAllaahu Anhu was riding his animal while Rasulullaah SallAllaahu Alaihi Wasallam walked beside the animal. After giving him the necessary advice, Rasulullaah SallAllaahu Alaihi Wasallam said, "O Mu'aadh! You shall probably not meet (me) after this year. You shall perhaps be passing by only this Masjid of mine and my grave."
Mu'aadh RadhiAllaahu Anhu then started weeping profusely because of this separation from Rasulullaah SallAllaahu Alaihi Wasallam.
Rasulullaah SallAllaahu Alaihi Wasallam then turned around and faced towards Madinah as he said, "The people closest to me are those with taqwa (fear of Allaah) regardless of who they are and where they may be."
(Musnad Ahmad no. 22052, Saheeh Ibn Hibbaan Al-Ihsaan no. 647)
Another narration states that Rasulullaah SallAllaahu Alaihi Wasallam said, "Do not weep O Mu'aadh, because this weeping is from Shaytaan."
(Musnad Ahmad no. 22054, Musnad Bazaar no. 2647)
5.) Abdullaah ibn Abbaas RadhiAllaahu Anhu reports that Rasulullaah SallAllaahu Alaihi Wasallam was once informed that the Ansaar men and women were crying in the Masjid.
"What makes them cry?" Rasulullaah SallAllaahu Alaihi Wasallam enquired.
When he was informed that they were crying because they feared he was going to pass away, Rasulullaah SallAllaahu Alaihi Wasallam left his room and went to sit on his pulpit. He was wrapped in a shawl with the ends thrown over his shoulders. He also wore a stained bandage on his head.
After duly praising Allaah Ta'ala , he said, "O people! People will multiply as the Ansaar dwindle in numbers until they are only as much as salt in food. Whoever is given charge over their affairs should accept the good from their good people and excuse their evil ones."
(Kashful-Asraar an Zawaaidil – Bazzaar no. 2798, a similar narration is mentioned in Bukhaari no. 3800, without the first section, Tabaqaat of Ibn Sa'd vol.2 page 221, Chapter on what Rasulullaah SallAllaahu Alaihi Wasallam said during his final illness).
6.) Ummul Fadhl bint Haarith RadhiAllaahu Anha says that when she came to Rasulullaah SallAllaahu Alaihi Wasallam during his final illness, she started weeping.
Rasulullaah SallAllaahu Alaihi Wasallam lifted his head and asked, "What makes you weep?"
She replied, "We fear for you (that you will pass away) and do not know how people will treat us after your demise."
Rasulullaah SallAllaahu Alaihi Wasallam replied, "You will be the ones in a weaker position after I leave."
(Musnad Ahmad no. 26876, Al-Mu’jamul-Kabeer of Tabaraani vol. 25 page 23 no. 32)