Abu Bakr [RA]’s Last Wish (Hadith No. 1168)

Bismillah.

Volume 2, Book 23, Number 469:

Narrated Hisham’s father:

Aisha said, “I went to Abu Bakr (during his fatal illness) and he asked me, ‘In how many garments was the Prophet shrouded?’ She replied, ‘In three Sahuliya pieces of white cloth of cotton, and there was neither a shirt nor a turban among them.’ Abu Bakr further asked her, ‘On which day did the Prophet die?’ She replied, ‘He died on Monday.’ He asked, ‘What is today?’ She replied, ‘Today is Monday.’ He added, ‘I hope I shall die sometime between this morning and tonight.’ Then he looked at a garment that he was wearing during his illness and it had some stains of saffron. Then he said, ‘Wash this garment of mine and add two more garments and shroud me in them.’ I said, ‘This is worn out.’ He said, ‘A living person has more right to wear new clothes than a dead one; the shroud is only for the body’s pus.’ He did not die till it was the night of Tuesday and was buried before the morning.”

This Hadith really stirred my heart [or did something weird to it]. I’m touched, to say the least.

This man whom we know as the best friend of the Prophet (SAW), needs no introduction. What he did for Allah and His Messenger (SAW) is in front of us. And his reward lies with Allah alone. No one can even be compared to him.

What I can’t seem to put a finger on, is how can someone love another so much? How can someone be ‘there’ for another all the time? How can someone wish to lead their life exactly like another, mold each and every aspect of his existence according to another? How can someone wish to die like another, on the same day, in the same condition? That’s like friendship on another level. Even love seems to be a littler concept than this. This is vast, huge, infinity raised to the power of infinity times love. This is love for Allah. This is real love.

What Abu Bakr (RA) and Muhammad (SAW) shared was more than just a Prophet-Companion bond. They were childhood friends. They were relatives. They made Hijrah together. Not to mention the incident of spider bite in the cave of Thawr. They were together in peace and in war. And what they shared was awesome. What they shared was beyond words.

Most readers might pray after reading this post that they get a friend like Abu Bakr (RA). But the real du`a to be made here is that Allah makes me (you as well) a friend like Abu Bakr. Radi Allahu `anhu: Allah was pleased with him. :)

Wassalam.