Home > Sira > The Eleventh Year of the Hijra: the Death of the Prophet
The year 11 of the Hijra: the signs of the approach of death, the Prophet's illness, his last prayer, his death, the events between his death and his burial, his grave in the chamber of Aïcha, his children, servants and scribes.
Updated on 05 October 2026 at 10:56 AM
Part of: The Year 11 of the Hijra: the Prophet's Illness and his Death
Ibn Majah relates, from Aïcha: the Messenger of Allah opened between him and the people a door, or lifted a curtain, and behold the people praying behind Abou Bakr: he praised Allah for the good state he saw in them, hoping Allah would succeed him among them in what he saw, and said: "O people, whoever among men or among the believers is struck by a trial, let him console himself, in his trial, by mine: none of my community shall meet after me a trial harder than mine."
The Bayhaqi cites also, marking them weak, tales of consoling voices: when the consolation came, the household heard a voice from within the house: "peace upon you, people of the house, and the mercy of Allah! In Allah is consolation from every trial, succession to every departed, reaching what escapes you: in Allah therefore trust, and on Him place your hope, for the stricken one is only he who is deprived of the reward"; Ali asked: do you know who this is? It is al-Khidr. Other versions relate that after the women entered, their weeping and cries rising, the consoling women heard within the house a voice that spoke to them these words, and they fell silent. A last account gives a grey-bearded man who strode over the necks of the Companions gathered around the body, consoled them and went away: Abou Bakr and Ali said: it is the brother of the Messenger of Allah, al-Khidr. The Bayhaqi rules: these accounts are not to be trusted, yet their two chains strengthen one another, so that they have a root in the words of Ja’far; and Allah knows best.
And the people of the Book knew the day of his death: Jarir relates that in the Yemen, two men named Dhou Kala’ and Amr told him: if what you say is true, your companion has died at his term three days ago; and a caravan from Medina confirmed: the Messenger of Allah has been taken, Abou Bakr has taken charge, and the people are righteous. The two Yemenites went back, sending word to Abou Bakr that they might yet come; one of them, Dhou Amr, confided later to Jarir: you Arabs will remain in good so long as, at the death of one ruler, you set up another in authority; Abou Bakr regretted that Jarir had not brought them along.