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To the End of the Road
All the sons and daughters of the Prophet (Pbuh) died during his lifetime – his two sons and four daughters from Lady Khadijah (may Allah be pleased with her) and his son Ibrahim from Lady Maria, the Copt (may Allah be pleased with her) – except Lady Fatimah. About loss of children, the Messenger of Allah (Pbuh) said:
When the child of a servant dies, Allah almighty says to His angels,
“Did you take away the soul of My servant’s child?” They say, “Yes.” He almighty says, “Did you take away the fruit of his heart?” They say, “Yes.” He almighty says, “What did My servant say?” They say, “He thanked You and said: Indeed we belong to Allah, and indeed to Him we shall return.” Allah says, “Build a house for My servant in Paradise and call it ‘The House of Thankfulness.’”
Abu Musa Al-Ash‘ary, Sunan At-Tirmidhy, Book of Al-Jana‘iz, Hadith no. 942
At the death of his daughters, the merciful father (Pbuh) sat at the door holding their shroud, handing the women preparing them for burial one piece after another. Laila, the daughter of Qanif Ath-Thaqafiyyah, said:
I was one of those who washed Umm Kulthum, the daughter of the Messenger of Allah almighty, when she died. The Messenger of Allah (Pbuh) first gave us the lower garment, then the shirt, then the head-cover, then the (whole body) wrap. Then she was shrouded in another garment. The Messenger of Allah (Pbuh) was sitting at the door, holding her shroud, giving us the garments one by one.
Sunan Abu Dawud, Book of Al-Jana‘iz, Hadith no. 2745
The Prophet (Pbuh) then gave them his own garment to shroud his daughter in and told them to make it the cloth next to her body. Umm ‘Atiyah said:
When Zainab, the daughter of the Messenger of Allah (Pbuh)died, the Prophet (Pbuh) said to us, “Wash her an odd number of times, three or five times, and put camphor on the fifth time, and after you have washed her notify me.” We notified him and he (Pbuh) gave us his waist-sheet and said, “Make it the cloth next to her body.”
Sahih Muslim, Book of Al-Jana‘iz, Hadith no. 1559
The Prophet (Pbuh) accompanied his daughters with kindness to the end of the road. Anas bin Malik said:
We witnessed the funeral of one of the daughters of the Messenger of Allah (Pbuh). He (Pbuh) was sitting at the grave. I saw his eyes shedding tears.
Sahih Al-Bukhary, Book of Al-Jana‘iz, Hadith no. 1205
True that his eye shed tears, “Which is mercy that Allah places in the hearts of whomever He wishes of His servants,” and his heart sorrowed, but he (Pbuh) only said what pleased his Lord, “Verily, to Allah belongs whatever He takes and whatever He gives, and everything with Him is determined.”
Anas bin Malik narrated,
“We entered Abu Saif’s house when Ibrahim was dying. The eyes of Allah’s Messenger (Pbuh) started shedding tears, so ‘Abdur-Rahman bin ‘Awf exclaimed, ‘O Messenger of Allah, even you!’ He (Pbuh) said, ‘O Ibn ‘Awf, this is mercy.’ He (Pbuh)then shed more and said, ‘Truly, the eye sheds tears and the heart sorrows, but we do not say except what pleases our Lord. Truly we, for parting with you, O Ibrahim, are grieved.’”
Sahih Al-Bukhary, Book of Al-Jana‘iz, Hadith no. 1220
Having lived the experience himself many times, the Prophet (Pbuh) offers consolation, advises patience, and conveys glad tidings to those who lose their children. The Prophet (Pbuh)reported that Almighty Allah almighty says:
My believing servant shall have no other reward from Me when I take his bosom companion from the people of this world, and he bears it with patience, hoping for reward, except Paradise.
Abu Hurairah, Sahih Al-Bukhary, Book of Ar-Riqaq, Hadith no. 5944.
Qurah bin Iyas bin Hilal narrated, “
There was a man who always used to come to the Prophet (Pbuh) along with his son. The Prophet (Pbuh)once asked him, ‘Do you love him?’ He said, ‘O Messenger of Allah, may Allah love you as much as I love him.’ The Prophet (Pbuh)then noticed his absence and asked me, ‘What did the son of so-and-so do?’ They said, ‘O Messenger of Allah, he died.’ The Prophet (Pbuh) said to the boy’s father, ‘Would it not please you that not a single gate of the gates of Paradise you come to but you will find him there waiting for you?’ A man asked, ‘O Messenger of Allah, is this (compensation) only for him or for us all?’ He (Pbuh)said, ‘It is for you all.’”
Musnad Ahmad, Book of The Makkans, Hadith no. 15042.
