Symptoms of Farewell

when the call to islam grew complete and the new faith dominated the whole situation. the messenger of allâh [pbuh] started to develop certain symptoms that bespoke of leave-taking. they could be perceived through his statements and deeds:

	in ramadan in the tenth year of al-hijra he secluded himself for twenty days in contrast to ten, previously.
	the archangel gabriel reviewed the qur’ân twice with him.
	his words in the farewell pilgrimage (i.e. al-wida‘):

"i do not know whether i will ever meet you at this place once again after this current year."

	the revelation of an-nasr chapter amid at-tashreeq days. so when it was sent down on him, he realized that it was the parting time and that surah was an announcement of his approaching death.
	on the early days of safar in the eleventh year of al-hijra, the prophet [pbuh] went out to uhud and observed a farewell prayer to the martyrs. it looked like saying goodbye to both the dead and the living alike. he then ascended the pulpit and addressed the people saying:

"i am to precede you and i have been made witness upon you. by allâh, you will meet me at the ‘fountain’ very soon. i have been given the keys of worldly treasures. by allâh, i do not fear for you that you will turn polytheists after me. but i do fear that acquisition of worldly riches should entice you to strike one another’s neck." [sahih al-bukhari 2/585]

one day, at midnight he went to al-baqee‘ cemetry, and implored allâh to forgive the martyrs of islam. he said: "peace be upon you tomb-dwellers! may that morning that dawns upon you be more relieving than that which dawn upon the living. afflictions are approaching them like cloudy lumps of a dark night — the last of which follows the first. the last one is bearing more evil than the first." he comforted them saying: "we will follow you."