Detailed Account of the Prophet's Death

On Monday the 12th of Rabi al-Awwal, the Prophet's condition deteriorated sharply. In the morning, he lifted the curtain of Aisha's apartment and looked out at the congregation praying Fajr behind Abu Bakr. The companions saw his face, radiant as a page of the Quran, and he smiled at them. Abu Bakr began to step back, thinking the Prophet would join the prayer, but the Prophet gestured for them to continue and let the curtain fall. That was the last time the congregation saw his face. Throughout the morning, he kept dipping his hand in water and wiping his face, saying: 'There is no god but Allah. Indeed, death has its agonies.' He told Aisha: 'Jibreel used to review the Quran with me once a year, but this year he reviewed it twice. I believe my time has come.' Aisha was supporting him against her chest when he raised his finger, looked upward, and said: 'With the highest companions... with the highest companions... O Allah, with the highest companions (al-Rafiq al-A'la).' His hand fell, and his blessed soul departed to its Creator. He was sixty-three years old.