Riyad Us-Saliheen (Gardens of the Righteous)
Chapter 152
Good Words to be Uttered before a dying Person and his Family
920. Umm Salamah (May Allah be pleased with her): The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, "When you visit a sick or a dying person, you should utter good words because the angels say `Amin' at what you say.'' She added: When Abu Salamah (May Allah be pleased with him) died, I came to the Prophet (PBUH) and said: "O Messenger of Allah, Abu Salamah has died.'' He (PBUH) directed me to supplicate thus: "Allahummaghfir li wa lahu, wa a`qibni minhu `uqba hasanatan [O Allah, forgive me and him, and bestow upon me a better future (give me a better substitute)].'' So I supplicated as he directed, and Allah gave me a man who was better for me than Abu Salamah (i.e., the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH)). (The Prophet (PBUH) married Umm Salamah afterwards.)
[Muslim].
Commentary: In order to fill the vacuum of the dead person, the family members should pray to Allah to grant them a better substitute as He is Omnipotent and nothing is impossible to Him.
921. Umm Salamah (May Allah be pleased with her) reported: I heard the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) saying, "When a person suffers from a calamity and utters: `Inna lillahi wa inna ilaihi raji`un. Allahumma ujurni fi musibati, wakhluf li khairan minha (We belong to Allah and to Him we shall return. O Allah! Compensate me in my affliction, recompense my loss and give me something better in exchange for it), then Allah surely compensates him with reward and better substitute.'' Umm Salamah (May Allah be pleased with her) said: When Abu Salamah (May Allah be pleased with him) died, I repeated the same supplication as the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) had commanded me (to do). So Allah bestowed upon me a better substitute than him (I was married to Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah (PBUH)).
[Muslim].
Commentary: The better substitute which fell to Umm Salamah (May Allah be pleased with her) as her lot, was her marriage with the Prophet (PBUH) after the death of her husband Abu Salamah (May Allah be pleased with him). She got the reward in her earthly life. If somebody remains deprived of it in the world, he is sure to have it in the life to come. However, this depends on the Will of Allah, for being the Creator, He has the best knowledge of what is appropriate and good for us.
922. Abu Musa Al-Ash`ari (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, "When a man's child dies, Allah, the Exalted, asks His angels, `Have you taken out the life of the child of My slave?' and they reply in the affirmative. He (SWT) then asks, `Have you taken the fruit of his heart?' and they reply in the affirmative. Thereupon He asks, `What did my slave say?' They say: `He praised You and said: Inna lillahi wa inna ilaihi raji'un (We belong to Allah and to Him we shall return).' Allah says: `Build a house for my slave in Jannah and name it Baitul-Hamd (the House of Praise).'''
[At-Tirmidhi].
Commentary: The death of a child is distressing to parents. But it will be a matter of great excellence on their part if they are patient.
923. Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said: "Allah, the Exalted, says: `I have no reward except Jannah for a believing slave of Mine who shows patience and anticipates My reward when I take away his favourite one from the inhabitants of the world.'''
[Al-Bukhari].
924. Usamah bin Zaid (May Allah be pleased with them) reported: A daughter of the Prophet (PBUH) sent a message to him that her son was at his last breath, and requested him to come to her. The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) sent back the informer saying:"To Allah belongs what He takes and what He gives, and everything has a limited period (in this world). So ask her to endure patiently, and expect the reward of Allah.''
[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].
Commentary: This Hadith exhorts us to keep self-composure at a moment of tribulation. The Prophet's daughter mentioned in this Hadith is Zainab (May Allah be pleased with her). See the Commentary on Hadith No. 29.