Allah then said,
﴿وَمَن يُطِعِ اللَّهَ وَالرَّسُولَ
فَأُوْلَـئِكَ مَعَ الَّذِينَ أَنْعَمَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِم مِّنَ النَّبِيِّينَ وَالصِّدِّيقِينَ
وَالشُّهَدَآءِ وَالصَّـلِحِينَ وَحَسُنَ أُولَـئِكَ رَفِيقاً ﴾
(And whoever obeys Allah and the Messenger, then they will be in the company of
those on whom Allah has bestowed His grace, of the Prophets, the Siddiqin, the martyrs,
and the righteous. And how excellent these companions are!) Consequently, whosoever
implements what Allah and His Messenger have commanded him and avoids what Allah
and His Messenger have prohibited, then Allah will grant him a dwelling in the Residence
of Honor. There, Allah will place him in the company of the Prophets, and those
who are lesser in grade, the true believers, then the martyrs and then the righteous,
who are righteous inwardly and outwardly. Allah then praised this company,
﴿وَحَسُنَ أُولَـئِكَ رَفِيقاً﴾
(And how excellent these companions are!) Al-Bukhari recorded that `A'ishah said,
"I heard the Messenger of Allah saying,
«مَا مِنْ نَبِيَ يَمْرَضُ إِلَّا
خُيِّرَ بَيْنَ الدُّنْيَا وَالْآخِرَة»
(Every Prophet who falls ill is given the choice between this life and the Hereafter.)
During the illness that preceded his death, his voice became weak and I heard him
saying,
﴿مَعَ الَّذِينَ أَنْعَمَ اللَّهُ
عَلَيْهِم مِّنَ النَّبِيِّينَ وَالصِّدِّيقِينَ وَالشُّهَدَآءِ وَالصَّـلِحِينَ﴾
(in the company of those on whom Allah has bestowed His grace, the Prophets, the
true believers (Siddiqin), the martyrs and the righteous) I knew then that he was
being given the choice.'' Muslim recorded this Hadith. This Hadith explains the
meaning of another Hadith; the Prophet said before his death;
«اللَّهُمَّ (فِي) الرَّفِيقِ الْأَعْلَى»
(O Allah! In the Most High Company) three times, and he then died, may Allah's best
blessings be upon him.
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