When a soul is leaving this world, words matter. This chapter gathers the Prophet's teaching on what to say at a deathbed and what to say when grief arrives. The recurring phrase is istirja, the believer's response to calamity: Inna lillahi wa inna ilaihi raji'un, 'We belong to Allah and to Him we shall return.' It is not a slogan but a confession that our loved ones, and we ourselves, were always His.
Notice how these hadith pair acceptance with hope. The believer who endures with patience and asks Allah for something better is promised reward, even a house in Paradise named the House of Praise, and Umm Salamah's own story shows how literally Allah can answer such a prayer.
Hadith 920
Umm Salamah (May Allah be pleased with her):
-عن أم سلمة رضي الله عنها قالت: قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم : "إذا حضرتم المريض، أو الميت، فقولوا خيرا، فإن الملائكة يؤمنون علي ما تقولون، قالت: فلما مات أبو سلمة، أتيت النبي صلى الله عليه وسلمى الله عليه وسلم الله عليه وسلم الله عليه وسلم فقلت: يا رسول الله، إن أبا سلمة قد مات، قال: “قولي: اللهم اغفر لي وله، واعقبني منه عقبة حسنة" فقلت: فأعقبني الله من هو خير لي منه: محمداً صلى الله عليه وسلم ." ((رواه مسلم هكَذا:"إِذا حَضَرْتُمُ المَرِيضَ" أَو"الميِّت"عَلَى الشَّكِّ، رواه أبو داود وغيره:"الميِّت"بلا شَكٍّ)).
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) 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 (ﷺ) and said: "O Messenger of Allah, Abu Salamah has died." He (ﷺ) 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 (ﷺ)). (The Prophet (ﷺ) married Umm Salamah afterwards.) [Muslim].
In plain words
The Prophet taught Umm Salamah to respond to loss by asking Allah for forgiveness and a better replacement; she did, and Allah answered her prayer in a way she never expected.
Reference : Riyad as-Salihin 920 In-book reference : Book 6, Hadith 27
Hadith 921
Umm Salamah (May Allah be pleased with her) reported:
وعنها قالت: سمعت رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم يقول:"ما من عبد تصيبه مصيبه، فيقول إن لله وإنا إليه راجعون: اللهم آجرني في مصيبتي، واخلف لي خيرا منها، إلا آجره الله تعالي في مصيبته واخلف له خيراً منها. قالت: فلما توفي أبو سلمة، قلت كما أمرني رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم ، فاخلف الله خيراص منه رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم “ ((رواه مسلم)).
I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) 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 (ﷺ) had commanded me (to do). So Allah bestowed upon me a better substitute than him (I was married to Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ)). [Muslim].
In plain words
Whoever meets a calamity by saying we belong to Allah and to Him we return, then asks Allah to reward them and give something better, is promised reward and a better substitute.
Reference : Riyad as-Salihin 921 In-book reference : Book 6, Hadith 28
Hadith 922
Abu Musa Al-Ash'ari (May Allah be pleased with him) reported:
وعن أبي موسي رضي الله عنه أن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم قال: إذا مات ولد العبد، قال الله تعالي لملائكته: قبضتم ولد عبدي، فيقولون: نعم، فيقول: قبضتم ثمرة فؤاده، فيقولون: نعم. فيقول: ماذا قال عبدي، فيقولون: حمدك واسترجع، فيقول الله تعالى: ابنوا لعبدي بيتاً في الجنة، وسموه بيت الحمد" ((رواه الترمذي وقال: حديث حسن)).
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) 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].
In plain words
When a believer's child dies and the parent responds by praising Allah and affirming we return to Him, Allah orders a house built for them in Paradise called the House of Praise.
Reference : Riyad as-Salihin 922 In-book reference : Book 6, Hadith 29
Hadith 923
Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported:
وعن أبي هريرة رضي الله عنه أن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم قال: يقول الله تعالى: ما لعبدي المؤمن عندي جزاء إذا قبضت صفيه من أهل الدنيا، ثم احتسبه إلا الجنه" ((رواه البخاري)).
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) 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].
In plain words
Allah promises nothing less than Paradise to the believer who patiently endures and looks to Allah's reward when a beloved person is taken from them.
Reference : Riyad as-Salihin 923 In-book reference : Book 6, Hadith 30
Hadith 924
Usamah bin Zaid (May Allah be pleased with them) reported:
وعن أسامة بن زيد رضي الله عنهما قال: أرسلت إحدي بنات النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم الله عليه وسلمى الله عليه وسلم الله عليه وسلم إليه تدعوه وتخبره أن صبياً لها -أو ابناً- في الموت فقال للرسول: ارجع إليها فأخبرها أن لله تعالي ما أخذ وله ما أعطى، وكل شئ عنده بأجل مسمى، فمرها، فلتصبر ولتحتسب” وذكر تمام الحديث" ((متفق عليه)) .
A daughter of the Prophet (ﷺ) sent a message to him that her son was at his last breath, and requested him to come to her. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) 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].
In plain words
Told his grandchild was dying, the Prophet sent word that all life and giving belong to Allah, urging his daughter to be patient and hope for Allah's reward.
Reference : Riyad as-Salihin 924 In-book reference : Book 6, Hadith 31