What is Sahih al-Bukhari 4242 about?

This hadith from Sahih al-Bukhari (Book of Military Expeditions led by the Prophet (pbuh) (Al-Maghaazi)), narrated by Narrated Aisha:, states: "When Allah 's Apostle was in good health, he used to say, "Never does a prophet die unless he is shown his place in Paradise ( before his death ), and then he is made alive or given option." When the…"

Is this hadith authentic?

This hadith is graded Sahih. Sahih hadiths are considered the most authentic grade in hadith classification.

Which collection is this hadith from?

This hadith is from Sahih al-Bukhari, which contains 7,277 hadiths across 97 books. It is hadith number 4242 in the Book of Military Expeditions led by the Prophet (pbuh) (Al-Maghaazi).

I searched for a different number — is this the right hadith?

Hadith numbering varies across editions and translations (USC-MSA, Dar as-Salam, Fath al-Bari, and others). If you followed a link citing a different number but landed here, you may have been redirected to the canonical version in our library. If you were looking for a different hadith entirely, use the search bar to find it by text.

‹

#4241

#4242

Sahih al-Bukhari

#4243

›

Sahih al-Bukhari #4242

Military Expeditions led by the Prophet (pbuh) (Al-Maghaazi)

Sahih

The Arabic includes the chain of narration (sanad) and the collector's commentary; the English translation shows the Prophet's words only.

حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو الْيَمَانِ، أَخْبَرَنَا شُعَيْبٌ، عَنِ الزُّهْرِيِّ، قَالَ عُرْوَةُ بْنُ الزُّبَيْرِ إِنَّ عَائِشَةَ قَالَتْ كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم وَهْوَ صَحِيحٌ يَقُولُ ‏"‏ إِنَّهُ لَمْ يُقْبَضْ نَبِيٌّ قَطُّ حَتَّى يَرَى مَقْعَدَهُ مِنَ الْجَنَّةِ ثُمَّ يُحَيَّا أَوْ يُخَيَّرَ ‏"‏‏.‏ فَلَمَّا اشْتَكَى وَحَضَرَهُ الْقَبْضُ وَرَأْسُهُ عَلَى فَخِذِ عَائِشَةَ غُشِيَ عَلَيْهِ، فَلَمَّا أَفَاقَ شَخَصَ بَصَرُهُ نَحْوَ سَقْفِ الْبَيْتِ ثُمَّ قَالَ ‏"‏ اللَّهُمَّ فِي الرَّفِيقِ الأَعْلَى ‏"‏‏.‏ فَقُلْتُ إِذًا لاَ يُجَاوِرُنَا‏.‏ فَعَرَفْتُ أَنَّهُ حَدِيثُهُ الَّذِي كَانَ يُحَدِّثُنَا وَهْوَ صَحِيحٌ‏.‏

When Allah 's Apostle was in good health, he used to say, "Never does a prophet die unless he is shown his place in Paradise ( before his death ), and then he is made alive or given option." When the Prophet became ill and his last moments came while his head was on my thigh, he became unconscious, and when he came to his senses, he looked towards the roof of the house and then said, "O Allah! (Please let me be) with the highest companion." Thereupon I said, "Hence he is not going to stay with us? " Then I came to know that his state was the confirmation of the narration he used to mention to us while he was in good health.

Narrated by Narrated Aisha:

Context

This hadith, narrated by Aisha, reflects on the final moments of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. He had previously stated that no prophet dies without being shown their place in Paradise. As he lay in Aisha's lap during his last moments, he regained consciousness and expressed a desire to be with Allah in the highest companionship, confirming his earlier words about the afterlife.

Modern Application

This hadith reminds us of the importance of preparing for the afterlife and the hope of a good ending. In our daily lives, we can reflect on our actions and strive to live righteously, ensuring that we are ready for the hereafter.

Topics

This hadith is tagged with Afterlife and Prophetic Biography because it discusses the Prophet's ﷺ final moments and his anticipation of the afterlife.

Afterlife Prophetic Biography