Chapter

Virtues and Merits of the Prophet (pbuh) and his Companions

كتاب المناقب

Arabic Text

حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو نُعَيْمٍ، حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنُ سُلَيْمَانَ بْنِ حَنْظَلَةَ بْنِ الْغَسِيلِ، حَدَّثَنَا عِكْرِمَةُ، عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ ـ رضى الله عنهما ـ قَالَ خَرَجَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فِي مَرَضِهِ الَّذِي مَاتَ فِيهِ بِمِلْحَفَةٍ قَدْ عَصَّبَ بِعِصَابَةٍ دَسْمَاءَ، حَتَّى جَلَسَ عَلَى الْمِنْبَرِ فَحَمِدَ اللَّهَ وَأَثْنَى عَلَيْهِ ثُمَّ قَالَ ‏ "‏ أَمَّا بَعْدُ فَإِنَّ النَّاسَ يَكْثُرُونَ وَيَقِلُّ الأَنْصَارُ، حَتَّى يَكُونُوا فِي النَّاسِ بِمَنْزِلَةِ الْمِلْحِ فِي الطَّعَامِ، فَمَنْ وَلِيَ مِنْكُمْ شَيْئًا يَضُرُّ فِيهِ قَوْمًا، وَيَنْفَعُ فِيهِ آخَرِينَ، فَلْيَقْبَلْ مِنْ مُحْسِنِهِمْ، وَيَتَجَاوَزْ عَنْ مُسِيئِهِمْ ‏"‏‏.‏ فَكَانَ آخِرَ مَجْلِسٍ جَلَسَ بِهِ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم‏.‏

English Translation

Narrated Ibn `Abbas:

Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) in his fatal illness came out, wrapped with a sheet, and his head was wrapped with an oiled bandage. He sat on the pulpit, and praising and glorifying Allah, he said, "Now then, people will increase but the Ansar will decrease in number, so much so that they, compared with the people, will be just like the salt in the meals. So, if any of you should take over the authority by which he can either benefit some people or harm some others, he should accept the goodness of their good people (i.e. Ansar) and excuse the faults of their wrong-doers." That was the last gathering which the Prophet (ﷺ) attended.