Did the Prophet Dislike Dying in Mecca after Emigration?
Answered by Shaykh Dr. Muhammad Fayez Awad
Question
Is it true, as mentioned in some books, that the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) disliked the idea of dying in the land from which he emigrated, namely Mecca? And why?
Answer
All praise is due to Allah, Lord of all worlds. Peace and blessings be upon the Messenger sent as a mercy to the worlds, our Master and Prophet, Muhammad, and his Family and Companions.
The Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) disliked the idea of his emigrant Companions (the Muhajirun) dying in Mecca, to avoid the loss of the reward for their emigration.
Hadith in Context
The ruling in question might be inferred from a narration by ‘Amir Ibn Sa‘d Ibn Abi Waqqas, who reported from his father (Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) visited him during the Farewell Pilgrimage while he was suffering from a severe illness. Sa‘d said:
“O Messenger of Allah, I have reached a critical stage due to this illness, and I am a wealthy man with only one daughter to inherit me. Should I give two-thirds of my wealth in charity?” The Prophet replied, “No.” Sa‘d asked, “Half?”
The Prophet replied, “No.” Then he said, “A third, and a third is much. It is better to leave your heirs well off than to leave them poor and dependent on others. Whatever you spend for the sake of Allah, you will be rewarded for it, even for the morsel you place in your wife’s mouth.”
Then Sa‘d said, “O Messenger of Allah, will I be left behind after my companions (in death)?” The Prophet replied, “You will not be left behind. Whatever good deeds you do will increase your rank and status. Perhaps you will be left behind so that some people may benefit from you and others may be harmed by you. O Allah, complete the emigration for my Companions and do not turn them back on their heels. But poor Sa‘d Ibn Khawla…” The Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) felt sorrow for him, as he died in Mecca. [Bukhari; Muslim; See: Ibn Hajar, Fath al-Bari]
Commentary
The Prophet’s statement, “But poor Sa‘d Ibn Khawla,” reflects his sadness for Sa‘d because he passed away in Mecca. The term “poor” refers to someone afflicted with hardship, and in this context, it conveys the Prophet’s sorrow for Sa‘d’s fate.
As for the phrase, “The Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) felt sorrow for him because he died in Mecca,” scholars explain that this part is from the narrator, not from the Prophet himself. The Prophet’s words ended with, “But poor Sa‘d Ibn Khawla.” The narrator interpreted this as the Prophet expressing sadness and sympathy for Sa’d’s death in Mecca.
There is a difference of opinion among scholars regarding the reason behind the Prophet’s sorrow. Some say that Sa‘d Ibn Khawla did not emigrate from Mecca and died there. Others, such as ‘Isa Ibn Dinar, mention that Sa‘d emigrated, participated in the Battle of Badr, and then returned to Mecca, where he eventually passed away. [Nawawi, Sharh Muslim]
Ibn ‘Abd al-Barr mentions that this hadith serves as evidence that an emigrant should not remain in the land from which they emigrated for more than three days. This is based on the hadith of ‘Ala’ Ibn al-Hadrami, in which the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) allowed the emigrants to stay in Mecca for three days after the Hajj. It was also considered a major sin for someone to return to their previous life as a Bedouin after emigrating. [Ibn ‘Abd al-Barr, al-Tamhid]
However, it is recorded that some of the emigrants passed away in Mecca, such as Abdullah Ibn ‘Umar (Allah be pleased with him), though he was not a resident of Mecca but happened to die there while performing religious rites. Similarly, Sa‘d Ibn Khawla is said to have died in Mecca despite being an emigrant.
Imam Nawawi, in his commentary on this hadith, states: “They (the Companions) disliked returning to what they had left for the sake of Allah (Most High). Qadi ‘Iyad said that this ruling remained in effect after the Conquest of Mecca for those who emigrated before it, but not for those who emigrated afterward.” [Nawawi, Sharh Muslim]
Therefore, this ruling applies specifically to the emigrant Companions and does not imply a general dislike for dying in Mecca.
May Allah guide us to complete our deeds and understand the Sunna of our Prophet. Praise be to Allah, the Lord of all the worlds.
And Allah knows best.
[Shaykh] Dr. Muhammad Fayez Awad
Shaykh Dr. Muhammad Fayez Awad, born in Damascus, Syria, in 1965, pursued his Islamic studies in the mosques and institutes of Damascus. A graduate of the Islamic University of Medina in 1985, he holds a Ph.D. in Islamic Studies from Bahauddin Zakariya University in Pakistan.
He has extensive experience developing curricula and enhancing the teaching of various academic courses, including conducting intensive courses. Shaykh Awad has taught Fiqh, Usul al-Fiqh, Quranic sciences, the history of legislation, inheritance laws, and more at several institutes and universities such as Al-Furqan Institute for Islamic Sciences and Majma‘ al-Fath al-Islami in Damascus.
He is a lecturer at the Sultan Muhammad al-Fatih Waqf University in Istanbul, teaching various Arabic and Islamic subjects, and teaches at numerous Islamic institutes in Istanbul. Shaykh Awad is a member of the Association of Syrian Scholars, a founding member of the Zayd bin Thabit Foundation, a member of the Syrian Scholars Association, and a member of the Academic Council at the Iman Center for Teaching the Sunna and Quran.
Among his teachers from whom he received Ijazat are his father, Shaykh Muhammad Muhiyiddin Awad, Shaykh Muhiyiddin al-Kurdi, Shaykh Muhammad Karim Rajih, Shaykh Usama al-Rifai, Shaykh Ayman Suwaid, Shaykh Ahmad al-Qalash, Shaykh Muhammad Awwama, and Shaykh Mamduh Junayd.
