The Death of Abu Bakr al-Siddiq

وفاة أبي بكر الصديق

Medina

Ibn Umar: the cause of Abu Bakr's death was the Prophet's death — grief wasted him till he died. And he had eaten with al-Harith ibn Kalada a gifted khazira — 'lift your hand: by God, a year's poison is in it, and you and I die in one day' — both sickened and died in one day at the year's end; al-Sha'bi: 'what do we expect of this low world — the Prophet was poisoned and Abu Bakr was poisoned'. Aisha: his illness began with a bath on a cold Monday, seven nights past of Jumada II; he fevered fifteen days without coming to prayer and died Tuesday night, eight nights remaining of Jumada II, year thirteen, aged sixty-three. At his death he told Aisha: 'look at the she-camel whose milk we drank, the bowl we breakfasted from, the wrap we wore — we used them while we held the Muslims' charge: when I die, return them to Umar' — 'may God mercy you, Abu Bakr: you have wearied who comes after you'.