the Almighty, for he might remind him of Allah, the Exalted, repentance from sins, discharging grievances, and making a will. When he sees that death is approaching him, he should tend to moistening his throat by dropping water or liquid into it, and he should moisten his lips with a piece of cotton. He should turn him towards the Qibla, due to the saying of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him): "The best of gatherings are those that face the Qibla" (52). He should instruct him to say "La ilaha illa Allah" (There is no god but Allah), because of the saying of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him): "Instruct your dying ones to say: La ilaha illa Allah." Narrated by Muslim (53). Al-Hasan said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) was asked (54): "Which deeds are the most virtuous?" He said: "That you die on the day you die while your tongue is moist with the remembrance of Allah." Narrated by Sa'id. This should be done with gentleness and tact; he should not repeat it too often nor annoy him, unless he speaks of something else, in which case he should repeat the instruction so that "La ilaha illa Allah" is his final speech. Ahmad specified this. It is narrated from 'Abdullah ibn al-Mubarak that when death approached him, a man began instructing him to say "La ilaha illa Allah" and repeated it frequently. 'Abdullah said to him: "If I have said it once, I am upon that as long as I do not speak [otherwise]." Al-Tirmidhi said: 'Abdullah only meant what was narrated from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) that he said: "Whoever has as his final speech 'La ilaha illa Allah' will enter Paradise." Narrated by Abu Dawud (55), with his chain of narration. Sa'id narrated with his chain of narration from Mu'adh ibn Jabal that when death approached him, he said: "Seat me up." When they seated him, he said: "A word I heard from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), I was keeping it hidden, and were it not for the death that has approached me, I would not have told you about it. I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)
(52) Cited by Al-Suyuti in Jami' al-Jawami' 1/517, and he attributed it to Al-Tabarani and Ibn Jarir, from Ibn Abbas. (53) In: Chapter of instructing the dying to say La ilaha illa Allah, from the Book of Funerals (Sahih Muslim 2/631). It was also documented by Abu Dawud, in: Chapter of instruction, from the Book of Funerals (Sunan Abi Dawud 2/169); Al-Tirmidhi, in: Chapter of what has come regarding instructing the sick..., from the Chapters of Funerals (Aridat al-Ahwadhi 4/199); Al-Nasa'i, in: Chapter of instructing the dying, from the Book of Funerals (Al-Mujtaba 4/5); Ibn Majah, in: Chapter of what has come regarding instructing the dying to say La ilaha illa Allah, from the Book of Funerals (Sunan Ibn Majah 1/464); and Imam Ahmad, in: Al-Musnad 3/3. (54) Omitted from A. (55) In: Chapter of instruction, from the Book of Funerals (Sunan Abi Dawud 2/169). It was also documented by Imam Ahmad, in: Al-Musnad 5/233, 247.
