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

Bukhari :: Book 5 :: Volume 59 :: Hadith 727

Narrated Aisha:

(the wife of the Prophet) "When the ailment of Allah's Apostle became aggravated, he requested his wives to permit him to be (treated) nursed in my house, and they gave him permission. He came out (to my house), walking between two men with his feet dragging on the ground, between 'Abbas bin 'Abdul--Muttalib and another man" 'Ubaidullah said, "I told 'Abdullah of what 'Aisha had said, 'Abdullah bin 'Abbas said to me, 'Do you know who is the other man whom 'Aisha did not name?' I said, 'No.' Ibn 'Abbas said, 'It was 'Ali bin Abu Talib." 'Aisha, the wife of the Prophet used to narrate saying, "When Allah's Apostle entered my house and his disease became aggravated, he said, " Pour on me the water of seven water skins, the mouths of which have not been untied, so that I may give advice to the people.' So we let him sit in a big basin belonging to Hafsa, the wife of the Prophet and then started to pour water on him from these water skins till he started pointing to us with his hands intending to say, 'You have done your job." 'Aisha added, "Then he went out to the people and led them in prayer and preached to them." 'Aisha and 'Abdullah bin 'Abbas said, "When Allah's Apostle became ill seriously, he started covering his face with his woolen sheet, and when he felt short of breath, he removed it from hi; face and said, 'That is so! Allah's (curse be on the Jews and the Christians, as they took the graves of their prophets as (places of worship),' intending to warn (the Muslims ) of what they had done." 'Aisha added, "I argued with Allah's Apostle repeatedly about that matter (i.e. his order that Abu Bakr should lead the people in prayer in his place when he was ill), and what made me argue so much, was, that it never occurred to my mind that after the Prophet, the people would ever love a man who had taken his place, and I felt that anybody standing in his place, would be a bad omen to the people, so I wanted Allah's Apostle to give up the idea of choosing Abu Bakr (to lead the people in prayer)."