The Last Words

The story of the death of the Muhaddith Abu Zur’ah Rahmatullahi Alyh holds a great lesson for us in that it exemplifies how a person will die in the state he lived his life.
At the time of his death the great Muhaddith (for wisdoms Allah knows best) was finding it difficult to recite the Kalimah. His students were very grieved and couldn’t believe the scene they were witnessing.
Suddenly one of the students asked the Muhaddith to recite the hadeeth wherein it is mentioned that the one whose last word (before death) is the Kalimah (i.e. the declaration of faith) will enter Jannah.
Immediately upon hearing this request Muhaddith Abu Zur’ah started reciting the chain of narration of the hadeeth. He had just finished reading the words of the kalimah which are mentioned in the hadeeth when his soul departed from his body.
There are many people who have died whilst reciting the Kalimah but there are few like the renowned Muhaddith who have passed away whilst reciting the Kalimah in the form of a Hadeeth.