Explanation of the Hadith: (No prophet has ever been taken away until he saw his place in Paradise and was then given the choice)

The Shaykh : This hadith clearly contains a witness to the translation, which is the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): The word "companion" (rafīq) is a generic term that applies to both the singular and the plural. This means that the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) asked Allah to make him among the highest companions, the highest, indeed, the highest of the highest. This is the meaning of the hadith. And her saying (may Allah be pleased with her) about the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): "No prophet has ever been taken away until he saw his place in Paradise and was then given the choice" means he was given the choice between dying and being taken away, or Allah prolonging his life in this world for as long as He willed. This is indicated by the fact that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) delivered a sermon in the last days of his life and said: When he delivered this sermon, only Abu Bakr wept; no one else wept. Abu Bakr wept, and the people were amazed at Abu Bakr's weeping. How could the Messenger convey this hadith and then weep? So the one given the choice was the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), and Abu Bakr knew from this that the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) was about to die. Thus, Abu Bakr was the most knowledgeable of the people regarding the saying and hadith of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), while the others did not know or realize that he intended this. Therefore, the important point is that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) asked Allah to be in the highest company, and that was the last thing the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) spoke of. As for what is reported in the hadith that he used to say in his last will and testament in the final days of his life: This is intended from the perspective of the rulings of the Shari'ah. The last thing he spoke of as a will was prayer. As for the supplication, the last thing he said was: until his hand (peace and blessings be upon him) drooped and he passed away.