man of the Apostle of God, lost trace of the army in the land of Greece, 1 or was taken prisoner. And he fled seeking the (Muslim) army. And behold! a lion met him. And he said, " O Abu'l-Harith, I am a freedman of the Apostle of God. Such and such happened to me." And the lion drew near to him wagging its tail until it stood at his side. Whenever it heard a sound (of danger) it went towards it; and afterwards it came near and walked by his side until they reached the army. Then the lion returned.' Sharhu s-Sunnah.
CONCERNING THE DEATH OF THE PROPHET It is related from 'Ayesha that she said, ' One of the benefits of God towards me is this, that the Apostle of God died in my room and on my day (reposing) between my breast and collarbone. And God united my saliva with his near his death. ' Abdu'r-Rahman bin Abu Bakr entered in where I was, whilst I was acting as a pillow for the Apostle of God to rest upon, and he had in his hand a stick for cleaning the teeth. And I saw the Prophet looking at the tooth-cleaner, and I under- stood that he would like it. So I said, "Shall 1* get it for thee? " And he made a sign with his head in the affirmative. Then I took it; but it was hard for him, so I said, "Shall I make it soft for thee? " Then he made a sign with his head in the affirmative. Then I made it soft; and he rubbed it over his teeth. And there was a small drinking- vessel before him in which was water. And he began to put his hands into the water and wipe his face wi-th them and to say, "There is no God but Allah; verily in death there are agonies." After that he raised his hand and began to say, " (Give me a place) with the highest companions," until he was taken, and his hand fell down.' Al Bukhdri.
It is related from Anas that, ' When the Prophet was oppressed (with pain) his distress caused him to swoon. And Fatimah said, " What agony, O my father! " He said to her, 'There will be no agony on thy father after to-day." Then when he died, she said, "O my father! he has responded to the Lord who called him. O my father! whose place is the garden of paradise! O my father! to Gabriel give we the
1 The word Greece is here used for the Roman Empire.
