Remembrance of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him)
The remembrance that the Messenger of Allah –peace and blessings be upon him– frequently used in his final days was an important part of his spiritual preparation.
The Remembrance Frequently Recited by the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) Before His Passing
“I absolve Allah from all attributes of imperfection, and I praise Him. I seek forgiveness from Allah and repent to Him.” He would frequently repeat these words. Lady Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) was curious about this situation and asked:
Lady Aisha’s (may Allah be pleased with her) Curious Question
“O Messenger of Allah! I see you frequently repeat the words, ‘SubhanAllah wa bihamdih, astaghfirullah and atubu ilayh,’ what is the reason for this?”
The Prophet’s (peace and blessings be upon him) Response and Sign
The Messenger of Allah –peace and blessings be upon him– explained the reason behind this remembrance as follows:
“My Lord informed me that I would see a sign among my community. Since I have seen this sign, I frequently repeat this tasbih (glorification). This sign is mentioned in the Surah An-Nasr: “When (the help of) Allah comes and victory follows, and you see people entering Islam in troops, then glorify your Lord and seek His forgiveness. Indeed, it is He who accepts repentance.” (meaning of Surah An-Nasr). (Muslim, Salat, 220)