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Expedition to Palestine 
The Prophet returned to Madinah, aware that he was near 
the end of his mission, and he spent most of his time praising and 
glorifying Allah who had given him success after success during 
his twenty-three years of Prophethood. People were entering 
Islam in multitudes, and delegations continued to arrive before 
him. In Rabi’ Al-Awwal of 11 A.H., the Prophet sent Usama 

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bin Zayd with seven hundred soldiers to the territory of Balqa 
and Darum in Palestine. They were to stage a show of might 
against the Romans, who had resumed their hostile acts. The 
army set out and a Jarf, only three miles outside Madinah, they 
received news that the Prophet was very ill. They encamped 
there awaiting further news of the Prophet’s health. With the 
Prophet’s subsequent death, Usama and his men went on with 
their expedition during the Caliphate if Abu Bakr Siddeeq . 
Signs of the Prophet’s imminent death 
The episode of the poisoned meat served to the Prophet had 
almost receded in the memories of people when he began 
showing signs of poisoning. The poison gradually took root in his 
system and the Prophet’s health deteriorated. Since the tenth year 
of Hujrah he began to express through his words and his actions 
that he expected to pass away soon. 
Each Ramadan the Prophet would perform I’tikaf 
(continuous prayer and worship in a mosque) during the last ten 
days of the month. In Ramadan 10 A.H., however, he performed 
I’tikaf for the last twenty days of the month, saying that during 
this time, Jibreel asked him to recite the Qur’an twice rather than 
once. The Prophet told his daughter Fatimah , that he 
thought his time was at hand. Also, while bidding farewell to 
Mu’adh, who was travelling to Yemen, he said, “O Mu’adh, after 
this you may not see me again, and you will soon pass by this 
mosque of mine and my grave.” Mu’adh began to weep at these 
words. 
Even during the farewell pilgrimage, the Prophet said 
more than once, “I shall not be able to meet you after this year. 
Perhaps I will not be able to perform Hajj again.” Similarly, the 
revelation that the Prophet received during the Farewell 
Pilgrimage also indicated that the Prophet’s mission was 
complete: “Today I have perfected your religion for you and 

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completed My favour upon you, and I have chosen Islam as your 
religion.” (5: 3) 
Furthermore, he termed the pilgrimage Hajjatul-Wada’ (the 
Farewell pilgrimage), to indicate that he was bidding farewell to 
his followers before he passed away. 
In the beginning of Safa, 11 A.H., the Prophet went to 
Mount Uhud and prayed for the martyrs buried there as if he 
were bidding farewell to them. On his return he mounted the 
pulpit and said: “I will precede you, and I shall bear witness for 
you also. By Allah, I see before me now Haudh Al-Kauthar [the 
well of Kauthar in heaven]. I have been given the keys to the 
treasures of the earth. I do not fear that you will revert to 
polytheism after I am gone, but I fear you will be consumed by 
the love of the world and vie against each other for worldly 
things.” 
Late one night before the end of Safar, the Prophet went 
to the cemetery in Madinah, known as Baqi Gharqad, and prayed 
for the dead there. “I shall meet you soon, God-Willing,” he said.