(152) Chapter: Good Words to be Uttered before a dying Person and his Family

Umm Salamah (May Allah be pleased with her) reported: I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) saying, "When a person suffers from a calamity and utters: 'Inna lillahi wa inna ilaihi raji'un. Allahumma ujurni fi musibati, wakhluf li khairan minha (We belong to Allah and to Him we shall return. O Allah! Compensate me in my affliction, recompense my loss and give me something better in exchange for it), then Allah surely compensates him with reward and better substitute." Umm Salamah (May Allah be pleased with her) said: When Abu Salamah (May Allah be pleased with him) died, I repeated the same supplication as the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) had commanded me (to do). So Allah bestowed upon me a better substitute than him (I was married to Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ)). [Muslim]. Commentary: The better substitute which fell to Umm Salamah (May Allah be pleased with her) as her lot, was her marriage with the Prophet (PBUH) after the death of her husband Abu Salamah (May Allah be pleased with him). She got the reward in her earthly life. If somebody remains deprived of it in the world, he is sure to have it in the life to come. However, this depends on the Will of Allah, for being the Creator, He has the best knowledge of what is appropriate and good for us.