"The Highest Companion"

Anyway, there was a very steep deterioration in the condition of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him). And within that day — that same day, which was now Monday; and the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) had been ill now for about thirteen days — the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) began to go through sakarāt al-mawt. Sakarāt al-mawt are the final moments, the agony of death, when the soul is coming out. So ʿĀʾishah brought some water for the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), and he would soak a piece of cloth in that water, and then wipe his face with it, and say: inna li-al-mawti la-sakarāt — there is agony in death; there is agony in death (al-Bukhārī 4449). The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) himself, the best of creation, had to go through this.

And he was in the lap of ʿĀʾishah. And ʿĀʾishah said: the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) looked up towards the ceiling, and I heard him say: no — the highest companion; the highest companion; the highest companion (al-Bukhārī 4463). ʿĀʾishah said: I knew that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) was being asked by the angel of death whether he wanted to stay with us or to leave. And the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) was saying: I want to be with the highest companion — and that is Allah (swt). And then ʿĀʾishah says: the head of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) fell towards me. And she screamed — in the narration of Ibn Hishām: because of my foolishness, I screamed and I cried out.