He was then holding a fresh and green piece of branch in his hand.

He was then holding a fresh and green piece of branch in his hand. A'isha understood from the looks of the Prophet that he wished to brush his teeth with that branch.

She, therefore, took the branch from her brother immediately and gave it to the Prophet, who brushed his teeth with it.[^4] Recommendations Of The Prophet While he was confined to bed the Prophet attached great importance to reminding the people of the obligatory matters and in the last days of his illness he strongly recommended the offering of prayers and good treatment of the slaves.

He said: "Behave well with your slaves, be careful about their food and dress, speak gently with them and make sociability the business of your life". One day Ka'b Ahbar asked the Second Caliph "What did the Prophet say just before his death?" The Caliph pointed to the Commander of the Faithful, who was also present in the meeting, and said: "Ask him". Ali said: "While the head of the Prophet was resting on my shoulder, he said: "Prayers.

Prayers." Ka'b Ahbar then said: "This has been the way of the previous Prophets also''.[^5] During the last moments of his life the Prophet opened his eyes and said: "Call my brother so that he may come and sit by my side. All those present understood that he meant no one other than Ali. Ali sat by the side of his bed but felt that he wanted to rise from his bed.

He, therefore lifted the Prophet from his bed and made him rest on his own chest.[^6] Soon afterwards signs of death began to appear in his sacred body. Some one asked Ibn Abbas: "In whose lap did the Prophet breathed his last?" Ibn Abbas replied: "The Prophet departed while his head was in the lap of Ali." That person added: "A'isha claims that when the Prophet breathed his last his head was resting on her bosom.

Ibn Abbas contradicted her claim and said: "The Prophet breathed his last in the lap of Ali and Ali and my brother Fadl bathed his body."[^7] In one of his sermons Imam Ali has mentioned this matter in these words: "The Prophet breathed his last when his head was on my chest. I bathed his body while the angels were assisting me".[^8] A number of the traditionalists have quoted that the last sentence which the Prophet uttered before breathing his last was: "No. With the Divine Companion" .