come back faster than the tidings of your deeds...

come back faster than the tidings of your deeds," in addition to many such orders which they never followed in reference to that regiment.

Moreover, even some of them started questioning the wisdom of selecting Usamah for its leadership, just as they had questioned that of his father's, making several remarks to that effect, in spite of their witnessing the Prophet (pbuh) vesting upon him such a responsibility, and their hearing the Prophet (pbuh) saying to him: "I have vested upon you the leadership of these troops," and their seeing him tying the flag for him, which is the symbol of authority, with his own eminent hands, and all of that he (pbuh) did in spite of his fever.

All of the above did not stop them from casting doubts about the wisdom of selecting him as the regiment's commander, so much so that their grumbling angered the Prophet (pbuh) who went out one day, his head bandaged,[^4] wrapped in a blanket, suffering the pain of fever, on a Saturday, the 10th of Rabi’ul-Awwal, only two days before his demise, and ascended the pulpit.

Having seated himself on the pulpit, he (pbuh) praised Allah and glorified Him, then, according to the consensus of historians and scholars, he said: "O people! It has come to my knowledge that some of you have felt uneasy about my appointment of Usamah [as the commander].

If you cast doubts about his appointment, you had done so before when I appointed his father who, by Allah, was worthy of such authority, and so is his son after him." He urged them to start marching, and they in fact did start bidding him farewell and leaving to join the troops stationed at al-Jurf, while he was still urging them to rush. Then his sickness worsened, yet he kept saying: "Usamah's army! Complete the mission of Usamah's army!

Dispatch Usamah's troops!" He kept repeating these orders even while they were still reluctant to respond. On the 12th of Rabi’ul-Awwal, Usamah left his temporary quarters at al-Jurf and visited the Prophet (pbuh) who ordered him to start his mission immediately, saying: "Tomorrow, by the blessing of Allah, the Exalted One, leave early in the morning," so he bade him farewell and left for the camp. Accompanied by ‘Umar and Abu ‘Ubaydah, he went back again to see the Prophet.

The three men reached the Prophet who was breathing his last. He died, may my life and those of the world be sacrificed for his sake, on the same day, and the army returned to Medina and considered cancelling the campaign altogether.