During the period of his illness the Prophet used to come to the mosque sometime or other, and offered prayers along with the people, and also talked on some matters. On one of those days he arrived in the mosque, while he had tied a piece of cloth on his head, and Ali and Fadl bin Abbas had placed their hands under his arm-pits, and he was walking with dragging feet. He mounted the pulpit and began to speak, saying: “O people! The time has arrived when I should leave you. If I have made a promise with anyone I am prepared to fulfil it, and if I owe something to somebody, he should speak out, so that I may make payment to him”.
At this moment a man stood up and said: “You promised me some time back that if I married, you would help me with money”. The Prophet ordered Fadl to pay the required amount to him immediately. Then he dismounted the pulpit and went home.
Thereafter he came to the mosque again on Friday (i.e three days before his death) and began to speak, and said inter alia: “Whoever has any right over me should get up and mention it, for punishment in this world is lighter than the punishment on the Day of Judgement.”
At this moment Sawadah bin Qays stood up and said: “At the time of return from the Battle of Ta’if, when you were riding a camel, you raised your scourge to hit your animal, but by chance it struck my belly. I now want to take revenge”.
The offer made by the Prophet was not a mere formality for he was seriously inclined to compensate others even for those rights, which are not usually cared for by the people.16 He therefore, ordered the same scourge to be brought from his house.
Thereafter he pulled up his shirt so that Sawadah might take revenge. The companions of the Prophet were watching the scene with grieved hearts, and with tears in their eyes, and were awaiting as to where the matter would end, and whether Sawadah would actually take revenge.
However, they suddenly saw Sawadah kissing the belly and chest of the Prophet. At this moment the Prophet prayed for him and said: “O Allah! Forgive Sawadah in the same manner in which he has forgiven the Prophet of Islam”