Musnad Ahmad Hadith 24583

It is narrated from Aisha that the Prophet (peace be upon him) used to say in a state of good health that when the time came for a prophet’s soul to be taken, after his soul was taken, his reward was shown to him, then he was returned and given the choice whether he wished to be returned to that reward and joined with it (or sent back to the world). During the illness of death, the Prophet’s (peace be upon him) head was on my thigh when he fell unconscious. When he regained consciousness, the Prophet’s (peace be upon him) eyes looked towards the ceiling and he said, “O Allah! Join me with the Highest Companion.” I understood that this was the same thing the Prophet (peace be upon him) used to say in a state of good health.