Is it permissible for ordinary Muslims to say “O Allah, forgive me, have mercy on me and join me to the higher companions”?

Praise
be to Allah.

Firstly: 

Al-Bukhaari (5674) and Muslim
(2191) narrated that ‘Aa’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) said: I heard
the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) say, when he was
leaning on my chest: “O Allah, forgive me, have mercy on me and join me to
the higher companions.” 

What is meant by “the higher
companions” is to be with those whom Allah has blessed of the Prophets, the
siddeeqs, the martyrs and the righteous, in the highest gardens of delight
(Paradise). When a righteous person is joined to the higher companions, he
will go to his level, so the Prophet will be with the Prophets, the siddeeq
will be with the siddeeqs, and the righteous person will be with the
righteous. 

It was narrated that ‘Aa’ishah
(may Allah be pleased with her) said: I used to hear that no Prophet ever
died until he had been given the choice between this world and the
Hereafter. I heard the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him),
during the sickness of which he died, saying with some gruffness in his
voice: “in the company of those on whom Allah has bestowed His Grace, of
the Prophets, the Siddeeqoon (those followers of the Prophets who were first
and foremost to believe in them, like Abu Bakr As‑Siddeeq

رضى الله عنه ), the
martyrs, and the righteous. And how excellent these companions are!”
[al-Nisa’ 4:69].

She said: And I thought that he
had been given the choice at that point.

Narrated by al-Bukhaari (4435)
and Muslim (2444) 

Ibn ‘Abd al-Barr (may Allah have
mercy on him) said: 

With regard to the phrase “and
join me to the higher companions”, in their view it is a reference to the
verse in which Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, says (interpretation
of the meaning): “in the company of those on whom Allaah has bestowed His
Grace, of the Prophets, the Siddeeqoon, the martyrs, and the righteous. And
how excellent these companions are!” [al-Nisa’ 4:69].

End quote from al-Istidhkaar
(3/85). 

Ibn Katheer (may Allah have
mercy on him) said:

This is what is meant by what
the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said in the other
hadeeth: “O Allah, with the higher companions” three times.

End quote from Tafseer Ibn
Katheer (2/353) 

Al-Haafiz Ibn Hajar (may Allah
have mercy on him) said:

I came across some additional
material via Ahmad ibn Harb from Muslim ibn Ibraaheem, the shaykh of al-Bukhaari,
after the words “during the sickness of which he died, saying with some
gruffness in his voice”: I began to hear him say, “With the higher
companions, in the company of those on whom Allah has bestowed His Grace, of
the Prophets …”

End quote from Fath al-Baari
(8/137). 

Based on that, the basic
principle is that there is nothing wrong with a person asking his Lord to
join him with the higher companions when he dies, and to cause him to reach
the level of the righteous; that du‘aa’ is not something that is only for
the Prophets. 

It was narrated that Zayd ibn
Aslam said: al-Miswar ibn Makhramah fell unconscious, then he came to and
said: “I bear witness that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is
the Messenger of Allah. Being close to Allah is dearer to me than this world
and everything in it. ‘Abd ar-Rahmaan ibn ‘Awf is among the higher
companions, “in the company of those on whom Allah has bestowed His
Grace, of the Prophets, the Siddeeqoon, the martyrs, and the righteous. And
how excellent these companions are!” [al-Nisa’ 4:69]. 

Narrated by Ibn Abi Dunyah in
Kitaab al-Muhtadareen (p. 358); its isnaad is saheeh. 

The scholars of the Standing
Committee said: 

Allah has forbidden the earth to
consume the bodies of the Prophets and Messengers, so they remain as they
were, and they are alive in their graves in the sense of the life of al-barzakh,
and Allah knows best how it is. It is not like their life in this world, and
their souls are in Paradise. The same applies to the souls of the believers
and the soul of our Prophet Muhammad among the higher companions in
Paradise.

End quote from Fataawa al-Lajnah
ad-Daa’imah (2/443). 

Secondly: 

This du‘aa’ should not be said
except in two cases: 

1.    
When death is
actually approaching and the individual knows that he is dying. In that case
there is nothing wrong with saying this du‘aa’. 

Al-Bukhaari (5673) and Muslim
(2682) narrated from Abu Hurayrah that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and
peace of Allah be upon him) said: “No one of you should wish for death or
pray for it before it comes to him.” 

Al-Haafiz (may Allah have mercy
on him) said: 

What we understand from this is
that when death becomes imminent, there is nothing wrong with wishing for
it, out of longing to meet Allah. For this sulte reason al-Bukhaari
commented the hadeeth of Abu Bakr by quoting the hadeeth of ‘Aa’ishah, “O
Allah, forgive me, have mercy on me and join me to the higher companions”,
to indicate that the prohibition applies specifically to cases before death
approaches. End quote. 

2.    
When what the
individual means by saying that is “When death comes to me, then join me to
the higher companions.” 

This was the supplication of
Ibraaheem al-Khaleel (peace be upon him): “My Lord! Bestow Hukman
(religious knowledge, right judgement of the affairs and Prophethood) on me,
and join me with the righteous” [ash-Shu‘ara’ 26:83]. 

Ibn Katheer said:

That is, join me with the
righteous in this world and in the Hereafter, as the Prophet (blessings and
peace of Allah be upon him) said when he was dying, “O Allah, the higher
companions.” He said it three times.

End quote from Tafseer Ibn
Katheer (6/147) 

If a person asks for this, he
must strive hard in doing righteous deeds so that Allah will help him to
join the higher companions, when He takes his soul, for Allah, may He be
exalted, has stipulated that in order to attain that high status, the
individual must make a commitment to obey Allah and His Messenger, as He,
may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):

“And whoso obeys Allah and
the Messenger (Muhammad blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), then they
will be in the company of those on whom Allah has bestowed His Grace, of the
Prophets, the Siddiqoon (those followers of the Prophets who were first and
foremost to believe in them, like Abu Bakr As-Siddiq ), the martyrs, and the
righteous. And how excellent these companions are!

Such is the Bounty from
Allah, and Allah is Sufficient as All-Knower”

[an-Nisa’ 4:69-70]. 

Ibn Katheer (may Allah have
mercy on him) said:

That is, everyone who obeys
Allah and His Messenger according to his ability and does what he is
enjoined to do, male or female, young or old, “then they will be in the
company of those on whom Allah has bestowed His Grace” namely the
immense blessing which implies perfection, success and happiness.

End quote from Tafseer Ibn
Katheer (1/185) 

For more information, please see
the answers to questions no. 45841,
46592 and 145721.

And Allah knows best.