The death of Imam Muslim

On the authority of Ahmad b. Salamah:

A gathering of knowledge and revision was held for Abul-Husayn Muslim b. Al-Hajjāj where a hadīth that he did not know was mentioned. He went home and lit his lamp and said to those at home, “no one should enter the house (disturb me).” He was told, “We have been gifted a basket of dates.” He said, “Put it out for me,” so they served it to him. He started searching for the hadīth and taking a date at a time until the morning, by which time the dates where finished and he had finally found the hadīth.

Muhammad b. ‘Abdillāh (one of the reporters of this narration) added, “A reliable companion of ours added that this was the cause of his death.”

Al-Dhahabī, Siyar A’lām Al-Nubalā` in his biography of Imām Muslim.