The Sealed Nectar (64 page)

They were seventeen prayers in the lifetime of Muhammad [pbuh].

Three or four times ‘Aishah talked to the Prophet [pbuh] to exempt Abu Bakr from leadership in prayer lest people should despair of him, but he refused and said:

"You (women) are like the women who tried to entice Joseph (Yusuf) into
immorality. Convey my request to Abu Bakr to lead the prayer."

A Day or Two prior to Death

On Saturday or on Sunday, the Prophet [pbuh] felt that he was well enough to perform the prayer; so he went out leaning on two men in order to perform the noon prayer. Abu Bakr, who was then about to lead the prayer withdrew when he saw him coming; but the Prophet [pbuh] made him a gesture to stay where he was and said:

"Seat me next to him." They seated him on the left hand side of Abu Bakr. The Prophet [pbuh] led the prayer, and Abu Bakr followed him and raised his voice at every ‘
Allâhu
Akbar’
(i.e. Allâh is the Greatest) the Prophet [pbuh] said, so that the people may hear clearly. [Sahih Al-Bukhari 1/98,99]

A Day before his Death

On Sunday, a day before he died, the Prophet [pbuh] set his slaves free, paid as a charity the seven Dinars he owned and gave his weapons as a present to the Muslims. So when night fell ‘Aishah had to borrow some oil from her neighbour to light her oil- lantern.

Even his armour was mortgaged as a security with a Jew for thirty
Sa‘
(a cubic measure) of barley.

The Last Day Alive

In a narration by Anas bin Malik, he said: "While the Muslims were performing the dawn prayer on Monday — led by Abu Bakr, they were surprised to see the Messenger of Allâh [pbuh] raising the curtain of ‘Aishah’s room. He looked at them 307

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while they were praying aligned properly and smiled cheerfully. Seeing him, Abu Bakr withdrew to join the lines and give way to him to lead the prayer. For he thought that the Prophet [pbuh] wanted to go out and pray." Anas said: "The Muslims, who were praying, were so delighted that they were almost too enraptured at their prayers. The Messenger of Allâh [pbuh] made them a gesture to continue their prayer, went into the room and drew down the curtain." [ibid 2/640]

The Messenger of Allâh [pbuh] did not live for the next prayer time.

When it was daytime, the Prophet [pbuh] called Fatimah and told her something in a secret voice that made her cry. Then he whispered to her something else which made her laugh. ‘Aishah enquired from her after the Prophet’s death, as to this weeping and laughing to which Fatimah replied: "The first time he disclosed to me that he would not recover from his illness and I wept. Then he told me that I would be the first of his family to join him, so I laughed." [Sahih Al-Bukhari 2/638]

He gave Fatimah glad tidings that she would become the lady of all women of the world. [Rahmat-ul-lil'alameen 1/282]

Fatimah witnessed the great pain that afflicted her father. So she said: "What great pain my father is in!". To these words, the Prophet [pbuh] remarked:

"He will not suffer any more when today is over."
[Sahih Al- Bukhari 2/641]

He asked that Al- Hasan and Al- Husain be brought to him. He kissed them and recommended that they be looked after. He asked to see his wives. They were brought to him. He preached them and told them to remember Allâh. Pain grew so much severe that the trace of poison he had at Khaibar came to light. It was so sore that he said to ‘Aishah: "I still feel the painful effect of that food I tasted at Khaibar.

I feel as if death is approaching." [ibid 2/637] He ordered the people to perform the prayers and be attentive to slaves. He repeated it several times. [ibid 2/637]

The Prophet [pbuh] breathes his Last

When the pangs of death started, ‘Aishah leant him against her. She used to say: One of Allâh’s bounties upon me is that the Messenger of Allâh [pbuh] died in my house, while I am still alive. He died between my chest and neck while he was leaning against me. Allâh has mixed his saliva with mine at his death. For ‘Abdur Rahman — the son of Abu Bakr — came in with a
Siwak
(i.e. the root of a desert plant used for brushing teeth) in his hand, while I was leaning the Messenger of Allâh

[pbuh] against me. I noticed that he was looking at the
Siwak
, so I asked him — for I knew that he wanted it — "Would you like me to take it for you?" He nodded in agreement. I took it and gave it to him. As it was too hard for him, I asked him

"Shall I soften it for you?" He nodded in agreement. So I softened it with my saliva and he passed it (on his teeth).

In another version it is said: "So he brushed (
Istanna
) his teeth as nice as he could."

There was a water container (
Rakwa
) available at his hand with some water in. He put his hand in it and wiped his face with it and said:

"There is no god but Allâh. Death is full of agonies."
[Sahih Al-Bukhari 2/640]

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As soon as he had finished his
Siwak
brushing, he raised his hand or his finger up, looked upwards to the ceiling and moved his lips. So ‘Aishah listened to him. She heard him say: "With those on whom You have bestowed Your Grace with the Prophets and the Truthful ones (
As- Siddeeqeen
), the martyrs and the good doers. O

Allâh, forgive me and have mercy upon me and join me to the Companionship on high." [ibid 2/638- 641] Then at intervals he uttered these words: "The most exalted Companionship on high. To Allâh we turn and to Him we turn back for help and last abode." This event took place at high morning time on Monday, the twelfth of Rabi‘

Al- Awwal, in the eleventh year of Al- Hijrah. He was sixty- three years and four days old when he died.

The Companions’ concern over the Prophet’s Death

The great (loss) news was soon known by everybody in Madinah. Dark grief spread on all areas and horizons of Madinah. Anas said:

"I have never witnessed a day better or brighter than that day on which the
Messenger of Allâh [pbuh] came to us; and I have never witnessed a more
awful or darker day than that one on which the Messenger of Allâh [pbuh]

died on."
[Mishkat-ul-Masabih 2/547]

When he died, Fatimah said: "O Father, whom his Lord responded to his supplication! O Father, whose abode is Paradise. O Father, whom I announce his death to Gabriel." [Sahih Al-Bukhari 2/641]

‘Umar’s Attitude

‘Umar, who was so stunned that he almost lost consciousness and stood before people addressing them: "Some of the hypocrites claim that the Messenger of Allâh

[pbuh] died. The Messenger of Allâh [pbuh] did not die, but went to his Lord in the same way as Moses bin ‘Imran did. He stayed away for forty nights, but finally came back though they said he had been dead. By Allâh, the Messenger of Allâh [pbuh]

will come back and he will cut off the hands and legs of those who claim his death."

[Ibn Hisham 2/655]

Abu Bakr’s Attitude

Abu Bakr left his house at As- Sunh and came forth to the Mosque on a mare- back.

At the Mosque, he dismounted and entered. He talked to nobody but went on till he entered ‘Aishah’s abode, and went directly to where the Messenger of Allâh [pbuh]

was. The Prophet [pbuh] was covered with a Yemeni mantle. He uncovered his face and tended down, kissed him and cried. Then he said: "I sacrifice my father and mother for your sake. Allâh, verily, will not cause you to die twice. You have just experienced the death that Allâh had ordained."

Then he went out and found ‘Umar talking to people. He said: "‘Umar, be seated."

‘Umar refused to do so. People parted ‘Umar and came towards Abu Bakr, who started a speech saying:

"And now, he who worships Muhammad [pbuh]. Muhammad is dead now.

But he who worships Allâh, He is Ever Living and He never dies. Allâh says:
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‘Muhammad ([pbuh])is no more than a Messenger, and indeed (many)
Messengers have passed away before him. If he dies or is killed, will you
then turn back on your heels (as disbelievers)? And he who turns back on
his heels, not the least harm will he do to Allâh, and Allâh will give reward
to those who are grateful.’"
[Al- Qur'an 3:144]

Ibn ‘Abbas said: "By Allâh, it sounded as if people had never heard such a Qur’ânic verse till Abu Bakr recited it as a reminder. So people started reciting it till there was no man who did not recite it."

Ibn Al- Musaiyab said that ‘Umar had said: "By Allâh, as soon as I heard Abu Bakr say it, I fell down to the ground. I felt as if my legs had been unable to carry me so I collapsed when I heard him say it. Only then did I realize that Muhammad [pbuh]

had really died." [Sahih Al-Bukhari 2/640,641]

Burial and Farewell Preparations to his Honourable Body
Dispute about who would succeed him [pbuh] broke out even before having the Messenger of Allâh’s body prepared for burial. Lots of arguments, discussions, dialogues took place between the Helpers and Emigrants in the roofed passage (portico) of Bani Sa‘ida. Finally they acknowledged Abu Bakr [R]e as a caliph. They spent the whole Monday there till it was night. People were so busy with their arguments that it was late night — just about dawn of Tuesday — yet his blessed body was still lying on his bed covered with an inked- garment. He was locked in the room.

On Tuesday, his body was washed with his clothes on. He was washed by Al- ‘Abbas,

‘Ali, Al- Fadl and Qathm — the two sons of Al- ‘Abbas, as well as Shaqran — the Messenger’s freed slave, Osamah bin Zaid and Aws bin Khauli. Al- ‘Abbas, Al- Fadl and Qathm turned his body round, whereas Osamah and Shaqran poured out water. ‘Ali washed him and Aws leant him against his chest.

They shrouded him in three white Sahooli cotton cloth which had neither a headcloth

[Sahih Al- Bukhari 1/169; Sahih Muslim 1/306] nor a casing and inserted him in.

A sort of disagreement arose with regard to a burial place. Abu Bakr said: "I heard the Messenger of Allâh [pbuh] say: ‘A dead Prophet is buried where he dies.’ So Abu Talhah lifted the bed on which he died, dug underneath and cut the ground to make the tomb.

People entered the room ten by ten. They prayed for the Prophet [pbuh]. The first to pray for him were people of his clan. Then the Emigrants, then the Helpers. Women prayed for him after men. The young were the last to pray.

This process took Tuesday long and Wednesday night (i.e. the night which precedes Wednesday morning). ‘Aishah said: "We did not know that the Prophet [pbuh] was being buried till we heard the sound of tools digging the ground at the depth of Wednesday night." [Mukhtasar Seerat Ar-Rasool p.471; Ibn Hisham 2/649-665; Talqeeh Fuhoom Ahl Al-Athar p.38, 39; Rahmat-ul-lil'alameen 1/277-286]

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The Prophet Household

1.
Khadijah Bint Khuwailid:
In Makkah — prior to Hijra — the Prophet’s household comprised him [pbuh] and his wife Khadijah bint Khuwailid. He was twenty- five and she was forty when they got married. She was the first woman he married. She was the only wife he had till she died. He had sons and daughters with her. None of their sons lived long. They all died. Their daughters were Zainab, Ruqaiya, Umm Kulthum and Fatimah.

Zainab was married to her maternal cousin Abu Al- ‘As bin Al- Rabi‘ and that was before Al- Hijra. Ruqaiya and Umm Kulthum were both married to

‘Uthman bin ‘Affan ÑÖì Çááå Úäå successively (i.e. he married one after the death of her sister). Fatimah was married to ‘Ali bin Abi Talib; and that was in the period between Badr and Uhud battles. The sons and daughters that Fatimah and ‘Ali had were Al- Hasan, Al- Husain, Zainab and Umm Kulthum.

It is well- known that the Prophet [pbuh] was exceptionally authorized to have more than four wives for various reasons. The wives he married were thirteen. Nine of them outlived him. Two died in his lifetime: Khadijah and the Mother of the poor (
Umm Al- Masakeen
) — Zainab bint Khuzaima, besides two others with whom he did not consummate his marriage.

2. Sawdah bint Zam‘a:
He married her in Shawwal, in the tenth year of Prophethood, a few days after the death of Khadijah. Prior to that, she was married to a paternal cousin of hers called As- Sakran bin ‘Amr.

3. ‘Aishah bint Abu Bakr:
He married her in the eleventh year of Prophethood, a year after his marriage to Sawdah, and two years and five months before Al- Hijra. She was six years old when he married her. However, he did not consummate the marriage with her till Shawwal seven months after Al- Hijra, and that was in Madinah. She was nine then. She was the only virgin he married, and the most beloved creature to him. As a woman she was the most learnèd woman in jurisprudence.

4. Hafsah bint ‘Umar bin Al- Khattab:
She was
Aiyim
(i.e. husbandless). Her ex- husband was Khunais bin Hudhafa As- Sahmi in the period between Badr and Uhud battles. The Messenger of Allâh [pbuh] married her in the third year of Al- Hijra.

5. Zainab bint Khuzaimah:
She was from Bani Hilal bin ‘Amir bin Sa‘sa‘a. Was nicknamed
Umm Al- Masakeen
, because of her kindness and care towards them. She used to be the wife of ‘Abdullah bin Jahsh, who was martyred at Uhud, was married to the Prophet [pbuh] in the fourth year of Al- Hijra, but she died two or three months after her marriage to the Messenger of Allâh

[pbuh].

6. Umm Salamah Hind bint Abi Omaiyah:
She used to be the wife of Abu Salamah, who died in Jumada Al- Akhir, in the fourth year of Al- Hijra. The Messenger of Allâh [pbuh] married her in Shawwal of the same year.

7.
Zainab bint Jahsh bin Riyab:
She was from Bani Asad bin Khuzaimah and was the Messenger’s paternal cousin. She was married to Zaid bin Haritha —