What is happened in the eleventh year of hegira? What is the farewell in islam?
The first and last link in the chain of prophets, Muhammad Mustafa -upon him blessings and peace-, the Light of Being, a mercy to all worlds, was struck down with a fever after his return from the Farewell Pilgrimage. The fever would prove to be the illness that was to separate him from his ummah and unite him with his Rafiq’ul-A’la, the Highest Companion; the reunion he had been waiting for, for his entire life. Having realized that his time was now near, especially with the revelation of Surah an-Nasr, the Prophet of Allah -upon him blessings and peace- was now preparing for the final journey, bidding farewell to everyone, alive and deceased, in an implying manner. He had gone to the Jannat’ul-Baqi cemetery a day before he became ill and looking at the graves, had prayed, “O my Lord, the Supreme…do not deprive Your mercy from those who lie here!” (Ahmad, III, 489)
After coming back from the cemetery, he ascended the minbar of the Mosque and addressed the Companions in the below words, virtually, of good-bye:
“I will be the first of you to reach the Pool of Kawthar and I will meet you there! Our meeting place is the Pool. I see it at this moment! I will testify on your behalf! I have been given at this moment the treasures of earth and their keys. By Allah, I fear not that you will return to idolatry after me! But I fear that you will get carried away in worldly greed and become jealous of each other, kill one another and perish just like those have perished before you!” (Bukhari, Janaiz, 73; Muslim, Fadail, 31)
Coming down from the minbar, the Blessed Prophet -upon him blessings and peace- then retreated to his chamber, exhausted. The illness grew worse by each passing day. Once it became unbearably intense, being the pillar of courtesy he was, the Prophet of Allah -upon him blessings and peace- asked permission from his honorable wives to pass his remaining days in the chamber of Aisha -Allah be well-pleased with her-. (Bukhari, Tibb, 22; Ahmad, VI, 34, 38; Balazuri, I, 545)
The Blessed Prophet -upon him blessings and peace- had never undergone an illness of such intensity until then. The pure and clean life he led was of the kind that kept away illness altogether. But the grand yet burdensome duty of prophethood[1] well above ordinary human capacity that he had been carrying out for the past twenty-three years and the malicious acts of numerous kinds his enemies had methodically inflicted him with right from the start had, in the end, worn his body out. All this made it possible for illness to make its way into his body.
On another note, the illness was to elevate him to a lofty rank and a high standing. The effects of the poison he tasted at Khaybar also played an important role in the illness. Indeed, during a moment when the intensity of the illness was taking its toll, the Noble Messenger -upon him blessings and peace- said to Aisha -Allah be well-pleased with her-, “I have been constantly feeling the sting of the poisoned meat I tasted at Khaybar, Aisha; and now I can hear the severing of the vein in my heart.” (Bukhari, Maghazi, 83)
Similarly, Anas ibn Malik -Allah be well-pleased with him- is reported to have said, “I used to notice the mark and the effects of this poison on his uvula.” (Muslim, Salam, 45)
Because of this poison, the Light of Being -upon him blessings and peace- thus passed away as a martyr; and Allah, glory unto Him, who had already honored him with prophethood, was now granting him the blessing of martyrdom as well. (Ibn Hisham, III, 390; Waqidi, II, 678-679; Haythami, VI, 153)
So severe was the heat of the fever that had gotten hold of the Blessed Prophet -upon him blessings and peace- that it was causing him to sweat unceasingly; it was like water relentlessly dripping from a hanging water bottle. Abu Said al-Khudri -Allah be well-pleased with him-, who had come to visit him, could not help to remark, “What a severe fever you have, Messenger of Allah”. He continues to recount:
“I placed my hand on him. I could feel the heat of his fever from above the blanket. ‘You have such a high fever, Messenger of Allah’, said I, to which he replied, ‘We (prophets) are like that. Troubles come to us in scores but so are their rewards.’
‘Who are inflicted with troubles most among humans, Messenger of Allah?’ I then asked.
‘Prophets’, he said.
‘And then?’
‘Then the righteous’, he replied, after which he added, ‘among them are persons inflicted with so much tribulation that they cannot find anything else other than a woolen cloth to cover themselves. They rejoice troubles, just as you rejoice abundance.’” (Ibn Majah, Fitan, 23)
The rigor of his illness did not allow him to join the jamaah in his final days. He appointed Abu Bakr -Allah be well-pleased with him- to lead the Companions in salat. Feeling slightly rejuvenated at one stage, he made an appearance in the Masjid, in front of the Companions, to whom he said the following words:
“Allah, the Glorious has left a servant of His, free to choose between the world and its adornments and the blessings of His presence…and that servant has chosen the blessings of His presence!”
The sensitive Abu Bakr -Allah be well-pleased with him- knew, without delay, that the words the Blessed Prophet -upon him blessings and peace- had uttered were of farewell. He became overwhelmed with incommunicable grief. He felt dejected and began to weep, somehow managing to say, “May our parents be ransomed for you Messenger of Allah! We could sacrifice ourselves, our parents, children and all else we have for you!” (Ahmad, III, 91)
No other Companion present was able to make out the inner gist of the Prophet’s -upon him blessings and peace- words, apart from Abu Bakr -Allah be well-pleased with him-, ‘the second of the two’ at Cave Sawr, as he is referred to by the Quran.
It has been reported that the Noble Messenger -upon him blessings and peace- said, “I have infused Abu Bakr with whatever there is in my heart.”[2]
Upon seeing the Blessed Prophet’s -upon him blessings and peace- loyal friend reduced to tears, the astounded Companions began saying to one another, “Isn’t it odd that the Messenger of Allah speaks of some righteous person wishing to return to his Lord and Abu Bakr over there weeps?” (Bukhari, Salat, 80)
In fact, Abu Bakr’s -Allah be well-pleased with him- delicate heart had sensed the great separation that was looming and had begun weeping like the reed flute bemoaning from separation. Once the Blessed Prophet’s -upon him blessings and peace- condition intensified, the other Companions, too, began sensing a glimpse of the greatest of all separations, which was now only a matter of time. Solemn grief took hold of the Ansar and the Muhajirun.
“Wouldn’t it be good if you prayed to regain your health, Messenger of Allah?” some Companions suggested. But the Noble Prophet -upon him blessings and peace-, who, until then, had always prayed for good health, this time refused to do so.
Aisha -Allah be well-pleased with her- explains:
“When the Messenger of Allah -upon him blessings and peace- fell ill, he would read al-Falaq and an-Nas, breathe into his hands and then rub his entire body with it. As his illness aggravated, I began doing the same; reading the two surah, breathing into my hands and then rubbing his entire body. I also said a prayer that Jibril -upon him peace- had said previously when the Messenger of Allah -upon him blessings and peace- had become ill, which was ‘The Lord of humankind! Heal this illness! Cure lies only in Your Hands! No one else apart from You can provide a cure! Give me such a cure that it leaves not a remnant of illness!’ But then the Messenger of Allah -upon him blessings and peace- turned around towards me and said, ‘Better you take your hands of me, for your prayer shall no longer be of any avail…I am waiting for my time!” (Ahmad, VI, 260-261; Ibn Saad, II, 210)
Aisha -Allah be well-pleased with her- continues:
“The Messenger of Allah then called his precious daughter, the delicate Fatimah. ‘Welcome, my daughter’, he said as she arrived. He had her seated next to him, whereupon he said something to her in a quiet tone. Fatimah then began to cry. He then quietly said something else to her, which this time made her happy and she began to smile.
Never had I known, until that day, that a smile could be so close to tears and tears so close to a smile. I asked Fatimah the reason and she said, ‘He informed that he would end up passing away as a result of his illness. I cried over that. He then told me that I would be the first one to reunite with him. And that made me happy.’” (Bukhari, Maghazi, 83)
The Messenger of Allah -upon him blessings and peace- was able to lead the Companions in salat at times when his illness was of a lesser intensity. On one of those occasions, he addressed the Companions, who were distraught by the grief of coming to terms with separating from the Blessed Prophet -upon him blessings and peace-, in the following manner:
“People…
I hear that you fear for the death of your Prophet! But has there even been a prophet, sent before me, who has stayed with his people forever that I should remain with you forever more? Be well aware that I am to reunite with my Lord; and so will you! Without a doubt, al things take place with the permission of Allah.
Be well aware that I will go before you and wait for you! Beware; our meeting spot tomorrow in the Hereafter is the head of the Kawthar Pool. Whosoever wants to meet with me tomorrow, let him remove his hands and tongue from sin. People…Sins are cause for a change of fortune. When people are good, their leaders are good, too…when people are bad, so too are their leaders. By Allah in whose Hand of Might my life resides, at this hour, I am standing above of my Pool and gazing at it from where I am…”
At this point, the Noble Messenger -upon him blessings and peace- turned his gaze towards the weeping Abu Bakr -Allah be well-pleased with him-.
“Do not cry, Abu Bakr”, he urged, as he continued his words. “People…Nobody else has been more selfless and generous in wealth and friendship than Abu Bakr. If I were to adopt a friend among humans other than my Lord, it surely would have been Abu Bakr…Close all the doors that open to the Masjid. Keep only Abu Bakr’s door open…I see a light hovering above his door.” (Bukhari, Salat, 80; Ibn Saad, II, 227)
“My Companions,
I am after all a human being. I therefore may have infringed on the rights of some among you. Whoever’s skin I may have hurt, here is my skin! Let him come and restore his right! Whoever’s back I may have hit, here is my back! Whoever’s property I may have unknowingly seized, here is mine…Let him come and take it!
O my Lord! I am but a human being. Whichever Muslim I may have reproached, I may have hit or cursed, render that a means for their purity, reward and mercy! (Ahmad, III, 400)
O my Lord! Whichever Muslim I may have reproached, render that a means of his closeness with You on the Day of Judgment!” (Bukhari, Daawat, 34; Darimi, Muqaddimah, 14; Ibn Saad, II, 255; Tabari, Tarih, III, 191; Halabi, 463-464)
To all intents and purposes, the Prophet of Allah -upon him blessings and peace- was hence bidding farewell to the Companions. After these words, he retreated to his room, exhausted. It would be the last time he would ever lead the Believers in salat. Thereafter, only on one final occasion would he be able gather his strength and offer salat behind the lead of Abu Bakr -Allah be well-pleased with him-.
On a Monday morning on the 12th of Rabiulawwal, the Blessed Prophet -upon him blessings and peace- felt one last breeze of relief, yet not enough strength for him to join the Companions in salat. He only lifted the curtain that hung above the door of his chamber and gazed, for the very last time, at the mass of Believers standing shoulder to shoulder, offering fajr salat behind the lead of Abu Bakr -Allah be well-pleased with him-. Delighted by what he saw, he smiled in utter satisfaction. It was as if the grip of the uncompromising illness had departed for a moment, making way for the contentment of leaving behind a righteous mass of Believers, enhanced with the relief of having properly executed the duty entrusted by Allah, glory unto Him. (Bukhari, Maghazi, 83; Adhan, 46, 94; Muslim, Salat, 98; Nasai, Janaiz, 7)
Looking on was Aisha -Allah be well-pleased with her-:
“The Messenger of Allah -upon him blessings and peace- was smiling as watched his Companions offer salat. I had never before seen him so happy.” (Ibn Hisham, IV, 331)
Allah, glory unto Him, had granted the Blessed Prophet -upon him blessings and peace- a blessing greater than that of any other prophet before him. He lived to see the triumph of the Call. The Arabian Peninsula had now been purified of idols, shattered and demolished by the very people that once reverently stood in front of them to worship. People who, in the not so distant past, used to bury their own daughters alive, had now become pillars of compassion, moulded by the very hands of the Blessed Prophet -upon him blessings and peace-, the best of all educators, who had now rendered them virtual wonders of creation.
On the same morning, he commanded an army of Companions he had prepared from before, whose departure had however been delayed due to his illness, to set out. To the young commander, Usamah bin Zayd -Allah be well-pleased with him-, he suggested, “Leave around midmorning, with the blessings of Allah!” (Waqidi, III, 1120)
Later on in the same day, the Blessed Prophet -upon him blessings and peace- told Aisha -Allah be well-pleased with her- to distribute among the poor the six or seven dinars he had with her. Not long after, he inquired whether she did as she was asked to. Finding out that it had slipped her mind owing to her concerns over his illness, he asked for the dinars. Then taking them in his hands, he said:
“Muhammad, the Prophet of Allah, is not one to deem it proper to reunite with his Lord with these in his hands, without having given them away to the poor”. He then distributed the dinars among five Ansari families after which he remarked, “Now I feel relieved”, taking a light nap shortly thereafter.[3] (Ahmad, VI, 104; Ibn Saad, II, 237-238)
There; a never-ending charity!
For the Ahl’ul- Bayt he had the following words:
“Beware, people, the fire rages. Tribulations are looming, like hordes in the night! I have only made permissible what is permissible by the Quran, the Book of Allah, and prohibited what is prohibited therein!
Fatimah, the daughter of Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah! Safiyya! Offer deeds worthy in the sight of Allah! For I shall not be able to save you from His punishment (unless you do your part in servanthood)!” (Ibn Saad, II, 256; Bukhari, Manaqib, 13-14; Muslim, Iman, 348-353)
“Beware…beware to seize onto salat!” said the Blessed Prophet -upon him blessings and peace- on the same day. “Treat those under your care kindly! Fear Allah on their behalf! Do not neglect to clothe and feed them. Speak to them caringly!” (Abu Dawud, Adab, 123-124/5156; Ibn Majah, Wasaya, 1)
The Blessed Prophet -upon him blessings and peace- used his miswaq to brush his teeth that day with a heightened enthusiasm. “It was as if I had never before seen the Messenger of Allah use his miswaq more beautifully”, comments Aisha -Allah be well-pleased with her-. (Bukhari, Maghazi, 83; Ibn Saad, II, 261)
The Prophet of Allah -upon him blessings and peace- had a small water container by his side. Time and again, he used to dip his hand into it and moisten his face, and say, “La ilaha ill-Allah…surely death has its (bouts of) inebriation.” (Bukhari, Maghazi, 83)
The Blessed Prophet -upon him blessings and peace- prayed in the following manner that day:
“O my Lord…Encompass me with your compassion! Take me to Rafiq’ul-A’la! Allah! Encompass me with your compassion! Grant me your mercy! Take me to Rafiq’ul-A’la!” (Bukhari, Maghazi, 83; Ahmad, VI, 126)
At some point during the day, the Prophet of Mercy -upon him blessings and peace- consoled his dejected daughter Fatimah -Allah be well-pleased with her-, saying, “Do not cry, dear, and when I pass away, say :To Allah we belong and to Him is our return!” (Ibn Saad, II, 312)
The Blessed Prophet -upon him blessings and peace- gave a similar word of caution to his Companions, reminding them of the ayah revealed in the darkest hour of Uhud when the Believers came to the brink of annihilation upon the circulation of the rumor that ‘Muhammad had been killed’:
“And Muhammad is no more than a messenger; the messengers have already passed away before him; if then he dies or is killed will you turn back upon your heels? And whoever turns back upon his heels, he will by no means do harm to Allah in the least and Allah will reward the grateful.” (Al-i Imran, 144)
Jibril -upon him peace-, the Angel of Revelation, came to the Prophet -upon him blessings and peace- on the same day and announced, “Peace and blessings to you, Messenger of Allah. This is the last time I am stepping foot on Earth for you!” (Ibn Saad, II, 259)
The words the Blessed Prophet -upon him blessings and peace- had uttered earlier that day, were now gradually coming to life: “The spirit of a prophet is never taken until he is shown his station in Paradise! Then it is left upto him to proceed thereto!” (Bukhari, Maghazi, 83, 84; Ahmad, VI, 89)
Arriving afterwards in the wake of Jibril -upon him peace- was the Angel of Death -upon him peace-. He asked permission to enter the presence of the Blessed Prophet -upon him blessings and peace-. Granted permission, he came in, stood as he said, “Messenger of Allah! Ahmad! Allah the Almighty has sent me to you, ordering me to comply with whatever your command may be. If you wish, I shall take your spirit; if not, I shall leave it with you!”
Jibril -upon him peace-, who was still next to them at that point, remarked, “Allah the Almighty misses you, Messenger of Allah!”
To the Angel of Death -upon him peace-, waiting for a response, the Prophet of Allah -upon him blessings and peace- said, “That which is by the side of Allah is better and longer lasting! So, Angel of Death, do what you have been commanded to do; take my spirit!” (Ibn Saad, II, 259; Haythami, IX, 34-35; Balazuri, I, 565)
He then, for one last time, dipped his hand into the water container by his side, moistened his face. He had now begun to make his way through the threshold of reunion at the final moments of a life dominated by a yearning for the Divine. Uttering the words of tawhid, he said:
“O my Lord! Rafiq’ul-A’la! Rafiq’ul-A’la!” and surrendered his pure spirit. The hand with which he had moistened his face had slowly and elegantly dropped inside the water container. (Bukhari, Maghazi, 83)
The ayah revealed years ago:
“Surely you shall die and they too shall surely die.” (az-Zumar, 30) was now realized.
Allah…Pray onto our Blessed Prophet Muhammad Mustafa -upon him blessings and peace-, his progeny and companions; render them all sacred and grant your greetings onto them…And render this an eternal prayer!
The members of the Blessed Prophet’s-upon him blessings and peace- family found themselves immersed in a flood of grief-stricken tears the moment he passed away. In the meantime, despite nobody seeing it, they all heard a soothing voice of condolence, comforting them.
“May Allah’s peace and blessings be on you”, it said.
After the Ahl’ul-Bayt responded in the same way, the same voice was again heard, this time echoing an ayah:
“Every soul shall taste of death, and you shall only be paid fully your reward on the day of resurrection; then whoever is removed far away from the fire and is made to enter the garden he indeed has attained the object; and the life of this world is nothing but a provision of vanities.” (Al-i Imran, 185) This was followed by a similar tone of consolation:
“Know that there is a consolation in the sight of Allah for each disaster, a successor for each deceased and a something in return for each to have passed away! Clutch onto Allah and expect what you expect from Him! One who is truly inflicted is one who has been deprived of rewards (in the Hereafter)! May Allah’s peace and blessings be on you!” (Ibn Saad, II, 259)
Ibn Omar -Allah be well-pleased with him- attests, “The entire Ahl’ul-Bayt, everyone in the Masjid and those standing on the street heard that voice.” (Balazuri, I, 564) Ali -Allah be well-pleased with him- states that the voice belonged to Khidr -upon him peace-. (Ibn Saad, II, 260)
So overwhelmed with sorrow was Fatimah -Allah be well-pleased with her- from being separated from her father that she said, “Such a disaster has been poured onto me with the departure of the Prophet of Allah that if it was to be poured onto daylight, it would surely turn its glow into pitch black.” (Diyarbakri, II, 173)
Fatimah -Allah be well-pleased with him- was never seen smiling in the six months of life she lived subsequent to the Blessed Prophet -upon him blessings and peace-. (Kâmil Mîras, Tecrîd Tercemesi, XI, 25-26)
After a severe illness that lasted thirteen days following his return to Medina, on Monday the 12th of Rabiulawwal, in the 11th year of Hegira (8 June, 632), the gates of the sublime horizons opened for the Blessed Prophet -upon him blessings and peace-, the Beloved, who, passing through it finally reunited with the Greatest of all Friends, Allah, glory unto Him.
Though they could not entirely come to grips with their emotions, the Companions now felt that the gist of life itself had departed. Bilal Habashi -Allah be well-pleased with him-, the Prophet’s -upon him blessings and peace- muaddhin, could not manage to call out the adhan ever again after that day with that beautiful voice of his that filled the entire skies. Whenever the Companions insisted he do so, Bilal -Allah be well-pleased with him- would make a move; but suddenly unable to see to Blessed Prophet -upon him blessings and peace- take his usual place at the front of the Masjid, he would feel stifled, lose his voice and break down, returning without being able to go through with the adhan. In hope of putting out the blaze of love ravaging his heart, he moved away from Medina, to Damascus. Some time later, he saw the Messenger of Allah -upon him blessings and peace- in his dream.
“How long must this separation last, Bilal?” he was telling him. “Isn’t it time you visited me?”
Distressed, Bilal -Allah be well-pleased with him- suddenly woke up. Without further ado, he left, this time to visit the hallowed grave of the Noble Prophet -upon him blessings and peace- in Medina. Just as he was bowling his eyes out in the presence of his beloved, shedding tears on his grave, Hasan and Hussain -Allah be well-pleased with them- arrived. Elated to see the dear grandsons of the Noble Prophet -upon him blessings and peace-, Bilal –Allah be well-pleased with him- warmly hugged them.
“We would love to hear you call the adhan, Bilal”, they pleaded, and to their wish Bilal -Allah be well-pleased with him- succumbed. His adhan shook Medina. When he came to the part Ashadu anna Muhammadan Rasulullah, all the men and women of the town took to the streets and began pouring into the Mosque, thinking the Noble Prophet -upon him blessings and peace- had come back to life. Since the passing away of the Blessed Prophet -upon him blessings and peace- , never had there been a day in which the dwellers of Medina shed more tears. (Ibn Athir, Usd’ul-Ghabah, I, 244-245; Dhahabi, Siyar, I, 357-358)
Stating the following is Anas ibn Malik -Allah be well-pleased with him-:
“I have never seen a day more lit and prettier than the day the Messenger of Allah -upon him blessings and peace- and Abu Bakr arrived in Medina. I also witnessed the day in which the Messenger of Allah -upon him blessings and peace- passed away. I have never seen a day darker, gloomier and more dreadful. Everything in Medina had been set alight by the arrival of the Messenger of Allah -upon him blessings and peace- in Medina and then sent into darkness with his passing away! We buried his sacred corpse unwillingly, believing little that he had actually passed away!” (Ahmad, III, 221, 268, 287; Tirmidhi, Manaqib, 1/3618; Darimi, Muqaddimah, 14)
All troubles and tribulations that Muslims were to undergo thereafter would mean nothing. The Blessed Prophet -upon him blessings and peace- has stated, accordingly, “Muslims inflicted with a trouble of some kind or another should think and find consolation in the tribulation they are inflicted with through my passing away, and keep patient.” (Muwatta’, Janaiz, 41; Darimi, Muqaddimah, 14)
The Blessed Prophet -upon him blessings and peace- also says:
“My health is of benefit to you: you talk with me and I talk with you! My passing away is also of benefit to you: your deeds are presented to me; upon seeing your good deeds, I thank Allah for it and upon seeing your bad deeds, I pray Allah for your forgiveness.” (Haythami, IX, 24)
On the report of Aisha -Allah be well-pleased with her-, the Blessed Prophet -upon him blessings and peace- passed his final moment in praise of the Almighty, repentance and thanks. He was incessantly repeating, “Subhanallahi wa bi-hamdihi, astaghfirullaha wa atubu ilayh: I negate Allah from attributes unworthy of His Divine Status and give my thanks to Him. I wish for Him to forgive me and I repent for my sins.” (Bukhari, Adhan, 123, 139; Muslim, Salat, 218-220; Ahmad, I, 393; Ibn Saad, II, 192)
The Prophet of Allah -upon him blessings and peace- had a Divine mark right between his shoulder blades, attesting to his prophethood. Many a Companion would live in yearning just to kiss it. After he breathed his last, as there was no change in his glowing expression, the Companions began to doubt whether he had really passed away. Asma bint Umays -Allah be well-pleased with her-, a relative of the Blessed Prophet -upon him blessings and peace-, thereupon looked for the seal of prophethood on his back. Noticing it had disappeared out of sight, they finally became convinced he had made the eternal journey.[4]
The Blessed Prophet -upon him blessings and peace- left neither a coin of dirham behind, nor a slave. His legacy consisted merely of the white mule he rode, a weapon and some land at Khaybar and Fadak, which he had already handed over as trust for wayfarers.[5]
The Noble Messenger -upon him blessings and peace- passed away on Monday and was buried the next day. The Companions offered his funeral salat individually; no one imam led a congregation. Some suggested he be buried right next to the minbar of the Masjid. Others thought the Baqi Cemetery would be suitable. The discussion was ultimately ended by Abu Bakr -Allah be well-pleased with him-, who stated, “I had heard the Messenger of Allah say, ‘Each prophet is buried where he dies’”. They hence began digging the exact spot where he breathed his last.[6]
Getting prepared to wash the Prophet’s -upon him blessings and peace- corpse, they made an attempt to remove his shirt, only to be thwarted by a sudden voice they heard, commanding them not to take off his shirt! So they washed him without removing his shirt.[7]
Abdullah ibn Masud -Allah be well-pleased with him- recounts:
“Our beloved Messenger of Allah had informed us of his death a month before. ‘Who is to lead your funeral salat, Messenger of Allah?’ we asked, full of tears. He, too, began shedding tears, as he said, ‘Hold on; may Allah have mercy on you all! May He reward you with good for the sake of His prophet! After you wash and enshroud me, lay me on my mattress over there, next to my grave in this house! Then leave the room for a few moments, for first my two friends Jibril and Mikail will offer my salat; then Israfil and the Angel of Death, with the army of angels by his side. Afterwards enter the room in groups; offer my salat and send your prayers and peace. But do not disturb me by praising me or yelling and shouting.
Let the male members of my family offer my salat first and then the females. You can offer it afterwards.
Send my greetings to my Companions who are not present here! Send my greetings to all those to follow me, in my Religion, until the Final Hour, too!” (Hayhtami, IX, 25; Ibn Saad, ii, 256-257)
Everything was carried out in line with the Blessed Prophet’s -upon him blessings and peace- wishes. Ali -Allah be well-pleased with him- declared, “Let nobody have any doubts seeing that there is no imam leading the salat of the Prophet -upon him blessings and peace- . He is your imam in his death, as he was in life!” Then standing across the Prophet’s -upon him blessings and peace- corpse, he pronounced:
“May Allah’s peace, mercy and blessings be unto you, Messenger of Allah!
Allah! We bear witness that he communicated what You revealed to him, advised his ummah and fought in Your way until You rendered Your Religion supreme and fulfilled Your word!
Allah! Render us among those who follow Him in what You revealed to Him! Give us perseverance in this path after him, too! Make us reunite with him!” A humming sound of amin was heard from the crowd of Believers, as he was making these prayers. (Ibn Saad, II, 291)
What bliss for the earth to keep the Noblest of Creation -upon him blessings and peace- in her bosom.
With the religion now perfected and a testimony given to Allah, glory unto Him, by the entire Companions that His Messenger had fulfilled his duty of communicating what had been revealed, the Light of Being -upon him blessings and peace- had now been called to the realm of eternity.
He now waits for his ummah on the plain of Resurrection, on the Sirat, by the Pool of Kawthar.
Please intercede on our behalf, too, Prophet of Allah!
He had honored the world on a Monday, the 12th of Rabiulawwal and had been entrusted with prophethood, again, on a Monday of the same month. Abu Qatadah -Allah be well-pleased with him- narrates:
“The Messenger of Allah -upon him blessings and peace- was asked about fasting on a Monday. ‘That is my birthday and the day I was sent as prophet’ he replied.” (Muslim, Siyam, 197-198)
Again, it was it was in the morning the 12th of Rabiulawwal when he entered Medina and laid the foundation of the Islamic sovereignty to survive until the Final Hour. It would ultimately be its anniversary, the 12th of Rabiulawwal, when he departed the world for eternity, to anticipate his ummah and intercede compassionately on their behalf.
Poetically depicting the world as disloyal for having carried off the Blessed Prophet -upon him blessings and peace-, Aziz Mahmud Hudayi –May Allah have mercy on him- writes:
Who is to expect loyalty; you are the world of deceit, are you not?
The world that has abducted Muhammad Mustafa, are you not?
[1] In the process of receiving Revelation, the Blessed Prophet’s -upon him blessings and peace- body would become exceedingly heavy. If he was on camelback, for instance, it would buckle the legs of the camel to the point where onlookers would begin to fear they would break, forcing the camel to crouch on the spot. (Ahmad, II, 176; VI, 445; Ibn Saad, I, 197) Zayd ibn Thabit -Allah be well-pleased with him- says, “I was sitting next to the Messenger of Allah -upon him blessings and peace- one day. Because of the crowd of people, his knee was slightly above mine, leaning against it. Suddenly, he began receiving Revelation. By Allah, I have never experienced anything heavier that his knee at the time. I thought it was only a matter of time before my knee was crushed.” (Ahmad, V, 190-191)
[2] See, Ajlunî, Kashfu’l-Khafâ, v. 2, p.419.
[3] Imam Kastallani, in relation, comments, “If the Messenger of Allah -upon him blessings and peace-, the Beloved of the Lord of the Worlds, the greatest of all prophets whose past and future sins have been forgiven thinks this way, then just think of the situation of those who return to Allah having infringed on the rights of other Muslims, having appropriated what is impermissible to them of their wealth.” (Kastallânî, II, 480-481)
[4] Ibn Saad, II, 272; Ibn Kathir, al-Bidaya, V, 231.
[5] Bukhari, Maghazi, 83.
[6] Qadi Iyad says, “There is not a shadow of a doubt that the place where the Prophet of Allah -upon him blessings and peace- lies is the noblest piece of land on earth.” (Shifa, II, 96) Imam Busiri similarly states, “There is no better fragrance than that of the soil that boasts the sacred body of the Beloved Prophet -upon him blessings and peace- in its bosom. How lucky he is who has smelt and kissed that soil.” (Qasidah-i Burdah, Bayt no: 58)
[7] Muwatta, Janâiz, 27; Ahmad, VI, 267.
Source: Osman Nuri Topbaş, The Prophet Muhammed Mustafa the Elect II, Erkam Publications
