After his death Aishah asked Fatimah,”Why did you first cry and then laugh?” Fatimah replied, “The first time he disclosed to me that he would not recover from his illness and I wept. Then he told me I would be the first from his family to join him and I laughed!” The Holy Prophet (S) passed away peacefully at the age of 63. Fatimah (R) joined her beloved father about six months after he passed away. These final words of the Prophet (S) were part of the greater message that he had tried to get across to his followers. There is an afterlife, and we will be accountable for the way we have lived our lives and how we have treated each other. The initial reaction to the Prophet’s (S) passing was shock and panic. There was wailing throughout the courtyard, not only because of his death, but also because they felt leaderless and at a loss. Abu Bakr (RA) went into the Prophet’s (S) room and lifted the shroud that covered him in order to confirm the sad news. As he looked at the face of the Prophet (S) he collapsed onto him crying. On getting up, he kissed him on the forehead and uttered: “You are perfect in life and you are perfect in death.” Abu Bakr took control and shouted to the people: “O people, don’t worship Muhammad, for Muhammad is dead. Know that God is alive and never dies.” He then recited the verse of the Qur’an: ‘Muhammad is but a messenger; there have been prophets before him and they all died. Will you now turn back?’ (Quran 3:144) He continued: “Muhammad is dead. For those who worship God, God is alive, immortal.” Prophet Muhammad (S) was buried facing Mecca in the same room that he died. There is not a single moment that passes in the world today except that there is a caller to the prayer proclaiming across the skyline, ‘I bear witness that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah’. There is not a single moment that passes in the world today except that there is a faithful believer, individually or in a gathering, sending salutations on the Prophet Muhammad (S). There is not a single moment that passes in the world today except there is a Muslim practic- ing a sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad (S) in speech or in action. Muslims should feel a surge of self-respect, dignity and honor to follow in the footsteps of The Prophet Muhammad (S). He was truly a most magnificent individual. His message is the culmination and perfection of all divine messages revealed since the time of Prophet Adam (AS). He led all the Prophets in prayer in Masjid Al-Aqsa as their Imam in the most noble congregation to ever assemble for prayer in the entire history of humanity. His life is the most profound source of guidance, mercy and hope for all human beings. There are no images of Muhammad (S). But we can read about him in the various hadiths, which contain his words, describe his actions and habits, and thus give us a wonderful living example of his noble character. One of his greatest influences was to remind us to reflect on our character and to be just with Allah’s creation and with ourselves. The ‘Muhammad is but a messenger; there have been prophets before him and they all died. Will you now turn back?’ (Quran 3:144)
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