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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(Peace be upon him) came to us; and I have never witnessed a more awful or darker
day than that one on which the Messenger of Allâh (Peace be upon him) died on.”
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.”
‘UMAR 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 (Peace be upon him) died. The
Messenger of Allâh (Peace be upon him) 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 (Peace be upon him) will come back and he will cut off the
hands and legs of those who claim his death.”
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 (Peace be upon him) was. The Prophet (Peace be
upon him) 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 (Peace be upon him). Muhammad is dead now.
But he who worships Allâh, He is Ever Living and He never dies. Allâh says:
‘Muhammad (Peace be upon him) 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.’” [3:1]
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 (Peace be upon him) had really died.”
BURIAL AND FAREWELL PREPARATIONS TO HIS HONOURABLE BODY:
Dispute about who would succeed him (Peace be upon him) 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 (May Allah be pleased with him) 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 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 (Peace be upon him) 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 (Peace be upon him). 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 (Peace be upon him) was being buried till
we heard the sound of tools digging the ground at the depth of Wednesday night.”
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