The Life of Muhammad

by M. Husayn Haykal

  Members of the Prophet’s household saw fit at this stage to give him some medicine which Asma’, a relative of Maymunah, had learned to prepare during her stay in Abyssinia. Taking advantage of Muhammad’s loss of consciousness, they poured the medicine into his mouth. When he came back to himself, he asked who had given him the medicine and why. His uncle, al ‘Abbas, explained that they had prepared it and given it to him because they feared he had pleurisy. The Prophet said, “That is a disease, which God would not inflict upon me.” He then ordered everyone in the house except his uncle, al ‘Abbas, to taste it. Even Maymunah, who was then fasting, was forced to taste it.

  At the beginning of his illness, Muhammad had in his house seven Dinars ; he feared he might die while some money was still in his possession. He therefore commanded his relatives to give the money away to the poor. However, their preoccupation with his sickness and constant attendance upon him, in addition to their concern for his deteriorating health, caused them to forget to execute his order. When he came to himself on Sunday, on the eve of the day of his death, he inquired whether they had fulfilled his order. ‘A’ishah answered that the money was still in her possession. He asked her to bring it forth to put on the palm of his hand. He then said: “What spectacle is this of Muhammad, if he were to meet God in this condition?” The money was given forthwith to the poor.

  Muhammad spent a peaceful night in which his fever seemed to subside. It was as if the medicine which his relatives had prepared for him had somewhat alleviated the disease. In the morning he was even able to go to the mosque although his head was still wrapped and he needed to lean on ‘Ali ibn Abu Talib and al Fadl ibn al ‘Abbas for support. Abu Bakr was leading the prayer at the time of Muhammad’s entry into the mosque. As the Muslims saw the Prophet come in, they were so overjoyed at his recovery that they almost allowed their prayer to be interrupted. Abu Bakr raised his voice in the recitation signaling that the prayer must go on and not be interrupted. Muhammad was extremely pleased with what he saw, and Abu Bakr knew well that the people would not have been diverted from prayer by the arrival of any other man. As Muhammad came close to Abu Bakr to join in the prayer, the latter moved himself away from his position of leadership so that the Prophet might take over. Muhammad, however, pushed him back into place saying, “You lead.” He sat beside Abu Bakr and prayed in a sitting position. When he finished, he joined the congregation and talked to them with a clear voice audible even outside the mosque. He said: “O Men, the fire is ready. Subversive attacks are advancing like the waves of darkness. By God, I shall not be held responsible for aught of this. I have never allowed anything but that which the Qur’an has made legitimate, and I have never forbidden aught which the Qur’an has not forbidden. God’s curse is upon those who take graves for their mosques.” [Here again, there can be little doubt of the spuriousness of this report. It is evidently anachronistic and must have come from a much later time than the Prophet’s. Firstly, it is not possible that the Prophet had such a low and pessimistic esteem of his time. At his death the Prophet stood at the height of power, having welded Arabia into one powerful unity, strong enough to venture beyond its borders. No Arab tribe or person was strong enough to wage “subversive attacks” against the Islamic polity. Secondly, no justification could be adduced for the Prophet’s public defense of himself because he was under serious attack from no one. No one in his senses could have accused the Prophet of violating the legislation of the Qur’an. Thirdly, no Muslims had at that time built mausoleums for anyone, including the Prophet, and no one had used grave-sites or cemeteries as mosques. The Prophet’s condemnation is hence pointless. Granted, then, that this hadith was not the Prophet’s but that of later Muslims, it becomes a source of historical information about its time. Only the late Umawi and early ‘Abbasi times could have presented “subversive attacks” against the regime in power; only then could some caliphs have been indicted for violating the Qur’anic legislation; and only then, if not even much later, did Muslims begin the practice of building mausoleum-mosques mostly under Sufi and Persian inspiration. -Tr.]

  Muslim Joy at the Prophet’s Apparent Recovery

  The Muslims were so overjoyed at the signs of recovery in the health of their Prophet that Usamah ibn Zayd even asked for permission to march on al Sham. Indeed, even Abu Bakr came forward to say: “O Prophet of God, it is evident that God has granted you His blessing and given you good health just as we all wished and prayed. I had promised the Daughter of Kharijah [meaning his wife] to spend the day with her. May I take leave of you?” The Prophet granted him leave, and Abu Bakr went to al Sunh on the outskirts of Madinah, where his wife resided. ‘Umar and ‘Ali returned to their business as usual. The Muslims dispersed in joy and happiness after their days of despondence over the news of Muhammad’s illness. Muhammad returned to the quarters of ‘A’ishah made happy by the happiness of his fellow Muslims who filled the mosque to see him and who anxiously awaited to hear of his news. But he felt quite weak. ‘A’ishah helped her husband in with a heart full of awe and sympathy, wishing she could offer him her own life and energy to replace his waning strength.

  The Interlude of Wakefulness before Death

  The Prophet’s visit to the mosque turned out to be only an interlude of wakefulness which precedes death. After he returned home, every minute saw further deterioration of his health. There was no doubt that he had only a few hours to live. How did he spend these last few hours of his life? What was his last vision? Did he spend those precious moments reviewing the career he had lived since God had commissioned him to prophethood and appointed him a guide to mankind? Did he recall the hardships he suffered, the joys he experienced, and the spiritual and military victories he achieved? Or did he spend his last moments praying to God and asking for mercy with all his soul and all his mind as he used to do throughout his life? Or was he too weak to review anything and too unconscious even to pray? The reports vary widely. Most reports tell that on that day, i.e., June 8, 632 C.E., one of the hottest days in Arabia, Muhammad asked for a pitcher of cold water in which he dipped his hands and wiped his face. Most reports state that a man from the clan of Abu Bakr entered the quarters of ‘A’ishah carrying a toothbrush in his hand. Muhammad looked at him in a way expressive of his desire to obtain the toothbrush. ‘A’ishah took the toothbrush from her relative and worked it out until it became pliable and handed it over to Muhammad who used it to brush his teeth.

  “Rather, God on High and Paradise”

  The same reports also tell that as the agonies of death became stronger, the Prophet turned to God in prayer saying: “O, God, help me overcome the agonies of death.” ‘A’ishah reported that his head was in her lap during the last hour. She said, “The Prophet’s head was getting heavier in my lap. I looked at his face and found that his eyes had become fixed. I heard him murmur, ‘Rather, God on High and Paradise.’ I said to him, ‘By Him who sent you as a Prophet to teach the truth, you have been given the choice and you chose well.’ The Prophet of God expired while his head was on my side between my lungs and my heart. It was my youth and inexperience that made me let him die in my lap. I then placed his head on the pillow and rose to bemoan my fate and to join the other women in our bereavement and sorrow.”

  Did Muhammad truly die? That is the question over which the Arabs differed greatly at the time, indeed so greatly that they almost came to blows. Thanks to God’s will and care, the division was quickly stamped out and the religion of the Hanifs, God’s true religion, emerged unscathed.

  Chapter 31

  The Prophet’s Burial

  Muslim Shock at the News of Death

  It was therefore in ‘A’ishah’s quarters, while his head lay in her lap that the Prophet-may God’s peace and blessing be upon him chose the company of God on High. When this happened, ‘A’ishah laid his head down on a pillow and joined the other women of the house who rushed to her upon hearing the news and began to cry in bereavement and sorrow. The Muslims at the mosque w
ere taken by surprise by the sudden noise. In the morning, they had seen the Prophet and were convinced his health was improving so much that Abu Bakr, it will be remembered, sought permission to go and visit his wife at al Sunh.

  ‘Umar Belies the News

  Upon hearing the news and hardly believing it, ‘Umar returned quickly to the Prophet’s quarters. Upon arrival, he went straight to Muhammad’s bed, uncovered and looked at his face for a while. He perceived its motionlessness and deathlike appearance as a coma from which he believed Muhammad would soon emerge. Al Mughirah tried in vain to convince ‘Umar of the painful fact. ‘Umar, however, continued to believe firmly that Muhammad did not die. When al Mughirah insisted, ‘Umar said to him in anger, “You lie.” The two went to the mosque together while ‘Umar was proclaiming at the top of his voice, “Some hypocrites are pretending that the Prophet of God-may God’s peace and blessing be upon him-has died. By God I swear that he did not die: that he has gone to join his Lord, just as Moses went before. Moses absented himself from his people fourteen consecutive nights and returned to them after they had declared him dead. By God, the Prophet of God will return just as Moses returned. Any man who dares to perpetrate a false rumor such as Muhammad’s death shall have his arms and legs cut off by this hand.”

  At the mosque, the Muslims heard these proclamations from ‘Umar-they were shocked and stupefied. If Muhammad truly died, woe unto all those who saw him and heard him, who believed in him and in the God Who sent him a conveyor of true guidance and religion. Their bereavement would be so great that their hearts and minds would break asunder. If, on the other hand, it were true that Muhammad had not died but had gone to join his Lord, as ‘Umar claimed, that was reason for an even greater shock. The Muslims should then await his return which, like that of Moses, would be all the more reason for wonder. The Muslim crowds sat around ‘Umar and listened to him, inclined as they were to agree with him that the Prophet of God did not die. At any rate, they could not associate death with the man whom they had beheld in person only a few hours before and whose clear and resonant voice they had heard pray and invoke God’s mercy and blessing. Moreover, they could not convince themselves that the friend whom God had chosen for the conveyance of His divine message, to whom all the Arabs had submitted, and to whom Chosroes and Heraclius were also soon to submit, could possibly die. They could not believe that a man could die who had shown such power as had shaken the world for twenty consecutive years and had produced the greatest spiritual storm of history. The women, however, were still beating their faces and crying at Muhammad’s house, a sure sign that Muhammad had really died. Yet, here in the mosque, ‘Umar was still proclaiming that Muhammad had not died; and that he had gone to join his Lord as Moses had done; that those who spoke of Muhammad’s death were hypocrites who would suffer the cutting of their arms and necks by Muhammad upon his return. What would the Muslims believe? As they recovered from their severe shock, hope began to stir within them in consequence of ‘Umar’s claim that Muhammad was to return, and soon they almost believed their own wishes. Their wishful thinking had apparently painted for them the sky a beautiful blue.

  Enter Abu Bakr

  As they wavered between believing ‘Umar or the indubitable meaning of the women’s crying, Abu Bakr heard the news and returned from al Sunh. He looked through the door of the mosque and saw the Muslims being addressed by ‘Umar, but he did not tarry there. He went straight to the quarters of ‘A’ishah and asked for permission to enter. He was answered that there was no need that day for. permission. He entered and found the Prophet laid down in a corner and covered with a striped cloth. He approached, uncovered the face and kissed it, saying, “How wholesome you are, whether alive or dead!” He then held the Prophet’s head in his hands and looked closely at the face which showed no sign whatever of death’s attack. Laying it down again, he said, “What would I not have sacrificed for you! The one death which God has decreed for you, as for any other man, to taste, you have now tasted. Henceforth, no death shall ever befall you.” He covered the head with the striped cloth and went straight to the mosque where ‘Umar was still proclaiming loudly that Muhammad had not died. The crowds made a way for him to the front, and as he came close to ‘Umar he said to him “Softly, O ‘Umar ! Keep silent!” But ‘Umar would not stop talking and continued repeating the same claim. Abu Bakr rose and made a sign to the people that he wished to address them. No one could have dared impose himself upon the congregation in such manner except Abu Bakr, for he was the ever trustworthy friend of the Prophet, whom Muhammad would have chosen from among all men. Hence, it was natural that the people hastened to respond to his call and move away from ‘Umar.

  Muhammad Is Truly Dead

  After praising and thanking God, Abu Bakr delivered the following brief address: “O Men, if you have been worshipping Muhammad, then know that Muhammad is dead. But if you have been worshipping God, then know that God is living and never dies.” He then recited the Qur’anic verse,

  “Muhammad is but a prophet before whom many prophets have come and gone. Should he die or be killed, will you abjure your faith? Know that whoever abjures his faith will cause no harm to God, but God will surely reward those who are grateful to him.” [Qur’an, 3:144]

  Realizing that the people were withdrawing from him and going to Abu Bakr, ‘Umar fell silent and listened to Abu Bakr’s speech. Upon hearing Abu Bakr recite the Qur’anic verse, ‘Umar fell to the ground. The certainty that the Prophet of God was truly dead shattered him. Beguiled by ‘Umar’s speech, the people listened to Abu Bakr’s statement and to the Qur’anic verse as if it was given to them for the first time. They had forgotten that there was any such revelation. Abu Bakr’s stark words dissipated all doubt and uncertainty. His Qur’anic quotation reassured the Muslims that their holding fast to God Who never dies would more than compensate for Muhammad’s passing.

  Further Thoughts on Muhammad’s Death

  Did ‘Umar exaggerate when he convinced himself that Muhammad had not died, when he tried to cause the people to believe likewise? The answer must be in the negative. In like vein, men of science tell us that the sun will continue to rise in the morning until a certain day when it will explode and disappear. Does anyone of us accept such a claim without entertaining a doubt as to its validity and truth? Does not everyone of us ask himself, “How could the sun explode, disappear, and go away, the sun by whose light and warmth everything in the world lives? How could it explode and disappear and the world continue thereafter even for one day?” And yet, was the light of Muhammad any less brilliant than that of the sun or his warmth and power any less strong than those of the sun? The sun is source of much good. But was not Muhammad the source of as much and equal good? The sun stands in communion with all beings. But was not the soul of Muhammad equally in communion with all being? Does not his blessed memory still fill the whole universe with its grace and beauty? No wonder then that ‘Umar was not convinced that Muhammad could have died, and in truth, in one sense Muhammad did not die and will not die.

  Having seen him that morning when he went to the mosque and, like all other Muslims, having thought that the Prophet had recovered his health, Usamah ibn Zayd returned to al Jurf with those of his colleagues who had accompanied him to Madinah in search of reassuring news. He ordered the army to prepare to march to al Sham; but before the army proceeded forth, it heard the news of the Prophet’s death. Usamah ordered the army to return to Madinah. He hung his command flag on the door of ‘A’ishah’s quarters and decided to wait until the Muslims recovered from their shock.

  At Banu Sa’idah’s Court

  In fact, the Muslims were wondering which step to take. After hearing Abu Bakr and knowing for certain that Muhammad had died, they dispersed. Some of the al Ansar gathered around Sa’d ibn ‘Ubadah in the courtyard of Banu Sa’idah. ‘Ali ibn Abu Talib, al Zubayr ibn al ‘Awwam, and Talhah ibn ‘Ubaydullah gathered in the house of Fatimah; and al Muhajirun, together with the Usayd ibn Hudayr a
s well as Banu ‘Abd al Ashhal, gathered around Abu Bakr. Soon a man came to Abu Bakr and ‘Umar to inform them that al Ansar were gathering around Sa’d ibn ‘Ubadah. The informant added that the two leaders should go out and reorganize Muslim leadership before the division of the Muslim community got any worse. Since the Prophet of God-may God’s peace and blessing be upon him-was still laid out in his house and unburied, it was surely unbecoming that the Muslims begin to divide among themselves. ‘Umar pleaded with Abu Bakr to go with him immediately to al Ansar and see what they were doing. On the way thither, they were met by two upright and trustworthy Ansar men who, when questioned, remarked that al Ansar were contemplating separatist ideas. When the two Ansar men questioned Abu Bakr and ‘Umar in turn and learned from them that they were going to al Ansar’s gathering, they advised them not to go but to try to settle the Muhajirun’s own affairs. ‘Umar was determined to go and Abu Bakr was not difficult to persuade on this point. They came to the courtyard of Banu Sa’idah and found that al Ansar had gathered around a man wrapped up in a blanket. ‘Umar ibn al Khattab asked who the man was, and he was told that that was Sa’d ibn ‘Ubadah suffering from a serious sickness. ‘Umar and Abu Bakr, joined at this moment by a number of Muhajirun, took their seats in the assembly. Soon, a speaker rose and addressed al Ansar in the following words after praising God and thanking Him: “We are al Ansar-ie., the helpers of God and the army of Islam. You, the Muhajirun, are only a brigade in the army. Nonetheless, a group of you have gone to the extreme of seeking to deprive us of our natural leadership and to deny us our rights.”