ABU BAKR’S STEADFASTNESS UPON THE DEATH OF THE PROPHET
As the Prophet’s mission was completed, the time came for him to depart to his heavenly abode. He began to suffer from illness and his health deteriorated at an alarming speed.
On Monday 29lh of Safar, 11 AH, the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, went to AI-Baqce’, prayed for the dead, and then returned to the house of his wife Maymoonah, may Allah be pleased with her. The fever grew violent and the pain increased considerably. But, withstanding all this suffering in remarkable calmness and serenity, the Prophet led the prayer in the mosque. But he became too weak and his illness worsened. He said to his wives: “Pour over me seven skins of water from different wells so that I may go out to the men and exhort them.” They had him sit down in a tub belonging to Hafsah and poured water over him until he cried, “Enough, enough!” Then they helped him get dressed, bound his head, and ‘ Ali and ‘ Abbaas supported him to the mosque, where he sat on the pulpit and addressed the people. He said: “There is a slave whom Almighty Allah gave the choice between this world and that which is with Him, and the slave has chosen that which is with Allah.” It was only Abu Bakr As-Sideeq, may Allah be pleased with him, who perceived what the Prophet meant by the choice of words. He began to cry as he knew that the Prophet was referring to himself and that the choice meant imminent death. The Prophet realized that his intimate friend, Abu Bakr, had understood him, and asked him not to cry. He said: “The most bountiful of men to me in his companionship and his sacrifice of his wealth is Abu Bakr. If I were to choose a bosom friend, I would choose Abu Bakr – but companionship and brotherhood in faith will remain between us until Allah unites us in His presence.“
Al-Bukhari narrates that in the early days of Safar, 11 AH. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, went to the graves of the martyrs of Uhud and prayed for them. Then he stood on the pulpit and addressed his people: “I am to precede you and 1 am your witness. Your trust with me is at the Fount, which verity I behold from here where now 1 stand. 1 have been given the keys of worldly treasures. By Allah, I do not fear for you that you will associate partners with Allah after I pass away, but I do fear for you from this world, lest you should strike one another’s necks for the acquisition of worldly gains.“
It is also narrated that when the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, went to Al-Baqee’ cemetery, he prayed for forgiveness for the martyrs, saying, “Peace be on you, people of the graves! Happy are you as you are so much better than men who are alive. Dissension has come like waves of the darkest nights one after the other, each worse than the previous one”
‘Aa’ishah, may Allah be pleased with her, narrates: When the Prophet , peace and blessings be upon him, grew seriously ill, he ordered the people to tell Abu Bakr to lead them in Salaa/i. But ‘ Aa’ishah feared that it would greatly pain her father to take the place of the Prophet. So she said, “Messenger of Allah, Abu Bakr is a very sensitive man, not strong of voice and much given to weeping when he recites the Qur’an.” To this, the Prophet answered, “You are even like the women that were with Joseph. Tell Abu Bakr to lead the people in Salaah.“
The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him. lay much of the time with his head resting on ‘ Aa’ishah’s chest or lap. While bedridden and suffering severe pain, he called his daughter, Faatimah, and told her to sit beside him. Then he spoke to her in secret; she wept bitterly. When he found her overcome with grief, he whispered another secret to her, and this time she laughed. ‘ Aa’ishah asked her about the secret that made her cry, but Faatimah refused to tell her, saying: “I am not going to disclose the secret of Allah’s Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him.” When the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, passed away, ‘ Aa’ishah said to her:
“I adjure you by the right that I have upon you that you should narrate to me what the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said to you.” She said: ’’Well, now I can tell you. The first time, the Prophet , peace and blessings be upon him, told me that he would not recover from his fatal illness and therefore I wept. The second time he told me that I would be the first of his family to join him (in Paradise), and that made me laugh.”
Anas Ibn Malik, may Allah be pleased with him, also narrates: When the ailment of the Prophet aggravated, he became unconscious and then Faatimah said. “Oh, How distressed my father is!” Whereupon the Prophet said, “Your father will have no more distress after today.“
The malady of the Prophet took a turn for the worse. His fever rose so high that his body could hardly be touched from the burning heat. His body was aching with pain, but he was too busy calling people to righteousness. Turning to his wives, who sat close by, he said: “O Faatimah, my daughter and you, Safiyyah, my aunt! Strive to do that which shall please Allah, for verily, I have no power with Him to save you in any way.“
On the 11″1 of Rabee’ Al-Awwal, the fever and pain had somewhat abated and he recovered slightly, regaining a little strength. The Prophet, hearing the call to prayer, decided to go to the mosque. The prayer had already begun when he entered and Muslims were almost distracted from the joy at seeing the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him. But Allah’s Messenger motioned them to continue. Abu Bakr had been conscious of the stir behind him, and he realized that the Prophet must have entered the mosque. Without turning his head, Abu Bakr stepped back, but the Prophet placed his hand on his shoulder and pushed him forward gently as a sign that he should continue leading Muslims in Salaah. When he finished, the Prophet sat on the pulpit and addressed his devoted Companions: “By Allah, I have not made anything lawful
except that which Allah has declared lawful, nor have I declared anything unlawful except that which Allah has deemed unlawful.”
The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, seemed exhausted, so he returned to ‘ Aa’ishah’s house accompanied by two of his Companions. As the day advanced, his health failed rapidly. ‘Aa’ishah, seeing he was too frail, raised his head from the pillow and placed it on her lap. She kept moistening his forehead with a damp cloth. The fever was very high. But the noble Prophet remained calm and never complained. He had resigned to the will of Allah and repeated the following words over and over again: “In the company of those on whom is the Grace of Allah.”
He, peace and blessings be upon him, felt as if he was drifting towards the inevitable end. Though going through the throes of death, he did not for a moment lose courage. Me kept on beseeching Allah to help him: “O Lord! I implore You seeking Your help through the agony of death.”
At this point, ‘Aa’ishah’s brother, ‘Abdur-Rahmaan, entered the room with a green Siwaak (a tooth stick) in his hand, while ‘Aa’ishah was supporting the Prophet ’s back against her chest. Seeing the Prophet ’s eyes resting on it (i.e. the Siwaak), she knew that he wanted it. So she said to him, “Shall I take it for you?” He nodded in agreement. She took it from her brother, hut it was too stiff for him to use. “Shall I soften it for you?” she said. He nodded in approval. She chewed it a little to make it soft and pliable. Then she gave it to the Prophet, who brushed his teeth with it vigorously despite his failing health.
His strength had declined rapidly and he was heard saying, “O Allah, grant me pardon and join me with companionship on high.” lie also murmured, “Nay, the most Exalted Companion in Paradise.” Then he said, “Salaah, Salaah! The persons who have been entrusted to your care!” He repeated this several times. He began to lose consciousness and his strength diminished. Me opened his eyes wide open and he said clearly: “Lord! Blessed is the companionship on high.” His limbs went limp and he fell into ‘ Aa’ishah lap. She fixed her eyes upon him anxiously, almost hoping to get a response from him but she found to her great sorrow that the faint suggestion of a smile, which relaxed her husband’s lips, did not belong to this world. The Prophet , peace and blessings be upon him, by then had returned to the companionship of the One on high. That was on Monday I2th Rabee’ Al-Awwal, in 11 AH.
When the news of the Prophet’s death spread to all corners of the city, consternation blazed through the ranks of the people. Some wept bitterly, some were speechless, and some disbelieved the news of his death holding that he had experienced a swoon. Umar Ibn A! Khattaah stood up and said, “Some hypocrites think that Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, has died; but Muhammad is not dead. However, lie has gone to his Lord as Moses, son of ‘Imraan, had gone to his Lord, and he had been absent from his people forty nights, and he (Moses) returned to them after it was said that he had died. By Allah, the Prophet will return as Moses had returned, and he will surely cut off the hands and feet of men who allege that he is dead.”
Abu Bakr, may Allah be pleased with him, was not present when the Prophet , peace and blessings be upon him, breathed his last. ‘Aa’ishah relates: Abu Bakr came from his house at As-Sunh (where he lived) on a horse. He dismounted and passed through the mosque disregarding the crowds that pressed past him. He walked onwards into the house of ‘ Aa’ishah where the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, was lying. He then uncovered the Prophet ’s face, knelt down and kissed him. With his eyes flooded in tears, he said: “May my father and mother be ransom for you. By Allah, you have tasted death which Allah has decreed; a second death will never overtake you.”
He then went out while ‘ Umar was still talking to the people, and he said, “Gently, Umar, calm down.” But ‘Umar did not listen to him so Abu Bakr moved towards the people who had thronged round him and addressed them saying: “O people, let whoever worships Muhammad know the Muhammad is surely dead, and let whoever worships Allah know that Allah is alive and shall never die.” He then recited the verse:
“Muhammad is no more than a Messenger: many were the Messengers that passed away before him. If he died or were slain, will ye then turn back on your heels? If any did turn back on his heels, not the least harm will he do to Allah; but Allah (on the other hand) will swiftly reward those who (serve Him) with gratitude. ” (Ali ‘ Imraan: 144)
This short sermon brought solace to the wounded hearts of Muslims and they submitted with cheerful resignation to the will of Allah. ‘Umar is reported to have said: “By Allah, when I heard Abu Bakr recite that verse, it was as if I had never heard it before. I was dumbfounded to the extent that my legs could not carry me and I fell to the ground knowing that the Prophet was indeed dead.”
Ibn ‘ Abbaas is reported to have said: “By Allah, it was as if the people never knew that Allah had revealed this verse till Abu Bakr recited it and all the people received it from him, and I heard everybody reciting it (then).
(Source: Biographies of the Rightly Guided Caliphs.)
Comments
John Doe
23/3/2019Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat.
John Doe
23/3/2019Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat.
John Doe
23/3/2019Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat.