The Holy Prophet’s ﷺ Passing & Other Details of His Life
A day or two after returning from the Farewell Pilgrimage, the Prophet ﷺ suffered from a state of great exhaustion. His blessed body was shaken by frequent fits of fever. His temperature rose to such a degree that Abu Said, paying a sick call to the Blessed Prophet ﷺ, withdrew his hand in amazement as soon as he touched him. When he had fallen ill with fever at other times, the Holy Prophet ﷺ had prayed for recovery, but this time he did not do so.
Even while he was so gravely ill, he could not but think about his nation. The Companions were terribly distraught. When his illness seemed to worsen, they gathered around the Holy Prophet’s ﷺ presence. He spoke to them, saying, “Bring me pen and ink, so that I can write my will, that you might not fall into error after I am gone.” But a disagreement arose among the Sahaba. The Bani Hashim and most of the Ansar wished for the pen and ink to be brought, while others said, “What need is there to write down a will or testament?” One of these was ‘Umar who said, “It is not right to rob the Prophet ﷺ of his strength while he is so very weakened by disease.” The Holy Prophet ﷺ requested of them to do their arguing elsewhere, saying, “It is not proper for the Companions to dispute in the presence of their Prophet.”
He directed them to abandon the writing of a will. Three days before the Prophet’s ﷺ passing, his uncle ‘Abbas bin Abdul-Muttalib who was very keen on the disclosure of the future, met with ‘Ali and suggested to him that he ask the Holy Prophet ﷺ about the question of his succession. ‘Ali replied, “If the Holy Prophet ﷺ does not entrust it to us, he will entrust it to no other,” thus avoiding the question, or rather, not seeing it fit to trouble the Holy Prophet ﷺ once again in a matter the Prophet ﷺ had already pronounced upon.
The Prophet’s ﷺ illness worsened. When he felt unable to lead the prayers in the mosque, he appointed Abu Bakr to be Imam in his stead. The first time Abu Bakr led the Sahaba in prayer was at the ‘Isha’ prayer on Thursday night. When Abu Bakr stood before the Jama’at (congregation), he began to weep. Somewhat later, the Beloved of Allah ﷺ felt slightly better, so that he proceeded to the mosque for the morning prayer, supported by ‘Ali and al-Fadl bin al-’Abbas, and followed Abu Bakr’s lead while sitting down. After the prayer he made supplication for himself, for the whole community and for all of the Prophets. He praised Allah Almighty, and prayed for those who had fallen in His way and he exhorted people to cling to the faith.
Then he said, “Oh my people, have you heard of the Lord’s servant who was asked by Him, ‘What do you love more, this world or the world to come?’ The man chose the afterlife. The Lord was pleased with him and promised him that He would admit him into His Almighty Presence.’” Nobody understood these words but Abu Bakr as-Siddiq who began to weep. “Oh my Prophet ﷺ,” he said, “may my father and mother be your ransom.” The Prophet ﷺ knew that he had understood and turning to him said, “Oh Abu Bakr, you will be with me in the other world.” And he went on to say, “If I was to take any friend other than Allah Almighty, I would have chosen Abu Bakr as my friend. Nobody has shown me such friendship as he, and no one’s wealth has given me more benefit than his.”
After this he spoke, “Oh my people, you must know that death must be, and that not one living thing can escape from it! But there will come a day after death, which will be the Day of Justice. The great in this world will seek retaliation from the low, and the lowly from the high born, and not one shall be wronged. If there is any one among you who has suffered through me, let him now step forth and make good his claim. If there is any to whom I have spoken a rough word, let him retaliate now with rude speech, so that I might go home to my Lord in a blameless state, and nobody might have a right to claim of me.”
Then he said, “Oh my people, have you heard of the Lord’s servant who was asked by Him, ‘What do you love more, this world or the world to come?’ The man chose the afterlife. The Lord was pleased with him and promised him that He would admit him into His Almighty Presence.’” Nobody understood these words but Abu Bakr as-Siddiq who began to weep. “Oh my Prophet ﷺ,” he said, “may my father and mother be your ransom.” The Prophet ﷺ knew that he had understood and turning to him said, “Oh Abu Bakr, you will be with me in the other world.” And he went on to say, “If I was to take any friend other than Allah Almighty, I would have chosen Abu Bakr as my friend. Nobody has shown me such friendship as he, and no one’s wealth has given me more benefit than his.”
After this he spoke, “Oh my people, you must know that death must be, and that not one living thing can escape from it! But there will come a day after death, which will be the Day of Justice. The great in this world will seek retaliation from the low, and the lowly from the high born, and not one shall be wronged. If there is any one among you who has suffered through me, let him now step forth and make good his claim. If there is any to whom I have spoken a rough word, let him retaliate now with rude speech, so that I might go home to my Lord in a blameless state, and nobody might have a right to claim of me.”
The Deep Love of the Sahaba
Hearing these words, the people began to weep aloud and they cried, “Oh Rasulullah ﷺ, whoever has any right over you, let him now give up all claim!” But ‘Ukkasha bin Mihsan rose to his feet and said, “Oh Rasulullah ﷺ! In a certain raid, I drove my camel alongside yours. You raised your whip to strike your camel and in doing so, you hit me and caused me great pain. For this I have a right of retaliation over you.” The Holy Prophet ﷺ answered, “Come, if you like, you may hit me now.” ‘Ukkasha replied, “Yes, I wish to do so.” Now the Prophet ﷺ had a whip and he ordered Bilal to go and fetch it, saying, “Go get the whip, but don’t let my daughter Fatima know about it, for she won’t be able to bear it.”
The Prophet ﷺ said to him, “Come closer,” and when he drew near him, he said, “Do not strike me too hard, for I no longer have the strength to withstand a violent blow.” Hearing these words, his companions feared for him and began to weep. ‘Ukkasha said, “Oh Rasulullah ﷺ, the day you struck me with your whip, my back was bare, while you are now covered with your mantle.” The Holy Prophet ﷺ immediately threw off his cloak.
The Companions all reproached ‘Ukkasha bitterly, saying, “Are you not ashamed, do you not fear Allah? Will you not forego this matter of retaliation?” But the Prophet ﷺ said, “Leave him, it is his right.” ‘Uthman bin ‘Affan spoke up and said, “Oh ‘Ukkasha, I will give you one hundred camels instead of this reprisal.” ‘Abd-ur-Rahman bin ‘Awf made a similar offer, and all the Companions one by one offered to pay something to allay his claims, but ‘Ukkasha accepted none of it. Finally, the whip was brought. ‘Ali sprang to his feet and said, “ ‘Ukkasha, the Holy Prophet ﷺ is ill and cannot bear such severe pain. If you really wish to strike, deal me a hundred lashes in his stead, if you have the strength.” But ‘Ukkasha would accept none of this; he rose and took the whip from the Prophet’s ﷺ hand.
The Prophet ﷺ said to him, “Come closer,” and when he drew near him, he said, “Do not strike me too hard, for I no longer have the strength to withstand a violent blow.” Hearing these words, his companions feared for him and began to weep. ‘Ukkasha said, “Oh Rasulullah ﷺ, the day you struck me with your whip, my back was bare, while you are now covered with your mantle.” The Holy Prophet ﷺ immediately threw off his cloak.
Then ‘Ukkasha laid the whip aside, knelt down by Muhammad’s side and rubbed his face against the Prophet’s ﷺ blessed skin, weeping loudly. Tears came to the Holy Prophet’s ﷺ eyes, all the people wept and the mosque sighed and moaned, and such sounds rose to the heavens that all thought it must be an earthquake. For some time ‘Ukkasha would not lift his face from the Holy Prophet’s blessed person. Finally, the Prophet ﷺ asked him, “Oh ‘Ukkasha, why have you done this?” ‘Ukkasha answered, “I was afraid that I and these people might not see you again after this day, and I therefore wished to rub my face against your blessed person, so that Allah might spare me the fires of Hell.” The Holy Prophet ﷺ then said, “He has made Hell forbidden to you,” and he repeated it thrice.
Advice of the Prophet ﷺ
The Friend on High, the Exalted Companion of Paradise
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