One
night, shortly after his return to Medina, the Prophet (PBUH)
woke up at midnight and asked his servant’ Abd Allah to
saddle his mule. They then left the house and went to the
Baqi al-Gharqad, the burial ground of the Muslims. There the
Prophet (PBUH) stood in the front of the graves and, as
though he could see the Muslims buried in them, spoke to
them and prayed over them. Later, ’Abd Allah reported,
’The Prophet (PBUH) told me that he was ordered to pray
for the dead and that I was to go with him.’ After the
Prophet (PBUH) had prayed he turned to ‘Abd Allah and
said, ‘I can choose between all the riches of this world,
a long life and then Paradise, or meeting my Lord and
entering Paradise now.’ ‘Abd Allah begged him to choose
a long, rich life, followed by Paradise, but the Prophet (PBUH)
told him that he had already chosen to meet his Lord now
rather than remain in the world. The following morning the
Prophet (PBUH) awoke with a terrible headache, but despite
this he had led the prayers at the mosque. From what he said
afterwards to the people assembled there, they understood
that his death was near. The Prophet (PBUH) praised his best
friend, Abu Bakr, who had begun to weep, and told everyone
that he knew they would all meet again at a pool in
Paradise. He added, however that although he was sure they
would always worship Allah alone, he feared that the
pleasures of the world would attract them, and they would
begin to compete with one another for material possessions,
forgetting spiritual things. Soon after the Prophet (PBUH)
requested that he be moved to the room of A’isha, one of
his wives. As the days passed his fever grew worse, until
one day he was so ill that he could not even get to the
mosque, which was next to where A’isha lived. The Prophet
(PBUH) told A’isha to tell the Muslims to let Abu Bakr,
her father, lead the prayer, which made them very sad for
this was the first time anyone had taken the Prophet's
place.Later, on the 12th day of Rabi al-Awal, in the 11th
year of Islam (June 8th 632 A.D.), the Prophet (PBUH) heard
the voices of the people in prayer. With great effort he got
up and looked from his door at all the Muslims who were
assembled in rows behind Abu bakr; he smiled with great
satisfaction. Abu Bakr saw him and stepped back to give the
Prophet (PBUH) his place. The Muslims were happy, thinking
he was going to pray with them as before, but the Prophet
Muhammad (PBUH), who looked radiantly beautiful that day
signaled to them to continue on their own. He prayed in a
sitting position at the right of Abu Bakr, after which he
went back inside and lay his head on 'A'ishah's lap. He was
in such pain that his daughter Fatimah cried out in pity.
Then the Prophet (PBUH) said, 'There is no pain for your
father after this day; truly, death has appeared to me. We
must all suffer it till the Day of Judgement.' As he lay
there, A'ishah remembered that he had once said, Allah never
takes a Prophet to Himself without giving him the choice.'
Then she heard the Prophet (PBUH) speak. His last words
were, 'Nay, rather the Exalted Communion of Paradise.'
A’ishah then said to herself, 'So, by Allah, he is not
choosing us!' When the people in the mosque heard that the
Prophet (PBUH) was dead, they were filled with grief.
‘Umar could not, and would not, believe it, and exclaimed
that it was not true. Abu Bakr then went out and spoke
gently to the people, saying 'All praise belongs to Allah! O
people, whoever worshipped Muhammad, Muhammad is dead. But
for him who worships Allah, Allah is living and never dies.'
He then recited this verse from the Koran which had been
revealed after the battle of Uhud:In the name of Allah, the
Beneficent, the MercifulMuhammad is but a messenger,
messengers (the like of whom)have passed away before him.
Will it be that, when he dies or is slain,youwill turn back
on your heels? He who turns backdoes no hurt to Allah, and
Allah will rewardthe thankful.No soul can ever die except by
Allah's permissionand at a term appointed. Who so desires
thereward of the world, We bestow on him thereof;and
whosoever desires the reward of the Hereafter,We bestow on
him thereof We shall reward thethankful.(Koran iii.144-145)
After this the people pledged their loyalty to Abu Bakr,
whom the Prophet (PBUH) had chosen to lead the prayer. Abu
Bakr accepted and concluded what he had to say with these
words: 'Obey me so long as I obey Allah and His Messenger.
But if I disobey Allah and His Messenger, you owe me no
obedience. Arise for your prayer, Allah have mercy upon
you!' The people rose and asked him; 'Where will the Prophet
(PBUH) be buried?' Abu Bakr remembered that the Prophet (PBUH)
had said, 'No Prophet dies who is not buried on the spot
where he died.' And so the Prophet (PBUH) was buried in a
grave dug in the floor of A'ishah's room, in the house next
to the mosque. The spot became known as the Haram al-Nabawi
and Muslims from all over the world go there to pray and to
give their blessings and greetings of peace the Prophet
Muhammad (PBUH). And Lo! thine verily will be a reward
unfailing.And Lo! thou art of a tremendous nature.(Koran
lxvii. 3-4)
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