22. The Farewell

22. The Farewell

22.1 The Farewell Hajj

22.1.1 Hajjatil Islām – The Only Hajj Rasūlullāhﷺ Made from Madīnah

Rasūlullāhﷺ made Hajj in the 10th year of Hijrah, and this is called the Farewell Hajj because it is the Hajj where Rasūlullāhﷺ delivered to the Ummah his final words, and it was a time when all of the Muslims congregated and had a chance to hear and see from Rasūlullāhﷺ for the last time. And it is also called Hajjatil Islām – the Hajj of Islām, because it is the only Hajj Rasūlullāhﷺ made from Madīnah. Rasūlullāhﷺ did make Hajj while he was in Makkah before Prophethood and after Prophethood, but this was the only Hajj he did in Madīnah and it was 10 years after his Hijrah. Rasūlullāhﷺ made Hajj riding on his camel and he had very humble riding equipment; saddle that is used for the camel, and Rasūlullāhﷺ said, “Hajjatun Lā Riyā’a Fīhā Walā Sum‘ah – AHajj with no show.” Rasūlullāhﷺ made his Hajj simple, and that is how Hajj should be; simple clothes, and a Muslim should use Hajj as a chance to get out of the accustomed ease that he has otherwise in his life, it is a time to experience a bit of hardship, and Rasūlullāhﷺ made his Hajj very simple. In the time after Rasūlullāhﷺ passed away and the condition of the Muslims was improving very much financially, so now people were coming to Hajj with more fancy things, so Ibn ‘Umar was with his companions and then a group of Hujjāj coming from Yemen passed in front of Ibn ‘Umar, [and] it says in Musnad Al-Imām Ahmad that when these men from Yemen passed in front of Ibn ‘Umar, they had very simple riding saddles on their camels and they were wearing very simple Ihrāms and clothes, so Ibn ‘Umar said to the people who were with him, “Whoever wants to see the most similar travellers this year to Rasūlullāhﷺ and his Companions when they made Hajj, then look at these.” So if you go to Makkah today and you go to Madīnah today in the time of Hajj, you would see extravagance, you would see fancy Hajj, you would see the VIP Hajj, and Hajj which is supposed to be equal for everyone has become a place where you can clearly see the difference between rich and poor in their accommodation and in their transportation and in other aspects also, and that is not how it was in the time of Rasūlullāhﷺ.

22.1.2 ‘This Day I Have Perfected for you your Religion’

When Rasūlullāhﷺ was in ‘Arafah, Allāh revealed to Muhammadﷺ: This day I have perfected for you your religion and completed My favour upon you and have approved for you Islām as religion. Al-Mā’idah: 3

When ‘Umar Ibn Al-Khattāb was Khalīfah, a Jew came to ‘Umar and said, “O Amīrul Mu’minīn, if this verse was revealed to us, we would have taken that day as a day of celebration, as a day of Eid.” Because it is such a great Āyah when you think about it; you know that your religion now is complete, every Muslim now knows that his religion that he is following is a complete religion, everything is in there. ‘Umar Ibn Al-Khattāb said, “I know when that Āyah was revealed, it was revealed on ‘Arafah and it was on Friday.”

22.1.3 Obey Leader who Rules with Book of Allāh Even if he Be Slave with Chopped-Off Limbs

In Sahīh Muslim, Umm Al-Husain says, “I made Hajj with Rasūlullāhﷺ, and then I saw him when he threw the stones in Jamratul ‘Aqabah, and then he came back riding on his camel and with him was Bilāl and Usāmah; one of them was leading the camel and the other one was raising his clothes over the head of Rasūlullāhﷺ to provide him with shade from the sun. And then Rasūlullāhﷺ said many things and I remember from the things that he said, ‘If a slave with chopped off limbs is appointed as a leader over you and he is leading you with the Book of Allāh, then listen to him and obey.’” An-Nawawī says, “Whoever has all of these qualities in him, he is at the lowest level,” [meaning] he is a slave, and his limbs are cut. So Rasūlullāh is telling us that even if such a person is appointed over you, as long as he is ruling with the Book of Allāh, you should listen and obey. [Umm Al-Husain continues,] “And Rasūlullāhﷺ ordered to follow the ones who are appointed over us as long as they are doing so with the Book of Allāh.” An-Nawawī says the meaning of this is, “As long as they are following Islām and they are inviting people to the Book of Allāh, regardless of what they are applying in their own selves and regardless of how their character is.”

So the meaning of this is if the laws are according to the Book of Allāh, and if they are implementing the Rule of Allāh and inviting others to it, it does not matter how their personal character is or what they are doing in their own privacy, that is not something that should concern us as long as they are ruling according to the Book of Allāh. And then he says, “And people should not revolt against such rulers, but if they do something that is wrong, they should be given Nasīhah.” [An-Nawawī continues,] “The question arises, how can you follow a slave when we know that Khalīfah should be from Quraish? The answer is two-sided, one; what is meant here is that the Khalīfah is the one who appointed this person, so it is not talking about the Khalīfah. Two; if a slave takes over a government and that is it, he lodged himself in position of leadership, then his rule applies and it is mandatory to follow him as long as he is ruling according to the Book of Allāh.”

22.1.4 Khutbatal Wadā’ – Farewell Speech of Rasūlullāhﷺ

Rasūlullāhﷺ delivered a speech which is known as Khutbatal Wadā’ – The Speech of Farewell, and there are various narrations of this; some in Bukhārī, some in Muslim, some in the books of Seerah, some in the other books of Sunan, and I will go through the one narrated by Al-Imām Ahmad and we will read the translation of it Inshā’Allāh, and these are final words of advice from Rasūlullāhﷺ.

Rasūlullāhﷺ said, “O people, do you know on which day of which month and in which land you are?” They replied, “On a sacred day of a sacred Month in a sacred land.” Rasūlullāhﷺ said, “Your blood, your possessions and your honour are sacred for you, as is this your day, in this your month, in this your land, on until you meet Him.” And then he said, “Listen to me, you would live. Do not do wrong, do not do wrong, do not do wrong. The property of a Muslim is not permitted to you except by his wish. All blood- money and deeds done in the Jāhiliyyah are crushed beneath these feet of mine until Judgement Day. The first blood that is abolished is that of Ibn Ar-Rabī‘ah Bin Hārith Bin ‘Abdil Muttalib; he was fostered among Banū Sa’d and Hudhīl killed him. All the usury charges of the Jāhiliyyah are abolished, Allāh has decreed that the first usury charges to be abolished are those of Al- ‘Abbās Bin ‘Abdul Muttalib; your capital is your own, no wrong should be done against you and you should not wrong anyone.”

So you can see that Rasūlullāhﷺ is putting all of Jāhiliyyah behind. This is a new era with new laws and the old era is gone, and Rasūlullāh is applying these rules on himself first and his family. So Rasūlullāh is saying [that] the first thing of the killing of Jāhiliyyah is gone and we are going to give up the case of Ibn Rabī‘ah Bin Hārith Bin ‘Abdil Muttalib who is the son of the cousin of Rasūlullāhﷺ, and this was a case that happened in the time of Jāhiliyyah. Because these draw to wars and tribes fighting each other, so Rasūlullāhﷺ is saying that that blood, we are forgiving the ones who killed him for it to put an end to the feudal system of Arabia. And then Rasūlullāhﷺ is banning usury and Rasūlullāhﷺ is saying that the first Ribā I am putting under my feet is the Ribā of Al-‘Abbās. So Al-‘Abbās was lending people and he was charging them interest, and Rasūlullāhﷺ is saying that all what you can get back is your capital.

And then Rasūlullāhﷺ said, “Time has revolved as was its fashion by the day Allāh created the heavens and the earth.” And then Rasūlullāh recited the Āyah: Indeed, the number of months with Allāh is twelve [lunar] months in the register of Allāh [from] the day He created the heavens and the earth; of these, four are sacred. That is the correct religion, so do not wrong yourselves during them. At-Tawbah: 36

And then Rasūlullāhﷺ says, “Do not revert after me into Unbelievers, striking the necks of one another. Satan has despaired that those who pray will worship him, however he is present in the dissention between yourselves.” And this is why we find a lot of dissention between the Muslims. Shaitān does not care, does not bother about causing dissention among the Kuffār, because they are already Kuffār and going to Hellfire anyway, but he is concerned about the Muslims; since he cannot make them Kuffār, he is making them fight among themselves, he is always instigating this Waswasah in the hearts of Muslims and causing Fitnah among them.

“Fear Allāh in your relationship with women, they are captives with you…” Rasūlullāhﷺ here, in the last days of his life, is giving us a Nasīhah to care for our women, “…they are captives with you, they own nothing for themselves. They have rights over you and you have rights over them, that they should not allow anyone other than yourselves to set foot in your furnishings, and that they should not give permission to anyone you dislike to enter your homes. If you fear those of them who are fractious, then admonish them, and leave them in the beds and strike them but not viciously. They have rights to their provisions and their clothing in kindness. It was only by Allāh’s covenant that you took them, and it is by Allāh’s Word that you are permitted access to them, and whoever has a covenant should discharge it to whomever entrusted it to him.”

These are the words of Rasūlullāhﷺ in Al-Hajj, a Khutbah that was delivered to thousands of Muslims, and we find in them Tawhīd, we find in them advice for Fiqh, and we also find Rasūlullāhﷺ giving us Nasīhah to care and have concern for the Muslimāt.

22.2 The Last Days

22.2.1 Rumours surrounding Authority of ‘Alï Ibn Abī Tālibﷺ

When ‘Alï Ibn Abī Tālib was in Yemen, there were some rumours surrounding his authority as an Amīr over there. ‘Alï Ibn Abī Tālib had some camels of Sadaqah with him and the members of his army wanted to use these camels for transport; ‘Alï Ibn Abī Tālib refused. And he had some work to do so he left a deputy to take care of affairs in his absence, and when he came back he found out that the camels were used for transport because he saw the marks of the saddles on them, and he also saw that the people were wearing some of the garments that were also given as part of Sadaqah. So ‘Alï Ibn Abī Tālib became very angry and he ordered that they take off those garments and they give them back, and that caused some rumours and someone went back to Rasūlullāhﷺ to report what happened, and there was one of the Sahābah that was there, and when this man was reporting these things against ‘Alï Ibn Abī Tālib the other Sahābï was saying, “Yes, that is right. Yes, that is right,” and this Sahābï used to say, “I used to dislike ‘Alï Ibn Abī Tālib, I used to hate him.” And when Rasūlullāhﷺ saw him saying yes that is right, approving the complaints that were against ‘Alï Ibn Abī Tālib, Rasūlullāhﷺ put his hands on the knee of this Sahābï and he asked him, “Do you dislike ‘Alï?” He said, “Yes.” Rasūlullāhﷺ told him, “You should love him.” So this Sahābï said, “After that, ‘Alï Ibn Abī Tālib was among the most beloved to me.” So this was the situation.

22.2.2 ‘If I am your Friend then ‘Alï is Also your Friend’ – Rasūlullāhﷺ

So when Rasūlullāhﷺ was returning from Hajjatul Wadā’ and he arrived in a place called Ghadīr Humm, Rasūlullāhﷺ gathered the people and delivered to them the famous statement, “Man Kuntu Mawlā Fa ‘Alïyyum Mawlā –If Iam the friend of someone, then ‘Alïis also his friend.” Mawlā is friend, protector, close associate, so all of these statements do apply to ‘Alï Ibn Abī Tālib. Now, the Shī‘ah, they carried this too far and they took it out of the context. The context of what happened is that there were false rumours going against ‘Alï Ibn Abī Tālib, so Rasūlullāhﷺ wanted to defend the reputation of ‘Alï Ibn Abī Tālib in front of everyone and to let everyone know the status of ‘Alï Ibn Abī Tālib, being the cousin of Rasūlullāhﷺ, the husband of his daughter, and the father of the only lineage remaining from Rasūlullāhﷺ, because no lineage remained from Rasūlullāhﷺ except through Al-Hasan and Al-Husain, the grandchildren of Rasūlullāhﷺ. So Rasūlullāhﷺ was telling the people that if I am your Mawlā then ‘Alï Ibn Abī Tālib is also your Mawlā; if you love me then you need to love ‘Alï Ibn Abī Tālib.

22.2.3 Rasūlullāhﷺ Appoints Young Zayd Bin Hārithah to Lead Army

Rasūlullāhﷺ returned to Madīnah, and now we are entering into the 11th year of Hijrah. He spent there the month of Muharram, and in Safar, Rasūlullāhﷺ appointed Usāmah Bin Zayd to lead an army that was to be sent to the land of Balqā’ in Ash-Shām, and the instructions were for Usāmah Bin Zayd to step with his horses on the land where his father was killed. So you can see now that the focus of Rasūlullāhﷺ is on the boundaries with the Roman Empire; you have Mu’tah first and then you have Tabūk and now you have this army of Usāmah Bin Zayd in addition to the Sarāyā that were also sent into that area, so this happened in Safar. Now, Usāmah Bin Zayd at that time, how old was he? He was between 18 to 20 years old – very young, and you have senior Sahābah from Al-Muhājirīn and Al-Ansār – older men with much experience in warfare and in leadership and managing the affairs of armies – and Rasūlullāhﷺ appoints a very young man to lead an army that included Abū Bakr and ‘Umar. So there was some talk going on, and obviously the community is large, so there is more room for idle talk to go on because you still had a strong presence of Nifāq, and a large number of Muslim, so there was talk going around; why is Usāmah Bin Zayd appointed? And the objections were for two reasons; number one, his age, and number two, that he belongs to the slave caste; his father was a former slave and the same thing with his mother Umm Ayman, therefore how could he lead over the free men? And these concerns reached to Rasūlullāhﷺ so Rasūlullāhﷺ said, and this is in Bukhārī, “In Tat‘anū Fī Imāratihī Faqad Kuntum Tat‘anūna Fī Imārati Abīhi Min Qabl –If you are disputing his appointment, then you have disputed the appointment of his father before. Wa Aymullāha In Kāna La Khalīqa Lil Imārati Wa In Kāna Lamin Ahabbin Nāsi Ilaÿ Wa Inna Hādhā Lamin Ahabbin Nāsi Ilayya Ba’dah –And in the name of Allāh, he (the father of Zayd Ibn Hārithah) was a suitable person for appointing as a leader and he was one of the most beloved people to me, and this man is one of the most beloved people to me after him.” So Rasūlullāhﷺ is saying that Usāmah took the position of his father after his father passed away.

22.2.4 Indications of Rasūlullāh’sﷺ Death in Qur’ān

In the month of Safar, the beginning of the end was starting. Rasūlullāhﷺ has received many Āyāt and indications that he would die just like every other human being. Allāh revealed Āyāt that warn of the death of Rasūlullāhﷺ. Allāh says, and this was revealed in Makkah: And the Hereafter is better for you than the first [life]. And your Lord is going to give you, and you will be satisfied. Ad-Duhā: 4-5

And therefore when Rasūlullāhﷺ was given the choice of living in Dunyā or dying, we will see what his choice was, because he had a promise from very early on in Makkah that the afterlife is better for you and Allāh will give you until you are satisfied.

And Allāh says: Indeed, you are to die, and indeed, they are to die. Then indeed you, on the Day of Resurrection, before your Lord, will dispute. Az-Zumar: 30-31

And Allāh says in Sūrah Al-Ambiyā’: And We did not grant to any man before you eternity [on earth]; so if you die – would they be eternal? Every soul will taste death. And We test you with evil and with good as trial; and to Us you will be returned. Al-Ambiyā’: 34-35

Sothe whole life is just a trial of good and bad and everyone will die.

And Allāh revealed to Muhammadﷺ during the Hajj of Wadā’: This day I have perfected for you your religion and completed My favour upon you and have approved for you Islām as religion. Al-Mā’idah: 3

Now,there is nothing directly here that indicates the death of Rasūlullāhﷺ but there is an indication of the fulfillment of the mission.

And Allāh says: Muhammad is not but a Messenger. [Other] Messengers have passed on before him. So if he was to die or be killed, would you turn back on your heels [to Unbelief]? And he who turns back on his heels will never harm Allāh at all; but Allāh will reward the grateful. And it is not [possible] for one to die except by permission of Allāh at a decree determined. And whoever desires the reward of this world – We will give him thereof; and whoever desires the reward of the Hereafter – We will give him thereof. And we will reward the grateful. Āl ‘Imrān: 144-145

And Allāh says: When the victory of Allāh has come and the conquest. And you see the people entering into the Religion of Allāh in multitudes. Then exalt [Him] with praise of your Lord and ask forgiveness of Him. Indeed, He is ever Accepting of repentance. Sūrah An-Nasr

Again, in these Āyāt, there is no direct indication of the death of Rasūlullāhﷺ. Ibn ‘Abbās used to sit with the senior Muhājirīn and Ansār in the court of ‘Umar Ibn Al-Khattāb, so some of the Muhājirīn and Ansār said, “Why is this young man sitting here when we have sons of his age and they are not invited?” So ‘Umar Ibn Al-Khattāb wanted to point out to them the reason, so he asked them, “What do you understand from this Sūrah?” Everyone gave an answer. ‘Umar Ibn Al-Khattāb asked Ibn ‘Abbās, “What do you understand from it?” He said, “I understand from it the death of Rasūlullāhﷺ.” ‘Umar Ibn Al-Khattāb said, “And that is what I understand from it.” And he made a point to the Sahābah who were there that Ibn ‘Abbās is sitting with us now because of his knowledge, because of his understanding, because of the Fiqh and deep understanding that he has of Islām, because this Sūrah says:

When the victory of Allāh has come and the conquest. And the victory of Allāh is the end result of Da’wah, so it is towards the end; Wal ‘Āqibatu Lil Muttaqīn – And the [best] outcome is for the righteous.And you see the people entering into the Religion of Allāh in multitudes. And that was what was happening; after Fath Makkah people were entering in multitudes.

Then exalt [Him] with praise of your Lord and ask forgiveness of Him. We usually ask Allāh for forgiveness when? After we do the deed, then we ask Allāh to forgive us. So after Salāh what do you say? Astaghfirullāh, Astaghfirullāh, Astaghfirullāh. After Hajj same thing; Astaghfirullāh. So Istighfār is something that comes towards the end, and this is an indication that the end of the life of Rasūlullāhﷺ is near. And Tawbah also comes towards the end.

22.2.5 Indications of Rasūlullāh’sﷺ Death in Ahādīth

There are also some Ahādīth. We talked about the Hadīth where when Rasūlullāhﷺ sent Mu‘ādh Ibn Jabal to Yemen and told him, “You might not meet me anymore,” and Mu‘ādh Ibn Jabal cried. There is also the Hadīth where Rasūlullāhﷺ said in Hajj, “Learn from me your rituals, because I may never make Hajj again after this time.” Rasūlullāhﷺ said, “Jibrīl used to recite Qur’ān with me every year once,” they would go through the whole Qur’ān, “and this year he did it twice, and I see that as indication of the end of my life.”

22.3 Allāh Commands Rasūlullāhﷺ to Seek Forgiveness for People of Al-Baqī’

So in the month of Safar of the year 11 of Al-Hijrah, Rasūlullāhﷺ sent to Abū Mu’ayhibah, a servant of Rasūlullāhﷺ, and this was late at night. So Rasūlullāhﷺ woke up Abū Mu’ayhibah and called him and told him, “O Abū Mu’ayhibah, I have been commanded to ask Allāh to forgive the people of Al-Baqī’, so come with me.” Al-Baqī’ is the cemetery of Madīnah, the blessed cemetery where the Companions of Rasūlullāhﷺ who struggled with him, fought with him, supported him, were buried. And Rasūlullāhﷺ was ordered by Allāh to go to the cemetery and ask Allāh to forgive them. Rasūlullāhﷺ told Abū Mu’ayhibah to go with him, so they went together at night to Al-Baqī’. Subhān’Allāh, Rasūlullāhﷺ is going in the middle of the night to the cemetery to give his Sahābah company. When Rasūlullāh arrived there, he told them, “Assalāmu ‘Alaikum Yā Ahlal Maqābir – Peace be upon you O people of the graves.” And then Rasūlullāhﷺ told them, and look at these uplifting words for them, “Congratulations…” Rasūlullāhﷺ is congratulating the people of this cemetery, the people who are dead, “Congratulations that you do not experience what people here are experiencing. Congratulations that you passed away in the early days of Da’wah when the hearts were pure and the people were together and they were unified. Congratulations that you died in the difficult days when the rewards were great.” So Rasūlullāhﷺ is telling them that you are in a better position than who is left behind. And then Rasūlullāhﷺ said, “Trials and tribulations come like dark portions of the night, following each other in succession, the last being worse than the first.” Trials and tribulations are on their way, and we are living in that time dear brothers and sisters, we are living in a time of trial and tribulations, we are living in a time of Fitnah; Fitnah in Dunyā and Fitnah in Dīn. So Rasūlullāhﷺ is congratulating these Sahābah who died early and telling them congratulations that you died early because now the Fitan are coming like dark pieces of the night, one after the other. And then Rasūlullāhﷺ looked at Abū Mu’ayhibah and said, “I was given the choice of the keys of the treasures of Dunyā and living in Dunyā as long as it exists and then Paradise, or meeting my Lord and Paradise.” So the choice is you can live in Dunyā as long as this world would survive, and you will be given the keys to the treasures of this world, and then when you pass away you will be in Paradise; that was choice number one. And the second choice is to meet Allāh now and Jannah. In one narration, Abū Mu’ayhibah said, “Choose us!” And in [another] narration he says, “Choose the keys of the treasures and living in Dunyā as long as it exists and then Jannah.” Rasūlullāhﷺ said, “No, I have chosen to meet Allāh and Paradise.” And then Rasūlullāhﷺ sought forgiveness for the people of Al-Baqī’ and then he left, and when he arrived home, the illness of his death began. Rasūlullāhﷺ was not attached to Dunyā; Rasūlullāh’sﷺ concern in Dunyā was his Ummah, his concern was not building, it was not wealth, he did not have attachment to Ad-Dunyā, and therefore Ibn Kathīr says, “The Dunyā was so small in the eyes of Rasūlullāhﷺ, and it is also small in the Eyes of Allāh, that Rasūlullāhﷺ left it without leaving behind anything.

‘We the Prophets Suffer Double the Suffering of Everyone Else’

‘Ā’ishah was saying, “Wā Ra’sā, Wā Ra’sā – My head hurts, my head hurts.” So Rasūlullāhﷺ said, “Bal Ana Wā Ra’sā – No, it is me who should say my head hurts.” Rasūlullāhﷺ was having a severe headache and he was also having a severe fever, and the fever was so severe on Rasūlullāhﷺ [that] when one of the Companions put his hand on Rasūlullāhﷺ he said, “I cannot leave my hand on you because of the heat.” It was very uncomfortable to touch the body of Rasūlullāhﷺ because of his fever. And the Companion told Rasūlullāhﷺ, “Innaka Latū‘ak Wa’kan Shadīdā! – Youare going through very severe illness!” Rasūlullāhﷺ said, “Yes. That is because we the Prophets suffer double the suffering of everyone else.” Because Allāh loves them, Allāh puts them through tougher tests. Because they are stronger and greater and better, Allāh puts them through tougher tests.

22.4 Rasūlullāhﷺ Carried to Masjid where he Gives Advice

Rasūlullāhﷺ one day wanted to go to the Masjid, he wanted to give a covenant to the people, so he said, “Gather for me seven buckets of water from seven different wells and pour them on me so that I can go out to the people.” So they brought him this water and they were pouring this cold water on the body of Rasūlullāhﷺ to cool it down because of the temperature and to give Rasūlullāhﷺ the ability to go out to the Masjid. And then Rasūlullāhﷺ was carried to the Masjid, and his head was wrapped because of his headache, and he could not walk so he had to lean on one of the sons of Al- ‘Abbās and ‘Alï Ibn Abī Tālib to take him to the Masjid, and his feet were dragging on the ground because he could not lift them up. And he went to the Masjid and he gave a Nasīhah. After praising Allāh, Rasūlullāhﷺ mentioned the Shuhadā’ of Uhud and asked Allāh to forgive them. Notice here [that] Rasūlullāhﷺ went to Al-Baqī’ to ask Allāh to forgive the Muslims who died in Al-Baqī’ and now Rasūlullāhﷺ is asking [for] forgiveness of the Shuhadā’ of Uhud; this shows us the loyalty that Rasūlullāhﷺ had to his Companions, the love that he had for them, and the remembrance that he had for them; Rasūlullāhﷺ was concerned about his Ummah. Rasūlullāhﷺ lived for us, he lived for me and you, he gave his life for me and you, he struggled, he went through difficulties, he suffered poverty, he suffered pain, he had to fight, he had to go through trials and tribulations for the Religion to reach me and you; we owe Rasūlullāhﷺ a lot.

22.4.1 Rasūlullāhﷺ Advises Muhājirūn to Take Care of and Forgive Al-Ansār

After mentioning the people of Uhud, Rasūlullāhﷺ was then giving a Nasīhah to the Muhājirīn, he told them, “O People of Muhājirūn,” the Muhājirūn are the ones who made Hijrah, “you are increasing in numbers while the Ansār are not increasing in numbers.” That was because the population of Ansār was the same while the Muhājirīn were increasing, because the Hijrah was not only from Quraish but it was now from all over Arabia. So the Muhājirīn were now the majority of the population of Madīnah, when in the beginning the Muhājirīn were very few in number and the majority of the people in Madīnah were the locals, the people of Al-Ansār. So Rasūlullāhﷺ is telling the Muhājirīn that your numbers are adding up while the Ansār are not increasing. And then he said, “They are the ones who supported me in the beginning, so honour the honourable among them and forgive the ones among them who make mistakes.” Rasūlullāhﷺ does not want to die and have the Ansār suffer because now they are a minority in Madīnah, and Rasūlullāhﷺ is reminding the Muhājirīn to take care of them; the good among them, treat them very well, and the ones among them who make mistakes, forgive them.

22.4.2 Rasūlullāhﷺ Hints at his Death and Gives Abū Bakr Recognition

And then Rasūlullāhﷺ said, “There is a servant, O people, from among the servants of Allāh, and Allāh has given him the option of this world or what is in the Hands of Allāh.” That is all what Rasūlullāhﷺ said; he did not indicate who this slave of Allāh is, but Abū Bakr understood the meaning and he started to cry, he understood that Rasūlullāhﷺ was talking about himself, because the Ambiyā’ of Allāh are given the choice before they die – not like everyone else; the Angel of Death just comes to you unannounced – the Angel of Death comes to the Ambiyā’ and seeks their permission to take their souls. So Rasūlullāhﷺ is saying that there is a slave of Allāh who was given the choice of Dunyā or Ākhirah. So Abū Bakr cried and he told Rasūlullāhﷺ, “Bal Nahnu Nafdīka Bi Anfusinā Wa Abnā’inā –We will sacrifice ourselves and our children for you.” Rasūlullāh stopped Abū Bakr and told everyone, “The person most faithful to myself in his friendship and his wealth is Abū Bakr.” Rasūlullāhﷺ now, towards the end of his life, is recognising Abū Bakr in front of everyone and letting the people know the status of Abū Bakr As-Siddīq  . “The person most faithful to myself in his friendship and his wealth is Abū Bakr. If I were to take any other than Allāh as a beloved one – as a Khalīl, I would so take Abū Bakr. However, what I do have with him is the companionship of Islām and his love. Every door in the mosque should be shut except that of Abū Bakr.” Rasūlullāhﷺ said here Khalīl; Khalīl is a higher level than friend, it is something that fills your heart with love. Rasūlullāhﷺ said [that] if I am going to choose out of this world a Khalīl it would be Abū Bakr, but I am the Khalīl of Allāh, and Abū Bakr is my brother and friend, Abū Bakr is the one whom I share with him love.

22.4.3 Rasūlullāhﷺ Offers Final Words of Advice to Ummah

Rasūlullāhﷺ gave some final advice to the Ummah. In one Hadīth Rasūlullāhﷺ said, “May Allāh curse the Jews and Christians for building mosques over the graves of their Prophets.” They turned the graves of their Prophets into Masājids. Rasūlullāhﷺ said, “Lā Yabqā Fī Jazīratil ‘Arabi Dīnān – Notwo religions should coexist in the Arabian Peninsula.” This is a Kufr-free zone; the Arabian Peninsula should be purely Islāmic, no other religion should coexist with Islām in the Arabian Peninsula, and this is one of the final words of advice of Rasūlullāhﷺ. Rasūlullāhﷺ also said, “Ūsīkum Bis-Salāh.” Rasūlullāhﷺ is giving them the advice of Salāh. Rasūlullāhﷺ also gave us advice to take care of the slaves, [and] Rasūlullāhﷺ repeated this advice; to take care of the slaves, to take care of the slaves. And Rasūlullāhﷺ also said, “Ittaqullāha Fin Nisā’ –Fear Allāh in the women.” So Rasūlullāhﷺ was giving the advice to the Ummah to not take advantage of the weak among the Ummah. And Rasūlullāhﷺ said, “Mā Taraka Qawmul Jihād Illā Dhallū – Whenever a people leave Jihād, they will be humiliated.” And Rasūlullāhﷺ also ordered that the army of Usāmah should be sent out, because now the army of Usāmah was camping outside of Madīnah until all of the fighters got ready and then they would set out, so Rasūlullāhﷺ was saying, “Anfidū Ba‘atha Usāmah –Send out the army of Usāmah.”

22.5 Rasūlullāhﷺ Spends Last Days in the House of ‘Ā’ishah

Rasūlullāhﷺ was still going around to the houses of his wives, but then eventually it was becoming difficult for him so he was carried into the house of ‘Ā’ishah. And he gathered all of his wives and he sought their permission to allow him to stay in the house of ‘Ā’ishah while he was ill, and they agreed, so ‘Ā’ishah had Rasūlullāhﷺ in her house and she was the one tending to him and she said, “This is the first time I tended to an ill person.” Rasūlullāhﷺ spent the rest of his life in the house of ‘Ā’ishah where the end of his life was in the house of ‘Ā’ishah. ‘Ā’ishah said that when Rasūlullāhﷺ would become ill he would recite the Mu‘awwidhāt in his hands and then he would blow in them and then he would wipe his body, but when he became ill he could not do that for himself so ‘Ā’ishah would recite the Suwar in the hands of Rasūlullāhﷺ and then she would use his hands to wipe his body for him, she would not do it in her own hands because the hands of Rasūlullāhﷺ are more blessed, so even though she would do the recitation but she would not do it in her hands but in the hands of Rasūlullāhﷺ. One day her brother ‘Abdur Rahmān came in and he had a Miswāk, so Rasūlullāhﷺ was staring at the Miswāk, so ‘Ā’ishah understood that Rasūlullāhﷺ wanted it, so she asked him, “Do you want it?” Rasūlullāh made a gesture that yes, so she took it from ‘Abdur Rahmān and then she softened the other end and she gave it to Rasūlullāhﷺ and he used the Miswāk, she said, as if he was healthy, so even though Rasūlullāhﷺ was in the end of his life, but he was not leaving this Sunnah of Miswāk.

Usāmah Bin Zayd and the Army Hear of Rasūlullāh’sﷺ Illness and Return

Usāmah Bin Zayd and the Muslims who were camping out of Madīnah heard the news of the illness of Rasūlullāhﷺ so they came back, and Usāmah came to visit Rasūlullāhﷺ and Rasūlullāhﷺ was ill to the extent that he could not speak, and then Usāmah said, “Rasūlullāhﷺ raised his hands up and then he would point to me, he would raise his hands up and then point to me.” Rasūlullāhﷺ was making Du‘ā’ for Usāmah. Usāmah said, “I understood that Rasūlullāhﷺ was making Du‘ā’ for me.” Rasūlullāhﷺ was in those difficult moments; the agony and pain of illness, nevertheless he was making Du‘ā’ for Usāmah Bin Zayd and this shows us how much Rasūlullāhﷺ loved Usāmah Bin Zayd.

22.6 Rasūlullāhﷺ Orders Abū Bakr As-Siddīq to Lead Salāh

Rasūlullāhﷺ could not go out and lead the Salāh anymore, so he ordered that Abū Bakr As -Siddīq should lead the Salāh, “Murū Abā Bakr Fal Yusallī Bin Nās –Order Abū Bakr to lead the people in Salāh.” ‘Ā’ishah did not want her father to lead Salāh, so she said, “O Rasūlullāh, Abū Bakr is a very soft-hearted man, and I am afraid that if he stands in your position he would not be able to handle it and he would not be able to complete the Salāh,” meaning that if he is in that position he might become too emotional to continue the Salāh. So Rasūlullāhﷺ said, “Murū Abā Bakr Fal Yusallī Bin Nās –Order Abū Bakr to lead the people in Salāh.” The objection of ‘Ā’ishah was repeated again. Rasūlullāhﷺ said, “Murū Abā Bakr Fal Yusallī Bin Nās! Inna Kunna Sawaihbāt Yūsuf –Order Abū Bakr to lead the people in Salāh! You women are the companions of Yūsuf.” And what Rasūlullāhﷺ meant by that [was that] the women of Yūsuf showed something but they were hiding something else. When the wife of Al-‘Azīz invited all of those women to come, she invited them [because] apparently it was just a gathering, but in reality she wanted them there to see Yūsuf, and ‘Ā’ishah , her public statement was that my father is a soft-hearted man so he will not be able to pray, but in reality the reason why she did not want her father to pray, and she actually mentions that, she said, “The reason I did not want my father to pray is because people will dislike him for standing in the place of Rasūlullāhﷺ.” People were used to having Rasūlullāhﷺ lead them in Salāh and now they are having someone else? That might make them dislike the fact that Abū Bakr is in that place, because it says in another narration that ‘Umar [was suggested to] lead the Salāh, but Rasūlullāhﷺ said, “Allāh does not want that and Rasūlullāhﷺ does not want that and the Believers do not want that. It is Abū Bakr who must lead the Muslims in Salāh.” And this is also an indication that the Imām after Rasūlullāhﷺ is Abū Bakr As-Siddīq, in the issues of religion and in the issues of Dunyā.

Rasūlullāh’sﷺ Last Sight of Ummah: Ummah Performing Salāh

Rasūlullāhﷺ was now extremely tired because of his illness and he was not going out to the Salāh, but on Monday, when the Sahābah were in Salāh and they were being led by Abū Bakr As-Siddīq, Rasūlullāhﷺ uncovered the curtain that was between him and the Masjid. Anas Ibn Mālik narrates in Bukhārī, “When it was Monday and they were lined up in Salāh, Rasūlullāhﷺ uncovered the curtain. Rasūlullāhﷺ took a look at us and he was standing up, Ka’anna Wajhahū Waraqat Mus’haf – and it was as if his face was a page out of a book,” meaning clear and clean and beautiful. And in another narration, “Ka’anna Wajhahū Falq Qamar – [it was] as if his face was part of the moon.” And then Anas Ibn Mālik said, “And then Rasūlullāhﷺ smiled, laughing. It was almost going to be a Fitnah for us because of our happiness by seeing Rasūlullāhﷺ!” What he meant by Fitnah is that we were going to walk out of Salāh; because we were in Salāh and we saw that and it was so beautiful and so much joy for us [that] we were almost going to leave our Salāh. And Abū Bakr was coming back so that Rasūlullāhﷺ would lead the Salāh, but Rasūlullāhﷺ had Abū Bakr pray in his place. However, Rasūlullāhﷺ did come out at a certain time and he would sit down, but Abū Bakr would be standing up, so some narrations say that it was actually Abū Bakr leading the Salāh but others say it was Rasūlullāhﷺ leading Abū Bakr and Abū Bakr was standing and leading the rest. Back to this narration of Anas Ibn Mālik , he said that the face of Rasūlullāhﷺ, when he saw them, he was smiling with joy; why? And by the way, this is the last scene that Rasūlullāhﷺ sees from his Ummah; the last thing that Rasūlullāhﷺ saw from his Ummah was them in Salāh, in Salātul Jamā‘ah. Brothers and sisters, when you are praying to Allāh, and for the brothers whom Salātul Jamā‘ah is Wājib on them, when you are in Salātul Jamā‘ah, this is a sight that pleases Rasūlullāhﷺ. When Rasūlullāh uncovered that curtain, he saw the result, he saw the fruits of his effort and his Da’wah; the Muslims are lining up in Salāh – the most important deed in Islām after Ash’hadu Allā Ilāha Illallāh Wa Ash’hadu Anna Muhammad Ar-Rasūlullāh – and Rasūlullāhﷺ smiled with happiness.

Abū Bakr Leaves Madīnah to Visit Wife

Because Rasūlullāhﷺ was now seen standing up, they assumed that Rasūlullāhﷺ has become better, so Abū Bakr sought permission to go to As-Sunh where his other wife was which was a little bit outside of Madīnah, because he was tied up in Madīnah due to the illness of Rasūlullāhﷺ, but now he thought that Rasūlullāhﷺ is better so he left.

Al-‘Abbās’s Intuition of Rasūlullāh’sﷺ Death

In Bukhārī, Al-‘Abbās met ‘Alï Ibn Abī Tālib after he came out from the house of Rasūlullāhﷺ and he asked him, “Yā Abal Hasan, Kayfa Asbah Rasūlullāhﷺ? – Howis Rasūlullāhﷺ doing this morning?” So ‘AlïIbn Abī Tālib said, “Asbaha Bihamdillāhi Bāra’an – He looks, with the praise of Allāh, much better.” Al -‘Abbās grabbed the hand of ‘AlïIbn Abī Tālib and told him, “Anta Wallāhi Ba’da Thalāth ‘Abdil ‘Asā – After three days from now you would be a slave ruled by a stick.” What does Al- ‘Abbās mean by this? You would be a slave ruled by a stick? Meaning that you would be a person without any authority, you would be a follower without any authority, and this is Farāsah of Al-‘Abbās Bin ‘Abdul Muttalib ; Farāsah is intuition. Al-‘Abbās said, “Innī Wallāhi La’a’rifu Al-Mawt Fī Wujūh Banī ‘Abdul Muttalib – Ican read death in the faces of the sons of ‘Abdul Muttalib and I can see death in the face of Rasūlullāhﷺ.” Everyone was thinking that Rasūlullāhﷺ was better; Al-‘Abbās said [that] no, I recognise death in my family, I can see it in their faces, and I can actually see it now on the face of Rasūlullāhﷺ and I think that Rasūlullāhﷺ would die pretty soon. Al-‘Abbās does not know the unseen; death is something that only Allāh knows, but Al-‘Abbās has this intuition where he could recognise when the sons of ‘Abdul Muttalib were approaching their death. So he told ‘Alï Ibn Abī Tālib, “Go and ask Rasūlullāhﷺ if we are going to be in authority of the Ummah after him.” ‘Alï Ibn Abī Tālib refused and he said, “I will not ask him that because if he rejects that then the Ummah will not give it to us to the end of time,” and ‘Alï Ibn Abī Tālib refused to go and talk to Rasūlullāhﷺ about this.

22.7 The Death of Rasūlullāhﷺ

There was a very steep deterioration in the situation of Rasūlullāhﷺ, and within that day, that same day, which is Monday now – Rasūlullāhﷺ has been ill now for about 13 days – Rasūlullāhﷺ started going through Sakarāt Al-Mawt;Sakarāt Al-Mawt are the final moments, the agony of death when the soul is coming out. So ‘Ā’ishah brought some water for Rasūlullāhﷺ and he would soak a piece of cloth in that water and then he would wipe his face with it and say, “Inna Lil Mawti La Sakarāt – There is agony in death, there is agony in death.” Rasūlullāhﷺ himself, the best of the creation, had to go through this, and he was in the lap of ‘Ā’ishah , and ‘Ā’ishah said, “Rasūlullāhﷺ looked up towards the roof with his eyes and I heard him say, ‘Bal Ar-Rafīqil A’lā, Bal Ar-Rafīqil A’lā, Bal Ar-Rafīqil A’lā – No the Highest Companion, the Highest Companion, the Highest Companion.” ‘Ā’ishah  said, “I knew that Rasūlullāhﷺ was being asked by the Angel of Death whether he wants to stay with us or to leave, and Rasūlullāhﷺ was saying I want to be with the Highest Companion, and that is Allāh .” And then ‘Ā’ishah says, “The head of Rasūlullāhﷺ turned towards me,” and she screamed. In the narration of Ibn Hishām, [she says,] “Fa Min Humqī Wa Qillat ‘Aqlī – Because of my foolishness, I screamed and I yelled.” And now the news was spreading around Madīnah like fire. ‘Umar Ibn Al-Khattāb and Al-Mughīrah rushed in to the room, and ‘Umar Ibn Al-Khattāb said, “Mā Ashadd Mā Ghashiya ‘Alaih –Rasūlullāhﷺ is unconscious and this is severe unconsciousness.” And when they were walking out, Al-Mughīrah told ‘Umar Ibn Al-Khattāb, “Laqad Tuwuffiya Rasūlullāhﷺ – Rasūlullāhﷺ is dead.” This is not unconsciousness, Rasūlullāhﷺ is dead.

You know, brothers and sisters, we cannot imagine how this news was on the Sahābah, because we do not have that same love; we did not live with Rasūlullāhﷺ for years. Rasūlullāhﷺ for them was everything; he was their leader, he was like a father to them, he was an advisor to them, he was their teacher, he was everything. So when ‘Umar Ibn Al-Khattāb heard Al-Mughīrah say that Rasūlullāhﷺ died, ‘Umar Ibn Al-Khattāb said, “Innaka Rajulun Tahūsuka Fitnah – Youare a man of Fitnah, you are a man who wants to bring dissension among the Ummah. Rasūlullāhﷺ did not die, because he will not die until he exterminates the Munāfiqīn.” ‘Umar Ibn Al-Khattāb understood that Rasūlullāhﷺ will not die until all of the Munāfiqīn are killed. And then ‘Umar Ibn Al-Khattāb rushed out to the Masjid, and the people were starting to come in crowds in the Masjid and there was weeping everywhere; everyone was crying, and ‘Umar Ibn Al-Khattāb drew out his sword and said, “There are some Munāfiqīn who are claiming that Rasūlullāhﷺ died. Rasūlullāhﷺ did not die, but Rasūlullāhﷺ is unconscious like Mūsā became unconscious, and he will come back and he will kill all of the Munāfiqīn. And whoever says that Rasūlullāhﷺ is dead, I am going to cut off his head with this sword of mine.”

Abū Bakr Returns to Madīnah and Takes Control of Situation

The news reached Abū Bakr As-Siddīq and he came back from As-Sanh on his horse, and he did not speak to anyone, and he came into the room of ‘Ā’ishah with Rasūlullāhﷺ covered with cloth; Abū Bakr As-Siddīq uncovered the face of Rasūlullāhﷺ, and when he saw him, he cried. And then he kissed Rasūlullāhﷺ and said, “You are pure when alive and you are pure when dead. In the name of Allāh, Allāh will not make you die twice. And the death that was prescribed on you, the death that is ordained on you and everyone else, you have went through it.” So now that is it; you have went through the death that was prescribed on you. And then Abū Bakr came out of the room of ‘Ā’ishah and went to the Masjid, and ‘Umar Ibn Al-Khattāb was screaming and yelling and threatening, so Abū Bakr As-Siddīq told ‘Umar, “Ijlis Yā ‘Umar! – Sit down O ‘Umar!” ‘Umar ignored Abū Bakr. He told him, “Sit down O ‘Umar!” a second time, and ‘Umar is carrying on, so Abū Bakr then started speaking, and people just left ‘Umar Ibn Al-Khattāb and came to listen to what Abū Bakr As-Siddīq  had to say.

Abū Bakr said, “Man Kāna Ya’budu Muhammadan Fa Inna Muhammadan Qad Māt, Wa Man Kāna Ya’budullāh, Fa Innallāha Hayyun LāYamūt  –Whoever  used  to  worship  Muhammad,  then  know  that Muhammad is dead, and whoever used to worship Allāh, then know that Allāh is  alive  and  will  never  die.”  And then he recited the Āyah:

Muhammad is not but a Messenger. [Other] Messengers have passed on before him. So if he was to die or be killed, would you turn back on your heels [to Unbelief]? And he who turns back on his heels will never harm Allāh at all; but Allāh will reward the grateful. Āl ‘Imrān: 144 ‘Umar Ibn Al-Khattāb asked, “Is this Āyah in the Book of Allāh?” ‘Umar Ibn Al-Khattāb already knows the Āyah, but Subhān’Allāh, it is as if he heard it for the first time. ‘Umar Ibn Al-Khattāb said, “I realised that Muhammadﷺ was dead.” ‘Umar Ibn Al-Khattāb collapsed and said, “Fa ‘Aqart Famā Taqillanī Rajilāi – My feet cannot carry me anymore.” ‘Umar Ibn Al-Khattāb, the strong, powerful man, could not handle the news; it was like an arrow that struck his heart and he fell down because his knees could not carry him anymore. And the narrator says, “Everyone was reciting this Āyah as if they heard it for the first time.”

22.7.1 Washing of the Body of Rasūlullāhﷺ

We will skip the event of the Bay‘ah to Abū Bakr because I already talked about it in the beginning of the lectures on Abū Bakr As- Siddīq, [so] we will move on to the washing of Rasūlullāhﷺ and how his burial [took place]. Ibn ‘Abbās  said that the family of Rasūlullāhﷺ were the ones who took care of the washing of the body of Rasūlullāhﷺ, and those were Al-‘Abbās Bin ‘Abdul Muttalib,‘Alï Ibn Abī Tālib, Al-Fadl Bin ‘Abbās, Qithm Bin ‘Abbās, Usāmah Bin Zayd and Sālih, the servant of Rasūlullāhﷺ. And then Aws Bin Khawlī, one of the Ansār, knocked on the door and told ‘Alï Ibn Abī Tālib, “I ask you in the name of Allāh to allow me in,” so he was allowed in but he did not participate in the actual washing. ‘Alï had the body of Rasūlullāhﷺ on his chest, and it is said in a narration that they were debating whether to wash Rasūlullāhﷺ with his clothes or without his clothes, because the Sunnah is to wash without the clothes, but then they heard a sound tell them to wash Rasūlullāhﷺ with his clothes, so the body of Rasūlullāhﷺ was not uncovered during his washing, ‘Alï Ibn Abī Tālib said, “We washed him from over his garments.” And Al-‘Abbās and Fadl and Qithm used to turn the body around with ‘Alï, and Usāmah Bin Zayd and Sālih, the servant of Rasūlullāhﷺ, were the ones pouring the water, and ‘Alï Ibn Abī Tālib was the one who would rub the body of Rasūlullāhﷺ. And then they put him in three pieces of cloth that was the shroud of Rasūlullāhﷺ.

22.7.2 Salātul Janāzah and Burial of Rasūlullāhﷺ

The Salāh of Janāzah on Rasūlullāhﷺ was not one congregation but people would come in and pray and then they would come out, and this carried on; men would come in and out as much as the room would fit, making Salātul Janāzah on Rasūlullāhﷺ. And the body of Rasūlullāhﷺ was in the room of ‘Ā’ishah, and Umm Salamah says, “We were all together, the women of Rasūlullāhﷺ, crying. And we had a little comfort in seeing at least the body of Rasūlullāhﷺ.” Even if Rasūlullāhﷺ was not alive, we had the body of Rasūlullāhﷺ to look at with us in the room and we were continuously crying. And then, Subhān’Allāh, she said – and this was a Wednesday night, late at night – she said, “We heard the digging, the digging of the grave of Rasūlullāhﷺ, so we all broke down and screamed. And they heard it in the Masjid and they screamed and there was an uproar in all of Madīnah.” Because now they know that the body of Rasūlullāhﷺ is going into its grave. She said, “They heard us in the Masjid and then from the Masjid the crying was everywhere all over Madīnah.” And when it was time for Fajr, Bilāl was making Adhān, he said, “Allāhu Akbar Allāhu Akbar, Allāhu Akbar Allāhu Akbar, Ash’hadu Allā Ilāha Illallāh, Ash’hadu Allā Ilāha Illallāh,” and when it came to Ash’hadu Anna Muhammad Ar-Rasūlullāh, he could not go any further, he started crying and he could not finish the Adhān.

22.7.3 ‘Ā’ishah Dreams of Three Moons Falling on her Lap

So they dug the grave of Rasūlullāhﷺ in the room of ‘Ā’ishah according to the Sunnah that the Ambiyā’ are buried in the place where they die, and Rasūlullāhﷺ was buried in the room of ‘Ā’ishah. ‘Ā’ishah said that she saw a dream that three moons fell in her lap, so Abū Bakr As-Siddīq – and he was very good at dream interpretations – said, “If your dream is true, then three men from the best men on the face of the earth would be buried in your house.” And when it was time to bury Rasūlullāhﷺ, Abū Bakr told ‘Ā’ishah, “This is the best of your moons.”

22.7.4 Al-Mughīrah – Last Person to Touch Rasūlullāhﷺ

The body of Rasūlullāhﷺ was descended into the grave, and again, it was the family of Rasūlullāhﷺ who took care of his burial. However it says in one narration that before they would cover the grave, Al-Mughīrah threw in his ring intentionally into the grave and then he told everyone, “Wait, wait! Let me go and grab my ring.” So he went down to the grave to be the last person who would touch Rasūlullāhﷺ and then he came out.

22.8 Greatest Calamity to Befall Ummah is the Death of Rasūlullāhﷺ

When the burial was done and people came back, Fātimah was speaking to Anas Ibn Mālik and she said, “Yā Anas, did your heart allow you to throw dirt on the body of Rasūlullāhﷺ when he was buried?” So the whole thing was difficult for them; the washing of Rasūlullāhﷺ, the burial of Rasūlullāhﷺ, the death of Rasūlullāhﷺ; everything was very difficult on the Ummah, and that is why Rasūlullāhﷺ says, “Whenever a calamity befalls one of you, remember the calamity of my death.” The greatest calamity that can befall a Muslim has already happened, and that is the death of Rasūlullāhﷺ; whatever happens to you after that is going to be small compared to the loss of Rasūlullāhﷺ, compared to the fact that Rasūlullāhﷺ is not with us; everything else is small. And there was Fitnah after the death of Rasūlullāhﷺ; many of the tribes became Murtadd. Muhammad Ibn Is’hāq says, “The Arabs became apostates, and Jews and Christians started showing themselves again, and Hypocrisy became very widespread, and Muslims were like lost sheep in a cold rainy night after the Prophet, Rasūlullāh,ﷺ died, until they were brought together again under Abū Bakr.” And Anas Ibn Mālik says, “I witnessed two days in my life, one of them was the best day and one of them was the worst day; the best day was the day when Rasūlullāhﷺ came to Madīnah, and that was a day when everything was bright, and then the worst day was the day Rasūlullāhﷺ passed away, and that was a dark day.” Anas Ibn Mālik also says, “By the time we were dusting our hands after the burial of Rasūlullāhﷺ, we would already feel that our hearts are different.” The hearts were different because of the death of Rasūlullāhﷺ.

22.8.1 Sahābah Miss Revelation after Death of Rasūlullāhﷺ

One day Abū Bakr and ‘Umar decided to visit Umm Ayman, so she started to cry and they asked her, “Why are you crying?” She said, “I am crying because there is no more Revelation.” So it was not only Rasūlullāhﷺ that they were missing but they were also missing the Revelation that was coming from As-Samā’. Imagine living in a time when Qur’ān was being revealed, Āyāt that you are going to hear for the first time in your life.

Simple Possessions Rasūlullāhﷺ Left Behind

What did Rasūlullāhﷺ leave behind? Rasūlullāhﷺ did not leave behind any inheritance, Rasūlullāhﷺ lived for his Ummah, lived serving Allāh, and Rasūlullāhﷺ passed away from this Dunyā clean, he only left behind a white mule and his weapons and a land that he left behind for the travellers as Sadaqah – that is all what Rasūlullāhﷺ had; his arms which he would use to fight Fee Sabeelillāh and that is it; no property, no land, no wealth, no gold, no silver – a mule and arms.

22.8.2 Abū Bakr and ‘Umar Follow Footsteps of Rasūlullāhﷺ Even in his Death

Muhammad Ibn Is’hāq says, “Rasūlullāhﷺ passed away on the 12th of Rabī’ Al-Awwal, the same day in which he made Hijrah to Madīnah 10 years ago.” So Rasūlullāhﷺ lived for exactly 10 years in Madīnah. Rasūlullāhﷺ died at the age of 63, Abū Bakr died at the age of 63, and ‘Umar died at the age of 63; they followed the footsteps of Rasūlullāhﷺ even in his death.

End of Seerah

Brothers and sisters, this is the end of the Seerah of Rasūlullāhﷺ. We thank Allāh, we say Alhamdulillāh, Alhamdulillāh, Alhamdulillāh, who allowed us to go through the life – the Seerah, of the best of creation, Muhammadﷺ; it is a wonderful time to spend with the story of our beloved Prophetﷺ. So we ask Allāh, dear brothers and sisters, in the end, to make us of those who love Rasūlullāhﷺ, to make us of those who truly love Rasūlullāhﷺ,to make us of those who will follow his Sunnah –his way, and to make us of those who would be raised up with him on the Day of Judgement and will drink from his hands from Al-Kauthar, and we ask Allāh to admit us with him into Paradise. Brothers and sisters, review this Seerah of Rasūlullāhﷺ, hear it again, follow it, and love Muhammadﷺ, and be concerned about the Ummah like Rasūlullāhﷺ was concerned about the Ummah, remember that Rasūlullāhﷺ lived and died for you, remember that Rasūlullāhﷺ left a lot of the enjoyment of the Dunyā for the sake of having Islām come to you, and say Alhamdulillāh about that, and be grateful, be grateful; the one who is not grateful towards people will not be grateful towards Allāh, and who among all humanity do we owe more to than Rasūlullāhﷺ? We owe a lot to Rasūlullāhﷺ; everything that we know about Islām came to us through him, so how much do we owe Rasūlullāhﷺ? The least that we could do in recognition for what Rasūlullāhﷺ did for us is that we follow him and make Salāh and Salām on Rasūlullāhﷺ.

Allāhumma Salli ‘Alā Muhammadin Wa ‘Alā Āli Muhammadin Kamā Sallaita ‘Alā Āli Ibrāhīm, Wa Bārik ‘Alā Muhammadin Wa ‘Alā Āli Muhammadin Kamā Bārkta ‘Alā Ibrāhīm Wa ‘Alā Āli Ibrāhīm, Innaka Hamīdum Majīd. Wassalāmu ‘Alaikum Wa Rahmatullāhi Wa Barakātuh.