Muhammad the Prophet

by Maulana Muhammad Ali

Chapter 9: The Farewell Pilgrimage

اَلۡیَوۡمَ اَکۡمَلۡتُ لَکُمۡ دِیۡنَکُمۡ وَ اَتۡمَمۡتُ عَلَیۡکُمۡ نِعۡمَتِیۡ

“This day have I perfected for you your religion and completed My favour to you” (The Holy Quran, 5:3).

Prophet’s Last Pilgrimage:

The ninth year A.H. was drawing to its close, but Arabia had not altogether been purged of idolatry. There were yet certain people who clung to their ancestral form of religion. Hence the Holy Prophet’s pilgrimages so far had been all of the kind known as umrah (the minor pilgrimage). By this time, however, Islam had spread far and wide and the idolatrous tribes were comparatively few; so a party of Muslims, with Abu Bakr at their head, was sent to Makkah, to perform the pilgrimage proper. Soon after, Ali was sent thither to proclaim that thenceforward no polytheist would perform the pilgrimage. This was, in fact, a sort of a prophecy, foretelling the conversion of the whole of Arabia, so that no polytheist would be left to perform the pilgrimage. The entire country, joined Islam in the year 10 A.H., when the Holy Prophet in person set out on pilgrimage. What an impressive spectacle! As many as 124,000 persons from various corners of Arabia assembled on this occasion without a single polytheist among them. The very spot where the Prophet was, at the beginning of his mission, discarded and rejected, was now the scene of marvellous devotion to him. To whichever side he turned his eye, he saw hosts of devoted friends. What an inspiring manifestation of Divine Power! How all those assembled there must have been impressed with Divine awe and majesty may well be imagined.

But whereas the Holy Prophet saw this remarkable sight of the final triumph of Truth, he was at the same time given to understand that his mission on earth had been fulfilled. His efforts had been crowned with such success as had never fallen nor will ever fall to the lot of another man. Thus the time had come when he should retire from this earthly life, the grand object of which had been accomplished. On the one hand, the whole of Arabia had embraced Islam, while on the other, religion itself had attained its highest point of perfection.

“This day,”

the Divine word came to tell him,

“have I perfected for you your religion and completed My favour to you.” (The Holy Quran, 5:3).

It was thenceforward unnecessary that another messenger should ever arise. All the religious requirements of man had been provided for in the Holy Quran. This would be the one fountain of Divine knowledge at which humanity would drink for all time to come. No doubt, no better occasion could have been chosen to proclaim the momentous and happy news of the perfection of religion. This was the place which had never, in the history of the world, witnessed any temporal fights or bloodshed. This was an assembly which had met there for the sole object of Divine glorification, cutting asunder all worldly ties for the time being. This was a congregation where human equality ruled supreme, where no mark of distinction between king and peasant was to be noticed, where all met as brethren to do homage to their Lord, and where every heart was filled with Divine awe.

Sermon at Mina:

The sermon that the Holy Prophet delivered on this occasion was remarkable. He was mounted on a camel, and the people assembled all around him on the field of Mina. The words that fell from his lips were repeated aloud in order to reach the farthest ends of the vast assembly. Every Arabian tribe and clan was represented on this occasion, and thus the message was conveyed throughout the length and breadth of the peninsula. It ran thus:

Then the Holy Prophet cried at the top of his voice:

“O Lord! I have delivered Thy message,”

and the valley resounded with the reply from the myriads of human throats with one accord:

“Aye that thou hast”.

No doubt the message was sublime, but the zeal with which it was delivered was no less so. Here is another Sermon on the Mount in the history of the world, grander than the first and more practicable.

The Holy Prophet’s Last Illness:

On his return from the Farewell Pilgrimage, when he received the happy tidings of the perfection of religion and delivered his final message, the Holy Prophet was every moment looking forward to meet his Lord. About the end of the month of Safar, 11 A.H. he fell ill. He had already ordered the despatch of an army towards the Syrian border, under the command of Usamah, son of Zaid, whose father had been slain in a previous expedition sent thither. Notwithstanding his illness, in person did he entrust Usamah with the standard, and men of position such as Abu Bakr and Umar were placed under him as ordinary soldiers. By so doing he intended to emphasize, on the very evening of his earthly life, the principle of human equality. The army encamped outside Madinah. But the Holy Prophet’s illness growing alarming, its departure was postponed. With the consent of all his wives, it was agreed upon that the Holy Prophet should stay on at Aishah’s house for the period of his illness. Till his last breath Aishah kept to his bedside and nursed him. Even in the course of his illness he went to the mosque to lead prayers as usual, but felt too weak to speak. One day much water had to be poured over his head before he could come out, and he had a bandage round his head. After the prayer, he addressed the congregation, saying that Allah had offered a servant of His choice between this earthly life and the life with Him, and he chose the latter. Abu Bakr was quick enough to realize that the Holy Prophet was referring to his approaching end, and tears came into his eyes. Then the latter directed that all the doors opening into the courtyard of the mosque should be closed, except that of Abu Bakr. After this, he advised the Refugees to show every kindness to the Helpers.

Abu Bakr appointed Imam:

The following day the Holy Prophet grew weaker. When at Bilal’s call to prayer, he tried to rise and make his ablutions, he found himself unable to do so. So he said that Abu Bakr should be asked to lead the prayers. Aishah excused her father by saying that he was a man of tender heart and would burst into tears in reciting the Quran. Besides his voice was too low. But the Holy Prophet repeated the same direction. Again Aishah put forward the same excuse on behalf of her father, but the Holy Prophet was persistent, so Abu Bakr, thereafter, led the prayers. One day when the Holy Prophet felt a little relief, he moved the curtain of his house aside and stepped into the mosque. The congregational prayer was at that moment going on, beholding which a ripple of joy passed over his face. He saw with his own eyes how devoutly and humbly those whose guidance was entrusted to him bowed and prostrated before Allah, even in his absence. This was, indeed, a matter of no small happiness to him. But his strength failed him, and he had to retrace his steps.

The Holy Prophet’s Demise:

This happened on Monday, and it gave the assembly the impression that he was convalescent. So they all resumed their various pursuits. Abu Bakr departing to visit his family at Sunh. But soon afterwards the Holy Prophet collapsed, and Aishah supported him. In the meantime, one of her relations entered the room with a green twig in his hand. The Holy Prophet asked for it with a gesture and rubbed his teeth with it, cleaning his mouth well. Then came a sudden change. His strength failed rapidly.

“Lord! blessed companionship on High,”

were the last whispered words of his earnest prayer. Having faithfully rendered his obligations towards his earthly companions, he now returned to the loving bosom of companionship on High. It was on Monday, the twelfth of Rabi al-Awwal, that he breathed his last, at the age of sixty-three. May the Lord shower His choicest blessings on him.

News of the Holy Prophet’s death spread like wildfire, and people thronged into the mosque. Umar thought the rumour had been given out by malicious mischief-mongers. Was not the Holy Prophet with them in the mosque but a little while ago? Did he not look convalescent? Under this impression, Umar addressed the assembly and insisted that the Holy Prophet was not dead. Whosoever, he continued, with his sword drawn, should say that the Holy Prophet was dead, would do so at the peril of his life. All were attending to Umar when Abu Bakr appeared on the scene and made straightaway for Aishah’s chamber. Uncovering the Holy Prophet’s face, he found that the unhappy news was true. Then kissing the forehead of his departed Master, he exclaimed,

“God will not bring death twice upon thee”.

Abu Bakr’s Sermon:

Abu Bakr then went out into the mosque and mounting the pulpit, he began to address the assembly.

“O people,”

he said,

“verily, whosoever worshipped Muhammad, behold, Muhammad is indeed dead. But whosoever worshipped Allah, behold! Allah is alive, and will never die.”

It required no small moral courage to utter these words in the atmosphere of excitement then prevailing. Umar was standing there with his sword unsheathed to strike off the head of anybody who should dare say so. But the Muslims brought up under the influence of the Great Prophet, were devoted heart and soul to the worship of One God. Had it not been for the fact that they were too jealous for the Unity of God, they must have greatly resented the blunt words of Abu Bakr. Then Abu Bakr proceeded to recite the Quranic verse:

مَا مُحَمَّدٌ اِلَّا رَسُوۡلٌ ۚ قَدۡ خَلَتۡ مِنۡ قَبۡلِہِ الرُّسُلُ ؕ اَفَا۠ئِنۡ مَّاتَ اَوۡ قُتِلَ انۡقَلَبۡتُمۡ عَلٰۤی اَعۡقَابِکُمۡ ؕ

“Muhammad is but a Messenger — messengers have already passed away before him. If then he dies or is killed, will you turn back upon your heels?” (The Holy Quran, 3:144).

The Prophet’s mission, the communication of Divine will to mankind, had been fulfilled. His death could, therefore, mean no harm to religion. There was no reason to feel so much grieved. Had not prophets before him passed away, one and all? Muhammad, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, too was mortal and must share the common lot of mankind. Prophets could claim no exception to the law of nature which was applicable to all alike. Had a single one of the forgoing prophets escaped death, there would have been cause for Muslims to grieve. But all his predecessors had passed away and there was nothing extraordinary in the death of Muhammad, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him. The sermon had a very soothing effect upon the assembly, and this Quranic verse was on the lips of everyone. It brought solace to the wounded hearts of Muslims in this unbearably sad bereavement. They submitted with a cheerful resignation to the will of Allah. Prophet or non-prophet, everybody must depart from this earthly abode, sooner or later; Allah alone is Everlasting.

Footnotes:

1. Obviously, the Holy Prophet had perceived the approach of his end from the verse announcing the perfection of religion, which was revealed to him on the 9^th of Dhu-l-Hajj, in the plain of Arafat. He had been raised, he was well cognizant, in order to bring religious truth to perfection. Evidently, when he was informed that that perfection had been attained, he came to the conclusion that his presence on earth was no longer needed. ↩︎

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