The Last Prophet of Allah
by Ghulam Nabi Muslim
The Death of the Prophet [Muhammad (pbuh)]
The mission of the Prophet was now complete. He had delivered the message of Allah to the people. The Arabs had accepted Islam. The law of the Quran ruled over the country. The divided Arabs were united with the bonds of love, faith, brotherhood, and equality. He had, under his guidance, trained a large number of his sincere and devoted followers to carry on his work. Now it was time for him to depart from this world.
About three months after his return from Mecca, the Prophet fell ill. He knew that his end was near. One day he went to the Masjid-i-Nabavi (the Prophet’s Mosque) and addressed the Muslims saying,
“I have always tried to be kind and just to you. Have I done any harm to anyone of you? Let him come forward. Let him punish me for it. Do I owe anything to anyone? If so, let him stand forward.”
A man stood up from the crowd and said,
“You once took three dirhams from me, but you never gave them back to me. Please do so now.”
“I thank you,”
said the Prophet.
“I am glad you have saved me from shame before Allah.”
The money was paid at once.
The Prophet made Abu Bakr the imam (leader) to lead the prayers. He then asked the Muslims to remain united, to act upon the message of Allah and to follow his footsteps.
A few days later, the Prophet passed away at the age of 63. It was the 9th of Rabi-ul-Awwal in the eleventh year of Hijrat [migration].