The Death of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him and his Household)
Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him and his Household) departed to his Lord on
the 28th of Safar in the year 11 of the Hijra. Just a short period of time
before his death, he had appointed Imam Ali (peace be upon him) as his successor
after the Farewell Pilgrimage. His death was extremely painful for the Muslims
to bear, and the sorrow still extends to this very day especially when we
remember what happened to his pure Household after him. His beloved daughter
Fatima followed her father swiftly and died at a very young age leaving behind
her a bereaved husband and sorrowful children.
Imam Ali (peace be upon him) was struck on his head in the mosque of Kufa while
he was praying…
Imam Hassan (peace be upon him) was poisoned…
Imam Hussein (peace be upon him) was killed in the most heart-rending way
possible in Karbala…
And Zainab was taken prisoner from one city to another!
In the moments of the Prophet's death, Imam Ali (peace be upon him), the
Hashemites, and the Prophet's wives were with him. When his pure soul ascended
to Allah, the people outside heard the cries of anguish and the news spread fast
in Medina. Even though the Prophet (peace be upon him and his Household) had
spoken of his impending death in previous instances, but it was still very hard
to lose him.
Imam Ali (peace be upon him) washed him the ritual washing for the dead and
after that the Muslims came in groups one after the other to perform the funeral
prayer.
A grave was dug in the room in which the Prophet (peace be upon him) died and
that is the place where he was buried in the luminous city of Medina which
derived its light from the Prophet's presence in it.
When we commemorate his death we should ask ourselves how close are we to him?
To what extent do we follow his orders and teachings?
-He was very attached to prayer and would wait for its time to come. He said to
Bilal, the caller to Prayer: "Give us relief". Prayer to him was a source of
tranquility and joy. Do we also find comfort in prayer and supplication? Do we
hurry to perform our prayers with a thankful heart or do we delay them and
perform them quickly without being heedful of the profound meanings and the One
we are speaking to?
-He was very humble and would sit with the poor. He did not act in a way which
would distinguish him from anyone else. Once, a man who did not know him came to
seek him while the Prophet (peace be upon him and his Household) was sitting
with his companions, and due to the fact that there was no distinguishing
feature in his clothes or manner the man asked: "Which one of you is Muhammad?"
We send our condolences to all the Muslims in the world and we ask Allah to make
us steadfast in the path of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him and his
Household).