Part 8

He, peace and blessings be upon him, felt as if he was drifting towards the inevitable end. Though going through the throes of death, he did not for a moment lose courage. He kept on beseeching Allah to help him: "O Lord! [ implore You seeking Your help through the agony of death."

At this point, *Aa‘ishah's brother, ~Abdur-Rahmaan, entered the room with a green Siwaak (a tooth stick) in his hand, while ~Aa'ishah was supporting the Prophet 's back against her chest. Seeing the Prophet 's eyes resting on it (i.e. the Siwaak), she knew that he wanted it. So she said to him, "Shall I take it for you?" He nodded in agreement. She took it from her brother, but it was too stiff for him to use. "Shall I soften it for you?” she said. He nodded in approval. She chewed ita little to make it soft and pliable. Then she gave it to the Prophet, who brushed his tecth with it vigorously despite his failing health.

His strength had declined rapidly and he was heard saying, "O Allah, grant me pardon and join me with companionship on high.” He also murmured, "Nay, the most Exalted Companion in Paradise." Then he said, “Salaah, Salaah! The persons who have been entrusted to your care!" This, he repeated several times. He began to lose consciousness and his strength diminished. He opened his eyes wide open and he said clearly: “Lord! Blessed is the companionship on high." His limbs went limp and he fell into ~ Aa'ishah's lap. She fixed her eyes upon him anxiously, almost hoping to get a response from him but she found to her great sorrow that the faint suggestion of a smile, which relaxed her husband's lips, did not belong to this world. The Prophet , peace and blessings be upon him, by then had returned to the companionship of the One on high. That was on Monday 12", Rabee> Al-Awwal, in 11 AH.

When the news of the Prophet's death spread to all corners of the city, consternation blazed through the ranks of the people. Some wept bitterly, some were speechless, and some disbelieved the news of his death holding that he had experienced a swoon. “Umar Ibn AI! Khattaab stood up and said, "Some hypocrites think that Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, has died; but Muhammad is not dead. However, he has gone to his Lord as Moses, son of * Imraan, had gone to his Lord, and he had been absent from his people forty nights, and he (Moses) returned to them after it was said that he had died. By Allah, the Prophet will return as Moses -had returned, and he will surely cut off the hands and feet of men who allege that he is dead."

Abu Bakr, may Allah be pleased with him, was not present when the Prophet , peace and blessings be upon him, breathed his last. ~Aa’ishah relates: Abu Bakr came from his house at As-Sunh (where he lived) on a horse. He dismounted and passed through the mosque disregarding the crowds that

pressed past him. He walked onwards into the house of *Aa'ishah where the Prophet, peace and blessing be upon him, was lying. He then uncovered the Prophet 's face, knelt down and kissed him. With his eyes flooded in tears, he said: "May my father and mother be ransom for you. By Allah, you have tasted death which Allah has decreed; a second death will never overtake you."

He then went out while * Umar was still talking to the people, and he said, "Gently, Umar, calm down." But ~ Umar did not listen to him so Abu Bakr moved towards the people who had thronged round him and addressed them saying: "O people, let whoever worships Muhammad know the Muhammad is surely dead, and let whoever worships Allah know that Allah is alive and shall never die." He then recited the verse:

"Muhammad is no more than a Messenger: many were the Messengers that passed away before him. If he died or were slain, will ye then turn back on your heels? If any did turn back on his heels, not the least harm will he do to Allah; but Allah (on the other hand) will swiftly reward those who (serve Him) with gratitude." (Ali Imraan: 144)

This short sermon brought solace to the wounded hearts of Muslims and they submitted with cheerful resignation to the will of Allah. Umar is reported to have said: “By Allah, when I heard Abu Bakr recite that verse, it was as if I had never heard it before. I was dumbfounded to the extent that my legs could not carry me and I fell to the ground knowing that the Prophet was indeed dead."

Ibn ~Abbaas is reported to have said: "By Allah, it was as if the people never knew that Allah had revealed this verse till Abu Bakr recited it and all the people received it from him, and I heard everybody reciting it (then).

Abu Bakr's Scrupulous Conscience:

Abu Bakr, may Allah be pleased with him, never ate unlawful food. It is said that he had a slave who used to give him a portion of his daily income as the master's share. Once he brought him some food, and Abu Bakr took a morsel out of it. Then the slave said to him: "You always inquired about the source of what I bring to you, but today you have not done so." Abu_ Bakr replied: "I felt so hungry that I failed to do that. Tell me now, whence did you bring this food?" The slave said: "Before embracing Islam, I practised soothsaying. During these days, I came across some people for whom I practised some of my charms. They promised to pay me for that later on. I happened to pass by those people today, while they were engaged in a marriage ceremony, and they gave me this food. On saying this, Abu Bakr exclaimed, "Ah! You would have surely killed me?" Then he tried to disgorge the morsel he had swallowed, but he could not do so, as his stomach had been quite empty. Somebody suggested to him to take water to his fill and then retch it. Thereupon Abu Bakr sent for a goblet of water and kept on taking water and forcing it out, till he vomited out the morsel.

Somebody remarked: "May Allah have mercy on you! You put yourself to such a trouble for a single morsel.” To this Abu Bakr replied: "I would have thrust it out even if I had to lose my life, for I heard the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, say: “Any flesh which has grown out of unlawful

earnings will not enter Paradise." 1, therefore, made haste to clear my stomach of this morsel, lest any portion of my body should receive nourishment from it."(Reported by Abu Nu‘ aym.)

Abu Bakr's Utter Fear of Allah:

According to our belief, Abu Bakr As-Siddeeq, may Allah be pleased with him, is the most exalted person after the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him. The Prophet conveyed to him the glad tidings that his name shall be called out from all the gates of Paradise, and that he will be the first of his followers to enter it. With all these virtues and privileges, he used to say, "I wish I were a tree that would be cut and done away with." Sometimes he said, "I wish I were a blade of grass whose life ended with the grazing of some beast." This reflects his utter fear of Allah and his apprehension of reckoning on the Day of Judgement.

Abu Ahmad Al-Haakim reports on the authority of Mu*aadh Ibn Jabal who said: One day Abu Bakr entered a garden where he saw a bird standing under the shade of a tree. He sighed deeply and said: "O bird, how lucky you are! You eat from trees and take shade under them; when you die you do not have fear of reckoning on the Day of Judgement. I wish I were just like you."

Al-Asma*i narrates: When Abu Bakr was praised he used to say: "O Allah! You know me better than I do, I know myself better than them. O Allah! Let me better than I think I am, forgive me for what they do not know, and do not hold me accountable for what they say. "(Reported by Ibn ~ Asaakir.)

On the authority of Qatadah who says: "I was told that Abu Bakr said, ‘I wish I were a plant eaten by

Abu “Imraan Al-Jawni reports that Abu Bakr said: "I wish I were just a hair in the body of a devout Mu'min (believer)."(Reported by Ahmad.)

Ahmad narrates on the authority of Mujaabid who said: "When Ibn Az-Zubayr used to stand for Salaah he used to look like a "stick" out of his extreme devoutness and picty. And I was told that Abu Bakr was like him."

On the authority of Damurah Ibn Habeeb who says: "When one of Abu Bakr's son was dying, he kept looking at a cushion, so they pushed him away from the cushion and found five or six dinars under it. Abu Bakr said: "To Allah we belong, and to Him is our return! I do not think you can bear the burden of that sin."(Reported by Ahmad.)

Ibn Sa*d narrates on the authority of Ibn Sireen who said: "Ever since the demise of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, no one has been known to be most conscious in giving judgement about matters that he did not know, except Abu Bakr, and no body was so conscious of Allah like Abu Bakr, except “Umar. When Abu Bakr used to have a case that is not referred to in the Quran and the Suanah, he used to say: "I tried to arrive at the right opinion through my own personal judgement; if it is right, itis Allah's Favor, and if it is wrong, it is my fault and I pray to Allah to forgive me."

Abu Bakr Never Reveals the Prophet's Secrets: ~Umar Ibn Al-Khattaab, may Allah be pleased with him, narrates: "When Hafsah Bint “Umar became a widow after the

death of (her husband) Khunays Ibn Hudhafah As-Sahmyy who

had been one of the Companions of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, and he died at Madeenah. I went to “Uthmaan Ibn * Affaan and offered him the hand of Hafsah (for marriage). He said, "I will think it over.” I waited for a few days, then he met me and said, 'It seems that it is not possible for me to marry at present.'"