Part 67

He spent ten years establishing that, after which he passed away, May Allaah extol and send blessings of peace upon him [146] ___________________________________________________________ The Prophet carried that out for ten years after his migration; then after Allaah had completed the Religion through him, and had perfected His favour upon the Believers, then Allaah chose him to join the highest companionship, that of the prophets, their sincere followers, the martyrs and the righteous folk. So he (SiO became ill at the end of the month of Safar and the beginning of the month of Rabee'ul-Awwal. So he went out to the people with his head bound (with a cloth). He ascended the mimbar, declared the testification of Faith, and the first thing that he said after that was to seek forgiveness for the martyrs who were killed at Uhud. Then he said: "A servant from the servants of Allaah has been given a choice by Allaah between this world and what is with Him; so he chose that which is with Allaah." So Aboo Bakr, radiyallaahu 'anhu, understood this and wept, and said: "May my father and mother be a ransom for you, we would pay our fathers our mothers, our children, our selves, and our wealth as a ransom for you." So the Prophet (Uj£) said: "Do not be hasty, O Aboo Bakr" Then he said: "The person who has favoured me most with his companionship and his wealth is Aboo Bakr, and if I were to take someone as the one particularly beloved friend to me besides my Lord, then I would have taken Aboo Bakr as such. However it is rather the Islamic friendship and love." Then he ordered that Aboo Bakr should lead the people in the Prayer. Then when it was the day of Monday - the twelfth or thirteenth of the month of Rabee'ulAwwal, of the eleventh year after the hijrah, Allaah chose him for His company. So when death came to him he began dipping his hand into some water he had besides him, and wiping his face and saying: ''None has the right to be worshipped except Allaah, indeed death has its agonies" Then he turned his sight towards the heavens and said: "O Allaah, amongst the highest companionship." So he passed away on that day, and the people were greatly distressed and disturbed due to that, and rightly so. Until Aboo Bakr, radiyallaahu 'anhu, came and ascended the mimbar and praised and exalted Allaah, and then said: "To proceed, then whoever worshipped Muhammad, then Muhammad has died; and whoever worships Allaah, then Allaah lives and never dies." Then he recited: "Muhammad is but a messenger, messengers have passed away before him. So if he dies or is killed will you turn back from you Religion." [surah Aal-Tmraan (3):144] "O Muhammad (30,), you will soon die and your people, those who deny you and those who believe - will die." [surah az-Zumar (39):30] So the people wept severely and knew that he had died. So he was washed in his clothes out of respect for him. Then he was shrouded in three pure white (cotton) sheets, with no robe or turban being used. Then the people prayed over him separately without a single imaam. Then he was buried on the night before Wednesday - after the pledge of allegiance was completed for the Caliph who came after him. So may the most excellent praise of his Lord and perfect peace be upon him. and his Religion remains, and this is his Religion: There is no good except that he guided his ummah to it, and no evil except that he warned them against it. So the good that he called them to was at-tawhid, and all that Allaah loves and is pleased with; and the evil that he warned against was ash-shirk and all that Allaah hates and rejects. Allaah sent him as a Messenger to all of the people, and Allaah made it obligatory upon all of the jinn and mankind to obey him. The proof is the Saying of Allaah, the Most High, "Say, O Muhammad, to all of the people: 'I am the Messenger of Allaah to you all"?