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The Visage
of Prophet Mohammad
By:Dr.
Ali Shariati
PART TWO
The Prophet's Death:
More beautiful than all the periods
of his life, was his death. We have been in the habit of considering death
always as an uproarious affair. To borrow movie jargon, we appreciate action,
battle and its clamour, scenes which have conflicts, panoramic backgrounds,
hubbubs and in the words of actors, full of suspense and adventure. But
we cannot feel and comprehend a peaceful death with all its tragic profoundity,
greatness, beauty and lesson. It is for this reason that we still are not
totally aware of the dimensions of the Prophet's death. Otherwise, for
anybody who is capable of feeling and understanding such things, the death
of the Prophet (S) is a more sorrowful, tragic, profound and undoubtedly
more glorious incident than the martyrdom of Hussien (A). The period of
the Prophet's last protracted illness lasted one year. From the time of
the Hajjat al-Wadah -the Last Pilgrimage-up to the time he could speak
no more and was preparing himself for death. During this year his behaviour
radically changed and his speech assumed a completely different style.
His relations with the Companions became calculated; and every one was
treated in a particular manner, expressing a definite meaning. In his relationship
with Ali (A), he grew more dependant upon him daily. He is obviously worried
about the fate of this man and also seems to be anxious about the destiny
of his own mission.
He wishes to give him support to recompense
for his loneliness among the senior Companions by praising him more and
giving him special treatment. He gives expression to this attitude repeatedly
throughout the year.
As I have given a detailed account
of the last days of the Prophet (S) before, I shall not repeat it again
here. If you are interested, I will read only the last pages concerned
with the death of the Prophet (S). (Of course, in summary).
Man always conceals his true self throughout
his life. He is always concealed from others behind the appearances that
he assumes. Man always has a veil over his face. It is usually on two occasions
in his life that he raises this veil from his face: inside a prison cell
and on his death bed. It is on these two occasions that you find an opportunity
to see the real face of every, person, especially in his death chamber!
As soon as man smells death, he becomes
cordial and sincere. One reveals his real self on his death bed. The dread
of death overtakes him in such a manner that he finds no time for simulation
It is an event of such magnanimity that all other matters become insignificant
in comparison. The soul steps out from its hiding place, where it had concealed
itself all throughout life from the public view.
Dying is also an art and must be learnt
and acquired like other arts. It is an extremely beautiful and profound
drama, the most dramatic and spectacular scene of the human life. There
are very few persons who have died beautifully. I have been searching for
a long time in the annals of history for people who have died beautifully,
trying to discover extremely beautiful and glorious deaths. Of course,
the people-who know how to die, also know how to live. For those people
who know that living is not merely breathing also know that dying is not
merely the suspension of breathing, but it is in itself an act, a great
act just like living.
Grand deaths are not of one and the
same nature. Everyone dies in the same fashion in which he lives. One of
the most famous deaths was that of Vespasian, a Roman emperor. Lying in
bed in the agony of death, with his officers standing near-by as soon as
he realized that the hands of death had reached his throat, he jumped out
of his bed and uttered: "An emperor ought to die standing," and died in
the arms of his officers. That is grand. But there are certain eyes which
are able to witness the beauty and glory of such deaths, while some which
cannot see beyond appearances, cannot. (The death of a general can be easily
understood by a man, but. . .). The grandeur of a battle scene, the beauty
of a sword, the delicacy of a soft velvet are seen by ordinary eyes, but
the grandeur of a soul, the beauty of an idea and the delicacy of a need
are not perceivable to them. The death of Muhammad (S) also belongs in
the same category. It is not adorned with the lightning of the sword, with
streams of blood, with the neighing of horses, with heroic war-cries and
it is for this very reason that near-sighted eyes remain incapable of perceiving
its beauty. How can the occasion of Muhammad's (S) meeting with death be
so simple? During (his last) this year, the signs of the end of life and
the commencement of death were quite visible in the looks of the Prophet
(S), in his speech, in his indefatigable social efforts, in his behaviour
and in his private life. Now the great commander of history, who has mobilized
his grand army with the unceasing efforts of twenty- three years, has to
assign new jobs to the future- front of this army. This army is advancing
to wage a war on a large scale. They are to fight everywhere, and at all
times, with ignorance and the vileness of the soul, and wage war against
the 'Caesars' and 'Khusrows' which rule the societies.
The wonderful prophetic mission of
Muhammad (S) has come to an end. The army is to be inspected for the last
time. Whatever has been instructed during the span of twenty- three years
is to be reviewed once again. A thorough and comprehensive inspection,
an all- embracing study of general issues, without ignoring a single detail
is to be carried out, lest a single point remain untold and the things
that are already mentioned remain unheeded. All these tasks are to be taken
care of in advance before this (final) journey.
The eleventh year of the Hijrah has
begun, and the fruitful life of Muhammad (S) is coming to a close. The
first job to do is to bid farewell to the people of Mecca, by the side
of the Ka'bah.(The account of his last pilgrimage is a detailed one, which
I shall omit. I shall mention here only an interesting incident that occurred
there.)After the Tawaf (the ritual going around the Ka'bah),he performed
two rak'ahs of prayer at the Place of Ibrahim (on the occasion of Hajat
al- Wida'; the Last Pilgrimage.) Afterwards he kissed the Hajar al-Aswad
(the Black Stone) for the second time, and immediately went towards Safa'
and walked briskly (sa'y) between Safa' and Marwah. At this juncture, he
made an announcement that those who had not brought sacrificial animals
should perform 'Umrah (visitation or Lesser Hajj) and take off their ihram;
(the pilgrim's dress). (This peculiar behaviour is to be noticed). Many
people hesitated, and expressed their unhappiness about it. The Prophet
was so angered that his rage was expressed by his face. In a voice choked
with anger, he ordered them to obey his command. He went to his tent in
anger. Fearful and alarmed, Ayesha asked him who had made him so angry.
Angrily he answered, "Why should I be not be angry when they do not obey
my command?" One of his Companions came and saw the Prophet (S) emotionally
upset. He regretfully said: "O Prophet of God! May whoever has made you
angry, be thrown into the fire by God." The Prophet (S) said: "Did you
not see that I commanded the people to do something and they disobeyed
me? Had I known it, I too would not have brought the offering, and would
have taken off my ihram as well."
The people came to know that the Prophet
(S) was very upset. They were ashamed of their behaviour and took off their
ihrams immediately. Fatimh (A), his daughter, and all other women who had
not brought offerings did the same.
History, the slave of the aristocracy,
was again in bewilderment! What is it, as to why this king, who has more
than one hundred thousand servants at his command, does not punish the
transgressors. (There were approximately one hundred and several thousand
men with him at the time of Hajat al-Wida'.) Where is the executioner?
Why does he not issue a decree for their massacre? (History is accustomed
to such practices. Instead he returns to his tent in anger and dismay!)
How does this king rule? How has he
conquered the country? Is it possible to rule without being in possession
of a thing like fine silk and saffron-coloured objects?
"It is gold that inscribes the name
of a king, And the other thing is a shining pearl from Yeman. But the state
is captured with two things, One is silken and the other is saffron-coloured."
One is the sword and the other is the
gold-coin. This king makes neither use of his sword, nor does he possess
a treasure! How could he attain power?
Indeed, it is possible to do so. This
uneducated fellow has come to teach people how to do it. What do the teaching
institutions of Rome, Athens, Median, and those who are the products of
the great Eastern and Western cultures know? They have never had any teachers
other than jackals and foxes in their schools of politics.
Standing on the mount of 'Arfat, (Jabal
al-Rahmah) the Prophet (S) appointed some persons to repeat his words (one
conveys the words to the other and he in turn to another) asks Rabi'ah
to say: "O, people. the Prophet of God says, do you know which month this
is?" (This is the last speech.) Rabi'ah repeats these words in a loud voice.
The Prophet (S) waits (in order to see his words are accurately communicated).
People consider it their duty to answer, and they say: "This is the sacred
(Haram) month." The Prophet (S) continues: "Tell them that as long as you
are in the presence of your God, God Almighty has consecrated your blood
and your possessions in the same way as He has consecrated this month."
He asks Rabi'ah to say: "The Prophet of God asks you tell which month is
this." Rabi'ah repeats and the Prophet (S) waits and listens to him. Again
the Prophet (S) asks him to say. "What day is it?" Rabi'ah repeats his
question and people say: "The day of the Greater Pilgrimage." He asks Rabi'ah
to tell them: "God Almighty has consecrated your blood and your possessions
as He has consecrated this day." The Prophet (S) continues his speech in
the same fashion: "O people, listen to my words, I may never see you again
here. As long as you are in the vicinity of the House of God, your blood
and your possessions are consecrated by God in the manner of this day and
this month. You will shortly meet your God, He will take account of your
deeds. I ask you to return whatever was entrusted to your custody. All
kinds of usury is futile, but your capital belongs to you. Neither oppress
anyone, nor tolerate any oppression. God has forbidden usury, and all usury
money due to 'Abbas ibn' Abd al-Muttalib is null and void (first he gives
an account of his own family members then....). Every murder committed
in the days of heathenism (Jahiliyyah) is not accountable and the first
murder I pardon is the murder of ibn Rabi'ah ibn Harith ibn 'Abd al-Muttalib
(for which I am a legitimate claimant).
The last great task assigned to him
is at last completed. Today, the greatest of all men in history, who has
accomplished the greatest of all the prophetic missions successfully, is
to bid adieu to his city for ever, so that he may die in peace with a calm
conscience and a sense of fulfilment among his faithful Companions in Madinah.
Subsequent to this, the episode of Ghadir occurs in the course of his return
Journey. He examines and evaluates each one of his Compan,ons in order
to anticipate to whom the people will gather in the future. He assesses
as to what kind of persons are Uthman, Abu Bakr, Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas and
'Abd al- Rahman one by one, until he comes to 'Ali(A). Among them 'Ali
(A) has a definite eminence. (It is here that they criticized him by saying
that after all, he preferred 'Ali(A) to all others. How strange that a
non-entity is placed at the top!) He is the only Companion of Muhammad
(S) who had no associations with the pre-Islamic heathen past. His is the
generation that came into being with Islam and was cast in the mould of
Muhammad's(S) revolution. His other distinction belongs to his bringing
up. The kind hands of poverty brought him from his own house to the house
of Muhammad (S) at a tender age when all the basic dimensions of his soul
and mind were being shaped and moulded. This in an important incident that
a child is entrusted to the custody of his cousin during the lifetlme'
of his father (during those days it was an extraordinary thing that a child
whose father was alive and enjoyed a distinguished position was placed
under the guardianship of his uncle's son), so that a blessed soul who
was destined to be an ideal of humanity was to be trained in the school
where Muhammad (S) was the tutor and the Book that was introduced to him
was the Quran, that too from the very beginning of revelation with a view
that the blank tablet of the child's heart might not receive any impressions
of heathenism. A man of the sword, both rhetoric and politic, and possesses
the subtlety of the feeling of an Aarif and the wisdom of a hakim (philosopher).
His sense of piety and justice is so rigorous that he has become unacceptable
to the Companions. His exact and accurate knowledge of the Quran is unanimously
accepted by all (throughout his return journey after the Last Pilgrimage
the Prophet (S) had been making a mental comparison, assessing him and
comparing hirn with the other Companions regarding the role they were to
play in the future).The specific circumstances of his private life, his
social and political activities, his relationship with the Prophet (S)
and especially his spiritual and intellectual position have been instrumental
in bringing him closer to the real spirit of Islam, its deeper and profound
meanings that remained hidden beneath the surface of the injunctions, beliefs
and religious rites that are not visible to the eyes accustomed to the
exoteric aspects of religion only. His feelings and his outlook have become
one with the essence of Islam. He possesses the Islamic consciousness,
which is something over and above mere faith in Islam.
Throughout the course of twenty- three
years, since Muhammad (S) launched his movement in the spiritual realm
as well as society, Ali (A) was always distinguishable from others. He
always dwelt in the midst of dangers and did not waver even once. He never
once showed the slightest signs of weakness during his whole life. What
distinguishes 'Ali (A) more than any other thing is his multi- dimensional
personality- the spirit that surpasses all other heroes in all its diverse
dimensions. He is a hero in the realm of thought as well as a hero on the
battle-field. His capacity to love is great, equally at ease under the
niche of a mosque or among people. A man who loves aloofness, yet is active
in politics. The greatest enemy of all the forms of lewdness which cause
human suffering. The embodiment of all the sublime aspirations that have
been cherished by human hearts throughout the ages.
But, it is quite obvious that in a
society which is separated by only ten years from the heathen Beduin and
tribal epoch, how alienated, how strange and unknown such a soul may find
itself. It is a tragic record of history, and the fate of 'Ali (A) and
his associates is the most tragic of all. There never existed such a big
disparity between an individual and the society to which he belonged.
There is doubt that the Prophet (S)
had an intense feeling for 'Ali (A) in his heart of hearts. In various
ways he revealed his special liking for 'Ali (A). But he also knew full
well that the elite of the Ummah would not easily accept the leadership
of this young man a little older than thirty years, who had no refuge in
the society except that of Muhammad's (S) love and had no wealth whatsoever
except his sacrifices for Islam
The most powerful party in the Islamic
politics is the party of Abu Bakr, the most eminent members of which are
'Umar, Abu' Ubaydah, Sa'd ibn Abu Waqas, 'Uthman Talhah and Zubayr's all
of whom came to the fold of Islam at the same time with Abu Bakr, and these
were the same persons who formed the Shura (the Council to elect a caliph)
thirty-five years later. (How strange! ) Today, at this stage, the Prophet's
task has assumed very serious and precarious dimensions. Proclamation that
'Ali (A) is the greatest and the most suitable person to take up the leadership
can jeopardise and shake the base of unity attained with much effort in
a tribal Beduin Arab society, which is the solitary hope that can guarantee
the life of the young Ummah. On the other hand, if Muhammad (S) kept silent
in regard to 'Ali(A), would he not be sacrificing truth for prudence? Is
it not true that 'Ali's social weakness is the result of his spiritual
strength? Is the cause of his political isolation other than his steadfastness
and unshakable commitment to the cause of Muhammad (S)? Has his thunder
like sword that spared no group unhurt, ever struck an individual except
by the command of Muhammad (S) and for the sake of God? Does the malice
that is being nursed against him in many a heart, as the Prophet (S) himself
said a few days ago in Mecca, not owe its origin to his unceasing zeal
in the way of God and for the sake of God?
Muhammad's silence in 'Ali's case would
render him defenseless in the course of history. The political conditions
of the society, social structure, class- prejudices, aristocratic values
and political factionalism, all will conspire together to alienate 'Ali
(A) and deprive him of his due right. His personality will be smeared and
distorted to an extent in the history of Islam that the most pious of the
Muslims will sincerely believe that to curse 'Ali (A) is the only way to
seek nearness to God and Muhammad (S).
Did all this not happen after all?
Should Muhammad not defend 'Ali (A) who had no other defender besides him?
Will his silence not leave him at the mercy of history to be ravaged and
tattered?
They have come ten miles away from
Mecca. The Prophet (S) has made up his mind. It is the place called Ghade
khum. The episode (of Ghadir e khum) is known to all.
'Uthman camping on the outskirts of
the city, has prepared his army for departure. The Prophet (S) has worked
hard to mobilize his army. The danger that has raised its head will soon
start showing its teeth.
The headache has started. The Prophet
(S) cannot sleep at night. He feels the steps of death approaching and
sees the black clouds gathering on thc horizon with alarming speed It is
midnight and the stillness is dreadful. The sorrow and distress that could
never disturb his energetic soul during a life full of hazards and risks,
has overcome his spirit. He notifies Abu Muwayhibah,Khadijah's slave and
he comes out of his quarters to attend to him.(The loneliness of the Prophet
(S) is noticeable. From the height of his power and glory he calls on a
slave to accompany him on his last visit to the graveyard.) It is a warm
summer night of the end of the month of Safar or early Rabi' al-Awwal.
The slowly and softly flowing breeze awakens bitter memories and stirs
his thoughts. He turns to the slave and says: O, Abu Muwayhibah, let us
go, for I have been commanded to go and pray forgiveness for the dwellers
of Baqi'.' Both of them start walking and leave the city. The calm of the
night has engulfed the graveyard of Baqi'. He stands there knowing that
he will join them soon. He glances a moment and then begins speaking. The
graves listen to him. "Peace be on you, o, inhabitants of the graveyard.
Rest here undisturbed. Your days are better satisfied than the days of
those who are left behind. (Nothing has happened. Why is the Prophet (S)
who has never been at the zenith of his success as he is today, so perturbed?)
Calamities are pursuing us like the dark patches of night".
The Prophet (S) becomes silent for
a while, then he turns towards his companion and says: "O, Abu Muwayhibah,
they brought for me the keys to the worldly treasures and the eternal life
therein, and then the Paradise was drawn near me, I was authorised to make
a choice between these things on the one hand, and the beatific vision
of the Most High and the bliss of the Paradise, on the other. I willingly
opted for the beatific vision of my God." Abu Muwayhibah became very upset
and realized that the time for separation had arrived. In a broken voice,
choking with tears, he said: "My father and mother be your ransom O Prophet!
First get hold of the keys to the worldly treasures and the eternal life
therein, and choose the Paradise afterwards."
He said: "It will not be so, by God,
Abu Muwayhibah, I have already chosen to go and see my Lord and enter Paradise."
Subsequently he asked forgiveness for those buried in Baqi' and returned
home.
His headache became severe and the
illness and pain tormented him, so he went to 'Ayesha's apartment; 'Ayesha
too was suffering from headache and was groaning, "O my head, O my head."
The Prophet (S), who used to spend his moments of anguish outside the house,
and entered the house only with a bright face and radiant smile, responded
to 'Ayesha's lamentation, saying: "Not yours but my head, O head." "O 'Ayesha
what was harm in dying before me? I would have attended your dead body
and would have shrouded you, would have offered your funeral prayers and
buried you." 'Ayeshah answered without hesitating: "Then you would have
returned to my house and would sleep with one of your wives." The Prophet
(S) laughed and tried to continue in the same jestful manner, but the pain
did not permit him to do so. After a few hours when the pain subsided,
the Prophet (S) arose and visited the apartments of his wives one by one,
and conversed with them. When in the house of Maymunah the pain again became
acute. He called all his wives and asked them to grant him permission to
rest in 'Ayesha's house. They who had seen his condition agreed. The Prophet
(S) entered 'Ayesha's house with his head bound in a cloth, his arms were
supported by 'Abbas ibn 'Abd al-Muttalib and 'Ali ibn Abu Talib, and his
feet dragged on the floor. The pain had become severe and his body was
burning with fever. Why has not the army marched yet? He knew the reason.
He knew quite well that the senior members among his Companions would not
leave Madinah in such conditions. He ordered: "Fetch water from different
wells in seven vessels and pour it on me, so that I may go to the people
and make a covenant with them." Some people helped him to sit in the tub
of water brought by his wife Hafsah, 'Umar's daughter, and splashed water
over him, until he asked them to stop.
Then, with his face burning with fever
and the head bound in a cloth, he went to the mosque. He asked Fadl ibn
'Abbas to support his arms. Fadl helped him to sit on the pulpit. (It is
worthwhile to visualize the scene and its details.) The people gathered
around him, and he began speak. After praising God, first of all he recalled
the memory of the martyrs of Uhud (Do you understand as to why he remembered
the Companions of Uhud, whereas the Companions who took part in the Battle
of Badr were more renowned? I think that since it was in the battle of
Uhud that the treachery on the part of some of his Companions caused his
defeat, and now he wanted to warn the people of another treachery, he was
remembering Uhud, there is no other reason to offer than this). He asked
forgiveness for them and pronounced benedictions for them repeatedly. Afterwards
he said: "From among His slaves, God has chose one and blessed him with
the freedom to choose between what belongs to this world and what takes
him to the Lord's presence, and he chose the latter.' He pauses. The people
could not see him with clear eyes, for tears had blurred their vision.
Abu Bakr felt the gravity of the situation and wept loudly. With his tearful
eyes fixed on his honoured friend's face, he said in a voice trembling
with love and grief: "Be our lives and our children's lives ransomed for
you." The Prophet (S) said: "Calm yourself, Abu Bakr."
The atmosphere of the mosque was loaded
and charged with excitement and grief. Grief and anxiety had gripped the
people so tightly that no one could utter a single word. The Prophet (S)
continued again: "O people go continue the task assigned to you under the
command of Usama. I swear by my life that whatever you said regarding the
commandership of Usama, you said about the commandership of his father
also, whereas Usama is fully qualified to command you, just as his father
deserved this position."
In the meantime, he was again alarmed
by dangers which had threatened his people. He continued. "Last night I
dreamed that both of my hands were fastened by two golden handcuffs, which
distressed me. I cast a spell over them and they disappeared I called those
two (the false claimants to prophethood) the liars of Yamamah and Yaman".
He stopped speaking. The intensity
of the fever was increasing every minute. The little comfort he managed
to wrest away from the fever after splashing cold water over his fevered
limbs and had helped him to arrive at the mosque had disappeared, and the
illness was aggravated. He felt exhausted. The people could see that he
was trying hard to speak to them again, but in vain. He writhed in pain
and was unable to suppress his agony. This was his last meeting with the
people. He should bid adieu to the people and to the mosque. Life will
not offer another opportunity. Everything has come to an end. His association
with the people has reached its finale. He should say farewell to the people
and descend the pulpit forever, for death is awaiting him at Ayesha's house.
But, as if he has something to tell the people in the last moments of his
life, he collects all his remaining energy with great effort, in order
to say something. The people feel that he is endeavouring pitiably to muster
enough energy to deliver his last message. An immensely moving scene. Even
the Munafiqun (the hypocrites) were visibly touched. People hung their
heads in grief. Their sense of grief was too great to be relieved by tears.
Muhammad (S) starts. Words come out of his feverish lips with great difficulty.
Never has an individual said something with such a painful effort. But
Muhammad (S) must speak. He has to ask a certain question from the people,
without asking which he will not find peace. "O men. I praise God, except
whom there is no god, in front of you. Anybody whom I owe something must
come forward. If I have caused anyone of you to be unjustly scourged, I
have my own back to the lash of retaliation. If I have reviled anyone,
he should come and proclaim my fault before this congregation. I have never
had the spirit of a policeman, rather, I despised it. Verily, the most
loveable among you is he who claims anything I owe to him, or who willingly
declares to forgive me, so that I may be able to greet my God with a satisfied
conscience. It appears that this request of mine is not enough and it is
necessary to stand up and repeat it several times." He came down from the
pulpit, said his afternoon prayer. Fever, headache, exhaustion and the
midday heat
wrested all his energy. The signs of
death were visible from his countenance. It seemed as if his job with the
people was not yet finished. What he required the people to do was not
just an ethical formality, but it was such a serious affair that it kept
even death away for a few moments. There was a feeling of wonder among
the people who had seen the Prophet (S) m the most difficult conditions.
Some of them offered their support to him but he did not go home. He again
returned to the pulpit, sat on it and again reiterated what he had said
with much more insistence. This time his tone was extremely emphatic. After
repeating his request he kept silent, glancing at the people with tired
and feverish eyes expectantly The people felt that they were compelled
to say something in answer; but what to say? They did not know. He had
devoted his entire life to the welfare of the people. He imbued these Beduin
people with a sense of civility and honour. He spent Khadijah's enormous
wealth also for their sake. He dld not lead a life that prospered by taking
the rights of others* nor did he ever allow himself to oppress anyone.
He was himself the model of a Muslim, a Muslim whose face God portrayed
with two bold strokes of his pen:
"They are firm with infidels, and compassionate
among themselves. . . " He had never caused sorrow or pain to anybody.
Only once he vented his anger upon a rude Beduin who was riding along him
neck to neck, and was riding in such a savage manner that his horse collided
with Muhammad's horse repeatedly causing severe pain to his foot; he lashed
him with the whip, asking him angrily to keep a distance. When he reached
Madinah he called him and apologized to him and paid him as a penalty eighty
she goats. Now he has forgotten if he has injured someone or owes anyone
something. But he still fears that in the course of his eventful life he
might have behaved with someone rudely and is oblivious of it.
Muhammad (S) is waiting and the people
are ashamed of themselves. No one dared look in his eyes to be confronted
with his expecting looks. All hung their heads and their shoulders trembled.
The question posed by Muhammad (S) was too difficult to be answered. An
Arab got up and said: "O, Prophet of God, you owe me three dirhams." (It
was a strange society.) Some of the people could not bear it and they wept.
Muhammad (S) immediately asked Fadl to pay him his due. Fadl ib 'Abbas
paid him three dirhams and the Arab sat down. An uneasy painful calm fell
on the atmosphere of the mosque. (The people were extremely ashamed of
this man's act.) The Prophet (S) felt that this act on the part of the
man who caused shame to the Prophet (S) in front of the congregation had
disturbed the people, and he said: "O, People. Whosoever owes anything
to anyone should repay his debt and should not feel humiliated in this
world, for it is easier to be ashamed here than on the Day of the Judgement."
Another Arab arose and said: "O, Prophet
of God, I have three dirhams that I must give in the way of God." The Prophet
(S) asked him: "Why did you promise it?" He replied: "I was destitute at
that time." The Prophet (S) asked Fadl to collect the amount from him.
Another man arose, he directly looked in the Prophet's eyes, while trembling
with excitement. He said: "O Prophet of God, you lashed me across my abdomen
in such and such a battle!" Suddenly silence falls on the audience, and
hearts are torn to pieces. All had become stunned. No one had the courage
to raise his head. With a calm face, the Prophet (S) lifted his shirt that
was drenched with sweat and bared his abdomen to the chest. He asked the
man to come forward, and the people had dropped their heads on their knees
in anguish. A painful moment passed. Suddenly a painful cry pierced the
charged atmosphere and the mosque underwent a tremor. The people raised
their heads and saw that the man had thrown himself on the bare chest of
the Prophet (S) and was kissing the place he wanted to lash in a state
of frenzy. Everyone was overcome by streaming tears. The people who were
feeling ashamed in front of the Prophet (S) now had a sense of exultation.
The passions of adoration and love had wiped off the shameful memories.
The people were hilarious that they had expressed their love and respect
for the Prophet (S), and the Prophet (S) who himself loved his people intensely
and who knew at the moment that he would not be able again to express his
pure love for his brothers, made an amazing suggestion at a critical juncture.
(This is also a sign of the Prophet's humility that at that time when he
could not do anything for them, he still wished to do something that could
benefit them.) He suggested: "There is no eye in the world which comes
to know the positive qualities of a beautiful soul, and remains untouched
by tears. O, people! Anyone who is afraid for himself and has any infirmities
should stand up, so that I may pray for him."
These words filled the grim and grief-
struck atmosphere of the mosque with an amazing sense of exultation and
hope (the Prophet (S) praying for an ordinary human being!). The powerful
spirit of faith manifested itself among the Arabs in an unprecedented manner.
Hope had lifted the veils from the faces hidden behind them. A man stood
up and said: "O Prophet of God, I am a liar to the core of my being; I
am a wicked man; I sleep more than necessary." The Prophet (S) prayed for
him: "O God, bless him with truthfulness and faith; whenever he wishes
to wake up, take away the sleep from him." Another one got up and said:
"O Prophet of God, I am a compulsive liar, a hypocrite, and have never
had an honest job in my life in which I did not cheat others." 'Umar arose
and asked the man arrogantly to be ashamed of dishonouring himself in public.
The Prophet (S) addressed 'Umar reproachfully, saying, "O son of Khattab,
humiliations of this world are easier to bear than the humiliations and
dishonour in the Hereafter. May God bless thee with truthfulness and faith
and turn thine face toward good. " He came down from the pulpit, and stepped
forward with the intention of leaving the mosque. Suddenly he stopped and
turned towards the people, saying, "O party of the Emigrants! (Muhajirun)
I recommend you to be good with the Helpers (Ansar) The people will increase
in number, but the Helpers will always remain what they have been."
