The Passing Anniversary of the Prophet

Navideshahed: Sunday, January 22, 2012 is the day of double grief indeed, because on this day the Almighty's Last and Greatest Messenger to mankind, Prophet Mohammad (SAWA), passed away.

News ID: ۳۳۳۰۱۶

چهارشنبه - ۲۱ فروردين ۲۰۱۲ / 2012 21 January

It is also the day on which 39 years after the passing away of the Prophet his elder grandson, Imam Hasan (AS), was martyred through poisoning. We present you a feature on the Great Prophet, whose universal mission, Islam, was prophesied by all previous prophets, including Moses, Jesus, etc,

The 28th of Safar is a day of profound grief. It is the day on which the Messenger of Mercy left the mortal world. In fact, he was forced to leave it, since according to some accounts he was fatally poisoned, and thus achieved immortal martyrdom in the year 11 AH. Some say the dirty work was done by the Israelites, who have a sordid record of ridiculing the Prophets of God and killing many of them – their chief victims being Zachariah and John the Baptist (Yahya), though they narrowly missed murdering the Virgin-born prophet, Jesus (AS), who was miraculously lifted to the heavens by God, while the traitor Judas Iscariot was crucified instead. Whatever the cause of the passing away of Prophet Mohammad (SAWA) at the age of 63, the end of his 23-year universal mission during which he braved the bloodcurdling plots and armed attacks of the Arabs and the Israelites – often operating in tandem – opened the floodgates of suffering on his immediate family, which were to climax fifty years later in history's most heart-rending tragedy at Karbala.

Except for a few loyal companions of the Prophet there was no one to console his daughter Fatema az-Zahra (SA) and her children in this hour of grief. Even his dear cousin, ward, and son-in-law, Imam Ali (AS), who had been the first to bear testimony to his divine mission and who thereafter had stood beside him through every thick and thin including fierce battles during which he single-handedly defended him and Islam, since most of the neo-Muslims were fleet-footed on such occasions, was again left virtually alone to conduct the Prophet's last rites. According to historians, the absentees had matters of expediency to tend to, rather than attending the funeral, since the political power of the first ever Islamic state was now up for grabs. It is not the intention to delve into the scandalous event of Saqifa Bani Sa'da, which remains to this day as the greatest ever discord, since it was an open violation of both the explicit words of the Seal of Prophets and God's Commandments concerning the crucial issue of Wilayah or divinely-decreed authority for proper guidance of the ummah. Neither do we wish to go into details of the infamous incident of Qissat al-Qirtas or "Paper and Inkpot" during the last moments of the life of the Almighty's Last and Greatest Messenger, who, as ayahs 2 to 5 of Surah Najm of the holy Qur'an says:

"Your companion does not err, nor does he go astray, neither does he speak out of (own) desire. It is naught but revelation that is revealed (to him), taught him by the Lord of Mighty Power…"

To quote the famous Sunni compendium of hadith, Sahih Bukhari: The Messenger of God said: "Bring a paper to me so that I write for you a document after which you will not go astray!" On this, some persons started sharp arguments, although quarreling near the Prophet was not proper. (Some) said, ‘The Prophet is in a delirium!’ (to which) the Prophet replied: "Leave me to my scruples! I am fine in whatever condition I am than what you are calling me!"

Bukhari also mentions the name of the person who denied paper and inkpot for making the decisive will, and after blaspheming the Prophet as 'delirious', said: The Book of Allah is sufficient for us.”? It is strange, how this person made such a big claim, when it is clear that before becoming Muslim he and others like him had spent the greater part of their life in idolatry and in cardinal sins, in addition to vehemently opposing the Prophet and his monotheistic message. Nonetheless, the Prophet as the emissary of God did not leave the ummah in darkness. As the Messenger of Mercy he had made clear preparations for his departure by providing broad guidelines for Muslims.

As a matter of fact, the Prophet was fully prepared for his eventual journey to the ethereal heavens and had made necessary arrangements for the continuation of divine guidance after him. For this reason he had announced months earlier, of his farewell Hajj pilgrimage to God’s symbolic House on earth, the Holy Ka’ba in Mecca. During this epic assembly when as many 140,000 Muslims joined him from all parts of Arabia, he told the congregation in explicit and unambiguous words at Jabal ar-Rahma or Mount Mercy on the plain of Arafat on the 9th of Zilhijja:

“I am leaving behind among you the Thaqalayn (that is the two weighty things); the Book of God (that is, the Holy Qur’an) and my progeny the Ahl al-Bayt. Hold fast to them and you will never go astray, for the two will never separate from each other even when they return to me at the Fountain (of Kowsar on the Day of Judgement).”?

Nine days later on the 18th of Zilhijja that year, exactly two months and ten days before his passing away, the Prophet was even more explicit in spelling the formula of faith and the protection against going astray. On the express commandment of God Almighty, as is evident by verse 67 of Surah Ma'edah, he halted the Hajj caravan in the wilderness at a pond or Ghadeer at the place called Khom near Juhfa. Here, in front of the huge gathering, after holding the Muslims witness to his conveying of the tenets of Islam, and his own excellence over them, he lifted his cousin and son-in-law to proclaim those immortal words: “For whomsoever I am Master this Ali is his Master.”?

Thus in view of these undeniable facts, the poignant event of Safar 28 that dealt a grievous blow to the heart of the apple of his eyes, that his only surviving daughter Hazrat Fatema az-Zahra (peace upon her), his departure from the world was not unexpected. The Prophet breathed his last with his immediate family, including his two little grandsons, Imam Hasan and Imam Husain (peace upon them), gathered around him. In the words of Imam Ali (PBUH):

“When the Prophet (SAWA) passed away his head was on my chest, and his (last) breath blew over my palms and I passed it over my face. I performed his (funeral) ablution, may Allah bless him and his progeny, and the angels helped me. The house and the courtyard were full of them (angels). One party of them was descending and the other was ascending. My ears continually caught their humming voice as they invoked Allah’s blessings on him, till we laid him to rest in his grave. Thus, who can have greater rights with him than I during his life or after his departure?”?

Time also does not allow us to do justice the universal message of Islam that was entrusted by God to Prophet Mohammad (SAWA) for the salvation of mankind. The fact that despite the passing of 14 centuries the teachings of Islam remain as fresh as they were at the time of revelation is ample proof of the immortal mission of the Last and Greatest Prophet, who was predicted by all previous messengers of God. For instance in verse 18 of chapter 18 of the Book of Deuteronomy of the Torah, God tells Prophet Moses:

“I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren and will put My words into his mouth, and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him.”?

In the Gospel of St. John, verse 16 of chapter 14 we read the prediction of Prophet Jesus to his disciples regarding the Last Prophet:

“Nevertheless I tell you the truth, it is expedient for you that I go away, for if I go not away the Comforter will not come unto you.”?

No wonder, Islam is the world's fastest growing religion today. This is all because of the fact that the Prophet was not just the most exemplar to mankind in manners, behaviour, etiquette, patience, piety, bravery, worship, wisdom, and practical behaviour in society, but he also gave to the world his immaculate progeny, who in every age and era offered sacrifices for the sake of truth in order to defeat falsehood.

The End
Source: IRIB World Service

It is also the day on which 39 years after the passing away of the Prophet his elder grandson, Imam Hasan (AS), was martyred through poisoning. We present you a feature on the Great Prophet, whose universal mission, Islam, was prophesied by all previous prophets, including Moses, Jesus, etc, The 28th of Safar is a day of profound grief. It is the day on which the Messenger of Mercy left the mortal world. In fact, he was forced to leave it, since according to some accounts he was fatally poisoned, and thus achieved immortal martyrdom in the year 11 AH. Some say the dirty work was done by the Israelites, who have a sordid record of ridiculing the Prophets of God and killing many of them – their chief victims being Zachariah and John the Baptist (Yahya), though they narrowly missed murdering the Virgin-born prophet, Jesus (AS), who was miraculously lifted to the heavens by God, while the traitor Judas Iscariot was crucified instead. Whatever the cause of the passing away of Prophet Mohammad (SAWA) at the age of 63, the end of his 23-year universal mission during which he braved the bloodcurdling plots and armed attacks of the Arabs and the Israelites – often operating in tandem – opened the floodgates of suffering on his immediate family, which were to climax fifty years later in history's most heart-rending tragedy at Karbala. Except for a few loyal companions of the Prophet there was no one to console his daughter Fatema az-Zahra (SA) and her children in this hour of grief. Even his dear cousin, ward, and son-in-law, Imam Ali (AS), who had been the first to bear testimony to his divine mission and who thereafter had stood beside him through every thick and thin including fierce battles during which he single-handedly defended him and Islam, since most of the neo-Muslims were fleet-footed on such occasions, was again left virtually alone to conduct the Prophet's last rites. According to historians, the absentees had matters of expediency to tend to, rather than attending the funeral, since the political power of the first ever Islamic state was now up for grabs. It is not the intention to delve into the scandalous event of Saqifa Bani Sa'da, which remains to this day as the greatest ever discord, since it was an open violation of both the explicit words of the Seal of Prophets and God's Commandments concerning the crucial issue of Wilayah or divinely-decreed authority for proper guidance of the ummah. Neither do we wish to go into details of the infamous incident of Qissat al-Qirtas or "Paper and Inkpot" during the last moments of the life of the Almighty's Last and Greatest Messenger, who, as ayahs 2 to 5 of Surah Najm of the holy Qur'an says: "Your companion does not err, nor does he go astray, neither does he speak out of (own) desire. It is naught but revelation that is revealed (to him), taught him by the Lord of Mighty Power…" To quote the famous Sunni compendium of hadith, Sahih Bukhari: The Messenger of God said: "Bring a paper to me so that I write for you a document after which you will not go astray!" On this, some persons started sharp arguments, although quarreling near the Prophet was not proper. (Some) said, ‘The Prophet is in a delirium!’ (to which) the Prophet replied: "Leave me to my scruples! I am fine in whatever condition I am than what you are calling me!" Bukhari also mentions the name of the person who denied paper and inkpot for making the decisive will, and after blaspheming the Prophet as 'delirious', said: The Book of Allah is sufficient for us.”? It is strange, how this person made such a big claim, when it is clear that before becoming Muslim he and others like him had spent the greater part of their life in idolatry and in cardinal sins, in addition to vehemently opposing the Prophet and his monotheistic message. Nonetheless, the Prophet as the emissary of God did not leave the ummah in darkness. As the Messenger of Mercy he had made clear preparations for his departure by providing broad guidelines for Muslims. As a matter of fact, the Prophet was fully prepared for his eventual journey to the ethereal heavens and had made necessary arrangements for the continuation of divine guidance after him. For this reason he had announced months earlier, of his farewell Hajj pilgrimage to God’s symbolic House on earth, the Holy Ka’ba in Mecca. During this epic assembly when as many 140,000 Muslims joined him from all parts of Arabia, he told the congregation in explicit and unambiguous words at Jabal ar-Rahma or Mount Mercy on the plain of Arafat on the 9th of Zilhijja: “I am leaving behind among you the Thaqalayn (that is the two weighty things); the Book of God (that is, the Holy Qur’an) and my progeny the Ahl al-Bayt. Hold fast to them and you will never go astray, for the two will never separate from each other even when they return to me at the Fountain (of Kowsar on the Day of Judgement).”? Nine days later on the 18th of Zilhijja that year, exactly two months and ten days before his passing away, the Prophet was even more explicit in spelling the formula of faith and the protection against going astray. On the express commandment of God Almighty, as is evident by verse 67 of Surah Ma'edah, he halted the Hajj caravan in the wilderness at a pond or Ghadeer at the place called Khom near Juhfa. Here, in front of the huge gathering, after holding the Muslims witness to his conveying of the tenets of Islam, and his own excellence over them, he lifted his cousin and son-in-law to proclaim those immortal words: “For whomsoever I am Master this Ali is his Master.”? Thus in view of these undeniable facts, the poignant event of Safar 28 that dealt a grievous blow to the heart of the apple of his eyes, that his only surviving daughter Hazrat Fatema az-Zahra (peace upon her), his departure from the world was not unexpected. The Prophet breathed his last with his immediate family, including his two little grandsons, Imam Hasan and Imam Husain (peace upon them), gathered around him. In the words of Imam Ali (PBUH): “When the Prophet (SAWA) passed away his head was on my chest, and his (last) breath blew over my palms and I passed it over my face. I performed his (funeral) ablution, may Allah bless him and his progeny, and the angels helped me. The house and the courtyard were full of them (angels). One party of them was descending and the other was ascending. My ears continually caught their humming voice as they invoked Allah’s blessings on him, till we laid him to rest in his grave. Thus, who can have greater rights with him than I during his life or after his departure?”? Time also does not allow us to do justice the universal message of Islam that was entrusted by God to Prophet Mohammad (SAWA) for the salvation of mankind. The fact that despite the passing of 14 centuries the teachings of Islam remain as fresh as they were at the time of revelation is ample proof of the immortal mission of the Last and Greatest Prophet, who was predicted by all previous messengers of God. For instance in verse 18 of chapter 18 of the Book of Deuteronomy of the Torah, God tells Prophet Moses: “I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren and will put My words into his mouth, and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him.”? In the Gospel of St. John, verse 16 of chapter 14 we read the prediction of Prophet Jesus to his disciples regarding the Last Prophet: “Nevertheless I tell you the truth, it is expedient for you that I go away, for if I go not away the Comforter will not come unto you.”? No wonder, Islam is the world's fastest growing religion today. This is all because of the fact that the Prophet was not just the most exemplar to mankind in manners, behaviour, etiquette, patience, piety, bravery, worship, wisdom, and practical behaviour in society, but he also gave to the world his immaculate progeny, who in every age and era offered sacrifices for the sake of truth in order to defeat falsehood. The End Source: IRIB World Service