The Prophet Muhammad’s Final Illness:
When the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ was ill, he had a severe headache, high fever and generally felt very weak. This illness lasted for around two weeks and his state progressively got worse.
The Prophet ﷺ, even whilst he was ill, would give his wives their rights. He would stay at each wife’s house on their chosen day and kept up with this for around a week.
When he was staying with his wife Maymunah, his illness became more severe and he started asking: Who’s house am I in tomorrow?
The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ was hoping it would be the house of Aisha because he felt more comfortable there.
The wives of the Prophets got together and all agreed to let him stay in the house of Aisha for as long as he needed to.
The Prophet ﷺ was pleased with this.
The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ During His Illness:
The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ was so ill and weak at this time, he had to be supported by two companions, Ali ibn Abi Talib and Al-Fadl ibn Abbas. They carried the Prophet ﷺ on their shoulders.
Al-Fadl said: The Prophet was so weak when we were carrying him, that his feet were dragging on the ground.
The Prophet ﷺ then reached the home of Aisha and stayed there for the remainder of his illness.
Pain From When the Prophet ﷺ was Poisoned at Khaybar:
The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said to Aisha: Ya Aisha, I still feel the pain from the food that I ate at Khaybar.
This was when he was poisoned by the Jewish woman, Zaynab bint Al-Harith (mentioned in Episode 66).
The Prophet ﷺ told Aisha: I am feeling the aorta being cut off due to this poison.
Condition of the Prophet Gets Worse:
The severity of the illness continued to increase as the days went by but the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ would still be in this severe state, get up and lead the people in prayer at the Masjid.
During the last three days of his illness, the illness became so severe that he was now unable to come to the Masjid and lead the people in prayer.
One companion said: I put my hand on the forehead of the Prophet ﷺ and I could not keep it there because it was so hot.
During his illness, the Prophet ﷺ would sometimes lose consciousness and regain consciousness.
One time, he asked for water to be brought from seven water skins from different wells of Madinah. They poured the water skins on the Prophet and he felt some relief.
The Prophet’s Final Jummah Prayer:
The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ led his final Jummah on the ninth of Rabi al-Awwal in the eleventh year.
The Prophet ﷺ addressed the congregation saying: Soon I will be absent from you. So whoever amongst you, if I have hit you, here is my back to hit me. If I have borrowed money, take it back from me. Do not fear that I will be upset if you come and ask for your rights. This is not from my character to react in this way. The most beloved amongst you to me are those people who will come and take their rights from me.
The Man Who Asked the Prophet ﷺ For Three Dirhams:
There was a man who said to the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ: You owe me three dirhams. The Prophet ordered for the man to be paid.
Some of the companions were upset by what this companion had done. They asked: it is only three dirhams, why did you take that from the Prophet ﷺ?
This companion said: Didn’t you hear what he said? The most beloved amongst the people are those who take their rights from him. I didn’t care about the money, so I wanted to be from the most beloved of people.
The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ Informs the Muslims of the Choice He Made:
The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ continued addressing the people and said: Allah has given one of his servants the choice between having the treasures of earth or having Jannah. And that servant chose Jannah.
When Abu Bakr heard this, he cried and said: We will ransom you with ourselves and with our children.
The other companions did not understand what Abu Bakr was saying and why he was crying. Only Abu Bakr understood that the Prophet ﷺ was referring to himself.
The Prophet ﷺ ordered for all of the doors of the companions of the Masjids to be closed apart from the door of Abu Bakr.
Sign of Abu Bakr’s Leadership:
This was a clear indication and sign that Abu Bakr was the one who was going to take over the Muslim Ummah after the Prophet ﷺ was to pass away.
The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said: If I were to take a close friend in this world, it would have been Abu Bakr. But instead, he is my brother and he is my companion.
This showed the high position and status Abu Bakr had with the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ.
Final Instructions to the Army Led by Usamah ibn Zaid:
The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ then gave instructions to the army he prepared under the leadership of Usamah ibn Zaid to fight against the Ghassanid in Al-Balqa.
Some of the companions felt uncomfortable by Usamah ibn Zaid being the commander because of how young he was.
The Prophet ﷺ addressed this and said: Usamah ibn Zaid is worthy of being a commander just like his father Zaid ibn Haaritha was worthy of being a commander.
With these words of the Prophet ﷺ, the companions now felt comfortable with this decision.
Usamah was ready to go with his army but because of the sickness of the Prophet ﷺ, he decided to delay it.
After Jummah, on the ninth of Rabi al-Awwal, Usamah went to visit the Prophet ﷺ. When he entered, the Prophet ﷺ pointed to the sky and pointed to Usamah.
The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ did this to let Usamah know that he was making Dua for him.
The Prophet’s Last Days of Prayer:
The illness continued to intensify but still, the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ the Muslims in the prayers of Asr and Maghrib.
By the time the Isha prayer came, the Prophet ﷺ had become so weak that he could not get up anymore. He fell unconscious and when he regained consciousness, he asked Aisha: have the people read the Isha prayer?
The Prophet’s Command for Abu Bakr to Lead the Prayers:
Aisha replied: No, they are waiting for you. The Prophet told his wife: go get Abu Bakr and command him to lead the people in the prayer.
Aisha was worried about this and she told the Prophet : Abu Bakr cries a lot when he reads the Quran, he cries so much that the people behind him won’t be able to understand what he is reading. Maybe you can appoint Umar instead, he has a stronger voice.
The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ did not accept this and told Aisha again: Order Abu Bakr to come and lead the people in prayer.
Aisha repeated her request a second time but gain, the Prophet ﷺ repeated: Order Abu Bakr to come and lead the people in prayer.
Aisha repeated her request for a third time and the Prophet ﷺ got angry and said: you are like the women of the time of Yusuf. Order Abu Bakr to come and lead the people in prayer, no one else but Abu Bakr.
This was another clear indication that Abu Bakr was to take over after the passing away of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ.
The Search for Abu Bakr:
Aisha went out to get her father Abu Bakr. She found Abdullah ibn Zam’ah, the brother of the Prophet’s wife Sawdah, and she instructed him to find Abu Bakr.
Abu Bakr was at the house of his wife on the outskirts of Madinah.
Abdullah ibn Zam’ah found Umar ibn al-Khattab and told him to lead the prayer instead. Abdullah did not know that it was a strict instruction from the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ.
Meanwhile, Umar ibn al-Khattab thought that this was an instruction from the Prophet ﷺ so he went into the Masjid and started leading the Isha prayer.
The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ Upon Hearing Umar ibn al-Khattab Leading the Prayer:
As soon as Umar ibn al-Khattab said ‘Allahu Akbar’ and started the prayer, the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ heard the Takbir and knew it was Umar leading the prayer.
He was very upset by this and said: Where is Abu Bakr? Where is Abu Bakr? Allah and His Messenger and the believers reject anyone to do this except Abu Bakr.
This was another clear sign that Abu Bakr was to be the successor of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ.
Abu Bakr Leading the Prayers:
Abu Bakr was informed of this situation and led the Isha prayer on that Friday. He then led the five prayers on both Saturday and Sunday and he led the Fajr prayer on Monday. (twelfth of Rabi Al-Awal)
The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ opened the curtain that separated his home from the Masjid. He saw the people praying behind Abu Bakr and he smiled.
The companions who were near the curtain had noticed that the Prophet had opened the curtain. When they noticed this, they felt very happy and thought the Prophet ﷺ was feeling better.
They were so excited that they almost wanted to break the prayer to leave the prayer.
The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ gave the companions a signal to not break the prayer, and he then got up and walked towards the front of the congregation.
The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ Taking over the Prayer from Abu Bakr:
Abu Bakr saw the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ and moved back, to let the Prophet lead the prayer.
The Prophet gave him a signal to stay in his place, but Abu Bakr praised Allah and continued to move back.
When the Prophet saw Abu Bakr was insistent upon this, he went to the left side of Abu Bakr and completed leading the prayer.
Abu Bakr followed the prayer of the Prophet ﷺ and the people were following the prayer of Abu Bakr.
The Prophet ﷺ asked Abu Bakr: why did you move back? Abu Bakr replied: it is not appropriate for the son of Abu Quhafa (Abu Bakr) to lead the prayer while Muhammad ﷺ is here.
The Prophet’s Last Speech:
After Fajr, the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ gave a talk to his companions (this was his last speech)
The Prophet ﷺ said: Do not exaggerate in your praise of me as the Christians have exaggerated in their praise for Isa, the son of Maryam. He was warning them from committing shirk.
The Prophet continued: Do not make my grave a Masjid and a place of prayer. Two religions cannot coexist in the land of the Arabs. The Arabian Peninsula is only for Islam. (It was not allowed for any churches, synagogues and temples to be built in Arabia)
The Prophet ﷺ said: make sure you maintain your prayers.
Abu Bakr Asks for Permission to go Back to his Wife, Asma:
The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ went back to his home and he was looking much better.
Abu Bakr then said: you are looking much better Alhamdulillah, so give me permission to see my wife, Asma.
The Prophet ﷺ granted him permission to leave.
Ali ibn Abi Talib’s Visits the Prophet:
Ali ibn Abi Talib also came to visit the Prophet ﷺ and said to him: I see that you have been cured Alhamdulillah, you are looking much better.
Ali told the Prophet’s uncle, Abbas: Alhamdulillah the crisis is over! The Prophet has been cured.
Abbas ibn Abdul-Muttalib’s Warning:
Abbas ibn Abdul-Muttalib told Ali ibn Abi Talib: I know the signs of death on the children of Abdul Muttalib. I can see death on them by their face and I can see it on the face of Muhammad ﷺ.
The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ Giving Away his Wealth in Sadaqah:
Later on, the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ gave away the little wealth he had in sadaqah. It is said he only had seven dinars.
The Prophet’s Advice for His Wives:
The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ ordered for his wives to see him and he advised them to fear Allah. The wives of the Prophet listened to this advice and left.
The Condition of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ Deteriorating;
After this, the condition of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ worsened and it reached such a level that it became difficult for the Prophet to speak.
Abd al-Rahman ibn Abi Bakr and the Miswak:
Abd al-Rahman ibn Abi Bakr, the son of Abu Bakr, went to visit the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. He had a miswak and Aisha saw the Prophet was looking intently at the miswak.
Aisha understood that the Prophet wanted the miswak and she asked him: do you want the miswak? The Prophet signalled: Yes.
Aisha asked her brother if she could have the miswak and Abd al-Rahman gave it to his sister.
Aisha chewed the miswak to make it softer before giving it to the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ.
The Prophet then started to use the miswak to clean his mouth and Aisha said about this incident: I never saw him use the miswak as thoroughly as he used it on that day.
The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ wanted to meet Allah SWT in his best form.
The Prophet’s Final Moments:
The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said: La ilaha illa Allah, surely death has its pain and its pangs.
The Prophet ﷺ then lost consciousness for a while and he was lying down with his head on the thigh of Aisha.
After some time, he regained consciousness again and looked towards the sky and said: Rather I want the high companionship of the people of Paradise.
Aisha understood what this meant as the Prophet ﷺ once said: all Prophets are given a choice at the time of their death. Do you want to continue living, or leave this dunya and go to Jannah.
When Aisha heard the Prophet ﷺ saying: Rather I want the high companionship, she realised that the Prophet ﷺ was just asked this question.
When she heard this, she knew the Prophet ﷺ was leaving this Dunya. Aisha said: he is not choosing to stay with us.
These were the final words of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. His soul was then taken and he passed away.
Allah SWT gave him the honour of dying as a martyr because it was the effect of the poison from the incident of Khaybar that caused the death of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ.
Reactions of the Companions:
The news spread amongst the people that the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ had passed away.
Umar ibn al-Khattab was one of the companions who denied that the Prophet had died. He said: No, he is just unconscious. He has gone to meet his Lord just like Musa went to meet his Lord. He will come back and when he comes back, he will strike the necks of those who said that he had died.
Umar went to the Masjid and said: the Prophet did not die and whoever is saying that he has died, I will strike his neck with my sword.
Abu Bakr Returns to Madinah:
When news of the Prophet’s death reached Abu Bakr, he quickly returned to Madinah and saw the people in chaos. He went straight to the home of his daughter, Aisha and saw the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ covered.
Abu Bakr uncovered the face of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ and kissed his forehead. He said: you are so beautiful, alive and even in death.
Abu Bakr then said: the death that Allah has written for you, you have tasted it.
Abu Bakr Addressing the Muslims After the Death of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ:
When Abu Bakr had confirmed that the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ had passed away, he saw Umar ibn al-Khattab still telling the people that the Prophet had not passed away. Abu Bakr told Umar ibn al-Khattab: Stop!
However, Umar would not listen and continued to threaten people who claimed that the Prophet had passed away.
Abu Bakr began to address the people. He praised Allah SWT and asked for blessings and peace to be upon the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ.
Abu Bakr said: whoever used to worship Muhammad then surely Muhammad has passed away, but whoever worships Allah, then Allah is the one who is alive and never dies.
Abu Bakr then recited the Ayat from Surah Al-Imran: Muhammad is only a Messenger and many Messengers have passed away before him. If he were to die, would you turn back on your heels? And whoever turns back on your heels, this will not harm Allah at all (Quran, 3:144)
When Umar ibn al-Khattab and the companions heard Abu Bakr recite this Ayah, it was as if they had heard it for the first time. They had forgotten about this Ayah and they realised that the Prophet ﷺ had actually passed away and left this Dunya.
Umar said: When I heard Abu Bakr recite this Ayah, my legs were cut off and I fell down to the ground.
It finally hit him that the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ was no longer amongst them.
The Saddest Day in the History of Islam:
The city of Madinah was shaken with cries and the tears of the people. This was the saddest day of their life and the saddest day in the history of mankind.
The time for the Dhuhr prayer came. and Bilal went to call the Adhan, his first without the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ.
When Bilal got to ‘wa ashhadu anna muhammadarrasulullah’ he could not complete the Adhan.
He left and said: Wallahi, I will not give the Adhan for anyone else after Muhammad ﷺ.
Bilal could not even stay in Madinah as everything in the city of the Prophet was a reminder for him of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. Because of this, he left Madinah and went to Sham.
Abu Bakr – The First Caliph of the Muslims:
The Muslims gathered and it was agreed upon that Abu Bakr would be the Caliph.
The Funeral and Burial of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ:
The body of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ was bathed by Ali ibn Abi Talib, Abbas ibn Abdul-Muttalib, Al Fadl ibn Al Abbas, Al Qutham ibn Al Abbas and Usamah ibn Zaid.
They washed the body whilst the Prophet ﷺ was still clothed.
The companions then prayed the Janazah prayer of the Prophet and everyone would pray individually as there was no Imam.
The following day, on the thirteenth of Rabi al-Awwal, it was time to bury the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ.
He was buried in the same location that he passed away. This was because of a Hadith that the Prophet ﷺ said: No Prophet was ever buried except in the location where they died.
After they buried the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, Ali went back to his wife Fatimah, the daughter of the Prophet.
Fatimah asked Ali ibn Abi Talib: how are you able to put dirt on the body of the Prophet ﷺ?
Allah SWT gave the companions the strength and the courage to continue to live according to the Sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ.
The Greatest Calamity in History:
The spread of Islam and the legacy continued after the death of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, which was the greatest calamity in the history of mankind.