In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful
The Final Sessions
Prophet
Muhammad (PBUH&HP) is known as the
clarifier the Book of Allah (SWT). His explanations, behavior, sayings, and as whole his
life clarify the concepts of the verses of the Holy Quran. Today is the
anniversary of one of the most grieving events of the history. On these days
our kind Prophet was sick at bed and finally passed away. The major question is
whether his valuable divine knowledge was buried with him in his mosque or not?
Who is responsible for answering the people’s questions and arguments about the
Holy Quran after the demise of the Prophet? Did the Prophet let his Ummah alone
after him?
As we
might be aware, the fundamental of religion and the origin of the Islamic rituals
are mentioned in the Holy Quran. The interpretation and detailed account of the
Holy Quran is with the Prophet and the early teachers of Islam. Prophet
Muhammad (PBUH&HP) would convey all
that was revealed to him and that which humanity would need until the Day of
Judgment, to his cousin Imam Ali (PBUH), who would then convey the same to the
Imams after him.
The
revelations of Allah (SWT) to Prophet Muhammad (PBUH&HP) can be divided into two categories:
The
first category consists of matters appropriate for the present day of the
Prophet. These matters were conveyed to the people by the Prophet himself,
without a mediator.
The
second category consisted of matters related to after the demise of the
Prophet. These were issues Prophet Muhammad (PBUH&HP) conveyed only to Imam Ali (PBUH). Imam Ali (PBUH) would then write
these two categories with his own handwriting.
And
this manner continued until the time of separation of the Prophet from his
Ummah and farewell of his successor with him arrived. In the final hours of
Prophet Muhammad’s (PBUH&HP) life, the Prophet conveyed the final critical divine
teachings to Imam Ali (PBUH) in an important and exclusive session.
Umm
Salamah narrates the story:
‘By
Allah! Ali was the final person who communicated with Prophet Muhammad (PBUH&HP). One morning we
visited the Prophet in his sickbed. He would repeatedly ask, “Did Ali come? Did
Ali come?”
Lady
Fatimah (PBUH) said, “It seems you
had sent him on a task?”
A
while later Ali (PBUH) returned. I understood the Prophet wanted to speak with Ali (PBUH), so I left the room
with the others and sat outside the room. I was closer to the room than the
rest.
The
Prophet (PBUH&HP) called Ali (PBUH) close to himself
and began to whisper and talk to Ali (PBUH). We could not recognize what the Prophet (PBUH&HP) was telling Ali (PBUH). The Prophet passed
away after on this same day. And so the final person who conversed with the
Prophet (PBUH&HP) was Ali (PBUH).’ (1)
Let us
now turn to the report of Imam Ali (PBUH) about that day and that session:
The
Messenger of Allah (PBUH&HP) in his final hours of sickness said, “Tell my brother
come to me.”
Then
he told me, “Come closer to me.”
“I
went close to him. He leaned on me and began talking to me until he passed away
beside me…” (2)
Prophet
Muhammad (PBUH&HP) conveyed all
knowledge and Islamic teachings to Imam Ali (PBUH). Imam Ali (PBUH) recorded the material in a book to
be passed on to his sons as written proof.
The
concerns Prophet Muhammad (PBUH&HP) showed in his final hours to convey the treasures of
divine knowledge to the true leaders of Islam and interpreters of the Holy Quran
show his effort in maintaining the religion and protecting the Islamic Ummah.
And with this note, the period of preaching the teachings of Islam begins in
the time of the life of the Holy Prophet and the Infallible Imams are
responsible for continuing this great task.
(Selection taken from “The Imam’s Role
in Restoration of the Religion” by Allamah Sayyid Murtada Askari,
with minor changes)
On behalf of Roshd
Website we offer our condolences to all Muslims on the 28th of Safar
the demise of Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him and his progeny) and
the martyrdom of his beloved grandson Imam Hassan ibn Ali (PBUH).
Roshd
Islamic Shia Website
Footnotes:
1. This Hadith is narrated in Mustdrak ala al-Sahihain, vol. 3, p.
14 about Imam Ali (PBUH) through several chains of Hdiths. Dhahabi, the Sunni
scholar, has considered this Hadith as correct (Sahih) in his summarization on
Mustdrak ala al-Sahihain.
2. Tabaqat
Ibn Sa’ad, vol. 2, p. 263
