The Preparation for the Burial of The Prophet (s.a.w)

Before the prophet died, He called his wives and children to bid them farewell, pressed Fâtimah to his bosom, and she rose weeping, but on his embracing her again she rose smiling, and being asked the reasons for this different conduct, she said that in the first instance Mohammed foretold his own death, and the second time informed her that she would soon follow him and be the first of his family to meet him in paradise.

After the prophet's departure to the eternal world, Aly performed the funeral ablutions, assisted by Fazl-bin-Abbas, and then robed the corpse and kissed his blessed face. On the authority of the imâm Sâduk, it is related that when the prophet departed to the eternal world, Jibrâeel and the angels, and Rub, the Spirit, all of whom caine down to the prophet on the night of dignity, now again descended, and the Most High enlightened the eyes of the commander of the faithful so that he saw them to the extreme part of the heavens. They assisted Aly in bathing the prophet, and in performing prayers over him, and they alone dug the grave of that illustrious personage. And when Aly bore the corpse to the grave, they entered it with him, and assisted in laying the remains of Mohammed in long repose. Here the prophet conversed with the angels and the Most High caused Alv to hear what was said, which was a charge by Mohammed, and an engagement by the angels to protect and aid the commander of the faithful, though after that time he would see and hear them no more.

When Aly departed to the holy world, Jibrâeel and the angels and Ruh wore sent down to Hasan and Husayn, who saw them, and what had occurred at the death of the prophet was then repeated. They saw Mohammed assisting the angels in bathing, robing, and burying the commander of the faithful. At the death of each successive imam, the same angelic visitation was repeated, attended by the prophet and all the departed imâms. The whole train appeared to the imam Jàfer-e-Sâduk, the author of this tradition, and assisted him in the funeral service of his father, the imâm Mohammed Baker, and this order is to be continued, says Sâduk, down to the last imâm.

The compiler observes that perhaps the meaning of Jibraeel's declaration, in the foregoing accounts, is, that he would no more descend to earth for the purpose of bringing divine communications; or it may be he attended these funeral ceremonies standing in the air; -God knows best. Kulaynee and others relate that the prophet was robed in three garments, one of which was a red cloak, and two were white robes of Yemen. Sâduk relates that Abbâs came to the commander of the faithful, and said, The people have agreed to bury the prophet in Bakee, and that Abubekr shall perform prayers over him. As Aly knew those hypocrites had a corrupt design, he came out of his house and said, "O ye people, verily, the prophet is our imâm and leader in life and after death. He said, I will be buried in Bakàh or the temple, where I shall yield up my spirit. Since they had laid their plot to seize on the khalâfat, they did not oppose Aly about the burial, but said, Do what you think best. Aly then stood before the door and performed prayers, and afterwards directed the companions to enter the house by tens and stand with him by the bier of the prophet and recite after him this verse: "Verily God and his angels bless the prophet. O true believers, do ye also bless him, and salute him with a respectful salutation." (Surah 33:56)

This was continued till all the people of Medeenah and the surrounding region had pronounced blessings on the prophet. The ceremony lasted from Monday till Tuesday night, in which time, all, small and great, men and women, had performed their devotions at the prophet's bier. When at length the corpse was borne to the grave, Aly and Fazl-bin Abbâs, and an Ansaree, named Aus-bin Khooly, entered the grave and laid to rest the remains of the prophet. The body was laid at the foot of the grave before being deposited in it.

Kulaynee relates, on the authority of the imâm Sàduk, that Abutalhah, an Ansâree, dug the prophet's grave, on which the compiler remarks that it is possible it may have so appeared, though in reality the angels dug it according to a foregoing statement. Aly enclosed the body with brick, and on the grave poured a quantity of red pebbles. The grave was filled and elevated the breadth of four fingers above the surface of the ground. Shaykh Toosee says it was elevated a span. The compiler remarks that the majority of traditions favor the first account, but as a quantity of red pebbles were found on the grave, it may have been raised by these to the height of a span; but it is possible that this tradition about the span is one of religious dissimulation.

Ummsalmah declared that after the prophet's death, she put her hand on his breast, and for several weeks when she ate or washed, her hand emitted the fragrance of musk.

The night after the prophet's departure to the gardens of paradise seemed endlessly long to the bereaved family, who scarcely knew if they were on the face of the earth, fearing the revenge of hypocrites and infidels against whom Mohammed had warred in God's behalf. In these afflictive circumstances the Most High sent an angel to comfort them with the consideration that all must die, and the assurance that they were particularly chosen and favored of the Lord.

Mohammed died a martyr, for, having tasted of a poisoned shoulder of mutton at Khyber, it at last caused his death. Himself declared that no prophet or successor of a prophet leaves the world except by martyrdom. Sonic say that Auyeshah and Hafsah,-thc curse of God be upon them !-poisoned Mohammed; and it may be that they did, although he was also poisoned by the Yehoodeo woman of Khyber.

Certain authorities, both sheeah and sunnee, declare that when Mohammed died, the hypocritical Muhâjerees and Ansârees, such as Abubekr, Omar and Abdurrahman-bin-Auf, instead of visiting the family of the prophet to comfort them in their distresses, assembled at the abode of the Benee Saudah, and plotted to seize the khalâfat. Most of them consequently did not perform prayers over the prophet, although Aly sent to call them for that purpose. Their plan was to make Abubekr khaleefah, which indeed had been plotted in Mohammed's lifetime. The hypocritical Ansârees, however, wished to get the khalâfat for Sad-bin-Abâdah, but were overruled by the Muhâjerees. A man brought the information that Abubekr was constituted khaleefah when Aly with a spade in his hand was filling up the prophet's grave, and added that the hypocrites feared they should not succeed in depriving Aly of his rights if they waited till he had completed the funeral ceremonies. Aly laid the spade on the ground and repeated these verses: "In the name of God the compassionate, the merciful. A. L. M. Do men imagine that it shall be sufficient for them to say, We believe; while they are not proved? We heretofore proved those who were before them; for God will surely know them who are sincere, and he will surely know the liars." (Surah 29:1-3)

After the prophet's death Fàtimah was afflicted in spirit to a degree which none but God knew. Jibrâeel was sent down daily to comfort her, and Aly.wrote what the angel said, and this is the book of Fâtimah which is now with the imâm Mahdy. Fâtimah died seventy-five days after the prophet her father.

Shaykh Toosee relates that when they wished to build a mausoleum over the grave of the prophet, near his head and feet musk appeared more fragrant than had ever been seen before.

It is related that a man named Jiifer-bin-Musenâ, being in Medeenah when the roof of the prophet's mesjid was undergoing repairs in a place which overlooked Mohammed's tomb, asked permission of the imâm Sàduk to go up and view the grave: but the imâm said he was unwilling it should be done, for things might be seen which would blind one's eyes. The prophet might appear in the attitude of prayer, or be seen sitting and conversing with some of his pure wives.

On the authority of the imâm Sâduk, it is related that in the forty-first year of the Hijret, Maveeah proposed to make a pilgrimage, and sent a carpenter with timber and tools, and wrote a letter to the governor of Medeenah, ordering the member or pulpit of the prophet to be rebuilt in the style of' Màveeah's mesjid in Sham. When the workmen attempted to remove the old member, the sun was eclipsed and a powerful earthquake occurred, on which they desisted and wrote an account of the prodigies to Maveeah, who repeated his former command, and it was accordingly executed.

The same imâm relates that the prophet one day said to his companions, My life is a benefit to you, and so will be my death. They replied, We know your life is good for us, for by you we have found religious guidance, and been delivered from error, and have been saved from the brink of the fiery gulf. But why is your death good for us? He replied, After my death your works will be brought before me, and at every good deed I behold, I will pray that God may give you more grace, and will implore forgiveness for you whenever your bad deeds come before me. One of the hypocrites inquired if this would take place after his bones had crumbled to dust. The prophet answered, The Most High has forbidden the earth my flesh: my body will not corrupt in the grave, nor become old. Sâduk said that no prophet nor successor of a prophet remains more than three days in the earth before his spirit and flesh and bones ascend up, and people go to the place their bodies occupied, and their salâms reach the departed from far and near.

In many traditions from the imâm Sâduk, it is related that when the curse, Abuhekr, deprived Aly of the khalâfat, the latter said to him, Did not the prophet of God command you to obey me? The curse denied, saying, If he had so commanded, I would have obeyed. Aly enjoined, If you now should see the prophet and he should command you to obey me, would you do it? He answered, Yes. Aly said to him, Then come with me to the mesjid of' Kubâ. When they arrived there. Abubekr saw Mohammed standing in the attitude of prayer, and when he had finished his devotions, the commander of the faithful said to him, O prophet of God, Abubekr denies that you commanded him to obey me. The prophet then said to Abubekr, I most strictly commanded you to obey him; go and do it. The curse went away in great terror, and meeting Omar, the latter inquired what had happened to him. When Abubekr related the vision, Omar said, The sect will be destroyed, since such a fool is made of their ruler. Do you not know that all this proceeds from the sorcery of the Benee Hashim?

In some of the books of the imâm Sâduk, it is related that when the commander of the faithful was dragged to the mesjid for the purpose of making him swear allegiance to Abubekr, Aly stood by the tomb of the prophet, and in the words of Haroon to Moosâ said, "And Aaron said unto him, Son of my mother, Verily the people prevailed against me, and it wanted little but they had slain me." (Surah 7:149)

An arm then protruded from the prophet's grave towards Abubekr, all recognizing it to be the hand of Mohammed. This was accompanied by a voice which all knew to be the prophet's, saying, "Hast thou become infidel to that Lord who has created thee from dust, and then from seed formed thee a man!" Another tradition says that a hand appeared from the grave, and on it was written the above demand addressed to Omar.

Sâduk says that on the night preceding Friday, the spirit of Mohammed, with the spirits of past prophets and their successors, and the spirit of present imâms, are carried up to the empyrean, around which they make seven circuits, and perform two rukàts of prayer at each corner of the empyrean, and the imâms in the morning find their knowledge vastly increased.

Another tradition says that when the Most High wills to impart new knowledge to the reigning imâm, except what relates to lawful and unlawful, He sends an angel that explains it to Mohammed, who directs him to do the same to Aly, and he likewise sends the angel to the next imam and thus at length the imâm on earth is taught the divine will.

 Source - The Life and Religion of Muhammad -Hiyat al-Qulub, by Allamah Muhammad Baqir al-Majlisi. Translated by Rev. James L. Merrick.