Ali Shariati - The Visage of Prophet Muhammad

7/28/2019 Ali Shariati - The Visage of Prophet Muhammad

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The Visage of Prophet MohammadPart 1

Dr. Ali Shariati

Some of the Salient Characteristics of the Prophet's Personality

Truly, even thinking about the Prophet is extremely difficult and awe inspiring.A great personage like Ali said: "Whenever we found the situation to be grave, we

used to take refuge in the Prophet of God and sought the shelter of his presence inorder to feel safe and protected in his loving company". How sublime and lofty

was the personality of this great man. It is quite natural that our limited and little

minds are unable to realize this greatness. The tools and criteria that we have to

evaluate and measure men by, fail to assess and understand such a great being.Hence, we are compelled to understand him within the limits imposed on our

intellects.

Strength and Popularity at their Peak:

One of his characteristics' (with which I myself came across while lecturing onthe life and personality of the Prophet) indicates that no personage has existed in

the annals of history in whose being both strength of character and popularity, at

such a high level, were combined together in this way. In a personage of such

greatness, which inspires awe, fear, and another quality; which fills the heart with aspecial kind of friendly love for him, has never been integrated with each other.The love-ableness of the Prophet is separate from his prophet hood; for instance

Moses, Abraham and Jesus were also prophets and all of them were loved and

respected by their people as prophets and apostles of God. But our Prophetpossessed an additional quality, and that was the compassion of all who came incontact with him. (We who know and love the Prophet through his words alone can

naturally imagine to what extent those who dealt with him personally, could love

him.) This dimension of his personality was, in itself such a great force that many

of his Companions were greatly affected by his words in such a way that theyfeared that the Quranic verses reflecting the Prophet's utterances filled their heartsso full that even the words of the Quran might not fit. They were anxious to

remember whatever he said, because they loved him so much they memorized hiswords by heart. Even today, after the passage of fourteen hundred years, his wordsare so familiar to the masses of Makkah and Madinah, who now have no culture

whatsoever and have fallen to the lowest intellectual level, it is as if the Prophet is

still alive and speaking to them. His words, his reminiscences, his relics, hismemoirs and all that belong to him are ever recounted by the people, as if he still

resides in Madinah. Even the drivers, grocers and vendors those who are not

acquainted with history, who have never read about his life and character and are


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illiterate still feel his presence among them. As if he was still alive, and in contact

with them.

In the course of these fourteen hundred years, no incident, no rift or gap has been

able to create a gulf or distance between them and the Prophet (this is something

very unusual). This love-ableness is wonderful and extraordinary, to the extent thatwhen one reads his biography, after some time one begins to love him. All this

greatness within all this simplicity seems to be impossible is a miracle in itself.Philosophically, it is to contain the whole world in an eggshell, but this actually

became reality.

While sitting in the corner of the Prophet's Mosque, one can imagine themagnificence of the Prophet. What kind of a man was this person who razed all the

great empires of the world to the ground? Who was he? What was the extent of his

might and strength? Those of you who have fortunately visited this mosque canenvision it in your mind. The additions that have been made to the Prophet'sMosque, are fully distinguishable. If you envision that portion of the Prophet's

Mosque which is between the columns colored in yellow ochre, it was the entirearea of the Prophet's Mosque, both the covered and uncovered area measured 2,100

sq cubits. The area covered by the yellow ochre columns with a golden margin,indicates the exact place where the columns were erected during the Prophet's time.

In place of the present columns date trees were placed (exactly in the same place

where the present columns stand). It perfectly reveals the nature and extent of thegovernment which brought down and destroyed the majestic edifice of the Roman

Empire and leveled to the ground the lofty mansions of the Mada'in rulers withinthe short period of less than a quarter of a century. A few houses made of mud inone corner of the courtyard of the mosque, a pulpit in another corner. a nitche atthe distance of two three meters; there a small house, here the site of the mosque

and the place where he prayed, and in that corner he used to converse with the

people. This was the centre of his power* the entire domain of his strength, which

served as the base of Islam throughout the entire world. This was actually thewhole administration he controlled until the time of his death.

When one views that history was made in this small space of ten to twelve metersand all the ancient magnificent powers were humbled to the ground, one has to

believe that it was in fact an extraordinary phenomenon. One can feel this miracleand witness it with his own eyes.

The other specific quality of the Prophet's personality is that in every place of the(Arabian) Peninsula, which the Prophet visited, man feels a sense of attachment to

that land and is attracted to its soil, its pebbles and the mountains thereof. It attracts

the heart like a magnet, as if one has entered a magnetic field. At first I thoughtthat maybe since I knew what had happened on the other side of the mountain Abu

Qubays, and what role it played in the Prophet's life, and I knew about the gloomyyears when the sequence of the revelations was interrupted for years those nights,


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when sometimes the Prophet even considered throwing himself down, made a

great emotional impression on me, for they had a specific attraction for me. Even

though, when a group of Germans and other youths came to visit this place, evenbefore I told them about where we were, (we were talking and as we passed

through the ravines of Bani 'Amir and Bani Hashim, and went up the summit ofAbu Qubays), when we reached the tops all of them had the same unconscious

feeling, even though they did not cherish any memory which could stir their

feelings.

The Elevated Status of The Prophet:

Today I shall describe some very unique characteristics of the Prophet, since it isa day especially connected with his person. On all other days we can talk about his

philosophy and ideology. Today is not the anniversary of the beginning of his

prophetic mission, it is his birthday. Due to this, it is not improper if I choose tospeak about him personally, the characteristics of this great personage and his

personality.

Whenever one reads the account of his life, the places where he lived, one

realizes the one of the characteristics inherent to his nature was his choice of high

and lofty places like an eagle. Wherever he went and put up his tent, he chose the

highest point. For instance, during Haji he would go to 'Arafat. His spiritual statewas exactly like a bird that dwells in lofty heights. If you look at Mina, the highesthilltop there is Khayf, where the mosque of Khayf is situated that is the place

where the Prophet preferred to stay.

Arafat is a desert and a plateau. There is a hill in a corner. You know that atArafat the Prophet went and stayed there.

Before he was appointed to the prophet hood, he chose the mount of Hira, whichwas the highest and the most mysterious mountain among the mountains

surrounding Makka, to go into retreat and seclusion. Unlike the hermits and

recluses who chose basements and underground places, burrows, secluded spots

and caves for this purpose, even the place that he chose to go into seclusion was amountain top, a lofty peak and a summit. These are spiritual and psychologicalmatters but they are indications of his existential experience. Sometimes the

individualistic behavior of a person reveals the greatness of his being and hisinnate characteristics.

Destroying the Old Value System and Creating a New One:

He was a man who wielded so much power and might that even when hisenemies wanted to abuse him, they would say: "He is a Prophet equipped with

arms and his religion is the religion of the sword". For the world his image isprojected as that of a warrior. None of the Roman, Aramaic, Greek or Arian


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generals ever fought as many battles as our Prophet. What is important is not the

extent of battles but the occupation in martial activities. The Prophet was engaged

in battles for eight years. During this period of time he fought 64 or 65 battles,which if averaged out, will show that he had a military expedition every forty or

fifty days. No single military man, considering his military operations alone, hasbeen able to engage himself in as many battles, (64 or 65) during a ten year period

of social and political responsibilities.

Nevertheless, his Companions never considered him to be a military man. People

came to him with their smallest problems. A woman opened her heart to himcomplaining that her husband does not sleep with her. He was so accessible to the

people that she comes to the Prophet without having the slightest idea of his

superiority . (To whom can you speak to in this manner? You dare not speak of;

such trifle matters to the clergy in your neighbourhood. ) This woman comes and

detains the Prophet for an hour. She recounts to him the habits of her husband; shetells him how he is when he comes home; how bad is his mood; what she says, andhow he answers; what he said the last night; how many nights he has not slept with

her; how he behaves with her; how he supports her, doesn't support her... He sits

patiently, and listens to her in such a manner that she is encouraged to return thenext day again. Tomorrow her neighbors also come. The day after tomorrow all the

other women come to him. It is obvious that he does not behave in a way that thevery first day a person feels that he or she was mistaken, should not have come to

him. Till his death no one realized that he was mistaken to behave with him in this

manner. His firmness, grandeur, greatness and his worldly prestige overwhelmed

all those, irrespective of friend or foe who did not see him. But those who saw him,they found in him an intimate, lovable friendly person. Unlike the great worldly

personages who appear little and humble from a distance and dreadful and terriblefrom near.

An old woman wanted to speak with him. She saw the Prophet emerging from his

quarters and came face to face with her. The Prophet felt that she wanted to tellhim something. She stopped and waited, when he saw that she would not comeforward, he himself went to her. He noticed that she was trembling and tongue-tied

(she was over-awed by the Prophet's personality). He came and held her by theshoulders like a child and said, "Mother whom are you afraid of ? I am the son ofthat Qurayshi woman who used to milk sheep. Whom do you fear?" This is the

new value system which was created by him, as he broke the old value system.

We have again returned to those very aristocratic values. Even while speakingabout our Prophet, we judge him by criteria that is contrary to the mission of his

prophet hood. Imam Sadiq speaks about the Prophet thus:

"The Prophet used to sit as a servant siteth, used to take his meals as a servant

eateth; and indeed he regarded himself to be a servant".


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(It was not a feigned appearance, but in reality he considered himself to be a

servant. What a strange thing.)

Besides being a social privilege, aristocracy has its own specific symbols. It has

its own style of dressing, its own specific decorations, its own means of

transportation, its own specific sources of livelihood, its own specific titles allthese are the signs of aristocracy, whether it may be the clerical elite, for if you

look at the titles of this class, the whole writing space will be filled or it may be thepolitical or a privileged class elite. It makes no difference as to which kind of

aristocracy a person belongs. One of the signs of aristocracy, for example, ishaving a long beard this was prevalent in Russia several years ago. servant. But thelatter is more appropriate.

The members of senior families used to grow very long beards.

Some other signs of aristocracy include: long robes, long sleeves, titles and the

possession of a horse. Horseback riding formed one of the essential constituents ofchivalry in Europe, Iran and many other parts of the world. Nobles were called'Chevalier' in Europe (derived from cheval, which means horse). In Iran 'Aswaran'

means equestrian (the family of the nobles were called Aswaran). The kings' titles

were 'Goshtasb', 'Bayarasb', 'Lohrasb' etc. meaning the possessor of ten horses, a

hundred horses, two hundred horses and so on, which was in itself a symbol ofaristocracy. Even in the aristocratic system of China, and similarly of Europe thecommon people had no right to mount a horse. Not for the reason that they did not

have sufficient money, even if they had money they were not allowed to have ahorse for the horse and sword were specific privileges of nobles and their families.

Nevertheless the Prophet, even when he went to a battle, used to ride a camel, and

during his journeys used to ride a she-camel or a mule. Ali (A) said that theProphet used to ride an ass. An ass was the most inferior and meanest of animals,

usually used by the humblest of the people. And it is even humbler not to use a

saddle. It is similar to riding a bicycle without a chain. This is a sign indicating thelowest status of a man, or rather having no status at all. It is a greater dishonor to

share such a humble beast with somebody else for a ride. The Prophet often liked

to travel about the city in this manner.

He even caught his own beard in his hands and repeatedly commanded (to follow

his example), and cursed the people (who grew long beards) saying: "Whatever

(hair of the beard) exceeds the measure of a fist will be burnt in the flames". Withgreat zeal he ordered all the long robes to be cut short and declared that no Muslimhad a right to wear a cloak below the knee. We see that in the aristocratic system

the higher the status of a person is, the longer the length of the dress

For example in ancient China the skirts of the gentry were tailored a few meters

longer than their height, and since it became difficult to move in such garments,they were collected and put in a basket with four wheels which were carried by


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slaves. This shows that the cutting short of the robes was basically a revolutionary,

categorical, profound and meaningful act. It was intended to break the values of

aristocracy.

Doing away with titles of honor. The Prophet was intent upon making

revolutionary amendments in names as well. If someone was named Abu al-Aass,the Prophet said! 'Nay, it should be Abu Muti' . Henceforth, he was called by the

name Abu Muti' alone.

Sometimes he himself conferred titles on men. Even today we have a custom inour villages to call persons by specific titles, but these titles have derisive,

malicious, or aristocratic and racial implications. But the titles bestowed by theProphet (S), despite revealing a sense of humor had a pleasant tint. (For instance)

he saw a person carrying a cat, he called him Abu Hurayrah, which became his

name. Once he entered the mosque. He saw Ali (A) sleeping on the ground andasked him to wake up. When Ali (A) woke up they saw that his hair, his clothesand his face were covered with dust. He said: "What happened? O Abu Turab" (the

father of dust). Henceforth Hadrat Amir (A) very much loved to be called by thisnickname alone. The values were completely transformed. His values were

absolutely contrary to the titles that the clerics, aristocrats and the elite contrivedfor themselves.

The Prophet's Training:

One of the characteristics of the Prophet was that he was from among commonmen. (Though this is a term improper a more suitable term does not exist.) He was

absolutely and purely illiterate. What is training or education? To train means tomould and fashion a personality. What are the factors that are effective in training

a human being?

In my view there are five factors that participate in the formation of an individual:

First, it is the mother who shapes the first dimensions of the personality of a child.

Second, the father. Third; ideology, educational institutions and culture. Fourth:

Civilization. Fifth: Essentially the spirit of the period in which you live. Takeyourself as an example. You were brought up by your mother. The next trainingyou received was from your father. The third kind of training was educational

whatever you have studied. The fourth factor of your training is that you are fromTehran. The fifth factor is that you are living in the twentieth century. If you livedin Tehran at the time of Nasiruddin Shah You would have shared four factors with

the present Tehrani, but your age would be different. These are the five factors.

The Prophet of Islam did not enjoy any of these five factors effective in moldingan individual's personality. His father died before he was born. (This factor is

absent.) Secondly, immediately after his birth, he was separated from his motherand taken to the desert to be nursed. He remained there for two years. He should


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have been brought back to his mother after that period, but on account of a plague,

before his mother could embrace him he was again taken back to the desert. The

plague prevented him from being brought up by his mother. Until the age of five,he neither saw his father nor his mother. At the age of five he was returned to his

mother. The mother, who had lost her husband and he was her only child, for thefirst time took him under her care and intended to take him to Madinah so that he

could visit his uncles, her father and her family. (The mother of the Prophet

belonged to the tribe of Banu Najjar of Madinah) But his mother died on the wayto Madinah and the child, Muhammad, was left alone in the middle of the desert.

The third factor is civilization, and the Prophet was born among the crudest of thenomadic people of the age. The Arabian Peninsula was also a peninsula from the

cultural as well as the geographical points of view. Geographically it is a

peninsula, a piece of land surrounded by water on three sides, but paradoxically not

a single drop of water fell on this desert. A dry island. Culturally also it is apeninsula. On the one side Greek civilization, Palestine on the other; on this sideIran and Iraq, and India lies on that side all these civilizations surrounded it, but

none of the signs of the surrounding cultures ever penetrated it. Thus, the Prophet

grew up in a virgin desert land, bereft of culture and civilization, and was broughtup in a virtual cultural vacuum.

The fifth factor time, was under the domination of the Roman culture,

Alexandrian culture and Iranian culture. Time was controlled by these cultures. Noage or time existed during the seventh century A.D. in the Arabian Peninsula. It is

true that now we are living in the twentieth century, but actually we do not live inthe twentieth century. Even today there are Bedouin tribes who do not wearclothes. If you look at their calendar. you will believe that they belong to thetwentieth century, but the twentieth century does not exist for them. They live in

the twentieth century B.C.!

You can see that the Prophet was an individual who was not influenced in theslightest manner by any one of the five factors that play an active role in the

training and raising of an individual. He grew up as a completely free being,

independent of any influences. It is on account of this that he had an immensecapacity to understand, and accept new concepts, meanings and values that

humanity could not have comprehended. It is for this very reason that he was ableto defeat and demolish all the old values and cultures, all the systems of education

and training, all the beliefs, and all that was sacred to them. Had he had an

opportunity of being trained under any system, he would have been influenced bythe existing values of the time.

According to these facts, the Prophet's being illiterate is an indication of thepureness of his being. Age, family, history, culture and moral molding, none of

these had the slightest role in his development. For this reason, he could easilycomprehend the concepts that were completely unprecedented and revolutionary.


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A philosopher who studies philosophy in Alexandria, Athens or Hamadan could

never have such an immense capability.

Power in Weakness:

There are really many peculiarities in the Prophet's life. In the seventh year of his

migration he went to Makkah and declared: "We wish to circumambulate aroundthe Ka'bah as other Arabs do. We also wish to perform the ritual." They did not

allow him to enter Makkah and bluntly said: "Go away, we shall not let you to do

it". He returned frustrated and disappointed. How can a person who cannotexercise a right which is granted to an Arab Bedouin, and is so weak in his own

country, come back and write to the superpowers of that age; the Iranian andRoman emperors? He wrote to them: "In the name of Allah. Surrender to me,

otherwise, what will come to you will be of your own doing." What a tone and a

manner! What a great bully! Well, Brother! With what strength? Just now youwere turned back by Abu Sufyan and were forced to stop at the gate of Makkah,and you were so helpless that you had to comply and turn back, as you had no

other choice. And now that you have been turned back, on what authority do youwrite a letter? And in such a manner! It seems that he possesses the strength of a

mountain. Otherwise, how could it be possible? He is not deranged. He is asensible, reasonable man. He has calculated all the pros and cons and he knows

very well that the emperor Khusrow abd Parviz does not need to send a company

of soldiers to arrest him. He could have easily asked one of his slaves in Yemen togo and arrest that Arab! And that's what Khusrow did. He did not even send some

of his soldiers to Madinah in order to bring him. He asks Bazan his protege inYemen "Go and see what type of a dreamer is he who behaves so nonsensically.And wrote a letter to me asking me to surrender to him." He could have sent four

persons to arrest him, and that would have been enough!

In spite of the existence of such a great power in the world and realizing his own

weakness, he issues warnings to all the great powers on earth. In the seventh yearof the Hijrah he wrote and dispatched these letters. (It is significant that he wrote

these letters in the seventh year of the Hijrah.)

The Prophets Domestic Life:

With all this greatness, while he enters his house, his wives see in hiscountenance an ordinary good husband alone. What kind of a person he is thatoutside his home, emperors are afraid of him, he is tough and wields so much

power and has such a great spirit. But, as he enters his house, his wives, the same

women who used to fear their husbands and fathers used to seize him by the collar,call him names, and tease him. They reproach him tauntingly by saying: "What

kind of life is this that you are leading? Look how other people live, what kind of

house they have, how their daughters live, how their wives live ! Is this the housethat you have built for us'?" According to the narrations of Abu Hurayrah, month


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after month passes and no smoke rises out of his kitchen. When they wished to be

indulged in luxury, they used to take seeds of the dates and knead them with dates

(even then no cooking!) till they were softened. He too liked them very much, andwhenever he wanted to fill his stomach lavishly, he ate them. This was the kind of

life, house, and furniture he had.

In Europe a person delivered a speech on the topic "The Prophet, his loves and

wives". I also delivered a speech as a rejoinder to what he had uttered on this topic.I said: What kind of a home did the Prophet have? It was a room made of mud,

which he built himself. Half of the room was covered by a mat and the remainingby sand. The sand was brought from the desert and changed every few days, so thatit would not become dirty. The house made of mud walls belonging to his favorite

wife Ayesha, is also furnished in the similar manner. This all the furniture that a

great emperor possesses. And how did he behave with those wives? In relation to

his wife and family he is no longer a Prophet of God. Once Umar' objected: "Howyou spoil them!" Hafsah' was afraid of 'Umar, but the Prophet had made hercheeky 'Umar used to ask his daughter: "What is the matter? Why are you so

proud?" Hafsah, a widow, was ill-tempered and ugly. No one would marry her.

'Umar made every effort to find a husband for her, but he was unsuccessful. Inorder to unburden him of his responsibility, the Prophet sought her hand in

marriage. This ugly, ill-tempered widow always created a sorry fight for theProphet and always embarrassed the Prophet by her shouting. The Prophet adjusted

to her and their whole life, they lived together compatibly. It is after all an

amazingly rare quality to show such great patience, courtesy and humility towards

others.

Muhammad: The Friend of the Oppressed:

He is the only friend of the widows, the homeless and the strangers whom he saw

in the streets of the city the persons whom nobody greets with a salaam, and

nobody bothers to return greetings. Sometimes, when passing he sees that thesestrangers, shepherds and paupers who are seated on the ground have spread a cloth

laying their humble meal upon it, consisting of bread suitable for a camel only,

they invite him to join them, and he eagerly sits down and shares their food. He isnot posing for photographers to click their cameras. No, not at all. He sits and chats

with them amicably and makes friends with them. He invites them to honor him bycoming to his home for supper that evening.

He comes lower and lower, as if there is no one humbler in Madinah. Returningfrom (the battle of) Banu Mustalaq. (This is really terrific at such a time when the

values prevalent were all aristocratic ones.) Among the inhabitants of Madinah

nobody was left except old women, the crippled and children, for all the warriorshad gone to the battlefront, and now the army was returning home They all went to

receive the triumphant soldiers, under the command of the Prophet. All the women,children, families, old and elderly persons and respectable citizens of Madinah and


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those who stayed behind had formed rows. An obscure laborer, who had been

shoveling when he saw the Prophet and the holy fighters advancing, hid himself

behind the crowd, humbly watching from a corner. He did not consider himself tobe worthy enough to come forward to offer his greetings. (He thought of himself as

a non-entity, not a personage to come forward and salute the warriors; no, he felthe should watch from a distance only). When the Prophet saw that the people have

come to greet him and formed rows, he unmounted his horse and passed through

the rows of the people, shaking hands with everyone.

He happened to see the laborer at the farthest end behind all the people. Breakingthrough the line he advances towards him. This person became nervous, (What? Isit possible'?) he had not prepared himself for such a thing. He threw aside his

shovel and offered his hand. The Prophet was shocked to feel something rough like

a stone in his hand. Wondering he asks, "What has happened to your hand?" The

laborer says: "Nothing! I work with a shovel. I am a worker, a laborer, my handshave become calloused, mud-covered and dried." The Prophet was visibly moved,as to why he did not realize the cause of the hardness of this hand from the

beginning. He feels compelled to compensate for his omission. He expresses this

feeling by holding the worker's hand, kissing it and raising it high in front of hisarmy, declaring: "This is the hand that will not be touched by the fire." What an

extraordinary person! A strange phenomenon!

Now look, they want to analyze the revelation in terms of physics, and discoverwhat color it is. It is actually something else and has come from another place!

When and from what time? From which period, and what conditions? The greatFrench Revolution is not known to him, and he has not read Victor Hugo, etc....civilization flourishes in Iran and Rome. They enjoyed the fruits of education andculture, but you know what kind of values they had. In India, which had a great

culture three thousand years prior to this event, even today, in the twentieth

century, while the workers, after completing their day's work want to take wages

from the employers in the evening, they carry a bowl with them, so that theemployer may drop coins in it and his hand may not touch the untouchables' hands.This is an idea newly introduced in the modern world that the aristocratic values

should be discarded. But was not conceived in the tribal and traditional agriculturalsociety. Then try to understand what has happened. Here is a gentleman well-versed in English, is modern, knows Europe and the world, but still lacks such

values. The world is governed by such a value system.

Here is the Prophet, who considered the kissing of the hands a sign of infidelity,yet kissed the hands of only two persons: The hand of a lady-Fatimah and the handof a laborer.

The Prophet's Discipline:


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It is really difficult for me to speak about the Prophet. I chose to speak about his

personal and private life, so that I may do some justice to the topic. Despite saying

that he was a simple person, there are still other such qualities that are specific tohis and his personality alone. One of these qualities is his discipline. He is just like

the Secretary General of the United Nations! Three rooms made of mud andthatched with the leaves of the date palm (this is what his entire organization

consisted of) are organized and coordinated in such a way the same administration,

the same life that the greatest of all bureaucracy of the world cannot be comparedto. He is like a phenomenon a natural phenomenon like a small fragment of theworld. Muhammad, is a microcosm in the form of a human being. He functions as

a computer, as a mathematical device. Have a look at his mosque. (I am not in aposition to elaborate this point any further.)

His life was very simple and at the same time very regular and exact. He had

several wives, but he goes to Umm al- Masakin,' who is ten to twelve years hissenior (her son, who was of the Prophet's age, had come to ask for his hand inmarriage to his mother) in the same manner as he goes to 'Ayeshah. Throughout his

whole lifetime he did not commit a single act of discrimination. Except when he

fell ill and it became essential for him to remain in one place, he sought permissionfrom his wives, which they ought to have granted him, so that he could stay in one

house. How could the same person, move about in the streets on all fours, so thatthe children could climb up upon his back and enjoy a ride, maintain such a

discipline in his affairs?

There are three columns, the columns on which the roof of his rooms rests, threetrunks of the date tree. It is written on one of them Ustuwanat al-Halaq the columnof rings, on the other, Ustuwanat al-haras the column of guards and Utuwanat al-tahajjod the column of the Meditation or the sleeping column on the third column.

What does all this mean?

Whenever the Prophet closed his prayers he used to stand beside the pulpit, sothat anybody who wished to discuss their problems could come forward. A person

cheated in a certain deal, would come and give an account of his difficulties. A

woman unhappy about her husband, would come and discuss her problems. Twopeople who have quarreled, come and explain their dispute. Someone has used

abusive language to someone in Madinah, the aggrieved party comes to him.Whoever wants to come, comes and says whatever he or she wants to say. But

sometimes he needs to hold a commission meeting. The chiefs of the tribes have

come to discuss with him something that is related to the destiny of Islam. Heought to take an account of the matter. But still he does not go behind closed doors;he sits beside a pillar. While he is seated beside a particular pillar, all the Muslims

who enter the mosque understand that the Prophet is holding a commissionmeeting, and that it is not the time for them to sit beside him. It is obvious that he

has foreign visitors. That he is busy in important political talks, and therefore it isnot a proper time to interrupt him (they can do so later on). They leave the place,


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for when the Prophet is busy with important discussions, order should be

maintained. But his simplicity is still evident. No line is drawn and no walls are

raised, but discipline is observed and everybody knows the nature of this business.

When the person, who is in politics, who fights battles, who is involved in

conflicts, who listens to the problems of every so and so, and has attained suchlofty heights of spiritual glory that the inhabitants of the heavenly spheres gaze at

him with awe, needs silence and seclusion for contemplation and meditation.Whenever he wishes to be alone to with draw to himself, drown himself in thought,

he goes to the pillar named 'Ustawanat al-tahajjod (the column of Meditation).When he is there, no one goes to him. His family should not try to have any contactwith him, his wife should not speak to him, nor the Companions nearest to him

should approach him. The people have no business to disturb him either. He

remains aloof and alone there. If delegations arrive, they have to wait for him. As

long as he is seated near the 'Ustawanat al-tahajjod, everyone understands that hewishes to meditate in seclusion and is saying his prayers. When he says liturgical

prayers, he does it with the people. But when he offers midnight prayers, he is in a

special spiritual state. On such occasions, when he wishes to say prayer all alone,

no one is supposed to say prayers with him or disturb him. He goes around thethree houses one by one, and stands for prayer at the backside of the house of

Fatimah. (There was no place specified for this purpose, but always the backside ofFatima's house.) When he goes there, it is implied that he would say prayer alone

and that no one should be around.

This order and discipline reached such proportions that the household goodsacquired specific names, whose list is given in the Biography (Sirah) of theProphet written by Ibn Hisham. He had several donkeys and mules, each of whomwas given a name. (He did not say; "bring the black-tailed mule", it had a name.)

He had several caps; there were four quadrangular caps that he used to wear during

battle. He had two or three turbans which he used to wear on Fridays, and on the

occasion of peace talks and other important social ceremonies. Each of theseturbans had a certain name. This naming of the caps is indicative of his keenness tohave order in every matter. His bodily functions were exactly like nature. It was

not something cultivated and acquired, as in the case of the behavior of otherhuman beings.

Mr. Bazargan, (May God reward him amply for his service) has performed a

mathematical study of the Quranic verses regarding their order and their length,

and arranged them according to their length. We know that the verses revealed inMecca are shorter and those revealed in Madinah are longer. He classified all theverses revealed during the span of twenty three years the duration in which the

Quran was revealed into twenty-three grades, and has put them together accordingto their length in their respective grades. Incidentally, the verses placed in a

particular grade belong to the same year. We can know and count the number of


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words contained in the verses of each year. What is the result of this? We have the

following chart:

In the first year, 2500 words were revealed to the Prophet. In the second year,

3000 words were revealed. In the third year, 3500 words were revealed. In the

fourth year, 4000 words were revealed. In the fifth year, 4500 words wererevealed. In the sixth year, 5000 words were revealed. In the seventh year, 5500

words were revealed. In the eighth year, 6000 words were revealed. In the ninthyear, 6500 words were revealed, and so on.

Year After Prophecy Number of Words Revealed

First 2500

Second 3000

Third 3500

Fourth 4000

Fifth 4500

Sixth 5000

Seventh 5500

Eighth 6000

Ninth 6500

... ...

What are we dealing with here? Here we see a systematic order which is found inphysics and mathematics, and not concerned with the man who uttered thesewords. It is just like a graph or curve indicating the temperature and rainfall duringdifferent months of year. A man who discourses for a period of twenty-three years,

under so many strains, victories, happiness, hardships, political matters,philosophical matters and religious matters cannot have control over the number ofwords in a way that exactly 500 words are added every year to the words uttered

by him in the previous year. It is really impossible to discipline oneself in this way.

Unconsciously all the verses uttered by the Prophet have an exact increase every

year.

Here we are face to face with a scientific order and discipline, not with a normal

human personality. The Prophet is indeed a clear sign (ayah) similar to the day andnight, the sea, sun and stars. He is a cross-section of the cosmos, or rather a cosmos

in itself.

One of the characteristics of the Prophet is described by Ali who has minutelyportrayed him and has given such exact physiognomic details about him that onecan paint a portrait of the Prophet according to them (he has portrayed his inner

reflection and characteristics with words). How modern it is! What a psychologicalinsight! What a vivid portrait! He says: "He was neither so tall that he could be


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regarded tall, nor so short that he could appear slight and puny. He was square-

shouldered and of sturdy build. His eyes were sharp and he had a bass voice. He

walked with a fast pace, a bit inclined forward (he did not have an awkward wide-legged slow gait, like the man who has been always beaten and making a retreat he

strode forward like the one sailing before the wind). He was prominently visiblefrom a long distance and caught the eyes like a roaring stream gushing onwards or

like a rock rolling down the mountain (as if he was striding over a steep slope).

From one shoulder to the other his chest was covered with thick growth of hair. aline of which reached his navel. He was so particular about cleanliness that henever used the same towel twice in his life. Today a revolutionary is supposed to

be a dirty person. In fact these are the values cherished by a revolutionary today. Ifanyone keeps himself neat and clean, it is said that he has adopted the bourgeoisieway of life. But this fellow, who was a revolutionary to the core of his being,

whose entire paraphernalia consisted of four mats, ate date flour and date stone,

transformed the whole world, and despite growing up as a shepherd in the desert,where water was scarce and hygienic conditions bad, had such a high sense of

hygiene and cleanliness that he did not use a towel twice during his entire lifetime.It is written in al-Kamisi that he had no riches, but one third of all he possessed he

spent on the articles of toilet and cosmetics (one third of all his expenditure was forarticles of dressing up, toilet and perfumes, what can I say, it seems to beunbelievable!).

Similar was the case with his swords. Each one of his swords bore a specific

name.

The Prophet's Death

More beautiful than all the periods of his life, was his death. We have been in thehabit of considering death always as an uproarious affair. To borrow movie jargon,

we appreciate action, battle and its clamor, scenes which have conflicts, panoramicbackgrounds, 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 profundity,

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 offeeling and understanding such things, the death of the Prophet is a more

sorrowful, tragic, profound and undoubtedly more glorious incident than themartyrdom of Hussien. The period of the Prophet's last protracted illness lasted one

year. From the time of the Hajjat al-Weda the Last Pilgrimage up to the time he

could speak no more and was preparing himself for death. During this year hisbehavior 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,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.


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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 before, I shall

not repeat it again here. If you are interested, I will read only the last pagesconcerned with the death of the Prophet. (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 overhis 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 youfind 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 thathe finds no time for simulation It is an event of such magnanimity that all othermatters 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 anextremely 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 diedbeautifully, 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 whoknow 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

nearby as soon as he realized that the hands of death had reached his throat, hejumped out of his bed and uttered: "An emperor ought to die standing," and died inthe 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 beyondappearances, 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 Muhammadalso 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 itsbeauty. How can the occasion of Muhammad's meeting with death be so simple?


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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, in his speech, in his

indefatigable social efforts, in his behavior and in his private life. Now the greatcommander 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 thisarmy. 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 has come to an end. The army isto be inspected for the last time. Whatever has been instructed during the span oftwenty-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 inadvance before this (final) journey.

The eleventh year of the Hijrah has begun, and the fruitful life of Muhammad iscoming 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 Ishall 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- Weda'; the LastPilgrimage.) 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 thosewho had not brought sacrificial animals should perform 'Umrah (visitation orLesser Hajj) and take off their ihram; (the pilgrim's dress). (This peculiar behavior

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 inanger. 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 emotionally upset.He regretfully said: "O Prophet of God! May whoever has made you angry, bethrown into the fire by God." The Prophet said: "Did you not see that I commanded

the people to do something and they disobeyed me? Had I known it, I too wouldnot have brought the offering, and would have taken off my ihram as well."

The people came to know that the Prophet was very upset. They were ashamed oftheir behavior and took off their ihrams immediately. Fatimah, 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 towhy this king, who has more than one hundred thousand servants at his command,


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does not punish the transgressors. (There were approximately one hundred and

several thousand men with him at the time of Hajat al-Weda'.) Where is the

executioner? Why does he not issue a decree for their massacre? (History isaccustomed 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 rulewithout being in possession of a thing like fine silk and saffron-colored 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 otheris saffron-colored."

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, andthose 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 ofpolitics.

Standing on the mount of 'Arafat, (Jabal al-Rahmah) the Prophet 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 aloud voice. The Prophet waits (in order to see his words are accuratelycommunicated). People consider it their duty to answer, and they say: "This is the

sacred (Haram) month." The Prophet continues: "Tell them that as long as you are

in the presence of your God, God Almighty has consecrated your blood and yourpossessions in the same way as He has consecrated this month." He asks Rabi'ah tosay: "The Prophet of God asks you tell which month is this." Rabi'ah repeats and

the Prophet waits and listens to him. Again the Prophet 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 yourblood and your possessions as He has consecrated this day." The Prophet continueshis 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 andyour 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. Godhas 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


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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 acalm conscience and a sense of fulfillment among his faithful Companions in

Madinah. Subsequent to this, the episode of Ghadir occurs in the course of hisreturn Journey. He examines and evaluates each one of his Companions in order to

anticipate to whom the people will gather in the future. He assesses as to what kindof 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 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 who had no associations with the pre-Islamic heathenpast. His is the generation that came into being with Islam and was cast in themould of Muhammad'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 at a tender age when all the basic dimensions of his soul and mindwere being shaped and molded. This in an important incident that a child is

entrusted to the custody of his cousin during the lifetime' of his father (during thosedays 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 was the tutor and the Book that was introduced tohim 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 ofheathenism. A man of the sword, both rhetoric and politic, and possesses thesubtlety of the feeling of an Aaref 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 Prophethad been making a mental comparison, assessing him and comparing him with the

other Companions regarding the role they were to play in the future). The specificcircumstances of his private life, his social and political activities, his relationshipwith the Prophet and especially his spiritual and intellectual position have beeninstrumental 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 exotericaspects of religion only. His feelings and his outlook have become one with the

essence of Islam. He possesses the Islamic consciousness, which is something overand above mere faith in Islam.

Throughout the course of twenty-three years, since Muhammad launched hismovement in the spiritual realm as well as society, Ali was always distinguishable


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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 more than any other thing is his multi-dimensional personalitythe 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 battlefield. His capacity to love isgreat, 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 sublimeaspirations 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 fromthe heathen Bedouin 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 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 had an intense feeling for 'Ali in his heart of

hearts. In various ways he revealed his special liking for 'Ali. But he also knew fullwell 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 exceptthat of Muhammad'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 sametime 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 thisstage, the Prophet's task has assumed very serious and precarious dimensions.

Proclamation that 'Ali is the greatest and the most suitable person to take up the

leadership can jeopardize and shake the base of unity attained with much effort in atribal Bedouin Arab society, which is the solitary hope that can guarantee the life

of the young Ummah. On the other hand, if Muhammad kept silent in regard to

'Ali(A), would he not be sacrificing truth for prudence? Is it not true that 'Ali'ssocial 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 ofMuhammad? Has his thunder like sword that spared no group unhurt, ever struck

an individual except by the command of Muhammad and for the sake of God?

Does the malice that is being nursed against him in many a heart, as the Prophethimself said a few days ago in Mecca, not owe its origin to his unceasing zeal inthe 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


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'Ali 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 is the only way to seek nearness to God andMuhammad.

Did all this not happen after all? Should Muhammad not defend 'Ali who had noother 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 has made up his mind.It is the place called Ghadir Khom. The episode (of Ghadir e Khom) is known to

all.

'Uthman camping on the outskirts of the city, has prepared his army for departure.

The Prophet has worked hard to mobilize his army. The danger that has raised itshead will soon start showing its teeth.

The headache has started. The Prophet cannot sleep at night. He feels the steps of

death approaching and sees the black clouds gathering on the horizon withalarming 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 hecomes out of his quarters to attend to him. The loneliness of the Prophet 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 theend 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 andsays: 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 thereknowing that he will join them soon. He glances a moment and then beginsspeaking. 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 ofthose who are left behind. (Nothing has happened. Why is the Prophet who has

never been at the zenith of his success as he is today, so perturbed?) Calamities arepursuing us like the dark patches of night".

The Prophet becomes silent for a while, then he turns towards his companion andsays: "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

authorized to make a choice between these things on the one hand, and the beatificvision 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 withtears, he said: "My father and mother be your ransom O Prophet! First get hold of


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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 hismoments 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 butmy 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 youwould have returned to my house and would sleep with one of your wives." TheProphet laughed and tried to continue in the same zestful manner, but the pain did

not permit him to do so. After a few hours when the pain subsided, the Prophetarose 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 hiswives and asked them to grant him permission to rest in 'Ayesha's house. They

who had seen his condition agreed. The Prophet 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 knewthe reason. He knew quite well that the senior members among his Companionswould not leave Madinah in such conditions. He ordered: "Fetch water fromdifferent 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 siton 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 herecalled 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 ofUhud 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 themand pronounced benedictions for them repeatedly. Afterwards he said: "From

among His slaves, God has chose one and blessed him with the freedom to choosebetween what belongs to this world and what takes him to the Lord's presence, and


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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 honored friend's face, he said in a voicetrembling with love and grief: "Be our lives and our children's lives ransomed for

you." The Prophet 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 asingle word. The Prophet continued again: "O people go continue the task assigned

to you under the command of Usama. I swear by my life that whatever you saidregarding the commandership of Usama, you said about the commandership of hisfather 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 hispeople. He continued. "Last night I dreamed that both of my hands were fastenedby two golden handcuffs, which distressed me. I cast a spell over them and they

disappeared I called those two (the false claimants to prophet hood) the liars ofYamamah 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 waterover 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 unableto suppress his agony. This was his last meeting with the people. He should bidadieu 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 itsfinale. 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 withgreat effort, in order to say something. The people feel that he is endeavoring

pitiably to muster enough energy to deliver his last message. An immensely

moving scene. Even the Munafiqun (the hypocrites) were visibly touched. Peoplehung their heads in grief. Their sense of grief was too great to be relieved by tears.

Muhammad starts. Words come out of his feverish lips with great difficulty. Neverhas an individual said something with such a painful effort. But Muhammad 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 ofyou. Anybody whom I owe something must come forward. If I have caused anyoneof 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 thiscongregation. 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, orwho willingly declares to forgive me, so that I may be able to greet my God with a


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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 thepeople 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 amongthe people who had seen the Prophet m the most difficult conditions. Some of them

offered their support to him but he did not go home. He again returned to thepulpit, 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. Heimbued these Bedouin people with a sense of civility and honor. He spentKhadijah's enormous wealth also for their sake. He did 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 Godportrayed 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 arude Bedouin 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 causingsevere pain to his foot; he lashed him with the whip, asking him angrily to keep adistance. When he reached Madinah he called him and apologized to him and paidhim 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 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 was too difficult to beanswered. 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 theywept. Muhammad 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 felt that this act on the part of the man who caused shame to theProphet 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 notfeel humiliated in this world, for it is easier to be ashamed here than on the Day of

the Judgment."


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Another Arab arose and said: "O, Prophet of God, I have three dirhams that I

must give in the way of God." The Prophet asked him: "Why did you promise it?"

He replied: "I was destitute at that time." The Prophet asked Fadl to collect theamount 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 meacross 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 lifted his shirt that wasdrenched with sweat and bared his abdomen to the chest. He asked the man tocome forward, and the people had dropped their heads on their knees in anguish. A

painful moment passed. Suddenly a painful cry pierced the charged atmosphereand the mosque underwent a tremor. The people raised their heads and saw that theman had thrown himself on the bare chest of the Prophet 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 now had a sense ofexultation. The passions of adoration and love had wiped off the shameful

memories. The people were hilarious that they had expressed their love and respectfor the Prophet (S), and the Prophet who himself loved his people intensely and

who knew at the moment that he would not be able again to express his pure lovefor his brothers, made an amazing suggestion at a critical juncture. (This is also asign 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 abeautiful 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 anamazing sense of exultation and hope (the Prophet 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 prayed forhim: "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 ofGod, I am a compulsive liar, a hypocrite, and have never had an honest job in mylife in which I did not cheat others." 'Umar arose and asked the man arrogantly to

be ashamed of dis-honoring himself in public. The Prophet addressed 'Umar

reproachfully, saying, "O son of Khattab, humiliations of this world are easier to

bear than the humiliations and dis-honor in the Hereafter. May God bless thee withtruthfulness 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 hestopped 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.


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Ali Shariati - The Visage of Prophet Muhammad

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Transcript of Ali Shariati - The Visage of Prophet Muhammad