Muhammad's Death

A checked version of this page, approved on 7 September 2012, was based on this revision.

This article discusses the death of Muhammad in 632 AD and the circumstances surrounding it.

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An illustration of Muhammad on his deathbed. Taken from the book Jami' al-Tawarikh (also known as The Universal History or History of the World), by Rashid al-Din, published in Tabriz, Persia, 1307 A.D. Now at the Edinburgh University Library, Scotland. (more pictures of Muhammad)

The Death of Muhammad

Poisoned by a Jewess

Muhammad was poisoned by a Jewish woman, following the conquest of Khaibar, where he took Safiyah as a wife, and ordered the torture and beheading of her husband Kinana, the chief of the Jews at Khaibar.

Narrated Anas bin Malik: A Jewess brought a poisoned (cooked) sheep for the Prophet who ate from it. She was brought to the Prophet and he was asked, "Shall we kill her?" He said, "No." I continued to see the effect of the poison on the palate of the mouth of Allah's Apostle .

Sahih Bukhari 3:47:786

....Narrated 'Aisha: The Prophet in his ailment in which he died, used to say, "O 'Aisha! I still feel the pain caused by the food I ate at Khaibar, and at this time, I feel as if my aorta is being cut from that poison."

Sahih Bukhari 5:59:713

The reason behind her action was the slaughter of her people and family by Muhammad.

The apostle of Allah sent for Zaynab and said to her, "What induced you to do what you have done?" She replied, "You have done to my people what you have done. You have killed my father, my uncle and my husband, so I said to myself, "If you are a prophet, the foreleg will inform you; and others have said, "If you are a king we will get rid of you."

Ibn Sa'd p. 252

It was no secret among the wives, that Aisha (the child bride) was Muhammad's favorite, and he made this abundantly clear as death approached.

Narrated 'Aisha: that during his fatal ailment, Allah's Apostle, used to ask his wives, "Where shall I stay tomorrow? Where shall I stay tomorrow?" He was looking forward to Aisha's turn. So all his wives allowed him to stay where he wished....

Sahih Bukhari 7:62:144

....He came out with the help of two men and his legs were dragging on the ground. He was between Al-Abbas and another man [Ali Ibn Abi Talib]."....

Sahih Bukhari 1:11:634

Died in the Arms of Aisha

Even from his death-bed, Muhammad was issuing orders and cursing Christians and Jews.

....Then he [Muhammad] ordered them to do three things. He said, "Turn the pagans out of the 'Arabian Peninsula; respect and give gifts to the foreign delegations as you have seen me dealing with them." (Said bin Jubair, the sub-narrator said that Ibn Abbas kept quiet as rewards the third order, or he said, "I forgot it.")

Sahih Bukhari 5:59:716

Narrated 'Aisha and Ibn 'Abbas: On his death-bed Allah's Apostle put a sheet over his-face and when he felt hot, he would remove it from his face. When in that state (of putting and removing the sheet) he said, "May Allah's Curse be on the Jews and the Christians for they build places of worship at the graves of their prophets." (By that) he intended to warn (the Muslim) from what they (i.e. Jews and Christians) had done.

Sahih Bukhari 4:56:660

On the 8^th of June, 632 AD Aisha watched Muhammad finally die, slumped on her bosom.

Narrated Aisha:....In front of him there was a jug or a tin, (The sub-narrator, 'Umar is in doubt as to which was right) containing water. He started dipping his hand in the water and rubbing his face with it, he said, "None has the right to be worshipped except Allah. Death has its agonies." He then lifted his hands (towards the sky) and started saying, "With the highest companion," till he expired and his hand dropped down.

Sahih Bukhari 5:59:730

....'Aisha added: He died on the day of my usual turn at my house. Allah took him unto Him while his head was between my chest and my neck and his saliva was mixed with my saliva.

Sahih Bukhari 7:62:144

Post-Mortem Erections

A Post-mortem erection (or "angel lust") (technically a priapism- a medical condition in which the erect sexual organ does not return to its flaccid state within four hours^[1]) has been observed in the corpses of human males.^[2] Interestingly, it has also been witnessed in the animal kingdom. Possibly the most famous occurrence being in the Berezovka Mammoth,^[3] discovered in 1900. While it is usually observed in victims of hangings, it can also be found in victims of violent deaths by poisoning, fatal gunshot wounds to the brain, or a stroke or other brain embolisms. And it can also be caused by decomposition.^[4] In some rare cases, ejaculation of semen may also occur.^[5]

The Aftermath

Muhammad's Eternal Erection

Abu al-Fida (1273 – 1331 AD) was a Muslim geographer and historian, and according to Edward Gibbon's (1723 - 1794 AD) "The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire.":

Sibi robur ad generationem, quantum triginta viri habent, inesse jactaret; ita ut unicâ horâ posset undecim feminis satisfacere, ut ex Arabum libris refert Stus Petrus Paschasius, c. 2 (Maracci, Prodromus Alcoran, p. iv. p. 55. See likewise Observations de Belon, l. iii. c. 10, fol. 179, recto). Al Jannabi (Gagmer, tom. iii. p. 487) records his own testimony that he surpassed all men in conjugal vigour; and Abulfeda mentions the exclamation of Ali, who washed his body after his death, “O propheta, certe penis tuus cælum versus erectus est” (in Vit. Mohammed. p. 140).

Edward Gibbon's "The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire" Vol. 9 - Footnote 175

In English, Ali ibn Abi Ṭalib, the fourth Rightly-guided Caliph of Islam (and also Muhammad's son-in-law and cousin) had exclaimed upon seeing Muhammad's lifeless corpse: "O prophet, thy penis is erect unto the sky!"

Unsurprisingly, this is one "miracle of Islam" that you will not find proudly displayed or posted in the many Islamic da‘wah (preaching) websites or forums.

Tabari does not mention Muhammad's erection, but does note that Umar ibn al-Khattab, the second Rightly-guided Caliph of Islam, initially refused to believe Muhammad had died. If what Abu al-Fida relates is true, who could blame Umar for his disbelief when the prophet displayed such strong signs of life?

When the Messenger of God died, 'Umar b. al-Khattab stood up saying, "Some of the hypocrites allege that the Messenger of God is dead. By God, he is not dead, ...

Al-Tabari, Volume 9, p. 184

The Burial

Muhammad was washed ready for burial, but unlike others, he was washed with his cloths remaining on his body.

...Then a speaker spoke from a side of the house, and they did not know who he was: Wash the Prophet (peace be upon him) while his clothes are on him. So they stood round the Prophet (peace be upon him) and washed him while he had his shirt on him. They poured water on his shirt, and rubbed him with his shirt and not with their hands. Aisha used to say: If I had known beforehand about my affair what I found out later, none would have washed him except his wives...

Sunan Abu Dawud 20:3135

Once cleaned, they covered him with triple shrouds.

Narrated Abdullah ibn Abbas: The Apostle of Allah (peace be upon him) was shrouded in three garments made in Najran: two garments and one shirt in which he died.

Sunan Abu Dawud 20:3147

Finally, after a delay, he was buried quietly in the house in which he died, near the Mosque of the Prophet in Medina.

Conclusion

One wonders; if Muhammad was the last prophet of Allah, who according to Islamic beliefs is the creator of the world, how hard would it have been for this creator to have prevented Muhammad from being poisoned and his penis becoming erect at the time of his death? Did the last prophet of Allah, the pinnacle of humanity, not deserve a respectful death?

External Links

The Death of Muhammad - Answering Islam
Was Muhammad poisoned by his two wives Aisha and Hafza? - Shi'ite viewpoint from Shaykh Yasser Al-Habib

References

↑ Gharahbaghian, L (01 Nov 2008). "Clitoral priapism with no known risk factors" (Free full text). The western journal of emergency medicine 9 (4): 235–7.
↑ Willis Webster Grube (1897). A Compendium of practical medicine for the use of students and practitioners of medicine. Hadley Co.. Retrieved 2007-01-26. "Erection has long been observed to follow injuries to the cerebellum and spinal cord. Out of eleven cases of cerebellar hemorrhage, erection of the penis was noted six times by Serres. Death by hanging is often accompanied by partial erection."
↑ E. W. Pfizenmayer (1926). "Mammutleichen und Urwaldmenschen". Page 165-167
↑ Steve Bourget (2006). Sex, death, and sacrifice in Moche religion and visual culture. page 124. University of Texas Press.
↑ Science Editor, Stefan Anitei - Dead Men Can Really Have Erection! Sometimes They Ejaculate, too... - Softpedia

[1] Gharahbaghian, L (01 Nov 2008). "Clitoral priapism with no known risk factors" (Free full text). The western journal of emergency medicine 9 (4): 235–7.

[2] Willis Webster Grube (1897). A Compendium of practical medicine for the use of students and practitioners of medicine. Hadley Co.. Retrieved 2007-01-26. "Erection has long been observed to follow injuries to the cerebellum and spinal cord. Out of eleven cases of cerebellar hemorrhage, erection of the penis was noted six times by Serres. Death by hanging is often accompanied by partial erection."

[3] E. W. Pfizenmayer (1926). "Mammutleichen und Urwaldmenschen". Page 165-167

[4] Steve Bourget (2006). Sex, death, and sacrifice in Moche religion and visual culture. page 124. University of Texas Press.

[5] Science Editor, Stefan Anitei - Dead Men Can Really Have Erection! Sometimes They Ejaculate, too... - Softpedia

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