Muhammad's Death

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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)

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

Funeral

Preparation

Ali ibn Abi Ṭalib, the fourth Rightly-guided Caliph of Islam (and also Muhammad's son-in-law and cousin) and some others took charge of washing Muhammad, but unlike others, he was washed with his cloths remaining on his body.

Narrated Aisha, Ummul Mu'minin:

By Allah, we did not know whether we should take off the clothes of the Apostle of Allah (peace be upon him) as we took off the clothes of our dead, or wash him while his clothes were on him. When they (the people) differed among themselves, Allah cast slumber over them until every one of them had put his chin on his chest.

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...
Sunan Abu Dawud 20:3135

Ibn Hisham observed, “The apostle’s body did not present the appearance of an ordinary corpse.” (pg. 688) Aisha also noted that If she had known beforehand what she found out later, "none would have washed him except his wives".

Narrated Aisha, Ummul Mu'minin: [...]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

Abu al-Fida (1273 – 1331 AD) was a Muslim geographer and historian. He relates that Muhammad suffered from a death erection. From Edward Gibbon's "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 had exclaimed, "O prophet, thy penis is erect unto the sky!"

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.

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, Vol. 9, p. 184

The Burial

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.

See Also

  • Muhammad's Death - A hub page that leads to other articles related to Muhammad's Death

Translations

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External Links

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