The Return from Khumm-e-Ghadeer to Madinah
After the historic declaration at Ghadeer-e-Khumm on the 18th of Dhul-Hijjah, 10 AH, the vast caravan of pilgrims dispersed toward their respective lands, while the Holy Prophet Muhammad (SAWAW) returned to Madinah al-Munawwarah with his family and closest companions. The journey back was marked by a subtle change in his blessed demeanor — a serenity mingled with the quiet weight of a mission drawing to its completion. Those closest to him sensed that the Messenger of Allah had said farewell not only to the Ka’bah, but in some deeper sense, to the world itself. His sermon at Arafat had already contained the words: “I do not know whether I shall ever meet you again in this place after this year of mine.”
Upon reaching Madinah, the Prophet (SAWAW) resumed his ordinary routine — leading the daily prayers in Masjid-un-Nabawi, receiving delegations, instructing his companions, and tending to the affairs of the growing Muslim community. Yet, from this point onward, his words and actions bore the unmistakable tone of one preparing his Ummah for the time when he would no longer be among them.
The Month of Safar, 11 AH — The First Signs of Illness
At the close of the month of Safar in 11 AH (corresponding to late May, 632 CE), the Holy Prophet (SAWAW) went out one night to the graveyard of Jannat-ul-Baqi. In the stillness of the desert night, he stood before the graves of the believers and greeted them:
“Peace be upon you, O people of the graves. Rejoice in your state, for the trials that are coming upon the people are like patches of a dark night, each following the other, each worse than the last.”
He then turned to his companion and said, “I have been given the choice between the treasures of this world and eternal life in it, or meeting my Lord and Paradise — and I have chosen to meet my Lord.” The companion wept, understanding at once that these were words of departure.
Returning to Madinah, the Prophet (SAWAW) developed a severe headache and a burning fever. Despite the pain, he continued to visit the households of his wives in the customary rotation, though the illness deepened with each passing day.
The Expedition of Usama ibn Zaid
Even in his illness, the Prophet (SAWAW) was occupied with the affairs of the Ummah. He commanded the preparation of an army under the leadership of the young Usama ibn Zaid ibn Harithah to march toward the Byzantine frontier at Mu’tah, where Usama’s father had earlier been martyred. The Prophet (SAWAW) personally tied the banner for Usama with his own blessed hands and urged the senior companions to join the expedition and depart without delay. Despite clear instructions to his disciples, the first three illegitimate caliphs returned back and met the Holy Prophet Muhammad(SAWAW) in his sick state of health giving the pretext that they did not want to leave him sick behind. The Holy Prophet Muhammad(SAWAW) asked them to recall to their minds that when Usama’s father Zaid was sent on expedition with clear instruction to all to follow him, you three were the ones who returned back on one pretext or the other.
Some hesitated to leave Madinah as the Prophet’s condition worsened. He repeatedly and forcefully urged the dispatch of Usama’s army, saying, “Send forth the army of Usama. May Allah curse the one who lags behind from the army of Usama.” This command, given from his sickbed, is recorded in the earliest sources and reflects the urgency he attached to it in his final days.
The Deepening Illness
As the fever intensified, the Holy Prophet (SAWAW) requested that cold water be poured over him from several water-skins to ease the burning heat of his body. Refreshed briefly, he wrapped a cloth around his blessed head and, supported between two companions, walked slowly to the mosque. There, he ascended the pulpit for the last time.
He praised Allah, sent salutations upon those martyred at Uhud, and then said, “A servant has been given the choice between this world and what is with Allah, and he has chosen what is with Allah.” Abu Bakr (RA), understanding the meaning, wept openly. The Prophet (SAWAW) then said, “The most generous of people to me in his companionship and his wealth is Abu Bakr… No door shall remain open into the mosque except the door of Ali.”
He counselled the Muslims regarding the Ansar, the treatment of neighbors, the rights of the weak, and warned them against turning the graves of prophets into places of worship. He also said, in words preserved across many narrations, his final testament of the Thaqalain — “I am leaving among you two weighty things: the Book of Allah and my Ahl-ul-Bayt. If you hold fast to them, you will never go astray after me.”
The Episode of the Pen and Paper (Raziyat Yaum-al-Khamees)
On a Thursday, three days before his passing, the Prophet (SAWAW), lying gravely ill in the chamber of Umm-ul-Mu’mineen A’ishah (RA), asked those present to bring him a pen, ink, and parchment, saying:
“Bring me a writing tablet and an inkpot, so that I may write for you a document after which you will never go astray.”
A dispute broke out in the room. Some said the Prophet was overcome by his illness and that the Book of Allah was sufficient. Others insisted that his command be obeyed. The voices rose until the Prophet (SAWAW), grieved by the discord in his own chamber, said, “Rise and leave me. It is not fitting to quarrel in my presence.” The document was never written, and this incident — known in the historical record as the Raziyah of Thursday — was later remembered by Ibn Abbas (RA) with bitter tears, saying, “The calamity, the utter calamity, was what came between the Messenger of Allah and his writing that document.” This is a very sensitive moment in this history of Islam and disciples denied the Holy Prophet Muhammad(SAWAW) Who is the Chief of all Past Prophets and Messengers(AS) and as a result of this denial, since then till now, Muslim Ummah is following sectarianism keeping indifferent doctrines about Holy Sayings of the Holy Prophet Muhammad(SAWAW) in the favour of his Holy Ahle Bait Athaar(ASWS), despite clear prohibition in the Holy Quran from sectarianism, and strict advice to follow the footsteps of Holy Ahle Bait Athaar(ASWS) to sustaining on the Straight Paath learning true meanings of the Holy Quran from them.
The Final Days in the Chamber Purchased for A’ishah (RA) at Marriage with Her
With the permission of his other wives, the Prophet (SAWAW) was moved to the chamber of Umm-ul-Mu’mineen A’ishah (RA), which adjoined the mosque. His beloved daughter Sayyidah Fatimah az-Zahra (SA) visited him frequently. On one such visit, he whispered something to her that made her weep, and then whispered again, at which she smiled. Later she revealed that he had first told her he would soon depart this world, and then told her that she would be the first of his household to join him — and she was.
His grandsons, Imam Hasan and Imam Husayn (AS), would come and cling to him, and he would embrace them with a tenderness that moved all who saw it. Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib (AS) remained close, tending to him and receiving his final counsels regarding the ghusl, the shroud, the debts to be repaid, and the trusts to be returned to their owners.