Muhammad: Seal of the Prophets — Page 324
MUHAMMAD : SEAL OF THE PROPHETS 324 with his customary fortitude. He led the funeral prayer over him, helped to carry the bier to the graveyard, supervised the burial and returned only after the burial had been completed and he had prayed over the grave. Later in the same year, an earthquake was felt in Medina, whereupon the Holy Prophet admonished the Muslims that earthquakes and other such natural manifestations should cause a Muslim to be alert in all respects and to concentrate his attention upon his r elationship with God. About the same time, the Holy Prophet fell from his horse and received injuries to his leg, which necessitated his performing Salat in a sitting position. By the end of the fifth year of the Hijra, the Muslims, having passed through all manner of trials and tribulations, and after suffering the extremes of distress and hardship, through the sheer grace of God became supreme in Medina, and therefore it might be said that at that time, a Muslim state had come into being. Islam has laid down only certain fundamental principles of statehood and has left the details to be worked out according to the needs and conditions of time, region, country and people. The first fundamental principle is that there is perfect equality among people in matters of governance, and that authority for such governance is vested in the people, who should commit matters of administration into the hands of those best fitted to disc harge them, as is said in the Holy Quran (4:59): Allah commands you to make over the trusts to those best fitted to discharge them and those who are entrusted with them should carry out their duties with equity and