Muhammad: Seal of the Prophets — Page 418
MUHAMMAD : SEAL OF THE PROPHETS 418 Prophet appointed Abu Bakr to lead the caravan of pilgrims from Medina, which was limited to 300 men. The Holy Prophet’s little son, Ibrahim, was now fifteen or sixteen months old. He fell ill in the middle of summer and his illness soon became grave. Though carefully tended, he expired in the arms of the Holy Prophet, who expressed the poignancy of his gr ief in the words: ‘The eye sheds tears and the heart grieves, yet we say not aught that would offend our Lord. Ibrahim, we grieve sorely over thy parting. To Allah we belong, and to Him we shall all return. ’ Then he comforted Mary and her sister Sireen and bade them to be silent and resigned. The obsequies, prayers and burial were carried through by the Holy Prophet, assisted by his uncle Abbas and his son Fadhl. He lingered at the grave after it was filled up and, calling for a skin of water, caused it to be sprinkled over the spot. An eclipse of the sun occurred on the same day, and the people spoke of it as a tribute to the death of the Holy Prophet’s son. Sir William Muir has observed ( Life of Muhammad, p. 430): A vulgar impostor would have accepted and confirmed the delusion; but Muhammad rejected the idea. The sun and the moon, he taught them, are amongst the signs appointed by the Lord. They are not eclipsed on the death of anyone. Whensoever you see an eclipse , then betake yourselves to prayer until it passeth away. The adhesion of Taif and the destruction of its famous idol had enhanced the Holy Prophet’s fame throughout the south and east of the peninsula. A stream of submissive embassies from all