Muhammad: Seal of the Prophets — Page 439
MUHAMMAD : SEAL OF THE PROPHETS 439 the noblest of the Arabs by descent; and the foremost in the glory of our City. Choose ye whom ye will of these two [pointing to Umar and Abu Obaidah and do allegiance to him. ’ ‘Nay,’ cried Umar, in words which rose high and clear above the growing tumult of the assembly, ‘did not the Prophet himself command that thou, O Abu Bakr, should lead the Prayer? Thou art our master, and to thee we pledge our allegiance, thou whom the Prophet loved the best amongst us all. ’ So saying, he seized the hand of Abu Bakr and, striking it, pledged faith to him. The words touched a chord that vibrated in every believer’s heart and Abu Bakr was saluted Successor of the Holy Prophet. Meanwhile, All, Usama and Fadhl son of Abbas, with one or two of the Holy Prophet’s servants, had been busily employed in the chamber of Aisha. There on the spot on which he breathed his last, they washed the body and laid it out. The garment in which he d ied was left upon him; two sheets of fine white linen were wound around it; and overall was cast a covering of striped Yemen stuff. Thus the body remained during the night, until the time of burial. On the morrow, when the people had assembled in the Mosque, Abu Bakr and Umar came forth to meet them. Umar first addressed the great assemblage: ‘O ye people, that which I spoke unto you yesterday was not the truth. Verily, I find that it is not borne out by the Book, which the Lord hath revealed, nor by the covenant, which you made with His Apostle. As for me, verily I hoped that the Apostle of the Lord would continue yet awhile amongst us, and speak in our ears a word such as might seem good unto him and be a perpetual guide unto us. But the