Chief of the Prophets — Page 225
Chapter Ten 225 Since Muḥammad sa had the intimation that it was his last pilgrimage, he used such words as if he was asking leave to depart, and this Ḥajj came to be known as Ḥajjatul-Wadā‘ (the Farewell Pilgrimage). On the day of ‘Arafah, when Muḥammad sa was still in Makkah, the following verse was revealed: (Al-Mā’idah 5:4) This day have I perfected your religion for you and completed My favour upon you. 2 Most of the Companions were very pleased upon hearing these verses, but Abū Bakr ra had tearful eyes as he realized that Muḥammad‘s demise was close at hand. The Demise of Muḥammad sa , 12 th Rabī‘ul-Awwal, 11 A. H. In the month of Muḥarram, 11 A. H. , Muḥammad sa came down with a fever, and day by day his health deteriorated. In the middle of his illness, on the 26 th of Ṣafar, 11 A. H. , his condition somewhat improved. After hearing of threats to the borders of Syria and Palestine, he instructed his companions to prepare an army for battle with the Byzantine Empire under the command of Usāmah bin Zaid ra. On the 28 th of Ṣafar, 11 A. H. , his illness worsened. Even in this state, Muḥammad sa dispatched the army having made Usāmah ra the commander over many prominent Companions. Usāmah ra had just gone a short distance when he heard about the worsening of the health of Muḥammad sa. With Muḥammad’s permission, Usāmah ra 1 Sunan Abī Dāwūd, Bukhārī, Bāb al-Khuṭbah Ayyām Minā (Sermon of the Days of Minā). 2 Bukhārī, Muslim and Sunan Abī Dāwūd