B U S I N E S S N A M E

Reflections
From the Glorious Qur’ān
I S S U E N O . 7 1 S T M A R C H 2 0 0 9

When the Prophet dies

‫َو ما ُم َح َّم ٌد ِإالَّ َر ُسو ٌل قَدْ َخلَ ْت ِم ْن قَ ْب ِ ِِل‬ Mus’ab b. Numair, who was killed and the Noble Prophet, and the other
because he resembled the Noble group was made up of those who
‫مات أَ ْو ُق ِت َل اهْقَلَ ْب ُ ُْت عَىل‬
َ ‫ُّالر ُس ُل أَ فَإ ِْن‬ Prophet, his killer fervently announced misunderstood the message or were

َّ ُ َ ‫أَعْقاب ُ ُِْك َو َم ْن ي َ ْنقَ ِل ْب عَىل َع ِقبَ ْي ِه فَلَ ْن ي‬

‫ُض‬ that he had killed the Prophet. Upon
hearing this, many fighters from the
of weak faith. This last group con-
sisted of the majority of Muslims.
‫الشا ِكرين‬ َّ ‫اَّلل‬ ُ َّ ‫اَّلل َشيْئا ً َو َس َي ْج ِزي‬
َ َّ Muslim army turned and fled. Those who took Islam to be nothing
POINTS TO Though this was the occasion of reve- more than a political movement
Muhammad is but a Messenger;
PONDER lation, it must not be misunderstood with an extremely popular and
[other] Messengers have passed be-
that the verse is referring only to powerful leader and became Mus-
UPON fore him. If he dies or is slain, will you
turning back and fleeing from the lims so as to become extricated
turn back on your heels? Anyone who
 When we say
battle-field, because this is not directly from the prevailing system that they
turns back on his heels will not harm
that the related to the natural death of the deemed unjust or were dissatisfied
Allah in the least, and soon Allah will
Prophet (S) was Prophet; and as far as battles go, with, were more likely to shift their
reward the grateful.
a mortal, does it some Muslims also fled in other bat- loyalty to the next great power to
(Aal-’Imran [3]:144)
mean he was no tles like Hunayn and Khandaq. The dominate over the Arabs. Even if
better than us? question posed to the Muslims in this that meant reverting to their pagan
The followers of different religions verse is whether they would abandon beliefs.
 Why does this the teachings of Islam and revert back
throughout history are recorded as As Islam was still young in Madina,
verse not refer to their pagan ways if the Prophet was
having taken the messengers who and the Muslims faced their first
only to those
were sent to them as being divine, just killed or died of natural causes.
who fled from loss in battle at Uhud and at the
the battlefield? as the Christians took Jesus to be the same time were riddled with guilt
Son of God after the clergy defined for fleeing the battlefield, Allah, the
 Does this verse him as such in the Council of Nicaea All-Forgiving, forgave them (3:155).
also point to the (in 325 C.E.). Thus, the Glorious Qur’an But this only goes to show that a
fact that there addresses the fact that Prophets are large section of the people who
were hypocrites mortal human beings like the rest of professed Islam could easily be
among the mankind, only that they have been misguided.
Muslims? How?
specially chosen to deliver the mes-
When the beloved Prophet of Allah
sage of Allah to the people.
Muhammad (S) was the last and final
(S) died on 28th Safar 11 A.H., at
At the time when Islam came to the Prophet of Allah to mankind first some Muslims refused to be-
Arabian peninsula, most of the Arabs lieve he had died and were ready to
were idol worshippers. The first in- This verse of the Glorious Qur’an strike anyone who said otherwise.
stinct they had was one of suspicion defines the actual role of Muhammad
Once the news had spread, what
towards the teachings that seemed (S) as a divinely appointed messenger ensued was probably one of the
new to them. These feelings soon who does not have authority over the
most shameful occurrences in the
turned into antagonism and outright affairs of the people. Just as other history of Islam.
hatred, and this was directed at none messengers before him came and
went, he too will leave this world. And Even before the greatest man to
other than the Noble Prophet himself.
when he dies, the grateful ones will be walk on the earth was laid to rest,
For this reason we find that numerous
distinguished from the ingrates - and the Ansaar and Muhajireen met at
battles were fought and assassination
Allah will reward the former group. Saqifa Bani Sa’ida (with the excep-
attempts made.
Please send your tion of a handful of companions) in
comments and In the Battle of Uhud (3 A.H.), a cry As one ponders on these divine words, what turned out to be a scramble to
suggestions to: was heard among the fighters that the it becomes manifestly clear that there
fill the vacuum of power. They even-
Prophet had been killed. Some com- were two groups of Muslims, one tually came to an agreement on
tridhaj@yahoo.co.uk included the sincere Muslims who
mentaries say that it was actually the who was now going to be the next
Standard Bearer of the Muslim army, understood the message brought by
leader of the Muslims.