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The demise of the Prophet (s) was among the events of the year 11/ 632. Following it, the Muslim community faced disagreements, which had significant consequences for their future. According to the well-known Shi'a view, the demise or martyrdom of the Prophet (s) occurred on the Safar 28/ May 25, and according to the well-known Sunni view, on the Rabi' I 12/Jun 7. The discussion regarding the Prophet's demise or martyrdom and its consequences is also among the important subjects in Islamic history. Based on narrations transmitted in both Shi'a and Sunni hadith sources, al-Shaykh al-Mufid, al-Shaykh al-Tusi, and al-Allama al-Hilli have stated that the Prophet (s) was poisoned and martyred by a Jewish woman, though some believe that he passed away a natural death. According to Sayyid Ja'far Murtada al-'Amili, a scholar and researcher of Islamic history, the Messenger of God was targeted by multiple assassination attempts and passed away as a result of poisoning.
According to historical sources, after the demise of the Prophet (s), the people of Medina—especially his daughter Fatima (a)—were deeply grief-stricken. 'Umar b. al-Khattab insisted that the Prophet (s) had not passed away and threatened to kill those who said that he had died, until Abu Bakr arrived and calmed him by reciting verse 144 of Qur'an 3. Some have considered this action of 'Umar to have been a pre-planned strategy aimed at securing Abu Bakr's rise to power.
According to historians, Imam Ali (a), with the assistance of individuals such as Fadl b. Abbas and Usama b. Zayd, prepared the Prophet (s) for burial and laid him to rest in his own residence. While the Prophet (s) was being buried, some of the leading figures among the Ansar and the Muhajirun gathered in the Saqifa Bani Sa'ida and, contrary to the instruction of the Messenger of God, appointed Abu Bakr as his successor.
Status and Significance
The demise of the Prophet (s) had a clear and significant impact on the future of the Muslim community. Immediately after his demise, a group of leading figures from among the Muhajirun and the Ansar gathered in the Saqifa Bani Sa'ida and selected Abu Bakr as caliph. Supporters of the caliph also attacked the house of Ali (a) and Fatima (a)—the son-in-law and daughter of the Prophet (s)—in order to obtain Ali's pledge of allegiance. In this assault, Fatima (a) sustained injuries that, according to Shi'a belief, led to her martyrdom. From the Shi'a viewpoint, the Prophet's instructions regarding the succession of Imam Ali (a) were not carried out after his passing. Thus, the dispute over the Prophet's succession developed into a profound conflict within the Muslim community and laid the groundwork for the emergence of the two major denominations, Shi'a and Sunni.
In various countries around the world, mourning ceremonies are held on the anniversary of the Prophet's passing. In Iran, the twenty-eighth of Safar is an official holiday marking the Prophet's demise, and on this day, Shi'a communities hold mourning rituals in his honour.
Poisoned or Natural Death?
Regarding whether the Prophet (s) passed away due to a natural cause or as a result of poisoning, two types of reports exist. Some believe that the demise of the Messenger of God resulted from natural causes. In al-Kafi, based on a narration from Imam al-Sadiq (a), as well as in Basa'ir al-Darajat (a Shi'a hadith collection) and in al-Tabaqat of Ibn Sa'd (a 3rd/9th-century historical work), reports are stating that, in his final illness, the Prophet (s) attributed his condition to poisoning caused by consuming the meat of a sheep that a Jewish woman brought for him and his companions after the conquest of Khaybar.
Al-Shaykh al-Mufid, al-Shaykh al-Tusi, al-Allama al-Hilli, and the authors of several Sunni sources—such as Sahih al-Bukhari, Sunan al-Darimi, and Al-Mustadrak 'ala l-sahihayn—have stated explicitly that the Prophet (s) passed away as a result of poisoning. In addition, Sayyid Ja'far Murtada al-'Amili (a Shi'a historian) gathered reports from both Shi'a and Sunni sources regarding attempts to assassinate the Prophet (s) and concluded that the Prophet (s) was poisoned and martyred. He held that some internal enemies were responsible for the poisoning of the Prophet (s). Likewise, Tafsir al-'Ayyashi narrates from Imam al-Sadiq (a) that two of the Prophet's wives were involved in poisoning him.
Incident of Ladūd
The Incident of Ladūd—which some have regarded as fabricated and others as superstitious—was among the events that occurred during the final days of the Prophet's illness. In Sahih al-Bukhari and in al-Tabaqat of Ibn Sa'd, it is narrated from A'isha that in the last days of the Prophet's life, when he would faint due to the severity of his illness, they poured ladūd (a bitter medicine used for patients with pleurisy) into his mouth, but the Prophet at that time indicated that they should not do this. When his condition improved, he ordered that, except for his uncle Abbas, the medicine be poured into the mouths of all those present at the gathering.
Muhammad Sadiq Najmi, a Shi'a researcher, has suggested that the fabricators of this narration may have sought to justify the action of Umar b. al-Khattab in the incident of the pen and paper, in which he accused the Prophet (s) of speaking deliriously.
Death and Burial
The Prophet (s) passed away in the year 11 AH/ 632 CE in Medina. All historians agree that his demise occurred on a Monday. Among Shi'a scholars, al-Shaykh al-Mufid and al-Shaykh al-Tusi have stated that it took place on the twenty-eighth of Safar (approximately May 25, 632 CE), and Shaykh Abbas Qummi considers this to be the view held by most Shi'a scholars. According to Rasul Ja'farian, a Shi'a historian, no narration exists to directly support this date, and Shi'a have accepted it by following the views of al-Mufid and al-Tusi.
Sunni scholars have reported the Prophet's demise as having occurred in the month of Rabi' al-Awwal, with some placing it on the first day, others on the second, and a group on the twelfth day of that month; some have considered the twelfth to be the well-known view among Sunnis. Ali b. Isa al-Irbili, a Shi'a author of works on the merits of the Ahl al-Bayt (a), also narrates in Kashf al-Ghumma a report from Imam al-Baqir (a) stating that the Prophet (s) passed away on the second of Rabi' al-Awwal; however, Shaykh Abbas Qummi has regarded this as the result of al-Arbili's precautionary dissimulation. Nevertheless, two other Shi'a scholars—al-Kulayni and Muhammad b. Jarir al-Tabari (the Shi'a historian)—also held that the Prophet's demise occurred on the twelfth of Rabi' al-Awwal.
Sources such as al-Sira al-Nabawiyya by Ibn Hisham (d. 218 / 833), al-Tabaqat al-Kubra by Muhammad b. Sa‘d (d. 230 / 845), Tarikh al-Ya'qubi by Ahmad b. Abi Ya‘qub (d. 284 / 897), al-Irshad by Shaykh al-Mufid (d. 413 / 1022), and Al-Sahih min sirat al-Nabi al-A'zam by Sayyid Ja'far Murtada al-'Amili (d. 1441 / 2019) contain discussions related to the Prophet's demise.
Shrouding and Burial
According to the report of Ibn Sa'd in al-Tabaqat al-Kubra, after the Prophet's demise, the people were deeply grief-stricken, and his daughter Fatima (s) wept continuously, repeatedly saying, "O my father!" and after the Prophet's passing, no one ever saw her smile. In Nahj al-Balagha, it is narrated from Imam Ali (a) that with the passing of the Messenger of God (s), even the walls and doors lamented. He states that he was responsible for washing the Prophet's body, while the angels assisted him and performed the funeral prayer over the Prophet (s), and that his ears were never without hearing their soft voices as they prayed for him.
According to historical sources, the Prophet (s) passed away while resting in the arms of Ali (a), and Ali (a), with the assistance of Fadl b. Abbas, Usama b. Zayd, and several others washed and shrouded the Prophet (s) over his garment. Upon the suggestion of Ali (a), people entered the Prophet's residence in groups and performed the funeral prayer over him without following anyone as an imam, and this continued until the following day.
According to what is reported in certain narrations, several suggestions were put forth regarding the location of the Prophet'’s burial; however, when Ali (a) emphasized that God takes the souls of prophets in the purest of places, everyone accepted this, and the Prophet's body was buried in the place of his demise—his residence, which was also the living quarters of A'isha. The grave was prepared by Abu 'Ubayda al-Jarrah and Zayd b. Sahl, and Ali (a), with the assistance of Fadl b. Abbas and Usama b. Zayd, buried the Prophet (s).
Prophet’s Chamber
The Prophet's Chamber, the burial place of the Prophet (s), was the residence in which he lived with his wife A'isha. It was in this house that the Prophet (s) fell ill, passed away, and where people performed the funeral prayer over him. Upon the suggestion of Imam Ali (a), the Prophet (s) was buried in the very house in which he had passed away.
In the late first century AH, walls were constructed around the chamber, forming a five-sided structure; the reason for this design is said to have been to avoid any resemblance to the Ka'ba. In subsequent reconstructions, this chamber became part of al-Masjid al-Nabawi and, together with the house of Lady Fatima (a), was enclosed within a single structure surrounding the burial space.
Issue of Succession
The right to succeed the Prophet (s) and to assume leadership over the Muslim community after his death has been one of the most important matters and the primary cause of division among Muslims. Accordingly, the events that took place shortly before and shortly after the Prophet's demise have been described as highly sensitive and filled with political secrecy and complexity. According to the analyses of Shi'a sources, after declaring Ali (a) as his successor at Ghadir, the Prophet (s) sought to consolidate the succession of Ali by sending the potential opponents of Ali's caliphate away from Medina through their inclusion in Usama's army, by attempting to write a testament concerning matters after his death, by repeatedly emphasizing the Hadith of al-Thaqalayn, by identifying his successor after himself, and by preventing Abu Bakr from leading the congregational prayer.
According to historical reports, the approach of the Companions toward the issue of the Prophet's succession was of two types: one group of the Companions held that the Prophet (s) had not appointed anyone, and they gathered in Saqifa Banu Sa'ida and chose Abu Bakr as caliph. The other group—most of whom were from Banu Hashim—believed, based on the Prophet's statements, that the Prophet (s) had appointed Ali (a) as his successor, and for this reason, they refrained from pledging allegiance to Abu Bakr for a period of time.
The disagreements between these two groups led to conflict in Medina and an attack on the house of Ali (a). According to some reports, Ali (a) did not pledge allegiance to Abu Bakr until after the martyrdom of Fatima (a). According to Kitab Sulaym b. Qays al-Hilali and other sources, a number of individuals, during the Prophet's lifetime, formed a pact concerning the question of his succession; this event is referred to in those sources as the "Accursed Document".
Monographic Works
On the subject of the Prophet's demise, several independent works—mostly authored by Sunni writers—have been composed, including:
- Wafāt al-Nabī (s) by Abd al-Wahid al-Muzaffar, which includes discussions on the reasons for the Prophet's death, his illness and its duration and cause, the events surrounding his passing, his preparation and burial, and the mourning performed for him.
- Wafāt al-Nabī Muḥammad (s) by Shaykh Husayn al-Darazi al-Bahrani, published by the Balāgh Institute in Beirut.
- Wafāt Rasūl Allāh (s) wa mawḍiʿ qabrihi by Nabil al-Husni, which covers the circumstances of the Prophet's passing, the location of his burial, and the disputes that arose among the Companions regarding this matter.
- Wafāt al-Nabī (s) wa aẓlamat al-Madīna by Nizar al-Na'lawani al-'Asqalani, published in 1424 AH (2003 CE) by Dar al-Minhaj in Beirut.
- Salwat al-kaʾīb bi-wafāt al-Ḥabīb (s) by Ibn Nasir al-Din, edited by Salih Yusuf Ma'tuq, which includes accounts of the events following the Prophet's demise, the mourning of the angels, the washing of the Prophet's body by Ali b. Abi Talib, as well as material about the Prophet's children and wives.