Life-of-Muhammad

Life of Muhammad sa 191"Raise my shirt," said the Prophet sa , "and let him hitmy side with his elbow." They did so but, instead ofhitting the bare side of the Prophet sa , this Companionbent forward with bedewed eyes and kissed theProphet's sa bare body."What is this?" asked the Prophet sa ."Didn't you say that your days with us werenumbered? How many more occasions can we then haveof touching you, in the flesh and expressing our love andaffection for you? True, you did hit me with your elbow,but who could think of avenging it. I had this idea hereand now. You offered to let us take revenge. I said tomyself—let me kiss you under cover of revenge."The Companions full of wrath until then began towish the thought had occurred to them.THE PROPHET sa PASSES AWAYBut the Prophet sa was ill and the ailment seemed toadvance. Death seemed to draw nearer and nearer, anddepression and gloom descended over the hearts of theCompanions. The sun shone over Medina as brightly asever, but to the Companions it seemed paler and paler.The day dawned as before but it seemed to bringdarkness, not light. At last came the time when the soulof the Prophet sa was to depart from its physical frameand meet its Maker. His breathing became more andmore difficult. The Prophet sa , who was spending his lastdays in ‘A’isha ra 's chamber, said to her, "Raise my heada little and bring it near to your side. I cannot breathewell." ‘A’isha ra did so. She sat up and held his head. Thedeath-pangs were visible. Greatly agitated, the Prophet salooked now to this side and now to that. Again andagain he said, "Woe to the Jews and the Christians.They encouraged the worship of the graves of theirProphets." This, we might say, was his dying messagefor his followers. While he lay on his death-bed, heseemed to say to his followers, "You will learn to hold me