Life-of-Muhammad

Life of Muhammad sa 193and told him what had happened. Abu Bakr ra madestraight for the mosque at Medina and speaking not aword to anyone, entered ‘A’isha's ra room and asked her,"Has the Prophet sa died?""Yes," replied ‘A’isha ra . Then he went straight towhere the Prophet's sa body was lying, uncovered theface, bent down and kissed the forehead. Tears ladenwith love and grief fell from his eyes and he said, "God isour witness. Death will not come upon you twice over."It was a sentence full of meaning. It was Abu Bakr ra 'sreply to what ‘Umar ra had been saying out of his madgrief. The Prophet sa had died once. That was his physicaldeath—the death everyone must die. But he was not tohave a second death. There was to be no spiritualdeath—no death to the beliefs which he had establishedin his followers and for the establishment of which hehad taken such pains. One of those beliefs—one of themore important beliefs—he had taught was that evenProphets as were human and even they must die.Muslims were not going to forget this so soon after theProphet sa 's own death. Having said this great sentenceover the dead body of the Prophet sa , Abu Bakr ra cameout and, piercing through the lines of the Faithful,advanced silently to the pulpit. As he stood, ‘Umar rastood by him, his sword drawn as before, determinedthat if Abu Bakr ra said the Prophet sa had died AbuBakr ra must lose his head. As Abu Bakr ra started tospeak, ‘Umar ra pulled at his shirt, wanting to stop himfrom speaking but Abu Bakr ra snatched back his shirtand refused to stop.He then recited the verse of the Qur’an:And Muhammad sa is only a Messenger. Verily, allMessengers have passed away before him. If then he die orbe slain, will you turn back on your heels? (3: 145).That is to say, Muhammad sa was a man with aMessage from God. There had been other men withMessages from God, and all of them had died. IfMuhammad sa should die, would they turn back upon