Imam Masmari Mesmerizes with Description of the Last Few Days of the Life of the Holy Prophet (s)

By Adil James, TMO

Audience members listen as Imam Masmari describes the last days of the life of the Holy Prophet (s).

Bloomfield–January 31–Seldom do ulama describe the life of Prophet Muhammad (s) in detail.  Mostly as Muslims we hear very brief snapshots of his life encapsulated as ahadith, and we know very little usually of the context of each of his holy words or actions.

However Friday at Bloomfield’s Muslim Unity Center Imam Masmari described in detail the last few days of the Prophet’s (s) life, in the context of Qur`an revealed at that time and ahadith as well.  He also emphasized some of the many lessons of excellent character that Prophet (s) displayed at this time.

He said that on the way back from hajj Sayyidina Jibril (as) came to Prophet (s) and offered him two options–to have a kingdom of this earth or to come to jannah.  He chose jannah and immediately became sick.

The Companions carried him.  This was 9 days before he departed this dunya. 

He would visit the shuhada of Uhud from Medina.  The imam said that this showed his loyalty–that he never forgot the sahaba who did their best for him.

The seventh and fifth days before he left dunya he visited the shuhada.  Imam Masmari pointed out that it is a long distance to Uhud from Medina, and that now visitors take a bus to make the same journey.

As he was walking back from one visit he began to weep, and the Companions asked him why–he said “I miss my brothers and my sisters.”  “Aren’t we your brothers and sisters,” the Companions asked. 

“No, you are my Companions.  My brothers are they who will believe in me without having seen me.”

Imam Masmari emphasized that this meant Prophet (s) was crying, wishing to meet us.  Because we are the people who believe in him without seeing him.

Five days before his departure, he was on the minbar–he was very sick.    He prayed with Sahaba–whenever he had energy he would come to the masjid and pray in jama’at.  He emphasized several important lessons, including that the Ansar are necessary to people like salt in food, it is impossible to succeed without them.

He gave opportunities at this time for anyone he had wronged or to whom he owed money to make a claim against him and one each of these people did–however the one “harmed” used this opportunity for “revenge” to kiss Prophet (s) and the one who said Prophet (s) owed him money just took three dirhams to obtain some of Prophet’s (s) immense baraka.

He would give small lectures to people after praying with them or visiting with them–at one he said “if you fight for this dunya, then this dunya will destroy you.”

He said one astonishing thing at this time, saying that all of the Sahaba who had benefitted him–he had recompensed them except for Sayyidina Abu Bakr (ra)–and Allah (swt) would recompense him.
The last words he spoke aloud were “Give my salaams to my ummah.”

The Companions afterwards heard him whispering while they walked with him–leaning close, they heard him saying “ummaty, ummaty.”

Imam Masmari explained that even at this time, when Prophet (s) was 63 years old, he had very few white hairs in his beard or his hair.

When he passed away from this dunya, Sayyidina Abu Bakr (ra) went to see him, and said “you are so beautiful in your life, and in your death you are so beautiful.  In your life you are so clean, and in your death you are so clean.”

Imam Masmari emphasized that Prophet (s), the light and mercy of creation, was touched by death–so who are we to think we are exempt.

16-7