Makkah personally. Since the Hegira, he had only accomplished the
"Amratu'l-Qada," or pious visitation, at a time when Makkah had not
yet been entirely won over to Islam. Now the "Hajj u'l-Akbar," or
Greater Pilgrimage, which imposes, besides the visit to the Sacred
Temple of Allah, a visit to the mountain of Arafa, or of Recognition,
(so called because our first parents, Adam and Eve, met each other
there after having been driven out of Paradise), is one of the five
pillars of the practical religion of Islam.
Mohammad also wished to see his native land for the last time, having
a presentiment of his coming end, for he felt himself secretly
undermined by the vestiges of poison remaining in his veins. He
solemnly announced his intention. The idea of seeing the Apostle of
Allah and accomplishing the pilgrimage with him, stirred the
enthusiasm of the whole of Arabia, and the number of pilgrims who
accompanied him from Al-Madinah or joined him on the way, may be set
down at about hundred thousand.
At Zu'l Hobfah, all the Faithful, following the Prophet's example, put
themselves in the state of "Ihram," as described in the chapter of
al-Hudaibiyah, and assumed the robe also called "Ihram," consisting of
two seamless wrappers free from any dye likely to stain the skin. One
piece of drapery is wrapped round the waist and the other, thrown
loosely over the shoulders, covers the chest; the head, arms, and legs
being left bare. After the Prophet had proclaimed the "Talbiyah," the
pilgrims took it up in chorus: "_I stand up for thy service, O Allah!
There is no Partner with Thee! Verily Thine is the Praise, the
Blessing and the Kingdom!_"
During the journey, two unimportant incidents arose which we note
nevertheless, because they show that a pilgrim is obliged to suppress
all feelings of impatience or anger. The camel of Safiyah, one of the
Prophet's wives, was a slow animal, and being heavily laden, did not
keep up with the caravan, despite the efforts of its driver. Ayishah's
camel, possessing a good turn of speed and lightly burdened, Mohammad,
after having tried to explain these facts to its fair rider, gave
orders to change the loads of the two animals. But this displeased
Ayishah. She lost her temper and cried out: 'Thou sayest thou art
Prophet? Then why not do things justly?'
No sooner had these words escaped her lips, than her father, Abu Bakr,
slapped her face; and as Mohammad upbraided him, he replied: 'Didst
hear what she said?'--'Yea; but she must be excused. The essence of a
woman's mind is jealousy; and when jealousy masters her, she is
incapable of seeing in what direction runs the current of a wadi!'
On arriving at the encampment of Al-Arj, the camel carrying the
provisions of the Prophet and of Abu Bakr was missing. Ayishah's
father laid the blame on the driver: 'How's this? Thou hadst but one
camel to look after and thou hast let it go astray?' Carried away by
great anger, Abu Bakr, with his whip, gave the man a good hiding.
'Admire the conduct of this pilgrim in the state of "Ihram!"' said the
Prophet, ironically. 'Come now, O Abu Bakr, be calm, and rest assured
that thy serving-man's sole desire was not to lose thy camel.'
The caravan took the same road as that of the pious visitation. The
Prophet entered Makkah in open day, and made his she-camel kneel in
front of the entrance of the Sacred Precincts, called the "Door of
Salvation," and on catching sight of the Ka'bah, he exclaimed: 'O
Allah, increase the glory of this Temple and the number of its
visitors!'
After three ablutions, he kissed the Black Stone, whilst tears welled
up in his eyes. He then performed the "Tawaf," and the "Sa'y," in the
same way as during the pious visit.
On the eighth day of the month of Zu'l-Hijjah, he went to the valley
of Mina where he caused a tent of woollen stuff to be pitched; and it
was there he said the prayers of the afternoon; of sunset; and of
nightfall. Next day, after the prayer of the "Fajr," he once more
bestrode his she-camel, al-Qaswa, in order to reach the mountain of
Arafa.
Countless crowds having gathered on the mountain's rocky slopes, as
well as on the plain and in the surrounding ravines, the Prophet
preached, remaining on his she-camel which he had ridden and halted on
the summit. Standing immediately beneath him, was Rabiyah ibn
Ummayatah, posted there to repeat the words of the sermon, with his
resounding voice, during a pause made for that purpose at the
conclusion of each sentence.
After Allah had been glorified by the "Takbir," the Prophet exhorted
the Faithful to treat their wives with the greatest gentleness, and
never to forget that the rights of spouses are equal to their duties.
He explicitly forbade the exaction of any interest whatsoever on money
lent; and no murders committed during the "days of ignorance" were to
be avenged. He fixed the duration of the year at twelve lunar months;
and declared that the "Nasi," which added a month every three years to
reestablish equilibrium and bring the same dates back to the same
seasons, was impious and must be abolished....
He then concluded, as he cried: 'O Believers, your blood and your
belongings ought to be looked upon as holy to each of you, even as
this day is holy and as this land is holy! O Believers, remember what
I say, for I know not if ever I shall be with you again on this spot,
when this day is past. And, above all, never forget that every
Mussulman should be truly a brother to every other Mussulman, for all
the Mussulmans in the world form a single people of brothers!... O
Allah! have I fulfilled my Mission?'--'Yea, verily, O Allah!' replied
in unanimous outcry the hundred thousand mouths of the pilgrims, in
accents of the most ardent gratitude.--'O Allah! hearken to their
testimony!' cried Mohammad.
At another spot, near the summit of the Arafa, and known by the name
of "As-Sakhrah," recognisable by being paved with broad slabs, a
sudden Revelation came down to the Prophet. Under the burden of Divine
Inspiration penetrating the heart of her rider, the she-camel al-Qaswa
came nigh to breaking all her limbs, and she fell on her knees.
Here are the words of Allah, the Most High: "_This day have I
perfected your religion for you, and have filled up the measure of my
favours towards you; and it is my pleasure that Islam be your
religion...._" (THE QUR'AN, V, 5.)
This Revelation, terminating the Prophet's sermon which had so deeply
touched the Believers, stirred up the purest enthusiasm in the whole
of the Assembly.
Nevertheless, Abu Bakr, far from participating in the general joy, was
seized with a fit of intense melancholy, and was unable to hold back
the tears that filled his eyes. He thought that having found favour in
the eyes of the Almighty, His mercy was bound to decrease. Knowing
that his son-in-law's Mission was terminated, Abu Bakr was afraid that
the Prophet would soon disappear from this world....
The indigo shades of night had fallen over the valley and spread along
the slopes of the Arafa. All by himself, on the mountain top,
overlooking the great multitude of pilgrims, the Prophet, on the back
of his tall she-camel, still remained in the light of the last golden
rays of sunset. His glance, ecstatic by faith, was resplendent with
superhuman brilliancy; but his face, emaciated by illness, had taken
on the immaterial aspect of a vision about to fade.... The rising
shadows reached and veiled him....
It was now the turn of the companions of the Prophet to find
themselves overcome by the same mournful apprehension that Abu Bakr
had felt, although scarcely a few moments before, they were
manifesting their joy at hearing that their religion had been
perfected by Allah.... By degrees, their emotion was communicated to
the entire assembly of the Believers and their hundred thousand hearts
were filled with the keenest anguish.
The Prophet gave the signal of departure; but to prevent the accidents
which any haste would inevitably cause among the great masses of such
a gathering, he tugged the bridle of swift Qaswa to him, twisting her
head round until her nostrils touched her ribs, whilst he slid on to
her withers; unceasingly exhorting all: 'Go quietly, O ye people!'
On arriving at Muzdalifa, he said the prayer, "Isha," and next day,
after the daybreak prayer, riding his she-camel, led by Bilal, and
protected from the sun by a mantle that Usama, riding behind him, held
over his head, he went into the valley of Mina, in order to throw
seven stones against each of the three pillars of rude masonry, called
"Jumurat." This is in commemoration of the pebbles thrown by Abraham
to drive away the Devil who thrice tried to stop him at that spot.
After that, the Prophet, to prove his gratitude for the sixty-three
years of life granted to him by the Creator, freed sixty-three slaves
and, with his own hands, sacrificed sixty-three camels, their flesh
and skins being distributed among the pilgrims by Ali, acting under
Mohammad's orders. He then had his head shaved by Mi'mar ibn Abdullah,
who commenced at the right temple and finished at the left. Finally,
after having once more performed the "Tawaf" round the Kab'ah, and
drunk for the last time some Zamzam water in a vase offered to him by
his uncle Abbas, the Superintendent of the Well, he set out again on
the road to Al-Madinah.
Such was the pilgrimage called the "Valedictory Visitation," which
overwhelmed the Believers with such deep emotion by apprising them
that Mohammad's Mission was fulfilled. This pilgrimage serves as a
pattern for all the pilgrimages which, during thirteen centuries, have
brought annually to these Holy Places, one hundred and fifty to two
hundred thousand pilgrims, collected from all parts of the universe.
Any pilgrimage, be the religion giving rise to it what it may, causes
inexpressible emotion by the sight of so many faces beaming with
faith; and the most sceptical among the onlookers finds it difficult
to escape the contagion of this outbreak of fervour. But, among the
majority of the spectators, inadmissible practices soon overcome
sympathetic feelings and change them into aversion. At Makkah,
doubtless, as in all religious centres without exception, pilgrims are
ruthlessly exploited; but in this city, at least, the traffickers may
be excused: they dwell in the most inhospitable of all deserts and
have no other means of getting a living.
What makes the Mussulman pilgrimage essentially different to any
other, is the absence of those innumerable chapels, whose narrow
arches imprison souls, hampering them as they soar towards the Creator
and holding them back on earth at the mercy of the clergy. Here are no
fetishes, such as statuettes or miraculous icons, surrounded by their
procession of votive offerings; nor that multitude of saints, their
worship taking the place of that of the "Eternal," generally neglected
on these occasions. There are also none of those monks clad in varied
gowns, all jealous of each other; quarrelling over pilgrims and
religious resorts for the greater glory of their sect or order.
At Makkah, prayers are said in the vast quadrangular courtyard
surrounding the Ka'bah; the ethereal vault of heaven takes the place
of the masonry work of chapel roofs and, purified from all its mists,
it opens to souls thirsting for ideal good, its lapis-lazuli depths,
more vertiginous here than in any other part of the world. At Makkah,
nothing is worshipped except Allah, the Chosen One, and pilgrims seek
the remembrance of Abraham and Mohammad for no other reason than to
strengthen the fervour of their faith by following the Prophet's
example. They never pray to these Prophets in the same way as
Christians adore their saints; on the contrary, Moslems pray to Allah
for their prophets.
The gates of the Ka'bah enclosure are open day and night. The pilgrim
hurries there as soon as he gets to Makkah. At the sight of the temple
draped in black, the object of his unceasing thoughts during the
severe ordeals of the journey, in the midst of sandstorms or
tempest-tossed, he is overtaken by such emotion that in this moment of
superhuman ecstasy, he wishes his soul to be snatched away. Sobbing,
his breast heaving fitfully, under the influence of remorse, his face
convulsed by shame, he approaches the Black Stone to kiss it,
exclaiming: 'O Allah! pardon me my sins; free my being from their
burden and purify my heart, O Thou, the most Merciful among the
Compassionate!'
When the hour of prayer is called by the Muazzin, the spacious
quadrangle is invaded by a veritable sea of Believers; their hurrying
waves scarcely leaving in the serried ranks the needful space for
prostration. Following one of the "Takbirs" of the Imam, said after
him in an immense sigh escaping simultaneously from every breast, a
great swell passes over all the Faithful, causing every head to be
bowed, like billows breaking.
At another "Takbir," it seems that the ground suddenly gives way under
the pilgrims' feet. At one bound, every forehead is pressed to the
earth, where the body of each man remains crushed by the threefold
weight of Contrition, Gratitude and Adoration; like so many rays
converging in the direction of the Temple which seems to be made still
taller by the added height of the prostrated pilgrims. Above them, the
black silk veil undulates, stirred by the gusts of a mysterious breeze
which many attribute to angels' beating wings.
The Assembly of the Arafa is distinguished by quite as much grandeur.
In a wild valley stands the conical mountain of Arafa. Its slopes,
bare of all vegetation, bristle with enormous boulders. There is no
sign of life on its sides, nor in the neighbourhood; all around is the
image of desolation and the silence of death. But every year, on the
ninth day of the month of Zu'l-Hijjah, the funereal landscape evokes
most strikingly the future Day of Resurrection.
Soil, sand and rocks disappear, truly cloaked by human beings,
enwrapped in their white "ihrams," and who might be taken for the
resuscitated dead, freeing themselves from their shrouds after having
lifted the rocks which were their gravestones. As it will happen on
that supreme day, all the earth's races are represented in the
countless crowds gathered together at this spot, deserted but a short
time before. Here some Arabs, with eyes of eagles, their complexion of
a reddish bronze; Ottomans, their features showing them to be
energetic and headstrong; Hindoos, with faces clear-cut and
olive-tinted; Berbers, fair-haired and rosy-cheeked, their eyes blue;
Somalis and Soudanese, their black skins shining in the sun with lunar
gleams; refined Persians; bold Turcomans; yellow Chinese, with closed
eyelids; Javanese, high cheek-boned, etc.... Nowhere else in the world
can such a variety of faces and languages be met with.
After the prayer of the "Asr," (afternoon), the "Khatib," or preacher,
riding his she-camel, gorgeously harnessed, appears on the summit of
the Arafa where the sermon is given forth, interrupted by frequent
"Talbiyahs": "_Labbaika! Allahummah! Labbaika!_" (I stand up for Thy
service, O Allah! I stand up! I stand up!)
At each "Talbiyah," the pilgrims wave the ends of their white
draperies over their heads and the whole mountain seems to be
palpitating under the beating of myriads of wings ready to fly, whilst
a lengthy clamour rises to the sky from every part of the valley,
reverberating in the sonorous echoes of the desert. "_Labbaika!
Allahummah! Labbaika!_" shout two hundred thousand pilgrims with one
voice, neglecting their own idioms, so as to become united in the same
tongue: that of the Arabs, chosen by the Almighty for the Revelation
of His Book.
In that sublime hour, in language as well as by the heart, all these
mortals are cordially brothers. They have forgotten all their racial
differences, distinctions of rank or caste, and all their political
and religious feuds.... On the Arafa, Islam once more finds its
perfect unity and its primitive outbreak of enthusiasm. What great
consolation! What balm for some of its wounds!
Quoth the Prophet: 'The Moslems are as one body; the pain in any
single limb gives rise to fever and insomnia in the whole of the
frame.'
On the Arafa, Islam has nothing to fear from enemy spies; it can make
good its losses and prepare its future. Despite its disasters, it is
more alive than ever! Such is the impression of this unforgettable
day, that each of the assistants takes back with him to his own
country, as well as the title, so greatly envied, of "Haji,"
signifying Pilgrim to the Holy Places.
[Illustration: (Calligraphy) _Say: Go through the earth, and see how
He hath brought forth created beings._]
[Illustration: (Ornamental page) CHAPTER THE NINTH]
[Illustration: _Al Madinah, the City of the Prophet. The Dome of
Mohammad's Tomb._]
[Illustration: (Calligraphy) _Thou truly art mortal, O Mohammad, and
they truly are mortals._]
CHAPTER THE NINTH
[Sidenote: ILLNESS AND DEATH OF THE PROPHET (_Rabi'u'l-Awwal, Year IX
of the Hegira. June A.D. 632._)]
Quoth Abu Muwayhiba, the Prophet's serving-man: "One night towards the
end of the month of Safar, my master woke me up. "I must go and
implore the blessing of Allah," said he, "for those at rest in the
tombs of Baqui'u a'l-Gharqad. Come with me."
"I accompanied him. "Blessed be you, O dwellers in the tomb!" he
exclaimed, when we reached the cemetery. "Rest in peace! Allah hath
spared you terrible ordeals, like unto the anguish of a dark night,
more terribly black at the end than at the beginning. Such are the
torments in store for those who are still upon this earth!"
"As he finished speaking, the whole of his body was shaken by the
palsy of fever, and he wended his way back to his dwelling with
difficulty; his temples racked by the unbearable pains known as
"Suda"...."
Quoth Ayishah: "When the Prophet returned from his visit to the
cemetery of Al-Baqi, he came to see me in the middle of the night. I
was suffering from violent headache and as I complained, he said: 'Ah!
'tis I who ought to complain of pains in the head and not thou!' He
went on, jokingly: 'Would it not be better for thee to die whilst I am
still in the land of the living? I could implore the Mercy of Allah in
thy favour; with my own hands I could enfold thee in thy
winding-sheet; I could pray over thy body and place thee in thy
grave.' 'Of a surety thou doest me great honour in apprising me that
thou wouldst act thus in my favour,' I replied; 'but I fear that after
I was buried, thy sole consolation would be to bring back with thee,
into my room, some other of thy wives!' At this sally, a smile
returned to the Prophet's face and, for a brief moment, he forgot his
pain."
As time went on, his illness left him no rest; nevertheless, mastering
his sufferings, his mind was busier than ever, and he occupied himself
with the future of Islam, for he felt that the effects of his
management would soon be lacking.
Thinking that Syria was one of the gates through which the warriors of
Allah would have to march to conquer the world, Mohammad's gaze was
unceasingly turned towards that country and he resolved to organise a
third expedition against the Christians, in whose power it was.
Great rivalry at once arose with regard to commanding such an
incursion. Of heroes and generals having been put to the test, Islam
had enough and to spare. The most famous among them: Ansars or
Mohadjirun, anxiously awaited the Prophet's choice.
To the stupefaction of all, however, Usama, barely twenty years of
age, was chosen. It is true that this lad was the son of Zayd ibn
Harith, the martyr of Mutah. Mohammad placed great reliance on the
revengeful ardour that Usama would show in fighting the murderers of
his father on the very spot where he gloriously succumbed, than on the
experience and warlike valour of the Mussulman generals.
This selection caused deception and gave rise to murmuring. The
Believers hesitated to put boundless confidence, such as is
indispensable for success, in a chief so young and inexperienced.
Having been told about this, the Prophet rose and cut short all
disputes by these words: 'Ye criticise my choice of Usama, even as ye
formerly cavilled at that of Zayd, his father! Listen! To you I swear,
by Allah! that Zayd was truly worthy of the post of command with which
I did entrust him. I cherished him above all other men; and after him,
his son is the man I prefer. Go, carry out my orders, and have
confidence!'
These simple words, uttered in a tone of inspired conviction, banished
all hesitation; smoothing away all jealousy as if by magic; and the
noblest and most famous among all the chieftains, together with the
most humble soldiers, came enthusiastically to obey the commands of
the stripling. When the expedition marched into the "Farewell Pass,"
the Prophet was deeply moved as he saw his troops disappear. The
superhuman faith animating the warriors at the parting hour proved to
him that no obstacle could bar their way on the road to victory and
that the irresistible torrent of Islam, like unto the salutary
overflow of a wadi, was about to inundate the world and bring it the
prolific germs of its new civilisation. Meanwhile, it was not long
before the alarming news, relating to the Prophet's illness, stopped
Usama's forward progress, bringing him back to Al-Madinah.
About that time, the Apostle received a letter, couched in these
terms: "Musailimah, the Prophet of Allah, to Mohammad, the Prophet of
Allah. Peace be with thee, I am thy associate. Let the exercise of
authority be divided between us. Half the earth is mine, and half
belongeth to the Quraish. But the Quraish are a greedy people, and
will not be satisfied with a fair division."
The author of this epistle, Musailimah, Prince of the Yamama, had
recently been converted to Islam; and then, fully appreciating the
majesty of the part played by the Prophet, this pretender planned with
monstrous pride to play the some part in his turn.
To the envoys bringing the impudent missive, Mohammad replied: 'Were
it not that your situation as ambassadors causeth me to look upon your
lives as sacred, I would have you beheaded.' And he handed them this
answer: "Mohammad, the Prophet of Allah to Musailimah, the Impostor.
Peace be with those who follow the right road! The earth is Allah's,
and He giveth it to whom he will. Those only prosper who fear the
Lord!"
Both Musailimah and Al-Aswad, another impostor, soon found out the
danger run by those who enacted the part of Prophet without having
been called by Allah. They expiated their temerity most cruelly.
The Prophet's illness became daily more serious. He grew so weak that
he could only move about by dint of the most painful efforts.
Being in the house of Maimunah, he sent for his other wives. His usual
habit was to pass the night in turn, impartially, at each of their
dwellings; but feeling himself weighed down by intense suffering, he
begged them to let him remain with Ayishah alone for the duration of
his illness; and to this they consented.
Quoth Ayishah: "The Prophet left the abode of Maimunah, thanks to the
assistance of Al-Fadl and Ali, who held him in their arms. A bandage
was bound tightly round his head, and his weakness was so great that
he had no sooner set foot in my room than he swooned. When he came to,
lancinating pains tortured his temples; and hoping to soothe his
pangs, he asked: 'Pour over me six skinsful of water drawn from a very
cold spring, so that I may be in a fit state to go forth and preach to
the Faithful.' We sat him in a stone trough, borrowed from Hafsa, and
poured water over him in abundance, until he bade us stop, by a wave
of his hand, saying: 'Enough!'"
Momentarily invigorated, Mohammad went out through Ayishah's door
which gave on to the Mosque; and again supported by his cousin Ali and
Al-Fadl, he had great trouble in mounting the steps of the pulpit,
from which he made the following declaration to the Faithful
assembled: 'O Believers, if among you there be one whose back I have
beaten, here is my back so that he may do himself justice! If there be
one whose honour I may have wounded, here is my honour, let him be
avenged! If there be one whose property I may have seized, here is my
property, let him satisfy his claim! Let no one hesitate in fear of my
resentment, for resentment formeth no part of my disposition.' After
having stepped down to give out the noonday prayer, he went up in the
pulpit again and repeated the same declaration.
A man arose and claimed payment of a debt amounting to three drachmas.
The Prophet handed them over to him at once, adding: 'It is easier to
put up with shame in this world than in the other.'