What Did The Will Aim At?
One of the best method of explaining the verses of the Qur'an which even now commands the attention and favour of the research scholars and the ulema of the present times is that the brevity and the ambiguity of a verse which may have been revealed on a subject may be removed by means of another verse on the same subject which may from the point of view of expression be more clear than the former one. In the terminology of exegesis it is called explaining one verse with the help of another.
This method is not peculiar to the explanation of the verses of the Holy Qur'an; it applies to the Islamic traditions as well and the ambiguity of one hadith can be removed with the help of another tradition because our great leaders have given emphatic and repeated directions on delicate and appreciable matters the expression of which with regard to the aim is not identical and at the same level. Sometimes the aim has been expressed clearly and at another time it has been considered advisable only to allude to it.
As has been stated above the Prophet while confined to bed asked his companions to bring him pen and paper so that he might dictate a will and the same should be recorded. He also told them that the will would ensure their not going astray at anytime. (As is clear the reason mentioned by the Prophet for writing the will was that people might not go astray). Later on account of differences between those present the Prophet abandoned the idea of writing the will.
It may possibly be asked: "On what subject did the Prophet want to write a will?" Reply to this question is quite clear because keeping in view the basic facts mentioned at the beginning of this discussion it must be said that the aim of the Prophet in writing the
will was nothing except confirming the Caliphate and succession of Ali the Commander of the Faithful and making it obligatory for the people to follow the members of his household.
This conclusion can be arrived at by studying the Hadith Thaqalayn which has been accepted by the Sunni and the Shi'ah traditionalists unanimously because he spoke thus with regard to the will which he wanted to execute: "I am writing this document to ensure that you do not go astray after me". And in the Hadith Thaqalayn also he used identical words and insisted that the people should follow the two Siqls (weighty or precious things viz. the Holy Qur'an and his progeny) so that they might not go astray after him.
Here is the text of the Hadith Thaqalayn:
I am leaving two weighty (valuable) things amongst you. So long as you follow both of them you will not go astray. These two valuable things consist of the Book of Allah (the Qur'an) and my progeny and Ahl al-Bayt".
Can it not be concluded from the wording of these two traditions and the similarity present in them that the aim of the Prophet in asking for pen and paper was to record the contents of the Hadith Thaqalayn in a more clear manner and to confirm the rulership and direct caliphate of his successor which had been announced verbally on the 18th of Zil Haj when the Iraqi the Egyptian and the Hijazi pilgrims were parting company (at Ghadir Khum).
Furthermore the strong opposition of one who immediately after the demise of the Prophet constituted a consultative body in Saqifah bani Sa'idah for the selection of a caliph and made his old friend a candidate for it in a special manner and the latter's nominating him as a caliph in violation of all principles perhaps in recompense for his help shows that there were indications in the gathering and into the speech of the Prophet that he wanted to dictate something about the caliphate and the rulership of the Muslims.
He therefore strongly opposed the bringing of pen and paper for otherwise there was no reason why he persisted so much that the pen and the paper should not be brought.
Why Did The Prophet Not Persist In Writing The Will?
Why did the Prophet not exercise his power to write the will when in spite of the opposition by some persons he could very well call his secretary and dictate the same to him?
The reply to this question is also clear. If the Prophet had persisted in writing the will they who were saying that illness had overpowered him would have persisted more in their impoliteness and their supporters would also have given publicity to this view and endeavoured to prove their viewpoint.
In that case besides the fact that impoliteness towards the Prophet would have spread and continued the will too would have lost its value. Hence when some persons in order to make amends for the ill treatment asked the Prophet whether they might bring pen and paper he was much disturbed and said: "After all that has been said do you want to bring pen and paper? l recommend only that you should behave well with my progeny". Having said this he turned his face from those present and they too got up and dispersed. Only Ali Abbas and Fadl remained there.[10]
Making Amends For The Matter
Although the open opposition by some companions made the Prophet abandon the writing of the will he made his object known in another manner. History testifies that while he was very seriously ill he placed one hand on the shoulder of Ali and the other on the shoulder of Maiymunah his slave-girl and proceeded towards the mosque.
In spite of severe pain and inconvenience he made himself reach the pulpit and mounted it. Tears trickled from the eyes of the people and perfect silence prevailed over the mosque. People were waiting to hear his last words and recommendations. The Prophet broke the silence of the gathering and said: "I am leaving two valuable things amongst you".
At this moment a man stood up and asked: "What is meant by two valuable things?" Then he added: "One of them is the Qur'an and the other is my progeny".[11]
Ibn Hajar Askalani has given another version of making amends for the matter and it is not incompatible with the former. He says: "One day while the Prophet was unwell and his bed was encircled by his companions he turned his face towards them and said: "O people! The time of my death has arrived and I will be leaving you soon.
Be it known to you that I am leaving the Book of Allah and my progeny and Ahl al-Bayt amongst you . Then he held and raised the hand of Ali and said Ali is with the Qur'an and the Qur'an is with Ali and they will not separate from each other till the Day of Resurrection".[12]
The Prophet had narrated Hadith Thaqalayn on different occasions and in various ways before he fell ill and had drawn the attention of the people to these two weighty things but the fact that even when bed-ridden he once again gave attention to the correlation between the Book and his progeny and stressed their importance before the same persons who had opposed his writing the will would make one believe that the object of this repetition was to make amends for the non-execution of the will.[13]
Distribution Of Dinars
The policy of the Prophet with regard to public treasury (Baytul Mal) was that at the very earliest opportunity he distributed its property amongst the needy persons and refrained from keeping the contents of the treasury in custody for a long time. Hence when he was confined to bed and some Dinars were lying with one of his wives he asked her to bring them to him.
When the Dinars were placed before him he took them in his hand and said: "How will Muhammad expect anything of Allah if he meets Him and has these with him?" Then he ordered the Commander of the Faithful to distribute the money among the poor.[14]
The Prophet Is Annoyed On Account Of The Medicine Given To Him
During her stay in Ethiopia Asma' daughter of 'Umays who was a near relative of the Prophet's wife Maiymunah had learnt the composition of a medicine which was the juice of some herbs. She imagined that the Prophet was suffering from pleurisy and in Ethiopia this ailment was treated with the said syrup. When the Prophet's condition was very serious and he was suffering from acute pain she dropped some of that medicine in his mouth. When the condition of the Prophet improved somewhat and he came to know about the incident he was very much displeased and said: "Allah does not at all make his Prophet suffer from such an ailment".[15]
Last Farewell To Friends
During the period of his illness the Prophet used to come to the mosque sometime or other and offered prayers along with the people and also talked on some matters. On one of those days he arrived in the mosque while he had tied a piece of cloth on his head and Ali and Fadl bin Abbas had placed their hands under his arm-pits and he was walking with dragging feet.
He mounted the pulpit and began to speak saying: "O people! The time has arrived when I should leave you. If I have made a promise with anyone I am prepared to fulfil it and if I owe something to somebody he should speak out so that I may make payment to him". At this moment a man stood up and said: "You promised me some time back that if I married you would help me with money". The Prophet ordered Fazal to pay the required amount to him immediately. Then he dismounted the pulpit and went home.
Thereafter he came to the mosque again on Friday (i.e three days before his death) and began to speak and said inter alia: "Whoever has any right over me should get up and mention it for punishment in this world is lighter than the punishment on the Day of Judgement."
At this moment Sawadah bin Qays stood up and said: "At the time of return from the Battle of Ta'if when you were riding a camel you raised your scourge to hit your animal but by chance it struck my belly. I now want to take revenge".
The offer made by the Prophet was not a mere formality for he was seriously inclined to compensate others even for those rights which are not usually cared for by the people.[16] He therefore ordered the same scourge to be brought from his house. Thereafter he pulled up his shirt so that Sawadah might take revenge.
The companions of the Prophet were watching the scene with grieved hearts and with tears in their eyes and were awaiting as to where the matter would end and whether Sawadah would actually take revenge. However they suddenly saw Sawadah kissing the belly and chest of the Prophet. At this moment the Prophet prayed for him and said: "O Allah! Forgive Sawadah in the same manner in which he has forgiven the Prophet of Islam".[17]
Notes :
[1] Seerahi Ibn Hisham vol. II p. 654 and Tabaqat-i Ibn Sa'd vol. 2 p. 216.
[2] Evidently what was meant was that the Prophet might dictate the deed and one of his secretaries might write it out because the Prophet had never held a pen in his hand or written anything.
[3] Sahih Bukhari Kitabul 'Ilm vol. I page 22 and vol. II page 14; Sahih Muslim vol. II page 14; Musnad Ahmad vol. I page 325 and Tabaqat-i Kubra vol. II page 244.
[4] Sharh-i Nahjul Balaghah Ibn Abil Hadid vol. II page 20.
[5] Sahih Muslim vol. I page 14 and Musnad Ahmad vol. I page 355.
[6] Kanz al-Ummal vol. III page 138 and Tabaqat vol. II page 244.
[7] The late Allamah Mujahid Sharfuddin has collected all these excuses his book entitled al-Muraji'at and refuted them in a decent manner.
[8] Hayat-i Muhammad page 475.
[9] Musnad Ahmad vol. I page 355.
[10] Biharul Anwar vol. XXll page 469 quoted from al-lrshad by Shaykh Mufid and A'lamul Wara' by Tabrsi.
[11] Biharul Anwar vol. XXII page 476 quoted from Majalis by Mufid.
[12] al-Sawaiq Chapter 9 of Part 2 page 57 and Kashful Ghummah p. 43.
[13] The Hadith Thaqalayn is one of those traditions which are unanimously accepted by the Sunni and the Shi'ah traditionalists and it has been narrated by the companions of the Prophet in sixty different ways. Ibn Hajar Askalani writes: "The Prophet invited the attention of the people to the correlation between the Book and his progeny on different occasions like the day of Arafah the day of Ghadir on return from Ta'if and even while he was confined to bed. (al-Sawaiq al-Muhriqah page 136). The late Mir Hamid Husayn of India has allocated a part of his book to the narration of authorities for the Hadith Thaqalayn. It has been published recently in Isfahan in six volumes. In the year 1374 A.H. a tract about this hadith was published by the Darut Taqrib Foundation (Egypt). Its importance from the viewpoint of authorities and the esteem shown to it by the traditionalists in different eras of Islamic history have been quoted in it briefly.
[14] Tabaqat-i Kubra vol. II page 238.
[15] Tabaqat vol. II page 236.
[16] Manaqib-i Al-i Abi Talib. vol. I. page 164.
[17] Furthermore as the Prophet did not hit Sawadah's body intentionally he had no right to take revenge but the act could be compensated by payment of 'diya' money (prescribed compensation). In spite of this the Prophet decided to meet his demand.
Taken from: THE MESSAGE , Ayatullah Ja'far Subhani