Justice Ibn Al-Arabi continues his clarification of the Prophet’s companions’ attitudes with regard to the different issues that arose after his death. Concerning Abu Bakr, the first caliph, he has the following final points to make: “Abu Bakr said to Fatimah, Ali and Al-Abbas that the Prophet had said: ‘We are not inherited by anyone. Whatever property we leave behind goes to charity as sadaqah.’ The Prophet’s companions remembered that. He also said: ‘I heard the Prophet saying: ‘A Prophet must be buried at the spot where he dies.’ In all these issues, Abu Bakr showed perfect self-control, assured of the truth he knows and uncompromising on any matter of principle. He then appointed Umar as his successor, which ushered in a period of great blessings for Muslims. The true promise about these two caliphs thus came to pass.”

The first point in these remarks concerns the inheritance of the Prophet. It replies to the accusations made against Ali, the Prophet’s cousin, and Al-Abbas, his uncle, alleging that they were preoccupied with this issue of inheritance. Ibn Al-Arabi shows that there was no contention over this issue. It was simply a question of Abu Bakr reminding the Prophet’s relatives of something he had said and their acceptance of that.

In his annotation of Ibn Al-Arabi’s book Muhibb Al-Deen Al-Khateeb mentions several authentic reports that relate the discussion that took place on this issue. The first is related by Al-Bukhari in his Sahih, which mentions that “Fatimah (the Prophet’s daughter married to Ali) sent to Abu Bakr requesting him to give her her share of the Prophet’s estate, mentioning in particular what the Prophet dedicated for charity in Madinah and Fadak, as well as the remainder of the one-fifth share of the booty gained in Khaybar. Abu Bakr said to her that the Prophet had said: ‘We are not inherited by anyone. Whatever property we leave behind goes to charity as sadaqah. Muhammad’s family only eat out of this, meaning the share of one-fifth God has given them. They may not take anything more than what they need to eat.’ Abu Bakr added: ‘By God, I will not change an iota of what the Prophet had dedicated for charity. I will conduct this in the same way as he himself conducted it.’ Ali, who was present, uttered the declaration of God’s oneness and said: ‘Abu Bakr! We certainly recognize your goodly position.’ He also mentioned the fact that they belonged to the Prophet’s household and that they had a claim to kind treatment. Abu Bakr said: ‘By Him who holds my soul in His hand, it is more gratifying to me that I should extend kindness to the Prophet’s relatives than to extend it to my own relatives.’

Another Hadith mentioned by Al-Bukhari in his Sahih anthology quotes the Prophet as saying: “My heirs will not share a single dinar (the gold currency at the time). Whatever I leave behind in excess of my wives’ maintenance and my servant’s dues goes to charity.” Imam Ibn Taimiyah says: “This Hadith quoting the Prophet specifying that whatever he leaves behind goes to charity is reported by Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman, Ali, Talhah, Al-Zubayr, Saad, Abd Al-Rahman ibn Awf, Al-Abbas, the Prophet’s wives and Abu Hurayrah. Their reports are documented in the authentic anthologies.” He also says: “God has ensured that no prophet should leave any property to his heirs, so that they would not be accused of seeking worldly gains to leave behind to their heirs. Moreover, the Prophet’s wives, including Aishah, Abu Bakr’s daughter, were among his heirs. This Hadith deprives her as well of any inheritance from him. Had Abu Bakr let his own natural feelings come into play, he would have preferred that his daughter should take a portion of the Prophet’s inheritance.

Ibn Taimiyah also mentions that “during their reign, Abu Bakr and Umar gave to those who would have inherited the Prophet, had the rules of inheritance applied to him, much more than they would have received under these rules. All that Abu Bakr took from them was a small village, not a large city. Moreover, when Ali later became caliph, he did not give to Fatimah’s sons (who were his own sons) or to the Prophet’s widows, or to Al-Abbas’s offspring any portion of what the Prophet left behind.” What Ibn Taimiyah confirms here is that Ali himself accepted what Abu Bakr and Umar decided over this issue and abided by it when he could have changed it, had he willed to do so.

In respect of the point concerning the Prophet’s burial, Al-Khateeb quotes several reports. One of these is mentioned by Imam Malik in Al-Muwatta’: “The Prophet died on Monday and was buried on Tuesday. All people offered the janasah prayer for him individually, with no one leading the prayer. Some people suggested that he should be buried next to the pulpit in his mosque, while others said that it was better to bury him at Al-Baqee’, the common graveyard in the city. Abu Bakr said: ‘I heard the Prophet saying: Every Prophet was buried at the spot where he died.’

Another report by Aishah says: “When the Prophet passed away, people differed as to where he should be buried. Abu Bakr said: ‘I have heard something said by the Prophet which I have not forgotten. He said: God never gathers the soul of a Prophet except at the spot where he is to be buried. Hence, you better bury him where he used to have his bed placed.’” (Related by Al-Tirmidhi)

Several other versions of this report are mentioned in Hadith anthologies, and in biographies of the Prophet. All of them confirm Abu Bakr’s statement. The Prophet’s companions did not argue with Abu Bakr over what he reported. He was recognized as the closest to the Prophet among all his companions. Indeed they acted on his advice.

The Prophet was buried in Aishah’s rooms, as he was nursed there in his last illness, and he passed away there. A grave was dug for him at the very spot where his soul departed, and his blessed body was buried there. He was to be joined there by his two closest companions, Abu Bakr and Umar. The spot is now inside his mosque in Madinah, and it is visited all the time by Muslims from all over the world.

Arab News Islam 30 June 2003