The Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.a.) passed away on Monday, the 28th of Safar, in the year 10 A.H. and three days later, his body was buried in the dead of the night. According to historical reports, during those three days, the grave digger, Abu Ubaidah, with the help of a broker of quadrupeds, dared to appoint a person as the Caliph of Muslims upon the pretext that he was the eldest of all.
That night when the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.a.) was buried, people were in deep sleep due to fatigue; and the daughter of Prophet sat at the grave of her father, with her two sons, repeating the lines:
“O father, O Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.a.), what all my husband had to bear at the hands of so and so.”
People were exhausted. It is three days since they had been lamenting. It is three days since they surrendered their hands and legs to the opponents. Neither their legs helped them nor their hands have any strength to make a grave for a departed one.
Even Abu Bakr and Umar did not get time to attend the burial of the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.a.). People had filled the mouths of the opponents of the Caliph with so much dirt that there was no need for them to lament about dropping soil on the grave of the Prophet. So much had the larynxes screamed about killing the opponents, that they did not have further need to recite dirges for the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.a.).
Bodies are tired and eyes are congealed from the smoke of the fire of the house. O diggers, who are digging the grave of the Prophet, be quiet! Be quiet as the daughter of the Caliph – under the shade of the Caliphate of her father – is in sleep of coyness. O diggers, don’t make any noise, as the people are asleep, and tomorrow and after that they shall have many preoccupations.
Tomorrow is the day of plundering the property of people. Tomorrow in prayers, the Caliph has planned assassination with Khalid. Tomorrow on the pulpit of the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.a.) will he innovate the practice of misbehaving with ladies of the Prophet. Tomorrow Baqi will witness another nocturnal burial. Tomorrow apology would be demanded from Fatima.
From tomorrow, no one will have the right to name their sons as Muhammad or to narrate traditions from Muhammad (s.a.w.a.).
Tomorrow the tree of Rizwan would have to be uprooted, which was a reminder of allegiance of the people to Prophet.
Tomorrow Malik bin Nuwairah would have to be beheaded and his wife would have to be raped.
Tomorrow the dogs of Hawwab would bark at a camel.1