The final days of the life of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) represent one of the most sensitive and critical periods in Islamic history. Islam and the Muslims were going through painful moments during those days. The open opposition of some of the companions and their refusal to join the army of Usama indicated a series of covert activities and serious decisions.
At that time, the Prophet (peace be upon him) entered the mosque with a severe fever, stood next to the pulpit, and spoke loudly, so that his voice could be heard outside the mosque. He said to the people, “O people! A fire of discord has been kindled, and it is coming upon you like pieces of a dark night. You have no weapon against me; I have not declared anything permissible except what the Qur’an has declared permissible, and I have not prohibited anything except what the Qur’an has prohibited.” (1)
This statement indicates the Prophet’s deep concern for the future of Islam after his death. What is the fire that has been “kindled”? Could it be the fire of discord and division that was lurking for the Muslims and eventually flared up after the Prophet’s death, continuing to burn to this very day?
As narrated by both Sunni and Shia scholars, and considered authentic in terms of hadith scholarship, during this period, one day when the leaders of the companions came to visit him, the Prophet (peace be upon him) lowered his head slightly and thought for a moment. Then, he turned to them and said, “Bring me paper and ink, so I can write something for you that you will not go astray after me.” (2)(3) At this moment, the second caliph broke the silence and said, “The Prophet is overcome by illness, the Qur’an is with you, the heavenly book, and that is enough for us.” (4)
At this point, a debate broke out among the companions present regarding the caliph’s opinion. Some opposed him and insisted that the Prophet’s command should be fulfilled, saying that paper and ink should be brought so that whatever the Prophet intended to write could be recorded. Others supported the caliph and prevented the bringing of paper and ink. Consequently, the Prophet (peace be upon him) was deeply upset by their disagreement and disrespectful words and said, “Get up and leave the house…”
Ibn Abbas, the famous Islamic scholar, wept as he recalled that painful day, saying, “What a painful day it was on that Thursday when the Prophet said, ‘Bring me paper and ink…'” (5) He then remarked, “The greatest calamity for Islam was that the disagreement and dispute among some of the companions prevented the Prophet from writing the letter he intended.” (6)
Now, since the Prophet (peace be upon him) did not manage to write this letter, can we infer with certainty what the content of this letter might have been?
The answer to this question is clear. If we think carefully, the Prophet said, “I want to write this letter so that you will not go astray after me.” On the other hand, in the famous hadith of Thaqalayn (7), he mentioned the same phrase, and the reason for following the Qur’an and his family was that following these two would prevent people from going astray. (8)
Given the similarity between the words in these two hadiths, can we not deduce with certainty that the purpose of the Prophet asking for paper and ink was to write the essence of the Thaqalayn hadith, or perhaps even something more than what the Thaqalayn hadith conveys — namely, the affirmation of the leadership and succession of his immediate successor?
Thus, when some later suggested, as a form of apology, that they should bring paper and ink, the Prophet’s face turned red with anger, and he replied, “After all the discussions, now you want to bring paper and ink? I only advise you to treat my family well.” He then turned his face away from the gathering, and everyone, except for Ali (peace be upon him), Abbas, and Fadl, got up and left. (9)
On the other hand, although the open opposition of some companions prevented the Prophet from writing the letter, he conveyed his intended message through other means, despite the pain and fever he was enduring. Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani (a major scholar of Sunni Islam) writes, “One day, during his illness, while the companions surrounded his bed, the Prophet (peace be upon him) looked at them and said: ‘O people! My death is near, and I will soon leave you. Be aware, I am leaving among you the Book of God and my family and Ahl al-Bayt.’ Then he raised Ali’s hand and said, ‘Ali is with the Qur’an, and the Qur’an is with Ali. They will never separate until the Day of Judgment.'” (10)
Indeed, before his illness, the Prophet (peace be upon him) had, on various occasions, emphasized the importance of the Qur’an and his family (Ahl al-Bayt), but by reminding the people once again, especially in the presence of those who had opposed him writing the letter, we can infer that this repetition was intended to compensate for the letter he had failed to write…
Truly, the Messenger of Mercy, even in his last moments, was looking to the future of the Islamic community and was concerned about the guidance of his people…
(Adapted from the book “Furugh-e Abadiyat” by Ayatollah Ja’far Subhani)
Footnotes:
1. (Sīrah Ibn Hishām, Vol. 2, p. 654 – Tabaqāt al-Kubrā, Vol. 2, p. 216)
2. It is clearly understood that the Prophet intended to have the letter dictated and written by one of his scribes, as the Prophet himself never wrote with a pen during his life.
3. The phrase indicates that the Prophet was asking for paper and ink to write the letter, which would have been dictated.
4. Such a crude and inappropriate statement, coming from any personality, is not excusable, as the Prophet is free from any error and speaks only through revelation, as confirmed by the Qur’an.
5. Musnad Ahmad, Vol. 1, p. 355
6. Sahih Bukhari, Vol. 1, p. 22, Vol. 2, p. 14 – Sahih Muslim, Vol. 2, p. 14 – Musnad Ahmad, Vol. 1, p. 325 – Tabaqāt al-Kubrā, Vol. 2, p. 244
7. The Hadith of Thaqalayn is a well-established narration accepted by both Sunni and Shia scholars. It has been narrated from over sixty companions of the Prophet (peace be upon him).
8. “I am leaving among you two precious things: the Book of God (the Qur’an) and my family (Ahl al-Bayt). As long as you hold onto these two, you will never go astray.”
9. Bahār al-Anwār, Vol. 22, p. 469, as narrated in Irshād and A’lām al-Warā
10. al-Sawā’iq al-Muḥriqa, Chapter 9, p. 57 – Kashf al-Ghummah, p. 43