… How beautiful it is that on the anniversary of the passing of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family), we listen to a part of his descriptions from the closest companion, confidant, and intimate companion, Imam Ali (peace be upon him). By doing so, we respond to the call of the Commander of the Faithful, following the pure example of the noble Prophet, and we say “Labbayk” (Here I am, ready to follow).
“Thus, follow your pure and sacred Prophet, for he is the most worthy of being followed by anyone who follows, and his patience and endurance are a model for those who are patient. The most beloved of God’s servants is the one who follows the Messenger of God and seeks his signs. The world is merely something that touches the edge of his teeth. (Meaning, he did not take more from the world than what was necessary). He never turned his gaze toward the world. (He did not become attached to it)…
When the world was presented to him, he refused to accept it. And when he knew that God despised something, he despised it, and when something was considered insignificant, he also regarded it as insignificant.
The Prophet (peace be upon him) would eat food on the ground, sit like a servant, and he would patch his own shoes and mend his own clothes…
He turned his heart away from the world, cast its memory from his mind, and preferred that the adornments of the world remain hidden from him so that he would not take up beautiful garments. He did not consider the world to be lasting and did not hope to remain in it for long. So he expelled his attachment to it from his heart, turned his gaze away from it, and withdrew from it…
Indeed, God made Muhammad (peace be upon him) a sign for the Day of Judgment (because no prophet will come after him). He was a herald of paradise and a warning against punishment. He departed from the world and did not indulge in its pleasures, and entered the Hereafter without carrying any sin…
How great is the blessing that God has bestowed upon us, a guide whom we must follow, a leader whose footsteps we must trace.”[1]
And what a heartbreaking scene it is when Imam Ali (peace be upon him) whispers to his beloved and guiding Prophet while washing his pure body:
“My father and mother be sacrificed for you, O Messenger of God. Indeed, with your death, a thread from the chain of prophethood and divine rulings and heavenly news was severed, which was not severed with the death of other prophets… If you had not commanded us to be patient and refrain from wailing and crying, surely we would have dried up the springs of tears in our eyes (with abundant weeping). The pain and sorrow would have remained endless, and the sadness and grief would have continued forever. The drying of the eyes and the eternal sorrow in your loss are still less than they should be, but death is something that cannot be avoided or prevented.
My father and mother be sacrificed for you. Remind us of us in front of your Lord and keep us in His memory.”[2]
Footnotes:
[1] (Excerpts from Sermon 160 of Nahj al-Balagha)
[2] (Nahj al-Balagha, excerpt from Sermon 235)