BorealFAREWELL POSTINGSAgreeing to an ECG and Muhammad’s Fatal AccidentNovember 6, 2024 In 2017 I was diagnosed with a rising aortic aneurysm. Every eight months or so I went in for an echocardiogram to check if it had expanded to a size where surgery to cut off the damaged portion to be replaced by some type of polyethylene tubing was called for. After Lucette passed away on July 5, 2019, I cancelled any further measurements and decided to let nature take its course. I will now have my first thoracic echocardiogram in more than five years. It was my doctor’s idea. In the event that the size of the aneurysm warrants surgical intervention, she still hopes to convince me to have the operation. Not going to happen! Maybe, like Muhammad, it will be an unfortunate accident that will lead to my demise, and that will be that. A few years back, I read the more than fourteen thousand authenticated sayings and deeds of Muhammad, the so-called hadiths that are part of the Sunni cannon, and arrived at my own conclusion as to the cause of his death. Hadiths are mostly hearsay evidence of what Muhammad said and did, including his silent approval of actions taken in his presence (by way of lack of objection), as in the following where laughter ensued: Umar then came forward, and when he had asked and had been granted permission he found the Prophet sitting sad and silent with his wives around him. He told that he decided to say something which would make the Prophet laugh, so he said, "Messenger of God, I wish you had seen the daughter of Kharija when she asked me for extra money and I got up and slapped her on the neck." God's messenger laughed and said, "They are around me as you see asking for extra money." Abu Bakr then got up, went to Aisha and slapped her on the neck, and Umar did the same to Hafsa (Aisha was the daughter of Abu Bakr, and Hafsa that of Umar. Both were given in marriage to Muhammad). Sahih Muslim 9.3506 Hadiths are the holiest scriptures in Islam after the Koran and are an integral part of Islamic law. For example, in Revelation 4:34 the Koran grants a husband the right to beat his wife: 4:34 Men are in charge of women, because Allah has made some of them excel the others, and because they spend some of their wealth. Hence righteous women are obedient, guarding the unseen (their sex) which Allah has guarded. And those of them that you fear might rebel, admonish them and abandon them in their beds and beat them. Should they obey you, do not seek ways of harming them; for Allah is Sublime and Great. But, it is a saying of Muhammad that pretty much guarantees the wife-beater immunity from prosecution. Narrated Umar ibn al-Khattab: The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: A man will not be asked as to why he beat his wife. Abu Dawud 11.2142 What became the hadiths were recollections collected approximately 200 years after Muhammad's passing by men who travelled the land seeking people who remembered stories that had been passed down, from generation to generation, of what the Prophet’s companions and wives related of what he said and did, or did not do. The task of collecting and classifying the hadiths was mostly completed by the end of the 9th century. A fatwa was then issued declaring that all the knowledge about the nature of existence and whatever information humanity needed to know to conduct its affairs as God intended was in the Koran and the sanctioned collections of sayings and actions of Muhammad to which no further hadiths could be added. The Pseudo-Science of Hadith AuthenticationSunni Islam considers the hadiths collected by six men (al-Bukhari, Imam Muslim, At-Tirmidi, Ibn Majah, Abu Dawud and An-Nisa’i) as the “six canonical collections.” Al-Bukhari's (d. 870) collection of 7,275 hadiths is considered the most authoritative, and along with Imam Muslim’s (d. 875), is considered to be authentic (sahih) by Sunnis. Shiites consider the recollections of the Companions of the Prophet suspect because they voted Abu Bakr, a good friend of Muhammad to whom he had given his nine-year-old daughter Aisha in marriage, his successor instead of Ali, Muhammad's cousin and son-in-law. Shiites have developed their own books of hadiths which are largely based on what members of the House of the Prophet reported: Muhammad’s daughter Fatima, his son-in-law Ali, and his grandsons Hasan and Husayn. Bukhari’s hadiths are accepted as authentic without question in part because he is said to have collected over 600,000 but kept only approximately one percent as valid. Therefore, his scholarship in weeding out nonsense, erroneous recollections and outright lies is assumed to be beyond reproach. In deciding that Bukhari's collection of hadiths was of unimpeachable quality, another assumption was made: that none of it contradicted the Koran. What to make of hadiths, such as the following, which appear to do just that? Narrated Abu Dhar: The Prophet asked me at sunset, "Do you know where the sun goes [at the time of sunset]?" I replied, "Allah and His Apostle know better." He said, ‘It goes till it prostrates itself underneath the Throne and takes the permission to rise again, and it is permitted and then [a time will come when] it will be about to prostrate itself but its prostration will not be accepted, and it will ask permission to go on its course but it will not be permitted, but it will be ordered to return whence it has come and so it will rise in the west. And that is the interpretation of the Statement of Allah: 'And the sun runs its fixed course for a term [decreed]. That is The Decree of [Allah], The Exalted in Might, The All-Knowing.’" Bukhari 54.421 The Koran is unequivocal: the sun disappears in a sea of mud on which a flat earth appears to float and re-emerges the next morning on the other side. 18:86 Then, when he (Alexander the Great) reached the setting-place of the sun, he found that it sets in a spring of black mud and found, by it, a people. We said: “O Dhul-Qarnayn, either you punish them or show them kindness.” This is where one must depend on an Islamic scholar to reconcile, for the untrained mind, the apparent contradiction, and to explain the ostensible nonsense. Hadiths, hearsay evidence collected over two centuries after Muhammad’s passing, cannot be expected to possess the clarity and easy-to-follow structure of verses from the Koran. The process by which the strength or weakness of a hadith is assessed is considered the Science of Hadith. The process, which involves the weighing of hearsay evidence to establish a level of credibility for the transmitters, has little in common with the type of empirical proof required in the physical sciences. What Islam considers a scientific method is really a methodology that mainly examines provenance to establish the validity of a statement made by Muhammad. With the possible exception of a Mutawatir hadith (see explanation that follows), one of the narrators, of a reputable chain of narrators, had to have heard or seen Muhammad in action. An example of a hadith received by way of Abu Al Nauman, who said he heard it from Said ibn Zayd, who said he heard it from Ali ibn Zayd, who said he heard it from Jabir ibn Abdullah, is that Muhammad said: “Whoever has three daughters, cares and provides for them, and shows them mercy, will enter Paradise.” A Mutawatir hadith is a saying or story remembered by a sufficient number of people to be considered sahih, i.e., authentic, the rationale being that a large number of people reporting the same thing could not be "expected to agree upon a lie." An example is the story told by Muhammad about the coming of the Mahdi, the "prophesied redeemer of Islam." Narrated AbuSa'id al-Khudri: The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "The Mahdi will be of my stock, and will have a broad forehead a prominent nose. He will fill the earth will equity and justice as it was filled with oppression and tyranny, and he will rule for seven years." Abu Dawud 36.4272 ***** The concept of the Mahdi: The Mahdi, a man named Muhammad b. Abdullah and a descendant of the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) through Fatimah [his daughter], who will be the Leader (Imam, Khalifah) of the Muslims, rule for seven years and fill the world with justice and equity after it had been filled with tyranny and oppression. He will also fight the Dajjal along with Jesus son of Mary... The Concept of the Mahdi among the Ahl al-Sunnah (Sunnis) [has the support of] 69 later scholars who wrote in support of the concept, compared to 8 scholars who rejected the idea. The hadith prophesying the Dajjal (False Christ), a one-eyed man who will have miraculous powers and will be followed by the Jews, and the return of Jesus Christ son of Mary (peace be upon them), who will descend in Damascus and pray behind the Mahdi, kill the Dajjal at the gate of Lod in Palestine, break the Cross, kill the Pig, marry and have children and live for forty years before dying a natural death, are Mutawatir in meaning. Suhaib Hasan ***** An authentic or good, i.e., hasan, hadith is a legal precedent even if the source narrator is unsure of where and when he heard it. Was it at the festival of ul Fitr, which marks the end of Ramadan, or ul Ad-ha, which commemorates the end of the Hajj? Narrated Abu Said Al-Khudri: On Id ul fitr or Id ul Adha Allah's Apostle (p.b.u.h) went out to the Musalla. After finishing the prayer, he delivered the sermon and ordered the people to give alms. He said, "O people! Give alms." Then he went towards the women and said. "O women! Give alms, for I have seen that the majority of the dwellers of Hell-Fire were you (women)." The women asked, "O Allah's Apostle! What is the reason for it?" "He replied, "O women! You curse frequently, and are ungrateful to your husbands. I have not seen anyone more deficient in intelligence and religion than you. O women, some of you can lead a cautious wise man astray." Then he left. And when he reached his house, Zainab, the wife of Ibn Masud, came and asked permission to enter. It was said, "O Allah's Apostle! It is Zainab." He asked, 'Which Zainab?" The reply was that she was the wife of Ibn Mas'ub. He said, "Yes, allow her to enter." And she was admitted. Then she said, "O Prophet of Allah! Today you ordered people to give alms and I had an ornament and intended to give it as alms, but Ibn Masud said that he and his children deserved it more than anybody else." The Prophet replied, "Ibn Masud had spoken the truth. Your husband and your children had more right to it than anybody else." Bukhari 24.541 A weak, i.e., da’if, hadith is one where there is a break in the chain of transmission and/or the integrity of the narrator(s) is suspect, or simply not enough people remember hearing about it. A weak hadith can still be considered a legal precedent depending on the circumstances and the school of Islamic law. Where the Companions of the Prophet are concerned, if the chain of narrators through the pseudo-science of hadith authentication is judged to be reliable, then the scholarship ends with the first person to claim to have heard it from a close friend of Muhammad. The assumption is that whomever Muhammad chose as a confidant must have been trustworthy. To question what the Companions claim to have witnessed Muhammad saying or preaching is to question the very validity of a legal system based on immutable precedents derived from hearsay evidence and assumptions about what was said and done two hundred years earlier. DEATH OF THE PROPHET (Abbreviated from 1001 Sayings and Deeds of the Prophet Muhammad, Boreal Books) Prophets are granted the right to decide when it is their time to die. Narrated Aisha (the wife of the Prophet): When Allah's Apostle was in good health, he used to say, "No prophet's soul is ever captured unless he is shown his place in Paradise and given the option (to die or survive)." So when the death of the Prophet approached and his head was on my thigh, he became unconscious for a while and then he came to his senses and fixed his eyes on the ceiling and said, "O Allah (with) the highest companions." I said, "Hence he is not going to choose us." And I came to know that it was the application of the narration which he (the Prophet) used to narrate to us. And that was the last statement of the Prophet (before his death) i.e., "O Allah! With the highest companions." Bukhari 76.516 Muhammad spent his last days on Earth in the house of his favourite wife and confidante, Aisha. Narrated Aisha: When the ailment of the Prophet became aggravated and his disease became severe, he asked his wives to permit him to be nursed (treated) in my house. So they gave him the permission. Then the Prophet came (to my house) with the support of two men, and his legs were dragging on the ground, between Abbas, and another man. Ubaid-Ullah (the sub narrator) said, "I informed Abdullah bin Abbas of what Aisha said. Ibn Abbas said: 'Do you know who was the other man?' I replied in the negative. Ibn Abbas said, 'He was Ali (bin Abi Talib)." Aisha further said, "When the Prophet came to my house and his sickness became aggravated he ordered us to pour seven skins full of water on him, so that he might give some advice to the people. So he was seated in a Mikhdab (brass tub) belonging to Hafsa, the wife of the Prophet. Then, all of us started pouring water on him from the water skins till he beckoned to us to stop and that we have done (what he wanted us to do). After that he went out to the people." Bukhari 4:197 Muhammad disliked taking medicine. Narrated Aisha: We poured medicine in one side of the Prophet's mouth during his illness and he started pointing to us, meaning to say, "Don't pour medicine in my mouth." We said, "(He says so) because a patient dislikes medicines." When he improved and felt a little better, he said, "Didn't I forbid you to pour medicine in my mouth?" We said, "(We thought it was because of) the dislike patients have for medicines." He said, "Let everyone present in the house be given medicine by pouring it in his mouth while I am looking at him, except Abbas as he has not witnessed you (doing the same to me)." Bukhari 59.735 During his last days, Muhammad asked Abu Bakr, who would succeed him as leader of the believers, to lead his flock in prayer: Narrated Al-Aswad: "We were with Aisha discussing the regularity of offering the prayer and dignifying it. She said, 'When Allah's Apostle fell sick with the fatal illness and when the time of prayer became due and Adhan was pronounced, he said, 'Tell Abu Bakr to lead the people in prayer.' He was told that Abu Bakr was a soft-hearted man and would not be able to lead the prayer in his place. The Prophet gave the same order again but he was given the same reply. He gave the order for the third time and said, 'You (women) are the companions of Joseph. Tell Abu Bakr to lead the prayer.' So Abu Bakr came out to lead the prayer. In the meantime the condition of the Prophet improved a bit and he came out with the help of two men one on each side. As if I was observing his legs dragging on the ground owing to the disease. Abu Bakr wanted to retreat but the Prophet beckoned him to remain at his place and the Prophet was brought till he sat beside Abu Bakr.'" Al-A'mash was asked, "Was the Prophet praying and Abu Bakr following him, and were the people following Abu Bakr in that prayer?" Al-A'mash replied in the affirmative with a nod of his head. Abu Muawiya said, "The Prophet was sitting on the left side of Abu Bakr who was praying while standing." Bukhari 11.633 As his condition deteriorated, Muhammad could only watch the believers at prayer. Narrated Anas: The Prophet did not come out for three days. The people stood for the prayer and Abu Bakr went ahead to lead the prayer. (In the meantime) the Prophet caught hold of the curtain and lifted it. When the face of the Prophet appeared we had never seen a scene more pleasing than the face of the Prophet as it appeared then. The Prophet beckoned to Abu Bakr to lead the people in the prayer and then let the curtain fall. We did not see him (again) till he died. Bukhari 11.649 The last two chapters of the Koran, 113 and 114, are known as the Muawidhatan (also spelled Mu'awwidhatayn) the Verses of Refuge. When he feared his time had come, Muhammad repeated over and over these two short surahs. Narrated Aisha: Whenever Allah's Apostle became ill, he used to recite the Muawidhatan and blow his breath over himself (after their recitation) and rubbed his hands over his body. So when he was afflicted with his fatal illness. I started reciting the Muawidhatan and blowing my breath over him as he used to blow and made the hand of the Prophet pass over his body. Bukhari 59.723 THE DAYBREAK 113 Al-Falaq In the Name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful 113:1 Say: “I seek refuge with the Lord of the Daybreak, 113:2 “From the evil of what He has created, 113:3 “And the evil of the darkness when it gathers, 113:4 “And the evil of those who blow into knotted reeds (witches or sorceresses), 113:5 “And from the evil of the envious when he envies.” ***** In Muhammad’s time, witches were thought to blow into knots to cast spells, another superstition from the Dark Ages that found its way into the Koran. Surah 113 as a choice for a last appeal to a higher power before the darkness closes in is revealing, not only in its reference to witches, but in Allah admitting He is the source of evil (113:1-2). ***** THE PEOPLE 114 An-Nâs In the Name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful 114:1 Say: “I seek refuge with the Lord of the People, 114:2 “The King of the people, 114:3 “The God of the people, 114:4 “From the evil of the slinking whisperer [Satan], 114:5 “Who whispers in the breasts of people, 114:6 “Both jinn and men.” The Prophet's last orders: Narrated Said bin Jubair: That he heard Ibn Abbas saying, "Thursday! And you know not what Thursday is?" After that Ibn Abbas wept till the stones on the ground were soaked with his tears. On that I asked Ibn Abbas, "What is (about) Thursday?" He said, "When the condition (i.e. health) of Allah's Apostle deteriorated, he said, 'Bring me a bone of scapula, so that I may write something for you after which you will never go astray.' The people differed in their opinions although it was improper to differ in front of a prophet. They said, 'What is wrong with him? Do you think he is delirious? Ask him (to understand).' The Prophet replied, 'Leave me as I am in a better state than what you are asking me to do.' Then the Prophet ordered them to do three things saying, 'Turn out all the pagans from the Arabian Peninsula, show respect to all foreign delegates by giving them gifts as I used to do.'" The sub-narrator added, "The third order was something beneficial which either Ibn Abbas did not mention or he mentioned but I forgot." Bukhari 53.393 A bad attempt at cheering up a dying man: Narrated Aisha: When the Prophet became ill, some of his wives talked about a church which they had seen in Ethiopia and it was called Mariya. Um Salma and Um Habiba had been to Ethiopia, and both of them narrated its (the Church's) beauty and the pictures it contained. The Prophet raised his head and said, "Those are the people who, whenever a pious man dies amongst them, make a place of worship at his grave and then they make those pictures in it. Those are the worst creatures in the Sight of Allah." Bukhari 23.425 Bickering among those around him prevented Muhammad from writing down his last instructions. Narrated Ubaidullah bin Abdullah: Ibn Abbas said, "When Allah's Apostle was on his deathbed and there were some men in the house, he said, 'Come near, I will write for you something after which you will not go astray.' Some of them (i.e. his companions) said, 'Allah's Apostle is seriously ill and you have the (Holy) Quran. Allah's Book is sufficient for us.' So the people in the house differed and started disputing. Some of them said, 'Give him writing material so that he may write for you something after which you will not go astray.' while the others said the other way round. So when their talk and differences increased, Allah's Apostle said, 'Get up.'" Ibn Abbas used to say, "No doubt, it was very unfortunate (a great disaster) that Allah's Apostle was prevented from writing for them that writing because of their differences and noise." Bukhari 59.717 Perhaps he wanted to make out a will, which the Koran had made mandatory for adult males. 2:180 It is prescribed for you that when death is imminent for one of you and he leaves wealth, he should equitably make a testament in favour of the parents and the near of kin. This in incumbent upon the righteous. The fact that he ignored this Divine Ordinance surprised some people. Narrated Talha bin Musarrif: I asked Abdullah bin Abu Aufa "Did the Prophet make a will?" He replied, "No." I asked him, "How is it then that the making of a will has been enjoined on people, (or that they are ordered to make a will)?" He replied, "The Prophet bequeathed Allah's Book (i.e. quran)." Bukhari 51.3 The passing of Muhammad: Narrated Aisha: It was one of the favors of Allah towards me that Allah's Apostle expired in my house on the day of my turn while he was leaning against my chest and Allah made my saliva mix with his saliva at his death. Abdur-Rahman entered upon me with a Siwak in his hand and I was supporting (the back of) Allah's Apostle (against my chest). I saw the Prophet looking at it (i.e. Siwak) and I knew that he loved the Siwak, so I said (to him), "Shall I take it for you?" He nodded in agreement. So I took it and it was too stiff for him to use, so I said, "Shall I soften it for you?" He nodded his approval. So I softened it and he cleaned his teeth with it. In front of him there was a jug or a tin containing water. He started dipping his hand in the water and rubbing his face with it, he said, "None has the right to be worshipped except Allah. Death has its agonies." He then lifted his hands (towards the sky) and started saying, "With the highest companion," till he expired and his hand dropped down. Bukhari 59.730 Narrated Aisha: I heard the Prophet and listened to him before his death while he was lying supported on his back, and he was saying, "O Allah! Forgive me, and bestow Your Mercy on me, and let me meet the (highest) companions (of the Hereafter)." Bukhari 59.715 Muhammad’s first meal after he died? Narrated Qatada: We were in the company of Anas whose baker was with him. Anas said, The Prophet did not eat thin bread, or a roasted sheep till he met Allah (died). Bukhari 65.297 On his death bed Muhammad cursed both Christian and Jews. Narrated Aisha and Ibn Abbas: On his death-bed Allah's Apostle put a sheet over his-face and when he felt hot, he would remove it from his face. When in that state (of putting and removing the sheet) he said, "May Allah's Curse be on the Jews and the Christians for they build places of worship at the graves of their prophets." (By that) he intended to warn (the Muslim) from what they (i.e. Jews and Christians) had done. Bukhari 56.660 Bukhari 11.657 The last gathering: Narrated Ibn Abbas: Once the Prophet ascended the pulpit and it was the last gathering in which he took part. He was covering his shoulder with a big cloak and binding his head with an oily bandage. He glorified and praised Allah and said, "O people! Come to me." So the people came and gathered around him and he then said, "Amma ba'du." "From now onward the Ansar (i.e. Helpers, mainly Medinan Muslims) Muhammad will decrease and other people will increase. So anybody who becomes a ruler of the followers of Muhammad and has the power to harm or benefit people then he should accept the good from the benevolent amongst them (Ansar) and overlook the faults of their wrong-doers." Bukhari 13.49 The probable cause of Muhammad's fatal affliction: Narrated Anas bin Malik: Once Allah's Apostle rode a horse and fell down and the right side (of his body) was injured. He offered one of the prayers while sitting and we also prayed behind him sitting. When he completed the prayer, he said, "The Imam is to be followed. Pray standing if he prays standing and bow when he bows; rise when he rises; and if he says, 'Sami a-l-lahu-liman hamida", say then, 'Rabbana wa Lakal-hamd' and pray standing if he prays standing and pray sitting (all of you) if he prays sitting." Humaid said: The saying of the Prophet "Pray sitting, if he (Imam) prays sitting" was said in his former illness (during his early life) but the Prophet prayed sitting afterwards (in the last illness) and the people were praying standing behind him and the Prophet did not order them to sit. We should follow the latest actions of the Prophet. Muhammad's death shroud: Narrated Aisha: When Allah's Apostle died, he was covered with a Hibra Burd (green square decorated garment). Bukhari 72.705 Muhammad’s death agony and its impact on Aisha: Narrated Aisha: The Prophet died while he was between my chest and chin, so I never dislike the death agony for anyone after the Prophet. Bukhari 59.726 And chatter ensued: Narrated Ibn Umar: During the lifetime of the Prophet we used to avoid chatting leisurely and freely with our wives lest some Divine inspiration might be revealed concerning us. But when the Prophet had died, we started chatting leisurely and freely (with them). Bukhari 62.115 Muhammad's age when he died and why it is important. Narrated Aisha: The Prophet died when he was sixty three years old. Bukhari B 56.736 Narrated Abu Huraira: The Prophet said, "Allah will not accept the excuse of any person whose instant of death is delayed till he is sixty years of age." Bukhari 76.428 The last Prophet! Narrated Abu Huraira: The Prophet said, "The Israelis used to be ruled and guided by prophets: Whenever a prophet died, another would take over his place. There will be no prophet after me, but there will be Caliphs who will increase in number." The people asked, "O Allah's Apostle! What do you order us (to do)?" He said, "Obey the one who will be given the pledge of allegiance first. Fulfil their (i.e. the Caliphs) rights, for Allah will ask them about (any shortcoming) in ruling those Allah has put under their guardianship." Bukhari 56.661 Kind words for the next leader of the believers: Narrated Ibn Abbas: Allah's Apostle in his fatal illness came out with a piece of cloth tied round his head and sat on the pulpit. After thanking and praising Allah he said, "There is no one who had done more favor to me with life and property than Abu Bakr bin Abi Quhafa. If I were to take a Khalil (friend), I would certainly have taken Abu-Bakr but the Islamic brotherhood is superior. Close all the small doors in this mosque except that of Abu Bakr." Bukhari 8.456
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