The Life of Prophet Muhammad - by Sheikh Azhar Nasser

Everyone knows the prophet died of illness, and many say it was due to poison. Some say it was poison he consumed during te Battle of Khaybar three years earlier, but there are some serious doubts about that theory. Another theory suggests Aisha may have poisoned him.This lecture digs into the evidence for and against these theories, focusing primarily on sunni sources.Lecture notes available at http://www.why-quran.org/?p=804.Subscribe at http://www.why-quran.org/subscribe to watch the lectures live and participate in the Q&A at the end of each class.Video recording of this lecture + Q&A available on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U8kodjjLYwY&list=PLpkB0iwLgfTat-Pgh4W3WFmupPamiC9UT.

In his last days, knowing death was imminent, Prophet Muhammad called his uncle Abbas and Imam Ali. He asked his uncle to carry out his will and settle his affairs after the prophet's death. When the uncle demured, the prophet asked Imam Ali, who accepted. The Prophet also gave Imam Ali his sword, battle gear, and ring.Three days before his passing, the prophet went to the masjid and asked if anyone had a grievance against him, and offered to let them seek retribution. A man stepped forth saying that the prophet had accidentally hit him on the stomach once. The prophet said he could seek whatever retribution eh wanted. The man asked the prophet to remove his shirt and then kissed the prophet on his stomach.At one point Ammar bin Yasir asked the Prophet how his ghusul and burial should be conducted, and the propeht replied that it would be done by "Ali ibn Abi Talib, for no part of my body will he touch without the angels aiding him in doing so"Another time, when the prophet was weak, he woke up from sleep and asked for "my brother and companion." Aisha said to summon Abu Bakr, when when the prophet woke up again saw him sitting there he turned away from the man. After Abu Bakr's departure the prophet again asked for "my brother and companion." Usman's daughter Umm Salma had Usman summoned, yet he received the same treatment fromt the prophet. When the prophet called for "my brother and companion" a third time, Imam Ali was summoned and the Prophet spoke to him privately for a long time.When asked what they spoke about, Imam Ali replied "He taught me a thousand doors (of knowledge) and each door opens a thousand more. He also entrusted me with responsibilities that, God willing, I will fulfil"Lecture notes available at http://www.why-quran.org/?p=800.Subscribe at http://www.why-quran.org/subscribe to watch the lectures live and participate in the Q&A at the end of each class.Video recording of this lecture + Q&A available on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ojs3bdeq37o&list=PLpkB0iwLgfTat-Pgh4W3WFmupPamiC9UT.

In these last few days, many of the companions explicitly disregarded the prophet's instructions in order to secure political power after his demise. The prophet had attempted to prevent their schemes by instructing many of the senior companions to leave Medina with Usama ibn Zayd, so that Imam Ali could assume leadership without interference, but many delayed and made excuses.Some hypocrites were known, but others were skilled at hiding their hypocrisy as proven by the failed assassination attempt.In the even known as "The Calamity of Thursday", while Prophet Muhammad lay on his death bed he decided to take an extra step to explicitly document the his successor and asked for something to write to leave a message "after which you'll never go astray."However, a group of companions who were around him at the time, including Umar, realized that the prophet was planning to document his succession plan and started to strongly object and shout, prompting Prophet Muhammad to order them to leave.The lecture analyzes the various Sunni sources which indicate that the opposition group, which Umar was part of, started saying prophet was "going insane."The fact that these people were willing to sling mud on the prophet's sanity showed to the prophet the futility of writing down his will later. If he were to do so, those people would cast the same aspersions on the prophet's will, casting doubts on his sanity during every instance where he designated Imam Ali as his successor. This could be potentially stretched back all the way to revelation, and the spread of such slander would put people's belief in Islam itself at risk.Lecture notes available at http://www.why-quran.org/?p=796.Subscribe at http://www.why-quran.org/subscribe to watch the lectures live and participate in the Q&A at the end of each class.Video recording of this lecture + Q&A available on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yBxvKOHjZcM&list=PLpkB0iwLgfTat-Pgh4W3WFmupPamiC9UT.

The Prophet's death was impending, and he had commanded all his companions to join Usama ibn Zayd's army to go fight the Romans. Usama was a young man, and many companions chaffed at being put under the leadership of something that age. The prophet, while sick, had to rebuke them to send them back to the army.Despite his illness, the Prophet would still go lead prayer at the masjid. After the prayer he summoned some sahaba who were supposed to have left with Usama, including Abu Bakr and Umar asking "Why have you delayed obeying my order?" and heard back feeble answers in response. He scolded them, repeatning the instruction to join the army.Another day, the Prophet was too ill to lead salaat, and Aisha and Hafsa each suggested their fathers, Abu Bakr and Umar, lead the salaat instead. The Prophet realized those men were still in town and that these two women were eager to promote their own fathers. He scolded the two saying "Stop, for you are like the female companions of Yusuf"The Abu Bark and Umar containued to stay in Medina until the Prophet's demise, ignoring his orders to leave.Lecture notes available at http://www.why-quran.org/?p=792.Subscribe at http://www.why-quran.org/subscribe to watch the lectures live and participate in the Q&A at the end of each class.Video recording of this lecture + Q&A available on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CQhfMdDYZok&list=PLpkB0iwLgfTat-Pgh4W3WFmupPamiC9UT.