It is the opinion of most biographers that the apostle of God expired on Monday, the 12th of the month Rabyi’ anterior; some, however, assert that this great calamity took place on the 2nd of the said month. Ssiddyqah says: ‘We knew not that the apostle of God had been buried, until we heard on the morning of Tuesday the noise made by the spades while the grave was being filled up with earth.’ The Emân Ja’fer Ssâdiq has, however, a tradition from his father, according to which the interment of his lordship took place during the night of Wednesday. There is a statement of Ebn A’bbâs that the prophet was born on a Monday, entered Madinah on a Monday, died on a Monday, and that the black stone was uplifted on a Monday. Two causes have been assigned for the delay of the burial of his lordship. The first was the difference of opinion whether his blessed body ought to be interred in Madinah or to be conveyed to Mekkah; and the second was that, after the first grave had been dug, a discussion arose, whether his lordship ought to be buried in the Baqyi’ cemetery, or in his mosque, or in his own apartment. The opinion, however, of the Shia’hs, that the interment was delayed because all the Mohâjer and Anssâr were engaged in appointing a successor [to the prophet], is rejected by the Sunnis.
Anus B. Mâlek has a tradition that ‘on the day when the apostle of God removed [or rather fled] from Mekkah to Madinah, the whole city was shining with light, but that on the day when he departed to the eternal world that glorious region became darkened and obscured, and we had not yet washed off the earth of the prophet’s grave from our hands, when these two ideas occurred to us.’ His lordship died in a coarse blanket, and Abu Burdah says that A’ayshah took it, as well as a heavy Izâr out of the house, saying: ‘The apostle of God has died in both these things.’ Omm Solmah says: ‘On the day when the apostle expired I placed on his blessed breast my hand, which thereon began to exhale the odour of musk. I used to eat with my hand, and washed it, but the fragrance of musk, nevertheless, adhered to it for several weeks.’
It is the general opinion that his holy and prophetic lordship lived sixty-three years, and that after forty years of his precious life had elapsed, he was raised to the high dignity of prophecy. After he had, during thirteen years, exhorted the people to adopt the orthodox religion, he departed [i.e., fled] from Mekkah to Madinah, where he remained ten years, promulged the revelation of God and preached the commandments of the noble religion, as has been recorded in these pages by way of abridgment. Should, however, life be granted to the author to complete the present work, and his exalted patron* —may he sit on the throne of dignity and glory till the end of the world— agrees, the author would compose a separate and detailed biography of his holy and prophetic lordship, if it pleaseth Allah the Most High. At present, however, the unworthy writer will narrate the adventure of Moa’adh B. Jabal, which is not void of interest and attraction. Thereon he will give a slight notice of the miracles of the prince of existences, and after that he will begin to describe the reigns of the divinely-guided Khalifahs and later Emâms. Allah grants favours, and in Him we trust.