He ascended the minbar and showed the people his anger about...

He ascended the minbar and showed the people his anger about not carrying out his orders. He said, ‘O people, what for is the saying of someone of you that criticizes my appointing Usama as the emir? You have criticized my appointing his father as emir before.

By Allah, he was worthy of the emirate and his son after him is worthy of it…’ He descended the minbar and went into his house.[^7] Then, he recommended people to join the army of Usama by saying, ‘Prepare the army of Usama!’, ‘March the army of Usama!’, ‘May Allah curse whoever does not join the army of Usama!’ These firm orders and insistence of the Prophet (S) at his last hours of life did not move the people’s determination.

They slackened in joining the army and justified their doing with different excuses, though the Prophet (S) did not accept their excuses. Rather, he showed them his anger and discontent. Pondering on this grave event, one can conclude the following points: In not joining the army and the criticizing of the appointing of Usama as the emir, the companions wanted to seize the authority and grasp the rule.

Of course, if they went to the war and left the capital of the Prophet (S), certainly they would lose the caliphate, and then they would have no chance to oppose or resist. The reason behind not entrusting the leadership of the army to anyone of the notable companions was that they would take it as a means to claim their worthiness of the caliphate. The Prophet (S) closed this door, and if it was opened to them, they would cling to it with all their power.

Islam seriously had cancelled the matter of agedness and it entrusted the important positions in the state and the army to the well-qualified and expert persons who would regard the interests of the nation above all other considerations.[^8] Asking People’s Pardon The Prophet’s health became worse and he began suffering severe pains. He was certain that he was living his last hours. He sent for al-Fadhl bin al-Abbas and asked him to support him to the mosque.

Al-Fadhl led the Prophet (S) to the mosque and helped him sit on the minbar. The Prophet (S) asked al-Fadhl to call out that the prayer was to be congregational. When people gathered, the Prophet (S) made a speech saying, ‘O people, death is about to take me away from among you and you shall not see me again in this situation…whoever I had whipped his back here is my back, let him retaliate!