ভূমিকা

Shiavault - a Vault of Shia Islamic Books The Message Chapter 55: The Prophet Mourning for His Son "Dear Ibrahim! We can't do anything for you. Divine Will can't be changed. Your father's eyes shed tears, and his heart is sad and grieved for your death. However, I will not say anything which may invite the wrath of Allah.

If there had not been the true and certain promise of Allah that we too shall come after you, I would have wept more and become more grieved at the separation from you".[^1] These sentences were uttered by the Prophet of Islam while mourning for his dear son Ibrahim, who was breathing his last in the lap of his kind father.

The Prophet had fixed his kind lips on the rosy face of his son and bade him goodbye with a very sad face and a heavy heart and at the same time with full submission to the Will of Allah. Love for one's off-spring is one of the purest and most sublime manifestations of human spirit and is a sign of health and purity of one's soul.

The Prophet used to say: "Be gentle to your children and display kind sentiments for them.[^2] Furthermore, kindness and love for children was one of his most pleasing attributes.[^3] During the past years the Prophet had been faced with the death of three sons named Qasim, Tahir and Tayyib[^4] and three daughters named Zaynab, Ruqayyah and Umme Kulsum and had been deeply grieved on this account.

After their death his only surviving child and the souvenir of his esteemed wife Khadijah was Fatimah. In 6 A.H. the Prophet sent ambassadors to foreign countries including Egypt. He sent a letter to the ruler of Egypt inviting him to accept Islam. Although he did not apparently give a positive reply to the Prophet's call, he sent him a respectful reply along with some presents including a slave-girl named Marya.

This slave-girl later acquired the honour of becoming the Prophet's wife and gave birth to his son Ibrahim, who was loved very much by him. The birth of Ibrahim diminished to some extent the unpleasant effects caused by the death of his six children, and provided him consolation. However, to his great sorrow Ibrahim also passed away after eighteen months. The Prophet had gone out of the house on some business when he came to know about the critical condition of his child.

He returned home, took the child from his mother's lap, and while signs of uneasiness were apparent from his face, he uttered the sentences quoted before.