Dt tJ/m 205In the night following that day, the Prophet went to the AI-Baqi grave-
yard, in Medina, to greet its occupants, and he punctuated his invocations
with the words: ''You are the first [you went ahead] and we arc coming
after you [we are joining you]." On th e way back, the Prophet felt a vio-
lent headache, which did not leave him for almost twO weeks and kept
him confined to bed during the last days of his life.^21 At first, he contin-
ued to lead congregational p rayer, in spite of the head ache and a fever
that caused him great suffering. As the days ,"'ent on, th e illness grew
worse, and the Prophet had to lie d own for longer and longer periods. He
was then staying with his wife Maymunah (for his wives took turns receiv-
ing him), and he ins.istently asked whom he was to visit the n ext day, then
the day after. Maymunah understood that he wished to go to Aishah's., and
she spoke to the orner wives aboU[ it; they decided that the Prophet would
immediately be transferred to her aparunent. He had become so weak
tha: Abbas and AJj had to help rum walk there.
He had been staytng with Aishah for a few days when his fever in-
creased, h is head suddenly ached more intensely, and he fainted. \X'hen he
recovered his senses, he re quested that seven skins of water be poured
over his face. After a few hours, he felt a little better and decided to go to
the mosque with a bandage around his head. He sat on the minbar,
addressed th e Companions p resent, and spoke to them about graves,
insisting that they must never rum his own grave into a place of worship:
"Do not commit actS of idolatry on my grave.,,22 He waS the Messenger,
but he remained a man: he kncw how deep his Companions'love for him
was, and he warned them against committing the mistakes of those who
had come before them and who had idealized their Prophets and their
guides to the point of worship.23 Only God is worthy of worship.
To complete this reminder of his humanity, me Proph et rose and asked
whether he owed any of his Companions anything. D id he have an u nset-
tled dcbt? Had he offend ed o r hun anybody? If so, that person should
speak out so that the situation could be setded. A man stood up and
reminded the Prophet that he owed him three dirhams: the Prophet
o rd ered that the money be given back to him immedia tely. The Mes-
senger, following the injunctions of Revelation, did no t pray on a believ-
er's grave until all his earthly debts were se tded, and he knew that even for
onc who had given up his life to God, debt remained a burden thar God
did not remit. He had to depart debtless, free from owing anything to any