Q. Recently I read an article in which the writer refers to the plot of land owned by the Prophet (peace be upon him) in Fadak. According to this article, this plot was not divided among the Prophet’s heirs as per the Islamic law of inheritance. Since Islamic law applied to the Prophet in his personal capacity, should not this have taken place and the Prophet’s heirs should have shared the land?
S. S. Zaidi
A. Generally speaking, what you said about the applicability of Islamic law to the Prophet is correct. Throughout his lifetime, the Prophet attended to all duties required of all Muslims and refrained from all prohibitions. However, there are certain rules that applied to him only and in which no other Muslim shared. For example, he was not restricted as to the maximum number of wives he might marry. God gave him this concession because he needed to use such marriages for different purposes. Such exceptions are either stated clearly in the Qur’an, or confirmed in authentic Hadiths. Other rules that applied to him only included the fact that no Muslim could marry a widow of the Prophet after his death. This is clearly stated in Verse 53 of Surah 33.
While these exceptions applied to the Prophet certain rules applied to him and to other prophets before him. One of these rules was that when a prophet died, he was to be buried at the spot where his death occurred. Hence, the Prophet was buried in Aishah’s home.
With regard to his inheritance, a rule he had explained was brought into force. When his daughter, Fatimah, requested his inheritance, Abu Bakr told her that he heard the Prophet say: “We prophets are not to be inherited. Whatever property we may leave is left as sadaqah, (i.e. charity).” Fatimah accepted that and acted on it. May God be pleased with her. There was no disagreement between them.
Recognizing Relatives in the Hereafter
Q. I love my parents so much that I cannot imagine life without them. I learned that people in heaven would be in the shape they had when they were in the prime of their youth. How could one like me recognize his parents, if by God’s grace we are all in heaven, when children do not see their parents at that age?
K. Mumu
A. May God bless you for being dutiful to your parents. You do not need to worry about knowing them in the hereafter. If all of you, God willing, are in heaven, you will be together, because the Prophet says: “A person will be on the Day of Judgment with the ones he loves.” The Prophet’s companions were especially delighted when they heard this, because they loved the Prophet better than they loved themselves. This Hadith meant that they would be with him. Let us all pray that our love for the Prophet is true and genuine, and that our love for our parents and families is strong and solid so that we will be together in heaven. As for facial recognition, this will not be difficult because God will enable us to recognize them. As you know, nothing presents any difficulty for God.
