Response to the Allegation that the Holy Prophet (sa) Passed Away from the Poison

Some enemies of Islam allege that the Holy Prophet (sa) passed away due to this poison. This has also been discussed in certain books of history and biographies of the Holy Prophet (sa). Certain historians are willing to accept the narrative that the Holy Prophet (sa) passed away due to this poison, as they wish to declare the Holy Prophet (sa) as a martyr. However, this is contrary to the facts. The research cell has also sent a report which will be mentioned here. It is written that irrespective of what is said in any book of history or biography of the Holy Prophet (sa) or any hadith, the Holy Prophet’s (sa) demise was not due to poisoning. If someone asserts this, then either they are ignorant of all the narrations, or they are mistaken.

It should be remembered that the incident of the poisoning took place during the Battle of Khaybar, which occurred at the end of 6 AH or the beginning of 7 AH and the Holy Prophet (sa) remained alive for approximately four more years. He lived a healthy life just as he did before the incident and even went for battles. There was not even the slightest change in his routine with respect to his worship or other daily activities. To pass away after approximately four years, owing to a fever and a migraine, no rational individual would assert that his death was due to the effects of poisoning.

In actuality, there is a hadith recorded in Bukhari as well as some other books of hadith and owing to not understanding the translation correctly, people have inferred from it that the Holy Prophet’s (sa) demise was due to the effects of poisoning, whereas this is incorrect. The hadith mentioned in Bukhari is as follows – the translation is:

Hazrat Aisha(ra) narrates that during his last days, the Holy Prophet (sa) would say, “O Aisha (ra)! I have always felt the effects of what I ate at Khaybar. Even today, I feel as if my insides are have been greatly affected due to the poison.”

(Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitabul Maghazi, Bab Marad an-Nabisa wa Wafatihi, Hadith 5073)

From this hadith, some Muslims – Muslim exegetes and scholars of Hadith – have inferred that the Holy Prophet (sa) passed away due to the effects of the poison. Some of them then explain that owing to this, the Holy Prophet (sa) can be deemed as a martyr, whereas this narration does not support this viewpoint. In this narration, the Holy Prophet (sa) simply expressed a sense of pain he felt. Everyone is aware that an injury or [specific] pain can revert at times owing to certain factors. If one analyses the details regarding the narrations about the Holy Prophet (sa) eating poisoned meat at the time of Khaybar, it is also written that the Holy Prophet (sa) put the poisoned meat in his mouth but did not swallow it. Even if he did swallow it, the fact that he lived a healthy life is proof that his death was not as a result of the poison. Indeed, the poison would have had a severe effect on the stomach or intestines and this is a natural consequence of it. Likewise, since the morsel was placed in his mouth, it would have affected the uvula and owing to this he may have occasionally felt pain whilst eating.

All the details regarding this incident can be found in the ahadith. It is also written that the Holy Prophet (sa) knew that the meat had been poisoned and he stopped his companions (ra) from eating it. When the Holy Prophet (sa) called the woman responsible for it and asked her, she said she added poison to see that if the Holy Prophet (sa) was a true prophet of God, he would be saved. Otherwise, they would be rid of him. The Jews even admit to the fact that the Holy Prophet (sa) survived. The poison that was used was fatal, yet the Holy Prophet (sa) survived. In fact, according to some narrations, this woman then accepted Islam. Nevertheless, the Jews themselves admit that the Holy Prophet (sa) survived and consider this to be a miracle. Therefore, it is utterly false to assert that the Holy Prophet (sa) passed away due to the effects of the poison.