“We were with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and we all had a single focus, but when he passed away we started to look here and there (i.e., have different interests).”  

كُنَّا مَعَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ وَإِنَّمَا وَجْهُنَا وَاحِدٌ فَلَمَّا قُبِضَ نَظَرْنَا هَكَذَا وَهَكَذَا  

“At the time of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, if a person stood to pray, his gaze would not go beyond his feet. When the Messenger of Allah ﷺ died, if a person stood to pray, his gaze would not go beyond the place where he put his forehead when prostrating. Then Abu Bakr died and it was ‘Umar (the caliph). So, when any person stood to pray his gaze would not go beyond the Qiblah. Then came the time of ‘Uthman bin ‘Affan, and there was Fitnah (tribulation, turmoil), and the people started to look right and left.”  

عَنْ أُمِّ سَلَمَةَ بِنْتِ أَبِي أُمَيَّةَ زَوْجِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ أَنَّهَا قَالَتْ كَانَ النَّاسُ فِي عَهْدِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ إِذَا قَامَ الْمُصَلِّي يُصَلِّي لَمْ يَعْدُ بَصَرُ أَحَدِهِمْ مَوْضِعَ قَدَمَيْهِ فَتُوُفِّيَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَكَانَ النَّاسُ إِذَا قَامَ أَحَدُهُمْ يُصَلِّي لَمْ يَعْدُ بَصَرُ أَحَدِهِمْ مَوْضِعَ جَبِينِهِ فَتُوُفِّيَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ وَكَانَ عُمَرُ فَكَانَ النَّاسُ إِذَا قَامَ أَحَدُهُمْ يُصَلِّي لَمْ يَعْدُ بَصَرُ أَحَدِهِمْ مَوْضِعَ الْقِبْلَةِ وَكَانَ عُثْمَانُ بْنُ عَفَّانَ فَكَانَتِ الْفِتْنَةُ فَتَلَفَّتَ النَّاسُ يَمِينًا وَشِمَالاً  

“After the Messenger of Allah ﷺ had died, Abu Bakr said to ‘Umar: ‘Let us go and visit Umm Ayman as the Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to visit her.’ He said: ‘When we reached her she wept.’ They said: ‘Why are you weeping? What is with Allah is better for His Messenger.’ She said: ‘I know that what is with Allah is better for His Messenger, but I am weeping because the Revelation from heaven has ceased.’ She moved them to tears and they started to weep with her.”  

أَبُو بَكْرٍ بَعْدَ وَفَاةِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ لِعُمَرَ انْطَلِقْ بِنَا إِلَى أُمِّ أَيْمَنَ نَزُورُهَا كَمَا كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَزُورُهَا قَالَ فَلَمَّا انْتَهَيْنَا إِلَيْهَا بَكَتْ فَقَالاَ لَهَا مَا يُبْكِيكِ؟ فَمَا عِنْدَ اللَّهِ خَيْرٌ لِرَسُولِهِ قَالَتْ إِنِّي لأَعْلَمُ أَنَّ مَا عِنْدَ اللَّهِ خَيْرٌ لِرَسُولِهِ وَلَكِنْ أَبْكِي أَنَّ الْوَحْىَ قَدِ انْقَطَعَ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ قَالَ فَهَيَّجَتْهُمَا عَلَى الْبُكَاءِ فَجَعَلاَ يَبْكِيَانِ مَعَهَا  

‘The best of your days is Friday. On it Adam was created; on it shall be the Nafakhah,* on it all creation will swoon. So send a great deal of blessing upon me on this day, for your blessing will be presented to me.’ A man said: “O Messenger of Allah! How will our blessing be presented to you when you have disintegrated?” He said: “Allah has forbidden the earth to consume the bodies of the Prophets.”  

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ إِنَّ مِنْ أَفْضَلِ أَيَّامِكُمْ يَوْمَ الْجُمُعَةِ فِيهِ خُلِقَ آدَمُ وَفِيهِ النَّفْخَةُ وَفِيهِ الصَّعْقَةُ فَأَكْثِرُوا عَلَىَّ مِنَ الصَّلاَةِ فِيهِ فَإِنَّ صَلاَتَكُمْ مَعْرُوضَةٌ عَلَىَّ فَقَالَ رَجُلٌ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ كَيْفَ تُعْرَضُ صَلاَتُنَا عَلَيْكَ وَقَدْ أَرَمْتَ يَعْنِي بَلِيتَ قَالَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ حَرَّمَ عَلَى الأَرْضِ أَنْ تَأْكُلَ أَجْسَادَ الأَنْبِيَاءِ  

“Send a great deal of blessing upon me on Fridays, for it is witnessed by the angels. No one sends blessing upon me but his blessing will be presented to me, until he finishes them.” A man said: “Even after death?” He said: “Even after death, for Allah has forbidden the earth to consume the bodies of the Prophets, so the Prophet of Allah is alive and receives provision.’”  

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ أَكْثِرُوا الصَّلاَةَ عَلَىَّ يَوْمَ الْجُمُعَةِ فَإِنَّهُ مَشْهُودٌ تَشْهَدُهُ الْمَلاَئِكَةُ وَإِنَّ أَحَدًا لَنْ يُصَلِّيَ عَلَىَّ إِلاَّ عُرِضَتْ عَلَىَّ صَلاَتُهُ حَتَّى يَفْرُغَ مِنْهَا قَالَ قُلْتُ وَبَعْدَ الْمَوْتِ قَالَ وَبَعْدَ الْمَوْتِ إِنَّ اللَّهَ حَرَّمَ عَلَى الأَرْضِ أَنْ تَأْكُلَ أَجْسَادَ الأَنْبِيَاءِ فَنَبِيُّ اللَّهِ حَىٌّ يُرْزَقُ