The Companions were grief-stricken when they heard of the Prophet’s death. One of the Prophet’s senior Companions, Umar ibn al-Khattab, found it hard even to believe the news. Taking his sword, he stood up in the Prophet’s mosque. “Some hypocrites think that the Prophet has died,” he said. “It is not so: he has gone to visit his Lord, as the Prophet Moses visited the Lord on Mount Sinai. When he stayed away from his people for forty days, some said that he had died. By God, the Prophet will return to us, as Moses returned to his people, and he will punish those who thought that he had died.”
Then, another senior and trusted Companion of the Prophet, Abu Bakr, arrived on the scene. He told Umar to be quiet, but Umar continued to address the people. Seeing Umar’s refusal to accede to his request, Abu Bakr himself began to address the congregation.
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