DEATH OF BUDDHA, CHRIST, AND MOHAMMUD

Siddharha Gautama or The Buddha, Jesus of Nazarath or Christ, and Mohammud Ibn Abdullah, were founders of the three great religions Buddhism, Christianity and Islam. In the case of Mohammud, rather than founder, perhaps it is more appropriate to say the Holy Book of Islam, the Quran, was revealed through him. All three died under controversial circumstances. Laying out their deaths side by side makes an interesting read.

Buddha:

Sometime between 487-483 BC, The Buddha and his entourage reached a place called Pala. There a local blacksmith, Cunda Kammāraputta, asked to honour him with a bhiksha, a food that is customarily offered to monks. The exact meal is unknown but thought to be a dish of pork. Contrary to public perception, Buddha was not a vegan and he never banned meat. He ate in moderation and take very little meat. After consuming the meal, he felt sick and asked for the remaining portion to be buried. The party then made their way to Kushinagar which is in the current state of Bihar.

At Kushinagar, the 80 year old Buddha knew his end was near. He consoled Ananda, his cousin, scribe and faithful follower, reminding him of the impermanence of nature and that he too must pass on. Then he asked his disciples if there was any doubts in the teachings. The Buddha laid down on his right side in the famous reclining posture, went into meditation, and entered mahaparinirvana (the great passing). It is said he reached enlightenment and thus has been freed from the cycle of rebirth.

The exact year of his death is unknown. It is generally believed to be 487- 483 BC but the southern tradition of Sri Lanka placed it at 544 – 543 BC. So too the cause of death. Was it food poisoning, or was he poisoned. After all, there had been three unsuccessful assassination attempts on his life by Devadatta, a cousin and ex-disciple who caused a schism a decade earlier. Buddha entered parinirvana in Kushinagar, but the exact location of his death is unknown.

Buddha was cremated at the Ramabhar Stupa, on which site the Indian Government built the  Mahaparinirvana Temple in 1956 as part of the commemoration of the 2,500th year of the Mahaparinivana or 2500 BE (Buddhist Era).

In 1870s British army engineer and archaeologist, Sir Alexander Cunningham, discovered a huge vaulted chamber at the Ramabhar site he estimated no later than 637 AD. In the vault were broken pieces of the statute of the reclining Buddha. The statute was repaired and now displayed at the Mahaparinirvana Temple.

Xuanzang 玄奘, the famous monk in the Ming Dynasty classic novel 'Journey To The West' 西遊記, undertook a 17-year journey from China to India (629-645 CE) to collect Buddhist scriptures and to study Buddhism at its source. His journey is well-documented in his work, "Great Tang Records on the Western Regions" (大唐西域記). During his travels, Xuanzang visited many significant Buddhist sites, including Kushinagar. Xuanzang described the stupa built over the place where the Buddha passed away. He noted its dilapidated condition at the time but mentioned that it still attracted pilgrims who came to pay their respects. The reclining Buddha we see here is the very statute Xuanzang saw.

The Buddha’s relics (skull bones, teeth, inner and outer shrouds) were distributed to the other eight kingdoms of ancient northern India. Asohka The Great (304 – 323 BC) later built 84,000 stupas and redistributed the relics which were enshrined in many of these dome-shaped structures seen at Buddhist temples. In 1984 I visited the famous Temple of the Tooth in Kandy, Sri Lanka, but never had the chance to view the relic as it was opened to public viewing only on special occasions. They opened for private viewing to some visiting dignitaries and I was told by some locals the privilege was accorded to Lee Kuan Yew on his 1966 visit.

Christ:

Christ was crucified and died on the cross at Golgotha. The Bible provides some details from which some clever Sherlock Holmes analyzing will provide the time, day and year of death. The time of death is easy. He died on the 9th hour which is roughly 3 pm. Matthew, Mark, Luke and John all said he died on Preparation Day. This is the day Jews prepare for Sabbath which is on Saturday. Thus the day of death was Friday. And that’s how we get Good Friday. The year of death is a bit tough and there is no consensus amongst scholars. Preparation Day is Nissan 14 in Jewish calendar; Pontius Pilate was prefect of Judea and Samaria from 26AD to 36 AD. It boils down to when Nissan 14 falls on a Friday during 26-36 AD. There were two : 7 Apr 30 AD and 3 Apr 33 AD. It seems 3 Apr 33 AD is the better bet because there was indeed a solar eclipse that day.

The Last Supper was on Thursday which was Passover. The parallelism is Jesus is the sacrificial lamb on the cross for atonement of sins of mankind. The next day was Friday which was the trial and crucifixion of Jesus. On Sunday, Christ resurrected. The Bible mentions the supernatural event of the sky turning dark and earthquake at the time of his death. Non-Christian sources were Jewish historian Josephus and Romans Tacitus, Pliny The Younger and Suetonius, all writing about 70 years later, mentioned Jesus, the crucifixion, and Pontius Pilate trial.

There are many who claim ancient Chinese record also made reference to the death of Jesus. Let’s fact check this.

The Chinese classic, History of the Latter Han Dynasty 後漢書, is one of the official Chinese historical works which was compiled by Fan Ye in the 5th century, using a number of earlier histories and documents as sources. It covers the history of Eastern Han from 25 to 220 AD.

Chapter 1 specifically in the "Annals of Emperor Guangwu" (光武帝紀) there is a passage that reads:

夏四月壬午，詔曰：陰陽錯繆，日月薄蝕，皆人臣之罪，在朕一人。布告天下，咸令赦罪.

“In the summer, fourth month, on the day of Ren Wu, the imperial edict reads, “Yin and Yang have mistakenly switched, and the sun and moon were eclipsed. The sins of all the people are now on one man. Pardon is proclaimed to all under heaven.”.

Another passage simply states: 天人死 "Man from Heaven died”.

By word association it is very seductive to jump to the conclusion the Chinese were referring to Christ. Indeed a Google search easily shows up thousands of people with this cognitive bias. Not to mention the hundreds of thousands in social media who share the Youtube videos and online posts without so much as a second to consider whether that can be true..

The fact that these words appear in the section "Annals of Emperor Guangwu" is a dead give away. Emperor Guangwu (Liu Xiu) was the founder of Eastern Han Dynasty. His reign was 25-57 AD. Guangwu re-installed the Han Dynasty for another 200 years. He was a very able emperor who was regarded with high reverence. Ancient Chinese consider their emperors Sons of Heaven. Just like Zoroastrians, ancient Chinese read celestial events and predict natural disasters, sometimes requiring an emperor to take responsibility and offer pardons, make sacrifices, or make amends. With no reference to context, in all probability the 'History of the Latter Han Dynasty' was about Guangwu and a local event.

What happened after the crucifixion is all from Christian tradition. Jesus died on the cross. A rich merchant Joseph of Arimathea, who was his uncle, had Pilate’s permission to take down the body. Joseph wrapped the body of Christ in linen cloth and placed it in his own tomb which was a cave. A big boulder was rolled over the enrance of the cave. Three days later, a small group of women, including Mary Magdalene, visited the cave to find it empty. They were told by angels that Christ had risen.

Then followed a series of sightings. Christ appeared to many including the apostles and a group of 500 people. Did they see an apparition or Christ in flesh and blood? The disciple Thomas, when told Christ had appeared to some of them, found it incredulous and said he will only believe if he can see and touch. When Christ appeared before Thomas, the apostle was asked to place his hand on the wound where Longinus, the unknown Centurion, had pierced Jesus with his spear in a coup de grace. Thus was the term “doubting Thomases” derived.

Forty days after His resurrection, Christ ascended to heaven. The apostles witnessed this event which took place near Bethany, on the Mount of Olives. Two angels then appeared who told the apostles Christ will return in the same manner.

The death of Jesus, his Resurrection, Ascension, and promised return, is the bedrock of the Christian faith. Jesus’ death provided atonement for sin and salvation and offered eternal life to all who believe in Him. His Second Coming is when He will fully establish God's kingdom and bring final judgment.

The body of Christ is lost to antiquity. Did He rise in spirit or flesh and blood. It’s an unsolved mystery, but the faith rests on a Freudian puzzle and a physical evidence in a piece of cloth.

We see a group of apostles in hiding after the crucifixion, frightened of Roman persecution and Jewish mob, and questioning their faith, for how could a Son of God die on the cross. Something supernatural must have happened to then spur them onto evangelical zeal and face martyrdom. Only John the Evangelist died a natural death. The other apostles including Paul, died painful deaths in the hands of their persecutors. The supernatural event that gave them the courage and conviction can only be explained by the appearance of a Risen Christ.

In an era when Faith is challenged by Liberal thoughts and congregation at churches are dwindling, latest technology and forensic tests is proving The Shroud Of Turin is authentic. Science can now explain the burst of energy that left the negative imprints on the piece of cloth. It does seem Christ indeed had risen and actually left his facial features on the fabric. There remains of course many skeptics and opinions galore from all who are not privy to even touching the fabric and direct examination to declare it fake.

The Quran too has a say in the matter. According to the Quran, Jesus is not God-incarnate, but a creation of Allah and virgin born. He was human and a prophet. Jesus did not die on the cross. Allah saved Jesus by putting someone who looked like him on the cross. Allah “raised Jesus up to Himself”. The anti-Trinitarian thread runs very deep in the Quran. If the book is to be believed, then Jesus is alive in heaven and sitting on the throne with Allah.

Mohammud:

The prophet died in 632 AD but the Quran does not say anything about his death and so no one knows what happened to him after his passing.

Some time back I made a Facebook post and asked if anyone could answer the million dollar question why the Quran does not mention Mohammud’s death. It was a simple question on critical thinking. No one offered an answer but a couple of Muslim commenters took umbrage. Why a question like that be deemed offensive I have no idea. I think perhaps it arises from the Muslim psyche. No believer is allowed to question anything in the Quran. If that be the case, that restriction does not apply to non-Muslims.

The answer to the FB question is so simple. The Quran is a product of Mohammud. No Mohammud, no Quran. The Quran may be a revelation of God, but Mohammud put it out there. Mohammd made no revelation about his own death when he was alive, and obviously has nothing to say after he died.

What did Mohammud wish for his own death and how did he die. Most do not know, including believers.

Note that I insert no opinions from here on. The following are all based on facts. Now there are different layers of facts. There are facts which are evidentiary – an event actually happened, or things actually existed. For the purpose here, facts mean what’s described here are actually written in the Quran, hadiths, taffsir, and siras. Nothing mentioned here is fabricated.

In hadith of Sahih Bukhari 2797
Narrated Abu Huraira: “The Prophet said, "By Him in Whose Hands my life is! Were it not for some men amongst the believers who dislike to be left behind me and whom I cannot provide with means of conveyance, I would certainly never remain behind any Sariya' (army-unit) setting out in Allah's Cause. By Him in Whose Hands my life is! I would love to be martyred in Allah's Cause and then get resurrected and then get martyred, and then get resurrected again and then get martyred and then get resurrected again and then get martyred.”

The Messenger of The Religion of Peace wanted to be a serial martyr, dying in martyrdom in an orgy of battles. Sadly, Allah did not grant him this wish. 

Several hadiths relate Mohammud’s death to poisoning but Islamic tradition mostly do not refer to this and the Muslim laity generally are unaware.

The poisoning episode took place at a feast in Khaybar, date of event unknown. In 628 AD. Mohammud’s forces attacked the Jewish settlement of Khaybar which is located outside of Medina. The Jews lost and surrendered, their leader killed in battle, Jewish men slaughtered, children and women taken as slaves. Mohammud married the prettiest woman slave Safiyyah bint Huyayy. At a feast in Kharbar, Mohammud accepted the dishes prepared by a Jewish woman Zaynab bint Al-Harith, whose whole family had been killed in the battle. Zaynab put poison on the leg of the lamb that was served to Mohammud and his companions. A few of the men died shortly after the meal. Mohammud suffered much longer from the poisoning, eventually dying from it in 632 AD.

The Islamic sources that mention the poisoning can be found in several hadiths tafsirs, e.g. Sahid Bukhari 2717, Sahih Muslim 2190a, Sunan Abi Dawud 4513, etc.

Let’s refer to Muhammad ibn Sa'd ibn Mani' al-Baghdadi, one of the most respected Islamic scholar. He wrote 'Kitab al-Tabaqat al-Kabir' in early 9th century AD. This is one of the earliest comprehensive collections of biographical information about the Prophet Muhammad, his companions, and subsequent generations of notable Muslim figures. In Vol 2 page 249 is an “Account of the poison which was given to the Apostle of Allah”. It listed various narrations of the incident.

For example, Umar Ibn Hafs said that Malik Ibn Dinar said : “Verily, a Jewish woman presented poisoned (meat of) a she-goat to the Apostle of Allah, may Allah bless him. He took a piece from it, put it into his mouth chewed it and threw it away. Then he said to the Companions. ‘Hah, verily, its leg tells me it is poisoned.’ Then he sent for the Jewish woman and asked her ‘What induced you to do what you have done?’ She replied ‘I wanted to know if you are true; in that case, Allah surely will inform you, and if you are a liar, I shall relieve the people of you.’ ”

Islamic tradition cites this incident to illustrate Muhammad's trials, his mercy and forgiveness, and the divine protection he received throughout his mission. Taken in this light it seems strange because some narration said Mohammud spared Zaynah but others said he ordered the Jewish woman killed. Allah did not protect him from the poison, the roasted leg of the she-goat (some said it was lamb) told him of the poison after he had taken a bite.

Mohammud returned to Medina and Islamic sources mention his health faltered and he suffered severe paid before he died.

Sahid Bukhari 5.713:
Narrated 'Aisha: “The Prophet in his ailment in which he died, used to say, "O'Aisha! I still feel the pain caused by the food I ate at Khaybar, and at this time, I feel as if my aorta is being cut from that poison."

It’s worth noting that Mohammud consistently mentioned the pain is like his aorta being severed. This has led critics to a verse in the Quran now dubbed 'The Curse of Allah'.

Surah 69: 44-46:
وَلَوْ تَقَوَّلَ عَلَيْنَا بَعْضَ ٱلْأَقَاوِيلِ لَأَخَذْنَا مِنْهُ بِٱلْيَمِينِ
ثُمَّ لَقَطَعْنَا مِنْهُ ٱلْوَتِينَ

“Had the Messenger made up something in Our Name, We would have certainly seized him by his right hand, then severed his aorta.”

There is that aorta again. Allah’s promise that he will kill Mohammud should he ever lie. The manner as to how Allah will do it is left to no doubt. Islamist apologists have a hard time explaining the irony. A typical response is one should not take ‘aorta’ in the literal sense, it probably is a manner of speech to mean great pain. Interestingly, depending on the particular poison, one of the symptoms is severe chest pain.

Muslims bury the dead within 24 hours. This is in accordance with Mohammud’s practice to “hasten the funeral rites”. Mohammud himself was buried after 6 days. There is nothing wrong with Islamic jurisprudence for delayed burial under special circumstances as long as respect and dignity is accorded to the deceased. In Mohammud’s case, due to his position, a delay was necessary for many followers who want to pay their respects. Succession issues also needed to be discussed.

So after death, where is Mohammud. Hadith of Sunan Abu Dawood says Mohammud said he has an intercessory role to play on Judgement Day, and both Sahid al Bukhari and Sahid Muslim say Mohammud said he will be the first to be resurrected. Do hadiths (recollections of sayings and deeds of Mohammud) or Quran (Word of Allah) have higher authority, for in Surah 46.9 Mohammud says “nor do I know what will happen <after death> to me or you”. Muslim scholars point to Surah 108.1-3 which says : "Indeed, We have granted you, [O Muhammad]. So pray to your Lord and sacrifice [to Him alone]. Indeed, your enemy is the one cut off." Their interpretation of ‘al-Kawthar’ means some overpowering abundance that encompasses the physical and spiritual, that would certainly mean his place in heaven is assured. The verse on its own, well and good. But the context is this revelation was during the time when Mohammud was rejected by the people of Medina. Certainly his followers needed the ‘Al-Kawthar’ motivation.

It seems strange that Allah would save Jesus from crucifixion and raise him up to himself, but didn’t save Mohammud from the poison, and left the concluding narrative of whereabouts of Mohammud to speculation.

Mohammud was buried in a compound in Aisha’s house which was next to the mosque Al Masjid an Nabawit in Medina. Over time the mosque expanded and has taken over the land of Aisha’s house. Today Mohammud’s burial site is within the dome of the mosque.

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