The Nineteenth Letter

This treatise describes more than three hundred miracles. And as it describes the messengership of Muhammad (UWBP), itself a miracle, so is it itself a wonder in three or four respects, proceeding from the miracle of his messengership.

The First : Although it is more than a hundred pages in length and is based on traditions and narrations, it was written in an unusual fashion—in the mountains and countryside, completely from memory, and without referring to any book. It was completed, moreover, in a few days by working two to three hours every day, for a total of twelve hours.

The Second : Despite its length, this work did not cause tedium to its writer, nor does it lack pleasantness for its reader. In fact, it aroused such ardour and enthusiasm in even my lazy scribes that in these hard and distressing times, as many as seventy copies were handwritten in this neighbourhood within a single year. Those aware of this property of the treatise concluded that this must be a wonder proceeding from the miracle of his messengership (Blessings and peace be upon him.)

The Third : In the copies handwritten by nine different scribes who did not communicate with one another, including one very inexperienced and unaware of ‘coincidence’ (1) – it was also before we were aware of the phenomenon – the words referring to the Noble Messenger coincided to such a degree throughout the whole of the treatise, and in the fifth part for the words referring to the Qur’an, that anyone who is fair to the slightest degree would not consider it to be the result of chance. In fact, whoever observed it concluded that it was a mystery of the Unseen and a marvel proceeding from the miraculousness of Muhammad (Upon whom be blessings and peace).

The principles explained at the beginning of this treatise have extreme importance. As for the prophetic Hadiths related, they are accepted as authentic by the authorities on Hadith, and they report the most established phenomena concerning the messengership of Muhammad (Upon whom be blessings and peace). Now, to enumerate the merits of this treatise, another treatise of the same length would be needed; we therefore invite those who wish to read it, if only once.

                                                                  S a i d  N u r s i

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1 ‘Coincidence’ (T. tevafük; Ar. Tawafuq) refers to the unintentional correspondence of letters or

words in lines or patterns on one or several pages. (Tr.) (Go back ↑)

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A REMINDER: In this work, I have related many Hadiths, despite having no books to refer to. Should there be any errors in their wording, I request that they either be corrected, or be considered as paraphrases. For, according to the prevailing opinion, “To relate the meanings of Hadiths is permissible,” in which case the narrator puts the meaning of the Hadith into his own words. This being the case, Hadiths with possible errors of wording should be regarded as paraphrases.

* NOTE: The present translation of the Nineteenth Letter is based on a translation prepared by members of the Risale-i Nur Institute of America in 1976. (Tr.)

The Miracles of Muhammad (UWBP)

In His Name, be He glorified!

And there is nothing but it glorifies Him with praise.(17:44)

In the Name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate.

He it is Who has sent His Messenger with guidance and the religion of truth to make it supreme over all religion: and sufficient is God as a Witness.     Muhammad is the Messenger of God; and those who are with him are strong against unbelievers, but compassionate among each other. You will see them bow and prostrate themselves in prayer, seeking grace from God and His good pleasure. On their faces are their marks, being the traces of their prostration. This is their similitude in the Torah; and their similitude in the Gospel is like a seed which send forth its blade, then makes it strong; it then becomes thick, and it stands on its own stem, filling the sowers with wonder and delight. As a result, it fills the unbelievers with rage at them. God has promised those among them who believe and do righteous deeds forgiveness, and a great reward.(48:28-9)

Since the Nineteenth and Thirty-First Words concerning the messengership of Muhammad (Upon whom be blessings and peace) prove it with decisive evidence, we assign the verification of that side of the subject to those Words. As a supplement to them we will merely show here, in nineteen ‘Signs,’ some of the flashes of that great truth.

FIRST SIGN

The Possessor and Master of the universe surely does everything with knowledge, disposes every affair with wisdom, directs everything all-seeingly, treats everything all-knowingly, and arranges everything willing the instances of wisdom, purposes, and benefits that are apparent in them. Since, then, the One who creates knows, surely the One who knows will speak. Since He will speak, surely He will speak to those who possess consciousness and thought, and those who will understand His speech. Since He will speak to those who possess thought, surely he will speak to mankind, whose nature and awareness are the most comprehensive of all conscious beings. Since He will speak to mankind, surely He will speak to the most perfect of mankind and those most worthy of address. Since He will speak to those who are most perfect, most worthy of address, highest in morality, and who will guide humanity; He will certainly speak to Muhammad, who, as friend and foe alike testify, is of the highest disposition and morality, who is obeyed by one fifth of humanity, to whose spiritual rule half of the globe has submitted, with the radiance of whose light the future of mankind has been illumined for thirteen centuries, to whom the believers, the luminous segment of humanity, renew five times daily the oath of allegiance, for whose happiness they pray, for whom they call down God’s blessings and bear admiration and love in their hearts. Certainly, He will speak to Muhammad (Upon whom be blessings and peace) and indeed He has done; He will make him the Prophet, and indeed He has done; He will make him the guide for the rest of humanity, and indeed He has done.

SECOND SIGN

God’s Most Noble Messenger (Upon whom be blessings and peace) declared his prophethood, and presented to humanity such a decree as the Qur’an of Mighty Stature and such manifest miracles as number, according to the scholars, one thousand.(1) The occurrence of those miracles in their entirety is as certain as the fact that he declared himself prophet. In fact, as is shown by the words of the most obstinate unbelievers quoted in various places of the Wise Qur’an, even they could not deny his miracles so called them – God forbid! – sorcery, in order to satisfy themselves or to deceive their followers.

The miracles of Muhammad (UWBP) have the certainty of confirmation by consensus to the hundredth degree. The miracle is the confirmation by the Creator of the cosmos of his declaration of prophethood; it has the effect of the words, “You have spoken truly!” Suppose that you said in the assembly of a ruler, while being observed by him, “The ruler has appointed me to such-and-such a position.” Should you be asked for a proof of your claim, the word “Yes” uttered by the ruler would be sufficient to support you. Or, if the ruler changed his usual practice and attitude at your request, this would confirm your claim even more soundly and more definitely than would the word “Yes.”

In the same way, the Noble Messenger (Upon whom be blessings and peace) claimed: “I am the envoy of the Creator of the universe. My proof is that He will change His unbroken order at my request and my prayer. Now look at my fingers: He causes them to run like a fountain with five spigots. Look at the moon: by a gesture of my finger, He splits it in two. Look at that tree: to affirm me and to bear witness to me, it moves and comes near to me. Look at this food: although it is barely enough for two or three men, it satisfies two or three hundred.” He demonstrated too hundreds of similar miracles.

However, the evidences of this person’s veracity and the proofs of his prophethood are not restricted to his miracles. All his deeds and acts, his words and behaviour, his moral conduct and manners, his character and appearance prove to the attentive his truthfulness and seriousness. Indeed, many people such as ‘Abdullah b. Salam, the famous scholar of the Children of Israel, came to believe merely by seeing him, and said: “No lie can hide in this face, nor fraud be found in it!”(2)

Although many scholars who have researched the matter have concluded that the proofs of Muhammad’s (UWBP) prophethood and his miracles number about one thousand, there are thousands, perhaps hundreds of thousands, of proofs of his prophethood. And hundreds of thousands of men with varying opinions have affirmed it in an equal number of ways. The Wise Qur’an alone demonstrates a thousand of the proofs of his prophethood, in addition to its own forty aspects of miraculousness.

Since prophethood is a phenomenon of humanity, and hundreds of thousands of persons who claimed prophethood and performed miracles have lived and passed away,(3) of a certainty Muhammad’s (UWBP) prophethood is superior to all the others. For whatever evidences, qualities, and attributes made prophets such as Jesus and Moses (Upon whom be peace) be known as prophets and were the means of their messengership, they were all possessed in a more perfect and comprehensive fashion by Muhammad (Upon whom be blessings and peace). And since the causes and means of prophetic authority were more perfectly present in the person of Muhammad (UWBP), this authority was to be found in him with more certainty than in all the others.

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1 al-‘Asqalani, Fath al-Bari, vi, 454; Nawawi, Sharh Sahih Muslim, i, 2. (Go back ↑)

2  Tirmidhi, Qiyama, 42; Ibn Maja, Iqama, 174; Atima, 1; Darimi, Salat, 156; Isti’dhan, 4; Musnad, v, 451. (Go back ↑)

3 Musnad, v, 266; Waliyyuddin Tabrizi, Mishkat al-Masabih, iii, 122; Ibn al-Qayyim al-Jawzi, Zad al-Ma’ad (Tahqiq: al-Arnavud), i, 43-44. (Go back ↑)

THIRD SIGN

The miracles of the Most Noble Messenger (Upon whom be blessings and peace) were extremely varied. Since his messengership was universal, he was distinguished by miracles that related to almost all species of creation. Just as the supreme lieutenant of a renowned ruler, arriving with many gifts in a city where various peoples live, will be welcomed by a representative of each people who acclaims him and bids him welcome in his own language; so too, when the supreme Lieutenant of the Monarch of Pre-Eternity and Post-Eternity honoured the universe by coming as an envoy to the inhabitants of the earth, and brought with him the light of truth and spiritual gifts sent by the Creator of the universe, which were connected to the truths of the whole universe, each species of creation – from water, rocks, trees, animals and human beings to the moon, the sun and the stars – each welcomed him and acclaimed his prophethood, each in its own language and each bearing one of his miracles.

Now it would require a voluminous work to mention all his miracles. As punctilious, investigating scholars have written many volumes concerning the proofs of his prophethood, here we will briefly point out only the general categories into which fall miracles about which there are unanimous reports, both definite and in meaning (kat’î ve manevî mütevatir).(1)

The evidences of Muhammad’s (Upon whom be blessings and peace) prophethood fall into two main categories:

T h e  F i r s t  is called irhasat and includes the paranormal events that happened at the time of his birth or before his prophetic mission.

T h e  S e c o n d  group pertains to all the remaining evidences of his prophethood, and contains two subdivisions:

The first are those wonders that were manifested after his departure from this world in order to confirm his prophethood, and the second, those that he exhibited during the era of his prophethood. The latter has also two parts:

The first, the evidences of his prophethood that became manifest in his own personality, his inner and outer being, his moral conduct and perfections, and the second, the miracles manifested in the outer world. The last part again has two branches:

One, those concerning the Qur’an and spirituality, and the other, those relating to materiality and the universe. This last branch is again divided into two categories:

The first involves the paranormal happenings that occurred during his mission either to break the stubbornness of the unbelievers, or to augment the faith of the believers. This category has twenty different sorts, such as the splitting of the moon, the flowing of water from his fingers, the satisfying of large numbers with a little food, and the speaking of trees, rocks and animals. Each of these sorts also has many instances, and thus has, in meaning, the strength of confirmation by consensus (manevî tevatür). As for the second category, this includes events lying in the future that occurred as he had predicted, on God’s instructions. Now, starting from the last category, we will summarize a list of them.(2)

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1 For consensus in this sense (T. tevatür; Ar. tawatur), see, fn. 8 below. (Tr.) (Go back ↑)

2 Unfortunately, I could not write as I had intended. Without choice, I wrote as my heart dictated, and I could not completely conform to the order of this classification. (Go back ↑)

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FOURTH SIGN

There is no limit to the reports God’s Most Noble Messenger (Upon whom be blessings and peace) gave concerning the Unseen through the instruction of the One All-Knowing of the Unseen. As we have mentioned the types of these reports in the Twenty-Fifth Word, which is about the miraculousness of the Qur’an, and to a degree explained and proved them, we now refer to that Word the explanation of the information he gave concerning the Unseen about past times and prophets, as well as truths concerning the Godhead, the universe, and the hereafter, and will point out a few of his many correct predictions about his Companions, his Family and his community. But first, for a complete understanding of the subject, we will state six principles by way of an introduction.

First Principle

All the states and acts of the Noble Messenger (Upon whom be blessings and peace) testified to his veracity and prophethood, but not all of them had to be miraculous. For God Almighty sent him in the form of a human being so that he might be a guide and leader to human beings in their social affairs, and in the acts and deeds by means of which they attain happiness in this world and the next; and so that he might disclose to human beings the wonders of His art and His disposive power that underlie all occurrences and are in appearance customary, but in reality are miracles of divine power. If, then, he had abandoned the human state in his acts and become extra-ordinary in all aspects, he could not have been a leader, or have instructed human beings with his acts, states, and conduct. He was, indeed, honoured with paranormal phenomena in order to prove his prophethood to obstinate unbelievers, and from time to time performed miracles as the need arose. But as required by the examinations and trials that man is set, his miracles never occurred so obviously as to compel everyone to believe, whether willingly or unwillingly. For the wisdom in man’s trial and accountability necessitates that the way be shown to him without depriving him of his will; the door has to be opened to his intelligence without snatching its freedom from its hand. If the Messenger’s (UWBP) miracles had occurred in so apparent a way, intelligence would have had no choice; Abu Jahl would have believed as did Abu Bakr; coal would have had the value of diamonds, and no purpose would have remained for testing and accountability.

It is a source of amazement that while thousands of men of different character came to believe through observing a single of his miracles, a single proof of his prophethood, or a word of his, or through merely seeing his face, some wretches are nowadays going astray as if those thousands of proofs of his prophethood were not sufficient evidence, although they have come down to us through authentic transmission and with certain proofs, and have caused many thousands of exacting scholars and thinkers and different men to accept faith.

Second Principle

God’s Most Noble Messenger (Upon whom be blessings and peace) was a human being; hence he acted like a human being. He was also a messenger and prophet, and with regard to his messengership, he was an interpreter and an envoy of Almighty God. His messengership was based upon revelation (vahy), which is of two kinds:

The First is explicit revelation. In this case, the Noble Messenger (Upon whom be blessings and peace) is merely an interpreter and announcer, with no share in the content. The Qur’an and some sacred Hadith (Hadith Qudsi) are included in this kind of revelation.

The Second is implicit revelation. The essence and gist of this is also based on revelation or inspiration, but its explanation and description were left to the Messenger (UWBP). When he explained and described such revelation, sometimes he again relied on revelation, or on inspiration, or sometimes he spoke in terms of his own insight. When he resorted to his own interpretation, he either relied on the perceptive power given him on account of his prophetic mission, or he spoke as a human being and conformably to usage, custom and the level of common comprehension.

1

Thus, all the details of every Hadith were not necessarily derived from pure revelation, nor should the lofty marks of messengership be sought in such thoughts and transactions of his as were required by his participation in the human state. Since some truths were revealed to him in a brief and abstract form, and he himself described them in the light of his insight and according to common comprehension, the metaphors and allusions in his descriptions sometimes may need explanation, or even interpretation. There are, indeed, some truths that the human mind can grasp only by way of comparison. For example, once in the presence of the Prophet (UWBP), a loud noise was heard. He said, “This is the noise of a rock that has been rolling down for seventy years and has now reached the lowest depths of Hell.”(1) An hour later the news came that a famous dissembler who had recently turned seventy years old had died and gone to Hell, thus explaining the event Muhammad (Upon whom be blessings and peace) had described by means of an eloquent comparison.

Third Principle

If there is a consensus of opinion concerning any related tradition (Turk. tevatür; Ar. tawatur),(2) it is indisputable. There are two kinds of this sort of report: one is those reports about which there is ‘a clear, unambiguous consensus (sarih tevatür),’ the other is ‘consensus in meaning (manevî tevatür).’ The latter is also of two kinds: the first includes those concerning which the consensus is implied by silence. For example, if a man in a community relates an incident in front of his people and those listening do not contradict him, that is, they respond to him by keeping silent, this implies their acceptance of the report. In particular, if that community is such as will not accept any error, will consider any lie reprehensible, is ready to criticize and, in addition, shows an interest in the reported incident, its silence testifies strongly to the incident having occurred.

The second kind of ‘consensus in meaning’ is that which occurs when different people relate a particular incident, for example, one okka(3) of food fed two hundred people, in different versions: one person describes in one way, another in another way, and another in yet another way, but all are unanimously agreed on the occurrence of the incident. Thus, its certain occurrence is supported by ‘consensus in meaning’ and is definite; its actual occurrence is not harmed by differences in detail. Apart from this, there are times when a report supplied by a single person expresses the certainty of ‘consensus,’ under certain conditions. It also sometimes happens that single report expresses certainity when supported by other, outside evidences.

Most of the reports concerning the miracles and evidences of the Noble Messenger’s (Upon whom be blessings and peace) prophethood that have come down to us are either of the category of ‘clear consensus,’ or ‘consensus in meaning,’ or ‘consensus implied by silence.’ As for the others, although they are the report of a single person, they also have the certainty of ‘consensus’ since they have received the acceptance of the meticulous authorities on Hadith. Of such meticulous authorities were those geniuses who were called al-Hafiz, who had committed to memory at least 100,000 Hadiths, who offered for fifty years their morning prayer with the ablution of the night prayer, and who produced the six accurate books of Hadith headed by those of Bukhari and Muslim. Without doubt, any report scrutinized and accepted by them cannot fall short of the certainty of ‘consensus.’ For they acquired such intimacy with the Noble Messenger’s (Upon whom be blessings and peace) Hadiths and became so familiar with his exalted style and manner that they could spot at first sight a single false Hadith among a hundred reports, and would reject it, saying, “This cannot be a prophetic tradition; it does not have his wording.” Since they were able to recognize the precious quality of the Hadith, like an expert jeweller, there was no possibility of their confusing any other word with that of the Messenger (UWBP). Some researchers, however, such as Ibn al-Jawzi, went to such excesses in their criticism that they regarded many accurate traditions as false. Nevertheless, this does not mean that every false wording is wrong in meaning, but that the wording itself is not that of the Messenger (UWBP).

Q u e s t i o n : What is the use of citing the chain of transmission of a tradition so that even if it is not called for in the case of a well-known incident they say: “So-and-so informed so-and-so, etc.”?

A n s w e r : Its uses and benefits are many; one is that the citing of the chain shows the concurrence of the truthful, reliable and exacting scholars of Hadith and the unanimity of the discerning authorities whose names are included; each of the scholars and authorities endorses the accuracy of the tradition, and places his seal and signature on it.

Q u e s t i o n : Why were the miraculous events not transmitted through numerous chains concerning which there was a consensus of opinion and with as great emphasis as the basic injunctions of the Sacred Law, the Shari‘a?

A n s w e r : Because the majority of the injunctions of the Shari‘a are needed by most people at most times, for they all are applicable to each person, like an obligation incumbent on all. But not everyone needs to know of every miracle; even if he does, it suffices him to hear it only once. It is, in fact, like the kind of obligation the observance of which by some will absolve the rest; it is quite enough for miracles to be known only to some. For this reason, even if the occurrence and reality of a miracle ten times more certain than that of an injunction of the Shari‘a, it will still come to us through one or two narrators, whereas the injunction is narrated by ten or twenty persons.

Fourth Principle

The future events that the Most Noble Messenger (Upon whom be blessings and peace) predicted were not isolated incidents; he rather predicted general and recurring events in a particular way. Those events, however, had many sides to them and each time he mentioned them, he explained a different side. Then the narrator of the Hadiths combined all of those sides and they sometimes appear contrary to reality. There are, for example, varying narrations concerning the Mahdi, each with different details and descriptions. However, as was explained in a section of the Twenty-Fourth Word, the Noble Messenger (Upon whom be blessings and peace) gave the tidings, relying on revelation, of a Mahdi who would come in every century to preserve the morale of the believers, help them not to fall into despair in the face of disasters, and link the hearts of the believers with the people of the Prophet’s (UWBP) Family, who constitute a luminous line in the world of Islam. Every century has seen a Mahdi from the Prophet’s (UWBP) Family, or several, similar to the Great Mahdi who is promised to come at the end of time. One of the ‘Abbasid Caliphs even, who were said to be descendants of the Prophet’s (UWBP) Family, was a Mahdi who possessed many of the Great Mahdi’s characteristics. In this way the attributes of the Mahdi’s deputies and of the spiritual poles who were Mahdis who were to precede the Great Mahdi and were samples and forerunners of him, were confused with the attributes of the Great Mahdi himself, and the narrations concerning him were seen to conflict with one another.

Fifth Principle

Since “None knows the Unseen save God,”(4) the Noble Messenger (Upon whom be blessings and peace) could not know it himself. God Almighty communicated to him the tidings of the Unseen, and he made them known. And since God Almighty is All-Wise and Compassionate, His wisdom and mercy require that most of the matters of the Unseen be veiled or obscure. For in this world, events disagreeable to human beings are numerous; prior knowledge of their happening would be painful. It is for this reason that death and the appointed hour of death are left obscure, and the calamities that are to befall human beings remain behind the veil of the Unseen.

Again, as a result of His wisdom and mercy, God Almighty did not entirely or in detail inform His Messenger (Upon whom be blessings and peace) about the dreadful events that would befall his Family and Companions after his demise, in order not to hurt his extremely tender compassion for his community and his firm affection for his Family.(5) For certain divine purposes, He made some of these significant events known to him, but not in all their awesomeness. As for pleasant events, He communicated them to the Messenger (UWBP) sometimes in outline and sometimes in detail, and the Messenger (UWBP) in turn made them known to his Companions. Thus those tidings were accurately transmitted to us by the scholars of Hadith, who were at the height of piety, justice, and truthfulness, and who feared very much the warning of the Hadith, “Whoever knowingly tells a lie concerning me should prepare for a seat in Hell,”(6) and that of the Qur’anic verse, “Who, then does more wrong than the one who utters lie concerning God?”(39:32)

Sixth Principle

Although some qualities and aspects of the Most Noble Messenger (UWBP) have been described in books of history and biography, most of those qualities relate to his humanness. But in reality, the spiritual personality and the sacred nature of that blessed person were so exalted and luminous that the qualities described in books fall short of his high stature. For according to the rule, “The cause is like the doer,” everyday, even at this moment, the amount of the worship performed by all his community is being added to the record of his perfections. He is also everyday the object of the countless supplications of his vast community, in addition to being the object of infinite divine mercy in an infinite fashion and with an infinite capacity to receive. He was, indeed, the result and the most perfect fruit of the universe, the interpreter and the beloved of the Creator of the cosmos. Hence his true nature in its entirety, and the truth of all his perfections, cannot be contained in the human qualities recorded in books of history and biography. Certainly, the stature of a blessed person with the Archangels Gabriel and Michael as two aides-de-camp at his side in the Battle of Badr,(7) is not to be found in the form of a person bargaining with a beduin in the marketplace over the price of a horse, bringing forth Khuzayma as his sole witness.(8)

In order not to proceed in error, one should raise his head beyond the ordinary qualities of the Prophet (UWBP) that pertain to his participation in the human state, and behold instead his true nature and luminous stature that pertain to the rank of messengership. Otherwise, one will either show him irreverence, or instil doubts in oneself. Listen to the following comparison for an understanding of this mystery.

Suppose that a date seed was planted in the earth, has sprouted and become a large, fruit-bearing tree, and is still continuing to grow taller and broader. Or that a peahen’s egg was incubated, a chick was hatched from it and became a beautifully adorned peacock gilded all over with the imprint of power, and is still growing bigger and more beautiful. Now, there exist qualities, properties and precisely balanced elements that belong to the seed and the egg, but are not as great and significant as those of the tree and the bird that emerge from them. So, while describing the qualities of the tree and the bird together with those of the seed and the egg, one should turn one’s attention from the seed to the tree, and from the egg to the bird, so that one’s reason may find the description acceptable. Otherwise, if you claim: “I have obtained thousands of dates from a seed,” or, “This egg is the king of all birds,” you will invite others to contradict and deny your words.

The humanness of God’s Messenger (Upon whom be blessings and peace) may be likened to the seed or egg, and his essential nature, illumined with the function of messengership, to the Tuba-tree of Paradise, or to the birds of Paradise. His essential nature is, moreover, continually moving to greater perfection. That is why, when you think of the man who disputed in the market with a beduin, you should also turn the eye of imagination to that luminous being who, riding the Rafraf, leaving Gabriel behind, reached the “distance of two bowstrings.”(53:9) Otherwise you will either be disrespectful toward him, or fail to convince the evil-commanding soul.

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1 Muslim, Janna, 31; Musnad, iii, 341, 346. (Go back ↑)

2 Tawatur is the kind of report that is transmitted by numerous authorities and about which there is no room for doubt, that is, a report concerning which there is a consensus of opinion. (Tr.) (Go back ↑)

3 One okka was the equivalent of 2.8 lbs. or 1,3000 gr. (Tr.) (Go back ↑)

4 Qur’an, 27:65. See also, Tirmidhi, Thawab al-Qur’an, 7; Darimi, Fada’il al-Qur’an, 21. (Go back ↑)

5 For example, he was not made to know about ‘A’isha’s taking part in the Battle of the Camel so that his deep love and affection toward her (May God be pleased with her) would not be hurt. He said, in fact, to his wives: “I wish I knew which one of you will be involved in that incident.” Later he was apparently made aware of it to a slightly greater extent, as he once said to ‘Ali (May God be pleased with him): “Some event will take place between you and ‘A’isha.”* * Musnad, vi, 393; Bayhaqi, Dala’il al-Nubuwwa, vi, 410; al-Haythami, Majma’ al-Zawa’id, vii, 234. (Go back ↑)

6 Bukhari, ‘Ilm, 38; Jana’iz, 33; Anbiya’, 50; Adab 109; Muslim, Zuhd, 72; Abu Da’ud, ‘Ilm, 4; Tirmidhi, Fitan, 70; ‘Ilm, 8, 13; Tafsir, 1; Manaqib, 19; Ibn Maja, Muqaddima, 4; Darimi, Muqaddima, 25, 46; Musnad, i, 70, 78; ii, 159, 171; iii, 13, 44; iv, 47, 100; v, 292. (Go back ↑)

7 Bukhari, , 11; Ahmad al-Banna al-Sa’ati, al-Fath al-Rabbani, xxi, 26. (Go back ↑)

8 Abu Da’ud, ‘Aqdiyya, 20; Musnad, v, 215. (Go back ↑)

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FIFTH SIGN

We will cite in this Sign a few examples of Hadiths concerning the matters of the Unseen.

It has come down to us through a chain of transmission the authenticity of which is agreed upon (tevatür) that the Noble Messenger (Upon whom be blessings and peace) declared from the pulpit in the presence of his Companions: “This my grandson Hasan is a master of men by means of whom God will reconcile two great groups.”¹⁵ Forty years later, when the two largest armies of Islam met each other, Hasan made peace with Mu‘awiya, and thus fulfilled the prophecy of his noble grandfather (UWBP).

According to another authentic narration, the Messenger (UWBP) said to ‘Ali: “You will fight the perfidious, the just, and the deviator,”¹⁶ thus predicting the battles of the Camel and Siffin, and that fought against the Kharijites.

He again said to ‘Ali, when he was displaying love for Zubayr: “He will fight against you, but will be in the wrong.”¹⁷

He also said to his wives: “One among you will take charge of a rebellion; many around her will be killed;”¹⁸ “and the dogs will bark all around her.”¹⁹

All these certain and authentic traditions are the proven predictions of the struggles of ‘Ali against ‘A’isha, Zubayr and Talha during the Battle of the Camel, against Mu‘awiya at Siffin, and against the Kharijites at Harawra’ and Nahrawan.

The Messenger (UWBP) also informed ‘Ali about a man who would stain ‘Ali’s beard with the blood of his own head.²⁰ ‘Ali knew the man; it was ‘Abd al-Rahman b. Muljam the Kharijite.

He also mentioned a man marked with a peculiar sign, Dhu’l-Thudia. When the man was found among the dead of the Kharijites, ‘Ali showed him as a proof of the rightness of his cause, announcing at the same time the miracle of the Prophet (UWBP).²¹

According to another authentic tradition related by Umm Salama and others, the Noble Messenger (Upon whom be blessings and peace) also predicted that Husain would be killed at Taff (Karbala).²² Fifty years later the painful event took place as predicted.

He also repeatedly predicted that after his demise, his Family would face death, calamities, and exile, and gave some details.²³ What he had predicted later came true exactly.

In this connection, a question may be asked: although ‘Ali, with his extraordinary bravery and profound knowledge in addition to his kinship to God’s Messenger (UWBP), greatly deserved to be Caliph, why did he not precede the others in holding the caliphate, and why did Islam experience such disorder during his caliphate?

A n s w e r : A supreme spiritual pole from the Prophet’s (UWBP) Family is reported as having said: “The Noble Messenger (Upon whom be blessings and peace) had desired that ‘Ali be Caliph, but it was made known to him from the Unseen that the will of God Almighty was different. He then abandoned his desire, submitting himself to God’s will.”²⁴

One of the reasons God’s will was different could have been that after the Prophet’s (UWBP) demise when the Companions were more than ever in need of alliance and unity, if ‘Ali had taken the leadership it would most probably have aroused in many persons and tribes a tendency to compete, because of his uncompromising nature, and fearless, ascetic, heroic, and independent character, and widely known courage – as was the case during his caliphate –  and divisions among the believers would have resulted.

Another reason for the delay of ‘Ali’s caliphate was the following: at the time of his caliphate, the Muslim community, which had expanded rapidly through the intermingling of many tribes and peoples, possessed such traits as reflected the opinions of the seventy-three sects that the Noble Messenger (UWBP) had predicted would evolve in due time.²⁵ Therefore, in the face of such disturbances, someone was needed with the wondrous strength, courage, respectability and sagacity of ‘Ali, who had behind him the force of the respected Hashimites and the Prophet’s (UWBP) Family, so that he could resist the sedition. And indeed he did so, in a fashion conformable to the prediction of the Prophet, who had said to him: “I have fought for the revelation of the Qur’an; you will fight for its interpretation.”fought for the revelation of the Qur’an; you will fight for its interpretation.”²⁶

A further reason for this delay was that without ‘Ali, worldly rule would most probably have caused the Umayyad kings to go completely astray. However, being confronted with ‘Ali and the Prophet’s Family, and having to appear equal to them and to preserve their prestige before the Muslims, all the leaders of the Umayyad dynasty, even if not they themselves, in any event due to their encouragement and recommendations, their followers and supporters, worked with all their strength to preserve and disseminate the truths of Islam and belief and the Qur’anic decrees. Thus, they produced thousands of punctilious interpreters of the Law, and authorities on Hadith, and saints and purified scholars. Had they not been faced by the strong religiosity, sainthood, and virtuousness of ‘Ali and of the Prophet’s (UWBP) Family, it is possible that the Umayyads would have gone completely astray as happened at the end of their rule, and as did the ‘Abbasids.

I t  m i g h t  a l s o  b e  a s k e d :  “Why did the Islamic caliphate not remain in the Prophet’s (UWBP) Family, since they were the most deserving and fitted for it?”

T h e  A n s w e r : Worldly rule is deceptive, and the Prophet’s (UWBP) Family had been appointed to preserve the decrees of the Qur’an and the truths of Islam. Not to be deceived by power, the one who was to hold it and the caliphate had to be as sinless as a prophet, or as purehearted and unworldly as the Four-Rightly Guided Caliphs, ‘Umar b. ‘Abd al-‘Aziz or the Mahdi of the ‘Abbasids. In fact, the caliphate of the Fatimid dynasty, which was founded in the name of the Prophet’s (UWBP) Family in Egypt, and the rule of the Almohads in Africa, and the Safavid dynasty in Iran showed that worldly rule was not suitable for the Prophet’s (UWBP) Family, for it caused them to neglect their primary duty, the protection of religion and the service of Islam. When, on the other hand, they gave up worldly rule, they served Islam and the Qur’an brilliantly and successfully.

Now see: of the poles of sainthood descended from Hasan, especially the Four Poles²⁷ and above all ‘Abd al-Qadir Gilani, and the Imams of Husain’s line, especially Zayn al-‘Abidin and Ja‘far al-Sadiq, each became like a spiritual Mahdi, dispelled wrongdoing and spiritual darkness, and spread the light of the Qur’an and the truths of belief. In so doing each showed that he was a true heir of his noble forefather.

I t  m a y  t h e n  b e  a s k e d :  “What was the wisdom in the awesome and bloody dissension that was visited on blessed Islam and the luminous Age of Bliss, and what aspect of mercy was there in it, for they did not deserve such distress?

T h e  A n s w e r : Just as a heavy spring rainstorm stirs into action the potentialities of all the varieties of plants, seeds, and trees, and causes them to develop, so each blossoms in its particular way and performs the duties inherent in its nature; so too, the dissension visited on the Companions and their successors stirred their potentialities into action, which were all different and like seeds; it spurred them on. Exclaiming, “Islam is in danger! Fire! Fire!”, it put fear into all the groups and made them hasten to protect Islam. According to its abilities, each of the groups shouldered one of the numerous different duties of the Islamic community and strove in utmost earnestness. Some working for the preservation of the prophetic Hadiths, some for the preservation of the Shari‘a, some for the preservation of the truths of belief, some for the preservation of the Qur’an, and so on; each group undertook a particular duty. They strove to perform the duties of Islam. Numerous multicoloured flowers opened. Through the storm, seeds were cast to all the corners of the extensive world of Islam; half the earth was transformed into a rose-garden. But sadly, together with the roses, the thorns of the deviant sects appeared in the garden.

It was as if the Hand of Power had shaken that era in wrath, rotated it with intense vigour, and electrified the men of zeal. Through the centrifugal force of that movement, a great many enlightened interpreters of the Law, luminous scholars of Hadith, holy memorizers of the Qur’an, gifted scholars, men of purity, and poles of sainthood were flung off and caused to emigrate to the remote corners of the world of Islam. It fired with enthusiasm all the people of Islam from East to West and awakened them to the treasures of the Qur’an. Now we return to our subject.

There are thousands of events that God’s Noble Messenger (Upon whom be blessings and peace) predicted and that happened as he foretold. Here we shall mention a few of them. The majority of those we will cite are agreed upon by the six well-known, most authentic books of Hadith, particularly Bukhari and Muslim. There is a ‘consensus in meaning’ concerning the reports, while others, on account of being verified by meticulous researchers, may also be considered to have this certainty.

According to an authentic and certain narration, the Noble Messenger (Upon whom be blessings and peace) said to his Companions: “You will be victorious over all your enemies, will succeed in the conquest of Mecca,1²⁸ Khaybar,²⁹ Damascus and Iraq,³⁰ Persia, and Jerusalem,³¹ and will share among yourselves the treasures of the rulers of the greatest empires, the Byzantines and the Persians.”³² He did not say this as a matter of conjecture or personal opinion; he said it as if he had seen it, and what he said came true as predicted. This was despite the fact that at the time he foretold it he had to migrate to Medina with a handful of followers, with the rest of the world, including the environs of Medina, hostile to him!

He also repeatedly declared, according to authentic and certain narrations, that Abu Bakr and ‘Umar would outlive him and be his Caliphs, that they would act for God’s sake and within the bounds of God’s pleasure and that of the Prophet (UWBP), that Abu Bakr’s rule would be short, and that ‘Umar would remain a long time to succeed in many conquests. Thus he said: “Incumbent upon you is following the path of those who come after me, Abu Bakr and ‘Umar.”³³

He also declared: “The earth was laid out before me, and its eastern and western extremities were displayed to me; the realm of my community shall extend over whatever was laid out before me.”³⁴ And his words proved to be true.

According to an authentic and certain narration, before the Battle of Badr, he pointed out one by one the places where the leaders of the Quraysh would be killed, saying: “Abu Jahl will be killed here, ‘Utba here, Umayya here, etc.,”³⁵ and added, “I shall kill ‘Ubayy b. Khalaf with my own hands.”³⁶ His predictions all proved to be true.

Again, according to an authentic and certain narration, he informed his Companions about what was happening in the celebrated Battle of Mu’ta, near Damascus – at a distance of one month’s journey from where he was – as if he were seeing his Companions fighting in the battle, and said: “Zayd has taken the banner and been struck; now Ibn Rawaha has taken the banner and been struck; now Ja‘far has taken the banner and been struck; now one of God’s swords i.e. Khalid has taken it.”³⁷ Two to three weeks later Ya‘la b. Munabbih returned from the battlefront. In his presence, the Noble Prophet described the details of the battle, and Ya‘la swore by God that what had taken place at the battle was exactly the same as the Bringer of Sure News (UWBP) had described.³⁸

According to an authentic and certain narration, the Noble Messenger (Upon whom be blessings and peace) said: “After me, the caliphate will last thirty years; then it will be rapacious monarchy.”³⁹ “The beginning of this affair is prophethood and mercy; then it will be mercy and caliphate; then it will be rapacious monarchy; then it will be arrogance and tyranny.”⁴⁰ He thus predicted the six-month-long caliphate of Hasan and the period of the Four Rightly-Guided Caliphs, and, following that, the transition from caliphate to monarchy and monarchy’s being plagued by intrigues and tyranny. This is exactly what later occurred.

Again, according to an authentic narration, he declared: “‘Uthman will be killed while reading the Qur’an.”⁴¹ “And it may be that God will cause him to be dressed in a shirt at that time. His deposal may also be sought.”⁴² These events, too, all took place exactly as predicted.

Also according to an authentic narration, while cupping the Prophet (UWBP), ‘Abdullah b. Zubayr tasted his blessed blood. Then the Prophet (UWBP) said: “Woe unto the people for what shall befall them at your hands, and woe unto you for what shall befall you at their hands,”⁴³ predicting that ‘Abdullah would lead the Muslims with extraordinary bravery, would face terrible attacks, and that because of him fearsome events would befall people. What he foretold came about exactly: during Umayyad rule, ‘Abdullah b. Zubayr declared his caliphate in Mecca, heroically fought in many battles, until finally Hajjaj the Tyrant attacked him with a large force, and following a fierce battle the illustrious hero was martyred.

Again, according to an authentic narration, he foretold the emergence of the Umayyad dynasty ⁴⁴ and the tyrannical rule of many of its monarchs, including Yazid⁴⁵ and Walid, and Mu‘awiya’s assuming leadership of the Muslims. He advised justice and gentleness, and said: “When ruling, act with forebearance.”⁴⁶ He predicted that the ‘Abbasid dynasty would emerge after the Umayyads to remain in power for a long time, and said: “The ‘Abbasids will come forth with black banners and rule for much longer than they the Umayyads rule.”⁴⁷ All these predictions proved to be true.

According to an authentic narration, the Noble Messenger (Upon whom be blessings and peace) also said: “Woe to the Arabs for the evil that has drawn near,”⁴⁸ suggesting the dreadful disorders to be caused by Jenghiz and Hulagu, and their destruction of the ‘Abbasid state. All this proved to be true.

According to an authentic narration, when Sa‘d b. Abi Waqqas was gravely ill, the Prophet (UWBP) said to him: “It may be that you will be spared so that some may benefit by you, and others harmed by you,”⁴⁹ thus predicting that he would be a great commander winning many victories, and many peoples would benefit from him entering the fold of Islam, while others would be destroyed by him. His words proved to be true; Sa‘d led the Muslim armies, wiped out the Persian Empire, and caused many peoples to reach guidance, the path of Islam.

Also according to an authentic narration, when the Negus, the Abyssinian ruler, who had accepted faith earlier, died in the seventh year of the Hijra, God’s Prophet (Upon whom be blessings and peace) informed his Companions about it; he even performed funeral prayers for him.⁵⁰ One week later came the news confirming the death of the Negus on the very same day as the Prophet (UWBP) had said.

According to an authentic narration, when the Noble Prophet (UWBP) was with his closest four Companions on the top of Mount Uhud (or Hira), the mountain began to tremble. He said, “Steady! For on you are a prophet, a veracious one siddiq, and a martyr,”⁵¹ and foretold the martyrdom of ‘Umar, ‘Uthman, and ‘Ali. It too proved true.

Now, O unfortunate, wretched man without heart who says that Muhammad (UWBP) was only a clever person and then closes his eyes to that Sun of Truth! Of all his fifteen different kinds of miracle, you have thus far heard only a hundredth part of one kind, that relating to his predictions which have the certainty of ‘consensus in meaning.’ To discover future events through one’s own perspicacity and thus succeed in even one hundredth part of the Prophet’s (UWBP) predictions, one would have to be of the highest genius. Even if we merely called him a genius as you call him, could such a man have ever seen anything wrongly? Or could he have ever stooped to reporting it wrongly? Not to heed the word of such a hundredfold genius concerning happiness in this world and the next is therefore the sign of a hundredfold madness!

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Footnotes

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15 Bukhari, Fitan, 20; Sulh, 9; Fada’il Ashab al-Nabi, 22; Manaqib, 25; Darimi, Sunna, 12; Tirmidhi, Manaqib, 25; Nasa’i, Jum’a, 27; Musnad, v, 38, 44, 49, 51. (Go back)

16 al-Hakim, al-Mustadrak, iii, 139, 140; al-Haythami, Majma’ al-Zawa’id, vii, 138; Bayhaqi, Dala’il al-Nubuwwa, vi, 414. (Go back ↑)

17 Ibn Kathir, al-Bidaya wa’l-Nihaya, vi, 213; al-Hakim, al-Mustadrak, iii, 366, 367; ‘Ali al-Qari, Sharh al Shifa’, i, 686, 687.

18 al-‘Asqalani, Fath al-Bari, xiii, 45.

19 Musnad vi, 52, 97; Ibn Hibban, Sahih, viii, 258 no: 6697; al-Hakim, al-Mustadrak, iii, 120.

20 al-Hakim, al-Mustadrak, iii, 113; Musnad, i, 102, 103, 148, 156.

21 Bukhari, Manaqib, 25; Adab, 95; Istitaba, 7; Muslim, Zakat, 148, 156, 157; Abu Da’ud, Sunna, 28; Musnad, iii, 56, 65.

22 al-Haythami, Majma’ al-Zawa’id, ix, 188; Musnad, vi, 294.

23 Ibn Maja, Fitan, 34.

24 Daylami, Musnad al-Firdaws, v, 316; Suyuti, Tarikhal-Khulafa’, 64.

25 Tirmidhi, Iman, 18; Abu Da’ud, Sunna, 1; Ibn Maja, Fitan, 17; Darimi, 75.

26-Haythami, Majma’ al-Zawa’id, vi, 244; Musnad, iii, 31, 33, 82; Ibn Hibban, Sahih, ix, 46 no: 6898..

27 The “four poles of sainthood,” namely, ‘Abd al-Qadir Gilani, Ahmad Rufa’i, Ahmad Badawi, and Ibrahim Dasuqi. (Tr.)

28 ‘Ali al-Qari, Sharh≥ al-Bukhari, i, 678, 679.

29 ‘Ali al-Qari, Sharh al-Shifa’, i, 679.

30 ‘Ali al-Qari, Sharh al-Shifa’, i, 678.

31 ‘Ali al-Qari, Sharh al-Shifa’, i, 678, 679.

32 Bukhari, Jihad 157; Manaqib, 25; Iman, 3; Muslim, Fitan, 75, 76; Tirmidhi, Fitan, 41.

33 Tirmidhi, Manaqib, 16, 37; Ibn Maja, Muqaddima, 11; Musnad, v, 382, 385, 399, 402.

34 Muslim, Fitan, 19, 20; Abu Da’ud, Fitan, 1; Tirmidhi, Fitan, 14; Ibn Maja, Fitan, 9; Musnad, iv, 123, 278, 284.

35 Muslim, Jihad, 83; Janna, 76; Abu Da’ud, Jihad, 115; Nasa’i, Jana’iz, 117; Musnad, i, 26; iii, 219, 258.

36 al-Hakim, al-Mustadrak, ii, 327.

37 al-Hakim, al-Mustadrak, iii, 298; Bukhari, Maghazi, 44.

38 al-Khafaji, Sharh al-Shifa’, iii, 210; Ibn al-Qayyim al-Jawzi, Zad al Ma’ad (Tahqiq: Arnavud), iii, 385.

39 Musnad, v, 220, 221.

40 Qadi Iyad, al-Shifa’, i, 340; Musnad, iv, 273.

41 al-Hakim, al-Mustadrak, iii, 103.

42 See, al-Hakim, al-Mustadrak, iii, 100.

43 al-‘Asqalani, al-Matalib al-‘Aliya, iv, 21; al-Haythami, Majma’ al-Zawa’id, no: 2708; al-Hakim, al- Mustadrak, iii, 554.

44 Qadi Iyad, al-Shifa’, i, 338; ‘Ali al-Qari, i, 683; al-Khafaji, Sharh al-Shifa’, i, 179.

45 See, al-Albani, Sahih al-Jami’ al-Saghir, no: 2579; al-Albani, Silsilat al Ahadith al-Sahiha, no: 1749; al-‘Asqalan, al-Matalib al-‘Aliya, no: 4528.

46 al-Haythami, Majma’ al-Zawa’id, v, 186; Ibn Hajar, al Matalib al-‘Aliya (Tahqiq: ‘Abd al-Rahman al-A’zami), no: 4085.

47 Qadi Iyad, al-Shifa’ i, 338; Musnad, iii, 216-218; al-Hakim, al-Mustadrak, iii, 326.

48 . Bukhari, Fitan, 4, 28; Muslim, Fitan, 1; Abu Da’ud, Fitan, 1; Tirmidhi, Fitan, 23; Ibn Maja, Fitan, 9; Musnad, ii, 390, 399; al-Hakim, al-Mustadrak, i, 108; iv, 439, 483.

49 Bukhari, Jana’iz, 36; Manaqib al-Ansar, 49; Fara’id, 6; al-Khafaji, Sharh al Shifa’, iii, 209; ‘Ali al- Qari, Sharh al-Shifa’, i, 699; Abu Nu’aym, Hilyat al-Awliya, i, 94.

50 Bukhari, Jana’iz, 57; Manaqib al-Ansar, 38; Muslim, Fara’id, 14; Abu Da’ud, Jihad, 133; Buyu’, 9; Tirmidhi, Jana’iz, 69; Nasa’i, Jana’iz, 66, 67; Ibn Maja, Sadaqat, 9, 13.

51 Bukhari, Fada’il al-Sahaba, 5, 7; Abu Da’ud, Sunna, 8; Tirmidhi, Manaqib, 17, 18; Musnad, iii, 112; v, 331; al-Hakim, al-Mustadrak, iii, 450, 451 (two martyrs are mentioned here).

SIXTH SIGN

According to an authentic narration, the Noble Messenger (Upon whom be blessings and peace) said to Fatima: “You will be the first of my Family to join me after my death.”(1) Six months later, what he said took place.

He also told Abu Dharr: “You will be expelled from here Medina, will live alone, and will die alone.”(2) All this came true twenty years later.

Once, as he awakened in the house of Anas b. Malik’s aunt, Umm Haram, he smilingly said: “I saw my community waging war on the seas like kings sitting on thrones.”(3) Umm Haram requested: “Pray that I too will be with them.” He said: “You shall be.” Forty years later she accompanied her husband, ‘Ubada b. Samit, on the conquest of Cyprus. She died there, and her grave has ever since been visited by the believers. Thus, what the Messenger (UWBP) foretold proved to be true.

Also according to an authentic narration, he declared: “From the tribe of Thaqif, a liar will claim prophethood, and a bloodthirsty tyrant will appear.”(4) With this, he gave tidings of the infamous Mukhtar, who claimed prophethood, and of the barbarous Hajjaj, who killed a hundred thousand people.

According to an authentic narration, he said: “Istanbul will be conquered, and blessed are the ruler and the toops that will conquer it.”(5) He thus gave tidings that Istanbul would be conquered by Muslim hands, and that Mehmed the Conqueror would attain a high spiritual rank. His prediction again proved to be true.

He also said, according to an authentic narration: “Were religion to be hung on the Pleiades, men from Persia would reach up and lay hold of it,”(6) indicating that matchless scholars and saints like Abu Hanifa would emerge from Iran. In addition, he foretold Imam Shafi‘i, saying: “A scholar from Quraysh who will fill all regions of the earth with learning.”(7)

According to an authentic narration, he said: “My community will be divided into seventy-three sects, and only one among them will attain salvation.” He was asked: “Who are they?” He replied: “Those who follow me and my Companions,”(8) meaning the Sunnis or Ahl al-Sunna wa’l-Jama‘a.

He also declared: “The Qadariyya are the Magians of this community,”(9) foretelling the emergence of the Predestinationist (Qadariyya) sect, which would be divided into different branches and reject divine determining or destiny. He also foretold the Defectors (Rafida), who would produce various offshoots.

Again according to an authentic narration, he said to ‘Ali: “As was true of Jesus, two groups of people will perish on your account: one because of excessive love, the other because of excessive enmity. Christians, on account of their deep love for Jesus, transgressed the limits and called him – God forbid! – ‘the son of God,’(10) while the Jews, because of their hostility, went to the other extreme by denying his message and virtue. Similarly, some will incur loss due to their exaggerated affection toward you. For them is the insulting name of Rafida.(11) And certain others will be excessively hostile to you. They are the Kharijites, and the extremist partisans of the Umayyads, who will be called Nasiba.”

I t  m a y  b e  a s k e d  h e r e :  Love for the Prophet’s (UWBP) Family is a command of the Qur’an and was greatly encouraged by him. The affection of the Shi‘a may therefore serve as an excuse for them, since deep affection may be likened to intoxication. Why, then, can the Shi‘a, especially the Rafida, not benefit from their love, and why is their love described by the Prophet (UWBP) as transgression?

T h e  A n s w e r :  Love is of two kinds:

The First is to love something or someone for the meaning it or he signifies. This means to love ‘Ali, Hasan, Husain, and the Prophet’s Family in the name of God and of His Messenger (Upon whom be blessings and peace). This kind of love augments love of the Messenger (UWBP) and becomes a means to love God Almighty. Thus, it is permissible, and its excess is not harmful or aggressive, nor does it call for reproach and hostility towards others.

The Second Kind of love takes the means as the object, it is to love something or someone for itself or himself. In it, one does not think of the Messenger (UWBP), but devotes one’s love to ‘Ali on account of his bravery, and to Hasan and Husain on account of their greatness and lofty qualities, no matter if one knows the Messenger (UWBP) or recognizes God. This love does not lead to love for God and His Messenger (UWBP); besides, when excessive, it results in censure of others and enmity towards them. It was on account of this kind of love that such people held aloof from Abu Bakr and ‘Umar, and fell into loss. Their negative love, indeed, is the source of misfortune.

According to an authentic narration, God’s Most Noble Messenger (Upon whom be blessings and peace) declared: “When Persian and Roman girls serve you, then calamity and misfortune will be with you, and your struggles will be between yourselves, with the wicked preying on the virtuous.”(12) After thirty years, his predictions came true.

Again, according to an authentic narration, he declared: “The fortress of Khaybar will be conquered at ‘Ali’s hand.”(13) As a miracle of his prophethood and beyond all expectation, the following day ‘Ali ripped off the gate of the fortress of Khaybar, used it as a shield, and seized the fortress. When he threw it aside after the conquest, eight strong  men – or according to another version, forty – tried to lift it, but could not do so.(14)

The Noble Messenger (Upon whom be blessings and peace) also predicted the Battle of Siffin between ‘Ali and Mu‘awiya, saying: “The hour shall not come until two parties with a single claim fight each other.” (15)

He also declared that a group of rebels would kill ‘Ammar.(16) When ‘Ammar was killed at the Battle of Siffin, ‘Ali cited this as a proof that Mu‘awiya’s followers were rebellious; but Mu‘awiya interpreted it differently, and also ‘Amr b. al-‘As said: “The rebels are murderers, not all of us.”

The Noble Messenger (UWBP) also said: “As long as ‘Umar is alive, no sedition will erupt among you.”(17) And so it happened.

Before accepting faith, Sahl b. ‘Amr was once captured in a battle. ‘Umar said to the God’s Messenger (UWBP): “Allow me to pull out his teeth, for he, with his eloquent speech, incited the idolatrous Quraysh to wage war against us.” God’s Messenger (UWBP) replied: “It may be that he will assume a stance pleasing to you, O ‘Umar.”(18) In fact, at the time of the Prophet’s demise, which caused panic and agitation, Sahl, with his well-known eloquence, calmed and comforted the Companions in Mecca with an address; while in Medina Abu Bakr, with his great firmness, was also giving a very important address to comfort the Companions. Surprisingly, the two addresses resemble each other in regard to their wording.

To Suraqa, the Prophet (UWBP) once said: “You will wear the two bracelets of Chosroes.”(19) Chosroes was wiped out during the caliphate of ‘Umar. When Chosroes’ jewelry arrived, ‘Umar put the bracelets on Suraqa, saying, “Praise be to God Who took these off Chosroes and put them on Suraqa.”(20) This confirmed the report of the Prophet (UWBP).

The Noble Messenger (Upon whom be blessings and peace) also declared: “Once Chosroes the Persian has gone, there will be no other.”(21) So it turned out.

He once said to Chosroes’ envoy: “Chosroes has now been killed by his son Shirviya Parviz.”(22) Upon investigating and finding out that he had indeed been murdered at that very time, the envoy accepted Islam. The name of the envoy occurs in some narrations as Firuz.

According to an authentic narration, the Noble Messenger (UWBP) once mentioned a secret letter that Khatib b. Balta‘a had sent to the Quraysh. He sent ‘Ali and Miqdad to fetch it, saying, “There is a person at such-and-such a location bearing such-and-such a letter. Take it and bring it here.” They went and brought exactly the letter he had described from exactly the place. The Prophet (UWBP) summoned Khatib and asked him why he had done it. Khatib apologized, and the Prophet (UWBP) pardoned him.(23)

Again, according to an authentic narration concerning ‘Utba b. Abi Lahab, God’s Messenger (UWBP) prayed: “May he be eaten by one of the dogs of God!”,(24) predicting the terrible fate of ‘Utba. For while on his way to the Yemen, ‘Utba was devoured by a lion. Both the malediction and the prediction of the Prophet were thus confirmed.

At the conquest of Mecca, as is also related in an authentic narration, Bilal al-Habashi went up onto the roof of the Ka‘ba and made the call to prayer, while Abu Sufyan, ‘Attab b. Asid, and Harith b. Hisham, from among the leaders of the Quraysh, were sitting together nearby. ‘Attab said: “My father was fortunate enough not to witness this moment.” Harith said contemptuously about Bilal: “Could Muhammad have not found someone other than this black crow to make the mu’ezzin?” Abu Sufyan said: “I am afraid to say anything, for he will come to know of whatever I say. Even if nothing else informs him, the rocks of this Batha Mecca will do so.” Indeed, a little later the Noble Messenger (Upon whom be blessings and peace) encountered them and repeated to them their conversation word for word. That very moment ‘Attab and Harith became Muslims.(25)

See, wretched denier who does not recognize the Messenger (UWBP)! Two stubborn leaders of the Quraysh came to believe on hearing this single report of his from the Unseen. How corrupted your heart must be, for you hear about thousands of miracles having the certainty of ‘consensus in meaning’ like this one, and still you are not completely satisfied! However, to return to our subject.

According to an authentic narration, ‘Abbas was captured by the Companions in the Battle of Badr. When he was asked for ransom, he said he did not have money. God’s Messenger (Upon whom be blessings and peace) said to him: “You and your wife Umm Fadl hid that much money he gave the exact amount in such-and-such a place.”(26) ‘Abbas confirmed this, saying: “This was a secret known by only the two of us,” and became a Muslim.

Also according to an authentic narration, a dangerous Jewish sorcerer named Labid once concocted a strong and effective spell to harass God’s Messenger (UWBP). He wrapped hair and thread around a comb, bewitched it, and threw it into a well. The Noble Messenger (UWBP) told his Companions including ‘Ali to go and bring the spell in the well, which they did, finding it exactly as described. As they unwrapped the hair, the Messenger’s (UWBP) discomfort lessened.(27)

29

Again, according to an authentic narration, the Noble Messenger (UWBP) once gave the news of the awesome fate of an apostate to a group that included such important persons as Abu Hurayra and Hudhayfa, saying: “One of you will enter the Fire with a tooth bigger than Mount Uhud.”(28) Abu Hurayra related: “I was afraid, as later only two remained from that group, one of which was me. Finally, the other man was killed in the Battle of Yamama as one of the followers of Musaylima.”(29) The truth of the Prophet’s (UWBP) prediction was thus confirmed.

It is related through an authentic chain of reports that ‘Umayr and Safwan, before they became Muslims, once decided to kill the Most Noble Messenger (Upon whom be blessings and peace) for a handsome reward that had been offered them. When ‘Umayr arrived in Medina with this intention, the Messenger (UWBP) summoned him, and, putting his hand on ‘Umayr’s chest, told him about what he had planned with Safwan. ‘Umayr affirmed it and became a Muslim.(30)

Like those mentioned above, many predictions which the Noble Messenger (Upon whom be blessings and peace) gave concerning the Unseen have been recorded in the six best-known, authentic books of Hadith, together with the chains of the narrators. As for the occurrences related in this work, they are definite to the degree of ‘consensus in meaning,’ being related in Bukhari and Muslim, which are accepted by the scholars as the most authentic sources after the Qur’an, and in the other collections like Tirmidhi, Nasa’i, Abu Da’ud, Mustadrak al-Hakim, Musnad al-Ahmad b. Hanbal, and Dala’il al-Bayhaqi.

Now, unthinking denier! Do not shrug these off, saying, “Muhammad the Arabian was clever!” Because the accurate predictions of Muhammad (UWBP) concerning the Unseen cannot be explained except in either of the following two ways: you will either suppose that this blessed person had such piercing vision and expansive genius that he saw and knew the past and the future and all the world; beheld the East, the West, and the whole universe; and discovered what happened in the past and what will happen in the future. Such a quality is not to be found in a human being, but if it was to be, it would certainly be a wonder, a gift, bestowed on him by the Creator of the world, which would itself be the greatest of miracles. Or you will believe this blessed person to be an official and a student of One under whose disposal and observation everything stands, under whose command are all ages and all the species and realms of beings in the cosmos, in whose great ledger is recorded everything, so that He may show and communicate them to his student whenever He wishes. Thus, Muhammad the Arabian (Upon whom be blessings and peace) instructs others as he himself is instructed by the Lord of Pre-Eternity.

It is related in an authentic narration that when the Prophet (UWBP) appointed Khalid b. al-Walid to fight against Ukaydir, the head of the Dumat al-Jandal, he informed Khalid that he would find Ukaydir on a wild ox hunt,(31) and that he would be captured without resistance. Khalid captured Ukaydir in exactly this way.

According to an authentic narration, when the Quraysh hung up on the wall of the Ka‘ba a leaf on which were written words against the Bani Hashim, the Prophet (UWBP) said to them: “Worms have eaten the leaf, except the parts bearing the names of God.”(32) They examined the leaf to find it in the same condition as had been described.

According to an authentic narration, the Noble Messenger (Upon whom be blesssings and peace) said: “There  will be a big epidemic during the conquest of Jerusalem.”(33) When Jerusalem was conquered during the caliphate of ‘Umar, a widespread epidemic caused in three days the death of about seventy thousand people.

Again, according to an authentic narration, the Prophet (Upon whom be blesssings and peace) predicted that Basra(34) and Baghdad would come into existence, which at that time had not been founded, that the treasure of the world would enter Baghdad,(35) and that the Turks and the people living on the shores of the Caspian Sea would do battle with the Arabs and that the majority of them would later enter the fold of Islam,(36) and that among the Arabs they would come to dominate them. He said: “The Persians non-Arabs will almost predominate among you, consuming your booty and smiting you.”(37)

He also said: “The ruin of my community will be at the hands of the wicked ones from Quraysh,”(38) suggesting the disorder caused by the wicked leaders of the Umayyads, such as Walid and Yazid.

He furthermore predicted that apostasy would take place in such areas as Yamama.(39)

During the famous Battle of Khandaq, he declared: “From now on, I will make assaults on the Quraysh and their confederates, not they on me.”(40) This was also verified.

According to an authentic narration, he said a few months prior to his death: “One of God’s bondsmen has been given a choice, and he chose that which is with God.”(41)

About Zayd b. Suwahan, he said: “One of his limbs will precede him to Paradise.”(42) In the Battle of Nihawand, one of his hands was martyred and in effect reached heaven first.

The incidents we have so far mentioned concerning predictions relating to the Unseen comprise only one out of his ten different kinds of miracle. Yet of this kind alone, we have not even mentioned one tenth. In addition to what is mentioned here, four general kinds of miracle concerning predictions of the Unseen have been described briefly in the Twenty-Fifth Word, which is about the miraculousness of the Qur’an. Now consider the kinds mentioned here together with the four extensive sorts communicated from the Unseen by the tongue of the Qur’an, you will see what conclusive, indisputable, sound, brilliant, and firm proof of his messengership they form. Indeed, anyone whose heart and mind are not corrupted will of a surety believe that Muhammad (Upon whom be blessings and peace) was the Messenger of a Glorious One who is the Creator of all things, the One All-Knowing of the Unseen, and received knowledge from Him.

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1 Bukhari, Manaqib, 25; Muslim, Fada’il al-Sahaba,101; Ibn Maja, Jana’iz, 64; Musnad, vi, 240, 282, 283; Qadi Iyad, al Shifa’, i, 340. (Go back ↑)

2 al-Hakim, al-Mustadrak, iii, 345; Qadi Iyad, al-Shifa’, i, 343; ‘Ali al-Qari, Sharh al-Shifa’, i, 700; al- ‘Asqalani, al-Matalib al-‘Aliya, iv, 116 no: 4109; Ibn Kathir, al-Bidaya wa’l-Nihaya, v, 8-9; al- ‘Asqalani, al-Isaba, iv, 64. (Go back ↑)

3 Bukhari, Ta’bir, 12; Jihad, 3, 8, 63, 75; Isti’dhan, 41; Muslim, ‘Imara, 160, 160; Abu Da’ud, Jihad, 9; Tirmidhi, Fada’il al Jihad, 15; Nasa’i, Jihad, 40; Ibn Maja, Jihad, 10; Darimi, Jihad, 28; Muwatta’, Jihad, 39; Musnad, iii, 240, 264; al-Albani, Sahih al-Jami’ al-Saghir, vi, 24, no: 6620; al-Hakim, al- Mustadrak, iv, 556. (Go back ↑)

4 Muslim, Fada’il al-Sahaba, 229; Tirmidhi, Fitan, 44; Manaqib, 73; al-Hakim, al-Mustadrak, iii, 450; iv, 254.

(Go back ↑)

5 al-Hakim, al-Mustadrak, iv, 422; Bukhari, Ta’rikh al-Saghir, no: 139; Musnad, iv, 335; al- Haythami, Majma’ al-Zawa’id, vi, 218. (Go back ↑)

6 Bukhari, al-Tafsir, 62; Tirmidhi, 47; Tafsir Sura, 3. (Go back ↑)

7 al-‘Ajluni Kashf al-Khafa’, ii, 53, 54.(Go back ↑)

8 Abu Da’ud, Sunna, 1; Ibn Maja, Fitan, 17; Tirmidhi, Iman, 18; Musnad, ii, 232; iii, 120, 148; ‘Ali al- Qari, Sharh al-Shifa’, i, 679. (Go back ↑)

9 al-Albani, Sahih Jami’ al-Saghir, iv, 150; al-Hakim, al-Mustadrak, i, 85; Abu Da’ud, Sunna, 5; Suyuti, al-Fath al-Kabir, iii, 23; Musnad, ii, 86, 125; v, 406. (Go back ↑)

10 Musnad, i, 160; al-Haythami, Majma’ al-Zawa’id, ix, 133; al-Hakim, al-Mustadrak, iii, 123. (Go back ↑)

11 Musnad, i, 103 (Go back ↑)

12 Tirmidhi (Tahqiq: Ahmad Shakir), no: 2262; al-Albani, Silsilat al-Ahadith al-Sahiha, 954; al- Haythami, Majma’ al-Zawa’id, x, 232, 237. (Go back ↑)

13 Bukhari, Jihad, 102, 143; al-Maghazi, 38; Muslim, Fada’il al-Sahaba, 34, 35; Musnad, ii, 484; v, 333; Bayhaqi, Dala’il al-Nubuwwa, iv, 205. (Go back ↑)

14 Suyuti, al-Durar al-Muntathira (Mustafa al-Babi al-Halabi, 1960), 118; Ibn Kathir, al-Bidaya wa’l- Nihaya, iv, 189-190; al-‘Ajluni, Kashf al-Khafa’, i, 365 (Go back ↑)

15 Muslim, Fitan, 4; Ibn Hibban, Sahih, viii, 259; ‘Ali al-Qari, Sharh al-Shifa’, i, 704; al-Albani, Sahih Jami’ al-Saghir, vi, 174, no: 7294. (Go back ↑)

16 Bukhari, Salat, 63; Muslim, Fitan, 70, 72, 73; Tirmidhi, Manaqib, 34; Musnad, ii, 161, 164, 206; iii, 5, 22, 28, 91; iv, 197, 199; v, 215, 306, 307; vi, 289, 300, 311, 315; Kattani, Nazm al-Mutanathir, 126; Ibn Hibban, Sahih, viii, 260; al-Hakim, al-Mustadrak, ii, 155; iii, 191, 397; Qadi Iyad, al-Shifa’, i, 339; al-Sa’ati, al-Fath al-Rabbani, xxiii, 142. (Go back ↑)

17 , Mawaqit, 4; Fitan, 22; Muslim, Iman, 231; Fitan, 27; Ibn Maja, Fitan, 9; Musnad, v, 401, 405. (Go back ↑)

18 ‘Ali al-Qari, Sharh al-Shifa’, i, 704; al-Khafaji, Sharh al-Shifa’, iii, 218; al-‘Asqalani, al-Isaba, ii, 93-94; al-Hakim, al-Mustadrak, iv, 282. (Go back ↑)

19 ‘Ali al-Qari, Sharh al-Shifa’, i, 703; al-‘Asqalani, al-Isaba, no: 3115. (Go back ↑)

20 Ibid.; Qadi Iyad, al-Shifa’, i, 344. (Go back ↑)

21 Bukhari, Iman, 31; Muslim, Fitan, 76; Tirmidhi, Fitan, 41; Musnad, ii, 233, 240; v, 92, 99; Qadi Iyad, al-Shifa’, i, 337; al-Mubarakfuri, Tuhfat al-Ahwazi (Tahqiq: ‘Abd al-Wahhab), iv, 462, 663. (Go back ↑)

22 Qadi Iyad, al-Shifa’, i, 343; al-Khafaji, Sharh al-Shifa’, iii, 211; ‘Ali al-Qari, Sharh al-Shifa’, i, 700; al-Albani, Silsilat al-Ahadith al-Sahiha, 1427. (Go back ↑)

23 Bukhari, Jihad, 141; Tafsir, 60:1; Maghazi 46; Muslim, Fada’il al-Sahaba, 161; Abu Da’ud, Jihad, 98; Tirmidhi, 60:1; Musnad, i, 79; al-Hakim, al-Mustadrak, iii, 301; Qadi Iyad, al-Shifa’, i, 342. (Go back ↑)

24 al-Khafaji, Sharh al-Shifa’, iii, 139; ‘Ali al-Qari, Sharh al-Shifa’, i, 664. (Go back ↑)

25 al-Khafaji, Sharh al-Shifa’, i, 219, 220; al-‘Asqalani, al-Matalib al-‘Aliya, no: 4366; Ibn al-Qayyim al-Jawzi, Zad al-Ma’ad (Tahqiq: al-Arnavud), iii, 409-410; Ibn Hisham, Sirat al-Nabi, ii, 413. (Go back ↑)

26 Qadi Iyad, al-Shifa’, i, 343; ‘Ali al-Qari, Sharh al-Shifa’, i, 699; al-Khafaji, Sharh al-Shifa’, iii, 206, 207; al-Haythami, Majma’al-Zawa’id, vi, 85. (Go back ↑)

27 Bukhari, Tibb, 47, 49, 50; Adab, 56; Da’wat, 57; Bad’ al-Khalq, 11; Muslim, Salam, 43; Ibn Maja, Tibb, 45; Musnad, vi, 57, 63, 96; ‘Ali al-Qari, Sharh al-Shifa’, i, 706; Tabrizi, Mishkat al-Masabih (Tahqiq: al-Albani), iii, 174, no: 5893. (Go back ↑)

28 Qadi Iyad, al-Shifa’, iv, 342; al-Khafaji, Sharh al-Shifa’, iii, 203; al-Haythami, Majma’ al-Zawa’id, viii, 289-290; Tabrizi, Mishkat al-Masabih, iii, 103. (Go back ↑)

29 Qadi Iyad, al-Shifa’, i, 342; ‘Ali al-Qari, Sharh al-Shifa’, i, 298.  (Go back ↑)

30 Qadi Iyad, al-Shifa’, i, 342, 343; original: al-Haythami, Majma’ al-Zawa’id, viii, 286-7; viii, 284-6;

Ibn Kathir, al-Bidaya wa’l-Nihaya, iii, 313. (Go back ↑)

31 Qadi Iyad, al-Shifa’, i, 344; al-Khafaji, Sharh al-Shifa’, iii, 218; ‘Ali al-Qari, Sharh al-Shifa’, i, 704; Ibn al-Qayyim, Zad al-Ma’ad, v, 538-9; al-Hakim, al-Mustadrak, iv, 519; Ibn Kathir, al-Bidaya wa’l-Nihaya, iv, 30. (Go back ↑)

32 .Qadi Iyad, al-Shifa’, i, 345; al-Khafaji, Sharh al-Shifa’, iii, 720; ‘Ali al-Qari, Sharh al-Shifa’, i, 706; Ibn Kathir, al-Bidaya wa’l-Nihaya, iii, 96-7; Ibn Hisham, Sirat al-Nabi, i, 371. (Go back ↑)

33 Bukhari, Tibb, 30; Khiyal, 13; Muslim, Salam, 98, 100; Muwatta’, Madina, 22, 24; Musnad, iv, 195-6; Bayhaqi, Dala’il al-Nubuwwa, vi, 383; Suyuti, al-Khasa’is al-Kubra, ii, 477-8. (Go back ↑)

34 al-Albani, Sahih al-Jami’ al-Saghir, vi, 268, no: 7736; Tabrizi, Mishkat al-Masabih, no: 5433. (Go back ↑)

35 Qadi Iyad, al-Shifa’, i, 344; ‘Ali al-Qari, Sharh al-Shifa’, i, 703; Ibn Kathir, al-Bidaya wa’l-Nihaya, x, 102; Tabrizi, Mishkat al-Masabih, no: 5433.  (Go back ↑)

36 Bukhari, Jihad, 95; Muslim, Fitan, 64-66; Tirmidhi, Fitan, 37; Ibn Maja, Fitan, 36.  (Go back ↑)

37 Qadi Iyad, al-Shifa’, i, 341; al-Khafaji, Sharh al-Shifa’, iii, 194; ‘Ali al-Qari, Sharh al-Shifa’, i, 692; al-Haythami, Majma’ al-Zawa’id, vii, 310; al-Hakim, al-Mustadrak, iv, 519; Musnad, ii, 288, 296, 304, 324, 377, 520; iv, 66; v, 38. (Go back ↑)

38 Bukhari, Manaqib, 25; al-Hakim, al-Mustadrak, iv, 479, 527, 572; Musnad, ii, 288, 296, 301, 304,

324, 377, 520, 536; iv, 66; (with different wording) v, 38; Ibn Hibban, Sahih, viii, 215, 252. (Go back ↑)

39 Bukhari, Manaqib, 25; Maghazi, 70; Ta’bir, 40; Muslim, Ru’ya, 21, 22; Tirmidhi, Ru’ya, 10; Musnad, ii, 319, Bayhaqi, Dala’il al-Nubuwwa, v, 334-6; vi, 358, 360, 524.v (Go back ↑)

40 Bukhari, Maghazi, 29; Musnad, iv, 262; vi, 394; Ibn Hibban, Sahih, vi, 272. (Go back ↑)

41 Bukhari, Manaqib al-Ansar, 45; Salat, 80; Fada’il al-Sahaba, 3; Muslim, Fada’il al-Sahaba, 2; Tirmidhi, Manaqib, 15; Abu Da’ud, Muqaddima, 14; Musnad, iii, 18, 478; iv, 211; v, 139; Ibn Hibban, Sahih, viii, 200; ix, 58. (Go back ↑)

42 Qadi Iyad, al-Shifa’, i, 343; ‘Ali al-Qari, Sharh al-Shifa’, i, 702; al-Khafaji, Sharh al-Shifa’, iii, 214; al-Haythami, Majma’ al-Zawa’id, ix, 398; al-‘Asqalani, al-Matalib al-‘Aliya, iv, 91, no: 4047. (Go back ↑)

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SEVENTH SIGN

We will give in this Sign a few examples from among the Prophet’s (UWBP) miracles that relate to his effecting increase in food and that are definite to the degree of ‘consensus in meaning.’ But before going into the subject, some introductory comments will be appropriate.

Introduction: Each of the following examples of miracles is narrated, as authentic, through various – sometimes as many as sixteen – chains of transmission. Most of them occurred in the presence of large assemblies, and were narrated by many truthful persons of good repute from among those present. For example, from among seventy men who partook of four handfuls of food and were filled,(1) one relates the incident and the others do not contradict him. Their silence thus indicates their confirmation. For if in that era of truth and truthfulness the Companions, who were lovers of the truth and earnest and honest, had witnessed even the tiniest lie, they would have rejected and denied it. But the incidents we will be citing were narrated by many, and the others who witnessed them remained silent. Thus, each of these incidents has the certainty of ‘consensus in meaning.’

Furthermore, books of both history and the Prophet’s (UWBP) biography testify that, next to the preservation of the Qur’an and its verses, the Companions worked with all their strength to preserve the deeds and words of God’s Most Noble Messenger (Upon whom be blessings and peace), and especially those relating to the injunctions of the Shari‘a and to miracles, paying extreme attention to their accuracy. They never neglected even the tiniest aspect of his conduct, actions, and states. This and the fact that they recorded them is testified to by books of Hadith.

In addition, in the Era of Bliss, they wrote down and recorded very many of the Hadiths concerning the injunctions of the Law and his miracles. The Seven ‘Abdullah’s(2) in particular recorded them in writing. Especially ‘Abdullah b. al-‘Abbas, known as the Interpreter of the Qur’an, and ‘Abdullah b. ‘Amr b. al-‘As some thirty to forty years later, and the thousands of exacting scholars of the generation that followed the Companions recorded the Hadiths and miracles in writing. Still later, chiefly the four great interpreters of the Law and thousands of exacting scholars of Hadith related them and preserved them in writing. Then two hundred years after the Hijra, foremost Bukhari and Muslim and the six accepted books of tradition, undertook the duty of their preservation. Many severe critics such as Ibn al-Jawzi emerged who identified false reports which had been produced by deniers, the unthinking, the ignorant, or those who had recalled them wrongly. Later, learned and exacting scholars like Jalal al-Din al-Suyuti, who seventy times was honoured in a waking state by the presence and conversation of God’s Noble Messenger (UWBP), differentiated the diamonds of authentic traditions from other sayings and fabrications.

Thus, the incidents and miracles we shall speak of, have come down to us through numerous, perhaps uncountable, strong and trustworthy hands, and have reached us in sound condition. “All praise be to God, this is from the bounty of my Lord.” It is for this reason that one’s mind should be freed from the notion that these incidents have been distorted or confused in any way in being passed down all the way from that time to the present.

T h e  F i r s t  E x a m p l e of definite miracles concerning the Prophet’s (UWBP) increase of food through his blessing. The six accurate books of tradition, Bukhari and Muslim included, unanimously relate that during the feast on the occasion of the Noble Messenger’s (UWBP) marriage to Zaynab, Anas’s mother, Umm Sulaym, prepared a dish by frying two handfuls of dates in oil and sent it with Anas to the Messenger (UWBP). The Messenger (UWBP) told him: “Go and invite so-and-so (naming some persons), and also invite whomever you encounter on your way.” Anas invited those named and those he met. About three hundred Companions came and filled the Messenger’s (UWBP) room and anteroom. He said: “Make circles of ten.” He placed his blessed hand on that little amount of food, uttered supplications, and told them to help themselves. All of them ate and were fully satisfied. Afterwards the Messenger (UWBP) asked Anas to remove the food. Anas later related: “I could not tell if there was more of it when I set it down, or when I removed it.”(3)

S e c o n d  E x a m p l e : Abu Ayyub al-Ansari, the Prophet’s (UWBP) host, relates that when the Noble Messenger (Upon whom be blessings and peace) honoured his house, he had prepared a meal for two, which would suffice the Messenger (UWBP) and Abu Bakr. But the Messenger (UWBP) told him: “Invite thirty men from among the distinguished Ansar!”(4) Abu Ayyub said: “Thirty men came and ate. He then said: ‘Invite sixty men,’ which I did, and they also came and ate. The Prophet (UWBP) said again: ‘Invite seventy more.’ I invited them; they came, and when they finished eating, there was still food left in the bowls. All who came embraced Islam and took the oath of allegiance after witnessing this miracle. One hundred and eighty men ate the food of two men.”(5)

T h i r d  E x a m p l e : It is reported through many chains of transmission from ‘Umar b. al-Khattab, Abu Hurayra, Salama b. Akwa‘, Abu ‘Amrat al-Ansari and others that on one expedition, the army went hungry. They referred themselves to the Noble Messenger (Upon whom be blessings and peace), and he told them: “Gather whatever food is left in your saddle-bags.” Everyone brought a few pieces of dates and put them on a mat. The most they could put together was four handfuls. Salama related: “I estimated it amounted to the size of a sitting goat.” Then the Noble Messenger (Upon whom be blessings and peace) announced: “Everyone bring his dish!” They pressed forward, and no one in the whole army remained with an empty dish, all the dishes were filled. There was even some left over. One of the Companions later said: “I realized from the way that increase was obtained that if the whole world had come, the food still would have been sufficient.”(6)

F o u r t h  E x a m p l e : As recorded in all of the six books including Bukhari and Muslim, ‘Abd al-Rahman b. Abu Bakr al-Siddiq relates: “We, one hundred and thirty Companions, were with the Noble Messenger (UWBP) on an expedition. About four handfuls of dough were prepared and a goat was slaughtered and cooked, and its liver and kidneys roasted. I swear by God that from that roasted meat (the liver and kidneys) God’s Messenger (UWBP) gave a small piece to each and put the cooked meat into two large bowls. After we had all eaten until we were filled there was still some left over, which I loaded onto a camel.”(7)

F i f t h  E x a m p l e : As is recorded in the six books, Jabir al-Ansari related under oath: “During the Ahzab expedition on the celebrated day of Khandaq, about a thousand people ate from four handfuls of rye bread and a young cooked goat; yet food was still left over. That day the food had been cooked in my house, and after the one thousand people had left, the pot was still boiling with meat in it, and bread was being made from the dough; for the Noble Messenger (UWBP) had wetted the dough and the pot with his blessed mouth, beseeching God for plenty.”(8)

S i x t h  E x a m p l e : According to an authentic narration from Abu Talha, the uncle of Anas who served God’s Messenger (Upon whom be blessings and peace), the Messenger (UWBP) fed seventy to eighty men with a small amount of rye bread that Anas had brought under his arm. The Messenger (UWBP) ordered: “Break the bread into small pieces!”, and prayed for increase. Because the house was small, they came ten at a time, and left having filled themselves.(9)

S e v e n t h  E x a m p l e : It is related as authentic in accurate books such as al-Shifa’ al-Sharif and Muslim that Jabir al-Ansari narrated: “Once a man asked the Noble Messenger (Upon whom be blessings and peace) for food for his household. The Messenger (UWBP) gave him a half load of barley. For a long time he ate of the barley together with his family and guests. From time to time they would take a look at it, but it never finished. Then they measured it to see how much it had decreased. After that the blessing of abundance disappeared and the barley began to dwindle rapidly. The man went to the Messenger (UWBP) and told him what had happened. God’s Messenger (UWBP) replied: “If you had not put it to the test by measuring it, it would have lasted you a life-time.”(10)

E i g h t h  E x a m p l e : According to accurate books such as Tirmidhi, Nasa’i, Bayhaqi, and al-Shifa’ al-Sharif, Samura b. Jundub related that a bowl of meat was brought to the Noble Messenger (Upon whom be blessings and peace). From morning to evening, many groups of men came and ate from it.(11)

As we explained in the introduction to this section, this is not the narration of Samura alone, since he narrated this incident on behalf of all those present, and with their approval.

12-13

N i n t h  E x a m p l e : It is also narrated by reliable and trusted scholars such as the well-known author of al-Shifa’ al-Sharif, Ibn Abi Shayba, and Tabarani, that Abu Hurayra related: “The Noble Messenger (Upon whom be blessings and peace) commanded me, ‘Invite the poor Meccan migrants who have made the bench (suffa)(12) of the mosque their home and who number more than a hundred.’ So I went and searched for them and gathered them together. A tray of food was set before us, and we ate as much as we wanted, then we arose. The dish was as full as it had been when first set down, only, there were fingermarks on the food.(13)

Thus, this incident was related by Abu Hurayra in the name of all the People of the Bench, supported by their confirmation. Hence, the incident is as definite as if all the People of the Bench had related it. Is it at all possible that if it had not been true those men of truth and perfection would have remained silent and not denied it?

T e n t h  E x a m p l e : According to an authentic narration from ‘Ali, the Noble Messenger (Upon whom be blessings and peace) once gathered the Bani ‘Abd al-Muttalib. They were about forty, including some who would eat a young camel and drink a gallon of milk at one meal. Yet for them he had prepared only a handful of food. All ate and were satisfied, and the food remained just as it had been before. Later he brought milk in awooden bowl that would have been sufficent for only three or four persons. They all drank their fill.(14)

A miracle of plenty as definite as ‘Ali’s courage and loyalty!

E l e v e n t h  E x a m p l e : According to an authentic narration, on the occasion of ‘Ali’s marriage to Fatima al-Zahra, The Noble Messenger (Upon whom be blessings and peace) ordered Bilal al-Habashi: “Have bread made from a few handfuls of flour; also slaughter a young camel!” Bilal relates: “I brought the food and he put his hand on it to bless it. Later, the Companions arrived in groups, ate, and left. From the remaining food, he sent a full bowl to each of his wives, saying that they should eat and feed anyone who visited them.”(15)

Such blessed plenty was indeed necessary for such a blessed marriage!

T w e l f t h  E x a m p l e : Imam Ja‘far al-Sadiq related from his father Muhammad al-Baqir, and he from his father, Zayn al-‘Abidin, and he from ‘Ali, that Fatima al-Zahra had prepared enough food for herself and ‘Ali. She then sent ‘Ali to invite the Noble Messenger (Upon whom be blessings and peace) to come and eat with them. God’s Messenger (UWBP) came and told them to send a dish of food to each of his wives. Fatima said that after a dish of food had been set aside for himself, ‘Ali, Fatima, and their children, they lifted up the saucepan and it was full to overflowing. Through God’s will, they ate of the food for a long time afterwards.(16)

Why do you not believe this miracle of increase just as if you had witnessed it with your own eyes, since it comes from this luminous, elevated chain of transmission?

Satan himself could find no excuse in the face of this one!

T h i r t e e n t h  E x a m p l e : Veracious authorities such as Abu Da’ud, Ahmad b. Hanbal, and Bayhaqi, narrate from Dukayn al-Ahmasi b. Sa‘id al-Muzayn, and from Nu‘man b. Muqarrin al-Ahmasi al-Muzayn, who with his six brothers was honoured with the Prophet’s (UWBP) conversation and was a Companion, and by way of Jarir through numerous chains of transmission from ‘Umar b. al-Khattab, that God’s Noble Messenger (Upon whom be blessings and peace) ordered ‘Umar b. al-Khattab: “Equip  four hundred horsemen from the Ahmasi tribe with provisions for ajourney!” ‘Umar replied: “O Messenger of God! What we have in hand is the equivalent of a seated young camel.” The Messenger (UWBP) said: “Go and give it to them!” So he went and out of that half load of dates, gave the four hundred horsemen sufficient provisions. And he stated that it remained as before, without diminishing.(17)

Thus, this miracle of plenty occurred in connection with four hundred men and ‘Umar in particular. They are behind the narrations, supporting them, and their silence confirms them. Do not ignore these narrations because they are related by a few individuals only, for if the incident had only been reported by a single individual, it still would have the certainty of ‘consensus in meaning.’

F o u r t e e n t h  E x a m p l e : All the accurate books of tradition, and foremost Bukhari and Muslim, narrate that when Jabir’s father died, he was heavily in debt. His creditors were Jews. Jabir offered the creditors all his father’s possessions but they did not accept them. The fruit produced by his orchard over many years would have been insufficient to defray the debt. The Noble Messenger (Upon whom be blessings and peace) said: “Pick and gather in all the fruit in the orchard!” They did so, then the Noble Messenger (UWBP) walked around the crop and prayed. Then Jabir gave from the amount corresponding to his father’s debt. What was left was as much as the annual produce of the orchard. And according to another narration, it was equal to the amount he gave the creditors. The Jews were amazed and astounded at this.(18)

See, this clear miracle of plenty was not only reported by a few narrators like Jabir; many people connected with it described and narrated it, thus giving it the degree of ‘consensus in meaning.’

F i f t e e n t h  E x a m p l e : Exact scholars, and foremost Tirmidhi and Imam Bayhaqi, related through a sound chain of authorities from Abu Hurayra that Abu Hurayra said: “During one expedition – that of Tabuk according to another narration –  the army went hungry. God’s Noble Messenger (Upon whom be blessings and peace) asked: ‘Is there nothing?’ I said: ‘I have one or two dates in my saddle-bag.’ – According to another narration, it was fifteen. – He said: ‘Bring them here!’ I took them to him, and he plunged his hand into them and took a handful. He put them into adish, and offered a supplication for their increase. Then he called the men in groups of ten and they all ate of them. Then he said: ‘Take what you brought, hold it, and do not turn it upside down.’(19) I put my hand in the bag; there were in my hands as many dates as I had brought. Later, during the lifetime of the Prophet (UWBP), and those of Abu Bakr, ‘Umar, and ‘Uthman, I ate of those dates.” – It is narrated through another chain of transmission: “I gave several loads of those dates to be used in God’s way. Later the bag containing the dates was plundered when ‘Uthman was assassinated.”

Abu Hurayra was a constant and important student and disciple among the People of the Bench, the sacred school and tekke of the Teacher of the Universe, the Pride of the World (UWBP). In addition, that Teacher (UWBP) had prayed for his strength of memory. The miracle of plenty he reported which occurred in a large gathering like the expedition of Tabuk, should therefore be as sound and certain as the word of a whole army.

S i x t e e n t h  E x a m p l e : Foremost Bukhari, and the accurate books relate through an authentic line of transmission that once Abu Hurayra was hungry, so he followed the Noble Messenger (Upon whom be blessings and peace) into his house. There they saw that a cup of milk had been brought as a gift. God’s Messenger (UWBP) said to him: “Call all the People of the Bench!” Abu Hurayra relates: “I said to myself, I could drink all the milk myself, as I was most in need of it. But since it was God’s Messenger’s (UWBP) order, I fetched the People of the Bench, who numbered more than a hundred. God’s Messenger (UWBP) told me to offer them the milk. I gave the cup to each in turn, and they all drank until satisfied. At the end, the Messenger (UWBP) told me, ‘The rest is for me and you.’(20) As I drank, God’s Messenger (UWBP) kept telling me to drink more, until I said, ‘I swear by the Glorious One who sent you with the truth that I am too full to drink any more.’ Then God’s Messenger (UWBP) drank the rest, invoking the name of God and offering Him thanks.” May it be a blessing for him a hundred thousand times!

This indubitable, manifest miracle, as pure and sweet as milk itself, is related by all six books with their sound narrations, and foremost Bukhari, who committed to memory five hundred thousand Hadiths. Moreover, it is narrated by a celebrated, loyal, and brilliant student of the Prophet’s (UWBP) blessed school of the Bench, Abu Hurayra, who also cited as witness – rather, represented – all the other students of the Bench. Therefore, not to regard such a report as having the certainty of ‘consensus,’ either one’s heart must be corrupted, or one’s brain, destroyed! Is it at all possible that so truthful a person as Abu Hurayra, who devoted all his life to the Prophet’s (UWBP) Hadiths and to religion, and who heard and himself transmitted the Hadith, “Whoever knowingly tells a lie concerning me should prepare for a seat in Hell-fire,”(21) should have related an unfounded incident or saying that would have made him the target of the People of the Bench’s rebuttal, and that would have caused doubt concerning the value and soundness of all the other Hadiths he had memorized? God forbid!

O our Sustainer! For the sake of the blessings You bestowed on Your Most Noble Messenger (Upon whom be blessings and peace), bestow the blessings of abundance on the favours with which You have provided us!

An Important Point: It is well-known that when assembled to-gether, weak things become strong. Fine threads are twisted and they become a strong rope; strong ropes are wound together and no one can break them. In this Sign, we have shown from among fifteen different kinds of miracles only one, that related to the blessings of increase and plenty, and the sixteen examples we have given constitute barely a fifteenth of this one kind. However, each of the examples mentioned is a proof on its own, with enough strength to prove prophethood. Even if some of them – supposing the impossible – were to be regarded as weak, they could still not properly be called such, since whatever is united with the strong also becomes strong.

When considered together, the sixteen examples given above constitute a great and powerful miracle through the strength of definite, indisputable ‘consensus in meaning.’ And when this miracle is joined by fourteen other miracles of plenty that have not been mentioned, it manifests a supreme miracle that is as indestructable as a bunch of strong ropes. Now add this supreme miracle to the fourteen other kinds of miracle, and see what a definite, decisive and irrefutable proof they provide for the prophethood of Muhammad (UWBP)! Thus, the pillar of Muhammad’s (UWBP) prophethood, formed by such a collection, has the strength of a mountain. Now you have understood how unreasonable it is to regard as unstable and liable to fall that lofty, firm heaven, due to doubts arising from lack of understanding in particular matters and examples. Certainly those miracles concerning increase and plenty show that Muhammad the Arabian (Upon whom be blessings and peace) was the beloved official and honoured servant of One All-Compassionate and Munificent who creates all sustenance and provides all beings with it, for contrary to His practice, He sent him banquets of different varieties of food out of nothing, from the pure Unseen.

It is well-known that the Arabian Peninsula is a place where water and agriculture are scarce. For this reason, its people, and particularly the Companions in the early days of Islam, suffered want and scarcity. They were also frequently afflicted with thirst. Because of this, many important, evident miracles of Muhammad (Upon whom be blessings and peace) were related to food and water. Rather than being miracles proving his claim to prophethood, these wonders were on account of need and like divine gifts, dominical bounty, and banquets of the Most Merciful One for His Most Noble Messenger (UWBP). For those who saw the miracles had already assented to his prophethood. However, as the miracles took place, their belief increased and became more luminous.

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1 Bukhari, Manaqib, 25; Muslim, Ashriba, 142; Tirmidhi, Manaqib, 6; Ibn Maja, At’ima, 47; Muwatta’, Sifat al-Nabi, 19. (Go back ↑)

2 The seven ‘Abdullah’s (al-‘Abadila al-Sab’a): ‘Abdullah b. ‘Abbas, ‘Abdullah b. ‘Umar, ‘Abdullah b. Mas’ud, ‘Abdullah b. Raw\ha, ‘Abdullah b. Salam, ‘Abdullah b. ‘Amr b. al-‘As, ‘Abdullah b. Abi Awfa (R. A.). (Go back ↑)

3 Bukhari, Nikah, 64; Muslim, Nikah, 94, 95; Tirmidhi, 33:21; Nasa’i, Nikah, 84; Abu Da’ud, Adab, 95; Musnad, iii, 29; v, 462; Qadi Iyad, al-Shifa’, i, 294. (Go back ↑)

4 Ansar–Helpers: those of the Medinan Companions who had the migrants from Mecca to stay in their

houses. (Tr.) (Go back ↑)

5 Qadi Iyad, al-Shifa’, i, 292; al-Haythami, al-Majma’ al Zawa’id, vii, 303; al-Khafaji, Sharh al-Shifa’, iii, 33; ‘Ali al-Qari, Sharh al-Shifa’, i, 604. (Go back ↑)

6 Bukhari, Sharika, 1; Jihad, 123; Muslim, Iman, 44, 45; Musnad, iii, 11, 418. (Go back ↑)

7 Bukhari, Hiba, 28; At’ima, 6; Muslim, Ashriba, 175; Musnad, i, 197, 198; al-Sa’ati, al-Fath al- Rabbani, xx, 55. (Go back ↑)

8 Bukhari, Maghazi, 29; Muslim, Ashriba, 141; al-Hakim, al-Mustadrak, iii, 31; ‘Ali al-Qari, Sharh al-Shifa’, i, 290; Suyuti, Kanz al-‘Ummal, xii, 409, 424. (Go back ↑)

9 Bukhari, At’ima, 6, 48; Muslim, Ashriba, 142, 143; Musnad, iii, 218; ‘Ali al-Qari, Sharh al-Shifa’, i, 291, 297; al-Hakim, al-Mustadrak, iii, 31. (Go back ↑)

10 Muslim, Fada’il, 3, No: 2281; Bayhaqi, Dala’il al-Nubuwwa, vi, 114. (Go back ↑)

11 Tirmidhi (Tahqiq: Ahmad Shakir), no: 2629; Abu Da’ud, Muqaddima, 9; Musnad, v, 12, 18; al-Hakim, al-Mustadrak, ii, 618. (Go back ↑)

12 The People of the Bench: those among the Meccan migrants (Muhajirun) who lived in the outer part of the mosque, who devoted their lives to the preservation and dissemination of the Qur’an, Sunna, and Hadith, and whose livelihood was provided by the Prophet (UWBP). (Tr.) (Go back ↑)

13 Qadi Iyad, al-Shifa’, i, 293; ‘Ali al-Qari, Sharh al-Shifa’, i, 606; al-Haythami, Majma’ al-Zawa’id, viii, 308; Bayhaqi, Dala’il al-Nubuwwa, vi, 101. (Go back ↑)

14 Qadi Iyad, al-Shifa’, i, 293; ‘Ali al-Qari, Sharh al-Shifa’, i, 607; al-Khafaji, Sharh al-Shifa’, iii, 36; al-Haythami, Majma’ al-Zawa’id, viii, 302-3; Ahmad b. Hanbal, Fada’il al-Sahaba (Tahqiq: Wasiyyullah), 1220; Musnad, i, 159. (Go back ↑)

15 Qadi Iyad, al-Shifa’, i, 297; ‘Ali al-Qari, Sharh al-Shifa’, i, 613; Bayhaqi, Dala’il al Nubuwwa, iii, 160. (Go back ↑)

16 Qadi Iyad, al-Shifa’, i, 294; ‘Ali al-Qari, Sharh al-Shifa’, i, 608; Ibn Hajar al-‘Asqalani, al-Matalib al-‘Aliya, iv, 73, no: 4001. (Go back ↑)

17 al-Sa’ati, al-Fath al-Rabbani, xxii, 85; Musnad, v, 445; Qadi Iyad, al-Shifa’, i, 294; ‘Ali al-Qari, Sharh al-Shifa’, i, 609; Bayhaqi, Dala’il al-Nubuwwa, v, 365. (Go back ↑)

18 Bukhari, Wasaya, 36; Buyu’, 51; Sulh, 13; Istiqrad, 18; Nasa’i, Wasaya, 3, 4; Musnad, iii, 313, 365, 373, 391, 395, 398; Ibn Hibban, Sahih, viii, 167; al-Sa’ati, al-Fath al-Rabbani, xxii, 60; Qadi Iyad, al- Shifa’, i, 295. (Go back ↑)

19 Tirmidhi, Manaqib, 47, no: 3839; Bayhaqi, Dala’il al-Nubuwwa, vi, 110 (through various lines of transmission); Musnad, ii, 352; Qadi Iyad, al-Shifa’, i, 295; al-Sa’ati, al-Fath al-Rabbani, xxii, 56; Tabrizi, Mishkat al-Masabih, iii, 191, no: 5933. (Go back ↑)

20 Bukhari, Riqaq, 17; Tirmidhi, Sifat al-Qiyama, 36, no: 2477; Musnad, ii, 515; Tirmidhi (Tahqiq: Ahmad Shakir), no: 2479; al-Hakim, al-Mustadrak, iii, 15; Qadi Iyad, al-Shifa’, i, 296. (Go back ↑)

21 Bukhari, ‘Ilm, 39; Jana’iz, 33; Anbiya’, 50; Adab, 109; Muslim, Zuhd, 72; Abu Da’ud, ‘Ilm, 4; Tirmidhi, Fitan, 70; ‘Ilm, 8, 13; Tafsir, 1; Manaqib, 19; Ibn Maja, Muqaddima, 4; Darimi, Muqaddima, 25, 46; Musnad, i, 70, 78. (Go back ↑)

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EIGHTH SIGN

This section describes miracles which were manifested in connection with water.

Introduction: It is known that when events that take place among groups of people are related individually and not contradicted by others, it indicates the veracity of the reports. For by virtue of his very nature, man is inclined to call a lie a lie. In particular since the people in question were the Companions, who were more intolerant of lies than anyone else; if the incidents concerned God’s Noble Messenger (Upon whom be blessings and peace), and if the narrator was a renowned Companion, then certainly the narrator gives his report on behalf of all who witnessed the incident. However, all the miracles involving water that we will cite below were transmitted through many channels, entrusted by many Companions to thousands of precise scholars of the following generation, who in turn passed them down correctly to the great interpreters of the Law of the second century. They received them with complete seriousness and reverence, accepted them, then handed them down to the exacting scholars of succeeding centuries. Hence, the traditions have reached our times, passing through thousands of strong, reliable hands. Moreover, the texts of Hadiths written down in the Era of Bliss, the era of the Prophet, were handed down in accurate form till they reached the brilliant scholars of the science of Hadith like Bukhari and Muslim. And they, through punctilious examination and classification, collected together those that were undoubtedly authentic, and presented and taught them to us. May God reward them abundantly!

Thus, the flowing of water from the fingers of God’s Messenger (Upon whom be blessings and peace) and many men drinking from it has the certainty of ‘consensus.’ It is impossible that the gathering who narrated it would have agreed upon a lie. The miracle is most definite. Moreover, it was repeated three times in the presence of three vast assemblies. A great many accurate scholars, primarily, Bukhari, Muslim, Imam Malik, Imam Shu‘ayb, and Imam Qatada, recorded from definitely authenticated narrations from a great many of the well-known Companions, primarily, the Prophet’s (UWBP) servants, Anas, Jabir, and Ibn Mas‘ud how abundant water flowed from his fingers and the army drank from it. We will cite here only nine examples from numerous narrations about this kind of miracle.

F i r s t  E x a m p l e : Accurate books of tradition, in particular Bukhari and Muslim, report from an authentic narration from Anas: “About three hundred of us were together with God’s Noble Messenger (Upon whom be blessings and peace) in the place named Zawra’. He ordered us to perform the ablution for the afternoon prayer, but we could find no water. So he told us to bring a little water, which we did, and he dipped his auspicious hands into it. I saw water flow from his fingers like a fountain. His three hundred men performed the ablution with the water and drank from it.”(1)

Anas relates this incident in the name of three hundred men. Is it possible that those three hundred people did not in effect assent to it, or in the event of their not assenting to it, not deny it?

S e c o n d  E x a m p l e : As narrated in accurate books, and foremost Bukhari and Muslim, Jabir b. ‘Abdullah al-Ansari said: “We were one thousand five hundred men on the Hudaybiyya expedition, and we were thirsty. The Noble Messenger (Upon whom be blessings and peace) performed the ablutions from a leather water-bag called a qirba, then he dipped his hand into it. I saw that water was flowing from his fingers like a spring. The one thousand five hundred men drank from it and filled their water-bags.” Once, Salim b. Abi’l-Ja‘d asked Jabir: “How many of you were there?” He replied: “The water would have been enough even if there had been a hundred thousand people, but we were fifteen hundred.”(2)

Thus, the narrators of this clear miracle in effect number one thousand five hundred, for it is in man’s nature to reject lies. As for the Companions, who sacrificed their tribes and peoples, their fathers and mothers, their lives and all they possessed for the sake of truth and veracity, and could not have remained silent in the face of a lie, especially in the light of the warning given by the tradition, “Whoever knowingly tells a lie concerning me should prepare for a seat in Hell-fire.” Since they remained silent concerning this report, they accepted it, in effect joined Jabir, and confirmed him.

T h i r d  E x a m p l e : Again as related in the accurate books of Hadith and foremost Bukhari and Muslim, Jabir reported: “During the Buwat expedition, the Noble Messenger (Upon whom be blessings and peace)  commanded: ‘Call for the ablutions!’ They said there was no water. He said, ‘Find a small amount!’ We brought a very small amount. He held his hand over the water while reciting something I could not hear, and then commanded: ‘Bring the caravan’s big trough!’ They brought it to me and I placed it before God’s Messenger (UWBP). He put his hands in the trough and spread his fingers. I poured that very small amount of water onto his blessed hands, and I saw that abundant water was flowing from his blessed fingers and filling the trough. Then I summoned those who needed water. When they had all performed the ablutions with the water and drunk from it, I told the Noble Messenger (UWBP) that there was no one else. He lifted his hands, leaving the trough full to the brim.”(3)

This clear miracle of Muhammad (UWBP) has the certainty of ‘consensus in meaning,’ for since Jabir was prominent in the matter, he had the right to recount it and proclaim it in everyone else’s name. Ibn Mas‘ud relates exactly the same thing in his narration: “I saw water flowing from the fingers of God’s Messenger (Upon whom be blessings and peace) as from a spring.”(4) If a truthful, well-known group of Companions composed of Anas, Jabir, and Ibn Mas‘ud said: “We have seen it,” is it possible that they should not have seen it? Now combine these three examples and see how powerful and manifest a miracle it was, and how, if the three chains of transmission are combined, it proves the flowing of water from his fingers like ‘true consensus.’ Indeed, even Moses’ making water flow from twelve different places in a rock cannot be equated with the water flowing from Muhammad’s ten fingers, for water may gush out of rock – examples are commonplace – but there is no equivalent of, no parallel for, water flowing in abundance, like from the Spring of Kawthar, from flesh and bone.

F o u r t h  E x a m p l e : Foremost Imam Malik in his esteemed book, Muwatta’, relates from the renowned Companion Mu‘adh b. Jabal: “During the Tabuk expedition we came across a spring flowing as meagrely as a piece of fine string. The Noble Messenger (Upon whom be blessings and peace) ordered: ‘Collect a little of the water!’ They collected some in the palms of their hands. God’s Messenger (UWBP) washed his hands and face in it, and we returned it to the spring. Suddenly the outlet of the spring opened up and water gushed forth; it was sufficient for the whole army.”

Another narrator, even, Imam Ibn Ishaq, stated: “The water gushed forth from the spring under the earth making a roar like thunder. God’s Noble Messenger told Mu‘adh: ‘If you live long enough, you will see that this miraculous water will transform this place into gardens.’(5) And so it did.”

F i f t h  E x a m p l e : Foremost Bukhari relates from al-Bara’, and Muslim from Salama b. Akwa‘, and other authentic books of Hadith from other narrators, unanimously relate: “During the Hudaybiyya expedition we came across a well. We numbered four hundred while the water in the well was barely sufficient for fifty. We drew the water and left nothing. Then God’s Messenger (Upon whom be blessings and peace) came and sat at the head of the well. He asked for a bucket of water and we fetched one. He put some of his blessed spittle into the bucket and prayed, then poured the water into the well. Suddenly the well gushed and frothed with water, filling to the top. The whole army drank their fill and watered their animals. They also replenished their water-bags.”(6)

S i x t h  E x a m p l e : Again, foremost brilliant authorities of the science of Hadith like Muslim and Ibn Jarir al-Tabari, and the authentic books of Hadith, relate from a sound narration from the famous Abu Qatada: “During the celebrated Battle of Mu’ta we were going for help when the leaders were martyred. I had a water-bag with me. The Noble Messenger (UWBP) commanded: ‘Keep your water-bag carefully; there will be great need for it.’ Soon after, we began to suffer from thirst. We were seventy-two men. (According to Tabari, three hundred.) The Messenger (UWBP) said: ‘Bring me your water-bag!’ I did so. He took the bag and placed his lips on its mouth. I do not know whether or not he blew into it. Then seventy-two men came and drank from the bag and filled their bags. When I took it back, it was just as I had given it.”(7)

See this decisive miracle of Muhammad (UWBP) and say: “O God! Grant him blessings and peace to the number of drops of water, and to his Family!”

S e v e n t h  E x a m p l e : The authentic books and foremost Bukhari and Muslim narrate from ‘Imran b. Husain: “On one journey we and God’s Messenger (Upon whom be blessings and peace) were without water. He said to me and ‘Ali: ‘There is a woman in such-and-such a place together with her beast, which is laden with two full water-bags. Go and fetch her!’ ‘Ali and I went and found the woman and the water in exactly the place described, and brought her to God’s Messenger (UWBP). He ordered: ‘Pour a little of the water into a vessel.’ We did so and he prayed for the blessing of increase. He then commanded everyone to come to fill his water-bag. All the men came, drank, and filled their water-bags. Afterwards he gave an order to collect something for the woman, and they filled her skirt.” ‘Imran said: “I imagined the two water-bags were constantly filling. The Noble Messenger (Upon whom be blessings and peace) told the woman: ‘You can go now. We did not take water from you; rather God gave us water from His treasury.’”(8)

E i g h t h  E x a m p l e : Scholars of Hadith, primarily Ibn Khuzayma in his Sahih, narrate from ‘Umar: “We ran out of water during the Tabuk expedition. Some people even slaughtered their camels, wrung out the innards and drank the liquid. Abu Bakr the Veracious requested the Noble Messenger (Upon whom be blessings and peace) to pray. The Messenger (UWBP) raised his hands, and before he had lowered them clouds gathered, and such rain fell that we filled our containers. Then the rain stopped, and it had not fallen beyond the limits of the army.”(9) That is to say, no chance was involved in the incident; it was purely a miracle of Muhammad (Upon whom be blessings and peace).

N i n t h  E x a m p l e : Relating from ‘Amr b. Shu‘ayb, the grandson of ‘Abdullah b. ‘Amr b. al-‘As, on whom they relied for explanations of Hadiths, the Four Imams narrated – from a sound narration: “Before his prophetic mission, the Noble Messenger (Upon whom be blessings and peace) once came by camel with his uncle Abu Talib to the place called Dhu’l-Hijaz near ‘Arafat. Abu Talib said he was thirsty. The Messenger (Upon whom be blessings and peace) dismounted from the camel and struck the ground with his foot. Water gushed out and Abu Talib drank from it.”(10)

One of the researchers, however, stated that this incident should be included in the category of irhasat,(11) for it occurred before his prophethood. But since ever afterwards the spring of ‘Arafat flowed from the spot, it may be considered a wonder of Muhammad (UWBP).

Similar to these nine examples, ninety different narrations – if not ninety instances – have reported miracles concerning water. The first seven examples are as sound and definite as ‘consensus in meaning.’ For sure the last two are not supported by the narrations of numerous narrators or a strong chain of transmitters, but supporting and confirming the incident mentioned in the eighth example as narrated by ‘Umar, is another miracle reported by the authentic books of Hadith, including Bayhaqi and al-Hakim; it is as follows:

“‘Umar requested of God’s Noble Messenger (UWBP) that he should pray for rain, because the army was in need of water. The Messenger (UWBP) raised his hands, and at once clouds gathered and rain fell, enough for the army’s needs, then they dispersed.”(12) It was quite simply as though they were officials charged with watering the army; they came, poured down sufficient for its needs, then went.

This narration corroborates the eighth example and proves it decisively. So too, the famous learned scholar, Ibn al-Jawzi, who was extremely fastidious in verifying Hadiths even rejecting as spurious many authentic ones, said that this event took place, but at the famous Battle of Badr.(13) He said that it is referred to by the verse, “And He caused rain to descend on you from heaven to clean you therewith.”(8:11) Since that is the case, no doubt can remain concerning its certainty. Furthermore, rain fell on many occasions when the Prophet (UWBP) prayed for it, suddenly, swiftly, before he lowered his hands; it was on its own a miracle about which the reports are unanimous. It is also narrated unanimously that several times he raised his hands while in the pulpit and that rain fell before he lowered them.(14)

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1 Bukhari, Wudu, 32, 46; Manaqib, 25; Muslim, Fada’il, 45, 46; Tahara, 60; Abu Da’ud, Muqaddima, 5; Tirmidhi, Manaqib, 6; Muwatta’, Tahara, 32; Musnad, iii, 132, 147, 170, 215, 289; Ibn Hibban, Sahih, viii, 171; Tirmidhi (Ahmad Shakir), no: 3635. (Go back ↑)

2 Bukhari, Manaqib, 25; Maghazi, 35; Tafsir Sura al-Fath, 5; Ashriba, 31; Muslim, ‘Imara, 72, 73; Musnad, iii, 329; Ibn Hibban, Sahih, viii, 110. (Go back ↑)

3 Muslim, Zuhd, 74, no: 3013; Ibn Hibban, Sahih, viii, 159. (Go back ↑)

4 Bukhari, Manaqib, 25; Tirmidhi, Manaqib, 6; Tirmidhi (Tahqiq: Ahmad Shakir), no: 3637; Darimi, Muqaddima, 5. (Go back ↑)

5 Muwatta’, Safar, 2; Musnad, ii, 308, 323; v, 228, 237; Ibn Hibban, Sahih, viii, 167; Bayhaqi, Dala’il

al-Nubuwwa, ii, 64; v, 236. (Go back ↑)

6 Bukhari, Manaqib, 25; Maghazi, 35; Musnad, iv, 290, 301; Bayhaqi, Dala’il al-Nubuwwa, iv, 110. (Go back ↑)

7 Muslim, Masajid, 311. (Go back ↑)

8 Bukhari, Tayammum, 6; Manaqib, 25; Muslim, Masajid, 312; Musnad, iv, 434-5; Bayhaqi, Dala’il al-Nubuwwa, iv, 216; vi, 130. (Go back ↑)

9 al-Haythami, Majma’ al-Zawa’id, vi, 194; al-Hindi, Kanz al-‘Ummal, xii, 353; Qadi Iyad, al-Shifa’, i, 190; ‘Ali al-Qari, Sharh al-Shifa’, i, 600; Bayhaqi, Dala’il al-Nubuwwa, ii, 63; Suyuti, al-Khasa’is al-Kubra, ii, 105. (Go back ↑)

10 Qadi Iyad, al-Shifa’, i, 290; al-Khafaji, Sharh al-Shifa’, iii, 29; Bayhaqi, Dala’il al-Nubuwwa, ii, 15-20. See also, Bukhari, Istisqa, 3; Musnad, ii, 93. (Go back ↑)

11 For irhasat, see definition on page (Tr.) (Go back ↑)

12 al-Khafaji, Sharh al-Shifa’, iii, 128; ‘Ali al-Qari, Sharh al-Shifa’, i, 601; Suyuti, al-Durar al-Manthur, iii, 170. (Go back ↑)

13 Ibn al-Jawzi, Zad al-Masir, iii, 328. (Go back ↑)

14 Bukhari, Istisqa, 3, 6, 10, 12, 13, 21; Muslim, Istisqa, 8-10; Bayhaqi, Dala’il al-Nubuwwa, vi, 139-46. (Go back ↑)

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