The Nineteenth Letter (Part 2)

NINTH SIGN

One of the various kinds of miracles of God’s Most Noble Messenger (Upon whom be blessings and peace) is that like human beings, trees obeyed his orders, and moving from their places, came to him. There is also ‘consensus in meaning’ concerning the reports of these miracles, like those of water flowing from his fingers. They have been narrated in numerous forms and through numerous channels. Indeed, the consensus concerning trees leaving their places and coming to him may be regarded as clear and unambiguous,(1) because the best-known of the Companions such as ‘Ali, Ibn ‘Abbas, Ibn Mas‘ud, Ibn ‘Umar, Ya‘la b. Murra, Jabir, Anas b. Malik, Burayda, Usama b. Zayd, and Ghaylan b. Salama all reported the same miracle with certainty. Hundreds of scholars of the succeeding generation narrated the miracle from one of the above-mentioned Companions through a different line of transmission, as though transmitting it to us in the form of ‘multiple consensus.‘ Thus, this miracle of the trees has decisively and indisputably the certainty of ‘consensus in meaning.’ We will now cite only a few examples of it, although it was repeated many times.

F i r s t  E x a m p l e : Foremost, Imam Maja, and al-Darimi narrate from Anas b. Malik and ‘Ali, and Imam Bayhaqi from ‘Umar, that the Noble Messenger (Upon whom be blessings and peace) was saddened at the denial of the unbelievers. He prayed: “O my Sustainer! Give me a sign that I shall no longer see anyone who contradicts me!”(2) According to Anas, Gabriel was also present, upon whose instruction God’s Messenger (UWBP) called to a tree at the side of the valley. It came near him. He then told the tree to go back; it returned and settled itself in its place.

S e c o n d  E x a m p l e : In al-Shifa’ al-Sharif, Qadi Iyad, the leading scholar of the Maghrib, relates from ‘Abdullah b. ‘Umar through an exalted and sound chain of narrators: “On one expedition, a beduin approached the Noble Messenger (Upon whom be blessings and peace). God’s Messenger (UWBP) asked him: ‘Where are you going?’ He replied: ‘To my family.’ God’s Messenger asked him: ‘Don’t you want something better than that?’ The beduin asked: ‘What is that?’ The Messenger (UWBP) said: ‘That you bear witness that there is no god but God, He is One, He has no partner, and that Muhammad is His servant and Messenger.’ The beduin asked: ‘What is witness to this testimony?’ God’s Messenger (UWBP) said: ‘The tree beside the valley shall bear witness.’” Ibn ‘Umar said: “Shaking, the tree cleft the earth and came to God’s Messenger (UWBP). He asked the tree three times to testify; each time it testified to his truthfulness. When he ordered, it went back and settled in its place.”(3)

According to the authentic narration of Ibn Sahib al-Aslami, Burayda reports: “When we were with the Noble Messenger (Upon whom be blessings and peace) on an expedition, a beduin came and asked for a sign, that is, a miracle. The Messenger (UWBP) said: ‘Tell that tree that God’s Messenger summons it!’ Then he pointed to a tree; it swayed to right and left, heaved itself out of the ground with its roots, and came to the Messenger (UWBP), saying: ‘Peace be upon you, O Messenger of God!’ The beduin said: ‘Now let it go back to its place!’ He commanded, and it went. Then the beduin said: ‘Allow me to prostrate before you.’ The Messenger (UWBP) replied: ‘No one is permitted to do that.’ The beduin said: ‘Then I will kiss your hands and feet,’ and he permitted him.”1 (4)

T h i r d  E x a m p l e : Foremost the Sahih of Muslim, and the authentic books of Hadith relate that Jabir said: “We were together with God’s Noble Messenger (Upon whom be blessings and peace) on an expedition when he searched for a place to answer the call of nature. There was nowhere secluded. So he went towards two trees, caught hold of the branches of one of them, and pulled. Obeying him, the tree went together with him to the second tree. It was like an obedient camel being led by its reins. Having in this way brought the two trees together, he said: ‘Join together over me, with God’s permission!’ The two trees joined together and formed a screen. After relieving himself behind them, he ordered them to go back, and they returned to their places.”(5)

According to another narration, Jabir said: “God’s Messenger (UWBP) commanded me: ‘Tell those trees to join together for the relief of God’s Messenger!’ I told them to do so and they joined together. Then, while I was waiting, God’s Messenger (Upon whom be blessings and peace) emerged, and indicated to left and right with his head. The two trees returned to their places.”(6)

F o u r t h  E x a m p l e : Usama b. Zayd, one the brave commanders and servants of the Noble Messenger (Upon whom be blessings and peace), reports in an authentic narration: “We were together with God’s Messenger on an expedition. There was no secluded, private place in which to answer the call of nature. He asked: ‘Can you see any trees or rocks?’ I replied: ‘Yes, I can.’ He ordered: ‘Speak to them and tell them to join together for the relief of God’s Messenger; also tell the rocks to gather together as a wall.’ I went and said as he commanded. I swear that the trees joined together and the rocks formed a wall. God’s Messenger (UWBP) after relieving himself, again commanded: ‘Tell them to separate!’ I swear by the Glorious One in the grasp of whose power I am that the trees and rocks separated, and returned to their places.”(7)

These two incidents, which were reported by Jabir and Usama, were also reported by Ya‘la b. Murra, Ghaylan b. Salama al-Thaqafi, and Ibn Mas‘ud, but as referring to the Battle of Hunayn.(8)

F i f t h  E x a m p l e : Reported by Imam b. Fawrak, known for his excellence in interpretation as the foremost scholar of his time and the second Shafi‘i: “While travelling on horseback one night during the Ta’if expedition, sleep overcame God’s Noble Messenger (UWBP). While in that state a lote-tree loomed up before him. To make way for him and not to hurt his horse, the tree split in two, and the Noble Messenger (UWBP) passed between the two parts of the tree on the horse.” The tree has remained with two trunks, in that honoured position, up to our time.(9)

S i x t h  E x a m p l e : Ya‘la b. Murra relates in an authentic narration: “During an expedition, a tree – called either talha or samura – came, passed around God’s Noble Messenger (UWBP) as if circumambulating, and went back to its place. God’s Messenger (UWBP) said: ‘The tree requested of God that it should salute me.’”(10)

S e v e n t h  E x a m p l e : Scholars of Hadith relate from Ibn Mas‘ud with an authentic narration: “When, seeking guidance, the jinn of Nusaybin came to the Noble Messenger (UWBP) in the place called Batn al-Nakhl, a tree informed him of their coming.” Also, Imam Mujahid relates from Ibn Mas‘ud in the same Hadith: “The jinn asked for a proof of his prophethood, so the Noble Messenger (UWBP) commanded the tree, and it left its place, came to him, then returned to its place.”(11) That single miracle was sufficient for the race of jinns. So if a human being does not come to believe having heard of a thousand miracles like this one, is he not more of a devil than those described by the jinn as, “Some foolish ones among us”?(12)

E i g h t h  E x a m p l e : Tirmidhi reports in his Sahih from Ibn ‘Abbas through a sound line of transmission: “God’s Noble Messenger (Upon whom be blessings and peace) asked a beduin: ‘Will you testify that I am the Messenger of God if a branch of that tree comes to me when I call to it?’ He replied: ‘Yes.’ The Messenger (UWBP) called to the branch. It broke off and jumped over near him, then jumped back when he told it to do so.”(13)

There are many other examples similar to these eight that are narrated through many chains of transmission. Seven or eight strands of rope form a strong cable when they are put together. Similarly, the miracles related to trees, which were reported on the authority of the best-known and most veracious Companions in thus numerous chains of transmission, certainly have the strength of ‘consensus in meaning,‘ indeed, ‘true consensus.’ In fact, they take on the form of ‘consensus’ when passed down by the Companions to the following generation. In particular, the accurate books of Hadith such as Bukhari, Muslim, Ibn Hibban, and Tirmidhi, ensured that the chains of authorities leading back to the time of the Companions were so sound, and they kept them thus, that reading a Hadith, say in Bukhari, is like hearing it directly from the Companions.

If, as seen in the above examples, trees recognize God’s Messenger (Upon whom be blessings and peace) testify to his prophethood, visit and salute him, and obey his orders, aren’t those lifeless, unreasoning creatures who call themselves human beings yet do not recognize him or believe in him, more worthless than a dead tree? Do they not resemble pieces of wood, fit for the fire?

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1 Kattani, Nazm al-Mutanathir, 137. (Go back ↑)

2 Ibn Maja, Fitan, 23, no: 4028; Darimi, Muqaddima, 3; Musnad, i, 223; iii, 113; iv, 177; Qadi Iyad, al-Shifa’, i, 302; ‘Ali al-Qari, Sharh al-Shifa’, i, 620; al-Haythami, Majma’ al-Zawa’id, ix, 10; al-Hindi, Kanz al-‘Ummal, ii, 354. (Go back ↑)

3 Qadi Iyad, al-Shifa’, i, 298; ‘Ali al-Qari, Sharh al-Shifa’, i, 615; Bayhaqi, Dala’il al-Nubuwwa, vi, 14; al-Haythami, Majma’ al-Zawa’id, viii, 292; Ibn Kathir, al-Bidaya wa’l-Nihaya, vi, 125; al-‘Asqalani, al-Matalib al-‘Aliya, iv, 16 no: 3836; al-Hakim, al-Mustadrak, ii, 620; Ibn Hibban, Sahih, viii, 150. (Go back ↑)

4 Qadi Iyad, al-Shifa’, i, 299; al-Khafaji, Sharh al-Shifa’, iii, 49. (Go back ↑)

5 Muslim, Zuhd 74, no: 3012. (Go back ↑)

6 Darimi, Muqaddima, 4; Qadi Iyad, al-Shifa’, i, 299; ‘Ali al-Qari, Sharh al-Shifa’, i, 616; al-Khafaji, Sharh al-Shifa’, iii, 51. (Go back ↑)

7 Qadi Iyad, al-Shifa’, i, 300; ‘Ali al-Qari, Sharh al-Shifa’, i, 617-9; al-Khafaji, Sharh al=Shifa’, iii, 51; al-‘Asqalani, al-Matalib al-‘Aliya, iv, 8-10, no: 3830. (Go back ↑)

8 Qadi Iyad, al-Shifa’, i, 301; al-Hindi, Kanz al-‘Ummal, xii, 403. (Go back ↑)

9 Qadi Iyad, al-Shifa’, i, 301; ‘Ali al-Qari, Sharh al-Shifa’, i, 619; al-Khafaji, Sharh al-Shifa’, iii, 57. (Go back ↑)

10 Qadi Iyad, al-Shifa’, i, 301; ‘Ali al-Qari, Sharh al-Shifa’, i, 619; al-Khafaji, Sharh al-Shifa’, iii, 53; al-Haythami, Majma’ al Zawa’id, ix, 6-7; Musnad, iv, 170, 172; al-Hakim, al-Mustadrak, ii, 617. (Go back ↑)

11 Bukhari, Manaqib al-Ansar, 32 (Bab: Dhikr al-Jinn); Muslim, Salat, 150; ‘Ali al-Qari, Sharh al-Shifa’, i, 619. (Go back ↑)

12 Qur’an, 72:4. Zawa’id, ix, 10. (Go back ↑)

13 Tirmidhi, Manaqib, 6; al-Mubarakfuri, Tuhfat al-Ahwazi, no: 3707; al-Haythami, Majma’ al- (Go back ↑)

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TENTH SIGN

Corroborating the miracles concerning trees and reported in the form of ‘consensus,’ is the miracle of the moaning of the pole. Yes, the pole’s moaning in the Prophet’s (UWBP) mosque before a vast crowd because of its temporary separation from him both confirms and corroborates the instances of miracles related to trees. For the pole also was of wood; their substance was the same. However, although there is a consensus of opinion concerning the reports of this miracle, the other miracles are unanimously agreed upon only as a class; there is mostly no clear consensus about them individually or as separate instances.

When delivering the sermon in the mosque, God’s Noble Messenger (UWBP) used to lean against a pole consisting of a date-palm. But when the pulpit was made, he began to give the sermon from there. Whereupon the pole moaned and wailed like a camel; the whole congregation heard it. Only when the God’s Messenger (Upon whom be blessings and peace) came down from the pulpit, and placed his hand on it, speaking to it and consoling it, did the pole stop moaning.(1) This miracle of Muhammad (UWBP) was narrated through numerous chains of transmission, and there was agreement concerning it.

Indeed, the miracle of the moaning of the pole is very widely known and there is ‘true consensus (hakikî mütevatir)’ concerning it.(2) Hundreds of authorities on Hadith of the subsequent generation narrated the miracle through fifteen chains of transmission(3) from an illustrious group of Companions, and passed it down to succeeding centuries. From that group, eminent scholars among the Companions and leading experts on Hadith such as Anas b. Malik(4) and Jabir b. ‘Abdullah al-Ansari(5) – both servants of the Prophet (UWBP), ‘Abdullah b. ‘Umar,(6) ‘Abdullah b. ‘Abbas,(7) Sahlb. Sa‘d,(8) Abu Sa‘id al-Khudri,(9) Ubayy b. Ka‘b,(10) Burayda,(11) and Umm Salama, the Mother of Believers,(12) each at the head of a chain of transmission, reported this same miracle to the Prophet’s (UWBP) community. Foremost Bukhari, Muslim, and the authentic books of Hadith gave accounts of this great miracle, which were unanimously accepted, together with its lines of transmission for succeeding generations.

Jabir, in his chain of transmission, says: “God’s Messenger (Upon whom be blessings and peace) used to lean against a wooden pole called the palm trunk while delivering the sermon in the mosque. The pole could not endure it when the pulpit was made and the Messenger (UWBP) used that for the sermon, and it began to moan and wail like a pregnant camel.” In his narration, Anas says: “It moaned like a water-buffalo causing the mosque to tremble.” In his narration, Sahl b. Sa‘d says: “The people started weeping and crying when the pole was moaning.” In his narration, Ubayy b. Ka‘b says: “It wept so much it split.” While in another narration,(13) the Noble Messenger (UWBP) said: “It is weeping at being separated from the recitation of God’s names and the mentioning of God during the sermon.” Still another narration(14) reports that God’s Messenger (UWBP) said: “If I had not embraced and consoled it, it would have wept until Doomsday at being separated from God’s Messenger.” In his narration, Burayda reports: “When the pole began to moan, God’s Messenger (UWBP) put his hand on it and said, ‘If you wish, I will return you to the grove you came from; your roots will grow and you will flourish; you will produce new fruits. Or if you wish, I will plant you in Paradise, and God’s friends, the saints, will eat of your fruit.’ He then listened to the pole. The people behind God’s Messenger (UWBP) could hear it as it spoke, saying: ‘Plant me in Paradise, where there is no decay, so that Almighty God’s beloved servants may eat of my fruit.’ The Messenger (UWBP) said: ‘I will,’ and added: ‘It has preferred the eternal realm to that of transitoriness.’” Abu Ishaq Isfarani, one of the great authorities on theology, narrated: “God’s Messenger (Upon whom be blessings and peace) did not go to the pole, but it came to him, at his command. Then, at his command, it returned to its place.”(15) Ubayy b. Ka‘b says: “After this extraordinary event, God’s Messenger (Upon whom be blessings and peace) ordered that the pole be put under the pulpit. It was put there and remained there until the mosque was pulled down before being rebuilt. Then Ubayy b. Ka‘b took it and kept it until it decayed.(16)

The famous scholar Hasan al-Basri would weep while teaching this miraculous event to his students, and say to them: “A piece of wood demonstrated love and longing for God’s Noble Messenger (Upon whom be blessings and peace), so you should feel more love than that.”(17) As for us, we say, Yes, and love and longing for him is shown through following his illustrious Practices (Sunna) and sacred Shari‘a.

A n  I m p o r t a n t  P o i n t

If it is asked : Why were the miracles that were displayed in connection with food – to satisfy fully a thousand men with four handfuls of food in the Battle of Khandaq, and another thousand men with water flowing from the Messenger’s (UWBP) blessed fingers – not narrated through numerous chains of transmission as the miracle of the moaning of the pole was, although the former two miracles occurred in the presence of larger crowds?

The Answer: The miracles that were manifested were of two kinds: one were manifested at the hands of God’s Messenger (Upon whom be blessings and peace) in order to make people assent to his prophethood. The moaning of the pole was of that kind. It occurred solely as a proof, an affirmation, of prophethood, to increase the believers’ faith, to urge the dissemblers to sincerity and belief, and to bring to belief the unbelievers. That is why everyone, the low and the high, saw it, and great attention was paid to broadcasting it. However, the miracles concerning food and water were wonders rather than miracles, or divine favours rather than wonders, or, more than favour, they were banquets bestowed by the All-Merciful One because of need. For sure, they were proofs of his claim to prophethood and miracles, but their basic aim was this: the army was hungry so Almighty God provided a feast for a thousand men out of a handful of food from His treasury in the Unseen, just as He creates a thousand pounds of dates from a single seed. And for a thirsty army fighting in His way, He caused water to flow like the water of Kawthar from the fingers of its Commander-in-Chief, and gave them to drink.

It is for this reason that all the examples of the miracles concerning food and water do not attain the degree of the miracle of the moaning of the pole. However, in their entirety, the various kinds of those two miracles are as numerous and unanimously reported as the moaning of the pole. Moreover, not everyone could see the increase of food and water flowing from his fingers; they could only see the results. Whereas everyone heard the pole moaning, so it was more widely broadcast.

If it is asked:  All the actions and conduct of God’s Messenger (Upon whom be blessings and peace) were recorded and transmitted by his Companions with extreme care. Why then were such great miracles only narrated through ten or twenty chains of transmission, when they should have been narrated through a hundred? Also, why were many narrated from Anas, Jabir, and Abu Hurayra, and few related from Abu Bakr and ‘Umar?

The Answer: The answer to the first part of the question has been given in the Third Principle in the Fourth Sign. Regarding the second part: just as someone in need of medicine goes to a doctor, mathematicians are consulted on mathematical problems, and questions to do with the Shari‘a are asked of the Mufti, and so on; so too, some of the scholars among the Companions were charged with the duty of instructing succeeding centuries in the Hadiths of the Prophet, working with all their strength for this end. Yes, Abu Hurayra devoted his entire life to memorizing Hadiths, while ‘Umar was occupied with the world of politics and the caliphate. ‘Umar therefore narrated very few traditions, relying on persons like Abu Hurayra, Anas, and Jabir, to teach the Hadiths to the Muslim community. Furthermore, on a well-known, truthful, sincere, honest, and trusted Companion reporting an incident through one chain, it was regarded as sufficient, and no need remained for anyone else to narrate it. This is why some significant events were narrated through only two or three chains of transmission.

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1 Bukhari, Manaqib, 25; Jum’a, 26; Ibn Maja, Iqama, 199; Nasa’i, Jum’a, 17; Tirmidhi, Jum’a, 10; Manaqib, 6; Darimi, Muqaddima, 6; Salat, 202; Musnad, i, 249. (Go back ↑)

2 See, al-Kattani, Nazm al-Mutanathir, 134-5. (Go back ↑)

3 Ibn Kathir, al-Bidaya wa’l-Nihaya, 125-132. (Go back ↑)

4 Bukhari, Manaqib, 25; Tirmidhi, Manaqib, 6; Jum’a, 10; Ibn Maja, Iqamat al-Salat, 199; Darimi, Muqaddima, 6; Salat, 202; Musnad, i, 249, 267, 363; iii, 226. (Go back ↑)

5 Bukhari, Manaqib, 25; Tirmidhi, Manaqib, 6; Jum’a, 10; Nasa’i, Jum’a, 17; Ibn Maja, Iqamat al- Salat, 199; Darimi, Muqaddima, 6 (3 different lines from Jabir); Salat, 202; Musnad, iii, 293, 295, 306, 324. (Go back ↑)

6 Bukhari, Manaqib, 25; Tirmidhi, Jum^a, 10; Tirmidhi (Tahqiq: Ahmad Shakir), no: 505; Manaqib, 6; Darimi, Muqaddima, 6. (Go back ↑)

7 Tirmidhi, Manaqib, 6; Jum’a, 10; Darimi, Muqaddima, 6; Salat, 202; Musnad, i, 249, 363. (Go back ↑)

8 Tirmidhi, Manaqib, 6; Jum’a, 10; Darimi, Muqaddima, 6; Salat, 202; al-Khafaji, Sharh al-Shifa’, iii,62.

9 Darimi, Muqaddima, 6. (Go back ↑)

10 Tirmidhi, Jum’a, 10; Ibn Maja, Iqamat al-Salat, 199; Darimi, Muqaddima, 6; Musnad, 139; al-Khafaji, Sharh al-Shifa, iii, 62; al-Mubarakfuri, Tuhfat al-Ahwazi, iii, 22. (Go back ↑)

11 Darimi, Muqaddima, 6. (Go back ↑)

12 Tirmidhi, Manaqib, 6; Jum’a, 10. (Go back ↑)

13 See, Bukhari, Manaqib, 25. (Go back ↑)

14See, Darimi, Muqaddima, 6. (Go back ↑)

15 Qadi Iyad, al-Shifa’, i, 304. (Go back ↑)

16 Qadi Iyad, al-Shifa’, i, 304; Ibn Maja, Iqamat al-Salat, 199; Darimi, Muqaddima, 6. (Go back ↑)

17 Qadi Iyad, al-Shifa’, i, 305. (Go back ↑)

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ELEVENTH SIGN

As the Tenth Sign explained miracles of the Prophet (UWBP) related to trees, the eleventh Sign will describe how rocks and mountains among lifeless creatures also demonstrated prophetic miracles. Here we cite a few instances out of many.

F i r s t  E x a m p l e : The great scholar of the Maghrib, Qadi Iyad, in his al-Shifa’ al-Sharif, with a celebrated chain of authorities, and great imams like Bukhari report through an authentic line of transmission, from Ibn Mas‘ud, the Prophet’s (UWBP) servant: “While eating together withGod’s Noble Messenger (Upon whom be blessings and peace), we used to hear the food glorifying God.”(1)

S e c o n d  E x a m p l e : Accurate books of Hadith report from Anas and Abu Dharr through an authentic line of transmission: “Anas, the Prophet’s (UWBP) servant, said: ‘We were together with God’s Messenger (Upon whom be blessings and peace) when he took up a handful of small stones and they began to praise God in his blessed palm. Then he put them in Abu Bakr the Veracious’s hand and again they glorified God.’”(2) In his line of transmission, Abu Dharr al-Ghifari says: “Then he put them into ‘Umar’s hand, and again they glorified God. Then he took them and put them on the ground, and they were silent. Then he again took them, and put them in ‘Uthman’s hand, where again they began to glorify God.” Abu Dharr and Anas relate: “He put them in our hands and they were silent.”(3)

T h i r d  E x a m p l e : It is established by a sound report from ‘Ali, Jabir, and ‘A’isha al-Siddiqa: “Rocks and mountains would say to God’s Messenger (Upon whom be blessings and peace), ‘Peace be upon you, O Messenger of God!’” In ‘Ali’s chain of narration, it says: “Whenever we went around in the environs of Mecca in the early of days of his prophethood, the trees and rocks we encountered would declare: ‘Peace be upon you, O Messenger of God!’”(4) While in his chain of transmission, Jabir says: “Whenever the Noble Messenger (Upon whom be blessings and peace) came across rocks and trees, they would prostrate before him, that is, demonstrating obedience to him, they would declare: ‘Peace be upon you, O Messenger of God!’”(5) In one of Jabir’s narrations, the Messenger (Upon whom be blessings and peace) said: “I know a rock that salutes me.”(6) Some people said that he intended the Black Stone of the Ka‘ba. In her line of transmission, ‘A’isha said: “God’s Messenger (Upon whom be blessings and peace) said: ‘When Gabriel brought me the message, I would never pass by a rock or a tree without it saying, ‘Peace be upon you, O Messenger of God!’”(7)

F o u r t h  E x a m p l e :  Reported through an authentic line of narrators from ‘Abbas: “God’s Messenger (UWBP) covered ‘Abbas and his four sons (‘Abdullah, ‘Ubaydullah, Fadl, and Qusam) with a piece of cloth called mula’at, praying: ‘O my Sustainer! This is my uncle; protect through me these his sons and veil them from the Fire, as I veil them with this cloth!’(8) The roof, door, and the walls of the house joined in the prayer at once, saying, Amen! Amen!”(9)

F i f t h  E x a m p l e : Accurate books, notably Bukhari, Ibn Hibban, Abu Da’ud, and Tirmidhi, unanimously report from Anas,(10) Abu Hurayra,(11) ‘Uthman Dhi’n-Nurayn,(12) and Sa‘d b. Zayd,(13) from among the ten promised Paradise: “God’s Noble Messenger (UWBP) climbed Mount Uhud together with Abu Bakr al-Siddiq, ‘Umar al-Faruq, and ‘Uthman Dhi’n-Nurayn. Either due to their awesomeness, or out of its own joy and happiness, the mountain began to tremble and stir. God’s Messenger said: ‘Steady! For upon you are a prophet, a veracious one (siddiq), and two martyrs!’

This tradition is giving news from the Unseen that ‘Umar and ‘Uthman were going to be martyred. As a supplement to this tradition, it is narrated that when God’s Noble Messenger (Upon whom be blessings and peace) migrated from Mecca pursued by the unbelievers, they climbed the mountain called Thubir. The mountain said: “Leave me, O Messenger of God! I am afraid that God will punish me if they strike you on me.” Then Mount Hira called to him: “Come to me, O Messenger of God!”(14) For this reason, men of intuition feel fear on Mount Thubir and a sense of safety on Mount Hira.

As can be understood from this example, these vast mountains are each an individual servant of God; each glorifies and praises Him; each is charged with duties. They recognized and loved God’s Messenger (UWBP); they are not without purpose or owner.

S i x t h  E x a m p l e : Reported through an authentic line of transmission from ‘Abdullah b. ‘Umar: “While delivering the sermon from the pulpit, God’s Messenger (Upon whom be blessings and peace) recited the verse: “No just estimate have they made of God, such as is due to Him: onthe Day of Judgement the whole earth will be but His handful, and the heavens will be rolled up in His right hand,”(39:67) and said: ‘God the Compeller is exalting Himself and saying: I am the Compeller! I am the Compeller! I am the Mighty! I am the Most High!’ As he said this, the pulpit so trembled and shook that we were frightened that God’s Messenger (UWBP) would fall.”(15)

S e v e n t h  E x a m p l e :  It is reported through an authentic line of narrators from Ibn ‘Abbas,(16) known as the Learned One of the Muslim Community and Interpreter of the Qur’an, and Ibn Mas‘ud,(17) the Prophet’s (UWBP) servant and one of the great scholars of the Companions, that they said: “On the conquest of Mecca, there were three hundred and sixty idols around the Ka‘ba, fixed with lead to the stone. That day, the Noble Messenger (Upon whom be blessings and peace) pointed to each of the idols in turn with a stick he was holding curved like a bow, saying, ‘The Truth has arrived and falsehood has perished; indeed, falsehood is ever bound to perish.’(17:81) “Whichever one he pointed to, it fell down.(18) If he pointed to the face of the idol, it fell backwards; otherwise it fell on its face. Thus they all toppled over and fell to the ground.”(19)

20

E i g h t h  E x a m p l e : This is the famous story of the well-known monk Bahira. Before the beginning of his prophethood, God’s Noble Messenger (Upon whom be blessings and peace) was travelling towards Damascus to trade together with his uncle Abu Talib and some of the Quraysh. They rested when they came near the church of Bahira the monk. Bahira, who was a hermit and did not mix with people, suddenly came out. He saw Muhammad the Trustworthy (UWBP) among the caravan, and said: “He is the Lord of the World; he will be a prophet.” The Quraysh asked: “How do you know?” The holy monk replied: “I saw a small cloud over the caravan as you were coming. When you sat down, the cloud moved toward him and cast its shadow over him. I also saw trees and rocks prostrate themselves before him, which they only do before prophets.”(20)

There are at least eighty examples similar to these eight instances. When they are put together, they form a chain so strong that no doubt can break it or shake it. Taken as a whole, this sort of miracle, that is, the speaking of inanimate beings in order to testify to Muhammad’s (UWBP) prophethood, expresses the same certainty as ‘consensus in meaning.’ Each example is strengthened by the whole. Yes, a slender pole becomes strong when put together with stout poles. If he joins the army and becomes a soldier, a weak, powerless man gains strength enough to challenge a thousand men.

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1 Bukhari, Manaqib, 25; Tirmidhi, Manaqib, 6 (Tahqiq: Ibrahim A’wad) no: 3633; Musnad, i, 460; Qadi Iyad, al-Shifa, i, 306; ‘Ali al-Qari, Sharh al-Shifa’, i, 627; Ibn Kathir, al-Bidaya wa’l-Nihaya, vi, 97-8, 133. (Go back ↑)

2 Iyad, al-Shifa’, i, 306; al-Khafaji, Sharh al-Shifa’, iii, 70; ‘Ali al-Qari, Sharh al-Shifa’, i, 627. (Go back ↑)

3 Qadi Iyad, al-Shifa’, i, 306; al-Haythami, Majma’ al-Zawa’id, v, 179; vii, 298-9; Ibn Kathir, al-Bidaya wa’l-Nihaya, vi, 132-3. (Go back ↑)

4 Tirmidhi, Manaqib, 6; Darimi, Muqaddima, 4; al-Haythami, Majma’ al-Zawa’id, viii, 260; al-Hakim, al-Mustadrak, ii, 607; ‘Ali al-Qari, Sharh al-Shifa’, i, 628. (Go back ↑)

5 Qadi Iyad, al-Shifa’, i, 307; al-Khafaji, Sharh al-Shifa’, iii, 71. (Go back ↑)

6 Muslim, Fada’il, 2; Tirmidhi, Manaqib, 5; Musnad, v, 89, 95, 105; Ibn Hibban, Sahih, viii, 139. (Go back ↑)

7 Qadi Iyad, al-Shifa’, i, 307; al-Khafaji, Sharh al-Shifa’, iii, 71; al-Haythami, Majma’ al-Zawa’id, viii, 259. (Go back ↑)

8 Bayhaqi, Dala’il al-Nubuwwa, vi, 71. (Go back ↑)

9 Qadi Iyad, al-Shifa, i, 608; ‘Ali al-Qari, Sharh al-Shifa’, i, 628; al-Hakim, al-Mustadrak, ii, 309; al-Haythami, Majma’ al-Zawa’id, ix, 269-70. (Go back ↑)

10 See, Bukhari, Fada’il al-Ashab, 5, 6, 7; Tirmidhi, Manaqib, 19, no: 3697; Abu Da’ud, Sunna, 9 (Bab: Fi’l-Khulafa). (Go back ↑)

11 Muslim, Fada’il al-Sahaba, 6, no: 2417; Tirmidhi, Manaqib, 19. (Go back ↑)

12 Tirmidhi, Manaqib, 19. (Go back ↑)

13 Tirmidhi, Manaqib, 19; al-Hakim, al-Mustadrak, iii, 450. (Go back ↑)

14 Qadi Iyad, al-Shifa’, i, 308; al-Khafaji, Sharh al-Shifa’, iii, 75. (Go back ↑)

15 Muslim, Sifat al-Qiyama, 19-26; Musnad, ii, 88; al-Hakim, al-Mustadrak, ii, 252; Qadi Iyad, al-Shifa’, i, 308; al-Khafaji, Sharh al-Shifa’, iii, 75; ‘Ali al-Qari, Sharh al-Shifa’, i, 630; Ibn Hibban, Sahih, ix, 214. (Go back ↑)

16 Muslim, Jihad, 87, no: 1781. (Go back ↑)

17 Bukhari, Maghazi, 48; Mazalim, 32; Tafsir al-Qur’an, 12; Tirmidhi, Tafsir al-Qur’an, 18 (Bab: Sura Bani Isra’il); Ibn Hibban, Sahih, no: 1702. (Go back ↑)

18 In Bukhari, Muslim, Tirmidhi, and other books, this much is recorded. Only in the following is the Hadith complete. (Go back ↑)

19 al-Haythami, Majma’ al-Zawa’id wa’l-Manba’ al-Fawa’id, vi, 176 (from Ibn Mas’ud). (Go back ↑)

20 Qadi Iyad, al-Shifa’, i, 308; ‘Ali al-Qari, Sharh al-Shifa’, i, 631; Tirmidhi, Manaqib, 3 (Bab: Maja’ fi Badi’ al-Nubuwwa); al-Mubarakfuri, Tuhfat al-Ahwazi, no: 3699; al-Hakim, al-Mustadrak, ii, 615; Ibn Hisham, Sirat al-Nabi, 115. (Go back ↑)

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TWELFTH SIGN

This consists of three examples that are related to the Eleventh Sign, but are of the greatest importance.

F i r s t  E x a m p l e : “And when you threw, it was not you who threw; it was rather God that threw.”(8:17) As established by the researches of all Qur’anic commentators and the reports of the scholars of Hadith, this verse refers to the following incident that occurred during the Battle of Badr:

God’s Noble Messenger (Upon whom be blessings and peace) took up a handful of earth and small stones and threw them at the army of the unbelievers, saying: “May your faces be deformed!”, and just as these words entered the ears of all of them despite being a single phrase, so too the handful of earth entered all their eyes. They all became preoccupied with their eyes, and although on the attack, the army suddenly turned tail and fled.(1)

Also during the Battle of Hunayn(2) the authorities on Hadith and foremost Imam Muslim report that like at the Battle of Badr, he again threw a handful of earth while the unbelievers were staging a fierce attack. Saying: “May your faces be deformed!”, the handful of earth struck the faces of each of them, with God’s leave, the same as words of the phrase entered all their ears. Busy with their eyes, they retreated and fled. Since this extraordinary event at Badr and Hunayn is not within man’s power and ordinary causes, the Qur’an of Miraculous Exposition states, “When you threw, it was not you who threw; it was rather God that threw.” That is, the event was outside human power. It occurred, not through human agency but in an extraordinary manner, through divine power.

S e c o n d  E x a m p l e : The accurate books and foremost Bukhari and Muslim narrate that during the Khaybar expedition, a Jewess roasted a goat, filling it with a very strong poison. She then sent it to God’s Messenger (Upon whom be blessings and peace). The Companions had begun to eat it, when the Prophet (Upon whom be blessings and peace) suddenly said: “Withdraw you hands! It tells me it is poisoned!” Everyone pulled back his hand. But Bishr b. al-Bara’ had eaten a single morsel and died from the effects of the severe poison. The Noble Messenger (Upon whom be blessings and peace) sent for the Jewess called Zaynab and asked her why she had done it. The inauspicious woman retorted: “I considered that if you were a prophet, it would not harm you; and if you were a king, I would save the people from you.”(3) According to some narrations, the Prophet (UWBP) did not have her put to death, but left her to Bishr’s family to be killed.(4) Now listen to a few points demonstrating aspects of the miraculousness in this extraordinary incident:

The First: According to one narration, some of the Companions also heard the goat speaking.(5)

The Second: According to another, God’s Messenger (UWBP) said: “Say, Bismillah, then eat; the poison will not affect you.”(6) Ibn Hajar al-‘Asqalani does not accept this narration, but others do.

The Third: The treacherous Jews wanted to deal a sudden blow at God’s Messenger (Upon whom be blessings and peace) and his close Companions, but being informed about this from the Unseen, the Prophet’s (UWBP) warning proved true, and their plot was uncovered and brought to naught. And when Muhammad (UWBP), from whom the Companions never heard an untrue statement, said: “This goat tells me that..., ” everyone believed him with conviction as sure as if they themselves had heard the goat.(7)

T h i r d  E x a m p l e : This consists of three instances of another miracle which resembles the Shining Hand and Staff of Moses:

The First: Imam Ahmad b. Hanbal, explaining and authenticating a narration from Abu Sa‘id al-Khudri, reports: “One dark and stormy night, the Noble Messenger (Upon whom be blessings and peace) gave Qatada b. al-Nu‘man a staff, saying: ‘This staff will light up ten yards all around you. You will see a dark shadow when you arrive at your house; it is Satan. Throw him out of the house and drive him away!’ Qatada took the staff and set off. It cast a light like Moses’ shining hand. He came to his house, where he saw the shadowy figure, and he drove it away.”(8)

The Second: While fighting the idolators during the great Battle of Badr, itself a source of wonders, ‘Ukkasha b. Muhassin al-Asadi had his sword broken. God’s Noble Messenger (Upon whom be blessings and peace) gave him a stout staff in place of it, saying: “Fight with this!” Suddenly, with God’s leave, the staff became a long white sword, and he fought with it. He carried the sword on his person for the rest of his life until he fell as a martyr during the Battle of al-Yamama.(9) This incident is certain, because throughout his life he carried the sword with pride and it became famous with the name of Succour. Thus, two proofs of this incident are ‘Ukkasha’s pride, and the sword’s name, Succour and its widespread fame.

The Third: It is narrated by authorities on Hadith like Ibn ‘Abd al-Barr,(10) a celebrated scholar known as the Scholar of the Age, that at the Battle of Uhud the sword of ‘Abdullah b. Jahsh, a cousin of the God’s Messenger (Upon whom be blessings and peace), was broken. The Messenger (UWBP) gave him a staff and it turned into a sword in his hand. He fought with it, and after the battle that product of a miracle remained a sword.(11)

In his Siyar, the well-known Ibn Sayyid al-Nas reports that some time later ‘Abdullah sold the sword to a man called Bugha’ al-Turki for two hundred liras.(12) Thus these two swords were each miracles like the Staff of Moses. But while no aspect of miraculousness remained in his staff after Moses’ death, these swords remained unchanged.

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1 al-Haythami, Majma’ al-Zawa’id, vi, 84. (Go back ↑)

2 Muslim, Jihad, 76, 81 (Bab: Shahat al-Vujuh); Musnad, v, 286. (Go back ↑)

3 From Abu Hurayra: Bukhari, Tibb, 55; Jizya, 7; Maghazi, 41; Abu Da’ud, Diyat, 6, nos: 4509, 4511,

1512; Darimi, Muqaddima, 11; Musnad, ii, 451. From Anas: Muslim, no: 2992; Bukhari, al-Hiba, 28; Abu Da’ud, Diyat, 6, no: 4508. From Jabir b. ‘Abdullah: Darimi, Muqaddima, 11; Abu Da’ud, Diyat, 6, no: 4510. For the lines of transmission and narrations about this Hadith, see, Abu Da’ud, Diyat, 6 (Go back ↑)

4 al-Hakim, al-Mustadrak, iii, 219; iv, 109; Bayhaqi, Dala’il al-Nubuwwa, vi, 256, 264; Ibn al-Qayyim, Zad al-Ma’ad, iii, 336. (Go back ↑)

5 al-Tabrizi, Mishkat al-Masabih, no: 5931; Abu Da’ud, Diyat, 6; Darimi, Muqaddima, 11; al-Jizri, Jami’ al-Usul, No: 8888; al-Haythami, Majma’ al-Zawa’id, viii, 295-6 (Go back ↑)

6 Qadi Iyad, al-Shifa’, i, 317-9; ‘Ali al-Qari, Sharh al-Shifa’, i, 645. (Go back ↑)

7 Abu Da’ud, Diyat, 6; Darimi, Muqaddima, 11; al-Haythami, Majma’ al-Zawa’id, viii, 295-6; Bayhaqi, Dala’il al-Nubuwwa, iv, 262. (Go back ↑)

8 Musnad, iii, 65; al-Sa’ati, al-Fath al-Rabbani, xxii, 66-7; al-Haythami, Majma’ al-Zawa’id, ii, 166-7; al-Hindi, Kanz al-‘Ummal, xii, 376; Qadi Iyad, al-Shifa’, i, 3323; ‘Ali al-Qari, Sharh al-Shifa’, i, 671; al-‘Asqalani, al-Isaba, no: 7076. (Go back ↑)

9 Qadi Iyad, al-Shifa’, i, 333; ‘Ali al-Qari, Sharh al-Shifa’, i, 671; al-Khafaji, Sharh al-Shifa’, iii, 156; Ibn Hisham, Sirat al-Nabi, i, 637; Ibn al-Qayyim, Zad al-Ma’ad (Tahqiq: Arnavudi), iii, 186. (Go back ↑)

10 Qadi Iyad, al-Shifa’, i, 333; al-Khafaji, Sharh al-Shifa’, iii, 157; Ibn Sayyid al-Nas, ‘Uyun al-Athar, ii, 20; al-‘Asqalani, al-Isaba, no: 4583. (Go back ↑)

11 ‘Abd al-Barr, al-Istibab, ii, 274 (gloss on al-Isaba); Ibn Hajar, al-Isaba, ii, 287; Ibn Sayyid al-Nas, ‘Uyun al-Athar, ii, 32; ‘Abd al-Razzaq, al-Musannaf, xi, 279. (Go back ↑)

12 Ibn Sayyid al-Nas, ‘Uyun al-Athar, ii, 32; ‘Abd al-Razzaq, al-Musannaf, xi, 279. (Go back ↑)

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THIRTEENTH SIGN

Another of the miracles of Muhammad (Upon whom be blessings and peace) of which there are numerous instances, which are reported unanimously, is the sick and the wounded being healed through his blessed breath. The reports of this kind of miracle are, as a whole, unanimous in meaning. Some of the instances of these miracles also are considered to be unanimous in meaning. And if the others are single reports, since they have been rendered and confirmed as authentic by the exacting authorities of the science of Hadith, they afford the certainty of science. We shall mention a few instances of the miracles out of many.

F i r s t  E x a m p l e : The learned scholar of the Maghrib, Qadi Iyad, in his al-Shifa’ al-Sharif, narrates through an elevated chain of authorities and numerous lines of transmission that Sa‘d b. Abi Waqqas, the Noble Messenger’s (UWBP) servant and commander, and commander-in-chief of the army of Islam in the time of ‘Umar, the conqueror of Iran, and one of the ten promised Paradise, said: “I was at the Noble Messenger’s (UWBP) side during the Battle of Uhud. He shot arrows at the unbelievers until his bow broke. Then he gave arrows to me, telling me to shoot them. The arrows he gave me were without flights, that is, without the feathers which help them fly. He was ordering me to shoot them, which I did, and they flew like flighted arrows, hitting the unbelievers’ bodies and piercing them.”(1) At that point, Qatada b. Nu‘man was hit in the eye by an arrow; it was struck out of his head, so that it was sitting on the side of his face. God’s Messenger (Upon whom be blessings and peace) took the eye in his blessed, healing hand and placed it in its socket; it was healed as though nothing had happened to it and became the better of his two eyes. This event became very widely known. A grandson of Qatada, even, once described himself to ‘Umar b. ‘Abd al-‘Aziz as, “I am the grandson of one who, when God’s Most Noble Messenger (UWBP) placed his eye back in its socket after it had been struck out, it was suddenly healed and became his best eye.”(2) He said this in verse, introducing himself to ‘Umar in that way.

It is also related through an authentic narration that during the battle known as the Yawm Dhi-Qarad, Abu Qatada was hit in the face by anarrow. God’s Messenger (Upon whom be blessings and peace) touched his face with his blessed hand. Abu Qatada said: “I felt no pain at all, nor did the wound fester.”(3)

S e c o n d  E x a m p l e : The authentic books of Hadith, and foremost Bukhari and Muslim, report that the Noble Messenger (Upon whom be blessings and peace) had appointed ‘Ali al-Haydari as standard-bearer during the Battle of Khaybar, but his eyes were aching severly due to illness. The moment the Noble Messenger (UWBP) applied his healing spittle to his eyes, they were cured, with no trace of the discomfort remaining.(4) The following morning, ‘Ali conquered the citadel of Khaybar by removing its extremely heavy gate and using it in his hand as a shield. During the same battle, Salama b. al-Akwa‘’s leg was struck and split open by a sword; God’s Messenger (UWBP) breathed onto it, and the leg was at once healed.(5)

T h i r d  E x a m p l e : Authorities on the Prophet’s (UWBP) life, and foremost Nasa’i, report from ‘Uthman b. Hunayf, who said: “A blind man came to God’s Noble Messenger (Upon whom be blessings and peace) and said: ‘Pray so that my eyes may be healed and I may see!’ The Messenger (UWBP) said: ‘Go and take the ablutions, then pray two rak‘ats and say: O God! I beseech you and I turn to you, for the sake of the Prophet Muhammad, the Prophet of Mercy. O Muhammad! I turn to your Sustainer, for your sake and through you, asking that He uncover my sight. O God, make him my intercessor!’ He went and did this, and when he returned, we saw that his eyes had opened and he could see very well.”(6)

F o u r t h  E x a m p l e : A great authority, Ibn Wahab, reports: “The hero Mu‘awwidh b. ‘Afra’, one of the fourteen martyrs of the Battle of Badr, had his hand cut off by Abu Jahl the Accursed while fighting with him. He took the hand with his other hand and went to the Noble Messenger (Upon whom be blessings and peace). the Messenger (UWBP) stuck the hand in its place and spread his spittle over it. It was at once healed. Mu‘awwidh went again to fight and continued to do so until he was martyred.”(7)

Imam Jalil b. Wahab also reports: “During that same battle, Hubayb b. Yasaf was struck on the shoulder by a sword so that he received a grievous wound with part of it almost severed. The Noble Messenger (UWBP) joined the arm and shoulder back together again and breathed on it, and it was healed.(8)

Thus, for sure these two incidents are separate, single reports, but if an authority like Ibn Wahab considered them to be sound, and if they occurred during a battle like that of Badr, which was a spring of miracles, and if there were many other examples that resembled these two incidents, for sure it may be said that they definitely occurred. Indeed, there are perhaps a thousand examples established in authentic traditions for which the blessed hand of God’s Messenger (Upon whom be blessings and peace) was healing.

 A  Q u e s t i o n : You describe many things as being reported unanimously through many channels, but we are hearing most of them for the first time. Surely something the various reports of which are numerous and unanimous cannot remain thus secret?

T h e  A n s w e r : There are numerous things concerning the reports of which there is a consensus and which are self-evident to the learned scholars of the Shari‘a, but are unknown to those who are not one of them. For the scholars of Hadith there are many such things, which for poets have not even the status of isolated reports, and so on. The specialists of all the sciences explain the theories and axioms of their science, and the ordinary people rely on them and either submit to them, or become one of them and see for themselves. Now, the events the reports of which we describe as forming ‘true consensus,‘ ‘consensus in meaning,’ or which express certainty like consensus, have been shown to be thus by both the scholars of Hadith, and the scholars of the Shari‘a, and the scholars of the principles of religion, and by most of the other levels of the ‘ulama. If ordinary people in their heedlessness or the ignorant who close their eyes to the truth do not know this, the fault is theirs.

F i f t h  E x a m p l e : Having explained and authenticated it, Imam Baghawi relates: “At the Battle of Khandaq, ‘Ali b. al-Hakam’s leg was broken by the blow of an unbeliever. The Noble Messenger (Upon whom be blessings and peace) rubbed it. At the moment he did so, it was healed so that ‘Ali b. al-Hakam did not even dismount from his horse.”(9)

S i x t h  E x a m p l e : The scholars of Hadith, and foremost Imam Bayhaqi, relate: “‘Ali was very ill. In his distress, he was moaning and praying for himself. The Noble Messenger (Upon whom be blessings and peace) came and said: ‘O God! Grant him healing,’ and touched ‘Ali with his foot. He told him to stand, and ‘Ali was at once cured. He stated: ‘I never again suffered from that illness.’”(10)

S e v e n t h  E x a m p l e : This is the well-known story of Shurahbil al-Ju‘fi. He had a morbid growth on the palm of his hand so that he could hold neither his sword nor the reins of his horse. God’s Messenger (Upon whom be blessings and peace) rubbed the growth with his blessed hand and massaged it; not a trace of it remained.(11)

E i g h t h  E x a m p l e : Six children, each the object of a different miracle of Muhammad (UWBP):

The First: Ibn Abi Shayba, a meticulous researcher and well-known scholar of Hadith, relates that a woman brought her child to God’s Messenger (UWBP). The child had an affliction; he could not speak and was an idiot. God’s Messenger (UWBP) rinsed his mouth with water and washed his hands, then gave the water to the woman, telling her to give it to the child to drink. After the child had drunk it, nothing remained of his illness and affliction, and he became so intelligent, he surpassed even the brightest of the rest.(12)

The Second: According to an authentic narration, Ibn ‘Abbas said: “An insane child was brought to the Noble Messenger (Upon whom be blessings and peace). He placed his blessed hand on the child’s chest and the child suddenly vomited a small black object like a cucumber. The child was healed and went home.”(13)

The Third: Imam Bayhaqi and Nasa’i relate through an authentic chain of transmission that a child called Muhammad b. al-Hatib had been scalded by a pan of boiling water and his whole arm burnt. God’s Noble Messenger (UWBP) touched the arm, spreading his spittle over it; the same instant it was healed.(14)

The Fourth: A child who was not young but was mute came to the Noble Messenger (Upon whom be blessings and peace). He asked the child: “Who am I?” The child, who had been mute from birth, replied: “You are the Messenger of God,” and started to speak.(15)

The Fifth: Jalal al-Din Suyuti, who was honoured with conversing with God’s Messenger (Upon whom be blessings and peace) on many occasions while awake and was the leading scholar of his age, explaining and authenticating a narration, reports: Soon after being born, a famous person called Mubarak al-Yamama was taken to the Noble Messenger (Upon whom be blessings and peace). On his turning to the baby, it started to speak, saying: “I testify that you are the Messenger of God.” The Messenger (UWBP) exclaimed: “May God bless you!” The child never spoke again in his infancy, and later became famous as Mubarak al-Yamama (the blessed one, Yamama), since he had been the object of this miracle of the Prophet (UWBP) and his prayer.(16)

The Sixth: One time, an ill-mannered youth interrupted the prayer of the Noble Messenger (Upon whom be blessings and peace), by passing in front of him while he was performing it. God’s Messenger (UWBP) said: “O God, cut short his paces!” After this the child was unable to walk as a punishment for his bad behaviour.(17)

The Seventh: A shameless woman, who was like a child, asked for a piece of the food God’s Messenger (Upon whom be blessings and peace) was eating. He gave her some, but she said: “No, I want a piece from your mouth.” So he gave her a piece, and, after eating the morsel, she became the most modest and bashful woman in Medina.(18)

There are not eighty but perhaps eight hundred further examples similar to the eight mentioned above, most of which are related in the Hadith books and books of the Prophet’s (UWBP) biography. For sure, since the blessed hand of God’s Messenger (Upon whom be blessings and peace) was like a pharmacy of Luqman the Wise, and his spittle was like a spring of Khidr’s water of life, and his breath soothing and healing like that of Jesus (Upon whom be peace), certainly many people would have recourseto him; and the sick, children, and the insane did flock to him in great numbers, and they were all healed. Abu ‘Abd al-Rahman al-Yamani, known as Tavus, even, who made the Hajj forty times and for forty years performed the morning prayer with the ablution of the preceeding night prayers, and who met with many of the Companions and was one of the greatest scholars of the generation following them, stated and made the certain report that however many lunatics came to God’s Messenger (Upon whom be blessings and peace), he placed his hand on their chests and they were all healed; not one was not cured.(19)

Thus, since a great scholar such as that who had direct connections with the era of the Prophet (UWBP), made such definite and general statements, for sure, none of the sick who came to God’s Prophet (UWBP) were not healed; they were all healed. Since this was the case, certainly thousands would have had recourse to him.

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1 Qadi Iyad, al-Shifa’, i, 322; ‘Ali al-Qari, Sharh al-Shifa’, i, 651; al-Haythami, Majma’ al-Zawa’id, vi, 113; Muslim, Fada’il al-Sahaba, 42, no: 2412; Ibn Hibban, Sahih, ix, 65. (Go back ↑)

2 Qadi Iyad, al-Shifa’, i, 322; al-Haythami, Majma’ al-Zawa’id, vi, 113; al-Hindi, Kanz al-‘Ummal, xii, 377; Ibn al-Qayyim, Zad al-Ma’ad (Tahqiq: Arnavudi), iii, 186-7; al-Hakim, al-Mustadrak, iii, 295. (Go back ↑)

3 Qadi Iyad, al-Shifa’, i, 322; al-Khafaji, Sharh al-Shifa’, iii, 113; ‘Ali al-Qari, Sharh al-Shifa’, i, 653. (Go back ↑)

4 Bukhari, Jihad, 102, 144; Maghazi, 38; Fada’il al-Sahaba, 32, 34; al-Hakim, al-Mustadrak, iii, 38. (Go back ↑)

5 Bukhari, Maghazi, 38 (from Yazid b. ‘Ubayd); Abu Da’ud, Tibb, 19; al-Sa’ati, al-Fath al-Rabbani Sharh al-Musnad, xxii, 259. (Go back ↑)

6 Tirmidhi, Da’wat, 119, no: 3578; al-Hakim, al-Mustadrak, i, 526; Bayhaqi, Dala’il al-Nubuwwa, vi, 166; Ibn Maja, Iqama, 189; Musnad, iv, 138. (Go back ↑)

7 Qadi Iyad, al-Shifa’, i, 324; ‘Ali al-Qari, Sharh al-Shifa’, i, 656; Ibn Sayyid al-Nas, ‘Uyun al-Athar, i, 261. (Go back ↑)

8, Dala’il al-Nubuwwa, vi, 178; Ibn Hajar, al-Isaba, i, 418; Ibn al-Athir, Usd al-Ghaba, ii, 118.  (Go back ↑)

9 Qadi Iyad, al-Shifa’, i, 324; ‘Ali al-Qari, Sharh al-Shifa’, i, 656; al-Khafaji, Sharh al-Shifa’, iii, 118; al-Haythami, Majma’ al-Zawa’id, iv, 134.  (Go back ↑)

10 Tirmidhi, Da’wat, 121; Musnad, i, 83, 107, 128; Qadi Iyad, al-Shifa’, i, 323; ‘Ali al-Qari, Sharh al- Shifa’, i, 656; Ibn Hibban, Sahih, ix, 47; al-Mubarakfuri, Tuhfat al-Ahwazi, 3635. (Go back ↑)

11 al-Haythami, Majma’ al-Zawa’id, viii, 298; Qadi Iyad, al-Shifa’, i, 324; ‘Ali al-Qari, Sharh al-Shifa’, i, 657. (Go back ↑)

12 Ibn Maja, Tibb, 40, no: 3532; Qadi Iyad, al-Shifa’, i, 324; ‘Ali al-Qari, Sharh al-Shifa’, i, 654, 657. (Go back ↑)

13 Darimi, Muqaddima, 4; Musnad, i, 254; Qadi Iyad, al-Shifa’, i, 324; ‘Ali al-Qari, Sharh al-Shifa’, i, 657; al-Haythami, Majma’ al-Zawa’id, ix, 2; Tabrizi, Mishkat al-Masabih, iii, 188. (Go back ↑)

14 Qadi Iyad, al-Shifa’, i, 324; ‘Ali al-Qari, Sharh al-Shifa’, i, 657; al-Khafaji, Sharh al-Shifa’, iii, 121; al-Haythami, Majma’ al-Zawa’id, ix, 415; Ibn Kathir, al-Bidaya wa’l-Nihaya, i, 295; al-Hakim, al-Mustadrak, iv, 62-3. (Go back ↑)

15 Qadi Iyad, al-Shifa’, i, 319; al-Khafaji, Sharh al-Shifa’, iii, 105; Ibn Kathir, al-Bidaya wa’l-Nihaya, iv, 158-9. (Go back ↑)

16 Qadi Iyad, al-Shifa’, i, 319; al-Khafaji, Sharh al-Shifa’, iii, 105; Suyuti, Kanz al-‘Ummal, iv, 379; Ibn Kathir, al-Bidaya wa’l-Nihaya, iv, 15918 (Go back ↑)

17 Qadi Iyad, al-Shifa’, i, 328; al-Khafaji, Sharh al-Shifa’, iii, 137; ‘Ali al-Qari, Sharh al-Shifa’, i, 663. (Go back ↑)

18 Qadi Iyad, al-Shifa’, i, 325; ‘Ali al-Qari, Sharh al-Shifa’, i, 657; al-Haythami, Majma’ al-Zawa’id, viii, 312. (Go back ↑)

19 Qadi Iyad, al-Shifa’, i, 335; ‘Ali al-Qari, Sharh al-Shifa’, i, 676. (Go back ↑)

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FOURTEENTH SIGN

Another numerous sort of the various kinds of miracle of God’s Most Noble Messenger (Upon whom be blessings and peace) were the wonders manifested as a result of his prayers. This kind is definite and there is a ‘true consensus’ concerning their many reports. The instances and examples of it are so numerous as to be incalculable, and many of these have reached the degree of ‘consensus,’ or have become famous as such. Others have been related by such authorities that they bear the same certainty as ‘well-known consensus.’ As examples, we shall quote only some of the numerous instances of this kind of miracle that are very well-known and nearest in degree to ‘consensus,’ giving some particulars of each instance.

F i r s t  E x a m p l e : The fact that prayers of the Noble Messenger (Upon whom be blessings and peace) for rain were always accepted has been transmitted by authorities of Hadith, primarily Bukhari and Muslim. There were times when in the pulpit he raised his hands to pray for rain, and before he had lowered them even, rain began to fall.(1) As mentioned above, once or twice when the army had run out of water, the clouds came and poured forth rain.(2) Before his prophetic mission, even, during his childhood, the Prophet’s (UWBP) grandfather ‘Abd al-Muttalib would go to pray for rain with him, and the rain came out of respect for Muhammad (UWBP). The fact became celebrated through a poem of ‘Abd al-Muttalib.(3) And after the Prophet’s (UWBP) death, ‘Umar prayed citing ‘Abbas, saying: “O our Sustainer! This is the uncle of your Beloved. Send us rain for his sake!” And it rained.(4)

Bukhari and Muslim also relate that God’s Messenger (Upon whom be blessings and peace) was asked to pray for rain. He did so and so much rain fell that they had to ask him to pray for it to stop. He did so, and it stopped at once.(5)

S e c o n d  E x a m p l e : It is almost as well-known as those incidents about which there are many unanimous reports that when the number of Companions and believers had still not reached forty, God’s Noble Messenger (Upon whom be blessings and peace) prayed secretly while performing his worship: “O God! Strengthen Islam by means of either ‘Umar b. al-Khattab or ‘Umar b. Hisham.” A few days later, ‘Umar b. al-Khattab came to believe and proclaimed and upheld Islam, so that he acquired the title of Faruq (Discerner between truth and falsehood.(6)

T h i r d  E x a m p l e : God’s Messenger (UWBP) prayed for various distinguished Companions for different purposes. His prayers were all accepted in so brilliant a fashion that the wonders of these prayers reached the degree of a miracle. For instance, foremost Bukhari and Muslim relate that he prayed for Ibn ‘Abbas as follows: “O God! Give him knowledge of religion and teach him interpretation.”(7) His supplication was accepted in such a way that Ibn ‘Abbas gained the glorious title of Interpreter of the Qur’an and reached the elevated degree of “erudite scholar of the Muslim community.”(8) When still very young even, ‘Umar used to include him in the gatherings of the religious scholars and leading  Companions.(9)

Also, foremost Bukhari and the writers of books of authentic Hadith relate that the mother of Anas entreatied God’s Noble Messenger (UWBP): “Pray that your servant Anas will be blessed with abundant wealth and offspring.” He prayed, saying: “O God! Grant increase to his wealth and offspring and bless what you bestow on him.” Towards the end of his life, Anas said swearing by God: “I have buried a hundred of my progeny with my own hand. No one has been as fortunate as myself in regard to wealth and possessions. You can see that my wealth is truly abundant. All these are the result of Prophet’s (UWBP) prayer for the blessing of plenty.”(10)

Also, foremost Imam Bayhaqi, and the scholars of Hadith relate that God’s Messenger (Upon whom be blessings and peace) prayed that one of the ten promised Paradise, ‘Abd al-Rahman b. ‘Awf, be blessed with abundance of wealth. Through the blessing of that prayer, he acquired such wealth that on one occasion he donated seven hundred camels together with their loads to God’s cause(11) See the blessings of plenty resulting from the Prophet’s (UWBP) prayer, and say: “How great are God’s blessings!”

Also, narrators of Hadiths, and foremost Bukhari, relate: “God’s Messenger (Upon whom be blessings and peace) prayed that ‘Urwa b. Abi al-Ja‘da might do profitably at trade. ‘Urwa said: ‘Sometimes I would go to the marketplace in Kufa and come home in the evening having made a forty thousandfold profit.’” Imam Bukhari says: “If he took earth in his hand, he still would make a profit from it!”(12)

Also, he prayed that ‘Abdullah b. Ja‘far would acquire an abundance of wealth,(13) and he became so rich he was famous for it. He also became as famous for his generosity as he was for the wealth he obtained through the Prophet’s (UWBP) prayer for the blessing of plenty.(14)

There are numerous instances of this sort of miracle, but we consider the four described above to be sufficient as examples.

Also, foremost Imam Tirmidhi relates: “The Noble Messenger (Upon whom be blessings and peace) prayed for Sa‘d b. Abi Waqqas: ‘O God, answer his prayer!’(15) After that everyone feared his malediction, and the answering of his prayers also became famous.(16)

On another occasion, God’s Messenger (UWBP) prayed for the famous Abu Qatada that he might remain young: “May God prosper your face! O God, bless his hair and his skin!” When he died at the age of seventy, he was like a youth of fifteen. This is related through a sound chain of narrators.(17)

There is also the famous story of the poet Nabigha: he recited one of his poems before God’s Messenger (UWBP), which ran: “Our glory and praise have reached to the skies; we want to ascend even higher.” God’s Messenger (UWBP) asked jokingly: “Where, beyond the skies?” Nabigha replied: “To Paradise.” He then recited another of his meaningful poems, and the Messenger (Upon whom be blessings and peace) prayed: “May God not spoil your mouth!” It was through the blessing of this prayer of the Prophet (UWBP) that he did not have a single tooth missing when he was one hundred and twenty years old. Whenever he lost a tooth, another would appear in its place.(18)

Also, it is related through an authentic narration that he prayed for Imam ‘Ali: “O God, protect him from heat and cold!” Through the blessing of this prayer, Imam ‘Ali used to wear summer clothes in winter, and winter clothes in summer. He used to say: “I never suffer from heat or cold, thanks to that prayer.”(19)

Also, he prayed for Fatima: “O God, do not let her go hungry!” And Fatima used to say: “I never suffered from hunger after that prayer.”(20)

Also, Tufayl b. ‘Amr asked God’s Messenger (Upon whom be blessings and peace) for a miracle to show to his tribe. The Messenger (UWBP)prayed: “O God, illuminate him!”, and a light appeared between his eyes. Later it was transferred to the end of his staff, and he became famous as Dhi’l-Nur, the Possessor of Light.(21) These incidents are all from well-known Hadiths that are certain.

Also, Abu Hurayra once complained to the Noble Messenger (Upon whom be blessings and peace) that he sometimes suffered from forgetfulness. God’s Messenger (UWBP) told him to spread out a piece of cloth. He then made some movements with his blessed hand as though taking some invisible objects and putting them on the cloth. He repeated this two or three times, then told him to gather up the cloth. Abu Hurayra later swore that through the mystery of this prayer of the Prophet (UWBP), he never again forgot anything.(22) This event is also among well-known Hadiths.

F o u r t h  E x a m p l e : We shall describe here a few events regarding maledictions of God’s Messenger (UWBP).

The First: The Persian Shah Parviz tore up the letter sent to him by God’s Messenger (UWBP). When the Messenger (Upon whom be blessings and peace) received news of this, he prayed: “O God, rend him as he rent my letter!”(23) It was as a result of this malediction that Chosroes Parviz’s son Shirviya cut him to pieces with a dagger.(24) And Sa‘d b. al-Waqqas broke his kingdom apart, so that in no part of the Sasanid empire did his sovereignty remain. However, the Emperor of Byzantium and other kings did not perish since they respected the Prophet’s (UWBP) letters.

The Second: An event almost as well-known as those reported unanimously, which some verses of the Qur’an allude to, is this: in the early days of Islam, the Noble Messenger (Upon whom be blessings and peace) was performing the prayers in the Masjid al-Haram, when the chiefs of the Quraysh gathered and maltreated him. At the time, the Messenger (UWBP) called down curses on them. Ibn Mas‘ud stated: “I swear that at the Battle of Badr I saw the corpses of all those who had ill-treated him and received his curse.”(25)

The Third: On their denying him, God’s Noble Messenger (Upon whom be blessings and peace) prayed that a large Arab tribe called the Mudariyya would be afflicted with drought and famine. All rain ceased and drought and famine occurred. Then the Quraysh, a branch of the Mudariyya, pleaded with the Noble Messenger (UWBP), and he prayed. Whereupon the rains came and put an end to the drought.(26) The incident was well-known enough to be reported unanimously.

F i f t h  E x a m p l e : The fact that the Messenger’s (UWBP) maledictions against particular persons were accepted and realized in a dreadful way is illustrated by numerous instances. We shall recount three of these by way of example.

The First: He uttered the following curse against ‘Utba b. Abi Lahab: “O God, beset a dog on him from among your dogs!” Some time later ‘Utba went on a journey during which a lion sought him out from among the caravan, and tore him to pieces.(27) This incident was famous and is narrated as authentic by the authorities on Hadith.

The Second: This is Muhallim b. Jaththama: he unjustly killed ‘Amir b. Adbat, whom God’s Messenger (UWBP) had sent him as the commander of a force to fight in God’s way. When the news of this reached the Messenger (UWBP), he was angry and cursed Muhallim, saying: “O God, do not grant forgiveness to Muhallim!” Muhallim died a week later. They put him in his grave, but the grave cast him out. They buried him in several different places, but each time the grave rejected him. Finally they built a strong wall between two rocks, and in this way the corpse was housed.(28)

The Third: Once God’s Noble Messenger (Upon whom be blessings and peace) saw a man eating with his left hand. He ordered him to eat with his right hand. The man replied: “I can’t.” The Messenger (UWBP) said as a malediction: “Henceforth you will be unable to raise it.” And after that he was unable to use it.(29)

S i x t h  E x a m p l e : Here, out of the numerous wonders resulting from prayers of the Noble Messenger (Upon whom be blessings and peace), and from his touch, we shall mention several incidents which are certain.

The First: God’s Messenger (Upon whom be blessings and peace) gave Khalid b. al-Walid, known as God’s Sword, several of his hairs and prayed for his victory in battle. Khalid put them in his cap. As the result of the hairs and the blessings of the prayer, there was never a battle in which he then fought but he was victorious.(30)

The Second: Salman al-Farsi had formerly been a slave of the Jews. His masters had asked for a very high ransom, saying: “To gain your freedom, you must plant three hundred date-palms, and after they bear fruit, give us forty okkas(31) of gold in addition to the fruit.” He went to the Noble Messenger (UWBP) and explained his situation. God’s Messenger (UWBP) then planted the three hundred palms in the region of Medina; only one of them was planted by someone else. That year, all three hundred trees bore fruit, with the exception of the one planted by the other person. The Messenger (UWBP) uprooted it and planted another, and it too bore fruit. He then rubbed some of his spittle on a piece of gold the size of a hen’s egg, and offered a prayer. He gave it to Salman, telling him to go and give it to the Jews. Salman al-Farsi went and gave them forty okkas of gold out of that piece, while it remained in its original state.(32) This miraculous incident, which was narrated by the most trustworthy and respected authorities, was the most significant event in Salman’s entire life.

The Third: A woman Companion called Umm Malik used to give the Noble Messenger (Upon whom be blessings and peace) butter from a leathern bag called an ‘ukka, as a gift. On one occasion God’s Messenger (UWBP) uttered a prayer over it while returning it to her, and told her not to empty it and squeeze it. Umm Malik took the ‘ukka, and thereafter as a result of the blessing of the Prophet’s (UWBP) prayer, butter was found in it whenever her children asked for it. This continued for a long time, until they squeezed it, and the blessing disappeared.(33)

S e v e n t h  E x a m p l e : There were also many examples of water becoming sweet and emitting a pleasant smell as a result of the Prophet’s (UWBP) prayer and his touching it; we shall mention several by way of example:

The First: Scholars of Hadith, and foremost Imam Bayhaqi, report that the well known as Bi’r al-Quba would sometimes dry up. On God’s Messenger (UWBP) pouring the water with which he had taken ablutions into the well and offering a prayer, its water became abundant and it never again dried up.(34)

The Second: Scholars of Hadith, including Abu Nu‘aym in his Dala’il al-Nubuwwa (Evidences of Prophethood), report that when God’s Messenger (UWBP) spat into the well in Anas’ house and prayed, it became the sweetest water in Medina.(35)

The Third: Ibn Maja reports that a bucketful of water from the spring of Zamzam was brought to the Messenger (UWBP). He took a little of it into his mouth then emptied it into the bucket. The bucket then emitted a sweet scent like musk.(36)

The Fourth: Imam Ahmad b. Hanbal reports that a bucketful of water was drawn from a well. After God’s Messenger (UWBP) had put some of his spittle in the bucket and poured it into the well, it began to emit a sweet scent like musk.(37)

The Fifth: Hammad b. Salama, who was a man of God and was trusted and accepted by Imam Muslim and the scholars of the Maghrib, reports that the Noble Messenger (UWBP) filled a leather bag with water, and breathed into it while praying. He then tied it up and gave it to some of the Companions, saying: “Don’t open it except when you perform the ablutions!” When they opened the bag to take ablutions, they saw pure milk with cream at its opening. (38)

Thus, these five instances have been narrated by well-known and important authorities. Together with those that are not mentioned here, they prove the occurrence of this kind of miracle as definitely as those about the various reports concerning which there is consensus in meaning.

E i g h t h  E x a m p l e : There were numerous instances of barren and dry goats producing milk, and abundantly at that, through the touch and prayers of God’s Noble Messenger (Upon whom be blessings and peace). We shall mention only two or three which are well-known and certain, as examples:

The First: All the reliable books of the Prophet’s (UWBP) biography relate that when God’s Messenger (UWBP) and Abu Bakr the Veracious were migrating to Medina, they came to the house of Umm Ma‘bad, called Atika Bint Khalid al-Khuza‘i. There was an extremely thin, barren, and dry goat there. God’s Messenger (UWBP) asked Umm Ma‘bad: “Has this no milk?” She replied: “It has no blood in its body, how should it produce milk?” The Messenger (UWBP) stroked its loins and teets, and prayed. Then he said: “Bring a vessel, and milk it.” They milked it, and after the Messenger (UWBP) and Abu Bakr had drunk, all the people of the house drank to repletion. The goat grew strong, and remained thus blessed.(39)

The Second: This is the famous story of Shat b. Mas‘ud: before becoming a Muslim, Ibn Mas‘ud used to act as a shepherd for a number of people. God’s Messenger (Upon whom be blessings and peace) went together with Abu Bakr the Veracious to the place where Ibn Mas‘ud and his goats were. God’s Messenger (UWBP) asked Ibn Mas‘ud for some milk. On replying that they were not his but someone else’s, the Messenger (UWBP) told him to bring him a barren, dry goat. So he brought a nanny-goat that had not been mated for two years. God’s Messenger (UWBP) stroked its teets with his hand and prayed. Then they milked it, and obtained sweet milk which they drank. Ibn Mas‘ud came to believe after witnessing this miracle.(40)

The Third: This is the well-known story of Halima Sa‘diya, the foster mother, that is, wet-nurse, of the Noble Messenger (Upon whom be blessings and peace). There was drought where the tribe was found, and all the animals were thin and without milk. They could not find sufficient to eat. But when the Messenger (UWBP) was sent to his foster mother there, through the blessing he brought, Halima Sa‘diya’s goats would return in the evening with both their stomachs and their teets full, contrary to everyone else’s.

There are further instances in the books of biography similar to these, but these examples are sufficient for our purpose.(41)

N i n t h  E x a m p l e : We shall recount here a few out of many instances of wonders which were manifested after God’s Messenger (Upon whom be blessings and peace) had touched the faces and heads of certain people, and prayed.

The First: He passed his hand over the head of ‘Umar b. Sa‘d, and prayed. When the man died at the age of eighty, through the blessing of that prayer, there was not a single grey hair on his head.(42)

The Second: He placed his hand on Qays b. Zayd’s head, and prayed. Through the blessing of the prayer and effect of his touch, when Qays reached a hundred years of age, his head was white except for where God’s Messenger (Upon whom be blessings and peace) had placed his hand; that had remained totally black.(43)

The Third: ‘Abd al-Rahman b. Zayd b. al-Khattab was both small and ugly. God’s Messenger (UWBP) touched his head with his hand and prayed. Through the blessing of his prayer, ‘Abdurrahman acquired the loftiest stature and most beautiful form.(44)

The Fourth: ‘A’idh b. ‘Amr received a wound on the face during the Battle of Hunayn. God’s Messenger (UWBP) wiped away the blood on his face with his hand. The part of his face that the Messenger (UWBP) had touched acquired a shining brilliance, which the scholars of Hadith described as resembling a white blaze on a chestnut horse.(45)

The Fifth: He passed his hand over Qatada b. Malhan’s face and prayed, and Qatada’s face began to shine like a mirror.(46)

The Sixth: When Zaynab, the daughter of the Mother of Believers Umm Salama and the stepdaughter of God’s Messenger (UWBP) was a child, he sprinkled some of his ablution water on her face. With the touch of the water, her face acquired an extraordinary beauty.(47)

There are numerous further examples similar to these, most of which have been narrated by the leading scholars of Hadith. Even if we suppose each of these instances to be a single report and weak, as a whole they still demonstrate an absolute miracle of Muhammad (UWBP) that has the certainty of ‘consensus in meaning.’ For if an event is narrated in numerous different forms, the occurrence of the basic event becomes definite. Even if each is weak, it still proves the basic event.

For example, a noise was heard; some people said that a house had collapsed. Others said it was a different house, and so on. Each narration may be a single report, and weak, and untrue, but the basic event was that a house had collapsed; that was certain and they were unanimous concerning it. However, the six instances we enumerated above were both authentic, and some of them became famous. Suppose we consider each of them to be weak, all together they demonstrate the certain occurrence of an absolute miracle of Muhammad (UWBP), like the absolute collapse of the house in the comparison.

Thus, God’s Noble Messenger (Upon whom be blessings and peace) performed definite, evident miracles from every category. The instances of them are the forms or examples of those universal and absolute miracles. Just as the Messenger’s (UWBP) hand, fingers, spittle, breath, and speech, that is, his prayer, were the means of numerous miracles, so too, his other subtle faculties and emotions and senses were the means of many wonders. The books of biography and history have described them and demonstrated that in his conduct, physical being, and senses were many evidences of his prophethood.

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1 Bukhari, Istisqa, 6-8, 14; Muslim, Istisqa, 8-10. (Go back ↑)

2 al-Haythami, Majma’ al-Zawa’id, vi, 194-5; al-Hakim, al-Mustadrak, i, 159; Ibn Hibban, iv, 223. (Go back ↑)

3 Ibn Sa’d, Tabaqat, i, 90; Bayhaqi, Dala’il al-Nubuwwa, ii, 15-19. (Go back ↑)

4 Bukhari, Istisqa, 3; Fada’il Ashab al-Nabi, 11. (Go back ↑)

5 Bukhari, Istisqa, 19; Ibn Maja, Iqama, 154; Muslim, Salat al-Istisqa, 8, no: 897; Ibn Kathir, al-Bidaya wa’l-Nihaya, vi, 91-2; Qadi Iyad, al-Shifa’, i, 327. (Go back ↑)

6 Tirmidhi, Manaqib, 18, no: 1683; al-Albani, Mishkat al-Masabih, no: 6036; al-Mubarakfuri, Tuhfat al-Ahwazi, no: 3766; Ibn Asir al-Jizri, Jami’ al-Usul, no: 7428; Ibn Hibban, Sahih, ix, 17; al-Hakim, al-Mustadrak, ii, 465; iii, 83, 502; Qadi Iyad, al-Shifa’, i, 327; Bayhaqi, Dala’il al-Nubuwwa, ii, 215. (Go back ↑)

7 Bukhari, Vudu’, 10; ‘Ilm, 17; Fada’il al-Ashab, 24; Muslim, Fada’il al-Sahaba, 138; Ibn Hibban, Sahih, ix, 98; Qadi Iyad, al-Shifa’, i, 327; ‘Ali al-Qari, Sharh al-Shifa’, i, 661; al-Khafaji, Sharh al-Shifa’, iii, 130; Ibn al-Asir, Jami’ al-Usul, ix, 63; Musnad, i, 264, 314, 328, 330; al-Hakim, al-Mustadrak, iv, 534 (Go back ↑)

8 al-Hakim, al-Mustadrak, iii, 535; Ibn Hajar, al-Isaba, ii, 330-4; Ibn Athir, Usd al-Ghaba, iii, 291; Qadi Iyad, al-Shifa’, i, 327. (Go back ↑)

9 Musnad, i, 338; Ahmad b. Hanbal, Fada’il al-Sahaba, no: 1871; al-Hakim, al-Mustadrak, iii, 535; ‘Ali al-Qari, Sharh al-Shifa’, i, 661. (Go back ↑)

10 Bukhari, Da’wat, 19, 26, 47; Muslim, Fada’il al-Sahaba, 141, 142, nos: 2480-1; Musnad, iii, 190; vi, 430; Ibn Hibban, Sahih, ix, 155; al-Mubarakfuri, Tuhfat al-Ahwazi, x, 330. (Go back ↑)

11 Qadi Iyad, al-Shifa’, i, 326; ‘Ali al-Qari, Sharh al-Shifa’, i, 659; al-Khafaji, Sharh al-Shifa’, iii, 125. (Go back ↑)

12 Bukhari, Manaqib, 28; Ibn Maja, Sadaqat, 7; Musnad, iv, 375; Qadi Iyad, al-Shifa’, i, 327; al-Sa’ati, al-Fath al-Rabbani, xxii, 326. (Go back ↑)

13 al-Haythami, Majma’ al-Zawa’id, ix, 286; Ibn Hajar, Matalib al-‘Aliya, iv, 105; Bayhaqi, Dala’il al-Nubuwwa, vi, 221. (Go back ↑)

14 Qadi Iyad, al-Shifa’, i, 327; ‘Ali al-Qari, Sharh al-Shifa’, i, 661; al-Haythami, Majma^ al-Zawa’id, v, 286; Ibn Hajar al-‘Asqalani, al-Matalib al-‘Aliya, no: 4077-8. (Go back ↑)

15 Tirmidhi, Manaqib, 27, no: 3751; Ibn Hibban, Sahih, no: 12215; al-Hakim, al-Mustadrak, iii, 499; Abu Nu’aym, Hilyat al-Awliya, i, 93; Abu Nu’ayim, Dala’il al-Nubuwwa, iii, 206; al-Albani, Mishkat al-Masabih, iii, 251, no: 6116; al-Mubarakfuri, Tuhfat al-Ahwazi, x, 253-4 no: 3835; Ahmad b. Hanbal, Fada’il al-Sahaba, ii, 750, no: 1038; Ibn al-Asir, Jami’ al-Usul, x, 16, no: 6535. (Go back ↑)

16 Ibn al-Athir, Usd al-Ghaba, ii, 367; Ibn Hajar, al-Isaba, ii, 33. (Go back ↑)

17 Qadi Iyad, al-Shifa’, i, 327; ‘Ali al-Qari, Sharh al-Shifa’, i, 660; al-Khafaji, Sharh al-Shifa’, iii, 128. (Go back ↑)

18 ‘Ali al-Qari, Sharh al-Shifa’, i, 661; Ibn Hajar, al-Isaba fi Tamyiz al-Sahaba, no: 8639; al-

‘Asqalani, al-Matalib al-‘Aliya, no: 4060; Ibn Kathir, al-Bidaya wa’l-Nihaya, vi, 168. (Go back ↑)

19 al-Haythami, Majma’ al-Zawa’id, ix, 122; Ahmad b. Hanbal, Fada’il al-Sahaba, no: 950; Ibn Maja,

Muqaddima 11, No: 117; Musnad, i, 99, 133; Musnad (Tahqiq: Ahmad Shakir), ii, 120, no: 1114; al-Khafaji, Sharh al-Shifa’, iii, 133. (Go back ↑)

20 Qadi Iyad, al-Shifa’, i, 328; al-Khafaji, Sharh al-Shifa’, iii, 134; al-Haythami, Majma’ al-Zawa’id, ix, 203. (Go back ↑)

21 Qadi Iyad, al-Shifa’, i, 328; al-Khafaji, Sharh al-Shifa’, iii, 134; ‘Ali al-Qari, Sharh al-Shifa’, i, 662. (Go back ↑)

22 Bukhari, ‘Ilm, 42; Manaqib, 28; Buyu’, 1; Harth, 21; Muslim, Fada’il al-Sahaba, 159, no: 2492; Tirmidhi, Manaqib, 46, 47; Musnad, ii, 240, 274, 428; al-Mubarakfuri, Tuhfat al-Ahwazi, x, 334 no: 3923; Ibn al-Asir, Jami’ al-Usul (Tahqiq: Arnavud), ix, 95; Ibn Kathir, al-Bidaya wa’l-Nihaya, vi, 162; al-Sa’ati, al-Fath al-Rabbani, xxii, 405, 409-10; Abu Nu’aym, Hilyat al-Awliya, i, 381; al-‘Asqalani, al-Isaba, no: 1190. (Go back ↑)

23 Bukhari, ‘Ilm, 7; Jihad, 101; Maghazi, 82; Qadi Iyad, al-Shifa’, i, 328; al-Sa’ati, al-Fath al-Rabbani, xxii, 159. (Go back ↑)

24 Ibn Hisham, al-Sirat al-Nabawiyya, i, 71; Tabari, Tarikh al-Umma wa’l-Muluk, ii, 135; Ibn Kathir, al-Bidaya wa’l-Nihaya, x, 369. (Go back ↑)

25 Bukhari, Salat, 109; Manaqib al-Ansar, 45; Muslim, Jihad, 107 no: 1794; Musnad, i, 417. (Go back ↑)

26 Bukhari, Tafsir, 30; 28:3; 44:3-4; Da’wat, 58; Istisqa, 13; Qadi Iyad, al-Shifa’, i, 328; ‘Ali al-Qari, Sharh al-Shifa’, i, 663; Bayhaqi, Dala’il al-Nubuwwa, ii, 324. (Go back ↑)

27 Qadi Iyad, al-Shifa’, i, 329; ‘Ali al-Qari, Sharh al-Shifa’, i, 664. (Go back ↑)

28 Ibn Maja, Fitan, 1, no: 3930; Qadi Iyad, al-Shifa’, i, 329; ‘Ali al-Qari, Sharh al-Shifa’, i, 665; al-Khafaji, Sharh al-Shifa’, iii, 142; Ibn Hisham, Sirat al-Nabi, iv, 247; Ibn Kathir, al-Bidaya wa’l-Nihaya, iv, 224-6. (Go back ↑)

29 Muslim, Ashriba, 107, no: 2021; Ibn Hibban, Sahih, viii, 152; Qadi Iyad, al-Shifa’, i, 328-9; ‘Ali al-Qari, Sharh al-Shifa’, i, 666. (Go back ↑)

30 Qadi Iyad, al-Shifa’, i, 331; al-Haythami, Majma’ al-Zawa’id, ix, 349; al-‘Asqalani, al-Matalib al-‘Aliya, iv, 90, no: 4044; al-Hakim, al-Mustadrak, iii, 289. (Go back ↑)

31 okka was the equivalent of 1,282 gr. or 2.8 lbs. (Tr.) (Go back ↑)

32 Musnad, v, 441-2; Ibn Sa’d, al-Tabaqat al-Kubra, iv, 53-7; al-Haythami, Majma’ al-Zawa’id, ix,

332-6; Qadi Iyad, al-Shifa’, 332; al-Hakim, al-Mustadrak, ii, 16. (Go back ↑)

33 Muslim, Fada’il, 8, no: 2280; Musnad, iii, 340, 347; Qadi Iyad, al-Shifa’, i, 332. (Go back ↑)

34 Bayhaqi, Dala’il al-Nubuwwa, vi, 136; Qadi Iyad, al-Shifa’, i, 331; al-Khafaji, Sharh al-Shifa’, iii, 149. (Go back ↑)

35 Qadi Iyad, al-Shifa’, i, 331; ‘Ali al-Qari, Sharh al-Shifa’, i, 668. (Go back ↑)

36 Ibn Maja, Tahara, 136, no: 659; Qadi Iyad, al-Shifa’, i, 332; ‘Ali al-Qari, Sharh al-Shifa’, i, 669. (Go back ↑)

37 al-Sa’ati, al-Fath al-Rabbani, xxii, 667. (Go back ↑)

38 Qadi Iyad, al-Shifa’, i, 334; al-Khafaji, Sharh al-Shifa’, iii, 160. (Go back ↑)

39 Tabrizi, Mishkat al-Masabih (Tahqiq: al-Albani), no: 5943: al-Haythami, Majma’ al-Zawa’id, vi, 58; viii, 313; al-Hakim, al-Mustadrak, ii, 109; Ibn Kathir, al-Bidaya wa’l-Nihaya, iii, 190-1; Ibn al-Qayyim, Zad al-Ma’ad, iii, 55, 57; Ibn Sa’d, al-Tabaqat al-Kubra, i, 230-1. (Go back ↑)

40 Musnad (Tahqiq: Ahmad Shakir), v, 210 no: 3598; Ibn Hibban, Sahih, viii, 149; Ibn Kathir, al-Bidaya wa’l-Nihaya, vi, 102. (Go back ↑)

41 al-Sa’ati, al-Fath al-Rabbani, xx, 192-3; al-Haythami, Majma’ al-Zawa’id, viii, 220-1; Abu Nu’aym, Dala’il al-Nubuwwa, i, 111-3; Ibn Kathir, al-Bidaya wa’l-Nihaya, ii, 273; Qadi Iyad, al-Shifa’, i, 366; ‘Ali al-Qari, Sharh al-Shifa’, i, 750; al-Khafaji, Sharh al-Shifa’, iii, 313. (Go back ↑)

42 Qadi Iyad, al-Shifa’, i, 334; ‘Ali al-Qari, Sharh al-Shifa’, i, 673. (Go back ↑)

43 Qadi Iyad, al-Shifa’, i, 334; ‘Ali al-Qari, Sharh al-Shifa’, i, 674. (Go back ↑)

44 Qadi Iyad, al-Shifa’, i, 335; ‘Ali al-Qari, Sharh al-Shifa’, i, 676-7. (Go back ↑)

45 Qadi Iyad, al-Shifa’, i, 334; al-Haythami, Majma’ al-Zawa’id, ix, 412; al-Hakim, al-Mustadrak, iii, 487. (Go back ↑)

46 Qadi Iyad, al-Shifa’, i, 334; al-‘Asqalani, al-Isaba, iii, 225; al-Haythami, Majma’ al-Zawa’id, v, 319. (Go back ↑)

47 Qadi Iyad, al-Shifa’, i, 334; al-Khafaji, Sharh al-Shifa’, iii, 163; al-Haythami, Majma’ al-Zawa’id, ix, 259. (Go back ↑)

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