BY: SHAIKH MOUSTAFA AL – TAIR.
OF THE ACADEMY OF ISLAMIC RESEARCHES
Signs and Office of Prophethood:
In His Wisdom, Allah, the Knowing the Aware, decreed that all His prophets and messengers that he sent must be chosen from among their own fellowmen, They had to be of high purity, spirituality and incorporeality that would qualify them to have communion with their Lord and receive His Revelation. Had the prophets and messengers been selected from among the angels, human beings could have neither been able to gaze upon them nor receive the Revelation from them, while they were in their heavenly from. Had an angel appeared to men’s grosser senses, he should have to do it only in a human form; and in such a case men’s confused notions would have still to be more confounded. Allah says: “If we did send down an angel, the matter would be settled at once, and no respite would be granted them. If we had made it an angel. We should have sent him as a man, and we should certainly have caused them confusion in a matter which they have already covered with confusion“.
It is not judicious or advisable that all men should be imbued with the same spirituality and purity such as were instilled in the souls and hearts of prophets so that they could see the angels by their physical eyes and receive from them direct Allah’s Revelation. And had Revelation come down through angels, this could be nothing but enforcement of the Faith on men, and men had to abide by Allah’s commands. And in such a case, the Divine plan that the life of this world is nothing but a life of test and trial, and that the Next is of Reckoning, should have been out of motion . The angels were created in such a form that prevents them from mixing up and existing amidst humans. They are busy, each carrying out the job he is entrusted with in the kingdom of Allah. Had the angels been sent down to inhabit the earth, the aim of their creation should not have been achieved. Allah says: “Say: If there were settled on earth angels walking about in peace and quiet, We should certainly have sent them down from the heavens an angel for an apostle”
Prophethood was not to be claimed or assumed by men other than those who were chosen by Allah to carry out His Mission. This Divinely office, however, was protected against false pretenders, because each prophet or messenger was sent to his people with clear and evident signs supporting his station and mission.
Those who pretended Prophethood, without producing any relevant sign, were undoubtedly liars and impostors.
Each prophet raised by Allah was sent to his people with a miracle no one else could produce the like of it. This miracle supported the truthfulness of that prophet.
Miracles of the prophets took several forms. Some were seen physically, such as the emergence of the prophet Saleh’s she-camel from the cracks of rock of a mountain and the transformation of Moses staff into a serpent which swallowed up the performance of all the sorcerers whom pharaoh had gathered to challenge Moses. Other miracles were made to show unusual things, as it was the case with Ibrahim, who was saved from the flames of the fire his opponents cast him in. Some other miracles came in the form of words, such as the Qur’an which was revealed to the prophet Muhammad, may Allah’s peace and blessing be upon him, in a language which its own people failed to produce even one sentence like it.
Miracles are of Allah’s and not of Humans’ Make:
Miracles were marvelous events, which were performed through supernatural agency. They were carried out only by some prophets and messengers by order of Allah.
Some miracles had created fright even in the heart of its performer; and this was exactly what happened to Moses, who, when he was ordered by Allah to throw his rod and then he “saw it moving [of its own accord] as if it had been a snake, he turned back in retreat and retraced not his steps, but Allah called him, O, Moses; draw near and fear not; for thou art of those who are secure.” (28:31).
A miracle is not an art of sorcery. Sorcery is a supernatural act, an act of enchantment, of optical illusion, which still could be taught and experienced by sorcerers. Unlike it is the miracle, which a prophet was ordered to perform. In an unusual manner, to confirm his truthfulness in delivering a Divine Message. Hence the impossibility for a prophethood pretender to produce a miracle, and if something preternatural had been made by such pretenders, it was nothing but a trcik or an act of enchantment.
Muhammad (PBUH) before Taking Office of Prophethood:
Muhammad (PBUH) is the son of Abdullah, son of Abdul Muttaleb, of the Arab clan of Banu Hashem of the tribe of Quraish, one of the ancient, noblest and most dignified tribes of the land. It was known for its valour, hospitality, influence and eloquence. Muhammad’s nobility derived its roots from both his father’s and his mother’s lineage. He is a descendent of Adnan. And the grandson of Ismail, son of Ibrahim. No one of Ismail’s progeny became a prophet except Muhammad.
The Imam Moslem quotes the prophet Muhammad, on the authority of wa’ilah ibn al-Asq’. As having said: “Allah has singled out Kenanah from the progeny of Ismail: the Quraishites from Kenanah: the Banu Hashem from the Quraish: and myself from the Banu Hashem“.
Muhammad, may Allah’s peace and blessing be upon him, was born in the “Elephant Year“, during which time Abraha the Abyssinian, ruler of Yemen, was delegated by the Negus to go to Arabia to destroy the Ka’bah. But it was this man and his army who were destroyed instead in an unprecedented manner. Describing this incident Allah says: “Seest thou not how thy Lord dealt with the companions of the Elephant? Did He not make their treacherous plan go astray? And He sent against them flights of birds, striking them with stoner of backed clay. Then did He make an empty field of stalks and straw, [of which the corn] has been eaten up.” This was an indication that a new prophet would be raised and that the Ka’bah will be the place towards which he and his nation should turn their faces in prayers. Muhammad (PBUH) was the sole son of his father Abdullah; and this was decreed so that upon him alone should the blessing of his two grand-fathers, Ibrahim and Ismail, should be bestowed
Mohammed’s father died when he was still an embryo in his mother’s womb. When he was five years old, he lost his mother while both of them were on their way back to Makkah after a visit they paid to his paternal uncles, the Banu Adiy bin al-Nijar in Madinah. The mother died at a place called al-Abwa. Asma, daughter of Rahm,quotes her mother, as reported by Al-Zohari, as having said: “ I have seen Amna, the mother of the prophet . in her illness in which she died. Muhammad (PBUH) was five years old, and he was sitting all the time at her head. Lookinatherself, Amna would say: “Every living is to die; and every new thing will wear out. I shall pass away, but my name will last. I am leaving behind me goodness, and I had given birth to a pure. After saying this, she died”.
Muhammad (PBUH) was then brought up in the loving care of his grand-father Abdul Muttaleb, the leader of Quraish. And when Muhammad (PBUH) was eight years old, the grandfather died, after which the boy was brought up his uncle Abu Taleb, who took the lead of Quraish.But despite the fact that Muhammad (PBUH) was brought up in orphanhood, he was active, energetic, weary of mean things. He was of a high spirit, of good behavior, and was serious in managing matters. He never indulged in children quarrels or noisy games, and never had he behaved like anyone of his age; he was reared in the institution of Allah, the Merciful, the Beneficent, Who decreed that Muhammad (PBUH) was to be the last in the line of prophets and messengers.
All his life, Muhammad (PBUH) remained under the guard and care of Allah, always blessed with His favor and benignity. Once, his nurse, Halimah, of the tribe of Banu Sa’d, took the lad to spend sometime amidst her kin. Though they were suffering a season of drought, the land, unexpectedly, turned into a fertile space, with plenty of crops coming out everywhere. Herds returned from grazing with full stomachs and much of milk, while the sheep of their neighbouring lands remained hungry, with no milk in their udders, And it happened that even when the other people’s sheep grazed on Halimah’s pasture, they still failed to produce milk.
Ibn’Asaker quotes Jalhamah ibn Arfatah as narrating the following story: “Once I visited Makkah at a time of scarcity. The Quraishites approached Abu Taleb, saying: O,Abu Taleb; the valley has become barren and the young children hungry. Go forth and pray for water for the people’ .Abu Taleb headad for the Ka’bah, taking with him a young boy [Muhammad], who was radiant in face like a sun. Abu Taleb made the boy stand with his back close to the Ka’bah , The boy lifted his his hinger towards the sky, which was cloudless. But soon clouds appeared in the sky and rains fell down heavily. The valley became fertile and crops were harvested later”.
Muhammad (PBUH) accompanied his uncle Abu Taleb on two journeys to Syria, once when he was twelve years old, and secondly, when he was eighteen. On both the journeys, significant indications and unusual things were observed. Of all the travelers it was Muhammad (PBUH) alone who was overshadowed by a cloud. All inanimates used to greet him wherever he passed them. When he was seen by Bihairah, the monk, he embraced him, declaring that he was the prophet of whom the Torah had foretold; and the monk asked the boy’s uncle to protect him from the Jews.
Muhammad (PBUH) was known amongst his people for his truthfulness, honesty and prudence. And for these qualities he was called by them “Al-Amin,” the Trusty. Being so known among the Arabs, he was given by Khadijah the charge of a caravan conveying merchandise to Syria. On this journey, he was accompanied by Khadijah’s servant, Maysarah, who, being close to Muhammad, saw for himself the nobility of his behavior and the supernatural phenomena that he had never seen the like before On Muhammad’s return, Khadijah, who was of noble lineage and wealthy, was so pleased with his successful management of her business, was so attracted by his nobility, of character, reports about which she heard from her old servant who had accompanied Muhammad (PBUH) on his journey, that she offered the young man her hand, Muhammad (PBUH) then went with his uncle Abu Taleb to Khadijah’s uncle Amr ibn Asad to finalize the procedures of marriage.
All Muhammad’s sons were mothered by Khadijah except Ibrahim who was born to his other wife Maria, the Copt.
When Muhammad (PBUH) reached thirty-five rears of age, the Quraish re-constructed the ka’bah but a dispute arose among the tribe’s chieftains as to who was to place the Black Stone in is proper place in the ka’bah. The dispute lasted four nights, and it threatened to plunge the different clans of Quraish into war. The eldest chief amongst them was Abu Umayah ibn al-Mughira, of Banu Makhzoum, the uncle of Khaled ibn al-waleed, and he proposed that the dispute should be settled by arbitration. They accepted the idea and proposed that the first man to enter the Ka,bah should be the arbitrator. And the man was Muhammad; and because he was popularly known for his equity, good reasoning and honesty, all the chiefs accepted the Amin to be the arbitrator. They had sought his decision on several matters before, and he was always just, fair and unprejudicial. He stretched his robe and asked each clan to hold one of its sides after placing the Stone on it. When the garment was lifted up by them, he took the Stone by his hands and inserted it in its place. And thus the sagacious arbitration of Muhammad (PBUH) saved the situation and settled the dispute to everyone’s satisfaction. Even after he had been entrusted with the Divine Message, his opponents, who rejected the Meassage, could not deny his good qualities. One of Muhammad’s arch-enemies, Al-Nadr ibn al-Harth, of Banu Abdul Darr, could say nothing to the pilgrims but to chant the praises of the Prophet. He went further and rejected the plea that he was an enchanter.
When Hercules, King of the Romans, asked Abu Sufyan once: Did you charge Muhammad (PBUH) as a liar before he brought you the Message? The man said: No Hercules said: If he has never lied to men, how could he then tell lies a bout Allah?
The Intellectual Movement before Muhammad’s Birth:
All the Scriptures foretold of the appearance of a prophet of Ismail’s offspring from the mountainous area of Tohama. The Jewa were expecting his appearance. In the year 71 A.D the jews rebelled against the Romana in “ Iliya”[Jerusalem]. And as a consequence, the Jews, sacred temple was demolished by the Roman commander Titus.and a large number of them were driven out of the land. Some of them headed for Yathirb, Madina, and its outskirts, and they were members of the tribes of Qurayzah, Al-Nadir, Qinaqa, Khybarand others. The flocks of jews went to that part of the land because they were sure, as their Books asserted, that a new prophet would be raised there, and that the religion he was destined to preach will spread everywhere, from the city of Yathrib. They desired to live close to that prophet and to lend him support in the hope that he might restore to them the status they had lost in Jerusalem.
Later, the Jews, anticipating assistance from the prophet Muhammad, prayed for their victory against their foes, the Aus and the Khazraj. But when the prophet preached the Message, that their Scripture spoke of, they rejected both the prophet and hid Message. Alluding to this Allah says: “And when there comes to them a Book from God, confirming what is with them,-although from of old, they had prayed for victory against those without Faith, when there comes to them that which they [should] have recognized, they refuse to believe in it, but the curse of God is on those without Faith“. He also says: “And if the apostle were to invent any sayings in Our name, we should certainly seize him by his right hand, and We should certainly then cut off artery of this heart; not could any of you withhold him [from Our wrath].”
Even Jesus Christ had foretold, as stated in the Gospel, of the appearance of the prophet Muhammad, Confirming this report, the Holy Qur’an says: “And remember Jesus, the son of Mary said: O, Children of Israel: I am the apostle of Good [sent] to you, confirming the Law [which came] before me, and giving glad tidings of an Apostle to come after me, whose name shall be Ahmad”
Salman, the Persian, was close to a priest who used to repeat to him that a Messenger by the name of Ahmad will be raised by Allah from the passes of mount Tohama, and that he will be known for accepting only a gift and refusing charity . And this was the reason why Salman converted to Islam.
Jesus Christ, as the Gospel of Mathew says, prophesied the rise of Muhammad (PBUH) as a prophet. He dhim the stone put by the Lord on the top of the building; he told his people that the kingdom of the Israelites will disappear, giving place to another nation, the Muslims. Whoever falls on this stone will suffer bruises, and whomever the stone might fall own on will certainly be crushed.
And because the followers of the Scriptures knew beforehand of the appearance of Muhammad (PBUH) as a Prophet, his letters, which were later sent to their kings and rulers, had albeen received by them with respect and esteem, and esteem, and their receipt had always been acknowledged nicely. The Roman Emperor of the time was about to convert to Islam had it not been for his people who rebelled against him when he called them to have faith in the prophet Muhammad.
Muhammad (PBUH) had Never Expected to be a Messenger of Allah:
Muhammad (PBUH) had never entertained the idea of being a prophet. He was one the dignitaries of his clan who feathered his own nest after having passed through bad circumstances. He had a prosperous trade, and as such, he was in no need to accumulate money or seek to acquire a high social status by pretending Prophethood. Allah confirms this fact, saying: “And he found thee [Muhammad] in need, and made thee independent.”
Muhammad (PBUH) used to retire to a cave in Mount Hira to meditate and commune with the Invisible Power. It was on one of these occasions that Muhammad (PBUH) received the Call. Alarmed by this experience, Muhammad (PBUH) rose trembling and hastened home to seek rest and solace for his troubled mind and tortured soul in Khadijah’s tender care. She calmed and comforted him, saying: “Be sure that Allah will never let you down; you are kind to your kith and kin; you help the weak and the destitute; you are hospitable to your guests and help others overcome their troubles.
When most of the Makkans to believe in the Message Muhammad (PBUH) brought them, Allah instructed him to tell them: “God had so willed, I should not have rehearsed it to you, nor would He have made it known to you. A whole life time before this have I tarried amongst you. Will ye not then understand”
The prophet’s truthfulness and honesty even before he received the Divine Revelation were undisputed. If, as the disbelevers admitted, he had never told a lie during his forty years he lived amongst them, how could he now speak falsely about Allah and how could he tell of something that he was unable to produce a like of it?
And when all the efforts of his people failed to make him desist from going ahead in his preaching the new faith, they attempted to subdue him by offering him riches and dominion, but he rejected the offer in disdain and persisted to go on delivering the Message.
The miracles, which were performed by the Prophet Muhammad, by Allah’s leave and inspiration, were either rhetorical or physical.
The former are reflected in the Holy Qur’an which for all time will be preserved safe, without undergoing any change or alteration, against all attempts to destroy it, and from every kind of corruption. Allah took upon Himself to do that and in the Qur’an itself He pledges: “We have, without doubt, sent down the Message [The Qur’an], and We will assuredly guard it (from corruption).” [15:9]
The Qur’an, in its style and phraseology, was a challenge to the Arabs who were known for their eloquence and command of the Arabic language. No man could produce ever one verse similar to that of the Qur’an.
The physical miracles, on the other hand, were the supernatural acts which were performed by Muhammad (PBUH) in such a way that nothing of their type had been performed before by any of the preceding messengers.
Former religions were revealed to particular peoples, and they were liable to be superseded by other faiths. Miracles performed at that time were all physical and timely. They left no trace behind; they were something of old that were narrated later; and they are prone to falsification.
The physical miracles of Muhammad (PBUH) were performed on particular occasions, and all of them were supportive of his Mission, aimed at giving calm and comfort to the souls of the believers. They were not basically meant to prove or confirm the Muhammadan Message, and because of this, these miracles had never been used as a challenge to his adversaries, His only challenge was in asking them to produce such a verse that might resemble in style and phraseology any of the Qur’an.
Muhammad’s physical miracles were of the same nature of those performed by Moses, who challenged Pharaoh and his sorcerers and triumphed over them all by making his staff, which was transformed into a serpent, swallow up all the rods of Phoraob’s magicians, And when pharaoh turned back after seeing this miracle, e was punished by Allah by wide-spread death, locust, lice, frogs and blood.
The prophet Muhammad (PBUH) would say: “ Each prophet had been given the miracle that suited the prevailing conditions of this people. But my miracle is an inspiration from Allah to me. I pray that I should have more and more followers on the Day of Judgment.”
The Arabs had their own style in composing and writing of prose. When the Qur’an was revealed, they found therein a different style and a more eloquent language which astounded and dumbfounded even the most silver-tongued amongst them. And when they failed to produce something like it, they claimed it to be a clear enchantment, because whenever it was recited, people were greatly impressed and touched. Even the most obstinate of the Arabs had to admit, on listening to it, that it was beyond anyone’s power to produce something like it.
Muhammad ibn Ka’ab relates this story: One day Otba ibn Rabi’a was sitting in the company of some men from Quraish while the prophet was sitting alone in the mosque. Otba said: “O people of Quraish ; may Ibe permitted to go to him to propose many things, of which he may accept some, and so he would withhold his hands from us ? “ They said: ”Agreed; O, Abu al-Waleed “The man went to the prophet and sat by him. He said: “Q, kinsman; you are distinguished by your qualities and your descent. But now you have sown division among your people and created dissension in our families, You have denounced their gods and faith, and taxed their successors with impiety. You have also branded their forefathers with disbelief. We have some propositions to make to you, and you may accept some of them. “ The prophet said: “ Speak, o, Abu al-Waleed, I am listening to you. “The man said:” O, Kinsman; if you wish to acquire riches by this affair you brought, we will collect for you a fortune larger than is possessed by any of us; if you desire honor and dignity, we shell make you our chief and we shell not do a thing without you; if you desire dominion, we shall make you our king; if that which you are preaching is a vision of jinnis which you cannot evade, we will ask our doctors to treat and cure you, and in this we will not hesitate to spend whatever money your treatment might cost. A man, who is possessed, might remain so until he is medically treated and cured. “ The prophet said: “ Is this all that you like to say, O, Abu al-waleed? “ The man said: ”Yes.” Then the prophet recited a portion from the Qur’an proclaiming the glory of Allah, denouncing the wickedness of idolatry and calling on mankind to worship Allah alone and lead a good life. Otba requested the Prophet to stop recitation and to have pity upon him; and he returned to his fellowmen. Asked about what happened, Otba said: “By God; I have never heard such words as I have already heard from him. These words, by God, are neither poetry, nor soothsaying, nor enchantment. You know that Muhammad (PBUH) had never told a lie. I am afraid that you might be chastised, O, people of Quraish. I beseech you to accept my suggestion: let the man do his job and leave him untouched. I swear by God that his words shall yield results. If he is defeated at the hands of other Arabs, it is these who will be responsible for the harm he would receive; and if he triumphs over them, you will share him the glory. “ The Qurareplied: “Youhave certainly been enchanted by Muhammad. “ The man said: “ I have only expressed to you my point of view. ”
Al-waleed ibn al-Mughira was the most eloquent man in Quraish. According to Ikrimah, Al-waleed once asked the Prophet to recite to him some verses of the Qur’an The Prophet responded, rehearsing these lines: “God commands justice, the doing of good, and liberality to kith and kin, and He forbids all shameful deeds, and injustice and rebellio. He instructs you that ye may receive admonition.“[1:16-90]
The man requested the Prophet to repeat it; and the Prophet it once more. Then Al-waleed said: “ I swear by God that these words are graceful. The fist part of the verse is meaningful and influential, and the ending words are hopeful and promising. These words, however, are not the words of a human-being”. Al-waleed went on to say: “And you are certain that I am the most capable man of composing poetry and lambus amongst you; and this is my opinion. “The Quraishites said: “By god; Al-waleed has renegaded; and it is feared lest the entire tribe of Quraish might follow suit, “ Abu Jahl, one of the present, said: “ I know how to deal with him.” And he went to see the Prophet with whom he discussed certain matters. On his return to his people, he said to them. “ You claim that Muhammad (PBUH) is mad, but have you seen him hallucinating? And you change him with soothsaying; have you ever seen him doing so? And you allege that he is a poet; have you seen him composing a poem? And you accuse him of telling lies; could you tell of ever one lie he told? “ To all these questions they replied in the negative; and they asked him: “ Then who is this man? The man said: “ He is an enchanter; and you have seen how he succeeded in sowing dissention between men and their families, children and dependents.” This of course. Was a verdict over which all the men rejoiced. And here Allah addressed His Messenger thus: “Leave Me alone [to deal] with the [creatures] whom I created [bare and] alone, to whom I granted resources in abundance and sons to lie by his side; to whom I made [life] smooth and comfortable. Yet is he greedy-that I should add [yet more]. By no means; for to Our signs he has been refractory. Soon will I visit him with a mount of calamities; for he thought and he plotted-and woe to him he plotted and woe to him, how he plotted. Then he looked round; then he frowned and he scowled. Then he turned back and was haughty. Then said he: This is nothing but magic, derived from of old. This is nothing but the word of a mortal’ Soon will I cast him into Hell-Fire”
Some sages opined that had the Qur’an been found in a desert, with no-one known to have written it, the prudent, who have their own reasoning, will certainly be convinced that it was really revealed by Allah and that no man is capable of producing something like it. What would happen when people know that the man to whom the Qur’an was revealed was unlearned, knowing not how to read or to write, but was in the meantime the most truthful of all. Muhammad (PBUH) had challenged every man to produce anything like the Qur’an and Allah is truthful in saying: “Say: If the whole of mankind and jinns were to gather together to produce the like of the Qur’an, the could not produce the like thereof even if they backed up each other with help and support”
Some Aspects of the Marvelous of the Qur’an:
The Qur’an is raised to an eminence to which no other Scripture or book has ever aspired. From the day it was revealed up to today, and will remain so forever, it remains intact, without any change whatsoever made to a word, or even punctuation, of it.
Whenever the Prophet received a revelation, it was immediately reduced to writing. It was customary with the Messenger of Allah that when portions of different chapters were revealed to him, he would call one of the scribes of Revelation, or any other Muslim, to write the verses down. Only was the Qur’an ordered to be scribled, and not so were the sayings of the Prophet himself. In so doing, he desired to avoid intercombination between the Qur’an and his statements. These statements were not recorded except towards the end of the Prophet’s life when the Muslims were able to distinguish between the Qur’an and the Traditions. They realized that the Qur’an was the basic source of their faith, and when they wrote down the Prophet’s saying they wrote them separately.
The Qur’an remains well-preserved and intact in fulfillment of Allah’s promise that We have without doubt sent down the Message: and we will assuredly guard it [from corruption].” The Qur’an will remain in existence as long as man survives on this planet. On many occasions, colonialists, and other enemies of Islam, tried to destroy it. But to no avail, and the Qur’an held out against the tyrants and made evil plans beset none save their. The Qur’an is an instrument for reviving the weak-hearted and sustaining the insipid and guiding the astray to the proper path.
The wonder work of the Qur’an manifests itself in many spheres. Firstly it is unique in its style, diction and rhetoric. Secondly, it can easily influence and touch the hearts even of non-Arabic- speaking peoples. And it is for this reason, its enemies it, when they listened to it, as a clear enchantment. Portraying this picture, Allah says: “When Our clear signs are rehearsed to them. They say: This only a man who wishes to hinder you from the [worship] which your fathers practiced; and they say: This is only a falsehood invented; And the unbelievers say of the Truth when it comes to them: This is nothing but evident magic.”
Thirdly; it is a Book that contains no contradictions at all in spite of the large number of subjects it is dealing with; and it is true that “Had it been from other than God, they would surely have found therein much discrepancy.”
Fourthly; the Qur’an narrates the stories of various prophets and their nations accurately, honestly and without prejudice. It acquits the prophets of the lies that were attributed to them by the compilers of former religions, which though they claimed to be sacred, they felt no compunction in fabricating lies in such a way that no man can conceive. And as the Qur’an is honest in detailing the stories of prophets, it brings to light al that these people had concealed of ordinances and stories originally displayed in their bocks, It is a historical fact that Muhammad (PBUH) was an illiterate, who had appeared amidst an unlearned nation. He had no means to acquaint himself with news and events of days of yore, and as Allah says, “And thou was not [able] to recite a Book before this [book came], nor art thou [able] to transcribe it with thy eight hand. In that case, indeed. Would the talkers of vanities have doubted. Nay; here are signs self-evident in the hearts of those endowed with knowledge. And none but the unjust reject Our signs,”
The Qur’an fifthly, has foretold of events to come, and these came true. Of this is this prophecy: “The Roman Empire has been defeated in a land close by , but they, [even] after [this] defeat of theirs will soon be victorious. Again, the Qur’an gave this prophecy: “God has promised, to those among you who believe and work righteous deeds, that He will, of a surety, grant them in the land inheritance [ of power], as He granted it to those before them, that He will establish in authority their religion, the one which He has chosen for them; and that He will change [ their state ] after the fear in which they [ lived] to one of security and peace,” And Allah’s promise was fulfilled. The whole of Arabia became Muslim during the lifetime of the prophet, and all over the land the call for prayers was made, announcing in a loud voice: Allah is Great; Allah is Great.
The Muslim nation had achieved great victories the prophet’s lifetime and it achieved the sane later, in Persis, Roman Empire, Egypt and many other parts of the world, in the east and in the west. And all this in fulfillment of the promise of Allah He made on the Quranic verse under discussion.
This verse not only prophesies the establishment of the Kingdom of Islam. But also its p, and also the conqueby Muslims of several parts of the world.
Al-Bukhari quotes in his “Musnad” Adyi ibn Hatem as having narrated the following story: “Once encountered the prophet Muhammad. He told me: “If you will convert to Islam, you will be saved and will find security.” I replied: “But I belong to a faith “The Prophet said: “I know of your faith more than you know”. I was surprised and remarked; “Do you know of my faith more than I do? “ Hesaid: Yes. And I know why you do not wish to embrace Islam. You think that it is the preserve of the weak and the helpless, and that the Muslims are contemptible to the Arabs. Do you know Al-Hira [a town on the borders of Iraq]? I replied; I did not visit it, but I have heard of it. The prophet declared: “By Him in Whose hands is my soul, Islam shall be so firmly-established that a woman might travel from Al-Hira to the Sacred House without guard or escort, and that the resources of Chosroes ibn Hermiz shall be at our disposal. I interrupted him in astonishment: The resoutces of Chosroes ibn Hermiz? He said: Yes; The resources of Chosroes ibn Hermiz. And he continued, saying: And this great opportunity is offered to men, but they reject it. Adyi continued with his story: “And thus we are today: Women come from Al-Hira to circumambulate the House without guard or escort, while I myself was one of those who eized the resources of Chosroes ibn Hermiz. By Him in Whose hands is my soul, the third of the prophecies shall assuredly be realized, for it was prophesied by the Messenger of Allah,”
In a Hadith the prophet says: “ Allah has shown me the earth in minutia and I saw al its eastern, western, northern and southern parts. The kingdom of my nation will reach all the parts that I have seen. “ And this prophecy has become true, because the banner of Islam hoisted now every where and never is there even a nation without Islam having in it an upper hand or a prominent place among all other religions. Islam is firmly established due to the correctness and clarity of its principles and laws and the sincerity of its leaders and the great efforts made by its preachers.
It is strange that promises and prophecies of Muslim victories and conquests were made when the Muslims were little in number and weak in military power. But because Islam is the religion of Truth and Muhammad (PBUH) was sent to guide mankind to the proper and virtuous path, Islam found it easy to go everywhere. And as Allah says, “God will certainly aid those who aid His [cause], for verily God is full of strength, Exalted in Might, [Able to enforce His will]. [They are] those who, if We establish them in the land, establish regular prayer and give regular charity, enjoin the right and forbid wrong, with God rests the end [and decision] of [all] affairs”.
The Qur’an lastly, is a scientific miracle> As an example, Allah says: “Seest thou not that God maker the clouds move gently, then joins them together, then makes them into a heap?- then thou see rain issue forth from their midst. And He sends down from the sky mountain masses [of clouds] wherein is hail. He strikes therewith whom He pleases. The vivid flash lightning well-nigh the sight”. And this is exactly what was discovered by the scientists in later centuries; and the mention of these scientific facts in the Qur’an, which were revealed to an illiterate Prophet fourteen centuries ago, means only one thing: that these facts had really been revealed by the Creator of the Universe to His Prophet to prove that the Qur’an is indeed a miracle.
The Qur’an has plainly spoken of the Universe as being originally “Dukhan” smoke, vapor or gaseous matte; this question had been made known in the Qur’an several centuries ago; and at that time, when the Qur’an was revealed, no man had ever known anything about that which was revealed to an unlearned Prophet. The Qur’an asserts: “Moreover, He [Allah] comprehended in His design the sky and it had been [as] smoke. He said to it and to the earth: Come ye together, willingly or unwillingly. They said: we do come [together] in willing obedience.”
These are two examples of the Qur’anic scientific miraculous facts that it unveils. And many discoveries will be made in future, all confirming the Qur’ans predictions and Prophecies. The letters with which some Chapters of the Qur’an begin might conceal some secrets, which are known to no-one but Allah, but which might be discovered latter by scientists, if Allah so desire.
From the religious point of view it could safely be said that it is the Qur’an that is asserting the Oneness of Allah and various codes of conduct for man which had never been known to mankind before. Before the revelation of the Qur’an, men differed in opinion over the Creator of this Universe. They went astray and a number of beliefs were adopted. Some people worshipped the rock, and some others the trees, and some. The Sun. Some people, on the other hand, had deitified the Moon, and some others, even the meanest of animals of animals. Some people believe in on God at all. And when the Former Scriptures were revealed with the Truth, guiding people to the Straight Path, these Books were soon forged and distorted by their own followers under the influence of other peoples close to them. This state of confusion remained so until the Qur’an came. Preaching monotheism, showing people Allah’s signs in the furthest regions of the earth and in their own souls, pointing out that had there been in the heavens and the earth other gods besides Allah, there would have been confusion in both. No-one can create even the smallest of insects, such as the fly, save Allah, even if all peoples joined hands to do so. Allah says: “Those on whom, besides God, ye call, cannot create a fly, if they all met together for the purpose. And if the fly should snatch away anything from them, they would have no power to release it from the fly. Feeble are those who petition and those whom they petition.” The Qur’an assures that the Sun rises from the east. And till now no other god has caused it to rise from the west. It is He alone who raises the dead into life, and it is He alone Who sends down rain, and He who knows what is in the wombs of women.
Issa, whom they worshipped because they thought he was able the dead. Was a mortal, with no power except that which Allah had vested in him. The raising of the dead was a Divine miracle performed to prove Allah’a might. Issa was an instrument to bring to life, by Allah’s will only a small number of the dead, but if others were to be revived, this was beyond his power. It was only the power of Allah that bad decreed this matter. And so was his healing of the blind and the lepers. All was done by leave from Allah.
Even those who let rain pour artificially are seeking Allah’s help and assistance. The air that they transform into rain is not of their making; it is Allah’s. And even their minds which reached this point of thinking are the creation of Allah, and so are their bodies and souls.
The Qur’an, with its laws of justice and equality, gives the woman her due rights in inheritance and in the community. Allah says: “And women shall have rights similar to the rights against them, according to what is equitable. But men have a degree [of advantage] over them”
Woman in Arabia had no right to property, and she herself of the inheritance. She was taken possession of along with other property; she had no right to the property of her deceased husband or father.
The Qur’an took her from this low position and raised her to position of eminence. Not only she, but the young children had also been their right to inheritance.
In the pre-Islamic days of ignorance only the young boys who knew horsemanship and who were able to defend their tribe were given the right to inheritance.
To the Qur’an, all men and women are equal in rights and in duties. All the Qur’anic laws seek happiness for mankind, whether in this world or in the Next. No Arab is superior to a non- Arab, and no great man is more dignified than the low, except by his piety. Allah assures: “Verily the most honored of you in the sight of God is [he who is] the most righteous of you”
The Qur’an exalts good conduct, and to it, good conduct is the ideal system for good life. And Muhammad, as the Qur’an testifies, stood on “an exalted standard of character”; Allah directs us to imitate him when He explains: “Ye have indeed in the Apostle of God a beautiful pattern [of conduct]”.
Although all these miracles were performed by the Prophet, they had never been the pivot and root of the Divine Call. All these miracles hdisappeared, leaving no trace behind except in the Qur’an which is the Truth which will survive as long as life remains active in this world.
The Prophet asks the Muslims again and again to read and contemplate the Qur’an and abide by its injunctions. No house, the Prophet says, in which Surat Al-Baqarah is recited, will give the devil access to stay therein.
Muhammad’s (PBUH) Physical Miracles:
This miracle is confirmed by both the Qur’an and the Sunnah. The Qur’an states: “The hour [of judgment] is nigh and the moon is cleft asunder“. As to the Sunnah, all the jurists, commentators and Traditionalists are agreed that the moon was cleft asunder when Muhammad (PBUH) entreated Allah to respond to the disbelieves among Quraish, who asked the Prophet to do that to prove his truthfulness that he was indeed a Messenger of Allah. The miracle is confirmed by the following verse, which exposes the disbelieves obstinacy and insistence that he was no more than a magician. The Qur’an says: “ But if they see a sign, they turn away, and say: This is [but] transient magic. They reject [the warning] and follow their [own] Iusts, but every matter has its appointed time Had there been no cleavage of the moon, the Qur’an should not have censured and denounced the disbelievers’ rejection of Allah’s signs.
That was a great miracle which is not less in manifestation than the parting of the sea by the staff of Moses. It was actually greater in effect, because the cleavage of the moon entailed no effect on the earth nor did it imbalance the Divine law of gravity between the moon and other planets.
It was strange on the part of Quraish to ask the Prophet for more convincing miracles other than this great impressive one. They insisted that “We shall not believe in the until those cause a spring to gush forth for us from the earth, or [until] thou have a garden of date trees and wines, and cause rivers to gush forth in their midst. Carrying abundant water, or thou cause the sky to fall in pieces, as thou sayest [will happen] against us, or thou bring God and angels before [us] face to face, or thou have a house adorned with gold, or thou mount a ladder right into the skies, No, shall not even believe in the mounting until thou send down to us a book that we could read. Say Glory to my Lord. Am I aught but a man. – an Apostle.” [17:90-93]
The disbelievers challenged the Prophet to ascend to the heavens, and when this took place the Prophet was taken up to the heavens and then returned to his own place, Allah concealed the incident; and this was due to two reasons0. Firstly, they were expected to deny the ascension, and as Allah assures, “If We had sent unto thee a written [Message] on parchment, so that they could touch it with their hands. The unbelievers would have been sure to say: This is nothing but obvious magic” He also says: “Even if We opened out to them a gate form heaven, and they were to continue [all day] ascending therein, they would only say: our eyes have been intoxicated. Nay we have been bewitched by sorcery.” This was exactly what happened later. When the Prophet told them of the journey be made during the night from the Sacred Mosque to the Farthest Mosque [Al Masjid al – Aqsa] and his return to his chambre the same night, they did not believe him, although he not tell them the whole story.
The second reason for concealing the Prophet’s ascent to heavens from the disbelieves was that the purpose of the journey was to calm and eamfon the Prophet spiritually after all the difficulties and injury he had received at Makkah. He had to be prepared for the second stage of propagating the Call at Madinab. Alluding to the journey from Makkah to Jerusalem, Allah says it was made “in order that We might show him some of Our signs. And as regards the ascension to heavens, “ for truly did he see of the signs of his Lord the greatest”
Whenever the Prophet sat to take his food, the Food glorified Allah; and this was heard by his Companions. Sahih Al-Bukhari quotes Abdullah ibn Mas’ud as having said: Whenever we took food with the Prophet, we heard glorification of Allah by what we were eating.
Rocks used to greet the Prophet. Sahih Muslim quotes Jaber ibn Samrah as having said: The prophet told us that he could detect a rock in Makkah, which used to greet him, before he was raised as a prophet. Ali. May Allah be pleased with him, as reported by Al-Tirmidhi and others, said: I was strolling with the Prophet once on the outskirts of Makkah, I noticed that not a tree or a rock he passed did let him pass without murmuring: Peace be upon you, O Messenger of Allah.
When the Muslims were little in number, the Prophet used to address them standing on a tree-trunk; but when the Muslims grew in number, a pulpit was erected from which he gave his sermons instead of the tree- trunk. The day the Prophet left the trunk, it continued to sob in grief until the Prophet returned and sat a little while by it. The event was witnessed by all the Muslims.
Water gushed forth from among the fingers of the Prophet on several occasions. Anas says in the two Sahihs; Once, when the afternoon prayer was due, the Prophet performed ablution prior to the prayer. Other people could find no more water for ablution, and when this came to the notice of the Prophet, he put his hand inside the container from which he had taken water for ablution and asked men to perform their ablution. Water flowed out of his fingers until all men present performed ablution. When Anas was later asked about the number of men who benefited from this water, he said: They were three hundred men.
On several occasions, a little food before the Prophet became by his blessing abundant to an extent that it sufficed tens of men.
The Prophet. Moreover, foretold of many things, which later came true. Al-Bukhari quotes Anas as having narrated this story: The Prophet once climbed Mount Uhud, near Madinah, with Abu Bakr, Umar and Uthman in his company. The Mount shook a little; and the Prophet kicked it by his leg, saying; Do not shake, Uhud, you have over you now a Prophet, a Truthful man and two martyrs. The prophecy came true; Umar was later killed by a Persian slave, Abu Loloa, which he was leading Muslims in a dawn prayer; Uthman Ibn Affan was killed during the great outrage that was plotted against him towards the end of his tenure as a Caliph.
Some Miracles of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH):
At this point I would like to bring to the notice of the reader that the Prophet was granted many miracles by Allah (the Lord of the heavens and the earth) and some of them are as follows: -
The Mi’raj: The Ascent of the Prophet (PBUH) to the heavens.
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