|
Page 4 of 4
Third part:
The protection of God's Messenger is an evident miracle, as expressed in:
God will defend you from people (5:67) and illustrated by many incidents.
When God's Messenger proclaimed the Divine Message, he did not challenge just
one tribe or race, a few politicians, or a particular religion, but all rulers
and all religions. Despite his uncle's and tribe's status as among his greatest
enemies, as well as the numerous conspiracies directed against him, he drew his
last breath in his own bed in perfect contentment and reached the highest
incorporeal realm after years without a guard or any form of protection. This
clearly shows the truth of the above‑quoted verse and provides a firm point of
support for God's Messenger. In this regard, we mention only a few of the many
indisputably certain exemplary events, as follows:
First event: All Traditionists and biographers of the Prophet
report that the Quraysh tried to kill him. Advised by a diabolical man or by
Satan himself in the form of a man from Najd, they chose at least one man from
each clan to avoid any intratribal dispute. Abu Jahl and Abu Lahab led the
approximately 200 men who besieged the Messenger's house. 'Ali, who was with
God's Messenger that night, was told to sleep in the Messenger's bed. When the
Quraysh surrounded the house, the Messenger left and, throwing some dust on
them, passed by without being seen.[27]
Second event: God's Messenger and Abu Bakr left Thawr cave,
where God had sent a spider and two pigeons to guard them, and set out for
Madina. Meanwhile, the Qurayshi chiefs sent Suraqa, a very brave man, to
assassinate them in return for a large reward. Abu Bakr became anxious when they
saw Suraqa coming. God's Messenger repeated to him what he had said in the cave:
"Don't worry, for God is with us." He then glanced at Suraqa, and the hooves of
Suraqa's horse got stuck in the ground. Suraqa pulled the horse free and began
to follow them, but his horse's hooves got stuck again and he saw smoke arising
from that place. Only then did he realize that neither he nor anybody else could
lay hands on God's Messenger, and he had to ask for quarter. God's Messenger
freed him, saying: "Go back, and make sure nobody else comes."[28]
In addition, a shepherd saw God's Messenger and Abu Bakr and hurried to Makka
to inform the Quraysh. However, when he arrived he could not remember what he
wanted to tell them. Unable to recall anything, he left and only later realized
later that he had been made to forget.[29]
Third event: During the military campaign of Ghatfan and Anmar,
a courageous chieftain named Ghawras unexpectedly appeared at the Messenger's
side. Holding his sword over the Messenger's head, he demanded: "Who will save
you from me?" God's Messenger replied: "God." He then prayed: "O God, protect me
from him as You will." In the same breath, a blow between his shoulders felled
Ghawras, and his sword slipped from his hand. God's Messenger took the sword and
asked: "Now who will save you from me?" God's Messenger then forgave Ghawras and
allowed him to return to his tribe. Surprised at such a brave man having failed
to do anything, his fellows asked: "What happened? Why could you not do
anything?" He explained what had happened, and added: "I have come from the
presence of the best of humanity."[30]
In a similar event, a hypocrite secretly approached God's Messenger from
behind during the Battle of Badr. Lifting his sword to strike God's Messenger,
at that instant the Messenger turned and glanced at him. This caused him to
tremble and drop his sword.[31]
Fourth event: Most interpreters consider this event, almost as
well‑known as it is mutawatir, to be the occasion for
revealing: We have put on their necks fetters up to the chin so their heads
are raised. We have put before them a barrier and behind them a barrier, and We
have covered them so they do not see (36:9). Abu Jahl picked up a large
rock and swore that if he would hit the Prophet with it if he saw him
prostrating. Finding the Prophet prostrating, he raised the rock to smash it on
the Prophet's head. But his hands froze in the air. God's Messenger finished his
prayer and stood up. Only then did Abu Jahl's hands become unbound, either by
permission of God's Messenger or because there was no reason for them to remain
bound.[32]
In a similar incident, a man from Abu Jahl's clan (Walid ibn Mughira,
according to one report) went to the Ka'ba with a large rock to injure God's
Messenger while he was prostrating. However, his eyes became sealed and he could
not see God's Messenger. Still unable to see (although he could hear), he
returned to those who had sent him.[33]
When God's Messenger finished his prayer, the would‑be assassin's eyes were
opened, since there was no need for them to remain closed.
Abu Bakr relates that after Surat al‑Masad, which begins with
Perish the hands of Abu Lahab (111:1), was revealed, Abu Lahab's wife,
described therein as the carrier of the firewood (111:4), picked up a
rock and went to the Ka'ba. God's Messenger and Abu Bakr were sitting near it.
She could not see God's Messenger and asked Abu Bakr: "Where is your friend? I
hear that he satirized me. If I see him, I will hit him on the mouth with this
rock!"[34] She could not see the
one under God's protection, who was the object of the hadith qudsi:
"But for you, I would not have created the worlds." And so she could not enter
his presence. How could she carry out her plan?
Fifth event: Amir ibn Tufayl and Arbad ibn Qays conspired to
assassinate the Messenger. Amir said to Arbad: "I will keep him busy; you hit
him." They went to him, but Arbad did not do anything. When Amir later asked him
why he had not hit God's Messenger, Arbad replied: "How could I? Every time I
intended to hit him, I saw you between us. Did you expect me to hit you?"[35]
Sixth event: Either during the Battle of Uhud or Hunayn, Shayba
ibn 'Uthman al‑Hajabiya approached God's Messenger stealthily from behind. He
intended to avenge his father and uncle, who had been killed by Hamza. He lifted
his sword, but it suddenly slipped out of his hand. God's Messenger turned to
him and put his hand on his chest. When relating this event, Shayba said: "At
that moment, no one else was more beloved to me." He embraced Islam instantly,
and God's Messenger told him to go and fight. Shayba said: "I fought in front of
God's Messenger. If I had I met my own father, I would have killed him."[36]
On the day of Makka's conquest, Fadhala approached God's Messenger with the
intent of killing him. God's Messenger smiled at him, asked what he had in mind,
and prayed that Fadhala might be forgiven. Entering Islam at that moment,
Fadhala acknowledged later: "No one in the world was more beloved to me than him
at that moment."[37]
Seventh event: Some Jews conspired to drop a large rock on the
Prophet's head while he was sitting under a particular roof. They were just
about to do so when God's Messenger stood up to go. As a result of God's
protection, their plot was foiled.[38]
There are many similar instances. Traditionists, above all Imam Bukhari and
Muslim, relate from 'A'isha that when God will protect you from people
was revealed, God's Messenger said to those who had guarded him from time to
time: "Leave me, for my Lord, the Mighty and Glorious, protects me."[39]
As this treatise demonstrates, everything in the universe recognizes and is
related to God's Messenger, and each displays a specific kind of his miracles.
This shows that Prophet Muhammad is the Messenger and envoy of God, the Creator
of the universe and the Lord of creation. An important inspector appointed by
the ruler is recognized by every department of the administration and is related
to each because he must perform a duty in each department on the ruler's behalf.
For example, a judicial inspector is connected with the judicial department and
is unknown in other departments. Similarly, a military inspector is not
recognized by the civil administration, and so on. As proven above, every
department of the Divine kingdom, from angels to insects and spiders, knows,
recognizes, or has heard of the MesADVANCE \l0senger of the Lord of the worlds
and the seal of the Prophets. And, moreover, the field of his Messengership is
far more comprehensive than that of all previous Prophets.
[27] Shifa', 1:349; Ibn Hanbal,
4:269; Bayhaqi, 2:465; Abu Nu'aym, 1:202-4.
[28] Bukhari, 4:245-46; Muslim,
no. 2009; Bayhaqi, 2:483.
[29] Shifa', 1:351; 'Ali
al-Qari, Sharh al-Shifa', 1:715.
[30] Hakim, 3:29-30; Shifa',
1:348; Bayhaqi, 3:373-79; also related by Muslim.
[31] Shifa', 1:347.
[32] Ibid., 1:351; Muslim, no.
2797; Ibn Hanbal, 2:37.
[33] Shifa', 1:351; Bayhaqi,
3:197.
[34] Hakim, 2:351; Bayhaqi,
2:195.
[35] Bayhaqi, 5:318; Shifa',
1:353; Abu Nu'aym, 1:207.
[36] Shifa', 1:353; Ibn Hajar,
al-Isaba, 2:157; Abu Nu'aym, 1:195.
[37] Shifa', 1:354; 'Ali
al-Qari, Sharh al-Shifa', 1:718.
[38] Shifa', 1:352; also related
by Ibn Ishaq and Nasa'i in al-Khasa'is al-Kubra', 1:525.
[39] Hakim, 2:213; Bayhaqi,
2:184; also related by Tirmidhi.
Related Items:
|