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Allah (SWT) wanted to save humanity in the last era of it
history—after a period during which no Messenger was sent—with a Message that
concluded all the previous messages; a Message that is suitable for every time
and every place till the Day of Judgment. Allah (SWT) chose for this endeavor
His slave and Messenger Muhammad (peace be upon him), the illiterate Arab
Prophet and qualified him for conveying the Message. Allah (SWT) preceded his advent and appearance in the
world with antecedents and glad tidings predicting and heralding his
appearance. Allah (SWT) took the covenant of the Prophets that they should
believe in Muhammad (peace be upon him) when he came to them. Allah (SWT) says:
“And (remember) when Allah took the Covenant of the
Prophets, saying: ‘Take whatever I gave you from the Book and Hikmah
(understanding of the Laws of Allah, etc.), and afterwards there will come to
you a Messenger confirming what is with you; you must, then, believe in him and
help him.’ (Allah) said: ‘Do you agree (to it) and will you take up My Covenant
(which I conclude with you)?’They said: ‘We agree.’ He said: ‘Then bear
witness; and I am with you among the witnesses (to this).’” (III: 81) Qatadah said:
“This is the Covenant that Allah took from the Prophets that they should
believe each other and convey the Book of Allah and His Messages, and they
conveyed Allah’s Book and Messages to their peoples and told them that they
should believe in Muhammad (peace be upon him), believe what he said and help
him.”[1] Allah (SWT) refers
to the Holy Qur’an in the Scriptures of the preceding Prophets, as Allah (SWT)
says: “Without doubt it is (announced) in the revealed
Books of former peoples.” (XXVI: 196) i.e. The Holy Qur’an is alluded to
in the Scriptures of the preceding Prophets and it is the Message that the Last
Prophet has conveyed to mankind. Then
the nations of the globe transmitted through their rabbis, monks and
soothsayers the news of the last Prophet that was heralded by the previous
Prophets. When the Divine Message ceased for a period of time[2]
after Jesus (peace be upon him), the nations of the earth were eager to see the
last Prophet. Jesus was the last Prophet to give the glad tidings of the
expected advent of Muhammad (peace be upon him) as Allah (SWT) says: “…O Children of Israel! I am the Messenger of Allah unto you
confirming the Torah, which came before me, and giving glad tidings of a
Messenger to come after me, whose name shall be Ahmed…” (LXI: 6) The people of the Scripture
and others, such as the Hindus and Magus began looking forward to his advent
according to what they found in their books and the news of their Prophets
regarding the promise of his advent and the news about the time and place of his
appearance. History recorded
in this period the antecedents, heralds and events that indicated the nearness
of his advent and appearance. Some of them took place before his birth, some at
the time of his birth, and some after his mission. As to the events
that happened before his birth, they included what the rabbis and monks
circulated about the Last Prophet. The Jews in Among the heralds
of the closeness of the coming of the Prophet was that the monk Esau, who had
left Sham (Syria) and came close to Mecca, informed the Meccans that soon would
come the Prophet to whom both Arabs and non-Arabs would surrender and he would
be one of the Meccans.[3] The People of the
Scripture, however, knew that from their books and the news of their Prophets.
Allah (SWT) says: “Those who follow the Messenger, the
unlettered Prophet, whom they find mentioned in their Torah and Gospel….” (VII:
157) Among the other
events that heralded his coming in the year of his birth was that Allah (SWT)
destroyed the Christians of Abyssinia who had come to Yemen to pull down the
Honored Ka’bah, the would-be Qiblah of the coming Messenger and his Ummah,
although the Quraish announced that they would give up the House (of Allah)
because they could not defend it, when Abdul-Muttalib said: “The House has a Lord
to protect it.” Evidently, the destruction of the invaders was not for the sake
of the polytheists, but in order to safeguard the Qiblah of the coming
Messenger and his Ummah. Allah (SWT) says: “Have you
not seen how your Lord dealt with the Owners of the Elephant? Did He not make
their plot go astray? And He sent against them birds, in flocks, striking them
with stones of baked clay. Then He made them like an empt[4]y
field of stalks and straw (of which the corn has been eaten up).” (CV:
1-5) Among the other
heralds of his coming was the inspiration of his grandfather ‘Abdul-Muttlib to
choose a unique name that was unfamiliar among his people, i.e. Muhammad that
corresponded to the name mentioned in the previous glad tidings, although
neither his grandfather nor any one of his family knew that. Another herald was
the Seal of Prophethood that was a distinctive mark on his noble back
indicating his prophesy, as was mentioned in the previous scriptures.[5]
It is narrated that one of the Jewish rabbis lost his consciousness on seeing
the Seal of Prophethood on the body of a newborn that was not from among the
Children of Israel in Mecca,[6]
for he and his people had wished that he had been from the Children of Israel. Among the heralds
in his early childhood was the blessing that was endowed on the home of his wet
nurse, Halimah al-Sa’diyyah. While that region was barren and people complained
of the starvation of their cattle, the cattle of the family of his wet nurse
were satiated and full of milk.[7]
Another herald was
the splitting of his chest in his childhood. Anas Ibn
Malik reported that Gabriel came to Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him) while
he was playing with his playmates. He took hold of him and lay him prostrate on
the ground and tore open his chest and took out the heart from it and then he
split the heart and extracted a blood clot out of it and said: ‘This is the
part of Satan in you.’ And then he washed the heart with the water of Zamzam in
a golden basin, and then he stitched it and returned it to its place. The boys
came running to his mother [i. e. his wet nurse] and said: ‘Verily Muhammad has
been murdered.’ They all rushed toward him to find him with a pallid
face.” Anas said: “I myself could see
the marks of a needle on his chest.”[8]
Protecting him
from vices and evil practices Although the
Prophet (peace be upon him) was a youth living in an environment of ignorance
and among ignorant people, no vices were attributed to him. If he had been
known to practice such things, he would have been blamed by his people for
that, for they were keen to defame him by accusing him of false things after
his Prophethood. He lived all his life free from vices. Allah (SWT) says: “Or is it that they did not recognize their Messenger so they
deny him?” (XXIII: 69) Allah (SWT) instructed His Messenger to say: “…Verily, I have stayed amongst you a lifetime before this.
Have you then no sense?” (X: 16) During that period
his people knew him to be truthful, honest, trustworthy and virtuous, so much
so that he was known among them by the epithet “the truthful, the trustworthy”.
They would keep their deposits and trusts with him even during the time of
their hostility to him after his Prophethood. Is it conceivable, then, that a
person with such characteristics can be trustworthy among people and tell lies
concerning Allah, keep the trusts of people and betray that of Allah? The Quraish
quarreled about the person who was qualified to lift the Black Stone when they
rebuilt the Ka’bah. In order to settle
the controversy, they sought the arbitration of the first person to enter the
place of their meeting, and it was Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him) that
entered first, whereupon they shouted: “The trustworthy has come!”[9] Another sign of
Allah’s protection of him is that he intended to listen to singing in a party
with the Meccans on two successive nights but Allah safeguarded him thereof by
making him sleep till morning.[10]
Among the
antecedents of his mission was that a certain stone would greet him The Prophet (peace
be upon him) said: “Indeed I know a stone in Mecca
that used to greet me before I was sent with the Message. I do know it now.”[11] Another antecedent
to his mission was the good (true) dreams and his inclination to worship Allah:
‘Aisha (may Allah
be pleased with her) said: “The commencement of the
Divine Inspiration to Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him) was in the form of
good dreams which came true like bright morning light. Then love of seclusion
was bestowed upon him. He used to go in seclusion in the cave of Hira, where he
would worship (Allah alone) continuously for several days before returning to
his family to take with him the journey food for the stay and then come back to
(his wife) Khadija to take his food like-wise again till suddenly the Truth
descended upon him while he was in the cave of Hira.”[12]
The people who
embraced Islam because of the good tidings: After the start of
the mission of the Messenger (peace be upon him) the dwellers of Medina hurried
to embrace Islam, being encouraged by what they had heard about his advent from
the Jews, who had asked Allah to send the Prophet to help them against their
enemies. Meanwhile the Meccans were fighting him and preventing others from
believing in his Message. Abdullah Ibn Salam was among those who embraced Islam
because of he glad tidings. He was the most knowledgeable rabbi living in
al-Madina al-Munawwarah, as the Jews themselves admitted. Allah (SWT) refers to
him in the Verse: “Say: ‘Tell me! If this (Qur’an) is
from Allah, and you reject it, and a witness from among the Children of Israel
('Abdullah Ibn Salam) has testified that this Qur’an is from Allah [like the
Torah], and so he has believed (embraced Islam) while you are too proud (to
believe).’ Verily! Allah guides not unjust people.” (XLVI: 10) “‘Abdullah Ibn Salam had
heard the news of the arrival of the Prophet (peace be upon him) at Medina. So
he came to him and said: ‘I will ask you about three things which nobody knows
save a prophet. What is the first portent of the Hour? What is the first meal
of the people of Paradise? And what makes a baby look like its father or
mother?' The Prophet said: ‘Just now Gabriel has informed me about that.’ Ibn
Salam said: That is the enemy of the Jews among the angels.’ The Prophet then said: ‘As to the first
portent of the Hour, it will be a fire that will gather the people from East to
West. As to the first meal of the people of Paradise, it will be the caudate
(i.e. extra) lobe of the fish liver. And if the man's discharge precedes that
of the woman, then the child will resemble the father, and if the woman's
discharge precedes that of the man, then the child will resemble the mother.’
On this, 'Abdullah Ibn Salam said: ‘I testify that none has the right to be
worshipped except Allah, and that you are the Messenger of Allah.’ He added: ‘O
Allah's Messenger! Jews invent such lies as make one astonished, so please ask
them about me before they know about my conversion to I slam.’ The Jews came,
and the Prophet said: ‘What kind of man is 'Abdullah Ibn Salam among you?’ They
replied: ‘The best of us and the son of the best of us and the most superior
among us, and the son of the most superior among us.’ The Prophet said: ‘What
would you think if ‘Abdullah Ibn Salam should embrace Islam?’ They said: ‘May
Allah protect him from that.’ The Prophet repeated his question and they gave
the same answer. Then ‘Abdullah came out to them and said: ‘I testify that none
has the right to be worshipped except Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger
of Allah!’ On this, the Jews said: ‘He is the most wicked among us and the son
of the most wicked among us.’ So they degraded him. On this, he (i.e.
‘Abdullah) said: ‘It is this that I was afraid of, O Allah's Messenger!’”[13] Zaid Ibn Sa’nah
was among those who embraced Islam because of these glad tidings. He was one of
the learned Jews and he recognized the attributes of the Prophet (peace upon
him), such as the fact that the more impudent one was to him the more
forbearing he was.[14] Among the Jews who
embraced Islam for the same reason was Ka’b al-Ahbar after knowing the glad
tidings. Once ‘Abdullah Ibn ‘Abbas asked him: “What attributes do you find
given to Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him) in the Torah?” Ka’b said: “We
find him called Muhammad Ibn ‘Abdullah, who will be born in Mecca and migrate
to Tabah and his kingdom will be in Sham. He will not be rude or tough or
clamorous in the markets; he will do not repel evil with evil, but forgive and
pardon (others). His Ummmah (followers) are the praising who praise and thank
Allah in times adversity and hardship and say takbir (Allah is Greater) on
every elevated land, and wash their limbs in ablution and wrap their waists.
They align in their prayer as they do on fighting. Their humming in the mosques
resembles that of bees, and their caller is heard in the sky.”[15]
Among those who
embraced Islam because of the glad tidings were a group of the people of the
scripture, the Abyssinian Christians whom Allah (SWT) mentioned in His Saying: “Those to whom We gave the Scripture before it, - they
believe in it (the Qur’an). And when it is recited to them, they say: ‘We
believe in it. Verily, it is the truth from our Lord. Indeed even before it we
have been from those who submit themselves to Allah as Muslims.’ These will be
given their reward twice, because they have persevered, repel evil with good,
and spend (in charity) out of what We have provided them with.” (XXVIII:
52-54) It is reported in
the historical narrations that a delegation of Abyssinian Christians came to
the Prophet (peace be upon him) and asked him about the religion and he
answered them and they recognized his attributes that were mentioned in their
books and so they embraced Islam, which was behind the rancor and mischief of
the polytheists, but the delegation did not heed them, as Allah (SWT) says
about them: “And when they hear vain talk, they
withdraw from it and say: ‘To us are our deeds, and to you your deeds. Peace be
to you. We seek not the ignorant.’” (XXVIII: 55)
Among those who
embraced Islam because of the glad tidings in the previous scriptures was
Salman al-Farisi (may Allah be pleased with him), who encountered a Christian
monk who mentioned to him the signs of the expected Prophet and the description
of the city of date palms to which the Prophet would migrate. Allah (SWT)
provided Salman al-Farisi with the means that took him to al-Madina
al-Munawwarah and he found that it was the city described by the monk.
Therefore, he stayed in it till the Prophet arrived at it as an immigrant. He
recognized his attributes, which had been mentioned to him, and he embraced
Islam on observing the correspondence between the description and reality. Among those who
believed the Prophet (peace be upon him) among the People of the Scripture was
Waraqah Ibn Nawfal, the Qurashi, who was Christian. When the Prophet (peace be
upon him) told him about the revelation brought to him by Angel Gabriel, he
said: “This is the Angel Allah sent to Moses….” Then he wished that he would
live long enough to support the Prophet (peace be upon him), when people turned
against him in hostility.[16]
Among those who
believed in the Prophet (peace be upon him) among the Christians was the King
of Abyssinia, who heard from the Companions of the Prophet (peace upon him) the
Truth of the religion of Islam that corresponded to what Jesus (peace be upon
him) had taught.[17]
Therefore. he embraced Islam, and the Prophet (peace be upon him) performed the
relevant prayer for his sake on his death. ‘Adiy Ibn Hatim
al-Ta’i was another Christian who embraced Islam when he heard the Prophet
(peace be upon him) criticize some aspects of his religion.[18] Among
those who recognized the Prophethood of Muhammad (peace be upon him) but did
not embrace Islam was Hercules, the King of the Roman Christians, who said to Abu
Sufyan Ibn Harb (after he asked him about the affairs and attributes of
Muhammad (peace be upon him)): “I knew (from the scriptures) that he was going
to appear but I did not know that he would be from you, and if I could reach
him definitely, I would go immediately to meet him and if I were with him, I
would certainly wash his feet.”[19]
A similar case is that of the Muqawqis, the King of Copts in Egypt, who sent to
the Prophet (peace be upon him) two maidens and a mule to ride as a gift. Because of these glad tidings a large number of rabbis,
monks and others from other religions embraced Islam throughout history. Unfortunately
these glad tidings heralding the advent of Muhammad (Peace be upon him) were
exposed to distortion, corruption and concealment by some Jewish and Christian
scholars throughout history, and such changes are still being made in these
books even today. A
large number of the glad tidings that have been concealed or distorted were
intact in the books that the Muslim scholars used throughout history as proofs
against Jews and Christians, as did those who embraced Islam against their
people, as we will show later. Yet,
in spite of this distortion Allah preserved in these books of the light of the
glad tidings of the coming of Muhammad (peace be upon him) what suffices as a
proof against the people of these books in our time, and what makes the faith
of the believers firmer. Let us now survey what has remained of these glad tidings that appear in the previous books that are available to their followers at present, and what these glad tidings say about the illiterate Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). [1] Al-Tabari with a good chain of narrators in al-Tafsir al-Sahih, 1/430. [2] The interval between Jesus and Muhammad (peace be upon them) is estimated at 600 years. Allah (SWT) says: “O People of the Book! Now has come to you , making things clear unto you, Our Messenger, after the break (in the series of) Our Messengers, lest you should say: ‘There came unto us no bringer of glad tidings, and no warner (against evil). But now has come unto you a bringer of good tidings and a warner (against evil). And Allah has Power over all things.” [3] Al-Khasa’is al-Kubra, al-Suyuti, 1/50. He mentioned a lot of information about the heralds of the advent of Muhammad (peace be upon him). For more information the reader is referred to this source. [5] A Christian monk had told Salman al-Farisi (may Allah be pleased with him) that among the signs of the last Prophet would be the seal of Prophethood on his shoulder. Later on he recognized him in al-Madina al-Munawwarah by this sign, as al-Hakim narrated and verified. Al-Dhahabi confirms the same. [6] Al-Khas’is al-Kubra, al-Suyuti, 1/49. [7] Ibn Hibban and al-Tabarani. Al-Dhahabi said: “This is a hadith with good isnad.” See Sahih al-Sirah al-Nabawiyyah, p. 52. [8] Ahmad and Muslim. [9] Narrrated and verified by al-Hakim according to the criteria of Muslim and agreed upon by al-Dhahabi. See Sahih al-Sirah al-Nabawiyyah, p. 64. [10] Ibn Ishaq; Ishaq Ibn Rahawayh; al-Bazzar and Ibn Hibban. Al-Hafid said: “Its chain of narrators is good and continuous. See Subul al-Huda wal-Rashad fi Sirat Khir al-‘Ibad, Muhammad Ibn Yusuf al-Salihi, 2/148, verified by al-Hakim and agreed upon by al-Dhahabi. [11] Muslim and Ahmad. [12] Al-Bkhari, Book/ Bid’ al-Khalq, Section/ hadathana Yahya Ibn Bakir. [13] Al-Bukhari, Book/ the virtues of Ansar, Section/ hadathani Hamid Ibn ‘Umar. [14]Al-Tabarani narrated that ‘Abdullah Ibn Salam (may Allah be pleased with him) said: “When Allah wished He guided Zaid Inb Sa’nah (to Islam). Zaid Ibn Sa’nah said: ‘When I looked at Muhammad (peace be upon him) I recognized all the signs of Prophethood in his face except two of which I had no knowledge: that his forbearance precedes his anger, and that anger against him increases his forbearance and patience.’ Zaid Ibn Sa’nah added: ‘One day Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him) came out of the inner apartments—accompanied by Ali—and a man riding his camel like a Bedouin came up to him and said: ‘O Allah’s Messenger! A group of my people in the village of so and so have submitted and embraced Islam, and I had already told them that if they embraced Islam their provision would reach them easily. Now they are suffering from a famine, hardship and scarcity of rain. I am afraid—O Allah’s Messenger—that they might desert Islam because of greed as they entered it out of greed. Would you send them something to relieve them?’ He turned towards a man next to him—I think it was Ali—and the latter said: ‘O Allah’s Messenger! Nothing of it has been left behind.’ Zaid Ibn Sa’nah added: ‘I approached him and said: ‘Give me your hand, O Muhammad! Will you sell me a specified amount of dates in the garden of the children of so and so to be delivered at a fixed date, at such and such time?’ He said: ‘Do not mention the name of the garden of so and so.’ I said: ‘Yes.’ He accepted the bargain and I opened my purse and gave him eighty mithqal (about 360 grams) of gold in exchange of a certain amount of dates to be delivered at a certain date. He then gave the money to the man and said: “Distribute this justly among them and relieve them.’ Zaid Ibn Sa’nah then said: ‘Two or three days before the debt was due Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him) came out accompanied by Abu Bakr, ‘Umar and ‘Uthman (may Allah be pleased with them all) with a group of other Companions. When he finished the funeral prayer and approached the wall to sit reclining against it, I took hold of his shirt and upper garment and looked at him sternly saying: ‘O Muhammad, will you not pay me my due? By Allah, you, the children of ‘Abdul-Muttalib are known for your procrastination and I learn this through dealing with you.’ I looked at ‘Umar to see his eyes revolving in his face like a round orbit. He gazed at me and said: ‘O enemy of Allah! How came that you said to Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him) what I heard you saying and treated him the way I witnessed? By Him in Whose Hand is my soul, but for fear of what I may lose I would behead you with my sword.’ Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him) was looking at him quietly and patiently and then said: ‘O ‘Umar! I and he have been in need of something other than this: you should have ordered me to pay him benevolently and ordered him to demand his due likewise. O ‘Umar, go with him and give him his due in addition to twenty sa’ of dates for having scared him.’ Zaid said: ‘’Umar went with me and gave me my due and twenty sa’ of dates more.’ I said: ‘What is this extra amount for, O ‘Umar?’ He said: ‘Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him) ordered me to give you the extra amount for having scared you.’ I said: ‘Do you know me, O ‘Umar?’ He said: ‘No.’ I said: ‘I am Zaid Ibn Sa’nah.’ He said: ‘The rabbi?’ I said: ‘The rabbi.’ He said: ‘What motivated you to treat Allah’s Messenger the way you did and said to him what you said?’ I said: ‘O ‘Umar! When I looked at Muhammad (peace be upon him) I recognized all the signs of Prophethood in his face except two of which I had no knowledge: that his forbearance precedes his anger, and that anger against him increases his forbearance and patience. I have tested them now, therefore; O ‘Umar , bear witness to my acceptance of Allah as my Lord and Sustainer, Islam as my religion, and Muhammad as my Prophet. Would you bear witness also to my promise to offer half my property as charity to the Ummah of Muhammad (peace be upon him)—and I am the wealthiest in it [the city].’ ‘Umar said: ‘Or to some of them, for you cannot be sufficient for all of them.’ I said: ‘Or to some of them.’” ‘Umar and Zaid went back to Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him), and Zaid said: ‘I bear witness that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger.’ He then believed in him, trusted him and gave him his allegiance. He witnessed with him numerous expeditions and died in Tabuk Expedition while confronting the enemies rather than fleeing before them. May Allah bestow His Mercy upon him. Al-Haithami, 8/140 said: ‘Al-Tabarani narrated this. Its narrators are all trustworthy. Ibn Majah narrated part of it. [15] Sunnan al-Darimi, vol. 1/17. [16] Al-Bukhari, Book/ Bid’ al-Wahiy, Section/ hadathana Yahya Ibn Bakir. [17] See: al-Sirah al-Nabawiyyah, Ibn Hisham 1/374, Dar Ihya’ al-Turath al-‘Arabi. [18] It is reported that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said to him: “O ‘Adiy Ibn Hatim! Were you not a follower of the Rakusi religion (a religion in between Christianity and Sabi'i)?” He said: “Yes.” He said: “Did you not appropriate from your people one-fourth of their income?” He said: “Yes.” He said: “This is not permissible in your religion.” ‘Adiy said: “ No, by Allah!” ‘Adiy later said: “I then knew that he was a sent Prophet who knew what was unknown to others.” See: al-Sirah al-Nabawiyyah, Ibn Kathir, 4/123, Dar ‘Ihya’ al-Turath al-‘Arabi. [19] Al-Bukhari in his Sahih, Book/ Bid’ al-Wahiy, Section/ hadathana Abu al-Yaman. |