Who will Save You from Me?
The protection and preservation of Allah’s Messenger (Alayhissalatu wassalam) was a clear miracle, and many instances of it are indicated by the clear truth of the verse, “And Allah will defend you from men.”(5:67) For sure, when Allah’s Messenger (SAW) appeared, he was not only challenging one group, or one people, or a few rulers, or one religion; he was rather challenging single-handed all kings and the people of all religions. And yet until he died in perfect ease and happiness and rose to the heavenly court, for twenty-three years he was without guard or protector and was exposed to numerous plots, with his own uncle his greatest enemy and his own tribe and people hostile to him. This shows what a powerful truth the above-mentioned verse expresses and what a firm point of support it was. We shall mention as examples only a few events classed as definite.
First Event: Scholars of Hadith and the Prophet’s (SAW) biography report unanimously that the Quraysh had made a certain agreement to kill Allah’s Messenger (Alayhissalatu wassalam). Upon the suggestion of a demon in human form, so as to prevent discord within the Quraysh, at least one member of every branch of the tribe formed a group of nearly two hundred men under the leadership of Abu Jahl and Abu Lahab, and they staged a surprise attack on the Messenger’s (SAW) house. ‘Ali was together with him. He had told him to sleep that night in his bed. The Messenger (SAW) waited till the Quraysh came and completely surrounded the house, then he went out and threw a handful of earth at their heads, and not one of them saw him. He passed through them and disappeared.(1) When he reached the cave of Hira, two pigeons and a spider became his guards, and protected him against all the Quraysh.(2)
The Second Event: It certainly occurred that when they emerged from the cave and set off towards Medina, they were followed by a very brave man called Suraqa, who, for a large reward, had been sent by the leaders of the Quraysh to kill them. Allah’s Messenger (Alayhissalatu wassalam) and Abu Bakr the “Siddik” (Veracious) had seen Suraqa coming when they came out of the cave. Abu Bakr had been anxious, but Allah’s Messenger (SAW) said: “Do not be anxious, Allah is with us!”(9:40), as he had in the cave. Abu Bakr looked at Suraqa: his horse’s hooves were stuck in the sand. He was freed and started following them again. Then again the horse became transfixed, and something like smoke was rising from where its hooves were stuck. At that point he understood that it was beyond his power and anyone else’s power to harm Allah’s Messenger (alayhissalatu wassalam). He cried for mercy. The Messenger (SAW) freed him, but said: “Go back, but make sure no one else comes after us.”(3)
In connection with this incident, we should also mention that a shepherd spotted them and immediately set off for Mecca to inform the Quraysh. But on arriving at the city, he forgot why he had come. No matter how much he tried, he could not remember. He was obliged to return. Then later he understood that he had been made to forget it.(4)
The Third Event: The leading scholars of Hadith relate through many chains of transmission that at the Battle of Ghatafan and Anmar, a bold tribal chief called Ghurath got close to the Noble Messenger (Alayhissalatu wassalam) without anyone seeing him, his sword ready in his hand. He said to Rasulullah (SAW): “Who will save you from me?” Allah’s Messenger (SAW) replied: “Allah!” Then he prayed: “O Allah, save me from him, if You thus will!” Suddenly, Ghurath received a blow from the Unseen between the shoulders and his sword fell to the ground. The Noble Messenger (Upon whom be blessings and peace) picked up the sword and said: “Now who will save you from me?” Then he forgave him. The man returned to his tribe. Everyone was astonished at the bold, valiant fighter, and asked him what had happened to him and why he had done nothing. He replied to them: “That’s the way it happened. I have come now from the best of men.”(5)
In an incident similar to this at the Battle of Badr, a dissembler approached the Noble Messenger (Upon whom be blessings and peace) from behind when no one was aware of it. Just as he was raising his sword to strike, Allah’s Messenger (SAW) turned and looked at him; the man trembled and his sword slipped to the ground.(6)
19th Letter, Risale-i Nur
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(1) Qadi Iyad, al-Shifa’, i, 349; Musnad (Tahqiq: Ahmad Shakir), iv, 269, no: 2009; al-Haythami, Majma’ al-Zawa’id, ii, 228.
(2) Qadi Iyad, al-Shifa’, i, 313; ‘Ali al-Qari, Sharh al-Shifa’, i, 368; Musnad, i, 248; San’ani, al-Musannaf, v, 389; Ibn Kathir, al-Bidaya wa’l-Nihaya, iii, 179-81; al-Haythami, Majma’ al-Zawa’id, vii, 27; Ibn al-Qayyim, Zad al-Ma’ad (Tahqiq: Arnavu\dê), iii, 52; al-Tabrizi, Mishkat al-Masabih, no: 5934; Maruzi, Musnad Abu Bakr al-Siddiq, no: 73; Zayla’i, Nasb al-Ra’ya, i, 123; al-Haythami, Majma’ al-Zawa’id, vi, 52-3.
(3) Bukhari, Manaqib, 25; Muslim, Zuhd, 75; Ibn Hibban, Sahih 65; 9:11.
(4) Qadi Iyad, al-Shifa’, i, 351; ‘Ali al-Qari, Sharh al-Shifa’, i, 715.
(5) Bukhari, Jihad, 84, 87; Maghazi, 31-2; Muslim, Salat al-Musafirin, 311, no: 843; Qadi Iyad, al-Shifa’, i, 347-8; al-Haythami, Majma’ al-Zawa’id, ix, 7-8; al-Hakim, al-Mustadrak, iii, 29-30.
(6) Qadi Iyad, al-Shifa’, i, 347; ‘Ali al-Qari, Sharh al-Shifa’, i, 710.