Being protected by God and predicted by earlier scriptures and soothsayers; miracles that happened before—but are related to—his birth
SIXTEENTH SIGN: The wonders that took place before but in connection with his Prophethood are called irhasat. They are of three kinds, as follows:
FIRST KIND: Tidings of Muhammad’s Prophethood given by the Torah, Bible, Psalms, and Pages sent to other prophets, as mentioned in the Qur’an. Since they are originally Scriptures revealed by God to His Prophets, it is fitting that they mention the Prophet who would supersede their religions, change the shape of human civilization, and illumine half of the world with the light of Islam. How could these books, which predict even petty events, not mention Muhammad’s Prophethood, the most significant phenomenon in human history?
Given that they must do so, the people to whom these Scriptures were sent either would denounce it as falsehood to protect their religions from destruction and their books from annulment, or affirm it so that, by means of this truthful person, their religions would remain free of superstition and corruption. Both friend and foe agree that their books contain nothing that contradicts or rejects his Prophethood; on the contrary, they affirm it unanimously. Using this fact, as well as the existence of a definite reason and a fundamental cause for such an affirmation, we will prove this affirmation through three definite evidences.
FIRST EVIDENCE: God’s Messenger declares to the People of the Book (Jews and Christians) by the tongue of the Qur’an: “Your Scriptures describe and confirm me in whatever I declare.” Furthermore, he challenges them with verses such as:
Say: “Bring the Torah now and recite it, if you are truthful.” (3:93)
Say: “Come now, let’s call our sons and your sons, our women and your women, ourselves and your selves, and then humbly pray and so lay God’s curse upon the ones who lie.” (3:61)
Despite such strong challenges, no Jewish scholar or Christian priest ever found an error with which to challenge him. If they had, the numerous obstinate and jealous unbelievers of that time, as well as hypocritical Jews and all unbelievers, would have publicized it throughout the land.
Like the polytheists of that time, the Jews and Christians also had to wage war on him when they were not able to contradict him. They chose to fight only to be scattered and forced to emigrate, as they could find no error. If they had, they would have thought themselves saved.
SECOND EVIDENCE: The words of the Torah, Gospels, and Psalms do not have the Qur’an’s miraculous perfection. Moreover, many alien terms and ideas have entered them because the translations became far removed from the original texts. Furthermore, the sayings and mistakes, whether intentional or not, of their many interpreters have been confused with the original verses, and the distortions of ignorant people and various enemies have been incorporated. And so these Scriptures suffer from great alteration and corruption.
The famous scholar Sheikh Rahmatullah al-Hindi once silenced priests and Christian and Jewish scholars by proving the thousands of alterations made in those books. However even now, after so many alterations, the celebrated scholar Hussain al-Jisri still could extract from them 110 pieces of evidence concerning Muhammad’s Prophethood, which he included in his Risala al-Hamidiya
Many Jewish and Christian scholars acknowledge that Muhammad’s characteristics are recorded in their Scriptures. The famous Roman emperor Heraclius, a non-Muslim, said: “I agree that Jesus predicted Muhammad’s advent.”264 Another Roman ruler named Muqawqis, the governor of Egypt, and such well-known Jewish scholars as Ibn Suriya, Ibn Akhtab and his brother Ka‘b ibn Asad, and Zubayr ibn Batiya, although remaining non-Muslims, admitted: “Our books mention him and his qualities.”265
On the other hand, many famous Jewish scholars and Christian monks broke their obstinacy and converted after seeing that Muhammad had the attributes mentioned in their Scriptures concerning the Last Prophet. They silenced some of their former co-religionist scholars by showing them the references in the Torah and the Gospels. Among them were the famous
‘Abdullah ibn Salam, Wahb ibn Munabbih, Abu Yasir, Shamul, and Asid and Tha‘laba (the two sons of Sa‘ya).266 Shamul lived during the reign of Tubba, ruler of Yemen, and both believed in Muhammad’s Prophethood even though his birth was still some time in the future.
Ibn Hayaban once visited the Bani Nadir tribe in Medina before the proclamation of Muhammad’s Prophethood. He told them: “The emergence of a Prophet is close, and he will emigrate here.” Ibn Hayaban died there. Later, when that tribe fought God’s Messenger, Asid and Tha‘laba publicly called out to their tribe: “By God, he is the one whose coming was promised by Ibn Hayaban.”267 But they ignored the call, and so earned what they earned.
After seeing the Prophet described in the Torah, many Jewish scholars such as Ibn Bunyamin, Mukhayriq, and Ka‘b al-Akhbar converted and thereby silenced those who insisted on unbelief.268
And then there is the famous Christian monk Bahira, as mentioned earlier. When he was 12, the Messenger accompanied his uncle on a trading mission to Damascus. From his cell, Bahira noticed that a cloud was shading a certain person in the caravan. He invited all of them to a meal for Muhammad’s sake. When he saw that the shade-providing cloud remained where the caravan camped, he thought: “The one I seek must still be there,” and so sent a man to fetch whoever was left. When Muhammad was brought, Bahira told Abu Talib: “Return to Mecca immediately. The Jews are very jealous and might plot against him, for his description is recorded in the Torah.”269
Some Nestorians in Abyssinia as well as the Negus (the Abyssinian ruler) embraced Islam together after they found the Prophet described in their Scripture.270 The famous Christian scholar Daghatr also found the Prophet described in the Christians’ books and accepted Islam. When he openly declared his conversion to the Byzantines, he was martyred.271
A few other examples of such conversions are Harith ibn Abi Shumar al-Ghassani (a Christian leader), Ibn Natur and al-Jarud (prominent religious leaders of Damascus), the ruler of Ilia (in present-day Greece) and Heraclius (Emperor of Byzantium). Heraclius concealed his conversion for the sake of worldly kingdom.272 Salman al-Farisi, born a Christian, set out to search for the Prophet after hearing his description.273 Tamim (a celebrated scholar), as well as the Negus, the Christians of Abyssinia, and the priests of Najran all declared that they found the Prophet described in their books and so believed in him.274
THIRD EVIDENCE: We now point out a few verses from the Gospels, Torah, and Psalms that describe Prophet Muhammad.
First example: In the Psalms we read: O God, send to us after the interregnum (the latest of the successive prophets) one who will establish (Your) way.275 “One who will establish (Your) way” refers to Prophet Muhammad.
In the Gospels we read: The Messiah said: I am going to my and your Father so that He may send you the Paraclete (John 16:7), (that is, Ahmad or Muhammad) and I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Paraclete to be with you forever (John 14:16). Paraclete, meaning “the praised one who distinguishes truth from falsehood,” refers to Prophet Muhammad, as mentioned in those books.276
The Torah says:
God said to Abraham: “Hagar will bear children. There will appear from her sons one whose hand will be above all, and the hands of all others will be opened to him in reverence.”277
Another Torah verse reads:
And He said: “O Moses, I will raise up for them a Prophet like you, from among their brothers (the children of Ishmael). I will put my Word in his mouth, and he will tell them everything I command him. If anyone does not listen to My words that the Prophet speaks in My name, I Myself will call him (or her) to account.” (Deuteronomy 18:18-19)
A third Torah verse reads:
Moses said: “O my Lord, I have found in the Torah a community, as the best of the communities, that will be raised for (the benefit) of humanity. They enjoin good and forbid evil, and believe in God. Let it be my community!” (God) said: “That is the community of Muhammad.”278
A reminder: In those books, the name Muhammad is given in its Syriac counterparts, such as Mushaffah, Munhamanna, Himyata. The name of Muhammad is mentioned explicitly only in a few places, and envious Jews altered those references.
The Psalms relate:
O David, a Prophet will come after you, named Ahmad (Muhammad), the Truthful and the Lord, and his community will be forgiven.279
‘Abdullah ibn ‘Amr ibn al-‘As, who made extensive studies of earlier Divine books; ‘Abdullah ibn Salam, the first famous Jewish scholar to embrace Islam; and Ka‘b ibn al-Akhbar, one of the foremost Jewish scholars, all pointed out the following verse in the Torah, which had not yet been corrupted to its present extent. After addressing Moses, the verse addresses the Prophet to come in the following strain:
O Prophet, We have sent you as a witness, a bearer of good tidings, a warner and a protection for the unlettered. You are My slave; I have named you “the Reliant on God,” who is not harsh and stern, and not clamorous in the marketplaces; who does not repel evil with evil, but instead pardons and forgives. God will not take away his life until He straightens a crooked nation by means of him (by causing them) to proclaim: “There is no deity but God.”280
Another Torah verse states:
Muhammad is the Messenger of God. His birthplace is Mecca. He will emigrate to Tayba. The center of his rule is Damascus, and his community is unceasingly occupied with praising God.281
In this verse, a Syriac word meaning Muhammad is actually mentioned for the word Muhammad.
Another Torah verse, You are My slave and Messenger; I have named you “the Reliant on God,”282 is addressed to a Prophet who will emerge, after Moses, from Ishmael’s progeny: the cousins of Isaac’s children. Also: My slave is a “chosen one,” who is neither harsh nor stern.283 “Mukhtar” (chosen one) is a synonym of “Mustafa,” one of his names.
The Gospels mention the Prophet coming after Jesus with several names. Another verse that describes him: With him is an iron staff with which he will fight, as will his community,284 indicates that a Prophet will come with a sword to wage jihad. Qur’an 48:29 agrees with this verse, refers to other Gospel verses, and states that his community, like him, will be obliged to wage jihad.
And their similitude in the Gospel is:
[L]ike a seed that sends forth its blade, then makes it strong; it then becomes thick and stands in its own stem, filling the sowers with wonder and delight, so that it fills the unbelievers with rage at them. (48:29)
In the Torah, a verse says: The Lord came from Sinai, dawned over them from Seir, and shone forth from Mount Paran (Deuteronomy 33:2). The Lord came from Sinai refers to Moses’ Prophethood, dawned over them from Seir (the Seir mountains are near Damascus) refers to Jesus’ Prophethood, and He shone forth from Mount Paran (the Paran mountains of Hijaz) refers to Muhammad’s Messengership.285 The verse continues, in conformity with the Qur’anic expression: This is their similitude in the Torah, says this about the Prophet’s Companions who would emerge from Paran’s mountains: The flags of the holy ones are with him, on his right.286 This verse describes the Companions as “the holy ones,” meaning that they are blessed, righteous, and saintly friends of God.
Isaiah 42 contains the following verses describing Prophet Muhammad, who would come during the last phase of human history:
Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen one in whom I delight. I will put My Spirit on him, and he will bring justice to the nations. He will not shout or cry out, or raise his voice in the streets. He will not break a bruised reed, and he will not snuff out a smoldering wick. In faithfulness will he bring forth justice; he will not falter or be discouraged till he establishes justice on Earth. The islands will put their hope in his law. (Isaiah 42:1-4)
Micah 4 describes Mount ‘Arafat and the nation of Muhammad, together with the prayers and praises offered by the pilgrims flocking there from all climes:
In the last days the mountain of the Lord’s temple will be established as chief among the mountains; it will be raised above the hills, and people will stream to it. Many nations will come and say: “Come, let’s go up the mountain of the Lord, to the house of God. He will teach us His ways, so that we may walk in His paths.” (Micah 4:1-2)
The following verses from Psalms 72 clearly describe Prophet Muhammad:
He will rule from sea to sea and from the river to the ends of Earth. The desert tribes will bow before him, and his enemies will lick the dust. The kings of Tarshish and of distant shores will bring tribute to him; the kings of Yemen and Seba will present him gifts. All kings will bow to him, and all nations will serve him, for he will deliver the needy who cry out, the afflicted who have no one to help. He will take pity on the weak and the needy, and save the needy from death. He will rescue them from oppression and violence, for precious is their blood in his sight. Long may he live! May people ever pray for him and bless him all day long.... May his name endure forever. May it continue as long as the sun. All nations will be blessed through him, and they will call him blessed. (Psalms 72:8-17)
Since Prophet David, has there been another Prophet other than Prophet Muhammad who spread his religion from east to west, to whose name many rulers pay tribute, whose way so many people obey out of deep adoration for him, and on whom one fifth of humanity daily calls God’s peace and blessings?
John 16:7 reads: It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Comforter will not come to you. Who other than Prophet Muhammad could be humanity’s true comforter? Certainly he is humanity’s pride and comforter by saving all people who follow him from eternal annihilation.
John 16:8 reads: When he comes, he will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment. Who, other than Prophet Muhammad, came and transformed the disorder prevailing at his time into goodness and harmony to save the world from sin and polytheism and to revolutionize its politics and rule?
Prophet Muhammad. who was mentioned several times with several names in the Bible, is the master of humanity. Indeed, he is such a master that many millions of people have followed him in each of the 14 centuries since he lived. They obey his commands with willingly and daily renew their allegiance to him by calling God’s blessings upon him.
John 16:12-13 reads:
I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. But when he, the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own but will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is to come.
These verses are quite clear. Who, other than Prophet Muhammad, invited everyone to the truth, always spoke what he heard from God (through Gabriel) so that each of his words is based on Divine revelation, and informed people in detail about the Day of Judgment and the Hereafter?
In the books of other Prophets, God’s Messenger is mentioned with various Syriac and Hebrew names corresponding to Ahmad, Muhammad, and Mukhtar. In the Pages of the Prophet Shu‘ayb, his name is Mushaffah (Muhammad). In the Torah, he is mentioned as Munhamanna (Muhammad) and Himyata (“the Prophet of al-Haram”). In the Psalms, he is called al-Mukhtar (“the Chosen One”), and in the Torah as al-Hatam al-Khatam. The Torah and the Psalms refer to him as Muqim al-Sunna (“the one who establishes and enforces the Divine way for humanity”). In the Pages of Abraham, as well as in the Torah, he is mentioned as Mazmaz, and in the Torah as Ahyad.
God’s Messenger said: “In the Qur’an my name is Muhammad, in the Bible Ahmad, and in the Torah Ahyad.” In the Bible, he is referred to as “the Possessor of the Sword and the Staff.” Of all those Prophets who carried the sword, Prophet Muhammad, whom God told to perform jihad with his community, is the greatest. The Gospel also refers to him as “the one who wears a crown.” This refers to a turban,287 and the Arabs have worn head covers with a wrapper around them since ancient times. Hence the reference is undoubtedly to Prophet Muhammad.
Biblical interpreters define Paraclete (or Faraclete) as “the one who distinguishes truth from falsehood.” In other words, it is the name of the person who will guide future generations of humanity to the right path. Jesus is quoted as saying in the Gospel that he must leave so that the one who will guide humanity to truth will come. After Jesus, who other than Prophet Muhammad came as the leader of humanity, distinguished truth from falsehood, and guided humanity? Jesus always told his people that: “One will come, and [after that] there will be no need for me. I am his forerunner and bring good tidings of his coming.” This is confirmed by the following Qur’anic verse:
And remember, Jesus, the son of Mary, said: “O Children of Israel, I am a Messenger of God unto you, confirming what was revealed before me in the Torah and bringing the glad news of a Messenger who will come after me, whose name is Ahmad.” (61:6)
In Shamun al-Safa’s tomb, the famous traveler Evliya Celebi saw the following Gospel verses written on a gazelle hide:
‘I’tun Azribun peruftun. Law ghislin. Bent afzulat; ki kalushir; tunuminin mavamid. Isfedus takardis, bist bith. (A youth from Abraham’s progeny will be a Prophet. He will not be a liar. His birthplace is Mecca; he will come with righteousness; his blessed name is Ahmad Muhammad. His followers will prosper in this world and also in the next.)288
The Gospels record Jesus’ frequent glad tidings of the coming of humanity’s most significant leader and mention him with some Syriac and Hebrew names meaning, as observed by meticulous experts, Ahmad, Muhammad, and Faruq (one who distinguishes truth from falsehood).
QUESTION: Why did Jesus give good tidings of the Last Prophet’s coming more emphatically than the other Prophets who predicted him?
ANSWER: Prophet Muhammad declared Jesus’ purity against the Jews’ slanders, defended him against their denial, and purified Jesus’ way of its great alteration and corruption. In addition, instead of the Jews’ burdensome religious law, he presented a feasible and all-encompassing religion with an exalted law that completed the law of Jesus’ religion. This is why Jesus often announced the glad tidings of his coming.
As explained earlier, the Torah, Gospels, Psalms, and Pages of other Prophets contain numerous emphatic mentions of a promised Prophet who is to come and mention him with various names. Since this Prophet is mentioned in all Prophetic books, who else could he be other than Muhammad, the Prophet who came in the last phase of human history?
SECOND KIND: The second kind of irhasat includes the predictions of Prophet Muhammad’s coming by soothsayers and Gnostics living in the period between Jesus and Muhammad’s Prophethood. To a certain degree, they were considered the saints of their times. They predicted his coming in verse and entrusted them to later generations. There are numerous instances of this kind, but we mention only a few well-known ones that have been accepted and transmitted by historians and the Prophet’s biographers.
FIRST EXAMPLE: Tubba, a Yemeni ruler, saw the Messenger’s qualities in the previous Scriptures, believed in him, wished to occupy the same place as ‘Ali, and proclaimed his belief in the following couplet:
I bear witness to Ahmad that he is a Messenger
from God, the Creator of humanity;
Were I to live long enough to see him, I would be a
minister and like a cousin to him.289
SECOND EXAMPLE: Quss ibn Sa‘ida was the most famous and significant Arab orator as well as an enlightened monotheist. Before Muhammad was raised as a Prophet, he announced Muhammad’s Messengership with these verses:
Among us (God) sent forth Ahmad as the
best Prophet ever raised,
Upon him be God’s blessings.290
He wished to be in the position of ‘Ali to him.
THIRD EXAMPLE: Ka‘b ibn Lu‘ayy, one of the Messenger’s ancestors, announced Muhammad’s Prophethood through inspiration:
In the time of heedlessness
Muhammad will appear suddenly;
He will give tidings that are all true.291
FOURTH EXAMPLE: The Yemeni ruler Sayf ibn Dhiyazan saw the Messenger’s description in the previous Scriptures, believed in him, and loved him very much. When ‘Abd al-Muttalib (the Messenger’s grandfather) arrived in Yemen with a Qurayshi trade caravan, Sayf summoned them and said: “A child will be born in the Hijaz with a mark between his shoulders that looks like a seal. He will be the leader of humanity.” In private, he told ‘Abd al-Muttalib: “You are his grandfather,”292 thus predicting Muhammad’s Prophethood in a miraculous way.
FIFTH EXAMPLE: God’s Messenger was anxious when the first Revelation came to him. His wife Khadija told Waraqa ibn Nawfal (her paternal cousin) what had happened, and he told her to send Muhammad to him. God’s Messenger went to Waraqa. When he told him about the Revelation, Waraqa commented: “Good tidings to you, O Muhammad. I bear witness that you are the expected Prophet, and that Jesus has given glad tidings about you.”293
SIXTH EXAMPLE: The gnostic Askalan al-Himyeri always asked any Qurayshis he met: “Does someone among you claim Prophethood?” The people always replied in the negative. After the Messenger declared his Prophethood, he asked them the same question. When they said that someone was making such a claim, he responded: “This is the one for whom the world has been waiting for so long.”294
SEVENTH EXAMPLE: The renowned Christian scholar Ibn al-A‘la predicted the Prophet before his declaration of Prophethood and without seeing him. When he finally met the Prophet, he said: “By the One Who sent you with the truth, I found your description in the Gospel, and the Virgin Mary’s son gave glad tidings about you.”295
EIGHTH EXAMPLE: Abyssinia’s Negus, cited earlier, said: “I wished I had been in his service rather than in possession of this kingdom.”296
In addition to those gnostics who gave tidings of the future by basing their knowledge on Divine inspiration, those soothsayers who were allowed (until the Prophet’s time) to obtain some tidings of the Unseen and the future through spirits and jinn also predicted his coming and Prophethood. Out of many such instances, we cite only a few. These enjoy the certainty of tawatur in meaning and are recorded in many history books and biographies of the Prophet.
FIRST EXAMPLE: Shiqq, a famous soothsayer who looked like half a man with one eye, one hand, and one leg, repeatedly predicted Muhammad’s Messengership. His reports are recorded in history books with the certainty of tawatur in meaning.297
SECOND EXAMPLE: Satih, the famous soothsayer of Damascus, was a monstrosity who almost lacked bones, even limbs, and with a face that looked like a part of his breast. He lived a long life and was highly reputed for his true predictions. Chosroes of Persia sent the learned envoy Mubazan to him to interpret a strange dream that showed 14 pinnacles of his palace collapsing (on the night of Muhammad’s birth). Satih said: “From now on, your country will have 14 rulers and then be destroyed utterly. A man will appear to preach a religion. He will abolish both your rule and religion.”298 Satih thus clearly foretold the Last Prophet’s coming.
Such famous soothsayers as Sawad ibn Qarib al-Dawsi, Khunafar, Af‘a Najran, Jizl ibn Jizl al-Kindi, Ibn Khalasat al-Dawsi, and Fatima bint Nu‘man al-Najjariya also had their predictions recorded in history books and biographies of the Prophet. They predicted his coming and that he would be Muhammad.299 Sa‘d ibn bint al-Kurayz, ‘Uthman’s relative, learned of Muhammad’s Prophethood through divination and, in the early days of Islam, told
‘Uthman to go and believe. ‘Uthman did so, and Sa‘d expressed this in the following couplet:
Through my words, God guided ‘Uthman to that thing,
By means of which is his perfection.
Truly God guides to the truth!300
The jinn call their soothsayers hatif. They cannot be seen, but they can be heard. These beings also repeatedly foretold the coming of God’s Messenger. A few of the hatifs’ well-known and numerous tidings and messages are as follows:
•A hatif brought Dhayab ibn al-Harith and others to Islam by calling to him loudly:
O Dhayab, O Dhayab, listen to the oddest thing:
Muhammad was sent with the Book. He is calling in Mecca,
yet they do not accept him.301
•Another hatif called out to Sami‘a ibn Qarrat al-Qatafani:
The truth has come and become bright;
Falsehood has been destroyed and become uprooted,302
and caused the conversion of some people.
In addition, idols and even animals offered to idols proclaimed Muhammad’s Messengership by God’s power and permission. For example, the Mazan tribe’s idol informed them of Muhammad’s declaration of Messengership by crying out: “He is the Prophet who has been sent. He has come with the revealed truth.”303 ‘Abbas ibn Mirdas was converted by an idol named Dimar. One day, that idol was heard to say: “Dimar was worshipped before the true message of Prophet Muhammad. Now Dimar’s time is over.”304 Before his conversion, ‘Umar heard a sacrifice offered to idols say: “O sacrificer, the means of prosperity are at hand. An eloquent man is declaring: ‘There is no deity but God.’”305
There are many more such instances, all of which are narrated in authentic reports in reliable books.
In addition, various rocks, grave sites, and gravestones were found to bear, inscribed in earlier scripts, such passages as “Muhammadun Muslihun Amin” (Muhammad, a reformer, a trustworthy one). Some people were converted through such events.306 Such passages can refer only to God’s Messenger, for during the time just before his birth there were only seven Muhammads, none of whom deserved to be or was ever designated “the reformer” or “the trustworthy one.”
THIRD KIND: This includes the wonderful events at the time of and in connection with the Messenger’s birth. Many other incidents occurred before he was commissioned with Messengership, and each is one of his miracles. Out of many examples, we mention a few that became very well-known and accepted by Tradition authorities as having verified authenticity.
FIRST EXAMPLE: On the night of his birth, the Prophet’s mother and the mothers of ‘Uthman ibn al-‘As and ‘Abd al-Rahman ibn al-‘Awf saw a magnificent light. Each woman said: “During his birth, we saw a light that illuminated the east and the west.”307
SECOND EXAMPLE: On that night, idols within the Ka‘ba toppled over.308
THIRD EXAMPLE: During that night, Chosroes’ palace shook and cracked, and its 14 pinnacles collapsed.309
FOURTH EXAMPLE: On that night, the small lake of Sawa in Persia (sanctified by the Persians) sank into Earth. The fire worshipped by the Magians at Istakhrabad, which had burned continually for 1,000 years, went out.310
These incidents indicated that person born on that night would abolish fire-worship, destroy the palace of the Persian rulers, and prohibit the sanctification of things that God does not allow to be sanctified.
FIFTH EXAMPLE: Incidents taking place before the night of his birth also are considered irhasat. Of these, the Event of the Elephant (105:1-5) is the best known. Abraha, governor of Yemen for the Abyssinian kingdom, marched upon Mecca to destroy the Ka‘ba. He placed his huge elephant Mahmud at the front of his army. When they approached Mecca, the elephant stopped. Since they could not make it move forward, they retreated. On their way, a host of ababil birds attacked and routed them. This curious event is recorded in history books. It is also a sign of Muhammad’s Prophethood, for this miraculous event saved the Ka‘ba and Mecca, his birthplace and beloved home and toward which he would pray. This happened at a time close to his birth.
SIXTH EXAMPLE: When God’s Messenger was residing with Halima’s Family during his childhood, both Halima and her husband often observed a small cloud shading his head.311 They narrated this event, and it became well-known. Similarly, when the Prophet traveled to Damascus at the age of 12 with his uncle, the Christian monk Bahira saw and pointed out to others a small shade-providing cloud located above Muhammad.312 Before his Prophethood, Khadija noticed that two angels, in the form of a cloud, shaded God’s Messenger when he returned from a trading journey with her servant Maysara. When she mentioned this to Maysara, the latter responded: “I saw the same throughout the journey.”313
SEVENTH EXAMPLE: An authentic narration reports that before his Prophethood, God’s Messenger once sat under a tree. That previously arid spot suddenly became green, and the tree’s branches bent down and twisted above his head to shade him.314
EIGHTH EXAMPLE: God’s Messenger stayed with Abu Talib during his boyhood. Whenever Abu Talib and his household ate with him they were satisfied; when he did not eat with them they were not satisfied.315 This is a well-known and authenticated incident. Umm Ayman, who served God’s Messenger when he was a child, reports: “He never complained about hunger and thirst, neither when he was little nor when he grew up.”316
NINTH EXAMPLE: The milk of his wet nurse’s (Halima) goats and goods were seen (unlike others in the tribe) to increase through his blessing.317 Also, flies did not bother him.318 One of his descendants, Sayyid ‘Abd al-Qadir al-Jilani, inherited this quality.
TENTH EXAMPLE: After the Messenger’s birth, and especially during the night of his birth, shooting stars became more frequent. This was a sign that satans and jinn could no longer obtain knowledge of the Unseen.319
Since God’s Messenger would be endowed with Revelation, any information about the Unseen given by soothsayers and jinn, which is usually inaccurate and mixed with falsehood, would have to cease. This was necessary so that people would not mistake such words for Revelation or doubt the Revelation itself. The Qur’an ended soothsaying, which was widespread before Muhammad was raised as the Prophet. Many soothsayers embraced Islam, for they could find no jinn informers to provide them with information of the Unseen.320
To conclude, many incidents and people confirmed, or caused others to confirm, Muhammad’s Prophethood. All creation, both as an individual and as a species, longingly waited for and announced, with God’s permission, the advent of the world’s spiritual leader.321 This leader would change the world’s spiritual and moral structure, make it the sowing ground for the Hereafter, proclaim the real value of the world’s beings, save transient humanity and jinn from eternal annihilation, disclose the Divine purpose for the universe’s creation, and make the Creator known to everybody. As proved in the previous signs and examples, each species of creation welcomed him by becoming the means for him to work one variety of his miracles, thereby affirming his Prophethood.
Said Nursi
264 Tirmidhi, 2:167; Shifa’, 1:364.
265 Shifa’, 1:366, 384; Bayhaqi, 3:361-62; Ibn Kathir, al-Bidaya, 4:80-81.
266 Shifa’, 1:364; Bayhaqi, 6:240-49; Tirmidhi, 2:206.
267 Abu Na‘im, 1:82; Bayhaqi, 2:80-81.
268 Shifa’, 1:364; Bayhaqi, 3:161-63.
269 Ibn Sa‘d, Tabaqat, 1:76; Ibn Hisham, Sira, 115; Shifa’, 1:308; Hakim, 2:615.
270 Shifa’, 1:364.
271 Shifa’, 1:364; Bayhaqi, 6:240-49; Tirmidhi, 2:206.
272 Bukhari, 1:7; Abu Na‘im, 1:101-2.
273 Hakim, 3:604; Ibn Hanbal, 5:437; Ibn Hisham, 1:233.
274 Shifa’, 1:364.
275 Although it does not exist word for word in present editions of the Bible, it is recorded in Hujjat Allah ‘ala al-‘Alamin fi Mu’jizat al-Sayyid al-Mursalin by Yusuf Nahbani, p. 104. (Tr.)
276 According to Webster’s New World Dictionary, Paraclete derives from the Greek word parakletos, meaning “intercessor, advocate, pleader.” However Abidin Pasha, a nineteenth century scholar from Yanya, Greece, who knew Greek very well and whose works on Greek literature were praised highly by Greek authorities, writes that its real origin is piriklitos, meaning Ahmad, the one who is much praised. (Hussain Jisri, Risala al-Hamidiya, 59). The Qur’an also states that Jesus predicted Prophet Muhammad with the name Ahmad, a synonym of Muhammad (61:6). Christians assert that Jesus used Paraclete for the Holy Spirit. However, what is the Holy Spirit’s exact connection with interceding, pleading or advocating, which happen to refer to Prophet Muhammad’s main attributes, even though we accept that the word drives from parakletos. In addition, Gospel translators prefer to translate Paraclete instead of using that word, but all use different terms. In addition, Jesus gives good tidings of the one to come not only as Paraclete but also as “the Spirit of truth,” along with many other functions, which must belong to a Prophet and not to a “spirit” or an angel. (Tr.)
277 Although it does not exist word for word in present versions of the Bible, ‘Ali al-Qari records it in his Sharh al-Shifa’, 1:743. The Torah says: I will make the son of the maidservant (Hagar) into a nation (Genesis, 21:13); Hagar ... lift the boy up and take him by the hand, for I will make him into a great nation (21:18). (Tr.)
278 ‘Ali al-Qari, ibid., 1:746.
279 Ibn Kathir, al-Bidaya wa al-Nihaya, 2:326; Sharh al-Shifa’, 1:739.
280 Bukhari, Buyu‘, 50; Ibn Hanbal, Musnad, 2:174; Darimi, 1:14-15.
281 Darimi, 1:14-15; Abu Na‘im, Dala’il al-Nubuwwa, 1:72.
282 Kastalani, al-Mawahib al-Ladunniya, 6:192.
283 ‘Ali al-Qari, ibid., 1:739.
284 Yusuf Nahbani, ibid., 105.
285 The Torah calls the place where Hagar stayed with her son (Ishmael) Paran (Genesis, 21:21). The Qur’an calls that place Mecca, which was then uninhabited (14: 37). (Tr.)
286 This is almost the same in many versions of the Bible, such as that published by The Bible Company (Istanbul). However, we come across a different translation, if not an alteration, in the Gideon International version: He came with myriads of holy ones from the south, from his mountain slopes (Deuteronomy 33:2). (Tr.)
287 The turban worn by Muslim men signifies loftiness or exaltation. (Tr.)
288 The language referred to must be Syriac, as many Syriac people still live in south-eastern Turkey, where many Christian saints—true, monotheist followers of Jesus—are buried. Interestingly enough, due to the studies and endeavors of such monotheist Christian scholars as Arius, Eastern Christians were usually monotheists and so easily accepted Islam. Western Christianity, on the other hand, insisted upon retaining the doctrine of the Trinity and other borrowed creeds. (Tr.)
289 Hakim, 2:388; al-Bidaya wa al-Nihaya, 2:166.
290 Shifa’, 1:363; al-Bidaya, 2:230; Bayhaqi, 2:101.
291 Al-Bidaya, 2:244; Shifa’, 1:364.
292 Hakim, 2:388; al-Bidaya, 2:328; Shifa’, 1:143.
293 Ibn Hanbal, 4:304; Bukhari, 1:3.
294 Shifa’, 1:363.
295 ‘Ali al-Qari, Sharh al-Shifa’, 1:744.
296 Shifa’, 1:364; Bayhaqi, 2:285.
297 Abu Na‘im, Dala’il al-Nubuwwa, 1:123; Shifa’, 1:365.
298 Bayhaqi, 2:126-129; Shifa’, 1:365.
299 Bayhaqi, 2:248; al-Bidaya, 2:335; Shifa’, 1:365.
300 Suyuti, al-Khasa’is al-Kubra’, 1:258.
301 Ibid., 1:358.
302 Sharh al-Shifa’, 1:748.
303 Ibn ‘Abd al-Birr, al-Isti‘ab, 3:446; al-Bidaya, 2:337.
304 Al-Bidaya, 2:341-42; Bayhaqi, 1:118.
305 Bukhari, 5:61; al-Bidaya, 2:332.
306 Ibn Hanbal, 4:215; Shifa’, 1:467; Ibn Sa‘d, Tabaqat, 4:215.
307 Shifa’, 1:366; Ibn Sa‘d, ibid., 1:63; Bayhaqi, 1:80-92; Hakim, 2:600.
308 Bayhaqi, 1:19.
309 Abu Nu‘aym, 1:139; Bayhaqi, 1:126.
310 Suyuti, al-Khasa’is, 1:128; Shifa’, 1:366.
311 Ibn Sa‘d, Tabaqat, 1:97; Ibn Kathir, al-Bidaya, 2:273; Shifa’, 1:368.
312 Abu Nu‘aym, Dala’il, 1:168-172; Tirmidhi (version verified by Tuhfat al-Ahwazi, No. 3699); Ibn Hisham, 1:180-81.
313 Shifa’, 1:368; Bayhaqi, Dala’il al-Nubuwwa, 2:65.
314 Shifa’, 368; Sharh al-Shifa’, 1:753.
315 Abu Nu‘aym, 1:166; Shifa’, 1: 367.
316 Shifa’, 1:368; Bayhaqi, 6:125; Suyuti, al-Khasa’is, 1:111.
317 Al-Bidaya, 2:273; Ibn Hisham, 1:173; Shifa’, 1:366.
318 Shifa’, 1:368.
319 Shifa’, 1:347-48.
320 Today, soothsaying has reappeared in the form of mediumship. However, that topic is beyond the scope of this book.
321 This being, who was addressed by God with the words “But for you, I would not have created the worlds,” is so great a leader that his rule continues even after 14 centuries. In each century since he lived, millions of people and half the globe have placed themselves under his banner. His subjects, who today number more than 1.5 billion, try to follow him in deep respect and daily ask God to bestow peace and blessings upon him. Thus they daily renew their oath of allegiance to him.