Muhammad E. Esahâq has a tradition that after Abu-l-a’ass B. Rabyi’ B. A’bdu-l-u’zza B. Shams, who was the son of the sister of Khodayjah, the daughter of Khowylad, had married her daughter Zaynab, whom she begat with the apostle of God, and also after Raqyah, the step-sister of Zaynab, had been married to O’tbah B. Abu Lahab, a feud had broken out between the Qoraish and the apostle of God, in consequence whereof the flames of envy and rancour had commenced to blaze in the furnaces of their minds. Wishing to distress and to insult that prince, some of the Qoraish said to Abu-l-a’ass and to O’tbah: ‘Both of you have wedded daughters of Muhammad, and have thereby relieved him of the trouble to take care of them. Now you must divorce his daughters in order to cause him grief and unhappiness; and we shall give you instead of them any of the daughters of Qoraish chieftains whom you may select.’ Abu-l-a’ass replied: ‘I swear by God that I shall never separate from my wife, nor prefer any other woman to her.’ O’tbah the licentious—curses be on him— however, said: ‘If you try to procure for me the daughter of Sa’yd Abu-l-a’ass I shall divorce the daughter of Muhammad.’ Accordingly the Qoraish married the daughter of Sa’yd to O’tbah, although at that time he had not yet had any true connection with Raqyah.’ U’rwah B. Azzobayr says: ‘O’tbah came to the apostle of God, and spoke the following words: “This son-in-law [of thine] does not believe in the crazy star which has come down, and does not acknowledge that Jebrâil is visiting thee.” Then he squirted the saliva of his impure mouth towards his lordship—u. w. b.—divorced Raqyah, uttered a few more unbecoming words, and departed.’
Distich: The moon sheds light, the dog barks; It is not the moon’s fault, but the dog’s nature.
It is related that on the occasion when O’tbah—curses on him—perpetrated the above act, the apostle of God— u. w. b.—pronounced the following invocation: ‘O God, appoint over him one of Thy dogs.’ Abu Ttâleb, who was present with the apostle of God, said to O’tbah: ‘O my nephew, what stratagem can save thee from the sequel of this prayer?’ According to another tradition, Abu Ttâleb, being grieved at his lordship’s wish, said to the prophet: ‘Son of my brother, what wilt thou gain by this evil wish?’ In short, O’tbah returned to his house and communicated to his father, Abu Lahab, what had taken place; but the latter was, despite his idolatry and obstinacy, convinced that the wish of his lordship, the best of the servants of God, would be responded to, and was grieved. Some time afterwards, Abu Lahab and O’tbah departed with a company of the Qoraish to Syria for the purpose of trading. During their journey, however, they halted in a station where a monk informed them that many wild beasts were on the road, and advised them to be very careful. On that occasion Abu Lahab turned to his companions, and said: ‘Be prepared for a contest and aid each other, for I am not sure whether the imprecation of Muhammad will not be responded to.’ Afterwards they heaped together all their baggage, and the couch of O’tbah happened to be on the top of it. When the night set in, O’tbah reclined on his couch, and the whole caravan reposed around the property of O’tbah. In the middle of the night, however, a roaring lion attacked the people of the caravan, all of whom were sleeping near their baggage; he snuffed at every person, but injured no one until he mounted the heap of merchandise where O’tbah slept, and sent that impudent wretch to hell by ripping up his abdomen, thus making him a loser in this and in the next world.
It is related that when Abu Ttâleb happened, on a certain occasion, to be sick, his holy and prophetic lordship— u. w. b.—condescended to pay him a visit, during which he requested the apostle to pray that the Most High would grant him health. That prince accordingly turned to the Qiblah of prayer, and said: ‘O God, heal my uncle, Abu Ttâleb.’ Whereon the latter, having immediately been cured of his disease, said: ‘O Muhammad, the Creator whom thou worshippest responds indeed to thy requests.’ The Sunnis allege that the apostle of God replied to these words with his wonderfully eloquent tongue as follows: ‘Uncle, if thou wilt also worship Him, He will grant thy prayers likewise.’
There is a tradition that a woman had a son, who was so sick that he had not a single hair left on his head; therefore she took the little boy to the apostle of God, and requested him to pray to God that he might recover his health. His lordship complied with the request of the poor woman, placed his hands on the head of the little boy and uttered a prayer, whereon the hair immediately sprouted on his head, and he was cured of his disease. At the time when Moseylamah the liar claimed to be a prophet, a woman brought her sick boy to him, and requested him to pray for his recovery. Moseylamah placed his hands on the head of the child, but by the touch of his unhallowed hand the little boy lost every hair of his head.
It is related of A’li the Commander of the Faithful— u. w. b.—that he said: ‘On a certain occasion I was attending on the apostle of God, when a number of the Qoraish approached him, and said: “Muhammad, the pretensions made by thee are greater than any ever broached by thy ancestors; but if thou canst show them to be true, we shall acknowledge thee to be a prophet; if not, we shall set thee down as a wizard and liar.” His lordship asked: “What is your wish?” They continued: “Call out to this tree that it come out from the earth with its roots.” They then pointed out a tree in the vicinity, and the apostle of God said: “Allah is omnipotent! If He does this thing, will you believe in His unity?” The idolaters having replied in the affirmative, his lordship continued: “I shall show you what you ask, although I know that there is no good in you, and I know him who instigated you, namely, Abu Jahl. He also is among you, who will make a league* against me, namely, Abu Sofyân B. Harb.” Then he exclaimed: “O tree, if thou believest in Allah the Most High and Glorious, and in the day of requital, and if thou knowest me to be the apostle of God, arise from the earth with all thy roots and stand near me by the permission of God the Most High, whose name be blessed and exalted!”’ A’li continued: ‘I swear by that God who has in reality sent Muhammad to mankind, that the tree came out of the earth with its roots, approached the apostle of God—u. w. b. —uttered a great shout, and shook itself like the wings of a bird, moving until it reached the prophet, near whom it remained stationary and overshadowed him with its two highest branches. Some of these also touched my back while I was standing at the right hand of his lordship. When the idolaters saw what was taking place, they said: “O Muhammad, order one half of the tree to remain with thee, and the other to return to its former place.” His holy and prophetic lordship thereon made a sign to the tree, and one half of it remained, while the other returned to its former place. They then again requested him to move the stationary portion to its original place, and to bring the other again back therefrom, which he likewise did, and I exclaimed: “There is no God but Allah, and Muhammad is the apostle of Allah. I am thy first adherent, O apostle of Allah, and I believe whatever the tree has done was by command of God the Most High to demonstrate the truth of thy prophetship.” After I had uttered these words, the Qoraish exclaimed: “Muhammad is a sorcerer, a liar, a juggler, and a wizard, and no one will believe him except such a fellow,” meaning myself.’
There is a tradition that once some persons came to the apostle of God, complained that their water was brackish, and said: ‘The sweet water is distant from us.’ Accordingly his lordship rose, and went with a number of his companions to the well, into which he threw some saliva from his blessed mouth, whereon the water immediately became sweet. The well is celebrated to this day, and was inherited by the members of that tribe from generation to generation, the people still boasting of the miracle worked in their favour. When the people of Moseylamah the liar had heard of this miracle, they requested him to work a similar one in their favour, but as soon as Moseylamah had thrown the saliva from his accursed mouth into their well, the water became brackish, and had the taste of the urine of an ass.
In some books it is recorded that several persons came to his lordship the refuge of apostleship, to complain of the paucity of water in their well. Accordingly his lordship spat into it, and the water rose as high as they wished. During the time of Moseylamah, some of his people who had heard of this miracle made the same request to him, and said: ‘Muhammad has done such a thing, and we beseech thee in the same manner to spit into our well, for the increase of the water thereof.’ Moseylamah complied with their petition, and when he squirted the water of his impure mouth into the well, the little water which was in it disappeared altogether, and the well became so dry that not a drop remained therein.
It is related that when his holy and prophetic lordship returned to Madinah from the Ghazwah of the Bani Tha’lebah, a camel one day approached him, and he asked his companions: ‘Know you what this camel says?’ Jâber the Anssâry—u. w. b.—replied: ‘Allah and His prophet know best.’ His lordship then said: ‘This camel speaks as follows: “My owner has made me work till I have become old, and my back is sore. Now he wants to slay me and sell my flesh.’ ” His lordship continued: ‘Go with this camel to its owner and bring him to me.’ Jâber replied: ‘I swear by God that I do not know the master of it.’ His lordship said: ‘I will show thee the way.’ Jâber continues: ‘I went with the camel till I arrived among the Bani Hanttalah, and inquired for the owner of the camel. One of them replied that he owned it. I then said that the apostle of God had despatched me in search of him, whereon he accompanied me, and we brought the camel to his lordship, who said to its owner: “Thy camel says so and so.” He replied: “The words of the camel are true, O apostle of God.” His lordship continued: “Sell it to me.” The man said: “I make thee a present of it.” His lordship would not agree, but purchased the camel from him, and whenever any one of us wanted to go to a near place, he mounted that camel with the permission of his lordship the refuge of termination.’ Jâber continues: ‘A short time afterwards I perceived that the wound of the camel had disappeared, and that it had recovered its health.’
There is a tradition of A’li the Commander of the Faithful, of Ebn A’bbâs, of Ebn Masu’d, and of other noble companions—may Allah reward them all—that once the Qoraish idolaters assembled around the apostle of God, and said: ‘If thy claim to prophecy be true, then divide the moon in twain.’ His lordship the refuge of termination —u. w. b.—said: ‘Will you believe if I do it?’ They said: ‘Yes.’ Then he pointed his finger at the moon, and it was immediately divided into two parts, one of which remained in its place and the other was concealed behind a mountain. His holy and prophetic lordship—u. w. b.— then exclaimed: ‘O such and such a one, and such and such a one, be ye witnesses.’ According to another tradition the moon was divided in such a manner that Mount Hira intervened between the two halves. Some idolaters then said: ‘Muhammad has bewitched you,’ and others exclaimed: ‘What we have seen cannot possibly have been perceived by all the people; we must therefore ask travellers, and if they also have witnessed this strange phenomenon, you may be sure that Muhammad is a true prophet, but if not, not.’ Accordingly when strangers and travellers arrived from various regions in Mekkah, the unbelievers and hypocrites examined them, and received the information that on a certain night the moon appeared divided into two halves.
It is related that an Arab who was a huntsman had caught a land-crocodile,* which he was carrying to his house as food for his family and children. While he was on the way, he suddenly perceived a large gathering of people and asked for the cause of it. The people replied: ‘Muhammad, the son of A’bdullah—the bl. of A. be on him and on his family—is here and claims to be a prophet.’ The Arab forcibly entered the crowd, went up to his lordship, and said: ‘O Muhammad, I shall not believe thee until this crocodile believes,’ and threw the land-crocodile at his lordship’s feet; but it wanted to run away; therefore his holy and prophetic lordship—u. w. b.—exclaimed: ‘Lizard, approach.’ The animal obeyed, replying in eloquent and distinct language: ‘I await thy commands with pleasure.’ His lordship asked: ‘Whom worshippest thou?’ The animal replied: ‘I worship Allah, whose throne is in heaven, whose dominion is on earth, whose power is in the sea, whose mercy is in paradise, and whose punishment is in hell.’ The apostle of God asked: ‘Who am I?’ The animal said: ‘Thou art the apostle of the Lord of both worlds and the seal of prophets; blessings be on thee! Whoever believes thee will be saved, and whoever accuses thee of falsehood will be damned.’ When the huntsman heard these words of the crocodile he took the finger of astonishment between the teeth of meditation, and said ‘After this I wish for no other proof of thy veracity. I testify that there is no God but Allah, and I testify that thou art His servant and His apostle. This profession I now make externally and internally. I swear by God that when I first approached thee, there was no man on the face of the earth whom I hated more than thee; now, however, I love thee more than my own eyes, ears, father, mother, and children.’ His holy and prophetic lordship— u. w. b.—replied: ‘Thanks and praises be to Allah, who has shown thee the right way.’
There is a tradition of Ebn O’mar that he said: ‘We were on a journey with the apostle of God, when an Arab met us, whom that prince asked: “Where art thou going?” He replied: “To my house.”" The prophet—u. w. b.— continued: “Wilt thou utter two phrases?” The Arab asked: “What are they?” His lordship continued: “Say: There is no God but Allah only, who has no partner, and Muhammad is His servant and apostle.” The Arab asked: “Who is a witness to the truth of thy claim?” The prophet replied: “This tree which is standing on the edge of the Wâdy.” After the apostle had uttered these words, the tree began to move from the place, tearing up the ground while it moved towards the prophet, near whom it finally stopped. Then his lordship asked the tree thrice, and the tree bore thrice witness to the truth of the claim of his holy and prophetic lordship.’ Borydah relates that the Arab asked for a miracle from his holy and prophetic lordship, who replied: ‘Say to that tree, The apostle of God is calling thee.’ The Arab obeyed, the tree inclined from one side to the other until it extricated its roots from the soil, and then, moving up to the prophet, said: ‘Salutation to thee, O prophet of God.’ The Arab continued: ‘Order the tree to return to its place.’ Accordingly the tree returned by the permission of his lordship the refuge of termination again to its former place, where it remained standing. Then the Arab said: ‘Allow me to worship thee.’ But his lordship replied: ‘Were I to allow created beings to be worshipped, I would order wives to adore their husbands.’
It is related of Abu Dharr Ghuffâri that the apostle of God was sitting in a certain place, and that Abu Bakr, O’mar and O’thmân were attending on him. His lordship took up seven pebbles from the ground, and when he placed them on the blessed palm of his hand, they began to praise God, and their voice resembled the humming of bees. When he threw the pebbles on the ground they became silent. The Sunnis believe that the gravel uttered praises of God also when successively placed into the hands of Abu Bakr, O’mar and O’thmân. In the Tamhyd of Abu Shukr and of Abu Sâlemy it is recorded that A’li was likewise present in that assembly, and that when his lordship placed the pebbles into the hands of A’li they likewise praised God in the following words: ‘Praise be to God, and laudation to God.’ After that Abu Dharr took the gravel, by order of the prophet, into his own hand, but it gave forth no sound. Abu Dharr then asked: ‘What mystery is it that the pebbles utter praises in their hands, but are silent in mine?’ His holy and prophetic lordship however replied: ‘Because thou wantest to be their equal.’
There is a tradition that Abu Jahl had bought a camel from a man, but as he delayed payment the seller applied to the assembly of the Qoraish, who, however, replied by way of derision: ‘Tell Muhammad to take from Abu-l-hukm* what is due to thee.’ Accordingly the seller went to the apostle of God, represented his case, and requested his aid. His lordship complied, went with the man to the house of Abu Jahl, and knocked at the door, whereon he came out quite confused, and said: ‘Welcome, O father of Qâsim; what is the reason of thy condescension?’ That prince replied: ‘Pay this man what thou owest.’ Abu Jahl continued: ‘I hear and obey,’ and immediately complied. When the Qoraish heard what had taken place they were astonished, and asked him why he had so promptly obeyed the summons. He replied: ‘When Muhammad spoke these words, I perceived a dragon standing with open jaws over my head, and had I refused to obey I would have been swallowed immediately.’
It is related that once a murderer of the Bani Makhzûm made a conspiracy to assassinate his lordship while he was at prayers, and Abu Jahl, with Wolyd B. Moghyrah, were also of the party. At a time when that prince was engaged in prayers, standing between the E’râqy and Yemeny buttresses, Wolyd approached him with a murderous intention, but on arriving there he heard only the voice of his lordship reciting the Qurân, but could not see his person, and was obliged to return disappointed, whereon he informed the conspirators of his ill-success. Therefore some of them again went with Abu Jahl, heard the voice of the prophet, but saw not his person, and repeated their attempt several times in vain, passing beyond the apostle, whose voice they heard in their rear. At last they became convinced that the prophet enjoyed the protection of the Most High, and returned to their homes full of sorrow and disappointment. Allah — whose name be praised — has said: ‘And we have set a bar before them, and a bar behind them, and we have covered them with darkness wherefore they shall not see.’*
There is a tradition attributed to the Emâm Hasan— u. w. b.—to the effect that one day a man said to his holy and prophetic lordship: ‘I had a little daughter whom I threw some time ago into such and such a river—it being customary with the Arabs during the time of ignorance to destroy their own daughters—and I requested his lordship to utter a prayer that my daughter might be resuscitated. The apostle complied, went to the bank of the river, hailed the little girl by her name, and exclaimed: ‘Return to life by the power of God the Most High!’ The child then immediately came out from the river, saying: ‘I obey thee with pleasure, O apostle of God!’ The prophet—u. w. b.— then said: ‘Thy father and mother have become Musalmâns; art thou willing to be restored to them?’ The girl replied: ‘I have need neither of father nor mother, because I have found my God to be nearer to me than they.’
It is related, after Nu’mân B. Bashyr the Anssary, that one of the professors of Islâm had died at Madinah, that his body had been dressed and laid out in state, and that when the women assembled around him he uttered the following words in eloquent and distinct language: ‘Muhammad the apostle of Allah is the illiterate prophet. This was written down in the book.’ After that he said: ‘He has spoken the truth.’ Then he mentioned the names of some of the companions, and said: ‘Greeting to thee, O apostle of God! may the blessing and mercy of God be upon thee!’ After uttering these words he relapsed into his former state and expired.
O’thmân B. Hanyf relates that a blind man requested the apostle of God to pray that his sight might be restored, and his lordship said: ‘Go, perform thy religious ablution; pray with two flexions, and then utter the following invocation: ‘O God Most High, I desire to make Thy apostle, who is the prophet of mercy, my intercessor with Thee, that the veil of cecity may be uplifted from before my eyes. O God, accept the intercession of Muhammad for me.’ The narrator states that the blind man obeyed the injunction, and his wish was fulfilled.
There is a tradition of Qotâdah B. Nu’mân that he said: ‘I prayed one night the dormitory prayers with his lordship, and although it was raining a little, and the night was very dark, I wished to return home. His lordship put a stick made of date-tree-wood into my hand, saying: “Go with this, because from this stick ten lights will be kindled in thy front, and ten in thy rear. When thou enterest thy house, thou wilt see something black; strike it till it goes out; for it is Satan.”’ Qotâdah says: ‘When I departed, the words of the apostle of God were fulfilled, there being ten lights before and ten behind me. When I entered my house, I perceived a man, whom I struck, as his lordship had commanded me, till he went out.’
One of the miracles of his lordship was the knowledge of events which happened after his decease. Thus, for instance, he predicted that some members of his family would be killed, and said to A’li: ‘The worst of men is he who will slay thee.’ He also said: ‘A’li is the bestower of paradise and of hell; he will send his friends to the former, and his enemies to the latter place, and schismatics will be his foes.’ He further said Dhu-n-nûryin [endowed with two lights] [viz., Othman] will be slain whilst reading the Qurân, and his blood will fall on the blessed verse: ‘Verily Allah will reward you; for He hears everything, and He is most hearing and wise.’ His lordship also predicted that intestine wars would arise during the life-time of O’mar. He also gave information of the war of A’li the Commander of the Faithful and of Zobayr Ala’wwâm, which will soon be narrated in these pages. At the time the Musalmâns were engaged in digging the fosse,* he predicted that the insurgents would kill O’mmâr Yâser, and to A’bdullah Zobayr he said: ‘Woe to the people from thy hands, and woe to thee from the hands of the people.’ Further, with reference to the Emâm Hasan—salutation to him—he said: ‘He is the best man who makes peace between two factions.’ He also said: ‘Among my wives she is the best whose hands are the longest,’ meaning Zaynab, whose hands were the longest,* and surpassed those of all the others. He also said: ‘Between the Tigris and the Euphrates a town will be built to which the houses of the earth will be drawn,’ namely, Baghdâd. He said to Abu Ka’b: ‘Congratulate this nation on its splendour, greatness, conquests, and pomp on earth; but whoever covets a reward in this world will receive none in the next.’
The writer of these pages says that records of all the miracles, and accounts of the pure wives, freed men, relicts, and everything else connected with his lordship the prince of existences—the most excellent salutations to him—have been composed in detailed biographical works, by celebrated ancient and modern authors, and that, as all of them could not be mentioned in this book, some miracles only have been narrated by way of a blessing, with the hope that the unworthy author of this work will not incur the blame of his learned and intelligent readers.