The Prophet’s (s.a.w.) Touch Removed Disbelief & Doubt

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ

Dr. Muhammad Muswthafa al-Badawi said, regarding the effects of the Prophet (s.a.w.) placing his noble hand on someone’s chest, many traditions describe them.  Sayyidina ‘Alî ibn Abu Thalib (k.w.) said, “The Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.) sent me to Yemen.  I said, ‘O Messenger of Allah, you send me, while I am still young, to judge amongst them, and I know not how to judge!’ 

He struck my chest with his hand saying, ‘O Allah!  Guide his heart and Fortify his tongue!’  By He Who Split the grain!  Thereafter, I never doubted how to judge between two people!”  This was recorded by Imam Abu ‘Abdullah Muhammad ibn Yazid ibn Majah (r.a.), and Imam Abu Bakr ‘Abdullah ibn Muhammad ibn Abu Shaybah (r.a.). 

Sayyidina Abu Hurayrah ‘Abd ar-Rahman ibn Sakhr ad-Dawsi az-Zahrani al-Azdi (r.a.) said, “I said, ‘O Messenger of Allah, I often hear you speak but I forget!’ 

He said, ‘Spread out your garment!’  I spread it out, he scooped with his hand and poured it in it, then he said, ‘Fold it up!’  I did and thereafter forgot nothing he ever said.”  This is found in Swahih al-Bukhari. 

Sayyidina ‘Utsman ibn Abu al-‘Aasw (r.a.) said, “I used to forget the Qur’an, so I said, ‘O Messenger of Allah, I forget the Qur’an!’ 

He struck my chest, then said, ‘Come out, O Shaythan, from the chest of ‘Utsman!’  Following that, I never forgot anything I wished to remember!” 

Sayyidina ‘Utsman ibn Abu al-‘Aasw (r.a.) also said, “The Prophet (s.a.w.) told me to lead my people in prayer.  I said, ‘O Messenger of Allah, I find in myself something,’ meaning there were things in his heart which prevented him from doing so. 

He said, ‘Come near!’  He made me sit before him, placed his hand on my chest, then said, ‘Turn around!’ then he placed it on my back between my two shoulders, then he said, ‘Lead your people in prayer!  He who leads people in prayer should lighten the prayer, for among them will be the elderly, the sick, the weak, and he who has something to attend to.  But if one of you is praying alone, let him pray as he wishes.’”  All this is from Swahih Muslim. 

After the conquest of Makkah, the Prophet (s.a.w.) was circumambulating the house when Sayyidina Fudhalah ibn ‘Umayr (r.a.) decided to kill him.  He drew near to him.  The Prophet (s.a.w.) said, “Fudhalah?” 

He replied, “Yes!  Fudhalah, O Messenger of Allah!” 

He said, “What were you saying to yourself?” 

“Nothing!”  He said, “I was invoking Allah!” 

The Prophet (s.a.w.) laughed, then said, “Ask Allah for Forgiveness!”  Then, he placed his hand on his chest, and there was peace in his heart. 

Sayyidina Fudhalah (r.a.) used to say, later on, “By Allah!  By the time he took his hand off my chest, none of Allah’s Creation was dearer to me than him!  As I was returning to my family, I passed by a woman I used to converse with, she said, ‘Come over!’ 

I said, ‘No, Allah will not Allow it, nor Islam!”  This is the companion's polite manner of saying he used to have relations with her.  This was recorded by Shaykh Abu Muhammad ‘Abd al-Malik ibn Hisham al-Baswri (r.a.). 

During the battle of Hunayn, two further incidents happened.  Sayyidina ‘Utsman ibn Shaybah (r.a.), whose father, uncle, and cousin had been killed in Badr, recounted the first of these thus: “When the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.) was in Hunayn, I remembered my father and my uncle, and how ‘Ali and Hamzah had killed them, and I thought, ‘Today I will avenge myself on Muhammad!’  I approached him from behind until all that remained for me to do was to strike him with the sword, when a flash of fire shot like lighting between him and I.  I stepped back. 

He turned around saying, ‘O ‘Utsman, come nearer!’  Then he placed his hand on my chest.  Allah (s.w.t.) Removed the devil from my heart.  I looked up at him and he was dearer to me than my hearing and eyesight!”  This was recorded by Imam Abu Bakr Ahmad ibn Husayn al-Bayhaqi (r.a.).  It is also found in Imam Abu al-Fadhl ‘Abd ar-Rahman ibn Abu Bakr ibn Muhammad Jalal ad-Din as-Suyuthi’s (q.s.) al-Khaswa’isw al-Kubra’. 

Sayyidina Shaybah ibn ‘Utsman al-Hajbi (r.a.) recounted the second incident thus: “I went out with the Prophet (s.a.w.) on the day of Hunayn.  By Allah!  I had not gone out for Islam, but to prevent Hawazin from gaining the upper hand on Quraysh!  By Allah!  As I was standing with the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.), I said, ‘O Prophet of Allah, I see piebald horses!’ 

He said, ‘O Shaybah, only a disbeliever can see them!’  Then he struck my chest with his hand saying, ‘O Allah, Guide Shaybah!’  This he repeated twice more.  No sooner had he taken his hand off my chest the third time that none in Allah’s (s.w.t.) Creation was dearer to me than him!”  This is recorded in Imam as-Suyuthi’s (q.s.) al-Khaswa’isw al-Kubra’.  It was also recorded by Imam al-Bayhaqi (r.a.) and Imam ‘Ali ibn al-Hasan ibn ‘Asakir (r.a.).


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