A Muslim Convert Once Before

There are miracles that exist to dazzle.  There are miracles that exist to teach.  The miracle of the tree belongs to the second category — and what it teaches is considerably more interesting than the spectacle itself. A Tree Came to the Prophet Dr. Muhammad Muswthafa al-Badawi said, Sayyidina Buraydah ibn al-Huswayb reported, “A Bedouin came to the Prophet, saying, ‘O Messenger of Allah, I have accepted Islam, so show me something that will increase me in certitude!’ He asked him, ‘What do you want?’ He replied, ‘Call this tree; let it come to you!’ ‘Go to her and call her!’ he told him. The Bedouin went to the tree, saying, ‘Answer the Messenger of Allah!’ The tree leaned to one side, pulling her roots out, then to the other, pulling her roots out, then she went to the Prophet, saying, ‘Peace be upon you, O Messenger of Allah!’ The Bedouin exclaimed, ‘This is sufficient for me!  This is sufficient for me!’ The Prophet said to the tree, ‘Go back!’ so it returned to its ...

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ Dr. Muhammad Muswthafa al-Badawi said, the companions knew well the barakah in the hand of the Prophet ( s.a.w. ); they also knew about its being the symbol of Divine Generosity and Power.  They loved to touch and kiss it, they competed for the water he had dipped it in, and, after his death, those who never saw him were eager to touch and kiss those hands that had touched him.  Both the Jews and the Christians who recognised the Prophet ( s.a.w. ) as a Divine envoy also showed their love and respect for him by kissing both his hands and his feet.   Once, after the Prophet’s ( s.a.w. ) emigration to Madina, a Jew said to a friend of his, “Let us go to this prophet!”   His friend said, “Say not ‘Prophet’!  Were he to hear you, he would have four eyes!”   They came to the Prophet ( s.a.w. ) and asked him about nine things which he answered.  They kissed his hands and feet, saying, “We testify that you are a p...

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ Dr. Muhammad Muswthafa al-Badawi said, when the Prophet ( s.a.w. ) entered the Sacred Mosque after the conquest of Makkah, he went around the Ka’bah, pointing at the idols with his stick or his bow.   There were three hundred and sixty idols on and around the Ka’bah, their feet fixed with lead, in addition to Isaf and Na’ilah, where the pagans slaughtered their offerings.   As the Prophet ( s.a.w. ) passed by each of the idols, he pointed at it, reciting: سُوۡرَةُ بنیٓ اسرآئیل / الإسرَاء وَقُلۡ جَآءَ ٱلۡحَقُّ وَزَهَقَ ٱلۡبَـٰطِلُ‌ۚ إِنَّ ٱلۡبَـٰطِلَ كَانَ زَهُوقً۬ا (٨١) And say, “Truth has (now) arrived, and falsehood perished: for falsehood is (by its nature) bound to perish.” (Surah al-Isra’:81) When he pointed at them, the idols fell on their faces one by one.   This is recorded by Imam Abu Bakr Ahmad ibn Husayn al-Bayhaqi ( r.a. ) in his Dala’il an-Nubuwwah .   It was also recorded, by Imam Abu ‘Abdullah M...

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ Dr. Muhammad Muswthafa al-Badawi said, before the siege of Madina, the Battle of the Trench, as the Muslims were digging the trench, they met a rock they could not break.  They tried hard but it only broke their picks.  They reported this to the Prophet ( s.a.w. ) who took the pick from Salman ( r.a. ) and struck the rock.  A light flashed, illuminating Madina from one lava tract to the other, as if it was a lamp lit in a dark night.  The Prophet ( s.a.w. ) said, “ Allahu Akbar !”  He struck it again, another flash shot forth, he said, “ Allahu Akbar !”  Then he struck it a third time.  Again, a flash of light shot forth, and again he said, “ Allahu Akbar !”  The rock was shattered by the third blow.   They asked him about the three flashes of light, and he said, “The first one lit up for me the palaces of Hira and the cities of Khosroes, as if they were dogs’ teeth, and Gabriel informed me that my nat...

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ Dr. Muhammad Muswthafa al-Badawi said, during the Battle of Badr, before that, in Makkah and after that, at Hunayn, the Prophet ( s.a.w. ) threw gravel or pebbles at the pagans, hitting them individually in their eyes.   Allah ( s.w.t. ) Addresses him thus in the Qur’an:   سُوۡرَةُ الاٴنفَال فَلَمۡ تَقۡتُلُوهُمۡ وَلَـٰكِنَّ ٱللَّهَ قَتَلَهُمۡ‌ۚ وَمَا رَمَيۡتَ إِذۡ رَمَيۡتَ وَلَـٰكِنَّ ٱللَّهَ رَمَىٰ‌ۚ ... (١٧)   It is not you who slew them; it was Allah: when you threw (a handful of dust) it was not your act, but Allah’s ... (Surah al-Anfal:17)   This is because it is humanly impossible to achieve such a feat.   On the first occasion, in Makkah, the elders of Quraysh met in the Hijr and swore to each other by Lat, ‘Uzzah, Manat, Na’ilah, and Isaf that as soon as they saw Prophet Muhammad ( s.a.w. ) they would rise to him as one man and part not from him until they had killed him.   Sayyidatina Fathimah az-Za...

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ Dr. Muhammad Muswthafa al-Badawi said, there were three incidences where the swahabah broke their swords and were given other objects as replacements.   During the battle of Badr, three of the companions broke their swords.  Sayyidina ‘Ukashah ibn Mihswan ( r.a. ) was given a palm branch by the Prophet ( s.a.w. ).  As soon as he brandished it, it turned into a fine sword which he made good use of until the end of the battle, and then carried on using it, calling it “al-Qawiy”, meaning, “the Strong”, until he was martyred, in Najd, during the wars against the apostates.  This was recorded by Shaykh Abu ‘Abdullah Muhammad ibn Sa’d ( r.a. ), and Imam Abu Bakr Ahmad ibn Husayn al-Bayhaqi ( r.a. ).   Sayyidina Salamah ibn al-Harish ( r.a. ) also broke his sword and was given a palm branch by the Prophet ( s.a.w. ) who said, “Fight with it!”  It turned into a sword which he used until many years later he was martyred on...

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ Dr. Muhammad Muswthafa al-Badawi, Shaykh Suwayd ibn Zayd ( r.a. ) recounted how he once saw Sayyidina Abu Dzarr Jundab ibn Junadah al-Ghifari ( r.a. ) sitting on his own in the mosque and thought it a good opportunity to ask him about Sayyidina Abu ‘Amr ‘Utsman ibn ‘Affan ( r.a. ).  Sayyidina Abu Dzarr ( r.a. ) said, “I shall never say anything about ‘Utsman but good, because of something I saw with the Messenger of Allah ( s.a.w. ).  I used to watch for the time when the Messenger of Allah ( s.a.w. ) was all alone so that I could learn from him.  One day, I went and found that he had gone out.  I followed him.  He sat somewhere and I sat with him.  ‘What has brought you, O Abu Dzar?’ he said.   ‘Allah and His Messenger!’ I replied.  Then Abu Bakr came, gave salaam and sat to the right of the Prophet ( s.a.w. ).   He said, ‘What has brought you, Abu Bakr?’   ‘Allah and His Messenger!’ he repl...

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ Dr. Muhammad Muswthafa al-Badawi said, the barakah of the Prophet’s ( s.a.w. ) hand showed in the animals and plants he touched.  After the Prophet ( s.a.w. ) left Makkah for Madina, in the company of Sayyidina Abu Bakr ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Utsman asw-Swiddiq ( r.a. ), the latter’s servant, Sayyidina ‘Amir ibn Fuhayr ( r.a. ), and their guide, Sayyidina ‘Abdullah ibn Urayqit ( r.a. ), they passed by the two tents of Sayyidatina Umm Ma’bad ‘Aatikah bint Khalid al-Khuza’iyyah ( r.a. ) of Khuza’ah.  She was a tough, elderly woman who sat before her tent, giving people food and drink.  They asked her to sell them meat and dates, but she had none.  The Prophet ( s.a.w. ) noticed an ewe near the corner of the tent.  “What is this ewe, O Umm Ma’bad?” he asked.   “An ewe that is so weak it was left behind by the sheep,” she replied.   “Does she have any milk?” he asked.   “She is too weak for that!” she replied. ...

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ Dr. Muhammad Muswthafa al-Badawi said, Sayyidina Zayd ibn al-Harits ( r.a. ) recounted how, as they were travelling with the Prophet ( s.a.w. ), morning found them without water.   “Any water?” the Prophet ( s.a.w. ) asked him.   “Only a little that will not suffice you, O Messenger of Allah!” he replied.   “Put it in a vessel and bring it!” he said.  He put his hand in the water, and they saw water gushing from between two of his fingers.  He said, “Call my companions, whoever needs water!”  He called them and they came, and each took what he needed.   They said, “O Messenger of Allah, we have a well that suffices us with water during the winter, and we gather around it.  But in the summer the water becomes scarce, and we have to scatter to the surroundings wells.  However, now that we are Muslims, everyone around us is an enemy.  So, pray to Allah ( s.w.t. ) for our well so that its water ...

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ Dr. Muhammad Muswthafa al-Badawi said, that Sayyidina Jabir ibn ‘Abdullah ( r.a. ) recalled, “As the trench was being dug, I noticed that the Prophet ( s.a.w. ) suffered from severe hunger.  I returned to my wife saying, ‘Do you have anything, for I have noticed that the Messenger of Allah ( s.a.w. ) suffers severe hunger.’  She brought out a bag with some barley in it and we had a small sheep in the house.  We slaughtered the animal and ground the barley, then I returned to the Messenger of Allah ( s.a.w. ) and spoke to him secretly, ‘O Messenger of Allah, we have slaughtered an animal we had and have ground a measure of barley.  Please come with a few people!’   The Prophet ( s.a.w. ) raised his voice saying, ‘O People of the Trench!  Jabir has prepared some food; you are all welcome!’  Then he said, ‘Do not take the pot off the fire, and do not bake your dough until I come!’  When he arrived, he proceede...