Some signs of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)

By Sheikh Mohammed Bin Saleh Al-Uthaymeen.

The first Sermon

The Almighty Allah sent the Apostles messengers as givers of good tidings as well as conveyors of warnings, so that mankind, after the coming of the Apostles, should have no argument against Allah. That is why He supported them with signs manifest, which prove their truthfulness and the sincerity of their message. Allah the Almighty said: “We have sent our Apostles with Clear Signs and sent down with them the Book and the Balance, so that men may stand forth in justice”. And the Prophet said: ((No Apostle from among the prophets but has been given signs, the likes of which humans were drawn to believe)), Allah the Exalted supported them with manifest signs, so that the argument is upheld against all obstinate, and that those who believe do so out of conviction and clear evidence; thus his chest is expanded to receive faith and his heart is reassured. Our Prophet Mohammed had of these signs the greatest and the most glorious of all. His signs were legitimate ones and cosmic ones. As to the legitimate signs, the greatest of them is this Glorious Quran; Allah the Almighty says to those who seek signs of the Prophet: “And is it not enough for them that we have sent down to you the Book, which is rehearsed to them? Verily, there is in that a Mercy and a Reminder to those who believe”. And the prophet says: ((That which I was given was but a revelation, which Allah revealed onto me; I hope to be the most subordinate on the Day of Resurrection)). Yes, this Glorious Quran is indeed a great sign to the Prophet, because it came to confirm Allah's previous books, ruler over them and abrogate them: “To you We have sent the Scripture in truth, confirming the scripture that came before it, and guarding it in safety: so judge between them by what Allah has revealed, and follow not their vain desires, diverging from the Truth that has come to you”. This Quran has been a great sign to the Prophet, because it was a about the description of his message in its totality, comprehensiveness, validity and reformation. It is a general, comprehensive book, valid for all time and place. A reformer to worldly matters and the Hereafter; it is the basis of the law which bears witness to it. The Quran has been a great sign for the Prophet, due its inclusion of sincere meaningful news, the parables of good record, which are full of lessons and education, the just and satisfactory judgments and the personal and social reforms. The Quran has been a major sign in its wording, meaning and impact on the soul, its effects on the nation. It is a sign for the entire nation from its beginning to its end. All the Muslims recite it today as did the formers of this nation, and they can draw from the source of its provisions and its ruling as did the earlier generation: “We have, without doubt, sent down the Message; and we will assuredly guard it”. Among the signs of the Prophet this wholesome law in belief and worship, ethics and morals, transactions and regulation of the conduct of a servant in matters between him and his Lord and between him and mankind. If the whole world gathered together to come up with the likes of this law, they would not be able to, because it is the law of Allah the Knower of that which reforms His creation, the Wise in what He prescribes for them, the Merciful in what He charges them to do. Everything, of good or reform, that came in any of the systems, in the Islamic Mohammedan law there is that which is better suited and more beneficial to the creation. And if human beings cannot come up with the likes of this law in its suitability and reform, that then is a sign and proof that the law of Mohammed is that of Allah the Almighty.

As to the cosmic signs indicating his message, they are very many that it is not possible to cover. From these, there are those which Allah had fashioned in him out of the noblest of morals, the most excellent of manners and the best of deeds. The king of Ghassan has said, when the Prophet called him to Islam: By Allah, what gave me an indication about this illiterate Prophet was that he does not enjoin a good but was the first to embrace it, does not forbid an evil but was the first to renounce it, that he vanquishes without showing arrogance, that he is vanquished but does not show discontentment; fulfils his engagements and honours promises and I bear witness that he is a Prophet. Ibn Taymiyyah, the arch scholar of Islam, said in his book (the right answer those who changed the religion of Christ), which is a book worth its value, and that the Muslim is required to read, especially in this age, in which the spread of Christians among Muslims increased tremendously in the government and public sectors, so that one can be aware of them. The arch scholar of Islam said: The Conduct of the Prophet, his morals, his words, his actions and his law are among his signs. He was one of the noblest people of the land in lineage; from the core of the progeny of Abraham, and was the most achieved in values and upbringing amongst people. He remains being known by truthfulness and righteousness, justice and the best of morals, forsaking immorality and injustice. Nothing which might be a source of blame is known of him, nor was a lie attributed to him ever, nor injustice or obscenity, but was the most honest of people, the most just of them and most fulfiller of his engagements, however different may be the conditions over him; from war and peace, security and fear, wealth and poverty, his triumph over the enemy sometimes and the triumph of the enemy over him sometimes.

Among the cosmic signs of the Prophet, that which people saw in the furthest regions of the heavens and the furthest regions of the earth. In the furthest regions of the heavens, meteors in the sky have been many; to burn the demons who hear the news of the heavens. Meteors have been many in order to protect Allah's revelation, which He revealed to Mohammed. Allah the Almighty said of the Jinns (spiritual beings): “We used, indeed, to sit there in stations, to (steal) a hearing; but any who listen now will find a flaming flare watching him in ambush”. And the Quraish requested of the Prophet a sign, so he showed to them the Moon in two separate halves, so much so that they even saw the cave of Hira between them, and each half of it was juxtaposed over one mountain. And the Prophet was transported from the Sacred Mosque to the Aqsa Mosque; the Prophets gathered around him and he led them in prayer as Imam. He then was made to ascend up into the heavens and met in each of the heavens those he met, among the prophets and the apostles and greeted them. They reciprocated to him and saluted him back. He reached the Lote-tree beyond which none may pass, and a place where he heard the grating of pens, and Allah spoke to him that which He wanted. He then went forth and back between Allah the Almighty and Moses concerning what Allah prescribed to him of the prayers offered. Paradise was presented to him and he was entered in it, and the Hell fire was displayed to him and he saw it. All this was during a night, or rather during a part of a night, and it is the greatest signs of Allah indicating the sincerity of our Prophet Mohammed. Allah the Almighty said: “For truly did he see, of the Signs of his Lord, the Greatest!”

A man came to him while he was delivering a sermon on Friday; he said: pray to Allah that He may rescue us; there and then, clouds like a mountain were raised. He did not come down from the pulpit until the rain was dripping for his beard, it kept raining for a week, until a man walked in the following Friday and said: pray to Allah that He may withhold it from us; he called and called pointing to the clouds. To whatever area did he point at, but brightened up and people went out walking in the sun.

And in the furthest regions of the earth, people witnessed of the signs of the Prophet a lot, some of which are narrated by Jaabir bin Abdullah, may Allah be pleased with both of them. He said: people got thirsty and in the hands of the Prophet was a Rakwah – a pot made of skin – people hurried towards him. He said: what is the matter with you? They said: we have no water to drink or even make ablution but that which is between your hands. He put his hand in the skin pot and the water started to gush between his fingers like streams. We drunk and performed ablution. Jaabir was told: How many were? He replied: we were one thousand and five hundred; even if we were one hundred thousand it would have sufficed us.

Anas came to the Messenger of Allah, while with a group of his companions. He tied a belt around his abdomen from hunger. Anas went to Abu Talha, his step-father, he told him of what he witnessed of the Prophet. Abu Talha then said to Um-Suleim, his wife: Is there anything? She said: Yes, pieces of bread and some dates; if the Messenger of Allah came alone, we would have satiated him, and if someone else came with him, it would be less for both of them. Anas said: I went to the Prophet. He looked at me and I said: Answer Abu Talha. The Prophet said to those with him: ((stand up!)). And there was Abu Talha at the door; he said: O Messenger of Allah, it is but a little. He said: ((bring it, Allah will make blessing in it)), then asked for clarified butter and poured it over and invoked on it, and then said: ((allow for ten)). He said: ((Eat and evoke the name of Allah)), then brought them ten by ten, and they were eighty until they were all satiated, then the Messenger of Allah and the people of the house ate until they were filled, and made a gift of the rest the neighbours.

The Prophet was delivering a Friday sermon by the trunk of a Palm tree in the mosque. When the pulpit was made for him and he stood upon it the first Friday, the trunk craved for the Messenger of Allah like the she camels do, until the Prophet came down to it and put his hand over it comforting it until it was comforted. Out of his signs was that which he informed of from the matters of the Unseen, which occurred according to what he informed, as if he sees them with his own eyes, like him saying: ((A people will come out at the end of times, immature, foolish and corrupt. They will hold the discourse of the best of creation. They will pass through religion the way an arrow passes through its quarry. But their faith will not go past their throats)). And he said: ((A group of my nation will still always stick to the decree of Allah, not giving thought to the harm of those who fail them nor those who contradict them, until Allah’s decree comes to them while they are so)), that has materialised, praise be to Allah; there is still in this nation a group standing fast by the decree of Allah the Almighty, they do not endure harm from those who fail them nor disagree with them,  out of  increased invasion of their religion by their enemies, even in the time of the Prophet from the Jews, Christians and polytheists. Anas ibn Maalik said: There was a Christian man who used to say: Mohammed knows only what I have written for him. Allah slew him, and they buried him. The following day, the ground ejected him out. They said: This is the doing of Mohammed and his companions; when he escaped them, they dug out our fellow and threw him out. They dug for him deeper in the ground and in the following day, the ground ejected him once again. They said: This is the doing of Mohammed and his companions; when he escaped them, they dug out our fellow and threw him out. They dug for him, again, and went as deep as they could manage, and in the following day the ground ejected him out, yet again. They then knew he was not of the ordinary people (the prophet), and they discarded him and left him an outcast, thus Allah the Almighty triumphs over his enemies, and shows people in them His sign, until the truth is made clear to them.

Fear Allah, O Muslims and put your trust in Allah's promise if you are truthful and never give up hope of Allah's Soothing Mercy, truly no one despairs of Allah's Soothing Mercy, except those who have no faith.

May Allah bless me and you in the Glorious Quran, and benefit me and you from what is therein of verses and message of wisdom. I say this and ask Allah for forgiveness for me and you from every sin, so seek His forgiveness; He is Oft-Forgiving, Oft- Merciful.

The second Sermon

O people! The issues of the supernatural kind, which are at odds with what people got accustomed to in terms of cosmic matters, are subdivided into three sections: The first section concerns the signs of the prophets. It is common knowledge that these signs will not be for anyone after the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, because whoever alleges Prophethood after Mohammed, peace and blessings be upon him and his family, is a liar and an infidel, and he who believes him is an infidel, because Allah says (Mohammed is not the father of any of your men, but (he is) the Messenger of Allah, and the Seal of the Prophets: and Allah has full knowledge of all things). These signs, I mean the signs of the prophets, are cut off from people; this is to say that no one can bring forth after Mohammed, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him and his family. While the second concerns the marvels of the saints; that is the marvels, which Allah the Almighty confers upon some saints in His honour and in support of His cause. It is in reality a sign to the Prophet whom this saint follows. These marvels are many; found beforehand prior to this nation, exist in this nation and will continue to exist until the Day of Resurrection. Among the signs conferred upon the formers, that which happened to Mary, the daughter of Imran, may Allah be pleased with her.

When she fell pregnant and the pain of childbirth led her to the side of a palm-tree trunk, i:e: when the contractions of labor came, she resorted to a palm-tree trunk to give birth by it, as Allah the Almighty said:  “to the trunk of the palm-tree” she started to shake the palm-tree trunk following the order of Allah, and the fresh ripe dates were falling on her from the top of trunk. It is common knowledge that a single person, let alone a woman in labor, is not able to shake it, but this woman did shake it. And the fresh ripe dates, when they fall from above, they perish if they land on the ground.  But these ripe dates came down as if it they were picked with care. And Allah made by her side a river; she ate of the dates, drank from the river and came to her people carrying her baby, which she gave birth to. That is of the signs of Allah, and so is the story of the people of the Cave. Among the signs of Allah, is the story of the man who passed by a hamlet, all in ruins to its roofs. He said: "Oh! How shall Allah bring it ever to life, after its death? While in this nation, the multitude of conferred marvels was such that it is well known and documented in the books of the scholars, especially in the book of “The criterion between the friends of the most Gracious and the friends of Satan” belonging to the arch scholar of Islam, Ibn Taymiyyah, may Allah have mercy on him, and reward him on behalf of the nation of Mohammed with that which is better.   From thence, that a certain people, when they invaded the Persians under the leadership of Saad bin Abi Waqqas. They reached the River Tigris while it was gushing and extruding its foam, and the Persians had crossed it to their homeland, smashed the bridges and sunk the ships. Nothing was left for the Muslims to cross over to them. They came to Saad bin Abi Waqqas, the leader, and said to him: we cannot cope with these ones; they have now gained a stronghold by the river, smashed the bridges and sunk the ships; we cannot cope with them.  Then, Saad bin Abi Waqas, may Allah be pleased with him, called Salman the Persian, who was from Persia and knows of their plots. He said to him: O, Salman! Tell us of something we may scheme to contrive these enemies. Salman told him: I don’t have at my disposition a scheme to contrive with, but one single thing, which is the integrity of the soldiers if they are upholding the order of Allah and following the Messenger of Allah, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him and his family. Let them rejoice that Allah will facilitate for us crossing this river, because the one who facilitated the transit of His people to cross the sea, is well able to make it easier for us. Salman went and started to scour the troops; whence they were bowing and prostrating in the night and day, working for the war, making themselves ready and prepared. After three nights, he came to Saad and informed him that the soldiers were at their best. Saad mobilised the soldiers and said: I will be standing by the river and evoking the name of Allah three times; when I evoke him the third time, do evoke the name of Allah and cross the river, for Allah will make it easier for us. The following morning, they stood by the river and Saad evoked the name of Allah thrice. Then they said: in the name Allah, and crossed the river with their horses and foot soldiers, walking over the water while it was running. They were withheld by the one who withholds the sky from falling onto the earth, except by His leave.  Historians said that whenever the Persian are hit by fatigue, Allah prepares for them an island in the river, to settle down on and recover until they cross the river.  When they crossed the river, the Persians were astounded by them, and said to themselves: you are not fighting humans, but Jinns; for no human being can ever cross the river without significant means. Allah had prepared for the Muslims to conquer their capital city and took the crown of Chosroes (the king). It was a magnificent crown; like the huge tent, wherein substantial amounts of gold, pearls and gems, the likes of which Allah is all Knower of. A mere single camel could not carry it, so they joined two camels together and tied it up between them from the city of Mada’in to the city of the Prophet. To whom were they herding them? To the righteous Caliph Omar bin Al Khattab, may Allah be pleased with him; until they put the crown between his hands, without a single pearl being lost, despite the long distance, winds, rain or heat of the sun, if it were not the rainy season. When they put it between the hands of Omar, he began to wonder and said: verily, people who delivered this are indeed trustworthy. They said: O, Commander of the faithful! You are honest and so they were trustees; and if you were derelict, they would have been derelict in their duties. So, brother, ascertain the truth from this great marvel, which is a sign to the Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him and his family. Those who crossed the river; they crossed it but to uphold the religion of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him and his family. And this is a testimony from Allah on the sincerity of this Holy Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him. O, Allah! Make us of those who heed your signs which increase our faith, certainty, love for you and veneration for you; O Lord of the worlds. You are capable of everything. O, Allah! Let your peace and blessings come upon your servant and Messenger, Mohammed, his family and all of his companions.

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