PREDICTIONS OF GOD’S MESSENGER CONCERNING HIS OWN TIME

As reported by authentic books of Tradition including Sahih al-Bukhari, one day, God’s Messenger mounted the pulpit. With the highest dignity and solemnity, he first delivered a sermon and then told the congregation to ask him whatever they wished to. They asked him different questions and then a young man stood up and asked who his father was. Since illicit intercourse was widespread in pre-Islamic times, this young man, whose name was ‘Abd Allah, was said by some to be the son of one other than the man whom he called ‘father’. God’s Messenger told him that his father was Hudafa al-Sahmi, the one whom ‘Adbullah called ‘father’. Freed from groundless accusations, ‘Adbullah was relieved and thereafter was called ‘Adbullah ibn Hudafa al-Sahmi.

People continued to ask questions until, eventually, ‘Umar, noticing the anger of God’s Messenger, upon him be peace and blessings, stood up and said: ‘We are pleased with God as our Lord, with Islam as our religion, and with Muhammad as our Messenger’. This eased the Prophet and he came down from the pulpit.¹

This event took place before the whole congregation of the Companions and no one was reported to contradict God’s Messenger that day.

¨ ‘Umar reports in a narration recorded in Sahih al-Muslim:

Before the Battle of Badr started, God’s Messenger walked around the battlefield and pointed to some locations, saying, Abu Jahl will be killed here, Utba here, Shayba here, Walid here, and so on. By God, we found, after the battle, the dead bodies of all those men in the exact places that God’s Messenger had pointed out.²

¨ Ahmad ibn Hanbal reports:

One day, God’s Messenger, upon him be peace and blessings, was sitting in the mosque together with his Companions. He told them: In a few minutes, a man with a shining face will come. He is one of the best people of the Yemen and he has on his forehead the print of the hand of an angel.

After a short while the man did come and, kneeling before God’s Messenger, upon him be peace and blessings, proclaimed his conversion. He was Jarir ibn ‘Adbullah al-Bajali.³

¨ In his Dala’il al-Nubuwwa, Bayhaqi narrates:

Abu Sufyan accepted Islam during the conquest of Makka, but belief had not yet been established firmly in his heart. While God’s Messenger, upon him be peace and blessings, was circumambulating the Ka’ba, it occurred to him: ‘I wonder what would happen if I formed a new army to confront this man once more.’ No sooner had he conceived of this than God’s Messenger, upon him be peace and blessings, approached him and said: If you do, then God will defeat you once again.⁴

This led Abu Sufyan to have a more established belief and he begged God’s forgiveness. He too, understood that the Messenger, upon him be peace and blessings, was taught by God, the All-Knowing.

¨ As related in the reliable books of Tradition, ‘Umayr ibn Wahb, who was called a ‘diabolic man’ prior to his conversion, conspired with Safwan ibn Umayya to assassinate God’s Messenger.

‘Umayr arrived in Madina to carry out his plot and, pretending to be a Muslim, was taken to the mosque. The Companions had no confidence in ‘Umayr so they formed a ‘stronghold’ of bodies around God’s Messenger, upon him be peace and blessings. The Messenger asked ‘Umayr why he had come to Madina. Many lies as he invented, he could not convince God’s Messenger, who retorted to him at last: As you are not telling the truth, I will tell it. You conspired with Safwan to kill me in return for a hundred camels.

‘Umayr was struck by this answer and, holding the Prophet’s hands tightly in awe and amazement, became a Muslim. He became so deeply committed to Islam that he came to be called ‘a most ascetic devotee of Islam.’⁵

1. Bukhari, Fitan, 15.
2. Muslim, Janna, 76, 77.
3. I. Hanbal, 4.360-4.
4. I. Kathir, al-Bidaya, 4.348; Bayhaqi, Dala’il al-Nubuwwa, 5.102.
5. Ibn Hajar, al-Isaba fi Tamyiz al-Sahaba, 3.36