The Marks of Prophethood [1]

Signs of Prophethood: Preliminary Investigations. Preliminary Investigations. Publisher's Introduction. Presentation by Sa'id Muhammad al-Lahham. Presentation by Sa'id Muhammad al-Lahham. Al-Mawardi: His Shaykhs: His Life: His Works. Al-Khatib al-Baghdadi. Ibn al-Salah. Abu Ishaq al-Shirazi. Ibn Khallikan. Taj al-Din al-Subki. Author's Introduction. Chapter One: On the Introduction of Evidence. Chapter One: On the Introduction of Evidence. The Science of Acquisition. Necessity and Evidence. Judgments of the Intellect. Judgments of Revelation. Chapter Two: On Knowledge of the Worshipped Deity. Chapter Two: On Knowledge of the Worshipped Deity. The Statement of the Christians. The Meaning of Oneness. Chapter Three: On the Validity of Moral Obligation. Chapter Three: On the Validity of Moral Obligation. Definitions of Moral Obligation. The Necessity of Moral Obligation. The Legitimacy of Moral Obligation. Command and Will. Conditions for the Validity of a Command. The Time of a Command. Categories of Command. Chapter Four: On Establishing Prophethoods. Chapter Four: On Establishing Prophethoods. The Prophets, Peace Be Upon Them. Deniers of Prophethood. The Disagreement of the Denier and Prophethood and the Invalidity of Their Arguments. The Permissibility of Prophethoods. Establishing Prophethoods. The Proofs of the Prophets. Miracles and Prophethood. Perception and Direct Observation. Revelation and Prophethood. Conditions for Conveying. The Method of Conveying. The Prophet and the Messenger. The Obligation of Conveying. Chapter Five: On the Duration of the World and the Number of Messengers. Chapter Five: On the Duration of the World and the Number of Messengers. Allah Created Adam. Adam and His Sons from Idris to Jesus, Peace Be Upon Them. Section on the Lifespan of the World Until the Hour. The Prophets Between Moses and Jesus, Peace Be Upon Them. Chapter Six: On Establishing the Prophethood of Muhammad, May Allah Bless Him and Grant Him Peace. Chapter Seven: On the Types of Inimitability Contained in the Qur'an. Chapter Seven: On the Types of Inimitability Contained in the Qur'an. Aspects of Inimitability. Aspects of Inimitability. Inimitability in Linguistic Composition. Inimitability in Meanings. Inimitability in Style. Inimitability in Brevity and Grandeur of Meanings. Scientific Inimitability. Inimitability in Proofs and Evidences. Inimitability in Informing About the Past. Inimitability in Informing About the Unseen. Inimitability in Informing About the Secrets Within Souls. Inimitability in Words. Inimitability in Recitation. Inimitability in Being Infallible from Error and Preserved in Word and Meaning. Inimitability in the Comprehensiveness of Its Meanings. Inimitability in the Cohesion of Its Expression. Inimitability in the Inability to Comprehend Its Meanings. Inimitability in the Ease of Its Memorization. Inimitability in the Inability to Produce Its Like. Inimitability in the Inability to Add to It or Subtract from It. Inimitability in the Inability to Oppose It. Inimitability in Being Turned Away from Opposing It. The Comprehensive Inimitability. The Qur'an is the Speech of the Lord of the Worlds. Chapter Eight: On the Miracles of His Infallibility, May Allah Bless Him and Grant Him Peace. Chapter Eight: On the Miracles of His Infallibility, May Allah Bless Him and Grant Him Peace. On the Signs of His Infallibility. Chapter Nine: On the Miracles of His Actions That Were Witnessed. Chapter Ten: On the Miracles of His Statements That Were Heard. Chapter Ten: On the Miracles of His Statements That Were Heard. Categories of the Arrival of Reports. Section: Categories of Isolated Reports. Chapter Eleven: On What He Was Honored With, May Allah Bless Him and Grant Him Peace, of the Answering of His Supplications. Chapter Twelve: On His Warning, May Allah Bless Him and Grant Him Peace, of What Would Occur After Him. Chapter Thirteen: On the Miracle of the Prophet, May Allah Bless Him and Grant Him Peace, in What Appeared from Animals. Chapter Fourteen: On the Appearance of His Miracle, May Allah Bless Him and Grant Him Peace, from Trees and Inanimate Objects. Chapter Fifteen: On the Glad Tidings of the Prophets, Peace Be Upon Them, of His Prophethood, May Allah Bless Him and Grant Him Peace. Chapter Fifteen: On the Glad Tidings of the Prophets, Peace Be Upon Them, of His Prophethood, May Allah Bless Him and Grant Him Peace. Section on the Glad Tidings of Him. Section on the Glad Tidings of Him. From the Glad Tidings of Nuwal bin Nutal, from the Prophets of the Children of Israel. From the Glad Tidings of 'Uwaydiya, from the Prophets of the Children of Israel. From the Glad Tidings of Micah, from the Prophets of the Children of Israel, in His Book. From the Glad Tidings of Habakkuk, from the Prophets of the Children of Israel. From the Glad Tidings of Ezekiel, from the Prophets of the Children of Israel. From the Glad Tidings of Yarshafina, from the Prophets of the Children of Israel. From the Glad Tidings of Zechariah son of John, from the Prophets of the Children of Israel. From the Glad Tidings of Daniel, from the Prophets of the Children of Israel. From His Glad Tidings in the Vision of Nebuchadnezzar. From the Glad Tidings of Jeremiah son of Baruch, from the Prophets of the Children of Israel, in the Days of Nebuchadnezzar. From the Glad Tidings of David in the Psalms. From the Glad Tidings of the Messiah of Him in the Gospel. Chapter Sixteen: On the Calls of the Jinn to His Prophethood, May Allah Bless Him and Grant Him Peace. Chapter Sixteen: On the Calls of the Jinn to His Prophethood, May Allah Bless Him and Grant Him Peace. Section on the Obligation of Moral Obligation Upon the Jinn. The Calls of the Jinn. Chapter Seventeen: On What the Souls Whispered of the Inspiration of Intellects to His Prophethood, Peace Be Upon Him. Chapter Eighteen: On the Beginnings of His Lineage and the Purity of His Birth, May Allah Bless Him and Grant Him Peace. Chapter Eighteen: On the Beginnings of His Lineage and the Purity of His Birth, May Allah Bless Him and Grant Him Peace. The Purity of the Birth of the Messenger, May Allah Bless Him and Grant Him Peace. Chapter Nineteen: On the Signs of His Birth and the Manifestation of His Blessing, May Allah Bless Him and Grant Him Peace. Chapter Nineteen: On the Signs of His Birth and the Manifestation of His Blessing, May Allah Bless Him and Grant Him Peace. The Birth of the Messenger, May Allah Bless Him and Grant Him Peace. His Childhood, May Allah Bless Him and Grant Him Peace. His Upbringing, May Allah Bless Him and Grant Him Peace, Under the Guardianship of Abu Talib. His Youth, May Allah Bless Him and Grant Him Peace. Chapter Twenty: On the Nobility of His Character and the Perfection of His Virtues, May Allah Bless Him and Grant Him Peace. Chapter Twenty: On the Nobility of His Character and the Perfection of His Virtues, May Allah Bless Him and Grant Him Peace. Aspects of His Perfection, May Allah Bless Him and Grant Him Peace. Aspects of His Perfection, May Allah Bless Him and Grant Him Peace. The First Aspect: On the Perfection of His Creation. The First Aspect: On the Perfection of His Creation. The Moderation of His Form, May Allah Bless Him and Grant Him Peace. As for the First Aspect: His Cheerfulness, May Allah Bless Him and Grant Him Peace. The Inclination of Hearts Toward Him, May Allah Bless Him and Grant Him Peace. The Inclination of Souls Toward Him, May Allah Bless Him and Grant Him Peace. The Second Aspect: On the Perfection of His Character, May Allah Bless Him and Grant Him Peace. The Second Aspect: On the Perfection of His Character, May Allah Bless Him and Grant Him Peace. The Soundness of His Intellect, May Allah Bless Him and Grant Him Peace. His Steadfastness, May Allah Bless Him and Grant Him Peace, in Hardships. His Asceticism, May Allah Bless Him and Grant Him Peace, in This World. His Humility, May Allah Bless Him and Grant Him Peace, Toward People. His Forbearance and Dignity, May Allah Bless Him and Grant Him Peace. Keeping Covenants and Fulfilling Promises. The Third Aspect: On the Virtues of His Statements. The Third Aspect: On the Virtues of His Statements. His Wisdom, May Allah Bless Him and Grant Him Peace. His Preservation, May Allah Bless Him and Grant Him Peace, of What Allah Revealed to Him. His Mastery of What He Legislated, May Allah Bless Him and Grant Him Peace. His Command, May Allah Bless Him and Grant Him Peace, of Noble Character. The Clarity of His Response. His Guarding of His Tongue, May Allah Bless Him and Grant Him Peace. His Eloquence, May Allah Bless Him and Grant Him Peace. His Articulateness, May Allah Bless Him and Grant Him Peace. His Speech, May Allah Bless Him and Grant Him Peace. From His Speech, May Allah Bless Him and Grant Him Peace. The Fourth Aspect: On the Virtues of His Actions. The Fourth Aspect: On the Virtues of His Actions. The Excellence of His Conduct, May Allah Bless Him and Grant Him Peace. Desire and Awe. Justice. His Command of Moderation, May Allah Bless Him and Grant Him Peace. His Clarification, May Allah Bless Him and Grant Him Peace, of Acts of Worship. His Jihad, May Allah Bless Him and Grant Him Peace. His Bravery, May Allah Bless Him and Grant Him Peace. His Generosity and Munificence, May Allah Bless Him and Grant Him Peace. Chapter Twenty-One: On the Beginning of His Mission and the Establishment of His Prophethood, May Allah Bless Him and Grant Him Peace. Chapter Twenty-One: On the Beginning of His Mission and the Establishment of His Prophethood, May Allah Bless Him and Grant Him Peace. His Love of Seclusion, May Allah Bless Him and Grant Him Peace. His States, May Allah Bless Him and Grant Him Peace. The True Dream. His Purification, May Allah Bless Him and Grant Him Peace. The Glad Tidings of Prophethood. Section on His Law, Peace Be Upon Him. Footnotes.

The Signs of Prophethood [1]

Source: https://shamela.ws/book/9768 Date of extraction: 2026-06-17

Preliminaries of Verification [1]

[Preliminaries of the Investigation] [Publisher's Introduction] In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. Praise be to Allah, the Sovereign, the Judge, the One, the Unique, who has no second in His dominion, transcendent above dwelling in places or the passage of time, who chose His Prophet Muhammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and adorned the universes through him, making their existence for his existence—for were it not for him, no event would occur nor would anything have come into being—and made love for him obligatory upon all His creation, making it a condition for the validity of faith, so that no one believes until the Messenger, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, is more beloved to him than his own self, his parents, and his children. We praise Him, the Exalted, and thank Him for the various kinds of beneficence He has bestowed upon us, and we seek His help and forgiveness for every sin we have committed, whether intentionally, mistakenly, or forgetfully. We bear witness that there is no god but Allah alone, with no partner, a testimony by which its utterer rises high and is not reproached on the Day of Reproach. And we bear witness that our master Muhammad is His beloved and chosen one, the best Prophet He sent, the master of the children of Adam and the most noble of the sons of Adnan ¹. May Allah bless him, his family, and his companions, the good and pure, and those who follow them in righteousness until the Day of Judgment. And now, dear reader, we present to you the second book of the works of Imam Abu Ali ibn Muhammad ibn Habib al-Mawardi al-Basri, "A'lam al-Nubuwwa" ², after having previously presented to you his book "Adab al-Dunya wa al-Din" ³, hoping that we are on the path we have pledged ourselves to follow in serving the noble Shari'a ⁴ and loving the great Messenger, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and presenting the heritage books left to us by the best of predecessors as provision and aid for knowledge and a guiding guide in our attempt to understand the laws of our religion and the biography of our Prophet, hoping that we meet your good expectations, dear reader, in what we have presented, obtaining the pleasure and satisfaction of Allah, who is the best Protector and the best Helper. Dar wa Maktabat al-Hilal. Introduction by Sa'id Muhammad al-Lahham [Al-Mawardi:] Abu al-Hasan Ali ibn Muhammad ibn Habib al-Mawardi al-Basri was born in the year 364 AH ⁵ and died in the year 450 AH ⁶, meaning he lived during the flourishing period of Islamic culture and in the most advanced era of the Abbasid state. He was born in Basra and was attributed to it, studying under its scholars and teachers, then traveled to Baghdad and studied under the leading scholars of knowledge who lived there. Al-Mawardi was among the prominent Shafi'i jurists ⁷ and a notable figure among them, as well as a man of politics, literature, and thought, distinguished by the clarity of his style and language and the abundance of his works in various branches of culture. [His Teachers:] Al-Mawardi heard hadith ⁸ from a group of Basran scholars, the most prominent of whom were: Muhammad ibn 'Adi ibn Zahr al-Muqri'. Al-Hasan ibn Ali ibn Muhammad al-Jabali. Ja'far ibn Muhammad ibn al-Fadl al-Baghdadi. Muhammad ibn al-Mu'alla al-Asadi. Al-Fadl ibn al-Habbab al-Jumahi. He also studied fiqh ⁹ under a number of teachers, the most famous of whom were: Abu al-Qasim 'Abd al-Wahid ibn Muhammad al-Simiri al-Qadi. And in Baghdad, he studied fiqh under Sheikh Ahmad ibn Abi Tahir al-Isfara'ini, as well as many others in various Islamic and Arabic sciences, although history books have not conveyed to us the names of his teachers in these sciences because the most elevated sciences are fiqh and hadith; however, what he absorbed in the sciences of literature, language, and philosophy is evident in the lines and pages of his books, showing us beyond doubt that he mastered these sciences as their experts did. How could it be otherwise, when the era in which he lived was the era of encyclopedic sciences and encyclopedic scholars, where one was not considered a scholar until he was deeply versed in all types of sciences and arts known in his time, and al-Mawardi cannot differ in this from the other scholars of his time. As we mentioned, his books that have reached us, even if not all have reached us, prove that he drew from them as much as his fortune, age, and pursuit allowed. [His Life:] Al-Mawardi held the position of judge in more than one country. Yaqut al-Hamawi mentioned in his dictionary that he served as a judge in "Ustuwa" ¹⁰, which, according to him, is a district in the regions of Nishapur comprising ninety-three villages, with its center being the city of Khaybushan. He was chosen as an envoy between the leaders of the Abbasid state and the Buyids ¹¹ between the years 381 AH and 422 AH during the reign of Caliph al-Qadir Billah ¹². In the year 429 AH, Jalal al-Dawla ibn Buwayh ¹³ asked the Caliph to add to his titles the title "King of Kings" (Shahanshah) ¹⁴, which was the title held by the Persian Magian kings before the Islamic conquest. The jurists of Baghdad differed on the permissibility of adopting this title; some agreed to go along with the Buyids, some to go along with the Caliph, and some were cautious and feared the authorities, thus not expressing an opinion either for or against. As for al-Mawardi, he gave a clear fatwa ¹⁵ that it was not permissible and abandoned his friendship and affection for Jalal al-Dawla. Jalal al-Dawla sent him a message saying: "I am certain that if you were to favor anyone, you would favor me because of what is between us, and nothing drove you but religion." Thus, your standing with me increased. Al-Mawardi traveled between many countries and eventually ended up in Baghdad, where he taught fiqh, hadith, Qur'anic exegesis, principles, branches, and literature. [His Works:] Al-Mawardi authored many works in various fields of knowledge, but only twelve books have reached us, unless recent research on manuscripts uncovers other books still buried behind the doors of private libraries. The books that have reached us are: 1. "al-Nukat wa al-'Uyun" ¹⁶ - not printed; its existing and available copies are: a. A copy in the Qarawiyyin Mosque in Fez, Morocco. b. A copy in the Kilic Ali Library in Istanbul. c. A copy in the Koprulu Library. d. A copy in the Rampur Library in India. 2. "al-Hawi al-Kabir" ¹⁷ - an encyclopedia in twenty volumes, all on Shafi'i fiqh, but its various parts remain in manuscript form scattered among libraries in the East and West. The Cultural Administration of the Arab League is working to gather them, either by purchasing these manuscript parts or by photographing them wherever found. The author's naming of this book as "al-Hawi al-Kabir" indicates to the reader the existence of another book by him on the same subject called "al-Hawi al-Saghir" ¹⁸, which may be the original name or the first name of another book we will discuss, namely "al-Iqna'" ¹⁹. The author estimated the number of folios of "al-Hawi al-Kabir" at four thousand folios, a book on Shafi'i fiqh covering all issues of Islamic jurisprudence. 3. "al-Iqna'" - an abridgment of "al-Hawi al-Kabir", but a very small book, no more than forty folios, which he presented to Caliph al-Qadir Billah, who appreciated and praised it. Yaqut said in his book "Irshad al-Arib ila Ma'rifat al-Adib" ²⁰: "I read in a collection by some Basran: Al-Qadir Billah instructed four of the leading imams of his time from the four schools to each write a summary of his school. Al-Mawardi wrote 'al-Iqna'' for him, Abu al-Husayn al-Quduri wrote his well-known summary according to the Hanafi school, Abu Muhammad 'Abd al-Wahhab ibn Muhammad ibn Nasr al-Maliki wrote another summary, and I do not know who wrote for him according to the Hanbali school. When it was presented to him, the servant went out to the Chief Judge al-Mawardi and said: 'May Allah preserve your religion for you, as you have preserved our religion for us.'" Yaqut also narrated from the same collection mentioned above the statement of the collector about al-Mawardi: "The Chief Judge, may Allah have mercy on him, followed a method regarding relatives: he made both close and distant relatives inherit equally, which is the view of some early scholars. One day, al-Shinizi ²¹ came with the companions of the Qamaqim ²², ascended to the mosque, prayed two rak'as ²³, turned to him and said: 'O Sheikh, follow and do not innovate.' He replied: 'Rather, I exercise ijtihad ²⁴ and do not blindly follow.' Then he put on his sandals and left." 4. "A'lam al-Nubuwwa" - its manuscript copy is in the Egyptian National Library under number 6 Sh 'Ilm al-Kalam ²⁵. 5. "Adab al-Qadi" ²⁶ - not printed; its manuscript copy is in the Suleymaniye Library in Istanbul. 6. "al-Ahkam al-Sultaniyya" ²⁷ - resembling a constitution for a state, as it contains between its pages the foundations of state establishment, conditions for eligibility for the caliphate, qualities of the caliph, the caliph's powers through which he acts, and matters he is entitled to handle. It also discusses the vizierate, judiciary, punishments, hudud ²⁸, hisba ²⁹, jizya ³⁰, and all their branches along with their foundations in religion. Al-Mawardi appears to be the first to have originated this subject and made it the material for a book, as no one preceded him in making state affairs the subject of an independent work. It is likely that during his compilation and preparation of "al-Hawi al-Kabir", the book we previously mentioned as being on Shafi'i fiqh, he found that this material could stand alone in its own book, despite being scattered throughout various fiqh books and parts of his encyclopedia "al-Hawi al-Kabir". Orientalists have spoken extensively about Abu al-Hasan al-Mawardi, especially about this book, which they considered al-Mawardi's theory of the Islamic caliphate. 7. "Tashil al-Nazar wa Ta'jil al-Zafar" ³¹ - like its predecessor, a book on politics and government, still in manuscript and not printed. 8. "Nasihat al-Muluk" ³² - another political book, still unprinted; among its known manuscript copies is one in the Paris Library. 9. "Qawanin al-Wizara wa Siyasat al-Mulk" ³³ - printed in "Dar al-'Usur" in Egypt in 1929 CE, and the publisher named it "Adab al-Wazir" ³⁴. It is also a book on political science and sociology, one of al-Mawardi's works translated into several European languages, especially German and French, after having been originally translated in earlier periods into Latin, and it was a reference in political science, sociology, principles of governance, and the relationship between ruler and ruled. 10. "al-Amthal wa al-Hikam" ³⁵ - in which he collected three hundred hadiths, three hundred wise sayings, and three hundred lines of poetry, divided into ten chapters. Its manuscript copy is in the library of the city of Leiden. 11. "al-Bughya al-'Ulya fi Adab al-Din wa al-Dunya" ³⁶ - the book known as "Adab al-Dunya wa al-Din", which is in our hands. 12. A book on grammar - we have not found a manuscript copy of it, but we learned of it through Yaqut al-Hamawi's dictionary, where he mentioned it in his biography of the author, saying: "He has beautiful works in every art, including a book on grammar, which I saw about the size of al-Idah ³⁷ or larger." What They Said About Him: [Al-Khatib al-Baghdadi:] Al-Khatib al-Baghdadi, Ahmad ibn Ali ibn Thabit, was one of al-Mawardi's students and said about him in his book "Tarikh Baghdad" ³⁸: "Ali ibn Muhammad ibn Habib, Abu al-Hasan al-Basri, known as al-Mawardi, was one of the prominent Shafi'i jurists, and he has several works on the principles and branches of fiqh, and on other subjects." He was entrusted with the position of judge in many countries.

He resided in Baghdad in Darb al-Za'faran and narrated there from al-Hasan ibn 'Ali ibn Muhammad al-Jabali, the companion of Abu Khalifa al-Jumahi, and from Muhammad ibn 'Adi ibn Zahr al-Muqri', Muhammad ibn al-Mu'alla al-Asadi, and Ja'far ibn Muhammad ibn al-Fadl al-Baghdadi. I wrote from him, and he was trustworthy. He died on Tuesday, the last day of Rabi' al-Awwal in the year 450 AH, and was buried the next day in the cemetery of Bab Harb. I prayed over him in the city mosque, and he had reached the age of eighty-six." [Ibn al-Salah:] In Taj al-Din al-Subki's "Tabaqat al-Shafi'iyya al-Kubra," Ibn al-Salah said about him: "This al-Mawardi, may Allah forgive him, is accused of Mu'tazilism ³⁹. I was not certain of this about him, and I would interpret his actions favorably and excuse him for presenting in his Tafsir ⁴⁰, regarding verses where exegetes differ, both the Sunni interpretation and the Mu'tazili interpretation without objecting to clarify which is correct. I would say: perhaps his intention is to present everything that has been said, truth and falsehood. For this reason, he also presents things from the sayings of the Mushabbiha ⁴¹. Until I found him choosing in some places the Mu'tazili view and what they built upon their corrupt principles. His Tafsir is greatly harmful, because it is filled with the interpretations of the people of falsehood, in a deceptive and insidious manner, in a way that only scholars and those with deep knowledge can detect. Moreover, it is the work of a man who does not openly claim affiliation with the Mu'tazila, but rather strives to conceal his agreement with them in matters where he agrees. Then, he is not an absolute Mu'tazili, for he does not agree with them in all their principles, such as the createdness of the Qur'an ⁴², as indicated by his Tafsir on His words, 'There comes not to them a remembrance from their Lord as a new event' (Qur'an 21:2), and other things. But he agrees with them on Qadar ⁴³, which is the calamity that overcame the Basrans and for which they were criticized in ancient times." [Abu Ishaq al-Shirazi:] Al-Shirazi, who is among the eminent Shafi'i scholars and jurists, says about al-Mawardi: "He taught in Basra and Baghdad for many years in jurisprudence, exegesis, principles of jurisprudence, and literature. He was a memorizer of the school [of Shafi'i]." [Ibn Khallikan:] Ibn Khallikan says in "Wafayat al-A'yan" about al-Mawardi: "He was among the prominent and major Shafi'i jurists. He was a memorizer of the school, and he authored the book 'al-Hawi' ⁴⁴, which no one has studied without attesting to his profound knowledge and complete mastery of the school." [Taj al-Din al-Subki:] Taj al-Din al-Subki says in "Tabaqat al-Shafi'iyya al-Kubra" about al-Mawardi: "'Ali ibn Muhammad ibn Habib, the eminent imam of great status and high rank, Abu al-Hasan, known as al-Mawardi, was a great imam with extensive authority in the school and complete mastery of all sciences." [Author's Introduction] In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. Praise be to Allah, who perfected what He created and ordained, and was just in what He apportioned and decreed, and warned through what He brought forth and manifested, and reserved exclusively what He concealed and kept secret, and bestowed blessings through what He commanded and prohibited, and guided to His warning through two types of distinction by which He distinguished the human species from every dumb animal: speech that leads to understanding, and intellect that leads to knowledge, so that through them one may be aided in what is required of worship. Through intellect, one reaches knowledge and inquiry; through speech, one reaches understanding and comprehension. Thus, one becomes prepared to accept what is required of mutual recognition and aided in what is prescribed of laws—a blessing by which excuses are cut off and benefits are universalized, so that creation may have desire that calls them to obedience and fear that restrains them from disobedience. Goodness becomes widespread through desire, and evil is eliminated through fear. This does not settle in souls except through messengers who convey from Allah His reward for what He commands and His punishment for what He prohibits. Therefore, it is necessary to clarify in establishing prophethoods what removes doubt from the deceived and the suspicion of the obstinate. I have made this book confined to what leads and indicates, so that it may be a guide to truth, a reformer of innermost secrets, a proof of the soundness of prophethood, and a remover of doubts for the skeptic. I have made its contents inclusive of two matters: First: What pertains to establishing prophethood through its signs. Second: What differs regarding its categories and rulings, so that combining them is more effective in removing doubt and more comprehensive in clarification. I have made this book consist of twenty-one chapters: Chapter One: Introduction to evidence. Chapter Two: Knowledge of the worshipped deity. Chapter Three: The validity of obligation. Chapter Four: Establishing prophethoods. Chapter Five: The duration of the world and the number of messengers, peace be upon them. Chapter Six: Establishing the prophethood of Muhammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. Chapter Seven: The types of inimitability contained in the Qur'an. Chapter Eight: Miracles of his infallibility, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. Chapter Nine: Witnessed miracles of his actions, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. Chapter Ten: Heard miracles of his sayings, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. Chapter Eleven: What Allah honored him with regarding the answering of his supplication, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. Chapter Twelve: His warnings about what would occur after him, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. Chapter Thirteen: His miracle through what appeared from animals, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. Chapter Fourteen: The appearance of miracles from trees and inanimate objects. Chapter Fifteen: Glad tidings of the prophets, peace be upon them, of his prophethood, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. Chapter Sixteen: The utterances of jinn regarding his prophethood, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. Chapter Seventeen: What souls whispered from the inspiration of intellects regarding his prophethood, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. Chapter Eighteen: The beginnings of his lineage and the purity of his birth, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. Chapter Nineteen: Signs of his birth and the manifestation of his blessing, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. Chapter Twenty: The nobility of his character and the perfection of his virtues. Chapter Twenty-One: The beginning of his mission and the establishment of his prophethood. I ask Allah for His good assistance and seek His guidance and direction. May Allah bless Muhammad and his family and companions. He is sufficient for me, and He is the best disposer of affairs.

1. Adnan : Adnan is the traditional ancestor of the northern Arabs, from whom the Prophet Muhammad is descended.
2. A'lam al-Nubuwwa : A'lam al-Nubuwwa (The Signs of Prophethood) is a work by al-Mawardi on proofs of Muhammad's prophethood.
3. Adab al-Dunya wa al-Din : Adab al-Dunya wa al-Din (The Ethics of This World and Religion) is a well-known work by al-Mawardi on ethics and practical wisdom.
4. Shari'a : Shari'a refers to Islamic law derived from the Quran and Sunnah.
5. AH : AH (Anno Hegirae) denotes years in the Islamic calendar, starting from the Hijra (622 CE).
6. AH : AH (Anno Hegirae) denotes years in the Islamic calendar, starting from the Hijra (622 CE).
7. Shafi'i jurists : Shafi'i is one of the four major Sunni schools of Islamic jurisprudence, founded by Imam al-Shafi'i.
8. hadith : Hadith refers to the sayings, actions, and approvals of the Prophet Muhammad.
9. fiqh : Fiqh is Islamic jurisprudence, the human understanding of Shari'a.
10. Ustuwa : Ustuwa is a district in Nishapur, Iran, comprising many villages.
11. Buyids : The Buyids were a Shia Persian dynasty that ruled parts of Iran and Iraq during the Abbasid era.
12. al-Qadir Billah : Al-Qadir Billah was the Abbasid caliph from 991 to 1031 CE.
13. Jalal al-Dawla ibn Buwayh : Jalal al-Dawla was a Buyid ruler who reigned from 1027 to 1044 CE.
14. Shahanshah : Shahanshah (King of Kings) was a title used by Persian monarchs, considered inappropriate in Islam.
15. fatwa : A fatwa is a non-binding legal opinion issued by a qualified Islamic scholar.
16. al-Nukat wa al-'Uyun : Al-Nukat wa al-'Uyun is a Quranic commentary by al-Mawardi.
17. al-Hawi al-Kabir : Al-Hawi al-Kabir (The Great Comprehensive) is a major work on Shafi'i fiqh.
18. al-Hawi al-Saghir : Al-Hawi al-Saghir (The Small Comprehensive) is a shorter version of al-Hawi al-Kabir.
19. al-Iqna' : Al-Iqna' (The Persuasion) is a summary of Shafi'i fiqh by al-Mawardi.
20. Irshad al-Arib ila Ma'rifat al-Adib : Irshad al-Arib ila Ma'rifat al-Adib is a biographical dictionary by Yaqut al-Hamawi.
21. al-Shinizi : Al-Shinizi was a scholar or judge contemporary with al-Mawardi.
22. Qamaqim : Qamaqim (possibly a place or group) is unclear; may refer to a location or a group of people.
23. rak'as : Rak'a is a unit of Islamic prayer consisting of specific movements and recitations.
24. ijtihad : Ijtihad is independent legal reasoning by a qualified scholar to derive rulings from Islamic sources.
25. 'Ilm al-Kalam : 'Ilm al-Kalam is Islamic scholastic theology, dealing with doctrinal issues.
26. Adab al-Qadi : Adab al-Qadi (The Ethics of the Judge) is a work on judicial conduct.
27. al-Ahkam al-Sultaniyya : Al-Ahkam al-Sultaniyya (The Ordinances of Government) is a classic work on Islamic governance.
28. hudud : Hudud are fixed punishments in Islamic law for certain crimes like theft and adultery.
29. hisba : Hisba is the duty of commanding good and forbidding evil, often institutionalized as a market inspectorate.
30. jizya : Jizya is a tax paid by non-Muslims under Islamic rule in exchange for protection.
31. Tashil al-Nazar wa Ta'jil al-Zafar : Tashil al-Nazar wa Ta'jil al-Zafar (Facilitating Consideration and Hastening Victory) is a political work.
32. Nasihat al-Muluk : Nasihat al-Muluk (Advice to Kings) is a mirror for princes genre work.
33. Qawanin al-Wizara wa Siyasat al-Mulk : Qawanin al-Wizara wa Siyasat al-Mulk (Laws of the Vizierate and Policy of the Kingdom) is a political treatise.
34. Adab al-Wazir : Adab al-Wazir (The Ethics of the Vizier) is an alternative title for the same work.
35. al-Amthal wa al-Hikam : Al-Amthal wa al-Hikam (Proverbs and Wise Sayings) is a collection of hadith, sayings, and poetry.
36. al-Bughya al-'Ulya fi Adab al-Din wa al-Dunya : Al-Bughya al-'Ulya fi Adab al-Din wa al-Dunya (The Supreme Goal in the Ethics of Religion and World) is the full title of Adab al-Dunya wa al-Din.
37. al-Idah : Al-Idah (The Clarification) is a work on Arabic grammar by Abu Ali al-Farisi.
38. Tarikh Baghdad : Tarikh Baghdad (History of Baghdad) is a biographical history by al-Khatib al-Baghdadi.
39. Mu'tazilism : A theological school that emphasized reason and free will, often opposed by traditionalists.
40. Tafsir : Exegesis or commentary on the Qur'an.
41. Mushabbiha : Anthropomorphists, those who liken God to creation.
42. createdness of the Qur'an : The Mu'tazili doctrine that the Qur'an was created in time, opposed by Sunnis who believe it is uncreated.
43. Qadar : Divine predestination; the Mu'tazila affirmed free will against predestination.
44. al-Hawi : Al-Mawardi's major legal compendium, 'The Comprehensive'.

The First Chapter on the Introduction of Evidences [1]

[Chapter One: Introduction to the Evidences] Evidences are what lead to knowledge of the thing evidenced. The evidence is known by the intellect, and the thing evidenced is known by the evidence. Thus, the intellect leads to the evidence, but it is not itself evidence, because the intellect is the origin of everything known, whether evidence or thing evidenced. For this reason, it is called the mother of knowledge. So the intellect becomes an inferrer even if it is not evidence. The knowledge that arises from it is that by which truth is distinguished from falsehood, sound from corrupt, and possible from impossible. It is of two types: necessary knowledge and acquired knowledge. As for necessary knowledge, it is what is grasped by the innate faculty of the intellect. It is of two kinds: evident sense perception and recurrent report. The knowledge of sense perception is posterior to the intellect, while the knowledge of report is prior to it. Necessary knowledge does not require reflection or inference to be grasped, as it is perceived by the innate faculty of the intellect. It is shared by the elite and the common people. It cannot be denied, nor is it proper to demand evidence for it, because it is the ultimate limit of reflection. [Acquired Knowledge] As for acquired knowledge, its path is reflection and inference, because it is not grasped by the innate faculty of the intellect. Thus, it is valid to object to it by demanding evidence for it. Therefore, it is only attained through reflection and inference. It is of two types: one is what pertains to rational propositions, and the second is what pertains to scriptural rulings. As for rational propositions, they are of two types: one is what is known by inference through the necessity of the intellect, and the second is what is known by inference through a rational proof. As for what is known by the necessity of the intellect, it is that which cannot be otherwise than it is, such as the oneness of God ¹; it necessitates necessary knowledge, even if it is reached through inference by the necessity of the intellect. As for what is known by rational proof, it is that which can be otherwise than it is, such as individual prophets when they claim prophethood; it necessitates inferential knowledge but does not necessitate necessary knowledge, because it arises from rational proof, not from necessity. There is disagreement regarding the principle of prophethoods in general: whether it is known by the necessity of the intellect or by its proof, based on their disagreement over whether the obligation of religious laws is concurrent with the intellect or subsequent to it. Those who hold that it is concurrent with the intellect affirm the general principle of prophethoods by the necessity of the intellect. Those who hold that it is subsequent to the intellect affirm it by rational proof. The proponents of inspiration ² reject inference based on rational propositions and make the affirmation of knowledge through inspiration a principle that suffices without any other principle. This is invalid according to the saying of God Almighty: "So take heed, O you with insight" (Quran 59:2). Thus, He made knowledge attainable through reflection, not through inspiration. To one who affirms knowledge through inspiration, it is said: Why do you affirm inspiration? If he infers, he contradicts himself. If he says: I affirm it through inspiration, it is said to him: Distinguish yourself from one who rejects inspiration through inspiration, and from one who says regarding inspiration something other than your inspiration in all your statements; you will find no distinction. This suffices to show its invalidity. [Necessity and Proof] When it is established that both types ³ are grasped by rational judgment—whether what is known by its necessity, such as the oneness of God, or by its proof, such as prophethood—then after being known, it becomes obligatory. There is disagreement regarding its obligation: whether it becomes obligatory by the rational judgment through which it is known, or by scripture. Some hold that the oneness of God and prophethood are obligatory by reason, just as they are known by reason, and that the oneness of God and the general principle of prophethoods are a duty before scripture. Others hold that both are obligatory by scripture, even if known by reason, because obligation is a matter of worship that is only established by scripture. Among those who hold this view, there is disagreement regarding the necessity of the advent of scripture. Some deem it necessary, while others do not, and they drop the duty of affirming the oneness of God for rational beings if no scripture has come to make it obligatory. Others hold that what is known by the necessity of the intellect, such as the oneness of God, is obligatory by reason, while what is known by rational proof, such as prophethood, is obligatory by scripture, because the oneness of God is a principle and prophethood is a branch. Striving ⁴ in these matters is an individual duty for those possessing intellect, when their intellect is complete, their acumen is strong, and their deliberation is sound. They are then independent, by virtue of their complete intellect and sound deliberation, of the prompting of other abundant intellects, so that through their intellectual striving—whether by necessity or inference—they may reach rational propositions, thereby becoming knowledgeable about them and independent of others' intellects in these matters. If one's acumen is weak and deliberation is scant, it is incumbent upon him to be prompted by those with intellects to reach them through his own intellect, not through theirs. Thus, he knows them through prompting, just as others know them through direct reflection. If he does not reach them through prompting, then his intellect is not complete, and he becomes a follower of those with intellects, because the absence of the cause indicates the absence of the effect. [Rulings of the Intellect] The intellect is that which imparts knowledge of its implications. It is also said: It is the power of distinguishing between truth and falsehood. It is also said: It is knowledge of hidden matters that are only reached through inference and reflection. It is of two types: innate, which is the principle, and acquired, which is a branch. As for the innate intellect, it is that to which moral responsibility ⁵ is attached and by which worship is obligated. As for the acquired intellect, it is that which leads to soundness of independent reasoning ⁶ and strength of reflection. It is impossible for the acquired intellect to be stripped of the innate, but it is not impossible for the innate to be stripped of the acquired, because the innate is a principle that can subsist by itself, while the acquired is a branch that can only subsist through its principle. Some people refuse to call the acquired intellect "intellect" because it is one of its results. But there is no weight to the dispute over naming if the meaning is conceded. [Rulings of Scripture] As for scriptural rulings, they are taken from those whose obedience is obligatory, namely the messengers. The intellect is a condition for undertaking them, even if scripture is not a condition for rational propositions. What scripture contains is of two types: worship and warning. Worship consists of commands and prohibitions; warning consists of promise and threat. If the messenger combines worship and warning, then it is the complete law that suffices without any other. If he is confined to worship without warning, and if a warning from another preceded him, then the law is completed by his worship and the warning of the one before him. If no warning from another preceded him—whether at the beginnings of prophethoods or for those whom the call of the prophets did not reach—there is disagreement as to whether rational propositions entail reward for obedience and punishment for disobedience. One group holds that they do entail that; thus, on this view, the law is completed by the messenger's worship and the warning of the intellects. Another group holds that rational propositions do not entail reward or punishment. On this view, there is disagreement as to whether worship is deserved on account of the preceding favors of God Almighty upon His creation, or for a future recompense. One group holds that it is deserved by virtue of preceding favor. If God Almighty promises a reward for it, it is a grace from Him that is deserved by the promise, not by the worship itself. Thus, on this view, worship is an obligatory duty whose omission entails punishment, even if its performance does not entail reward. Others hold that it is deserved in return for the recompense of reward for it, and the preceding favor is a grace from Him. Thus, on this view, undertaking worship is recommended but not obligatory, so its omission does not entail punishment, just as its performance does not entail reward, because it is not accompanied by a promise of reward that would necessitate undertaking worship. If the messenger is confined to warning without worship, then warning can only be about an action; otherwise, it would be frivolous, not emanating from an interlocutor ⁷. If his warning is about a law that preceded him, then his warning includes the affirmation of that law, and this warner is from the community of that worshipper. If the worshipper had already warned, then this warning is a confirmation, and this warner does not need to manifest a miracle. If the worshipper had not warned, then the law of the worshipper is completed by the warning of the later one, and the warning of the later one is completed by the worship of the earlier one. This warner needs to manifest a miracle along with his warning, which necessitates the completion of the law. If the later one warns about doing good and avoiding evil, he departs from the domain of law to exhortation and deterrence by a divine command, by virtue of which he is entitled to extend his hand in forbidding evil and to fulfill what the warning entails. [Chapter Two: On Knowledge of the Worshipped Deity] Worship through the sending of messengers is not valid without knowledge of the worshipped Sender, so that it may be known that they are messengers of an obeyed and worshipped being, and thus they are obeyed due to the obligation of obeying the worshipped. The worshipped is God Almighty, the Benefactor to His servants through what He has charged them with of His worship and imposed upon them of His obedience, after having favored them by creating their essences and guiding them to their interests. He entrusted them with necessary knowledge grasped by the innate faculty of the intellects ⁸, and acquired knowledge grasped by thought and reflection ⁹. Since they are veiled from His essence, they do not perceive Him by the innate faculty of the senses necessarily. Yet, the manifestation of the traces of His craftsmanship and the perfection of His wisdom has appeared, leading to knowledge of His essence and attributes through acquisition, by grasping them through reflection and consideration. Had He willed, He could have created something perceived by the innate faculty of the senses, but knowledge of Him through inference is more profound in wisdom due to the manifest difference in rank. Therefore, access to knowledge of Him necessarily is impossible, while access to it through inference and acquisition, which departs from the innate faculty of the intellects to rational inference, is possible. What leads to knowledge of Him—may His majesty be exalted—consists of three chapters: First: That the world is originated and not eternal. Second: That the world has an eternal Originator ¹⁰. Third: That He is one, without partner. As for the first chapter—on the origination of the world: The originated is that which has a beginning; the eternal is that which has no beginning. The proof of the world's origination is twofold: First: The world consists of substances and bodies, which are never free from originated accidents, such as conjunction, separation, motion, and rest. The accidents are originated for two reasons: First, they cannot subsist by themselves. Second, they exist after non-existence ¹¹ and cease after existence ¹². That which is never free from originated accidents cannot precede them, because if it preceded them, it would be neither conjoined nor separated, neither moving nor at rest. This is impossible, so its precedence is impossible. What does not precede the originated is itself originated. If it is said: It is not inconceivable that past events have no beginning, so the origination of the world does not necessarily follow. It is replied: If each individual event has a beginning, it is impossible that all of them together have no beginning, because they are nothing other than their individuals. Thus, all of them are originated because they are essences with originated beginnings. The second proof of the world's origination is that its existence is limited and finite in parts and members. What has finite parts and admits the possibility of increase or decrease, its being measured as it is indicates that another measured it, since its essence being in one state is not more likely than being in another, were it not for another's governance of it. If it is said: Why could its matter not be eternal while the accidents of its composition and form are originated, like the acts of God Almighty that are originated from His eternal essence? It is replied: Because the origination of accidents occurs within it, and it is never free from them, so it becomes originated by them. The acts of God Almighty occur in other than Him, so their origination does not prevent His eternity. Had they occurred in Him, they would have prevented His eternity. As for the second chapter—that the world has an eternal Originator: The proof that it has an Originator is twofold: First: Since it is impossible for the world to be originated by itself, because that would lead to its existence before its origination, it indicates that its Originator is other than it. Second: The existence of what was not necessitates a bringer into existence, just as a building necessitates a builder and a manufactured object necessitates a manufacturer. The proof of the eternity of its Originator is twofold: First: He has no beginning, and what has no beginning is eternal. Second: If He were not eternal, He would need an originator, and that originator would need an originator, leading to an infinite regress, which is impossible. Thus, His eternity is established: He has always been and will always be, so He has no beginning and no end. If His Originator is eternal, He must be powerful and willing.

The proof of His power is that it is valid for Him to act and not to act, with the absence of impediments, and He has acted. Thus, the existence of the act from Him indicates His power over it. The proof that He is willing is that when the act occurred from Him, while He is neither forgetful, nor coerced, nor frivolous—due to the absence of forgetfulness from Him because of His knowledge, the absence of coercion from Him because of His power, and the absence of frivolity from Him because of His wisdom—this indicates His will, just as the writing of a writer, with the absence of these accidents, indicates his will to write. Thus, His bringing the world into existence indicates His pre-eternity ¹³, and the temporal origination of His acts indicates that His attributes of action are temporally originated ¹⁴. As for the third chapter: that He is One, with no partner or likeness, the proof for it is two things: First: that the universality of His power encompasses all originated things, so it is necessary that the originator of some of them is the originator of all of them, since no part of them is more specific to His power than another. Thus, the equivalence of the two matters necessitates the universality of all. Second: that if there were another with Him, it would be either similar or different. If it differs from Him, it would invalidate its being powerful; if it is similar to Him, the existence of a single act from two agents is impossible, just as the existence of a single movement from two movers is impossible. The Dualists ¹⁵ among the divergent sects ¹⁶ went to affirming two pre-eternal beings, which for them are light and darkness: good occurs from light, evil from darkness. This is invalid from two aspects: First: that light and darkness cannot be other than a body, a substance, or an accident, and all of these are temporally originated, indicating their temporal origination. Second: that darkness is not a self-subsistent entity ¹⁷; rather, it is the absence of light from that which receives light. Hence, when we lack light in the air, we perceive it as dark. Thus, it cannot be described as pre-eternal, nor can an act be attributed to it. The Magians ¹⁸ held that God Almighty and Satan are both agents: God Almighty is the agent of good and the creator of beneficial animals, while Satan is the agent of evil and the creator of harmful animals. They said: because the agent of evil is evil, and God is exalted above this attribute. They also made God Almighty a body, even though He is pre-eternal. They differed regarding the pre-eternity of Satan: some affirmed it, while Zarathustra ¹⁹ and most of them denied his pre-eternity. They also differed concerning the cause of his temporal origination. Zarathustra claimed that God Almighty felt lonely ²⁰ and had an evil thought, from which Ahriman ²¹—that is, Iblis—was generated. Others said: rather, He doubted, so Satan was generated from His doubt. Yet others said: rather, decay occurred, so Satan was generated from His decay. These are sayings that reason rejects. As for their making God Almighty a body, our proof for the temporal origination of bodies prevents God Almighty, with His pre-eternity, from being a body. Our proof against Dualism prevents Satan from being a second with Him. The affirmation of His power prevents Him from being overcome; His knowledge prevents Him from being doubtful or thoughtful; the absence of sorrow from Him prevents Him from being lonely; and the impossibility of corruption for Him prevents Him from being decay. As for their saying that the agent of evil is evil, it is said: its exclusion from His power would affirm His incapacity, so it must be included in the universality of His power.

1. tawḥīd : The oneness of God; the fundamental Islamic doctrine affirming God's unity and uniqueness.
2. ilhām : Inspiration; a form of direct divine guidance or inner knowledge, often associated with Sufi epistemology.
3. ḍarūra al-ʿaql : Necessity of the intellect; knowledge that is self-evident and requires no proof.
4. ijtihād : Independent reasoning; the effort of a qualified scholar to derive legal rulings from scriptural sources.
5. taklīf : Moral responsibility; the imposition of religious duties upon accountable individuals.
6. ijtihād : Independent reasoning; the effort of a qualified scholar to derive legal rulings from scriptural sources.
7. kalīm : Interlocutor; one who speaks, often referring to God or a prophet as a speaker of divine words.
8. badāha al-ʿuqūl : Innate faculty of the intellects; the natural, intuitive capacity of the mind to grasp self-evident truths.
9. al-fikr wa al-naẓar : Thought and reflection; the rational processes of deliberation and inference used to acquire knowledge.
10. muḥdith qadīm : Eternal Originator; God as the timeless creator who has no beginning.
11. wujūduhā baʿda ʿadamihā : Their existence after their non-existence; indicating that accidents come into being after not having existed.
12. zawāluhā baʿda wujūdihā : Their cessation after their existence; indicating that accidents pass away after having existed.
13. qidam : Pre-eternity; the attribute of being without beginning, applied to God's essence.
14. ḥudūth : Temporal origination; the attribute of being created or having a beginning in time.
15. thunawiyya : Dualists; those who affirm two eternal principles, such as light and darkness.
16. mutabāyina : Divergent sects; groups that hold opposing or distinct doctrines.
17. dhāt : Self-subsistent entity; an essence or substance that exists independently.
18. majūs : Magians; Zoroastrians, followers of the dualistic religion of ancient Persia.
19. Zarādusht : Zarathustra; the founder of Zoroastrianism.
20. istaḥasha : Felt lonely or desolate; a state of being alone and distressed.
21. Ahriman : Ahriman; the evil spirit or principle in Zoroastrianism, identified with Iblis (Satan).

The Second Chapter on Knowledge of the Worshipped Deity [1]

The Christians, before Constantine the king became Christian, held a correct doctrine concerning the oneness of God Almighty and the prophethood of Jesus, peace be upon him. Then, after Constantine became Christian—he being the first of the Roman kings to become Christian—they differed concerning Jesus. The early Nestorians said that Jesus is God; the early Jacobites said that he is the Son of God; and the early Melkites said that the divinity is three, one of whom is Jesus. Later, their successors refrained from explicitly stating this objectionable saying when souls rejected it and intellects repelled it. They said that God Almighty is one substance ¹ that is three hypostases ²: the hypostasis of the Father, the hypostasis of the Son, and the hypostasis of the Holy Spirit; that they are one in substance; that the hypostasis of the Father is the Essence, the hypostasis of the Son is the Word, and the hypostasis of the Holy Spirit is Life. They differed concerning the hypostases: some said they are properties, some said they are persons, and some said they are attributes. They said that the Word became united with Jesus, and they differed concerning the union. The Nestorians said that the meaning of union is that the Word appeared such that it made him a temple, and that the Messiah is two substances ³ and two hypostases, one divine and the other human; thus divine acts—such as creating bodies and reviving the dead—and human acts—such as eating and drinking—are validly attributed to him. The Jacobites said that the union is a commingling such that a third thing resulted from them, which descended from heaven, became incarnate from the Holy Spirit, and became a man who is the Messiah; he is one substance from two substances and one hypostasis from two hypostases: a divine substance and a human substance. The Melkites said that the Messiah is two substances and one hypostasis. This doctrine has no plausibility that intellects can accept, and its corruption is evident in reason. As for their saying that God Almighty is a substance, we have demonstrated the temporality of substances, so it is impossible for the Eternal to be a substance. As for their saying that He is three hypostases: if they make them persons, they affirm trinity and deny oneness, and we have demonstrated that the Eternal is one. If they make the hypostases properties and attributes of a single essence, then they have made Him a Father and a Son from the substance of His Father, thus associating them in the divine substance and preferring the Son over the Father by the human substance. Given their sharing in the divine, it is no more fitting that the Son be generated from the Father than that the Father be generated from the Son, especially with the Son's superiority by the human substance. How can that which is generated from the Eternal be eternal? As for their saying that divine acts appeared from him, these are from God Almighty as a manifestation of His miracle, not from his own act—like the parting of the sea for Moses, peace be upon him, which was not due to Moses' divinity. As for their saying of a divine substance and a human substance, the humanity of the Messiah is like the humanity of other prophets, and his humanity has passed away, so his divinity has become null. [On the Meaning of Oneness] Since it is established that God Almighty is one and eternal, they differed concerning the meaning of His oneness. One group said that the intended meaning of "one" is that all originated things are attributed to a single power by which the Powerful One brings all originated things into existence. Another group said that the intended meaning is the negation of division from His essence and the impossibility of partition and fragmentation in His attribute. The majority—and this is the well-known doctrine—said that He is one in essence, eternal in attributes, unique in eternity without a similar partner, and distinguished by power without an equal agent. His essence has no likeness, temporal events and accidents are negated from Him, benefits and harms do not reach Him, He is not described by "all" or "part," nor is He described by a place in which He resides or from which He is absent, due to the temporality of places and the impossibility of division. "There is nothing like unto Him, and He is the Hearing, the Seeing" ⁴ as He described Himself in His Book, and as the traces of His handiwork and the perfection of His wisdom indicate. Ali ibn Abi Talib—may God ennoble his face—was asked about justice and oneness, and he said: "Oneness is that you do not imagine Him ⁵, and justice is that you do not accuse Him ⁶." He spoke eloquently with what dazzles in its conciseness and overwhelms in its inimitability. One of the fortunate, contemplating the proofs of oneness, said: "O wonder! How can the deity be disobeyed, or how can the denier deny Him? / In everything there is a sign for Him, evidence that He is one."

1. jawhar : Substance; in philosophical theology, an independent entity that subsists by itself.
2. aqānīm : Hypostases; in Christian theology, the three persons of the Trinity.
3. jawharān : Two substances; referring to the divine and human natures of Christ.
4. Laysa kamithlihi shay’un wa-huwa al-Samī‘u al-Baṣīr : Qur’an 42:11: 'There is nothing like unto Him, and He is the Hearing, the Seeing.'
5. an lā tatawahhamahu : That you do not imagine Him; i.e., do not form a mental image of God, as He transcends all likeness.
6. an lā tattahimahu : That you do not accuse Him; i.e., do not attribute injustice to God, as He is perfectly just.

The Third Chapter on the Validity of the Legal Obligation [1]

[The Third Chapter on the Validity of Taklif ¹] Definitions [of Taklif] Taklif is the imposition of what is prescribed by the Shari'a ² as an act of worship, and it is of two types: One: what pertains to His right, consisting of a command to obedience ³ and a prohibition of disobedience ⁴. The second: what pertains to the rights of His servants, such as determining rights and establishing contracts, so that they may be governed by a heard law and be submissive to a followed religion, so that opinions do not differ therein nor desires follow, and so that they may know through it the beginning of creation and the end of the return, thereby their inner secrets are rectified, their hard hearts become humble, their scattered word unites, their diverse states agree, their disputes over conflicting rights cease, and they have a desire for reward that impels them to good and a fear of punishment that restrains them from evil. These are matters without which creation cannot be rectified, nor can they be attained without the prescribed religion, for it is not in human nature to agree on their interests without a deterrent, nor to be just in rights without a repellant against their greed due to differing benefits. By this, what the Brahmins ⁵ have held—of relying solely on rational judgments and invalidating worship through the laws of messengers—is corrupted. Thus, taklif is good in the intellect when directed towards one whose disobedience is known; the Mu'tazila ⁶ deemed it good because it involves exposure to reward, while the Ash'ariyya ⁷ did not deem it good because it involves exposure to punishment through disobedience. The first view is more consistent with the school of the jurists, even if no statement is reported from them on this. There is disagreement on whether taklif is considered based on the most beneficial ⁸. The majority of jurists hold that it is considered based on the most beneficial, because its purpose is the benefit of the servants. A group of jurists and theologians held that it is dependent on the will of Allah, whether for benefit or otherwise, because He is the owner of all things. Those who consider the most beneficial forbid the imposition of what is unbearable, while those who consider it dependent on will permit the imposition of what is unbearable. The imposition of what involves tolerable hardship is valid. There is disagreement on the validity of taklif in what involves no hardship; the jurists permitted it, while some theologians forbade it. The command to change the qibla ⁹ from Jerusalem to the Ka'ba ¹⁰ has been reported, and there is no hardship in it. If taklif is considered based on capacity, it does not apply to what is beyond capacity. There is disagreement on what prevents it: a group said that reason prevents it because it is impossible in reason; another group said that the Shari'a prevents it, even if reason does not, based on His statement: "Allah does not burden a soul beyond its capacity" ¹¹. [The Obligation of Taklif] Now that the conditions of taklif have been established along with its goodness, there is disagreement on its obligation. Those who consider the most beneficial made it obligatory and linked it to reason because it is a requirement of His wisdom. Those who attribute it to will did not make it obligatory, because obligation implies a superior obligator, which is negated for Allah. Among those who hold this view, there is disagreement on whether reason precedes the Shari'a. A group said: it is permissible for it to coincide with reason and permissible for it to be delayed after it according to will, but it is not permissible for it to precede reason, because reason is a condition for the binding nature of taklif. Another group said: rather, taklif must come after the perfection of reason, not coinciding with it nor preceding it, based on Allah's statement: "Does man think that he will be left neglected?" ¹² This description applies to him after the perfection of his reason. [The Legality of Taklif] It has been established from what we have presented that legal taklif consists of commands and prohibitions concerning the rights of Allah and the rights of His servants. The commanded is of two types: obligatory and recommended. The obligatory is what must be done, and the recommended is what is better to do. The prohibited is of two types: disliked and forbidden. The forbidden is what must be avoided, and the disliked is what is better to avoid. As for the permissible, it is that whose doing and leaving are equal; it is not obligatory to do, nor better to do, nor obligatory to avoid, nor better to avoid. There is disagreement on whether the permissible falls under taklif. Some followers of al-Shafi'i ¹³ held that it falls under taklif. Among those who hold this, there is disagreement on whether it falls under it by permission or by command, on two views: One: by permission, to exclude the recommended. The second: by a command lower than the recommended command, just as the recommended command is lower than the obligatory command. Other followers of al-Shafi'i held that it is excluded from taklif by permission or command, because taklif is specific to what involves reward or punishment. They agreed that for the permissible, neither praise nor blame is deserved, and it is excluded from the ugly. They disagreed on whether it falls under the good; some included it, others excluded it. [Command and Will] The command in taklif is the summoning of obedience by submission to the action. They disagreed on whether the conjunction of will with it is a condition for its validity. Al-Ash'ari ¹⁴ held that will is not considered in it, and it is permissible to command what He does not will, and it remains a command like what He wills. The Mu'tazila held that it is not a command except with will; if His will is not known, it is not a command. They disagreed on whether the will of individuals is considered as the will of the commanded action. Some considered the will of the uttered command, while others considered the will of the commanded action. The majority of jurists hold that the command is evidence of will, and will is not a condition for the validity of the command, even if it exists with the command. Thus, the command indicates will, but will does not indicate the command. [Conditions for the Validity of the Command] For the validity of the command, it must be concerning what reason does not prevent. If reason prevents it, the command is not valid because taklif would then go beyond the prohibitions of reason. There is disagreement on whether its validity is conditional upon its goodness in reason; a group considered it, another group disregarded it. Since the texts of the Shari'a do not encompass all rational judgments, it is permissible to act according to reason in such matters. There is disagreement on whether they are annexed to the rulings of the Shari'a; a group annexed them, considering them included, because the Shari'a does not deviate from their implications; another group excluded them, even if acting according to them is permissible as if they were legislated, because the Shari'a is heard while reason is followed. [The Time of the Command] The command is by speech or what stands in place of speech, if the meaning of command is understood from it. There is disagreement on when it becomes a command. The majority of jurists and theologians hold that it becomes a command at the time of utterance and precedes the action. A deviant view among jurists and theologians holds that it becomes a command at the time of the action, and what precedes it in speech is an announcement of the command, not a command. This is invalid because the action is obligated by the command; if what preceded it were not a command, a new command would be needed with the action. [Categories of Command] The command is of two types: a command of information ¹⁵ and a command of obligation ¹⁶. As for the command of information, it is specific to belief without action, and the command must precede belief by one unit of time, which is the time of knowing it. As for the command of obligation, it is directed to both belief and action, combining the belief in obligation and the performance of the action. It is not sufficient to limit oneself to one of them. If one performs the action before believing in its obligation, it is not valid; if one believes in its obligation but does not perform it, he is held accountable. Renewal of belief at the time of action is not required if his belief remains as before, because belief is an act of worship involving commitment, while action is the fulfillment of a due. The command must precede the action by the time of belief. There is disagreement on whether it must also precede by the time of preparation for the action, on two schools: One: a deviant view among jurists that it must precede the action by two units of time: one for belief and one for preparation for the action. This was also held by theologians who considered capacity before the action. The second school: the view of the majority of jurists that the command must precede the action only by the time of belief, and preparation for the action is part of its commencement, so it is not considered as preceding. This was also held by theologians who considered capacity with the action.

1. taklif : The imposition of religious obligations or duties upon morally responsible individuals.
2. Shari'a : Islamic law derived from the Quran and Sunnah.
3. ta'a : Obedience to God's commands.
4. ma'siya : Disobedience or sin against God's commands.
5. Barahima : A group of Indian philosophers who rejected prophethood and relied solely on reason.
6. Mu'tazila : An Islamic theological school emphasizing reason and free will.
7. Ash'ariyya : An Islamic theological school founded by Abu al-Hasan al-Ash'ari, emphasizing divine omnipotence.
8. al-aslah : The principle that God always does what is most beneficial for His creatures.
9. qibla : The direction of prayer for Muslims, originally toward Jerusalem, later changed to Mecca.
10. Ka'ba : The sacred cube-shaped building in Mecca, the direction of Muslim prayer.
11. Quran 2:286 : Quranic verse: 'Allah does not burden a soul beyond its capacity.'
12. Quran 75:36 : Quranic verse: 'Does man think that he will be left neglected?'
13. al-Shafi'i : Founder of the Shafi'i school of Islamic jurisprudence.
14. al-Ash'ari : Abu al-Hasan al-Ash'ari, founder of the Ash'ari theological school.
15. amr i'lam : A command that informs or declares something, primarily related to belief.
16. amr ilzam : A command that imposes an obligation, requiring both belief and action.

The Fourth Chapter on the Proof of Prophecies [1]

The Fourth Chapter: On the Affirmation of Prophethoods [The Prophets, Peace Be Upon Them] The prophets are the messengers of God Almighty to His servants with His commands and prohibitions, in addition to what the intellects necessitate of obligations and the enforcement of what they permit of permissible things, for what God Almighty willed of honoring the rational being, ennobling his actions, rectifying his states, and ordering his interests, when He prepared him for wisdom and instilled in him knowledge, to make him wise and knowledgeable of consequences. For people, through their own reasoning, do not perceive their interests by themselves, nor do they sense the consequences of their affairs through their instincts, nor are they deterred amidst the diversity of their desires without the teachings of the messengers and the reports of past generations coming to them. Thus, God's disciplines are practiced among them, His limits are followed, His commands are obeyed, His promise and threat deter them, and the stories of bygone nations serve as admonition. For wondrous reports, when they strike the ears, and strange meanings, when they awaken the minds, the intellects draw from them, increasing their knowledge and perfecting their understanding. The more people hear, the more thoughts they have; the more thoughts they have, the more they reflect; the more they reflect, the more knowledge they have; and the more knowledge they have, the more they act. Thus, there is no alternative to the sending of messengers, nor any beginning of truth without them. [Deniers of Prophethood] A group of nations denied the prophethoods of the messengers, and they are of three types regarding this: One type: Atheistic materialists ¹ who assert the eternity of the world and the governance of natures. They are more deserving of denying the messengers, as they deny the sender. The second type: The Brahmins ², monotheists who affirm the temporal creation of the world but deny the sending of messengers and invalidate prophethoods. They are attributed to a figure named Bahr ³, the originator of their doctrine. A faction among them deviated, claiming that Adam, the father of humanity, was a prophet, and some said it was Abraham. Those of this deviant faction who said it was one of these two affirmed their prophethood but denied the prophethood of others. The majority of them, however, hold the opposite view regarding their attribution to the originator of their doctrine and deny all prophethoods universally. The third type: Philosophers who do not openly profess the invalidation of prophethoods but in reality invalidate them according to their doctrine. For they say that divine sciences, after the perfection of the mathematical sciences ⁴ of philosophy and geometry, are composed by one whose discipline is perfected, if he is naturally disposed to it. [The Disagreement of the Deniers of Prophethood and the Invalidity of Their Arguments] Those who invalidated prophethoods differed regarding the reason for their invalidation. Some held that the reason is that God Almighty has made prophethood unnecessary through what the intellects indicate of the necessary implications of what the messengers bring. This is invalid for two reasons: First: That what the intellects indicate does not prevent the possibility that the messengers bring it as an obligation. Even if the intellect necessitated it, it would not be impossible for the messengers to bring it as an obligation. And if the intellect necessitated it, it would not be impossible for the messengers to bring it as a confirmation, just as the proofs of the intellects on tawhid ⁵ are multiple, and the existence of some does not prevent the existence of others. Second: That the judgments of the intellects are not independent of the sending of messengers in two respects: One: That the judgments of the intellects may differ regarding matters where their proofs are equivalent, and the sending of messengers resolves their differences. Two: That the intellects have no access to what the messengers bring of promise and threat, paradise and hellfire, and the descriptions of worship they legislate that motivate devotion. Thus, the intellects do not dispense with the sending of messengers. Others among them held that the reason for invalidating prophethoods is that sending messengers to those whom He knows will not accept what they convey is frivolous, which is incompatible with God's wisdom. This is invalid for two reasons: First: That it is not frivolous that among them are those who do not accept, just as it was not frivolous for God Almighty to set up proofs of the intellects for His tawhid, even though some do not use them to infer His tawhid. Similarly, the sending of messengers is not frivolous. Second: That the existence among them of those who accept, according to this reasoning, necessitates the sending of messengers, yet they prevent sending them to both those who accept and those who do not. Thus, this reasoning is invalid. Others among them said: Rather, the reason is that what the messengers bring is contradictory, with later revelations abrogating what earlier ones legislated. The judgments of the intellects are not contradictory, so what is contradictory and inconsistent cannot be relied upon. This is invalid for two reasons: First: That what the messengers bring is of two types: One: That which cannot be but in one way, namely tawhid and the attributes of the Lord and the created. In this, they did not differ, and their statements support each other. Two: That which can be in acts of worship in one way and can be otherwise, and can be at one time but not at another. This type is what the messengers differed in due to the difference of their times, either according to what is most beneficial or according to divine will. This is permissible in the judgments of the intellects. Second: That the judgments of the intellects may differ among rational people, yet that does not prevent the intellect from being a proof. Similarly, what the messengers differed in does not prevent it from being a proof. Others among them said: Rather, the reason for invalidating prophethoods is that there is no way to know their truth due to their unseen nature, and that the occurrence of miracles ⁶ contrary to nature is impossible due to the natural laws that prevent them. This is invalid for two reasons: First: That miracles are acts of God Almighty performed through them, so they are beyond the laws of their natures. Second: That just as they were distinguished by their departure from nature through prophethood, they were distinguished by their departure from the customary course of nature through miracles. Others among them said: Rather, the reason for invalidating prophethoods is that what they manifest of extraordinary miracles can be found similarly in practitioners of legerdemain ⁷ and trickery, and in fire-eaters, and that is not evidence of their truthfulness. Thus, the same applies to miracles. This is invalid for two reasons: First: That legerdemain appears to the intelligent but deceives the ignorant fool, unlike the miracle that astounds the intellects. Second: That legerdemain is acquired through teaching; one who does not know it can learn it and become equal to the one who knows it, and can counter it with something similar. But a miracle is unprecedented; no one other than its performer can produce it, nor can anyone counter it with its like, just as Moses' staff turned into a serpent that swallowed the ropes of the sorcerers, and they fell prostrate before him. If the invalidation of this doubt is evidence for its affirmation, then prophethoods can be affirmed through five aspects, even if those answers include some of them: First: That God Almighty is benevolent to His servants through what He guides them to of interests. Since the sending of messengers involves what the intellects cannot perceive, their sending is part of the general interests that He has undertaken. Second: That what the messengers bring of recompense—paradise as reward for desiring to do good, and hellfire as punishment to deter from evil—becomes a cause for the harmony of creation and the pursuit of truth. Third: That among the unseen interests are those known only through the messengers; thus, through them, what is not gained through the intellect is gained. Fourth: That devotion is not sincere except through religion, and religion is not sound except through the messengers who convey from God Almighty what He has commanded. Fifth: That the intellects may be too proud to agree with peers and follow equals, and nothing unites them except obedience to the worshipped Lord through what His messengers convey. Thus, interests become more general through them, perfection more complete, unity more cohesive, and discord more prevented. It is permissible to affirm tawhid and prophethoods through subtle inference as well as through clear inference. For what is subtle in the intellects is more profound in wisdom. Ibn al-Rumi ⁸ alluded to this meaning in his poetry, saying: "The obscurity of truth, when defended, reduces the supporters of the rightful opponent. It eludes the intellects of some people due to its subtlety, so judgment is given for the grand over the subtle." [The Possibility of Prophethoods] If the possibility of prophethoods and the sending of messengers with acts of worship is established, then they are the messengers of God Almighty to His creation, either through audible speech or through the mediation of a descending angel. Some of those who affirm prophethoods denied that their prophethood comes through speech or the descent of an angel, because corporeal address from Him is impossible since He is not a body, and angels are from the upper world, simple, and do not descend, just as the lower world is dense and does not ascend. Those who held this view differed regarding what makes them prophets. Some said: They became prophets through inspiration ⁹, not revelation. This is invalid for two reasons: First: That what invalidates the inspiration of knowledge in tawhid is more deserving of invalidating knowledge in prophethood. Second: That inspiration is hidden and obscure, claimed by both the truthful and the false. If they distinguish between them, a distinguishing mark is sought; if they abandon inspiration, that is evidence invalidating inspiration. Others among them said: They became prophets because God has in the world special properties and secrets that differ from the course of nature. Whoever God empowers with them among His creation thereby deserves prophethood. This is invalid for two reasons: First: Their hiddenness is not evidence of his truthfulness. Second: He would be a prophet from himself, not from his Lord, so he becomes like others. Others said: Rather, they became prophets because God distinguished them with perfection of intellects through which they attain the realities of things, so nothing of what others desire is ambiguous to them. Thus, they became prophets through their intellects, not through their Lord. This is invalid for two reasons: First: This implies superiority of knowledge for him but does not imply it for others. Second: If he reports from himself, he is not a messenger; if he reports from his Lord, he is a liar. Others said: They became prophets because the light in them became pure and grew through the supreme divine light ¹⁰ by which understandings are purified and imaginations are corrected, so that they transition to spiritual natures and the turbidity of human nature leaves them, and they emerge from the shadow of contingent beings through the purity of their light and their deliverance. This is the doctrine of the Dualists ¹¹. This is invalid for two reasons: First: They rejected the easier of the two matters—the sending of messengers—for the more difficult—the granting of His light. It is more appropriate to reject the more difficult by what they rejected the easier. Second: They thereby affirmed the intermingling of the Creator, may He be exalted, with what is specific to His essence, but the difference of essence prevents intermingling with Him. The response to what they said about the impossibility of corporeal address from one who is not a body is from two aspects: First: It is not impossible for something like the speech of bodies to appear from Him, even though He is not a body, just as actions like those of bodies appear from Him, even though He is not a body. Second: God Almighty may place His speech in hearing so that ears perceive it and hearts understand it, through His power that He has hidden from His creation. The response to what they mentioned about the celestial substance of angels not descending is from two aspects: First: It is not impossible for a subtle celestial substance to transfer to a dense earthly substance, either through increase or transformation, as they say about the intellect and the soul—that they are two celestial substances that descended to the body and dwelt in it.

The second [view] is that they speak of the transformation of natural bodies, saying that air, composed of heat and moisture, when its heat is removed by cold, becomes cold water; and water, composed of cold and moisture, when its cold is removed by heat, becomes air; and air, composed of heat and moisture, when its moisture is removed by dryness, becomes fire. If this is possible in their view regarding the transformation of natures, then it is even more permissible in the act of God Almighty, and He is more capable of it. Their arguments, which deviate from the laws of the Law, cannot be refuted except by similar [arguments], even if it goes beyond the scope of our [type of] argumentation to refute their claim with their own claim, so that falsehood is not disguised by it, nor is the ignorant led astray by it. For nothing leads astray from religion except one who attacks its foundations and disparages its people. ## Establishment of Prophethoods Once it is established that prophethood is only valid for one whom God Almighty has sent through His revelation to him, its validity is contingent upon three conditions that indicate his truthfulness and the obligation to obey him. One of them: that the claimant to prophethood possesses qualities that make him eligible for it, such as truthfulness of speech, manifest virtue, and perfection of state. If a deficiency afflicts him or falsehood appears from him, he is not fit for prophethood, having lost its instrument and trustworthiness. The Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, sent Khalid ibn al-Walid to some Arab tribes to call them to Islam. They said: "O Khalid, describe Muhammad to us." He said: "Briefly or in detail?" They said: "Briefly." He said: "He is the Messenger of God, and the messenger is [measured] according to the one who sent him." The second condition: the manifestation of a miracle ¹² that indicates his truthfulness and that humans are incapable of producing its like, so that it may be comparable to divine acts, to show that it is from Him, thereby validating his claim to prophethood. For He does not manifest it from one who lies about Him, and the miracle is evidence of his truthfulness, and his truthfulness is evidence of the validity of his prophethood. The third condition: that the claim to prophethood be accompanied by the miracle. If the claim is not accompanied by the miracle, he does not become a prophet by the mere appearance of the miracle, because the miracle indicates the truth of the claim, so it is an attribute of it. Thus, it is not permissible to establish the attribute before the existence of the described. If the appearance of the miracle precedes the claim to prophethood, it is a foundation for prophethood, like the speech of Jesus, peace be upon him, in the cradle as a foundation for his prophethood. So he needed, along with the claim to prophethood, to produce a miracle accompanying it to indicate his truthfulness in it. If the claim to prophethood precedes the miracle, the occurrence of the miracle after it suffices without its accompaniment, because its conjunction with the claim is [implicitly] accompanied by the miracle ¹³. If the miracle accompanying the claim appears to some people but not to all, then consideration is given: if they are a number that makes the report recurrent ¹⁴ and the effect widespread, then the absent one is veiled by the witness in terms of the obligation to respond and submit to obedience, just as the second generation is veiled by the first. If the witnesses of the miracle are a number that does not make the report widespread or recurrent, due to the possibility of their collusion in falsehood and the possibility of error and slip, then the miracle is a proof against them but not against others, until they witness the miracle that veils them. Whether it is of the first type or not, if the witnesses of the first fall short of the number of recurrence and the witnesses of the second fall short of the number of recurrence, the ruling of recurrence is not established for either of them or for any one of them, due to the possibility of falsehood on each of the two groups. ## Proofs of the Prophets Since the proofs of the prophets against their nations are the miracles indicating their truthfulness, a miracle is what breaks the custom ¹⁵ of humans, [consisting of] qualities that are not attainable except by divine power, indicating that God Almighty has singled him out with it as a confirmation of his being chosen for His message. Thus, it becomes evidence of his truthfulness in claiming prophethood, if it occurs from him during the time of obligation ¹⁶. As for the time of the Hour's establishment, when the conditions of obligation fall away, some of its portents may appear that break custom, but they are not miracles for a claimant to prophethood. The breaking of custom is considered in the miracle because the customary encompasses both the truthful and the liar, so the non-customary is specific to the truthful, not the liar. Once it is established that the miracle is defined as we have mentioned—breaking custom—then what breaks custom can be divided into ten categories: First category: what goes beyond the genus of human capability, such as the invention of bodies, the transformation of essences, and the revival of the dead. The small and large of this are miraculous because even a small amount goes beyond capability, just as a large amount does. Second category: what enters the genus of human capability but its magnitude goes beyond human capability, such as the folding of a distant land in a short time. This is miraculous due to breaking custom. The theologians differed regarding the miraculous part of it. According to some, what goes beyond capability is specifically the miracle, due to its being specific to the miracle. According to others, all of it is miraculous because it is connected to what is indistinguishable from it. Third category: the manifestation of knowledge of what goes beyond human knowledge, such as reports of unseen events. This is miraculous under two conditions: first, that it be repeated so as to go beyond the realm of coincidence; second, that it be free from any cause by which it could be inferred. Fourth category: what goes beyond the type of human capability, even if its genus enters human capability, like the Qur'an in its style's departure from the categories of speech. It is miraculous because its type goes beyond capability, making it a genus beyond capability, and the inability despite capability in its instrument of speech is more profound in the miracle. Fifth category: what enters into human actions but leads to going beyond human measure, such as the healing that occurs from illness and the crop that occurs from seed. If a chronic illness is healed instantly, or a withered crop ripens before its time, it is miraculous due to breaking custom, because it goes beyond capability. Sixth category: the lack of ability regarding what was within ability, such as a speaker being warned of his inability to speak, or a writer being informed of his inability to write. This is a miracle specific to the incapable and does not extend beyond him, because he is certain of his own inability, while others are not certain of it. Seventh category: the speaking of an animal or the movement of an inanimate object. If it occurs at his request or by his signal, it is a miracle for him. If it appears without request or signal, it is not a miracle for him, even if it breaks custom, because it is not more specific to him than to others, and it is among the rare events of the time. Eighth category: the appearance of something out of its season, such as summer fruit in winter and winter fruit in summer. If preserving them out of season is possible, it is not a miracle. If preserving them is impossible, it is a miracle, whether he initiates its appearance or is asked for it. Ninth category: the gushing forth of water and the cessation of gushing water, if it appears without external causes, it is among his miracles due to breaking custom. Tenth category: satisfying a large number of people with a small amount of food and quenching them with a little water. This is miraculous in their case and not miraculous in the case of others, for the reason we have given. These categories and their like, falling within the limits of miracles, are equal in ruling regarding the establishment of miraculousness and the confirmation of the one who manifests them in what he claims of prophethood, even if the miraculousness varies and differs, just as the proofs of tawhid ¹⁷ may differ in subtlety and clarity, though each contains a proof. As for doing what humans can approximate but are incapable of its exact like, it is not a miracle, because the genus is within capability, and the excess is merely a skill, like crafts in which their practitioners differ. Thus, the most skilled among them does not have a miracle by which he may claim prophethood. If it is said: "Zoroaster and Paul came with dazzling signs, but they did not indicate their truthfulness in claiming prophethood," it is replied: Because they themselves falsified what they claimed about God Almighty, indicating their ignorance of Him. Paul says that Jesus is God, and Zoroaster claimed that God Almighty was alone with nothing else. When His solitude prolonged, He thought, and from His thought arose Ahriman, who is Iblis. When he appeared before Him, He wanted to kill him, but he resisted. When He saw his resistance, He made a truce with him until a term and made peace with him until a limit. Whoever says this about God Almighty and does not know Him cannot be His messenger. Moreover, they called to abominations and evil deeds, as Zoroaster prescribed ablution with urine, intercourse with mothers, and worship of fire. Likewise, Paul and Mani. So God Almighty abandoned them. Had they called to good morals, the suspicion would have been stronger and the deception greater, but God Almighty protected with intellects those who seek guidance and led to the truth those whom He awakened through it. ## Miracles and Prophethood It is not permissible for God Almighty to manifest a miracle as evidence of truthfulness in anything other than prophethood, even if it involves obedience, because prophethood cannot be known to be true except through a miracle, as it is unseen and known only from him. Thus, there is a need for a miracle regarding his truthfulness. Other than prophethood, his statements and actions may be known to be true through direct observation and witnessing, and they fall outside the form of a miracle, even if they are effective, and so that the miracles of the prophets are not confused with others. As for one who claims divinity, if he manifests dazzling signs, some have held that they may be miracles nullified by his lie, so it is not impossible for them to occur from him, even if they do not occur from him when he is lying in claiming prophethood, because his claim does not nullify them, unlike the claimant to divinity. The prevailing view of the majority is that it is not permissible for a miracle to appear on a claimant to divinity, just as it is not permissible for it to appear on a claimant to prophethood, because his disobedience in claiming divinity is more severe and his falsehood greater, so it is more fitting that it not appear on him. When the signs manifested by a claimant to divinity are examined, their corruption becomes clear and their disorder evident, so they exit from miraculousness to sorcery or trickery. ## Perception and Direct Observation Since God Almighty knows that most of His servants do not witness the proofs of His messengers nor attend the signs of His prophets—either due to distance of abode or succession of ages—He has instilled in each group the reporting of what they have witnessed, so that the absent may learn from the present and the later from the contemporary. He has also known, despite differing inclinations, that recurrent report ¹⁸, when freed from doubt, is true, not subject to skepticism, and truthful, not confused with falsehood. Thus, its occurrence is like direct observation in producing necessary knowledge, so the proof is established and knowledge is necessitated. Al-Tufayl al-Ghanawi said, with an Arab woman, regarding the occurrence of knowledge through widespread report, what his nature indicated and his disposition led him to: "A worry from the night visited me, descending / And news came that cannot be lied about. / They were so numerous that I had no doubt / And what they reported was not subject to criticism." ## Revelation and Prophethood As for what is permissible for a claimant to prophethood, it is divided into three categories: One: that God Almighty speaks to him without an intermediary. Second: that He addresses him through an intermediary from His angels. Third: that it be through a dream vision. As for the first category: when God Almighty speaks to him without an intermediary, like His speech to Moses, peace be upon him, when he was called from the tree, as we have previously mentioned regarding the difference of opinion on its attribute. He knows necessarily that it is from God Almighty. Regarding how necessary knowledge occurs in His speech, scholars have two opinions: One: that He compels him to knowledge of it, just as He compels His creation to knowledge of other known things. On this basis, knowledge of His speech leads to knowledge of Him, and the obligation of knowing Him is lifted from him. It is permissible for His speech to be of a different kind from human speech, due to the necessity of knowing what it contains.

The second: that his speech is accompanied by signs indicating that it is from Him. In this case, the obligation of knowing Him is not removed from him, nor is it valid for Him to address him except in human speech, due to the absence of necessity for knowing Him. As for the second division: that His address is through some of His angels who are His messengers to His prophets. In this case, the prophets must know God Almighty before [knowing] His angels in His message. Their way of knowing Him is through inference. Then, after the descent of the angels with their dazzling miracles, they attain knowledge of necessity. The angels, when they descend with revelation to the messenger, must show their miracle to him, just as the messenger must show his miracle to his community. It is narrated that Gabriel, peace be upon him, when he confronted the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, in Mecca in the valley, said to him: "Say, O Muhammad, to the tree: Come forward!" So he said that to it, and it came forward. Then he said: "Say to it: Go back!" So he said that to it, and it went back. Then the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, said to him: "That is enough for me," meaning in knowing your truthfulness in what you have brought to me from my Lord. Thus, the messengers infer through miracles the truthfulness of the angels in revelation, and the communities infer through the miracles of the prophets their truthfulness in the message. The angel's address is verbal if it is the Qur'an, or what stands in place of speech if it is revelation. It is not permissible for the angel to convey to the messenger what he has received from his Lord except in the messenger's language ¹⁹, just as the messenger does not convey to his people except in their language. The angel is an intermediary between the messenger and his Lord, and the messenger is an intermediary between the angel and his people. What the angel conveys to the messenger for the messenger to convey to his people is of two types: Qur'an and revelation. As for the Qur'an, the angel must convey it to the messenger in its verbal form, and neither the angel nor the messenger may change its wording to something else. The address it contains is directed to the messenger and his community. As for revelation, if it contains an obligation of a command or prohibition, it is of two types: One: that it is a clear text ²⁰ not subject to interpretation, and explicit without need for interpretation. In this case, the messenger knows it from the angel through the address itself, and the community knows it from the messenger through transmission without reflection or inference. Neither the angel nor the messenger may change the clear text to something ambiguous or subject to interpretation. The second type: that it is of the ambiguous ²¹ or probable ²² type, admitting different meanings. In this case, what is intended by it is known through evidence accompanying the address. Its evidence is of two types: One: the intellect of the listener. The second: the instruction ²³ of the conveyer. As for what its evidence is understood by the innate intellect, it is interpreted according to the requirement of the intellect, and conveying the address suffices for it. As for what its evidence is instruction that has no room for innate intellect, such as acts of worship, it is interpreted according to instruction from God Almighty to His angels, from the angels to the messenger, and from the messenger to his community. As for the angel's knowledge of his Lord, it is not through witnessing His essence. The scholars have differed regarding his knowledge of Him according to two schools, like the messenger if He speaks to him: one is that He compels him to knowledge of Him, and the second is through hearing the address accompanied by signs. As for the messenger's knowledge from the angel and the community's knowledge from the messenger, the messenger witnesses the angel's essence, and the community witnesses the messenger's essence. Witnessing essences has an effect on knowing the intended meaning of the address. Thus, the explanation ²⁴ of its instruction regarding what is intended by the address varies into types: some are by explicit wording, some by subtle allusion, some by apparent action, some by inner indication, and some by signs that compel the witness to know what is intended by them, without having a describable attribute or a defined limit. Rather, the witness knows it through the understood implications of its causes. Thus, the explanation, according to its different types, becomes instruction from the angel to the messenger and from the messenger to the community. It is permissible for the type of their explanation to differ when known. As for the third division: that it is through a dream vision. If the person is not one whose dreams come true due to the frequency of his dreams, he may not claim prophethood. If he is one whose dreams come true—it has been narrated from the Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace, that he said: "The most truthful of you in dreams is the most truthful of you in speech"—he may not claim prophethood from the first dream, because it could be from self-talk ²⁵, and because a dream may sometimes be true and other times false. If his dreams are repeated many times until he is certain of their truthfulness and no doubt remains, he may claim prophethood through them in matters of preserving a previous law and urging action upon it from afar, but he may not use it to abrogate a law or initiate a new act of worship. It is permissible for him to act upon his own dream regarding what he undertakes of initiating a law, but he may not act upon it to abrogate a law that is incumbent upon him, so that by it he becomes obligated, not released. [Conditions of Conveyance] As for the messenger's address to his community regarding what he conveys to them of his Lord's message, after the appearance of his miracle and the announcement of his prophethood and its obligation upon the community, it is conditional upon five conditions: * First: knowledge that falsehood is impossible regarding him in what he reports from God Almighty, whether news or an obligation he conveys, just as falsehood is impossible regarding him in his claim of messengership. The miracle is evidence of his truthfulness in all that the message contains. * Second: that it be known from his state that it is not permissible for him to conceal what he is commanded to convey, because concealing it would prevent the acceptance of his message, as it would be possible for him to conceal the abrogation of what he made obligatory, although it is permissible for him to delay its explanation until the time of need, and that is not concealment ²⁶. * Third: that anything that would cause aversion to accepting his words be absent from him, because God Almighty protected him from harshness so that people would not be averse to following him, and it is more fitting that he not cause aversion to accepting his address. * Fourth: that his address be accompanied by what indicates its intended meaning, so that obfuscation and ambiguity are removed from the rulings of the message, so that the duties of obligation are known, although ambiguity in his address is permissible regarding what does not involve obligation. A man confronted the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, at the outskirts of Badr and said to him: "Who are you from?" He replied: "From water," thus equivocating ²⁷ about his lineage with something obscure to the questioner, because it was outside what he conveys legally to his community. * Fifth: knowledge of the obligation to obey him, so that the obligation of his commands is known. There is disagreement regarding his obedience: whether it is obligatory by reason or by revelation, according to their disagreement regarding the sending of messengers: whether it is among the requirements of reason or not. [Method of Conveyance] When the conditions of obligation are complete, his address is either understood or ambiguous. The understood is of four types: explicit text ²⁸, gist of speech ²⁹, implication of speech ³⁰, and inferred meaning of wording ³¹. The gist of speech indicates what is stronger than its literal expression; the implication of speech indicates what is similar to its literal expression; and the inferred meaning of wording is derived from the meaning of its literal expression. These four have their meanings understood through their words, are independent in themselves, and their intended meaning is known from their apparent meanings. Thus, after conveyance, there is no need for explanation. As for the ambiguous, it is of three types: the summary ³², the probable ³³, and the obscure ³⁴. As for the summary, its explanation is taken from elsewhere, and the intellect has no role in its interpretation; it is known only through hearing and instruction. As for the probable, it is what oscillates between different meanings. If it is possible to combine all of them, it is interpreted according to all that it contains, and explanation is unnecessary unless an explanation comes restricting it to some of them. If it is not possible to combine them due to mutual contradiction, and the intended meaning is one of them, then if it is possible to infer it from the context of the address or from observation of the situation, that provides explanation. If explanation is not possible from this angle, it is interpreted according to the custom of the Law. If that is not possible, it is interpreted according to customary usage. If that is not possible, it is interpreted according to linguistic usage. If that is not possible, its explanation is suspended pending instruction. As for the obscure, it is what is problematic in its wording and ambiguous in its meaning. It is narrated that 'Umar, may God be pleased with him, said: "O Messenger of God, you bring us speech that we do not know, while we are true Arabs." The Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, said: "My Lord taught me, so I learned; He disciplined me, so I became disciplined." If there is an indication in the obscure pointing to its meaning, it is permissible for its derivation to be suspended pending ijtihad ³⁵. If it is devoid of any indication, it is suspended pending instruction. The messenger must convey its explanation, just as he must convey its original. Those who hear it from the messenger must convey it to those who have not heard it, so that it is transmitted from age to age forever, so that the second generation learns from the first, the third from the second, and so on forever, so that the proof through them endures until the Hour. For this reason, the Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace, said: "Let the one who is present convey to the one who is absent." [Prophet and Messenger] As for the difference between prophets and messengers, both have come in the Qur'an collectively and individually in God's words: "And We did not send before you any messenger or prophet except that when he recited [the revelation], Satan threw [some corruption] into his recitation. Then God abolishes what Satan throws, then God makes His verses firm" ³⁶. The scholars have differed regarding prophets and messengers according to two opinions: One: that prophets and messengers are the same; the prophet is a messenger and the messenger is a prophet. "Messenger" is derived from bearing the message, and "prophet" is derived from "news" ³⁷ if it is pronounced with a hamza, because he is a reporter from God, and from "elevation" ³⁸ if not pronounced with a hamza, which is a high place. This is more fitting because Muhammad, may God bless him and grant him peace, was addressed by both. The second opinion is that they differ, because different names indicate different named entities. The messenger is of a higher rank than the prophet; therefore, angels are called messengers but not prophets. Those who hold this opinion have differed regarding the difference between them according to three sayings: One: that the messenger is the one to whom angels descend with revelation, while the prophet is the one who receives revelation in his sleep. The second: that the messenger is sent to a community, while the prophet is the inspired one ³⁹ who is not sent to a community, as stated by Qutrub. The third saying: that the messenger is the one who initiates the establishment of laws and rulings, while the prophet is the one who preserves the law of another, as stated by al-Jahiz. [Obligation of Conveyance] When revelation descends upon the messenger and a specific time for its conveyance is assigned, he may not advance it nor delay it. If no specific time is assigned, he must convey it at the earliest possible time. If he fears severe harm and great injury from conveying what he is commanded, he must still convey it, and harm is not an excuse for omission or delay, because prophets bear hardships that others do not bear, due to their great station and the strength they are given to endure their hardships. If he fears death, the theologians have differed regarding the obligation of conveyance. Some hold that the command to convey is considered: if he is commanded to convey despite fear of death, he must convey even if killed; if he is commanded with safety, he is not obliged to convey if he fears death. Others hold that his situation is considered: if nothing remains of the conveyance except what he fears death from, he must convey even if killed; if there remains other conveyance besides what he fears death from, and the command to convey is not sequential, he must first convey what he is safe from, then convey what he fears death from, even if killed. If the command to convey is sequential, beginning with what he fears death from, then God Almighty protects him from death until he conveys all that he is commanded, due to His guarantee of perfecting His religion. And God Almighty knows best. Chapter Five: On the Duration of the World and the Number of Messengers

The duration of this world from the beginning of creation to its end and annihilation is seven thousand years, according to what is stated in the Torah revealed to Moses (peace be upon him) and mentioned by the prophets of the Children of Israel. This is also affirmed by those who speak of the movement of the planets, namely that it is the movement of the seven planets, each planet moving for a thousand years. It has been narrated from the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) that he said ⁴⁰: "This world is seven thousand years, and I am in the last thousand of it." He also said (peace be upon him): "I was sent while the Hour is like these two," and he joined his middle finger and index finger, meaning that what remains of it is like the excess of the middle finger over the index finger ⁴¹. Salama ibn 'Abdullah al-Juhani narrated from Abu Masja'a al-Juhani from Abu Rihab al-Juhani that he said to the Prophet (peace be upon him): "I saw you on a pulpit with seven steps, and you were at its top." He said: "This world is seven thousand years, and I am in the last thousand of it" ⁴². Abu Nadra narrated from Abu Sa'id al-Khudri who said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) after the 'Asr prayer say: "O people, this world is green and sweet, and Allah has appointed you as vicegerents over it, and He will see how you act." He continued his sermon until he said: "I will surely know a man whom fear of people prevents from speaking the truth when he sees it and witnesses it." Then he said: "The setting of the sun has drawn near. The likeness of what remains of this world compared to what has passed is like the remainder of this day of yours compared to what has passed of it. You will complete seventy nations; sixty-nine have passed, and you are the last of them." Thus this appointed duration for the life of this world became seven thousand years, agreed upon in what the divine books contain and what the prophetic reports have conveyed, along with what is followed by those who agree regarding the movement of the seven planets, although reliance in matters of the unseen is upon the truthful reports emanating from the Knower of the Unseen, who does not share His unseen except with those of His messengers whom He has informed. So He created the world in six days, their beginning being Sunday and their end Friday ⁴³. The people of the previous scriptures and the scholars of our law differed regarding what He began with in creation, holding three opinions: One of them—and it is the saying of a group—is that He began with the creation of the earth on Sunday and Monday, due to the saying of Allah the Exalted: "Do you indeed disbelieve in He who created the earth in two days?" ⁴⁴ And He created the mountains on Tuesday, and He created water and trees on Wednesday, and He created the heavens on Thursday, and He created the sun, the moon, the stars, the angels, and Adam on Friday. Al-Sha'bi said: "That is why it is called Friday (Yawm al-Jumu'a), because on it the creation of everything was gathered (jumi'a)." The second—and it is the saying of another group—is that He began with the creation of the heavens before the earth on Sunday and Monday, due to the saying of Allah the Exalted: "Then He completed them as seven heavens in two days and inspired in each heaven its command" ⁴⁵ in three aspects:

1. mulḥida dahriyya : Atheistic materialists who believe in the eternity of the world and deny divine intervention.
2. Barāhima : A group often identified with Indian Brahmins, known in Islamic theology for denying prophethood while affirming monotheism.
3. Bahr : A figure to whom the Brahmins' doctrine is attributed; possibly a legendary or historical person.
4. al-ʿulūm al-riyāḍiyya : Mathematical sciences, including philosophy and geometry, considered preparatory for higher knowledge.
5. tawḥīd : The oneness of God; the central doctrine of Islam affirming God's unity.
6. muʿjizāt : Miracles performed by prophets as signs of their truthfulness, breaking natural laws.
7. shaʿbadha : Legerdemain or sleight of hand; trickery that deceives the senses.
8. Ibn al-Rūmī : A famous Abbasid poet (836-896 CE) known for his sharp wit and philosophical themes.
9. ilhām : Inspiration; a direct inner illumination from God, distinct from prophetic revelation (waḥy).
10. al-nūr al-aʿẓam al-ilāhī : The supreme divine light; a concept in some mystical traditions referring to the primordial light of God.
11. thunawiyya : Dualists; those who believe in two eternal principles, such as light and darkness, e.g., Manichaeans.
12. mu'jiza : A miracle performed by a prophet as a sign of his prophethood, breaking the natural order to confirm his truthfulness.
13. iqtiran : The conjunction or accompaniment of the miracle with the claim to prophethood, establishing the causal link between them.
14. tawatur : Recurrent transmission or widespread reporting that yields certain knowledge, typically requiring a large number of independent witnesses.
15. kharq al-'ada : Breaking of custom or natural law; a supernatural event that defies normal patterns.
16. zaman al-taklif : The period of moral obligation, i.e., the worldly life where humans are accountable for their actions.
17. tawhid : The oneness of God; the foundational Islamic doctrine of monotheism.
18. khabar mutawatir : A report transmitted by so many independent chains that it yields certain knowledge, precluding the possibility of collusion.
19. lisān al-rasūl : The language of the messenger; i.e., the specific language spoken by the prophet to whom the angel delivers the message.
20. naṣṣ : A clear, unambiguous text that does not admit of interpretation or multiple meanings.
21. mujmal : A summary or ambiguous expression whose explanation must be sought from an external source.
22. muḥtamil : A term that admits multiple possible meanings; probable or polysemous.
23. tawqīf : Instruction or authoritative teaching from God or a higher authority, as opposed to rational deduction.
24. bayān : Explanation or clarification of the intended meaning of a text or command.
25. ḥadīth al-nafs : Self-talk or inner thoughts; a dream that originates from one's own psyche rather than from divine inspiration.
26. kitmān : Concealment; withholding information that one is obliged to disclose.
27. tawriya : Equivocation; using ambiguous language to conceal the truth without lying.
28. naṣṣ : Explicit text; a clear and unambiguous statement.
29. faḥwā al-kalām : The gist or import of speech; what is understood from the context as stronger than the literal wording.
30. laḥn al-qawl : The implication of speech; what is understood as equivalent to the literal wording.
31. mafhūm al-lafẓ : The inferred meaning of wording; a meaning derived from the wording by implication.
32. mujmal : A summary or ambiguous expression requiring external explanation.
33. muḥtamil : A term with multiple possible meanings; probable.
34. mushtabih : An obscure or problematic term whose meaning is unclear.
35. ijtihād : Independent legal reasoning by a qualified scholar to derive rulings from the sources.
36. Qur'an 22:52 : The verse cited: 'And We did not send before you any messenger or prophet...' (Sūrat al-Ḥajj, 22:52).
37. nabā' : News or report; the root from which 'nabī' (prophet) is derived if the hamza is pronounced.
38. nubuwwa : Elevation or high place; the root from which 'nabī' is derived if the hamza is not pronounced.
39. muḥaddath : One who is inspired or spoken to by divine means, but not necessarily sent as a messenger to a community.
40. al-dunyā : This world, the present life as opposed to the Hereafter.
41. al-sā‘ah : The Hour, i.e., the Day of Judgment.
42. al-minbar : Pulpit in a mosque from which the sermon is delivered.
43. Yawm al-Jumu‘ah : Friday, the day of congregational prayer.
44. Sūrat Fuṣṣilat : Qur'an 41:9.
45. Sūrat Fuṣṣilat : Qur'an 41:12.

The Fifth Chapter on the Duration of the World and the Number of Messengers [1]

One of them: He settled in each heaven its angels. The second: He created in each heaven what He deposited in it of sun, moon, and stars. The third: He revealed to the people of each heaven, the angels, what He commanded them of worship. Then He created the earth and the mountains on Tuesday and Wednesday, and created the rest of the world on Thursday and Friday. The third: And it is the saying of others that He created the heaven as smoke before the earth, then split it into seven heavens after the earth, according to God's saying: "Then He turned to the heaven while it was smoke, and said to it and to the earth, 'Come willingly or unwillingly.'" ¹ There are three interpretations of this: One: They gave obedience in the course decreed for them, willingly or by compulsion, said Sa'id ibn Jubayr. The second: They brought forth what was in them, willingly or unwillingly. The third: Be as I willed you to be. And concerning their saying this, there are two aspects: One: The manifestation of obedience from them took the place of their speaking. The second: He created in them speech that uttered that. Abu al-Nadr al-Saksi said: So the place of the Ka'ba spoke from the earth, and from the heaven opposite it spoke, and God placed in it sanctity. [God created Adam] As for Adam, he is the last of what God created on Friday. He created him from the dust of the earth and breathed into his nostrils from the breath of life, so he is the most breathing of every living thing. Abu Zahir narrated from Abu Musa that the Messenger of God said: "Adam was created from a handful taken from all of the earth." So the children of Adam came according to the earth: among them the red, the white, the black, and between that, the good, the bad, and the pleasant, and between that. Concerning his naming Adam, there are two sayings: One: It is a Hebrew name transferred to Arabic. The second saying: It is an Arabic name, and there are two sayings about it: One: He was named that because he was created from the surface of the earth, and its surface is its face. The second: He was named that due to its derivation from "adamah" ², which is duskiness. When Adam's creation was completed, he felt lonely, so He created Hawwa' ³ for him. There is disagreement about what she was created from, on two sayings: One: He created her from the same thing as Adam was created from. This is a saying unique to Ibn Bahr ⁴. The second saying, which is the view of the majority, is that He created her from Adam's left rib after casting sleep upon him so that he did not feel any pain. Ibn 'Abbas said: Therefore they are connected, and therefore she is called "imra'a" ⁵ because she was created from "al-mar'" ⁶. Concerning her naming Hawwa', there are two sayings: One: Because she was created from a living being ⁷. The second: Because she is the mother of every living being. Adam said when Hawwa' was created from him: "This person, her bone is from my bone, her flesh is from my flesh." Therefore, man and woman became like one body due to the intensity of inclination and excess of tenderness. God said: "O mankind, fear your Lord, who created you from one soul" meaning Adam, "and created from it its mate" ⁸ meaning Hawwa'. It is narrated from the Prophet that he said: "Man was created from dust, and woman was created from man." So understanding is in man. There is disagreement about the time when Hawwa' was created, on two sayings: One: She was created from him in Paradise after he felt lonely in his solitude. This is the saying of Ibn 'Abbas and Ibn Mas'ud. The second saying: She was created from his rib before his entry into Paradise, then they both entered it together. This is more consistent with God's saying: "And We said, 'O Adam, dwell, you and your wife, in Paradise and eat from it abundantly wherever you wish, but do not approach this tree, lest you be among the wrongdoers.'" ⁹ Ibn 'Abbas said: Adam was created on Friday, entered Paradise on Friday, and was expelled from it on Friday, and on it the Hour will be established. There is disagreement about the Paradise he inhabited, on two sayings: One: It is the Garden of Eternity ¹⁰. The second saying: It is a Paradise that God prepared for them as an abode of trial, not the Garden of Eternity which He made as an abode of recompense. Concerning this, there are two sayings: One: It is in the heaven because He caused them to descend from it. The second: It is on earth because He tested them in it with command and prohibition. There is disagreement about the tree they were forbidden to eat from. It is said it was the tree of immortality, and it is said it was the tree of knowledge. Concerning this knowledge, there are two sayings: One: Knowledge of good and evil. The second: Knowledge of what they did not know. Other sayings about the tree have been mentioned. When they ate from it, their private parts became apparent to them due to disobedience, and they began to fasten upon themselves leaves from the Paradise. God said: "So Satan caused them to slip from it" ¹¹ when he incited them to eat from the tree, "and brought them out from what they were in" ¹². There are two interpretations of this: One: From what they were in of obedience to what they came to of disobedience. The second: From what they were in of bliss in Paradise to what they came to of hardship on earth. Adam grieved when he was sent down to earth, and remained in his grief for a hundred years, during which he did not approach Hawwa'. Then he covered her, and she bore him Cain after a hundred years. Then he covered her, and she bore him Abel. Cain killed Abel, so Adam grieved intensely for that. It is said that he made his grief a penalty for his disobedience in eating. Fathers may be afflicted in their children because of their sins. Then his grief lightened, so he covered Hawwa' and she bore him Seth. God taught Adam all the names, as He mentioned in His Book. Concerning what names He taught him, there are two sayings: One: The knowledge of the stars, said by Humayd. The second: They are names of named things. There are sayings about them: One: The names of the angels, said by al-Rabi' ibn Anas. The second: The names of all his descendants, said by 'Abd al-Rahman ibn Zayd. The third: The names of all things. Concerning this, there are two sayings: One: His teaching was limited to the names without their meanings. The second: He taught him the names and their meanings, because there is no benefit in knowing names without meanings, since meanings are the intended purpose and names are indicators of them. [Adam and His Sons] When Adam descended to earth, it is said he descended to the eastern part of the land of India, Hawwa' to Jeddah, Iblis to the coast of the Euphrates River, and the serpent to the wilderness. Adam's prophetic mission was confined to him, and the revelation sent down to him was directed to him. He was among the chosen ones, not the messengers. The People of the Book disagreed whether he was created initially susceptible to death or whether death was made a punishment for his disobedience. Some said: Adam was created at the beginning of his formation with a permanent nature and a mortal nature, so that if he inclined to bodily desires and preferred them, he would fall into bodily changes and death would befall him; and if he preferred the virtues of the soul that commands good, he would attain the permanence that the angels are blessed with and would not die. When he disobeyed by eating from the tree, he turned to changes and death befell him. They cited as evidence from the Torah what is mentioned in it: "If you eat from the tree, on the day you eat from it, you will surely die." So it is not permissible that He threatened him with death upon punishment while he would die even if not punished. Others among them said, and this is more consistent with reason, that he was created at the beginning of his formation susceptible to death in this world even if he had not disobeyed, because He made him need nourishment like his descendants. None of the substances that are not subject to death need nourishment. And death was not made a punishment for disobedience; therefore, the angels who disobeyed did not die. And in the Torah ¹³ it is written that he stretched out his hand in Paradise to the tree of life and ate from it, and he would live forever. This indicates that he was naturally disposed to accept death. When God created Adam initially without the mediation of a nature as He created his descendants, he was in the best balance and most complete intellect. So his heart became a mine for human wisdom, and his body was prepared for human actions. Nothing of them was impossible for him until he encompassed knowledge and power over all of them. Therefore, he was taught all the names and inspired with all wisdom, and he was informed of the secrets of the stars and their workings, and he knew the benefits and harms of animals and plants. Otherwise, he would not have distinguished between food and medicine, nor between deadly poisons, nor would he have been guided by the stars on land or sea. He was the manager of his children throughout his life until he died after nine hundred and thirty years of his life ¹⁴. Then after him, his son Seth took charge of the matter. He excelled in wisdom and surpassed in the knowledge of the stars through what he received from his father Adam and what he gained through experience and the passage of time. The People of the Book disagreed about Seth's prophethood. Some claimed it, and others denied it. He was born two hundred and thirty years after the life of his father Adam ¹⁵, and died at nine hundred and twelve years ¹⁶. So his tenure after Adam's death was two hundred and twelve years. The People of the Book agreed that there was no prophet between Seth and Idris except Idris. Then after Seth, his son Anush ibn Seth took charge. He was born two hundred and fifty years after Seth's life, and Anush died at nine hundred and fifty years. So his tenure after Seth was two hundred and eighty-eight years. Then after Anush, his son Qinan ibn Anush took charge. He was born one hundred and ninety years after Anush's life, and Qinan died at nine hundred and twenty years. So his tenure after Anush was one hundred and ninety years. Then after Qinan, his son Mahla'il took charge. He was born eight hundred and seventy-five years [later], so his tenure after Qinan was one hundred and ten years. Then after Mahla'il, his son Yarid ibn Mahla'il took charge. He was born one hundred and sixty-five years after Mahla'il's life, and Yarid died at nine hundred and sixty-two years. So his tenure after Mahla'il was two hundred and fifty-two years. Then after Yarid, his son Akhnukh ibn Yarid, who is Idris, took charge. He was born one hundred and sixty-two years after Yarid's life ¹⁷. He is a prophet according to all religious communities. The People of the Book disagreed whether he is the first of the prophets or the second. Those who claimed that Seth was a prophet said he is the second prophet. Those who claimed that Seth was not a prophet said that Idris is the first prophet. He was the first to legislate rulings, the first to take up arms and strive in the path of God, to take captives and kill the sons of Cain, and to wear clothes—they used to wear skins. He was the first to write script according to the majority, and the first to establish weights and measures. Then God raised him up to Him alive after seven hundred and eighty-five years of his life, during which he remained a caller, while his father was still alive according to the chronology of these births and lifespans taken from the revealed Torah ¹⁸. Ibn Qutayba said: He was named Idris because of his frequent study of the books of God and the laws of Islam. [From Idris to Jesus, peace be upon them]

Then the people multiplied and split apart after Idris, and increased until the time of Noah son of Lamech son of Methuselah son of Enoch—who is Idris—and he was the last prophet sent before the Flood, according to those who claim that Seth was a prophet. The Flood came after six hundred years ¹⁹ of his life, and he warned his people but they denied him. He built the ark, and they mocked him. God commanded him to build it three hundred cubits long, fifty cubits wide, and thirty cubits high, with three decks, so that he and his family could board it, and to take from every species of animal a pair, male and female, to be the origins of their offspring, so that the world might live through them. Then He promised to send rain after seven days for forty days and forty nights. No living soul remained on earth except those who boarded the ark. The Flood subsided after one hundred and fifty days ²⁰, and it settled on al-Judi, a mountain in the land of al-Jazira, for a month. It was called a flood because it floated above everything. There is disagreement about how long Noah lived after the Flood. Most say three hundred and fifty years, which is apparent from what the Quran revealed. Others say six hundred and fifty years, because he remained nine hundred and fifty years calling his people, and he had three hundred years before his call. There is disagreement about the time between Adam's descent from Paradise and the coming of the Flood. Seventy-two rabbis from the Children of Israel who translated the Torah into Greek said it was two thousand two hundred and forty-two years. Then languages were confused after the Flood by six hundred and seventy years, and seventy-two languages split into seventy-two nations. Wahb ibn Munabbih said: among the descendants of Shem son of Noah were nineteen languages, among the descendants of Ham seventeen languages, and among the descendants of Japheth thirty-six languages. From the confusion of languages to the birth of Abraham the Friend (peace be upon him) was four hundred and eleven years. From the birth of Abraham to Moses son of Imran (peace be upon him) was four hundred and twenty-five years. He brought the Children of Israel out of Egypt after eight years, managed their affairs for forty years, and died at the age of one hundred and twenty. Thus from Adam's descent to the death of Moses was three thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight years ²¹. Others from the Children of Israel who adhere to the Hebrew Torah circulated by the majority of Jews in our time said that from Adam's descent from Paradise to the coming of the Flood was one thousand six hundred and fifty-six years; from the end of the Flood to the confusion of languages was one hundred and thirty-one years; from the confusion of languages to the birth of Abraham was one hundred and sixty-one years; from the birth of Abraham to the death of Moses was five hundred and forty-five years. Thus from Adam's descent to the death of Moses was two thousand four hundred and ninety-three years. The Samaritans among the Jews, according to the chronology of their Torah, said that from Adam's descent from Paradise to the coming of the Flood was one thousand three hundred and sixty-seven years; from the Flood to the confusion of languages was five hundred and twenty-six years; from the confusion of languages to the birth of Abraham was four hundred and eleven years; from the birth of Abraham to the death of Moses was five hundred and forty-one years. Thus from Adam's descent to the death of Moses was two thousand eight hundred and forty-nine years. The first prophet after Noah was Abraham. He was the first to trim his mustache, shave his pubic hair, be circumcised, clip his nails, use a toothstick, rinse his mouth, snuff water, and wash with water after relieving himself. He was the first to host guests, feed the poor, and crumble bread into broth. He called for the worship of God Almighty and His oneness. Then his son Isaac son of Abraham. To him were born Esau and Jacob as twins in one womb. Esau came out first, then Jacob came out with his hand grasping Esau's heel, so he was named Jacob. Esau is the father of the Romans; he was fair-skinned, so the Romans were called the sons of the fair one. Jacob is Israel, the father of the tribes. Job son of Bolus: his father was among those who believed in Abraham on the day he was thrown into the fire. He lived in the time of Jacob and was his son-in-law; Jacob married his daughter Leah to him, and it was she whom he struck with the bundle of grass. The first prophet from the Children of Israel was Moses, and the last was Jesus. The prophethood of Jacob son of Isaac son of Abraham and his descendants after him before Moses was confined to themselves, until Moses called the Children of Israel to his prophethood. From the death of Moses to the reign of Nebuchadnezzar was nine hundred and seventy-eight years, and to the reign of Alexander was one thousand four hundred and thirteen years. Jesus was born on the night of Wednesday, the twenty-fifth of December, seven hundred and thirty-nine years after the reign of Nebuchadnezzar, and three hundred and four years after the reign of Alexander. From the reign of Nebuchadnezzar to the beginning of the Hijra was one thousand three hundred and sixty-nine years; from the reign of Alexander to the beginning of the Hijra was two thousand three hundred and forty-seven years. Thus between the death of Moses and the beginning of the Hijra was two thousand three hundred and forty-seven years. The birth of Jesus was one thousand seven hundred and seventeen years after the death of Moses, and it is said six hundred and thirty years before the beginning of the Hijra. [Chapter on the Age of the World until the Hour] Since it is established that the duration of the world is estimated in the divine books as seven thousand years, the past up to the beginning of the Hijra, according to the differences among the people of the Torah, would be: according to the first opinion taken from the rabbis who translated it into Greek, six thousand two hundred and sixteen years, and the remaining age of the world after the Hijra according to their statement would be seven hundred and eighty-four years. This agrees with the saying of the Messenger of God (peace be upon him): "The world is seven thousand years; I was sent in its last thousand" ²². According to the second opinion taken from the Hebrew Torah, the past would be four thousand eight hundred and forty-one years, and the remaining age of the world after the Hijra according to this opinion would be two thousand one hundred and fifty-nine years. It is said that they said this so that the Messenger of God (peace be upon him) would be in its fifth thousand, thus rejecting by shortening the chronology his description in the Torah that he would be sent at the end of time. According to the third opinion in the Samaritan Torah, the past would be five thousand one hundred and thirty-seven years, and the remaining age of the world after the Hijra according to this opinion would be one thousand eight hundred and thirty-three years, so that the Messenger would be in its sixth thousand, as was said about his years. The Samaritans are a people transferred from the East; they were so named because its interpretation in Arabic is "the preservers." They accept only the Torah alone from the books of the prophets. The first opinion is more likely due to the saying of the Messenger, even though the establishment of the Hour, the end of the world's duration, and the world's standing on this chronology they have set and the estimation they have confirmed are rejected by us according to God's saying: "Indeed, Allah [alone] has knowledge of the Hour" ²³. There are two interpretations of this: One: that its establishment is exclusive to His knowledge, so it is impossible for any of His creation to share in His knowledge of it. The second: that its establishment is dependent on His will, so it is impossible for it to be dependent on other than His will. He also said: "Do they await except that the Hour should come upon them suddenly?" ²⁴ meaning unexpectedly, and the sudden is unknown, so it is impossible for it to be known to them. Then He said: "But already there have come to you its portents" ²⁵. There are two aspects: One: the prophethood of Muhammad (peace be upon him). This indicates that he was sent in its last thousand. The second: that its portents are the signs that warn of it, as He said: "And We send not the signs except as a warning" ²⁶. So the Hour will not come until God warns with its signs. Sufyan ibn 'Uyayna narrated from Farar from Abu al-Tufayl from Hudhayfa ibn Asad al-Ghifari: The Messenger of God (peace be upon him) looked out at us from an upper room while we were discussing the matter of the Hour. He said: "What were you discussing?" We said: "The establishment of the Hour." He said: "The Hour will not be established until ten signs appear before it." He said: "It is not known which of them will come first: the rising of the sun from its west, the Dajjal, the smoke, the beast of the earth, the descent of Jesus son of Mary, the emergence of Gog and Magog, three eclipses: an eclipse in the east, an eclipse in the west, and an eclipse in the Arabian Peninsula, and the last of that is a fire that will emerge from Yemen or from Aden, driving the people to their gathering place." Burd narrated from Makhul from Abu Hurayra: The Messenger of God (peace be upon him) said: "The Dajjal will emerge in the eightieth year; if not, then in two hundred and eighty; if not, then in three hundred and eighty; if not, then in four hundred and eighty." Mu'adh ibn Jabal narrated that the Prophet (peace be upon him) mentioned the Dajjal and said: "He will remain among you for forty years ²⁷: the first year like a month, the second like a week, the third like a day, and the rest of his years like an hour, until Jesus son of Mary descends and thrusts him with a spear, and he melts like lead. This indicates that Gog and Magog precede the Dajjal, and the last of these signs with which the Hour will be established is the appearance of the fire. And God knows best those whom He has kept His unseen knowledge from, and then those of His messengers whom He has informed." [The Prophets between Moses and Jesus (peace be upon them)] Between Moses and Jesus (peace be upon them) were the following prophets: Isaiah: he gave the Children of Israel glad tidings of the prophethood of Muhammad (peace be upon him) and described him after giving glad tidings of Jesus. The Children of Israel killed him. Then Ezekiel: his people were afflicted with a plague, so they left their homes fearing death, and God caused them to die, then revived them. Among them: Daniel: Nebuchadnezzar took him captive along with Ezra. He held a high position with Nebuchadnezzar because of a dream he interpreted for him. His grave is in the region of Susa. Abu Musa al-Ash'ari found him, brought him out, shrouded him, prayed over him, and buried him. Among them: Elijah: he was sent to the people of Baalbek, who worshipped an idol called Baal. Their king was named Ahab, and his wife Jezebel, whom he appointed over his kingdom. She was the daughter of the king of Sheba, lived a long life, and married seven kings of the Children of Israel. She killed John son of Zechariah (peace be upon them). Then God raised Elijah. Then Elisha: he was a disciple of Elijah, and Elijah prayed for him, so God made him a prophet after him. Then Jonah son of Matta. Then Zechariah: the Children of Israel killed him in a tree. Then Jesus and John. As for John, King Ahab killed him through the trickery of his wife Jezebel. As for Jesus, his mother fled with him from King Ahab to Egypt, and Joseph the carpenter returned with him and his mother to a village called Nazareth. Therefore his followers were called Nazarenes because they called him Jesus the Nazarene. The Companions of the Cave: they were youths from Rome who entered the cave before the Messiah Jesus, and God struck their ears with sleep in it. When the Messiah was sent, he told of their story. Then God resurrected them after the Messiah during the interval between him and the Prophet (peace be upon him). George was from Palestine; he met some of the disciples and was sent to the king of Mosul. As for Luqman, he was an Ethiopian slave of a man from the Children of Israel, and he lived in the time of David. His father's name was Tharan. There is disagreement about his prophethood: most claim he was not a prophet, but Sa'id ibn al-Musayyib said he was a prophet and was a tailor. Dhul-Kifl: he was from the Children of Israel, sent to a king among them named Canaan. He called him to faith and guaranteed him Paradise, and wrote a document for him. Thus he was named Dhul-Kifl. Wahb ibn Munabbih mentioned that all the prophets are one hundred thousand and twenty-four thousand prophets, of whom three hundred and fifteen are messengers.

Among them are five Hebrews: Adam, Seth, Idris, Noah, and Abraham ²⁸. And five from the Arabs: Hud, Salih, Ishmael, Shu'ayb, and Muhammad, peace be upon him. Abu Salih narrated from Ibn Abbas that he said: Allah sent to the people of al-Rass ²⁹ a prophet from among them named Hanzalah ibn Safwan, but they denied him and killed him. So Allah revealed to a prophet who was with Nebuchadnezzar, named Jeremiah ³⁰ ibn Barkhiya: 'Command Nebuchadnezzar to invade the Arabs, whose houses have no gates, and kill them for what they did to their prophet.' And Khalid ibn Sinan ³¹ narrated that the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said: 'That was a prophet whose people neglected him. He told his people: Bury me, and when the gazelles come after three days, exhume me, and I will inform you of what I was commanded.' The gazelles came to his grave after three days, but they did not exhume him, saying: 'The Arabs will talk about us that we dug up our dead.' His daughter came to the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, and heard him reciting 'Say: He is Allah, the One' ³². She said: 'My father used to recite this.' And the mention of the prophets who came before, and Allah's saying to His Prophet, peace be upon him: 'Of them are those We have narrated to you, and of them are those We have not narrated to you' ³³. And Allah knows best. Chapter Six: On Establishing the Prophethood of Muhammad, peace be upon him The discussion on establishing his prophethood is conducted with those who acknowledge the sending of messengers, because those who deny them deny all messengers and reject every claim to prophethood. The discussion with them has been presented earlier in the general establishment of prophethoods. As for the prophethood of Muhammad, peace be upon him, his opponents among those who affirm prophethood have differed on various opinions. The Jews denied his prophethood due to their refusal to accept abrogation of the law. They differed on the obstacle to abrogation: some denied it on rational grounds, because Allah's prohibition of what He had commanded and His command of what He had prohibited would only be due to the hiddenness of the benefit initially and its manifestation later, while Allah knows it in both states due to the opposition of the two [contradictory] things. Others denied it on scriptural grounds, even if they allowed it rationally, based on what they transmitted from Moses, peace be upon him, and mentioned in the Torah that he said: 'Hold fast to the Sabbath forever, an eternal covenant.' Both views are invalid for two reasons: First: Reason does not preclude commanding something at one time and prohibiting it at another according to benefit, for those who consider benefit, or according to will, for those who rely on will. It is not considered repugnant from a wise being, just as He enriches whom He had impoverished and impoverishes whom He had enriched, either for benefit or by will. This is not due to hiddenness of benefit or ambiguity of will. Second: Moses abrogated the law of those before him, because Adam married his sons to his daughters, Jacob permitted marrying two sisters together, and Abraham married his brother's daughter. All this was abrogated by Moses' law. So it is possible that his law be abrogated by another's law. Others said: Muhammad, peace be upon him, is a prophet sent to his people, the Arabs, and not a prophet to others. This is invalid for two reasons: First: It is a specification without evidence. Second: The establishment of his prophethood among his people necessitates his truthfulness. He said that he was sent to all of creation and that he is the seal of the prophets. So it is not permissible to reject his statement while his truthfulness is established. Others said: He is a prophet sent to those who do not adhere to a law, i.e., idol worshippers, and not sent to those who adhere to a law, i.e., Jews and Christians. This is invalid for two reasons, in addition to the two previous reasons: First: It rejects the abrogation of the law, and we have demonstrated its permissibility. Second: Those who acknowledge prophethood are more obligated to accept it than those who deny it. Others said: He is not a prophet because he did not bring an overwhelming miracle that compels belief in his truthfulness, like the miracles of Moses and Jesus, even if abrogation of laws by similar laws is permissible. At this point, it is necessary to present the proof for establishing his prophethood, which is considered with three conditions: First: The nature of the one seeking proof. Second: The ruling on the thing proven. Third: The nature of the proof. As for the first condition, concerning the nature of the one seeking proof, there is disagreement. Al-Jahiz stated that it is reason, because it distinguishes truth. The majority said that the one seeking proof is the rational person, and reason is his tool for inference to reach the validity of what is proven. As for the second condition, concerning the ruling on the thing proven, according to one group it is establishing his prophethood to know thereby the truth of his statement. According to the majority, it is establishing his truthfulness to know thereby the validity of his prophethood. As for the third condition, which is the proof, it is an argument that takes various forms. The one seeking proof is one, the thing proven is one, but the proof includes diverse types and different evidences. Allah distinguished between them so that the arguments would be varied and the proofs corresponding, according to what He knew of benefit and saw as means of response, as He said: 'And thus We diversify the signs' ³⁴, meaning We vary them among miracles. Some were decisive proofs, others were clear indications upon which the rulings of what resembles them are applied. They become strong after weakness and prove after disclosure, even if individually they are not among the decisive proofs that suffice without evidence. This is the case for the prophethood of others, so it is not necessary that their proofs be identical, just as it is not necessary that their laws agree. We have already presented the categories of miracles. When one of them appears, it proves and indicates the validity of prophethood. In the prophethood of Muhammad, peace be upon him, most of them appeared, along with prior warnings, resulting effects, and verified reports. Thus, his prophethood became the most comprehensive in miracles, the clearest in method and distinction, and the most supported by legal worship. Its evidences overwhelm those who oppose and resist, and its proofs convince those who deny and reject, because what is prepared for it is naturally inclined to its instrument and submissive to its goal, so that one progresses toward it without effort and settles in it without artifice. Thus, one who engages in it is not confused with one who is naturally disposed to it, and the imitation of the naturally disposed becomes correct. The signs of prophethood were always evident in the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, as he progressed toward it while unaware of it and not feigning it. He bore its burdens when it came to him and fulfilled its rights when it became incumbent upon him, without being heedless of it or incapable of it, until the law was completed through him, established on a firm foundation and a continuous standard, which no intellect rejects, no heart denies, and no soul abhors. And this, while he was unlettered, having read no book nor acquired knowledge. He clarified every obscure matter and explained every ambiguous thing, so that many religious communities turned to his law regarding matters they had fallen short in, such as rights and contracts, whose categories he encompassed and whose rulings he explained. This was only through divine assistance and celestial support. Sufficient is this as a witness if we limited ourselves to it, and as a proof if we sufficed with it. But we will mention from his splendid miracles and clear proofs that which repels every denier and refutes every obstinate opponent, from diverse types, recurrent reports, and manifest effects, each confirming the other, so that their diversity encompasses every proof and their manifestation repels every falsehood. Among them are what preceded him of warners and bearers of good news, what followed him of change and effect, and what accompanied him of words and deeds that issued from him and to him. Thus, no sign was omitted, nor any marker neglected. We will mention them in detailed chapters and distinct types to be the most correct in explanation, clearest in proof, and most deserving of precedence and priority: the inimitability of the Quran, because it is the foundation of his law and the repository of his message. Then we will follow it with what it necessitates, even if we were to mention it at the beginning of its stages in a sequence ending at its goal, it would be systematic. But this is a chapter of argument for his message, not an exposition of his biography, so it is necessary to begin with the most specific, then mention his biography in its order. Chapter Seven: On the Types of Inimitability Contained in the Quran The Quran is the first miracle with which Muhammad, peace be upon him, called to his prophethood. He proclaimed his message through it and was distinguished by its inimitability from all messengers, even though it is spoken speech and preserved words, for three reasons that make it among the most specific of his miracles and the clearest of his signs: First: The miracle of every messenger corresponds to the predominant conditions of his era and what was prevalent among the people of his time. For Moses, peace be upon him, when he was sent in the age of sorcerers, he was distinguished by splitting the sea into dry land and turning the staff into a serpent, which amazed every sorcerer and humiliated every disbeliever. Jesus, peace be upon him, was sent in the age of medicine, so he was distinguished by healing the chronically ill ³⁵ and reviving the dead, which astonished every physician and bewildered every intelligent person. When Muhammad, peace be upon him, was sent in the age of eloquence and rhetoric, he was distinguished by the Quran in its conciseness and inimitability, which the eloquent were unable to match, the rhetoricians submitted to, and the poets became dull before. Thus, the inability to match it became more compelling and the shortcoming more apparent. So their miracles, though different, share similar meanings and consistent causes. Second: The miracle for every people is according to their understanding and the capacity of their intellects and minds. Among the Children of Israel, the people of Moses and Jesus had dullness and stupidity, because it is not reported that they knew any refined speech or derived any novel meaning. They said to their prophet:

1. ثُمَّ اسْتَوى إِلَى السَّماءِ وَهِيَ دُخانٌ فَقالَ لَها وَلِلْأَرْضِ ائْتِيا طَوْعاً أَوْ كَرْهاً : Quran 41:11
2. الأدمة : Duskiness or brownness of skin
3. حوّاء : Eve, the wife of Adam
4. ابن بحر : Ibn Bahr, a scholar known for unique opinions
5. امرأة : Woman, derived from 'mar' (man)
6. المرء : Man, human being
7. حي : Living being
8. يا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ اتَّقُوا رَبَّكُمُ الَّذِي خَلَقَكُمْ مِنْ نَفْسٍ واحِدَةٍ وَخَلَقَ مِنْها زَوْجَها : Quran 4:1
9. وَقُلْنا يا آدَمُ اسْكُنْ أَنْتَ وَزَوْجُكَ الْجَنَّةَ وَكُلا مِنْها رَغَداً حَيْثُ شِئْتُما، وَلا تَقْرَبا هذِهِ الشَّجَرَةَ فَتَكُونا مِنَ الظَّالِمِينَ : Quran 2:35
10. جنة الخلد : The Garden of Eternity, i.e., Paradise
11. فَأَزَلَّهُمَا الشَّيْطانُ عَنْها : Quran 2:36
12. فَأَخْرَجَهُما مِمَّا كانا فِيهِ : Quran 2:36
13. التوراة : The Torah, the revealed scripture given to Moses
14. تسعمائة وثلاثين سنة : 930 years, according to biblical chronology (Genesis 5:5)
15. مائتين وثلاثين سنة : 230 years, according to some chronologies; Genesis 5:3 says 130 years
16. تسعمائة واثنتا عشرة سنة : 912 years, according to Genesis 5:8 (Seth lived 912 years)
17. مائة وإثنين وستين سنة : 162 years, according to Genesis 5:25 (Enoch was born when Jared was 162)
18. التوراة المنزلة : The revealed Torah, i.e., the original scripture as given to Moses
19. sittami'a sanah : Six hundred years; a reference to the age of Noah when the Flood began, according to some traditions.
20. khamsa wa 'ishrin yawman : One hundred and fifty days; the duration of the Flood according to the Quran (11:25-48) and biblical tradition.
21. thalathat alaf wa thamanimi'a wa thaman wa sittun sanah : Three thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight years; a chronological calculation from Adam to Moses.
22. alfan : Two thousand; a variant reading or interpretation of the hadith: 'The world is seven thousand years; I was sent in its last thousand.'
23. Inna Allaha 'indahu 'ilmu al-sa'ah : Quran 31:34: 'Indeed, Allah [alone] has knowledge of the Hour.'
24. Hal yanzuruna illa al-sa'ata an ta'tiyahum baghtatan : Quran 47:18: 'Do they await except that the Hour should come upon them suddenly?'
25. faqad ja'a ashratuha : Quran 47:18: 'But already there have come to you its portents.'
26. Wa ma nursilu bi al-ayati illa takhwifan : Quran 17:59: 'And We send not the signs except as a warning.'
27. arba'in sanah : Forty years; the period of the Dajjal's rule according to this hadith, though other traditions mention different durations.
28. Idris : Idris is identified with the biblical Enoch, a prophet mentioned in the Quran.
29. al-Rass : Al-Rass is a place or people mentioned in the Quran (Q. 25:38, 50:12), often interpreted as a well or a town in Yemen.
30. Jeremiah : Jeremiah (Irmiya) is a prophet in Islamic tradition, sometimes associated with the biblical prophet Jeremiah.
31. Khalid ibn Sinan : Khalid ibn Sinan al-‘Absi is a pre-Islamic figure considered by some as a prophet, though this is debated.
32. Say: He is Allah, the One : This is Quran 112:1, Surah al-Ikhlas.
33. Of them are those We have narrated to you... : This is Quran 40:78.
34. And thus We diversify the signs : This is Quran 6:65.
35. chronically ill : The term 'zamana' refers to those suffering from chronic or incurable diseases.

Chapter Six: On the Proof of the Prophethood of Muhammad, may God bless him and grant him…

Chapter Six: On the Proof of the Prophethood of Muhammad, may God bless him and grant him peace [1]

They passed by a people who were devoted to their idols. [They said], 'Make for us a god just as they have gods.' So they were singled out for the miraculous by what their senses could initially perceive. The Arabs were the most sound in understanding and the sharpest in intellect; they had devised the most eloquent of speech, the most extraordinary of meanings, and the finest of literary arts. Thus they were immersed in the miracle of the Qur'an with what their minds could explore and their intellects could attain, grasping it through acumen rather than intuition, and through deliberation rather than impulse, so that every nation would be distinguished by what suits its nature and matches its understanding. Third: The miracle of the Qur'an is more enduring through the ages ¹ and more widespread across regions than a miracle confined to its own time and vanishing with the passing of its era. As long as its inimitability remains, it is more deserving of being a proof and more worthy of distinction. [Aspects of Inimitability] [Inimitability in Linguistic Composition] The inimitability of the Qur'an, in its departure from human speech and its attribution to God Almighty, consists of twenty aspects. The first is its eloquence and clarity, which is considered under three conditions: First: The eloquence of its words. Second: The comprehensiveness of its meanings. Third: The beauty of its structure. As for the eloquence of its words, it comes from two aspects: First: Their grandeur, so that they are not soft. Second: Their harmony, so that they are not dull. As for the comprehensiveness of its meanings, it comes from two aspects: First: That the meaning is apparent ² in the initial words, not requiring their endings. Second: That the meaning corresponds to its words, neither exceeding them nor falling short. If it exceeds, the defect is in the wording; if it falls short, the defect is in the meaning. As for the beauty of its structure, it comes from two aspects: First: That the speech is harmonious, not discordant. Second: That the meter is balanced, not uneven. If it is said: Human speech may combine all these conditions, thus nullifying inimitability. The answer is from two aspects: First: The style of its structure under these conditions is absent in other speech, so they differ. Second: The structure of its words possesses a charm not found elsewhere, so they are distinct. For if you compare the saying of God Almighty: 'And there is for you in legal retribution life ³' with their saying 'Killing prevents killing,' you find differences in wording and meaning. [Inimitability in Meanings] The second aspect of its inimitability is its conciseness despite abundance, and the comprehensiveness of its meanings in few words, as in His saying: 'And it was said, "O earth, swallow your water, and O sky, withhold [your rain]." And the water subsided, and the matter was accomplished, and the ship settled on the [mount] Judi. And it was said, "Away with the wrongdoing people." ⁴' If it is said: Not all of it is concise and brief; it contains both expanded and repeated parts, some more eloquent than others. If it were from God, it would be uniform and not varied, because variation in speech comes from a failing mind and weak talent. There are two answers: First: Its variation in expansion and conciseness is not due to inability to be uniform, but due to differences in people's perception and understanding, and its variation in eloquence corresponds to the variation of its meanings, not due to inability to be equal. Second: He made a distinction between its meanings, its concise and its most eloquent and easiest, so that inability regarding its easiest and simplest is more profound in inimitability than inability regarding its most eloquent and concise. Thus He differentiated among His creation to make known the difference between the superior and the inferior. Abu 'Ubayda reported that a Bedouin heard a man reciting: 'So declare what you are commanded ⁵' and prostrated, saying: 'I prostrate for the eloquence of this speech.' As for the repetition of its stories and the repetition of its promise and threat, it is for reasons derived from them: that repetition makes them more emphatic and more intense in exaggeration; that their wording varies, making them more readily accepted and more profound in inimitability; and that if one fails to grasp them in one place, one can grasp them in another, so that no one is deprived of hope or fear. [Inimitability in Style] The third aspect of its inimitability is that the style of its structure and the description of its balance depart from both poetry and prose, and do not fall into verse, rajaz, rhymed prose, or oratory, such that it transcends the limited categories and differs from all other types with a style that does not resemble ⁶ and a structure that has no equal. Thus, although it is composed of letters of speech, it is outside the categories of speech. Anis al-Ghifari, the brother of Abu Dharr al-Ghifari, who was described as advanced in eloquence and rhetoric, said: 'I presented the Qur'an to saj', poetry, verse, and prose, and it did not match any of the ways of Arab speech.' It is narrated that al-Walid ibn al-Mughira al-Makhzumi, the chief of his tribe and the most eloquent of his people, came to the companions of the Messenger of God, peace be upon him, while still in disbelief, and said: 'Recite to me something of the Qur'an.' They recited to him, and he said: 'This is not the speech of humans, nor is it poetry.' Then Abu Lahab went to him and said: 'You have corrupted Quraysh with this statement; retract it.' He said: 'I say it is magic.' Some poets attempted to imitate its style but deviated from it to their own poetic style. One said about the story of the Elephant: "O who will destroy the Elephant... and those who went with the Elephant With birds sent by God... upon them from Ababil They pelted them with stones... of baked clay So they became like eaten straw" But his natural disposition did not help him, despite taking its meanings and using its words, until he returned to his natural poetry. Another poet incorporated some of it into his poetry but deviated from its style, saying: "And he recited openly to break my heart... while love breaks the sick heart Have you seen the one who denies the religion... that is the one who repels the orphan" If it is said: If the Qur'an's style were miraculous, then when 'Umar ibn al-Khattab, may God be pleased with him, sought witnesses for each verse when collecting the Qur'an, he would not have needed testimony that he heard it from the Messenger of God, nor would its miraculous style have sufficed without evidence. Also, Ibn Mas'ud would not have been uncertain about al-Mu'awwidhatayn when he excluded them from the Qur'an, nor would Ubayy ibn Ka'b have included the Qunut in the Qur'an, nor would the wife of Ibn Rawaha have mistaken his poetry for the Qur'an. There are two answers: First: 'Umar sought testimony for a verse or two that individually are not miraculous, because inimitability is specific to what constitutes a challenge, and the minimum for a challenge is the shortest sura in the Qur'an in terms of verses and letters, which is Surat al-Kawthar. What is shorter than that has no inimitability, so his request for testimony was directed to that. Second: He sought testimony regarding their placement in which sura and in which position, even though the style was known to be distinct, because God commanded placing what He revealed in the sura He indicated, as in His saying: 'Indeed, upon Us is its collection and its recitation ⁷.' As for Ibn Mas'ud, the style of al-Mu'awwidhatayn was not unclear to him as being from the Qur'an; rather, his ruling on them in his mushaf was because he thought their recitation had been abrogated. As for Ubayy ibn Ka'b, he thought the recitation of the Qunut remained and did not know it had been abrogated. As for the wife of Ibn Rawaha, she was not among those with eloquence and rhetoric to distinguish between poetry and the Qur'an's style, so her misconception had no effect. [Inimitability in Conciseness and Grandeur of Meanings] The fourth aspect of its inimitability is the abundance of meanings that human speech cannot encompass, from two aspects: First: The many meanings contained in few words, as in His saying: 'And We inspired to the mother of Moses, "Suckle him; but when you fear for him, cast him into the river and do not fear and do not grieve. Indeed, We will return him to you and will make him [one] of the messengers." ⁸' In one verse, He combined two commands, two prohibitions, two pieces of news, and two glad tidings. Second: Its words bear diverse meanings that perplex minds, bewilder thoughts, and exhaust talents, yet they cannot reach its utmost or grasp its limit, so that interpretations differ and parallels confront each other. If it is said: This is enigma and allusion, which is more deserving of blame than praise. There are two answers: First: Although enigma is blameworthy, allusion is not blameworthy, and there is no enigma in it, though there is allusion. Second: What has diverse meanings goes beyond enigma and allusion, because enigma is when something other than its meaning is intended, and allusion is when its meaning is hidden. [Scientific Inimitability] The fifth aspect of its inimitability is what the Qur'an contains of sciences that no human can encompass and that cannot be gathered in a created being. This could only be from God, who encompasses everything in knowledge, so that even one who was not knowledgeable became knowledgeable. If it is said: Superiority in knowledge is not a miracle in prophethood, because scholars may excel one another without the superior having a miracle over the inferior. There are two answers: First: Excellence in knowledge exists, but encompassing all sciences is lacking ⁹. Second: The appearance of knowledge in one who pursues it is not miraculous, because it appears from his own effort. But the appearance of knowledge in one who does not pursue it is miraculous, because it appears from other than his own effort. He was an unlettered prophet from an unlettered nation; he did not read a book nor pursue knowledge, so what he manifested became miraculous. [Inimitability in Proofs and Evidences] The sixth aspect of its inimitability is what it contains of arguments and proofs for monotheism and resurrection, and against the materialists and dualists, such that it silenced every disputant and overcame every stubborn opponent. If it is said: The proofs of monotheism are derived from reason, so there is no inimitability in them from two aspects: First: Their existence from itself. Second: Others share in them. The answer is from two aspects: First: He was not a debater, yet he silenced every debater. Second: He argued for resurrection with what goes beyond rational premises, thus overcoming ¹⁰ every rational person. [Inimitability in Reports of the Past] The seventh aspect of its inimitability is what it contains of reports of bygone generations and stories of past nations, and what it challenged the People of the Book with regarding the story of the People of the Cave, the matter of Moses and al-Khidr, and the account of Dhul-Qarnayn, which matched what their prophets mentioned and their scriptures contained. If it is said: Reporting what has happened is not miraculous, because knowledge of it is possible for non-prophets. There are two answers: First: It is possible in itself, but it was impossible for him to know it, as he was not from its people, so it became a miraculous impossibility. Second: They proposed a challenge concerning matters that were neither known nor had an end, from obscure secrets and strange stories, which they made a proof for and against him. He then clarified the answers to their secrets and expounded on their obscurities, departing from the norm to what is not normal, thus becoming miraculous. [Inimitability in Foretelling the Unseen] The eighth aspect of inimitability is what it contains of knowledge of the unseen through reports of future events that came to pass, such as His saying to the Jews: 'Say, "If the abode of the Hereafter with God is for you exclusively and not for the people, then wish for death if you are truthful." ¹¹' Then He said: 'But they will never wish for it, ever, because of what their hands have put forth ¹².' Not one of them wished for it. And His saying to Quraysh: 'But if you do not do it, and you will never do it ¹³,' thus He decisively stated they would not do it, and they did not. And His saying: 'The company will be defeated, and they will turn their backs ¹⁴,' which occurred on the day of Badr. And His saying regarding his emigration from Mecca to Medina: 'Indeed, He who imposed upon you the Qur'an will surely return you to a place of return ¹⁵.' God returned him to Mecca in the year of the conquest, and other similar instances.

If it is said: This may be conjecture based on the evidence of actions and insight by virtue of acumen and strength of intelligence, there are two answers: First: Conjecture and insight, though they sometimes hit the mark, may also miss it, whereas this [knowledge] hits the mark in all cases, so it goes beyond conjecture and insight to the knowledge of Him from Whom no secrets are hidden. Second: Conjecture and insight are uncertain and not definitive before the event, whereas these reports are definitive before the event, so they differ. **The Ninth Aspect of Inimitability: Informing about the Secrets of Hearts** The ninth aspect of its inimitability is what it contains of reports about the innermost thoughts of hearts, which none can reach except the Knower of the Unseen ¹⁶, such as His saying: "When two parties among you almost lost heart" ¹⁷ without any word from them or any sign of weakness appearing, and His saying: "And [remember] when Allah promised you one of the two parties that it would be yours, and you wished that the one without sting ¹⁸ would be yours" ¹⁹. It was as if He said, "even if they did not speak it," and other similar instances. If it is said: In common practice, the innermost thoughts of a large group may differ; if found in some, they may be absent in others, so the claim would be contradicted and its inimitability invalidated. There are two answers: First: They [the disbelievers] were addressed by this report in general terms and did not deny it, so this distinction is removed, and it becomes miraculous. Second: He made it a sin for them, and they did not dispute it, indicating its existence in all of them. **The Tenth Aspect: Inimitability in Wording** The tenth aspect of its inimitability is that the words of the Qur'an combine the lofty and unfamiliar with the easy and accessible, yet the lofty is not harsh nor the easy base, and when they come together, they are harmonious, not discordant. This is not found in other human speech, for in other speech the lofty becomes harsh and the easy becomes base, and combining them leads to discord. Thus, from this aspect, it is distinct and enters into inimitability. If it is said: The Qur'an is like this only because it has become familiar through frequent recitation, so ears have come to relish it and tongues have become accustomed to it; otherwise, it would be disparate and discordant. There are two answers: First: Its quality at the first hearing, if it were as described of disparate speech, would not become harmonious through frequent repetition, so the cause is invalidated. **The Eleventh Aspect: Inimitability in Recitation** The eleventh aspect of its inimitability is that its recitation possesses five incentives that are not found in other speech: First: The freshness of its articulation. Second: The beauty of its splendor. Third: The smoothness of its composition. Fourth: The goodness of its reception. Fifth: The reciter does not tire and the listener does not become bored. This is absent in other speech. If it is said: This effect on souls is due to religious devotion. There are two answers: First: This effect is found in other books of Allah, such as the Torah, the Gospel, and the Psalms, yet it is not found in them despite this cause. That is why their people rely on melodies and sweet voices to make their recitation pleasant, whereas the Qur'an is independent of this due to the form of its wording, so it moves and stirs the natures. Second: Religious devotion does not deprive minds of their discernment nor corrupt their perception; rather, it is more likely to increase insight. If this were the cause, then the disbeliever would deny it just as the believer acknowledges it, but their statements about it are the same. **The Twelfth Aspect: Inimitability in Being Preserved from Error, Both in Wording and Meaning** The twelfth aspect of its inimitability is that it is transmitted with revealed words and deposited meanings; the angel delivered it with its wording and composition, and the Messenger conveyed it to the community in the same form. No word has been corrupted, no meaning altered, and no order changed. It has been preserved from error and protected from alteration; ages pass over it in its form, tongues of different languages recite it in its composition and description, unaffected by the succession of times, the distance of places, or the diversity of languages. Other scriptures are limited to preserving their meanings even if their words are altered. For the Torah, Allah conveyed its meanings to Moses, peace be upon him, who expressed them in his own words and phrases. As for the Gospel, it is what Jesus, peace be upon him, reported from his Lord and about himself; his disciples compiled it in their own words and made it a recited book. As for the Psalms, they are supplications of praise and glorification attributed to David in his own words. Even if the meanings of these books are attributed to Allah, they are not in the form of His words nor in the composition of His speech, unlike the Qur'an, which combines its words, meanings, and order. Thus, it is distinct from all other scriptures. This is only through divine assistance by which Allah preserved its inimitability and supported His Messenger, as He said: "Indeed, it is We who sent down the Reminder, and indeed, We will be its guardian" ²⁰. If it is said: Preserving speech in its wording and meanings is not miraculous, like the ancient pre-Islamic poems and the sayings of past sages. There are two answers: First: Those [poems and sayings] have been altered and abandoned, so they are not preserved. Second: Their state is unknown, so they are not controlled. The Qur'an is different in its preservation and control. **The Thirteenth Aspect: Inimitability in the Comprehensiveness of Its Meanings** The thirteenth aspect of its inimitability is the conjunction of diverse meanings and the conjunction of their parallels in different surahs. In a single surah, it moves from promise to threat, from encouragement to intimidation, from past to future, from stories to parables, from wisdom to debate, without discord or dissonance. In other speech, such diversity is discordant, but here the meanings harmonize. Similarly, in other revealed scriptures, each type is detailed in separate books. The Torah is divided into five books, each devoted to a single meaning: the first on the beginning of creation, the second on the exodus of the Children of Israel from Egypt, the third on the matter of sacrifices, the fourth on Moses' census of the Children of Israel and his management of them, and the fifth on the repetition of the laws. The difference in meanings makes them superior to one another. The best part of the Torah according to the Jews is the Ten Commandments, which contain the precepts that Allah addressed to Moses, and by which they swear oaths, not by others ²¹. The best part of the Gospel is the four Gospels attributed to the four disciples of Christ ²², which are specifically recited in prayers and on feasts. The best part of the Psalms is what the two peoples [Jews and Christians] agree upon. The Qur'an's inclusion of diverse meanings is superior in two ways: First: The reciter is not confined to one type, neglecting others. Second: If one wishes to cover all meanings, one recites the entire Qur'an, thus obtaining all its benefits and full reward. If it is said: Separation is more effective for clarity than mixing. The answer is the two points mentioned. **The Fourteenth Aspect: Inimitability in the Coherence of Its Expression** The fourteenth aspect of its inimitability is that the variation in the length and shortness of its verses does not depart from its style nor disturb its balance. In other composed or prose speech, when parts differ in length, the balance of its poetry or the harmony of its prose is disturbed. This is part of its inimitability. If it is said: Excessive length is verbosity, and excessive shortness is conciseness; how can it be miraculous when it oscillates between verbosity and conciseness? There are two answers: First: Length becomes verbosity when it adds nothing, and shortness becomes conciseness when it is insufficient. The length of its verses is beneficial, and the shortness is sufficient, so it avoids verbosity and conciseness. Second: If the long were alone, it would not be verbose, and if the short were alone, it would not be concise. Their combination does not necessitate verbosity or conciseness, just as the surahs vary in length and shortness. The shortest surah is al-Kawthar ²³, which, despite its brevity, contains four meanings: news of a blessing, a command to worship, glad tidings of joy, and a style that is miraculous. When placed alongside longer surahs, it remains miraculous. **The Fifteenth Aspect: Inimitability in the Inability to Grasp Its Meanings Fully** The fifteenth aspect of its inimitability is that one who recites it frequently does not increase in eloquence, though one increases in eloquence from other eloquent speech, because it transcends human nature. It blends with it, so its style is miraculous in both states and in both ways. If it is said: What does not affect natures is deficient in perfection; how can it be described as perfect? There are two answers: First: Its perfection lies within it, not beyond it. Second: Its perfection necessitates that it cannot be equaled. **The Sixteenth Aspect: Inimitability in the Ease of Its Memorization** The sixteenth aspect of its inimitability is its facilitation for all tongues, such that even the mute non-Arab ²⁴ memorizes it, and the tongue of the stammering Copt ²⁵ flows with it. No other book is memorized like it, nor do the tongues of the mute flow with it as they do with the Qur'an. This is only due to divine characteristics by which He favored it over His other books ²⁶. If it is said: Poetry is memorized like it, and the cause is the balanced meter that helps retain it, so this is not miraculous. There are two answers: First: What has been lost of poetry is more than what has been preserved, whereas this [Qur'an] is preserved and not lost, so they differ. Second: What is not sweet to the mouth is abandoned, whereas the Qur'an is sweet and not abandoned, so they differ. **The Seventeenth Aspect: Inimitability in the Inability to Produce Its Like** The seventeenth aspect of its inimitability is that speech is arranged in three ranks: prose, which is within human capability; poetry, which is higher and some can produce while others cannot; and the Qur'an, which is higher than all and superior to all, surpassing both types, thus beyond the capability of both groups. If it is said: If the Qur'an were a miraculous proof, both its much and its little would be beyond capability. But its little is within capability, such as combining three or four words from it, so its much would also be, because if the beginning of a thing falls within the realm of possibility, its end cannot be in the realm of impossibility. There are two answers: First: Both its little and its much are beyond capability when its inimitability is considered, as in the shortest surah, so this objection is invalid. Second: The ability to produce one or two words from it is not the ability to complete what is challenged, just as one who can produce one or two words of a line of poetry is not able to compose a complete line of poetry. **The Eighteenth Aspect: Inimitability in the Inability to Add to or Subtract from It** The eighteenth aspect of its inimitability is that any addition to it is clearly distinguishable, and any alteration of its words is disgraceful. If it were within human capability, it would be confused and ambiguous. If it is said: An addition was made to it, causing confusion and ambiguity. When the Prophet, peace be upon him, recited Surah al-Najm in Mecca at the Sacred Mosque, until he reached His saying: "So have you considered al-Lat and al-Uzza and Manat, the third, the other?" ²⁷, Satan cast upon his tongue: "Those are the high cranes ²⁸ whose intercession is hoped for." Then he completed the surah and prostrated, and the Muslims prostrated with him, and the polytheists rejoiced and prostrated with him. The Quraysh disbelievers were pleased, and those who had emigrated to Abyssinia heard of it and returned. Then Gabriel reproached him, which distressed him, and the verse was revealed: "And indeed, they were about to tempt you away from that which We revealed to you..." ²⁹. There are two answers: First: This incident is not proven; it is a fabrication of the heretics and a lie of the liars. The Qur'an is preserved from such additions and alterations, as Allah said: "Indeed, it is We who sent down the Reminder, and indeed, We will be its guardian" ²⁰. Second: Even if it were true, it would not be an addition to the Qur'an, but rather a recitation that was abrogated and removed. The Qur'an is only what is recited today, and this incident does not affect its inimitability.

And We did not send before you any messenger or prophet except that when he recited [the revelation], Satan threw [some words] into his recitation. Then Allah abolishes what Satan throws, then Allah confirms His verses ³⁰. They said: It is known that this addition is in the style of the surah and is not from Allah, and it was ambiguous. So why should not what is other than it be like it? There are two answers to this: One: That this addition does not reach the level of the challenge ³¹, so it is excluded from its ruling. The second: That it was revealed in it: "Those are the high gharaniq ³², and their intercession is to be hoped for." So it was ambiguous to Quraysh, and they omitted from it the phrase "those are the high," so Allah abrogated the recitation of this addition due to this ambiguity. [The Inimitability in the Inability to Oppose It] The nineteenth aspect of its inimitability is the inability of the nations to oppose it, while He challenged them to produce a surah like it. They did not come forth due to the shame of the challenge, and they endured the vexation of inability despite their intense zeal and strong pride, and He insulted their intellects and reviled their idols. Had they found a way to oppose it and it were within their power, and He had made it an argument for them to reject his message, they would have opposed it. But they turned away from that to sacrificing themselves in fighting him and shedding their blood in warring against him. If it is said: It is not impossible that they opposed it with something like it, but it was concealed, just as the poems in which he was satirized and the shame attributed to him were concealed. There are two answers to this: One: That if they had opposed it, it would have become apparent, and if it had become apparent, it would have spread, because concealing widespread reports is not possible due to the nature of dissemination and the whispers of hearts spreading it. It would have been said: "It was opposed, but it was concealed," just as it was said: "He was satirized, but it was concealed." If this were permissible regarding the opposition of the Quran, it would be equally permissible regarding the miracle of every prophet, and it would be said: "His miracle was opposed but concealed," leading to the invalidation of all miracles. This is rejected regarding the opposition of other than the Quran, so it is rejected regarding the opposition of the Quran. The second: That He made its opposition an argument for them to reject his message. So if they had opposed it, they would have argued against him with the opposition, and they would not have needed to resort to fighting and warfare with the sacrifice of lives and expenditure of wealth. They would have repelled him with the easier rather than the harder. And what was brought as an opposition has been transmitted, and in it inability appears and deficiency is evident, to the point that its feeble wording and foolish composition exposed it. Ibn Qutaybah narrated that Musaylimah said in opposing the Quran: "O frog, croak, how much you croak! You neither muddy the water nor prevent the drink." When Abu Bakr, may Allah be pleased with him, heard this, he said: "This speech did not come from an il ³³." It was narrated from another, and I think it was al-‘Ansī, that he said: "Do you not see how your Lord did with the pregnant woman? He brought out from her belly a soul that moves, from between the ribs and the bowels." It was narrated from another: "The elephant, what is the elephant? It has a tail and a trunk and a long lip. That, from the creation of our Lord, is insignificant." Al-Hakam narrated from ‘Ikrimah that al-Naḍr ibn al-Ḥārith, who was among the eloquent of Quraysh, opposed the Quran and said: "By those who sow, sowing; and those who reap, reaping; and those who grind, grinding; and those who knead, kneading; and those who bake, baking; and those who swallow, swallowing." Another said: "Successful is he who murmurs in his prayer, and feeds the poor from his provisions, and gives the obligatory from his zakah." Another said in opposing Surah al-Najm: "By the star when it rises, and by the sea when it surges, your warner has not strayed nor erred, nor has he spoken falsely or gone astray in what he uttered and narrated." So Allah revealed concerning that: "And who is more unjust than one who invents a lie about Allah or says, 'It has been revealed to me,' while nothing has been revealed to him" ³⁴. These are the oppositions, and they imitated an example, turning from the long surahs to the shorter ones, bringing sick speech instead of sound, and foolish instead of beautiful. How can one match his utmost goal and equal his highest rank? Is that not like one who opposes the eloquence of Suḥbān ³⁵ with the stammering of Bāqil ³⁶, or the confusion of a madman with the resolve of a sane person, or compares pearls with mud, and equates clear with turbid? Whoever attempts what is not in his nature is disgraced, falls prostrate, and descends quickly. [The Inimitability in the Turning Away from Opposing It] The twentieth aspect of its inimitability is the ṣarfah ³⁷ from opposing it. Those who affirm it differed: Were they turned away from the ability to oppose it, or were they turned away from opposing it while it was within their power? There are two opinions: One: That they were turned away from the ability, and if they had been able, they would have opposed it. The second opinion: That they were turned away from opposing it while it was within their power. The ṣarfah is a miracle on both opinions, according to those who deny it and those who affirm it, as it breaks the norm regarding what is within power. If it is said: If they were unable to oppose it with something like it, they were not unable to oppose it with something close to it, even if it falls short of its rank. The miraculous is that which cannot be approximated just as it cannot be matched. There are two answers to this: One: That approximating it would be by something in its style, but if it falls short of its perfection, the style is unattainable, so approximation is invalid and inimitability is established. The second: That approximation prevents matching, and the challenge was for the like, not the approximation. [The Comprehensive Inimitability] Since the inimitability of the Quran is established from all these aspects, it is correct that each one of them is miraculous. So when the Quran combines all of them, its inimitability is more compelling and its proof is more apparent, and it becomes like the splitting of the sea and the reviving of the dead, because the basis of the argument in the miracle is the creation of what the creation cannot produce, whether it is an invented body, an originated substance, or an imagined accident. If it is said: Is the inability of the pure Arabs ³⁸ considered, or the later ones, or the inability of all? It is said: There is a difference of opinion among scholars on two aspects: One: That the inability of all is considered, to be more general. The second aspect: That the inability of the pure Arabs is considered, not the later ones, so that it is considered by those who rely on their nature and do not depend on artificiality and learning. Similarly, they differed: Is the inability of the people of his era considered, or of all eras? On these two aspects: One: That the inability of the people of the era is considered, because they are the proof for the people of every era. The second aspect: That the inability of the people of every era is considered, because the challenge is general to the people of every era. If it is said: The inability of all humans to produce its like does not necessitate attributing it to Allah, because it is possible that the devils assisted in it until it exceeded human capability, just as they assisted Solomon in what humans were incapable of. There are several answers to this: One: That this applies to Moses in splitting the sea and to Jesus in reviving the dead, and it casts doubt on all prophethoods. So it is not permissible for one who affirms them to single out some miracles with this. The second answer: That the devils are only known through the messengers. Were it not for them, people would not know that there are devils, jinn, or jān in the world. The messengers cursed them and called to disobey them. If they were helpers, they would have called to obey them and befriend them, because helping one who is obeyed and befriended is more appropriate than helping one who is disobeyed and opposed. The third answer: That the devils cannot do that except with the help of Allah, and He does not help a liar against Him. If it were by His command, it would be a miracle because it is His act. On this basis, the subjugation of the jinn to Solomon was [by Allah's command]. Allah is independent of the devils being intermediaries to His messengers and helpers to His prophets, while they forbid obedience to Him and call to disobedience. This Quran challenged the jinn just as it challenged humans, by His saying: "Say, 'If mankind and the jinn gathered together to produce the like of this Quran, they could not produce the like of it, even if they were helpers one to another'" ³⁹. And He narrated their inability regarding it by His saying: "Indeed, we have heard a wonderful Quran that guides to the right path, and we have believed in it" ⁴⁰. [The Quran is the Speech of the Lord of the Worlds] Since this summary regarding the inimitability of the Quran is established, it is known by its inimitability that it is not human speech, and it is not known that it is from Allah except by the statement of the messenger. So if the messenger wanted to say something like it, he would not be able to, because he is human, unless Allah supports him with help from Him, making him capable of it and miraculous with it, even if he did not attribute the Quran to Allah. But when he attributes it to Allah, it is not miraculous for him, and he is turned away from it, because what is attributed to Allah cannot be from another, as it falls under lying. Then the Quran becomes the foundation of the law and a miracle for the messenger, so the community must adhere to its rulings and obey the messenger. They differed regarding the obligation of obeying him: Is it obligatory after the establishment of his prophethood by reason or by law? On two aspects: One: By reason, because obeying the messenger is obeying the sender. The second aspect: By law, by His saying: "O you who have believed, obey Allah and obey the Messenger and those in authority among you" ⁴¹, because the messenger is a conveyer. Since the Quran is the foundation of the law, scholars differed regarding the definition of foundation and branch on two aspects: One: That the definition of foundation is that which indicates something else, and the definition of branch is that which is indicated by something else. On this basis, the Quran would be a branch of sensory knowledge because it indicates its correctness. The second aspect: That the foundation is that from which something else branches, and the branch is that which branches from something else. On this basis, it is impossible for the Quran to be a branch of sensory knowledge, because Allah undertook it and made it a foundation that reason indicates. Scholars differed regarding the messenger's conveying: Is it a command or an announcement? Some said it is a command, and the community would not be bound by its rulings if they knew them before his conveying. The second aspect: It is an announcement, and they are bound by its rulings even if they knew them before his conveying. It is permissible to know all legal rulings from the Quran, but it is not permissible to know all of them from consensus or analogy, because they are based on a heard foundation. They differed regarding the permissibility of knowing all of them from the Sunnah of the messenger. Some permitted it due to His saying: "And whatever the Messenger gives you, take it; and whatever he forbids you, abstain from it" ⁴². Some prevented it due to His saying: "Nor does he speak from [his own] inclination. It is not but a revelation revealed" ⁴³. And Allah knows best.

1. al-a'sar : Literally 'ages' or 'epochs'; refers to the enduring nature of the Qur'an's miracle across time.
2. laihan : Meaning 'apparent' or 'clear'; indicates that the meaning is evident from the beginning of the words.
3. wa lakum fi al-qisas hayah : Qur'anic verse 2:179: 'And there is for you in legal retribution [saving of] life.'
4. wa qila ya ardu ibla'i ma'aki... : Qur'anic verse 11:44, describing the end of the flood in the story of Noah.
5. fasda' bima tu'mar : Qur'anic verse 15:94: 'So declare what you are commanded.'
6. la yushakil : Meaning 'does not resemble'; indicates the unique style of the Qur'an that has no parallel.
7. inna 'alayna jam'ahu wa qur'anahu : Qur'anic verse 75:17: 'Indeed, upon Us is its collection and its recitation.'
8. wa awhayna ila ummi musa... : Qur'anic verse 28:7, concerning the mother of Moses.
9. mafqudah : Meaning 'lacking' or 'absent'; indicates that encompassing all sciences is not possible for humans.
10. khasama : Meaning 'overcame' or 'defeated in argument'; indicates that the Qur'an's arguments silenced opponents.
11. qul in kanat lakum al-dar al-akhirah... : Qur'anic verse 2:94: 'Say, "If the abode of the Hereafter with God is for you exclusively... then wish for death."'
12. wa lan yatamannawhu abadan bima qaddamat aydihim : Qur'anic verse 2:95: 'But they will never wish for it, ever, because of what their hands have put forth.'
13. fa in lam taf'alu wa lan taf'alu : Qur'anic verse 2:24: 'But if you do not do it, and you will never do it.'
14. sayuhzamu al-jam'u wa yuwalluna al-dubur : Qur'anic verse 54:45: 'The company will be defeated, and they will turn their backs.'
15. inna alladhi farada 'alayka al-qur'ana laradduka ila ma'ad : Qur'anic verse 28:85: 'Indeed, He who imposed upon you the Qur'an will surely return you to a place of return.'
16. ʿAllām al-Ghuyūb : The Knower of the Unseen, an attribute of God.
17. Sūrat Āl ʿImrān 3:122 : Qur'anic verse: 'When two parties among you almost lost heart, but Allah was their protector...'
18. Ghayr dhāt al-Shawka : Literally 'without sting,' meaning the weaker party without weapons or strength.
19. Sūrat al-Anfāl 8:7 : Qur'anic verse: 'And [remember] when Allah promised you one of the two parties that it would be yours, and you wished that the one without sting would be yours...'
20. Sūrat al-Ḥijr 15:9 : Qur'anic verse: 'Indeed, it is We who sent down the Reminder, and indeed, We will be its guardian.'
21. al-Kalimāt al-ʿAshr : The Ten Commandments, considered the most important part of the Torah.
22. al-Ṣuḥuf al-Arbaʿa : The four Gospels attributed to Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.
23. Sūrat al-Kawthar : The shortest surah in the Qur'an, consisting of three verses.
24. al-Aʿjamī al-Abkam : A non-Arab who is mute or unable to speak Arabic fluently.
25. al-Qibṭī al-Alkan : A Copt (Egyptian Christian) with a speech impediment or stammer.
26. Khuṣāʾiṣ Ilāhiyya : Divine characteristics or special qualities granted by God.
27. Sūrat al-Najm 53:19-20 : Qur'anic verses mentioning the pre-Islamic goddesses al-Lat, al-Uzza, and Manat.
28. al-Gharānīq al-ʿUlā : The 'high cranes' or 'exalted swans,' a phrase from the alleged Satanic verses incident, referring to the goddesses as intercessors.
29. Sūrat al-Isrāʾ 17:73 : Qur'anic verse: 'And indeed, they were about to tempt you away from that which We revealed to you...'
30. tamannā : Recitation or desire; here refers to the prophet's recitation of revelation.
31. taḥaddī : The challenge to produce something like the Quran.
32. gharānīq : High-flying cranes; a term used in the alleged 'Satanic verses' incident, referring to pagan deities.
33. il : A divine being or god; here used to mean 'from God'.
34. āyah : Quran 6:93.
35. Suḥbān : Suḥbān Wā'il, a legendary figure known for eloquence.
36. Bāqil : A person known for stammering or foolish speech.
37. ṣarfah : The doctrine that God turned the Arabs away from opposing the Quran, despite their ability.
38. al-‘Arab al-‘āribah : The pure or original Arabs, known for linguistic purity.
39. āyah : Quran 17:88.
40. āyah : Quran 72:1-2.
41. āyah : Quran 4:59.
42. āyah : Quran 59:7.
43. āyah : Quran 53:3-4.

Chapter Eight: On the Miracles of His Infallibility [1], peace be upon him.

The eighth chapter on the miracles of his ¹ infallibility, may God bless him and grant him peace. God Almighty showed His Messenger, may God bless him and grant him peace, from the signs of his prophethood—after its establishment through the miracle of the Qur’an and its sufficiency beyond any other proof—what made it an increase of insight, by which one of weak intellect might be convinced and one of feeble vision might submit, so that the miraculous nature of the Qur’an might be grasped by penetrating minds through reflection and deduction, and the miraculous nature of direct vision might be known through the senses as a precaution and manifestation. Thus, the dull-witted would be overcome by his imagination and sight, and the intelligent would be veiled by his understanding and eloquence, because for each group of people there is a path that is closer to them and more attractive. So what combined the submission of the groups was the clearest path and the most comprehensive proof. Among his miracles is his infallibility from his enemies, who were a great multitude and a large number, and they were in the utmost rage against him and the most intense in seeking his life, while he was among them, accessible, dominant, mixing with them and multiplying, their eyes watching him askance and their hands trembling with fear. His companions had emigrated out of caution until he completed his time among them for thirteen years, then he left them safely, unharmed in soul or body. That was only through divine infallibility, which God Almighty had promised him and fulfilled, as He says: "And God will protect you from the people" ¹. So He protected him from them. [On the signs of his infallibility] And that Quraysh gathered in the House of Counsel ², and among them was al-Nadr ibn al-Harith ibn Kinana, who was the leader of the people, and his supporter was Abdullah ibn al-Ziba'ra, who was their poet. He urged them to kill Muhammad, may God bless him and grant him peace, and said to them: "Death is better for you than life." Some of them said: "How shall we act?" Abu Jahl said: "Is Muhammad anything but a single man? And are the Banu Hashim anything but a clan among the clans of Quraysh? Is there none among you who despises life so as to kill Muhammad and give rest to his people?" He paused for a while. They said: "Whoever does this will become a master ³." Abu Jahl said: "Muhammad is not stronger than any man among us. I will go to him and smash his head with a stone. If I am killed, I will have given rest to my people, and if I survive, that is what I prefer ⁴." So they went out on that. When they gathered in al-Hatim ⁵, the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, came out to them. They said: "He has come." He approached the corner and stood praying. They watched him lengthening his bowing and prostration. Abu Jahl said: "I will go and give you rest from him." He took a large stone and drew near to the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, while he was prostrating, not turning around nor fearing him, though he saw him. When he drew near to him, he trembled and dropped the stone on his own foot, and he returned with his fingers crushed, trembling, and his veins swollen, while the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, was prostrating. Abu Jahl said to his companions: "Take me to you." They embraced him, and he was unconscious for a while. When he regained consciousness, his companions said to him: "What has befallen you?" He said: "When I drew near to him, a huge serpent ⁶ came at me from his head, opening its mouth, and it struck my teeth, and I could not control myself. Indeed, I see Muhammad as protected ⁷." Some of his companions said to him: "O Abu al-Hakam, you have desired and loved life and returned." He said: "Do not deceive me about myself." Al-Nadr ibn al-Harith said: "If he returns tomorrow, I will deal with him." They said to him: "O Abu Sahm, if you do this, you will surely become a master." When the next day came, they gathered in al-Hatim waiting for the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace. When he appeared to them, they all stood up and rushed at him. He took a handful of dust and said: "May faces be disfigured!" and said: "Red ⁸, they do not see!" So they dispersed from him. This was a divine repulsion, which he trusted from God Almighty, so he endured it until God protected him. And it was among the strongest evidence of his truthfulness. Among his signs: that Mu'ammar ibn Yazid, who was the bravest of his people, was called upon by Quraysh, and they complained to him about the matter of the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace. The Banu Kinana used to follow his opinion and obey his command. When they complained to him, he said to them: "I will go to him in three [days] and give you rest from him. I have twenty thousand armed men ⁹; I do not think this clan of Banu Hashim can wage war against me. If they ask for blood money, I will give them ten blood wits, for my wealth is ample." He used to wear a sword seven spans long and one span wide, and his story among the Arabs was famous for bravery and valor. On the day he promised Quraysh, he put on his armor and wore two coats of mail ¹⁰, and he met them at al-Hatim while the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, was in the Hijr ¹¹ praying. He knew that, but he did not turn around, nor did he move, nor did he shorten his prayer. It was said to him: "This is Muhammad prostrating; strike him!" He had drawn his sword and approached him. When he drew near to him, he threw away his sword and turned back. When he reached the gate of al-Safa, he tripped on his armor and fell. He got up with his face bloodied from the stones, running as fast as possible until he reached al-Batha', not looking back. They gathered and washed the blood from his face and said: "What has befallen you?" He said: "Woe to you! The deceived is the one you have deceived." They said: "What is the matter with you?" He said: "I have never seen anything like today. Leave me until my soul returns to me." They left him for a while and said: "What has befallen you, O Abu al-Layth?" He said: "When I drew near to Muhammad and wanted to strike him with my sword, two bald serpents ¹² came at me from his head, blowing fire, and their eyes flashed, so I fled. I will never again do anything to harm Muhammad." Among his signs: that Kaldah ibn Asad, Abu al-Ashad, who was extremely strong, once wagered with Quraysh to kill the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace. They offered him a great reward if he would rid them of him. He saw the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, on the road heading to the mosque, between the house of Uqayl and Iqal. Kaldah came with a spear, but the spear turned back into his chest, and he returned frightened. Quraysh said to him: "What is the matter with you, O Abu al-Ashad?" He said: "Woe to you! Do you not see the stallion behind me?" They said: "We see nothing." He said: "Woe to you! I see him." He kept running until he reached al-Ta'if. Thaqif mocked him, and he said: "I excuse you; if you had seen what I saw, you would have perished." Among his signs: that Abu Lahab went out one day when Quraysh had gathered. They said: "O Abu Utbah, you are our master, and you have more right to deal with Muhammad than we do. Abu Talib is the barrier between us and him. If you were to kill him, neither Abu Talib nor Hamza would object to anything from you, and you would be free from his blood. We would pay the blood money, and you would become the master of your people." He said: "I will suffice you." They rejoiced at that, and their orators praised him. When that night came, and he was overlooking him, Abu Lahab descended while he was praying, and his wife Umm Jamil climbed the wall until she stood over the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, while he was prostrating. Abu Lahab called out to him, but he did not turn to him. They could not move a foot ¹³ nor could they do anything until dawn came and the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, finished. Abu Lahab said to him: "O Muhammad, release us." He said: "I will not release you until you guarantee to me that you will not harm me." They said: "We have done so." So he called upon his Lord, and they returned. Among his signs: that Quraysh gathered in al-Hatim, and Utbah ibn Rabi'ah addressed them, saying: "This son of Abd al-Muttalib has embittered our life, divided our community, scattered our unity, reviled our religion, belittled our intellects, and declared our fathers misguided." Among the people were al-Walid ibn al-Mughirah, Abu Jahl ibn Hisham, Shaybah ibn Rabi'ah, al-Nadr ibn al-Harith, Munabbih and Nabih, sons of al-Hajjaj, and Umayyah and Ubayy, sons of Khalaf, along with a group of the chiefs of Quraysh. They said to him: "Say what you wish, for we will obey you." He said: "I will go and speak to him. If he recants his speech and what he calls to, [well and good]; otherwise, we will decide about him." They said: "It is your affair, O Abu Abd Shams." So he stood and approached the Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace, who was sitting alone. He said: "Good morning, O Muhammad." He said: "O Abd Shams, God has replaced this greeting with the greeting of the people of Paradise." He said: "O son of my brother, I have come to you from the chiefs of Quraysh to present to you their proposals. If you accept them, you will have your share, and we will have leeway." Then he said: "O son of Abd al-Muttalib, you have called the Arabs to something they do not know. Accept what I say to you." He said: "Speak." He said: "If what you call to is a desire for kingship, we will make you king over us without trouble and crown you; so desist from this." He was silent. Then he said to him: "If what you call to is a desire for a beautiful woman, we will marry you." He said: "There is no power except with God." Then he said to him: "If what you speak of is a desire for wealth, we will give you wealth until you become the richest man in Quraysh, for that is easier for us than dispersing our word and dividing our community. If what you call to is madness, we will treat you as we treat the madman of Qays ibn Tha'labah." The Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace, was silent. He said: "O Muhammad, what do you say, and with what do I return to Quraysh?" The Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace, said: "Ha Mim. The revelation from the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. A Book whose verses are detailed, an Arabic Qur'an for a people who know, a bearer of good news and a warner. But most of them turn away, so they do not hear" ¹⁴ until he reached His saying: "But if they turn away, say: I have warned you of a thunderbolt like the thunderbolt of 'Ad and Thamud" ¹⁵. Utbah said: "When he spoke these words, it was as if the Ka'bah tilted until I feared it would touch my head from its wonder. He stood up frightened, dragging his cloak, and returned to Quraysh, trembling like a bird, while the Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace, stood praying." Quraysh said: "You left us cheerful and returned frightened and terrified. What is behind you?" He said: "Woe to you! Leave me. He spoke to me with words I do not understand. I trembled so violently that I feared for myself, and I thought the thunderbolt had seized me." They regretted that. Ibn 'Arafah said: "The thunderbolt is a name for punishment in whatever form it may be. 'Ad was destroyed by the wind, and Thamud by the earthquake, so God Almighty called that a thunderbolt." Al-Azhari said: "The thunderbolt is the sound of severe thunder by which a person is struck unconscious." Among his signs: that when he wanted to emigrate, he left Mecca with Abu Bakr and entered a cave in Mount Thawr to hide from Quraysh, who had sought him and offered a hundred red camels to anyone who brought him. God helped him by concealing his tracks and caused a thorny bush ¹⁶ to grow at the entrance of the cave, and inspired a spider to weave a web over the entrance of the cave, the weaving of years in the blink of an eye. Abu Bakr was bitten that night more than once, so he tore his clothes and stuffed them into the cracks, blocking some with his foot to protect the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace. He stayed there for three days, then left. Suraqah ibn Malik ibn Ju'shum met him, and he was among those who had set out to seek him. Abu Bakr said: "This is Suraqah approaching." The Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, said: "O God, suffice us against Suraqah." The earth seized the legs of his horse up to its belly. Suraqah said: "O Muhammad, pray to God to release me, and I promise you that I will turn back anyone who comes seeking you and will never help anyone against you." He said: "O God, if he is truthful, release his horse." So God released him. Then Suraqah embraced Islam and his Islam was good. Among his signs: that the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, separated from his companions in the expedition of Dhu Amarr and lay down alone. Then Du'thur stood over him, drew his sword, and said: "O Muhammad, who will protect you from me?"

He said: 'Allah,' and the sword fell from his hand. The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, took it and then said to him: 'Who will protect you from me?' He said: 'No one. I bear witness that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah.' He returned to his people calling them to Islam. Concerning him was revealed the verse: 'O you who have believed, remember the favor of Allah upon you when a people intended to extend their hands against you, but He withheld their hands from you.' ¹⁷ Among his signs: When the people fled from the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, on the day of Hunayn while he was apart from them, Shayba ibn 'Uthman ibn Abi Talha saw him and said: 'Today I will attain my revenge and kill Muhammad, because his father was killed on the day of Uhud along with a group of his brothers and uncles.' Shayba said: 'When I intended to kill him, something came and covered my heart, so I could not do it. Then I knew that he was protected.' ¹⁸ Among his signs: 'Amir ibn al-Tufayl and Arbad ibn Qays, who was the maternal brother of the poet Labid ibn Rabi'a, came as delegates to the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, with their people from Banu 'Amir. 'Amir said to Arbad: 'When we approach Muhammad, I will distract him from you, so you strike him with the sword until you kill him.' Arbad said: 'I will do it.' Then 'Amir came walking, and he was a handsome man, until he stood at the head of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, and said: 'O Muhammad, what do I get if I embrace Islam?' He said: 'You will have what the Muslims have, and you will be responsible for what they are responsible for.' He said: 'Will you not appoint me as ruler after you?' He said: 'That is not for you nor for your people, but you will have the reins of horses with which you will wage war.' He said: 'Is it not mine today? But make it for me and for you as reinforcement.' He said: 'That is not for you.' Then he said: 'Get up, O Muhammad, to here.' So he stood up to him, and 'Amir placed his hand between his shoulders, then signaled to Arbad to strike. Arbad drew his sword about a cubit, but Allah restrained his hand, so he could neither draw it fully nor sheathe it. The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, turned to Arbad and saw him in that state and said: 'O Allah, suffice me against them as You will. O Allah, guide Banu 'Amir and spare the religion from 'Amir.' So they left, and 'Amir said: 'By Allah, I will fill it against you with dark horses ¹⁹ and reddish ones ²⁰.' The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said: 'Allah refuses that, and the sons of Qayla'—meaning the Ansar. Then 'Amir said to Arbad: 'Woe to you, why did you hold back from him?' He said: 'By Allah, whenever I intended to do it, I saw you and no one else; should I strike you with the sword?' And they went on. As for 'Amir, Allah sent the plague upon his neck and killed him in the house of a woman from Banu Salul. He said: 'A gland like the gland of a young camel ²¹ in the house of a woman from Banu Salul.' He mounted his horse and spurred it ²² until he died. As for Arbad, he came to his people and they said: 'What is behind you, O Arbad?' He said: 'By Allah, Muhammad called us to worship something I wish were here now so I could shoot it with this arrow of mine until I kill him.' Then he went out a day or two after saying that, with his camels following him. Allah sent a thunderbolt upon him and his group and burned them. It is said that concerning his thunderbolt was revealed the verse: 'It is He who shows you lightning, fear and hope' ²³—meaning fear of thunderbolts and hope for rain. Concerning him, Labid ibn Rabi'a, the maternal brother of Arbad, said: 'I fear for Arbad the sudden deaths, / And I do not dread the rising of Sirius and Leo. The thunder and lightning have grieved me for the / Horseman on the day of battle, the valiant. Every free-born son's fate is / Little, even if his numbers increase. If they are envied, they are brought low; if they are commanded, / One day they come to destruction and misery.' If it is said: These are isolated reports that do not provide certainty, it is said: The enmity is apparent, the seeking is known, and the safety is present. The totality of reports is not rejected, and in all of them the suspicion of falsehood is not established, even if in individual ones the suspicion of falsehood is possible, like the stories of Hatim's generosity and 'Antara's bravery. Chapter Nine: On What Was Witnessed of the Miracles of His Actions Indeed, Allah Almighty has decreed for His servants actions just as He decreed for them bodies and lifespans, reaching a limit that incapacitates them from exceeding it, so that their actions are confined to a familiar custom and a known limit by which they achieve their interests. Thus they know that what exceeds that and departs from its custom is from Allah's actions in them, not from their own actions. If He manifests it in one of them, it indicates his special distinction with Allah Almighty over them, and he is thereby distinguished and inclined to Him, so that he is singled out for divine obedience just as he is singled out for non-human actions. Therefore, miraculous actions bear witness to the truth of prophethood. Among his signs: What al-Bukhari narrated from 'Abd al-Wahid ibn Ayman from his father, who said: I said to Jabir ibn 'Abdullah: 'Tell me a hadith from the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, that you heard from him so I can narrate it from you.' Jabir said: 'We were with the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, on the day of the Trench digging. We stayed for three days without eating any food and unable to get any. A hard rock ²⁴ appeared in the trench that the pickaxe could not work on. I came to the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, and said: 'This is a hard rock that has appeared in the trench, and we have sprinkled water on it.' He stood up, his belly bound with a stone ²⁵, took the pickaxe and the shovel, said 'Bismillah' three times, then struck, and it became a heap of soft sand ²⁶. When I saw that from him, I said: 'O Messenger of Allah, give me permission.' He gave me permission. I went to my wife and said: 'May your mother lose you! I have seen something from the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, that I cannot bear. What do you have?' She said: 'I have a sa' of barley and a young goat ²⁷.' He said: 'We ground the barley, slaughtered the goat, cooked it, put it in the pot ²⁸, and kneaded the dough. Then I returned to the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, and stayed for a while. Then I asked permission again, and he gave me permission. I came and found that the dough had risen. I told her to bake, and put the pot on the stones ²⁹. Then I came to the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, and consulted him, saying: 'We have a little food. If you see fit to come with me, you and one or two men, do so.' He said: 'What is it and how much?' I said: 'A sa' of barley and a young goat.' He said: 'Go back to your family and tell her not to take the pot off the stones nor take the bread out of the oven until I come.' Then he said to the people: 'Get up to Jabir's house.' I felt shyness that only Allah knows. I said to my wife: 'The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, has come with all his companions.' She said: 'Did he ask you how much food there was?' I said: 'Yes.' She said: 'Allah and His Messenger know best. You told him what we had.' So some of what I felt left me, and I said: 'You are right.' The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, came and entered, then said to his companions: 'Do not crowd ³⁰.' Then he blessed ³¹ the oven and the pot. We started taking bread from the oven and meat from the pot, crumbling it, scooping, and serving them. The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said: 'Let seven or eight sit at the dish.' When they had eaten, we uncovered the oven and the pot, and they were fuller than before. All the Muslims ate until they were full, and some food remained. The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said to us: 'The people have suffered from hunger ³²; eat and feed others.' So we continued eating and feeding that day. He told me that they were eight hundred—or he said two hundred less than eight hundred. This is similar to the miracle of Jesus, peace be upon him, with the table. Among his signs: What Malik ibn Anas narrated from Ishaq ibn 'Abdullah ibn Abi Talha, that he heard Anas ibn Malik say: Abu Talha said to Umm Sulaym: 'I heard the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, weak and I recognize hunger in him. Do you have anything?' She said: 'Yes.' She brought out some barley loaves ³³, then took out a veil of hers, wrapped the bread in part of it, and sent me to the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him. I found him in the mosque with the people. I stood over them, and the Messenger of Allah said to me: 'Did Abu Talha send you?' I said: 'Yes.' He said: 'For food?' I said: 'Yes.' He said to those with him: 'Get up.' So he set out, and I went ahead of them until I came to Abu Talha and told him. Abu Talha said: 'O Umm Sulaym, the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, has come, and we do not have enough food to feed them.' She said: 'Allah and His Messenger know best.' Abu Talha went out until he met the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, and came back with him until they entered. The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said: 'O Umm Sulaym, bring what you have.' She brought that bread, and he ordered it to be crumbled. Umm Sulaym squeezed a skin ³⁴ of hers. Then the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said what Allah willed, then said: 'Admit ten.' So he admitted them, and they ate until they were full, then left. Then he said: 'Admit ten.' So he admitted them, and they ate until they were full, then left. Then he said: 'Admit ten,' until all the people had eaten and were full and left. The people were seventy or eighty men. The miracle in this, besides feeding a large number with little food, is what Anas ibn Malik reported about it. Among his signs: What Anis ibn Abi Yahya narrated from Ishaq ibn Salim from Abu Hurayra, who said: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, came out to us and said to me: 'Call my companions for me'—meaning the people of the Suffa ³⁵. He said: 'I started following them one by one, waking them up, until I gathered them. We came to the door of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, and asked permission. He gave us permission, and a dish was placed before us—I think it contained a mudd of barley prepared as food. The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, placed his hand and said: 'Take, in the name of Allah.' We ate as much as we wished, then raised our hands. The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said when the dish was placed: 'By Him in whose hand is the soul of Muhammad, there is no food in the household of Muhammad other than what you see.' It was said to Abu Hurayra: 'How much was it when you finished?' He said: 'Like it when it was placed, except that there were traces of fingers.' Among his signs: When the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, arrived at al-Hudaybiyya, which was dry, he said to the people: 'Dismount.' They said: 'O Messenger of Allah, there is no water in the valley to dismount upon.' He brought out an arrow and gave it to al-Bara' ibn 'Azib and said: 'Stick this arrow into some of the wells ³⁶ of al-Hudaybiyya, which are dry.' He did so, and water gushed forth ³⁷. People called out to one another: 'Whoever wants water!' Abu Sufyan said: 'A well has appeared at al-Hudaybiyya with water.' Then he said to Suhayl ibn 'Amr: 'Get up, let us go to what Muhammad has done.' They looked over the well and the springs under the arrow and said: 'We have never seen anything like this day. This is but a little of Muhammad's sorcery.' When the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, ordered departure, he said to the people: 'Take your need of water.' Then he said to al-Bara': 'Go and remove the arrow.' When they had finished and departed, al-Bara' took the arrow, and the water dried up as if there had been no water there. This is similar to what was given to Moses from the rock from which twelve springs gushed forth. Similarly, it is narrated that in the expedition of Banu al-Mustaliq, he called for a dry waterskin, then spat into it, then turned it over, and springs gushed from between his fingers until horses and camels drank and every waterskin was filled.

Among his signs: that some people complained to him (peace be upon him) about the salinity of their water, so he stood with his companions until he overlooked their well, then he spat into it and departed, and it gushed forth with fresh water, whereas it had been deep and dry. It remains in that state to this day, and its owners inherit it and consider it among their greatest honors. When the people of Musaylima heard of this, they asked him for something similar, so he spat into it ³⁸, and its water became bitter like donkey urine, and it remains in that state to this day. A woman came to him (peace be upon him) with a child whose hair had fallen out ³⁹; he wiped his head with his hand, and his hair became straight. When the people of Musaylima heard of this, they brought him a similar child, and he wiped his head, but it became bald, and his descendants remained bald to this day. Among his signs: what Ali ibn Abi Talib (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated: "When we campaigned against Khaybar, and with us were a group from the Jews of Fadak, as we approached the plain, we saw the valley and the water uprooting trees and shaking mountains. We estimated the water to be fourteen fathoms deep. Some people said, 'O Messenger of Allah, the enemy is behind us and the valley is ahead of us.' So the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) dismounted, prostrated, and supplicated, then said, 'Proceed in the name of Allah.' So the horses, camels, and men crossed, and victory and dominance were his. This is similar to the parting of the sea for Moses." Another type of his signs: Al-Hasan narrated that a man came to the Prophet (peace be upon him) and said, "I returned from a journey. While my young daughter was toddling around me with her servant and jewelry, I took her hand and went with her to such-and-such valley and threw her into it." The Prophet (peace be upon him) said to her father, "What was her name?" He said, "So-and-so." The Prophet said, "O So-and-so, answer by Allah's permission." The girl came out saying, "At your service, O Messenger of Allah, and at your pleasure." He said to her, "Your parents have done wrong. If you wish, I will return you to them." She said, "I have no need of them; I have found Allah a better father than them." This is similar to what Jesus (peace be upon him) did in reviving the dead. Among his signs: Tufayl al-Amiri came to the Prophet (peace be upon him) and complained to him of leprosy. He called for a small water skin, spat into it, and ordered him to bathe with it. He bathed and stood up healthy. Hassan ibn Amr al-Khuza'i came to him afflicted with leprosy. He called for water, spat into it, then ordered him to pour it over himself. He emerged from his illness as if it had never been. He returned and called his people to Islam, and they all embraced Islam. Qays al-Lakhmi, one of the chiefs of his people, came to him with vitiligo. He spat on him, and only a spot the size of a grain remained. This is similar to what Jesus son of Mary (peace be upon him) did in healing the blind ⁴⁰ and the leper ⁴¹. Among his signs: what Sa'id ibn Abi Sa'id narrated from his father from Abu Hurayra: "The Prophet (peace be upon him) left one night after the evening prayer, and a lightning flash illuminated for him. He saw Qatada ibn al-Nu'man and recognized him. He said, 'O Prophet of Allah, it was a rainy night, and I wanted to pray with you.' So he gave him a palm branch and said, 'Take this; it will give you light tonight. When you reach your house, Satan has preceded you; look in the corner on your left.' I entered and looked where he said, and there was a black thing hanging until it preceded me." In this report are miracles of action and speech. Among his signs: Abu Qatada ibn Rib'i came to him on the day of Uhud with one of his eyes gouged out and hanging on his face. He said, "O Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless you, I have a wife and I fear that this will displease her." The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) returned it to its place, and it became the better of his two eyes. Similar to this is what Urwa ibn al-Zubayr narrated: Zubayra embraced Islam and lost her sight. They said to her, "Al-Lat and al-Uzza have afflicted you." But Allah restored her sight. The chiefs of Quraysh said, "If what Muhammad brought were good, Zubayra would not have preceded us to it." So Allah revealed: "Those who disbelieve say of those who believe: If it had been good, they would not have preceded us to it" ⁴². Among his signs: Jarhad came to the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) with a tray before him. He brought his left hand to eat, but his right hand was injured. The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said to him, "Eat with your right hand." He said, "O Messenger of Allah, it is injured." He blew on it, and he never complained of it after that moment ⁴³. He saw a man eating with his left hand and said, "Eat with your right hand." The man said, "I cannot." He said, "May you not be able." After that, his hand never reached his mouth; whenever he raised a morsel to his mouth, it went to another side. Among his signs: the ewe of Umm Ma'bad al-Khuza'iyya, which was exhausted, thin, and had a diseased udder. The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) wiped its udder, and it produced milk and became full of fat. It remained in that state until its appointed time. Umm Sharik gifted him a container of ghee; he took some from it ⁴⁴ and returned the container to her, and it continued to pour ghee for a long time. And similar instances. If it is said: The miraculous nature of prophecies is not established by such reports from individual narrators, there are two answers: First: The individual narrators have attributed it to him in the presence of a large group who witnessed it and heard the narrator, and they affirmed him and did not deny him. It is impossible for a large number to refrain from rejecting falsehood, just as it is impossible for them to conspire to fabricate falsehood. If it is possible for them to agree on truth despite their number and dispersion, and impossible for them to agree on falsehood, it is because the motives for truth are general and mutually supportive, while the motives for falsehood are particular and conflicting. Therefore, the truthfulness of the most lying person is more than his falsehood, because he cannot avoid truth but can avoid falsehood. Second: These reports have come through various chains and diverse matters, so it is impossible that all of them are false, even if some individual ones are possible. Thus, their totality becomes mutawatir ¹, while individually they are ahad ². So the mutawatir totality is a proof, even if the individual ahad reports fall short of being proof. And Allah knows best. Chapter Ten: On the Miracles of His Sayings Miracles in speech are reports about the unseen that no one knows except the informant, and they serve as evidence of his truthfulness, because a report can be true or false. The essence of a report is about the past; as for the future, the term "report" is applied to it metaphorically. If the future is attributed to the action of the informant, it is a promise that can be valid from a prophet or non-prophet. If it is attributed to the action of another, it is among the miraculous signs that are valid only from a sent prophet and from revealed revelation, if it occurs repeatedly without warning causes. Even if a report appears from a non-prophet, it is by agreement due to conjecture; if it is correct in one report, it is not correct in every report. But from the Prophet (peace be upon him) it is correct in every report, because it is from Allah, who encompasses knowledge of the unseen, as He said to His Prophet: "Say: I do not say to you that I possess the treasures of Allah, nor do I know the unseen, nor do I say to you that I am an angel. I only follow what is revealed to me. Say: Are the blind and the seeing equal?" ⁴⁵ Regarding "treasures of Allah" here, there are two interpretations: First: The treasures of provision, so He enriches and impoverishes. Second: The treasures of punishment, so He hastens or delays. Regarding His saying "nor do I know the unseen," there are two interpretations: First: The knowledge of the treasures according to the two previous interpretations. Second: Knowledge of what is hidden of past and future, except that the future is known only to Allah and those He informs of His prophets. As for the past, creatures may know it from two sources: either from a created witness or from a Creator who informs. Thus, reports about the future are among Allah's miraculous signs. As for the past, if it is known by someone other than the informant, it is not a miracle; if no one knows it, it is a miraculous sign. Regarding His saying "nor do I say to you that I am an angel" ⁴⁶, there are two interpretations: First: That he cannot do what humans are incapable of, even if angels can. Second: That he is human and not an angel, to negate the Christian exaggeration about the Messiah. In his negation of being an angel, there are two interpretations: First: He refuted the claim that angels are superior to prophets. Second: I am not an angel in heaven, so I do not know the unseen of heaven that angels witness and is hidden from humans, even if prophets are superior to angels despite their ignorance of what angels witness. Regarding His saying "I only follow what is revealed to me" ⁴⁷, there are two interpretations: First: I will only inform you of what Allah has shown me. Second: I will only do what Allah has commanded me. "Say: Are the blind and the seeing equal?" ⁴⁸ has two interpretations: First: The scholar and the ignorant. Second: The believer and the disbeliever. Thus, it is established by what we have stated that there are miracles in words as in deeds, and they are among the signs of prophethood and the miracles of messengers. We will mention from them what is specific to the speech of the Messenger, excluding what is contained in the Quran, which is miraculous in both report and non-report.

1. صلى الله عليه وسلم : An honorific phrase meaning 'may God bless him and grant him peace', used after mentioning the Prophet Muhammad.
2. دار الندوة : The House of Counsel, a meeting place for the Quraysh leaders in Mecca.
3. ساد : Meaning 'he would become a master' or 'chief'.
4. أوثر : Meaning 'I prefer' or 'I choose'.
5. الحطيم : Al-Hatim, a semicircular area adjacent to the Kaaba.
6. فَحل : Literally 'stallion', but here used metaphorically for a huge serpent or dragon.
7. محجوبا : Meaning 'protected' or 'veiled' from harm.
8. حمر : Literally 'red ones', possibly referring to a type of jinn or a supernatural phenomenon.
9. مدجج : Meaning 'armed men' or 'warriors in full armor'.
10. ظاهر بين درعين : Meaning 'he wore two coats of mail', one over the other.
11. الحجر : Al-Hijr, a semicircular area adjacent to the Kaaba, also known as the Hijr Ismail.
12. شجاعان أقرعان : Two bald serpents, often interpreted as supernatural protectors.
13. لا ينقلان قدما : Meaning 'they could not move a foot', i.e., they were paralyzed.
14. حم تَنْزِيلٌ... : Qur'an 41:1-4, the beginning of Surah Fussilat.
15. فَإِنْ أَعْرَضُوا... : Qur'an 41:13, warning of a thunderbolt like that of 'Ad and Thamud.
16. ثمامة : A thorny bush or shrub, specifically a type of desert plant.
17. āyah : Qur'anic verse, here 5:11.
18. ʿalam : Sign or miracle indicating prophethood.
19. duhm : Dark-colored horses, specifically black or dark bay.
20. wurd : Reddish-colored horses, specifically chestnut or sorrel.
21. ghuddah ka-ghuddati al-bakr : A gland like that of a young camel; a reference to a fatal swelling or plague.
22. rakada : To spur or urge a horse to run.
23. āyah : Qur'anic verse, here 13:12.
24. kudyah : A hard rock or boulder encountered while digging.
25. maʿṣūb bi-al-ḥajar : His belly bound with a stone to alleviate hunger.
26. kathīb ahyal : A heap of soft, loose sand.
27. ʿunāq : A young goat, typically a female kid.
28. barmah : A cooking pot made of stone or clay.
29. athāfī : Stones used as a tripod to support a cooking pot over a fire.
30. lā taḍāghaṭū : Do not crowd or press upon one another.
31. barraka : To invoke blessing upon something.
32. makhmaṣah : Famine or severe hunger.
33. aqrāṣ : Small loaves or cakes of bread.
34. ʿikkah : A small waterskin or leather bag for holding clarified butter or oil.
35. Ahl al-Ṣuffah : The People of the Suffa; poor companions who lived in the covered portico of the Prophet's mosque.
36. qalb : A well, especially one dug in a dry area.
37. jāsha al-māʾ : The water gushed forth or bubbled up.
38. Musaylima : A false prophet who claimed prophethood during the time of the Prophet Muhammad.
39. tama''aṭa : His hair fell out or became sparse.
40. akmah : One who is blind from birth.
41. abraṣ : One afflicted with leprosy or vitiligo.
42. Quran 46:11 : Reference to the Quranic verse.
43. sā'atahu : That very moment; immediately.
44. ʿukka : A container for ghee or oil.
45. Quran 6:50 : Reference to the Quranic verse.
46. Quran 6:50 : Reference to the Quranic verse.
47. Quran 6:50 : Reference to the Quranic verse.
48. Quran 6:50 : Reference to the Quranic verse.

The Ninth Chapter on the witnessed miracles of his actions [1].

The arrival of reports is divided into four categories: widely disseminated reports ¹, mutawātir reports ², solitary reports with supporting evidence ³, and bare solitary reports ⁴. As for widely disseminated and mutawātir reports, scholars have mentioned them without distinguishing between them, but in my view they are distinct, because the difference in names indicates a difference in the named. Thus, interpreting them according to the reality of difference is more appropriate than interpreting them according to the metaphor of agreement. Widely disseminated reports are those that spread from every reporter, righteous or wicked, intentionally or unintentionally, and every listener, learned or ignorant, ascertains them. No reporter differs about them, no listener doubts them, and their beginning, middle, and end are equal; their first is like their last, and their finality is like their beginning. This is the strongest type of report in transmission and the most conclusive in establishment. As for mutawātir reports, they are those reported by one person after another until they become numerous, reaching a number that precludes collusion in lying and agreement on error. No deviation or illusion occurs in their report. Thus, at the beginning they are solitary reports, and at the end they become mutawātir reports. This makes them different from widely disseminated reports at the beginning but similar at the end. The difference between widely disseminated and mutawātir reports is in three aspects: First: what we mentioned regarding their difference in beginning and end. Second: widely disseminated reports may occur unintentionally, while mutawātir reports occur only intentionally. Third: in widely disseminated reports, the integrity of the reporters is not considered, while in mutawātir reports, the integrity of the reporters is considered. Then the two reports become equal in the absence of doubt and the occurrence of knowledge. An example of widely disseminated reports in Islamic legal rulings is the number of prayers; an example of mutawātir reports in Islamic legal rulings is the obligation of zakāt ⁵. There is disagreement whether the knowledge obtained from them is necessary knowledge ⁶ or acquired knowledge ⁷, in two views: One view: it is acquired knowledge obtained through inference. This is the view of some followers of al-Shāfiʿī and some theologians, because knowledge from their report is associated with specific qualities unique to them, so seeking those qualities becomes an inference leading to knowledge from their report. Those who hold this view differ on whether the knowledge is acquired from the report or the reporter, in two views: one, from the report because it is the intended object; the other, from the reporter because he is the transmitter. This is the view of those who consider it knowledge through inference. The second view: it is necessary knowledge perceived by the primordial intellect, because such knowledge may precede certainty without reflection and settle in hearts without transition. This is the view of the majority of jurists and theologians. Those who hold this view differ on whether this necessary knowledge is from the action of the reporter or from God, in two views: one, it is from the action of the reporter because it reaches him by himself—this is the view of most jurists; the second, it is from God because He compels it—this is the view of most theologians. Those who hold this latter view differ in two ways: one, it is from God's action in the report; the second, it is from His action in the reporter. What I consider more appropriate is that widely disseminated reports produce necessary knowledge, while mutawātir reports produce inferential knowledge, because widely disseminated reports dispense with reflection, while mutawātir reports require reflection, even though both produce knowledge. The Imāmiyya ⁸ claim that knowledge is not obtained from widely disseminated and mutawātir reports unless among the reporters there is an infallible Imam or an infallible Imam confirms them. It is reported from Ḍirār ibn ʿAmr ⁹ that the proof of widely disseminated and mutawātir reports after the messengers is not established regarding the transmission of their sayings and actions except by the consensus of the community on their truthfulness or the correctness of their transmission. Both claims are refuted by rational judgments, because they compel knowledge of them, like the necessary knowledge of sensory perceptions and sense data. For reports about countries—that there is Mecca and China—are known necessarily, just as they are known by direct observation, and just as a person knows that there is earth beneath him and sky above him, because our souls find themselves knowing them equally, and due to what is in the innate dispositions of human nature. Ṭufayl al-Ghanawī, a Bedouin with a sound nature free from affectation and a pure intuition free from profundity and difficulty, said something indicating the occurrence of knowledge from widely disseminated and mutawātir reports: "A worry from the night came to me, descending, / And news came that cannot be false. / They were so numerous that I had no doubt, / And there was no room for criticism in what they reported." Section [Categories of Solitary Reports] As for solitary reports, they are of two types: One: they are accompanied by something that necessitates knowledge of their content. This can occur in five ways: First: one whose truthfulness is certain confirms it, such as the Messenger or one whom the Messenger declared truthful, thus one knows the reporter's truthfulness and the report's correctness. Second: the community agrees on his truthfulness, so one knows by their consensus that he is truthful in his report. Third: they agree on accepting and acting upon it, which indicates the truthfulness of his report. Fourth: the report pertains to a situation witnessed by a large number who heard the narration of the report and did not deny it to the reporter, indicating the report's correctness and the reporter's truthfulness. Fifth: rational proofs accompany the report. If the report pertains to them, it is necessarily true, because what agrees with them can only be true. If it pertains to something else, agreement with them does not indicate the report's truthfulness, even if it necessitates the correctness of what the report contains. The second type: a solitary report stands alone without any evidence indicating its truthfulness. It is an indication that produces probability ¹⁰ but does not yield knowledge. It becomes stronger if time passes without opposition or rejection, and if similar reports agreeing with it are repeated, all of them become mutawātir, even if individually they are solitary. Once this principle is established regarding reports, and what is narrated from the Messenger's announcements is not excluded—we have mentioned what is narrated of his actions, and we will mention what is narrated of his sayings: Among them: what is narrated from the Prophet (peace be upon him) that he said: "The earth was folded for me, and I was shown its east and west, and the dominion of my community will reach what was folded for me." God fulfilled his news and verified what he mentioned, and his community's dominion reached the regions of the earth until those in the east and west submitted to his law. He (peace be upon him) said to ʿAdī ibn Ḥātim: "Do not let the hardship of its people and the weakness of its companions prevent you from this religion, for it is as if you see the white palaces of al-Madāʾin ¹¹ conquered for them, and as if you see the woman in the litter ¹² setting out from al-Ḥīra ¹³ until she reaches Mecca without a guard, fearing none but God." ʿAdī saw all of that. This can only be from God's disclosure to him of His unseen and the fulfillment of His promise in His saying: "That He may make it prevail over all religion" ¹⁴. Among his signs: what al-Barāʾ ibn ʿĀzib narrated: The Messenger of God (peace be upon him) ordered us to dig the trench. A huge rock appeared that the pickaxe could not break. He took the pickaxe, said "In the name of God," struck a blow, and broke a third of it, saying: "God is greatest! I have been given the keys of Syria." Then he struck a second blow, cutting another third, saying: "God is greatest! I have been given the keys of Persia." Then he struck a third blow, cutting the rest of the stone, saying: "God is greatest! I have been given the keys of Yemen." God fulfilled his word and gave him what he opened. Kaʿb ibn Mālik narrated: I heard the Messenger of God (peace be upon him) say: "When Egypt is conquered, treat the Copts well, for they have a kinship tie and a covenant." He meant that the mother of Ishmael son of Abraham was from them. Among his signs: he wrote to Kisrā ¹⁵ a letter inviting him to Islam, beginning with his own name before Kisrā's. When Kisrā read it, he was indignant that he began with his own name and tore up the letter. When the Messenger of God (peace be upon him) heard of that, he said: "His kingdom will be torn apart." Then Kisrā immediately wrote to his governor in Yemen, Bādhān (also known as Abū Mihrān): "Bring me this man who claims to be a prophet, began with his name before mine, and called me to a religion other than mine." So Bādhān sent Fayrūz ibn al-Daylamī with a group of his companions, along with a letter mentioning what Kisrā had written. Fayrūz came to him with his companions and said: "My lord—meaning Kisrā—ordered me to bring you to him." The Prophet asked him to wait one night. The next morning, Fayrūz came to the Prophet, who said: "My Lord informed me that your lord was killed last night; his son Shīrawaih ¹⁶ overpowered him at the seventh hour of the night. Wait until the news reaches you." Fayrūz was alarmed and terrified. He returned to Bādhān and informed him. Bādhān asked: "How did you feel when you entered upon him?" He replied: "By God, I have never feared anyone as I feared this man." Bādhān said: "If what he said is true, he is a prophet." Soon the news of Kisrā's death at that very hour arrived. So Bādhān, Fayrūz, and those with them from the abnāʾ ¹⁷ embraced Islam. Al-ʿAnsī ¹⁸ appeared with his false claim, so the Prophet sent to Fayrūz: "Kill him." God killed him, and Fayrūz killed him. In this report are signs of the unseen that none knows except God or those He has informed. Among his signs: he saw the forearms of Surāqa ibn Mālik ibn Juʿshum, thin and hairy, and said: "How will it be when you wear the bracelets of Kisrā after me?" When Persia was conquered, ʿUmar summoned Surāqa and put Kisrā's bracelets on him, saying: "Say: Praise be to God who stripped them from Kisrā ibn Hurmuz and clothed Surāqa ibn Juʿshum with them." Among his signs: what Jābir ibn ʿAbd Allāh narrated: The Messenger of God (peace be upon him) prayed with us, then said: "The Negus ¹⁹ Aṣḥama has died at this very hour. Go out with us to the prayer place to pray over him." He prayed over him and said four takbīrs ²⁰. The hypocrites said: "Look at this man praying over a Christian foreigner he has never seen." Then God revealed: "And indeed, among the People of the Scripture are those who believe in God and what has been revealed to you and what has been revealed to them" ²¹. Then the news of the Negus's death came from merchants who arrived in Medina. Similarly, it is narrated that a wind blew at Tabūk, and the Messenger of God (peace be upon him) said: "This is for the death of a great hypocrite who has died at this time." Among his signs: he said to his companions: "Today the Arabs have been victorious over the Persians, and through me they were victorious." Then the news of the battle of Dhī Qār ²² came, and how God enabled the Arabs to triumph over the Persians, when Banū Shaybān and Bakr ibn Wāʾil killed many Persians. It was the first day the Arabs prevailed over the Persians, and the news came that it occurred at the same hour of the day that the Messenger of God (peace be upon him) had informed them. Among his signs: God revealed to him what was hidden from him concerning the army of Muʾta ²³. He said to his companions: "Zayd ibn Ḥāritha took the banner, advanced, was killed, and went as a martyr. Then Jaʿfar ibn Abī Ṭālib took the banner after him, advanced, was killed, and went as a martyr." He paused, then said: "Then ʿAbd Allāh ibn Rawāḥa took the banner after him, advanced, was killed, and went as a martyr." (Because ʿAbd Allāh ibn Rawāḥa hesitated for a while before taking the banner after Jaʿfar's death, then took it.) He said: "Then the Muslims chose Khālid ibn al-Walīd, and he drove back the enemy until they escaped." Then he went to Jaʿfar's house, brought out his children, his eyes filled with tears, and announced Jaʿfar's death to his family. News came that they were killed on that day as he described.

Among his signs: his statement on the night of the Ascension (al-Isrā') when morning came: "I passed by the caravan of the sons of so-and-so and found the people asleep, and there was a vessel containing water which they had covered. I removed its cover, drank what was in it, replaced the cover as it was, and the sign of that is that their caravan is now approaching from such-and-such a place, led by a dappled gray camel (jaml awraq) carrying two saddlebags (ghirāratān), one black and the other gray." So the people rushed to the mountain pass and found what he described, and when they asked about the vessel, they found the matter as he had said. And among his signs: that he saw 'Ali (may Allah honor his face) during the expedition of al-'Ushayrah lying on the dust with 'Ammār and said to them: "Shall I not inform you of the most wretched of people?" They said: "Yes." He said: "The most wretched of people are the red one of Thamūd, the hamstringer of the she-camel, and the one who dyes (this). O 'Ali, this is from this," and he pointed from his head to his beard, and said to 'Ammār: "The rebellious faction will kill you, and the last of your provision from this world will be a ṣā' of milk." So what happened was the killing of Ibn Muljam (may Allah curse him) of 'Ali (may Allah honor his face) and the killing of 'Ammār on the day of Ṣiffīn. When the report was mentioned to Mu'āwiyah, he did not deny it and defended himself by saying: "Only the one who brought him killed him." And similar to this is what is narrated that the Prophet (peace be upon him) mentioned Zayd ibn Ṣūḥān and said: "Zayd, and what is Zayd? A limb of him precedes him to Paradise." So his hand was cut off on the day of Nihāwand in the path of Allah, and he said: "The caliphate after me is thirty years, and after that is kingship." Another type of his signs (peace be upon him): that he camped with his army during the expedition of Tabūk at a place without water, while they were about thirty thousand, and they became thirsty and complained to him. So he sent Abū Qatādah, Abū Ṭalḥah, Simāk ibn Kharashah, and Sa'd ibn 'Ubādah to seek water. They were absent until the height of noon (qā'im al-ẓahīrah), then returned and found nothing. The thirst reached the people, horses, and beasts. He prayed with his companions by dry ablution (tayammum), and when he finished, they complained to him of thirst. So he sent Usayd ibn Ḥuḍayr and Usāmah to seek water from the Bedouins. The hypocrites said: "Muhammad claims to inform of the news of heaven, yet he does not know the way to water." Then Gabriel (peace be upon him) came to him, informed him of their words, and named them to him. He complained of that to Sa'd ibn 'Ubādah, and Sa'd said: "If you wish, I will strike their necks." He said: "Let not the people say that Muhammad kills his companions, but we will treat them well as long as they stay with us." Then he said to Abū al-Haytham ibn al-Tayyihān, Abū Qatādah, and Suhayl ibn Bayḍā': "Survey the road and take to the sand dune, then wait a while, for an old Bedouin woman will pass by you on her she-camel with a waterskin (siqā') of water. Feed her, buy from her at any cost (bi-mā 'azza wa hān), and bring her with the water." So they went until they reached the place he described, and there was the woman. They said: "Will you sell us this water?" She said: "I and my family are more in need of water than you." They asked her to come to the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) with the water, but she refused and said: "This is a sorcerer; the best thing is that I neither see him nor he sees me." So they bound her tightly until they brought her with the water. When she stood before the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), he said: "Release her," and said to her: "Will you sell us this water?" She said: "My family are more in need of it than you." He said: "Then permit us to use it, and it will become as you brought it." She said: "Do as you wish." He said to Abū Qatādah: "Bring the water basin (al-mīḍa'ah)." So it was brought to him, and he untied the waterskin (al-siqā'), spat into it, poured it into the basin, placed his hand in it, and said: "Come near and take." So the water began to increase, and the people took until they left no waterskin with them but filled it, watered their horses (khaylahum) and their camels (iblahum), while the basin remained full. Then the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) added to the waterskin until he filled it, and two-thirds remained in the basin. Then they all performed ablution (wuḍū') when morning came, while it increased and did not decrease. And among his signs (peace be upon him): that his she-camel was lost during his journey to Tabūk, so the people dispersed to search for it. With him was 'Umārah ibn Ḥazm, and in 'Umārah's saddle was Zayd ibn al-Luṣayt, who was a Jew who had converted to Islam but was a hypocrite. Zayd said in 'Umārah's saddle: "Muhammad claims to be a prophet who informs you of the news of heaven, yet he does not know where his she-camel is." So the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: "A hypocrite says: 'Does not Muhammad claim to be a prophet and inform you of the news of heaven, yet he does not know where his she-camel is?' By Allah, I know only what my Lord has taught me, and He has informed me that she is in the valley, in such-and-such a ravine, held back by a acacia tree (samurah) by her halter." So the people rushed and found her as such, and brought her to him. 'Umārah ibn Ḥazm returned to his saddle and said: "I marvel at what the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) mentioned." A man who was in his saddle with Zayd ibn al-Luṣayt said: "Zayd said this before you came to us." So 'Umārah struck Zayd on the neck and said: "You are a calamity in my saddle; get out of it, O enemy of Allah." And because of the hardship he faced during the expedition of Tabūk, he said to his companions: "Shall I not give you glad tidings?" They said: "Yes, O Messenger of Allah." He said: "Indeed, Allah Almighty gave me tonight the two treasures: Persia and Rome, and supported me with the kings, the kings of Ḥimyar, who will strive in the path of Allah and consume the spoils of Allah." And so it was. And among his signs (peace be upon him): that he sent Khālid ibn al-Walīd from Tabūk with four hundred and twenty horsemen to Ukaydir ibn 'Abd al-Malik at Dūmat al-Jandal from Kindah. Khālid said: "O Messenger of Allah, how can I reach him in the midst of the land of Kalb with only a small number?" He said: "You will find him hunting wild cows, so seize him." So Khālid set out until, when he was within sight of his fortress on a summer moonlit night, while Ukaydir was on his roof with his wife due to the intense heat, the wild cows came rubbing their horns against the gate of the fortress. Ukaydir said: "By Allah, I have never seen wild cows come to us at night except this night; I used to prepare horses for them for a month or more." Then he descended, mounted with men and equipment, and when they left the fortress, while Khālid's horses were watching them without a single horse neighing or moving, as soon as they departed, the horses seized him, and Ukaydir was taken captive. And among his signs (peace be upon him): that when he made a treaty with Suhayl ibn 'Amr at al-Ḥudaybiyah, when Quraysh prevented him from the 'Umrah and the agreement was written between him and him, he said to 'Ali (may Allah honor his face): "Write: 'This is what Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah, has agreed upon with Suhayl ibn 'Amr.'" Suhayl said: "If I knew you were the Messenger of Allah, I would not have prevented you, but I acknowledge you for your nobility; write: 'Muhammad ibn 'Abdullah.'" He said: "O 'Ali, erase 'Messenger of Allah.'" 'Ali said: "I cannot erase your name from prophethood." So the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) extended his hand to the place and erased it, and said to 'Ali: "You will be asked to do the same, and you will comply." So he was asked to do the same on the day of the two arbiters (al-Ḥakamayn) when it was mentioned in the document of arbitration: "This is what 'Ali, the Commander of the Faithful (Amīr al-Mu'minīn), has arbitrated upon." 'Amr said to him: "If we acknowledged you as the Commander of the Faithful, we would not have disputed with you." So he erased "Commander of the Faithful." And when Suhayl said that, 'Umar said: "O Messenger of Allah, let me pull out Suhayl's front teeth so that his tongue may lisp, and he will never stand as a speaker against us." Suhayl had a prominent lower lip (ashamm al-shafah) and was an eloquent speaker. The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said to him: "Leave him, O 'Umar; perhaps he will stand in a position for which you will praise him." And so it was from his good standing in Mecca when its people were agitated by the death of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) and 'Attāb ibn Usayd went into hiding, that his effect was praised. And among his signs (peace be upon him): what al-Suddī narrated, that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said to his companions: "A man from Rabī'ah will enter upon you today, speaking with the tongue of a devil." So al-Ḥuṭam ibn Hind al-Bakrī came to him alone, having left his horses outside Medina. The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) called him and said: "To what do you call?" He informed him, and he said: "Give me time to consult with someone." He left him, and the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: "He entered with the face of a disbeliever and left with the reproach of a traitor." He passed by some of the livestock of Medina, drove them away, and went off chanting: "The night has wrapped it, a driver like al-Ḥuṭam, Neither a herder of camels nor sheep, Nor a butcher on a back of a heap, They slept while Ibn Hind did not sleep, He spent the night with a youth like an arrow, With slender legs and smooth feet." Then the following year he came as a pilgrim, having garlanded the sacrificial animal (hady). The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) wanted to send someone to him, but the verse was revealed: "Do not violate the sanctity of the symbols of Allah, nor the sacred month, nor the sacrificial animals, nor the garlands, nor those heading to the Sacred House" (Qur'an 5:2). So some of his companions said: "This is our man; let us deal with him." He said: "He is one who has garlanded." Another type of his signs (peace be upon him): what 'Āṣim ibn 'Amr narrated from Qatādah, who said: When the polytheists returned to Mecca from Badr, 'Umayr ibn Wahb al-Jumaḥī said to Ṣafwān ibn Umayyah: "May life be cursed after the killing of Badr! By Allah, were it not for a debt I have no means to repay and dependents I leave with nothing, I would go to Muhammad until I kill him. If I fill my eyes with him, I will kill him, for I have heard that he walks in the markets." Ṣafwān said to him: "Your debt is on me, and your dependents are like my dependents; go about your business." So he equipped him and mounted him on a camel. 'Umayr sharpened his sword, poisoned it, and set out for Medina. He entered it with his sword girded. 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) saw him, leaped to him, placed the sword strap around his neck, and brought him to the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), saying: "This is the enemy of Allah, 'Umayr ibn Wahb." He said: "Step back from him, O 'Umar," then said to him: "What has brought you?" He said: "To ransom my captive with you." He said: "Then what about the sword?" He said: "May Allah curse it! Has it availed anything? I only forgot it when I dismounted, and it is on my neck." He said to him: "Then what did you stipulate to Ṣafwān ibn Umayyah at the Ka'bah?" 'Umayr was terrified and said: "What did I stipulate to him?" He said: "You undertook to kill me, on condition that he pay your debt and support your dependents, but Allah Almighty stands between you and that." So 'Umayr said: "I bear witness that you are the Messenger of Allah, and that you are truthful, and I bear witness that there is no god but Allah. We used to deny you the revelation from heaven, and this conversation was a secret between me and Ṣafwān, as you said; no one else knew of it." 'Umar said: "By Allah, a pig was dearer to me than him when he appeared, and now he is dearer to me than some of my children." The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: "Teach your brother the Qur'an and release his captive for him." 'Umayr said: "I was striving to extinguish the light of Allah, but Allah has guided me; praise be to Him. Permit me to go to Quraysh and call them to Allah and to Islam." So he permitted him, and he went to Mecca and called them, and many people converted to Islam with him. Ṣafwān swore that he would never speak to him again.

Among his signs, peace be upon him, is what Shayba ibn 'Uthman ibn Abi Talha related: "There was no one more hateful to me than the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him. How could it not be so, when he had killed eight of us, each of whom carried the banner? When Allah conquered Mecca, I despaired of what I had hoped for—killing him—and said to myself, 'The Arabs have entered his religion; when will I get my revenge on him?' When Hawazin gathered at Hunayn, I went to them to find an opportunity to kill him. When the people fled from him and he remained with those who stood firm with him, I came from behind him and raised my sword until I was about to strike it down, but my heart was overwhelmed, and a flame of fire rose before me, and I could not bear it. I knew that he was protected. He turned to me and said, 'Come near, O Shayba, and fight,' and placed his hand on my chest. Then he became the most beloved of people to me. I advanced and fought before him; if my father had appeared before me, I would have killed him in his support. When the fighting ended, I entered upon him, and he said to me: 'What Allah intended for you is better than what you intended for yourself.' And he told me everything I had concealed in myself ²⁴. I said, 'No one knows this except Allah,' and I embraced Islam." Among his signs, peace be upon him, is what Muhammad ibn Ibrahim ibn Shurahbil narrated from his father: "Al-Nadr ibn al-Harith ibn Kalada described his intense enmity towards the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, because of the killing of his brother al-Nadr ibn al-Harith. He said: 'I was present at Badr and saw the small number of Muslims and the large number of Quraysh. When the fighting began, I saw the Muslims outnumber Quraysh, and Quraysh fled. That day I saw men on piebald horses between heaven and earth, marked, taking prisoners and killing. I fled in terror. Then after the conquest, I went out with him against Hawazin to find an opportunity to kill him. When the Muslims fled, I climbed up to the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, and there he was, facing the enemy, standing on a grey mule, surrounded by white-faced men. I headed towards him, but they shouted at me, 'Away, away!' My heart was terrified, and my limbs trembled. I said, 'This is like the day of Badr; the man is truly upon the truth, and he is protected.' So Allah instilled Islam in my heart. Then I met the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, after his return from Ta'if. When he saw me, he said, 'Al-Nadr?' I said, 'At your service.' He said, 'This is better for you than what you intended on the day of Hunayn, when Allah prevented you from it.'" Among his signs, peace be upon him, is that he said to his uncle al-'Abbas, who had been captured at Badr: "Ransom yourself, your two nephews 'Aqil and Nawfal, and your ally, for you are a man of wealth." He said, "O Messenger of Allah, I was a Muslim but was forced out." He said: "Allah knows best about your Islam. Where is the wealth that you left with Umm al-Fadl in Mecca when you left, with no one else with you? You said, 'If I am killed on my journey, then so-and-so is for al-Fadl, so-and-so for 'Abdullah, and so-and-so for Qutham.'" He said, "By Him who sent you with the truth, no one knows this but me and her. Indeed, I know that you are the Messenger of Allah." So he ransomed himself, his two nephews, and his ally. The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said to him: "Allah will compensate you with something better if what you said about your Islam is true." And Allah compensated him with abundant wealth. Among his signs, peace be upon him, is what is related: When the Prophet, peace be upon him, wanted to go to Umm Farwa al-Ansariyya, he said to his companions: "Come with us to the martyr to visit her." And he ordered that the call to prayer be made for her and the iqama, and that she should lead the people of her house in the obligatory prayers. She was killed during the time of 'Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, by a male and female slave of hers. 'Umar, may Allah be exalted, crucified them, and they were the first to be crucified in Islam. 'Umar said: "The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, spoke the truth; he used to say, 'Come, let us visit the martyr.'" Among his signs, peace be upon him, is what 'Amir ibn 'Abdullah ibn al-Zubayr narrated from his father: "I came to the Prophet, peace be upon him, while he was cupping. When he finished, he said: 'O 'Abdullah, take this blood and pour it where no one can see you.' When I left him, I took the blood and drank it. When I returned, he said: 'O 'Abdullah, what did you do?' I said: 'I put it in the most hidden place I thought would be concealed from people.' He said: 'Perhaps you drank the blood?' I said: 'Yes.' He said: 'Woe to the people from you, and woe to you from the people.'" And similar examples, the mention of which would lengthen the book, until even the hypocrites would not discuss anything about his affair without Allah informing him of it, so he would tell them about it, until some of them would say to his companion: "Be quiet and stop; by Allah, if he had nothing but stones, the stones of the plain would inform him." If it is said: "Mentioning what has been and will be is not a miraculous proof of prophethood nor a manifest sign of messengership, because astrologers also inform of such things, and it is not among the miracles of the prophets and the signs of the messengers," then there are three answers: One: The astrologer works by calculation and relies on deduction, and does not produce a statement except after these two. The reports of the prophets come spontaneously, without cause and free from deduction. Second: One who is devoid of knowledge of astrology cannot correctly report about it. Muhammad, peace be upon him, did not practice astrology nor mix with its practitioners, so he could not report about it except from the Knower of the Unseen, the One who is aware of the secrets of hearts. Third: The astrologer is correct in the minority of cases and wrong in the majority; his correctness is considered good, and his error is not considered bad. But the reports of the prophets are all true, with no falsehood mixed in, and no error affects them. Chapter Eleven: On what he was honored with, peace be upon him, in terms of the answering of his supplications. Indeed, Allah Almighty, having favored the prophets over all His creation by entrusting them with upholding His right, distinguished them by seeking benefit, and they were singled out for answered supplications so that they might be a help in what He charged them with and a sign for those who deny them. Thus, through this distinction, it enters into the categories of miracles. Among his signs, peace be upon him, in answered supplication: When the Prophet, peace be upon him, recited: "By the star when it goes down" ²⁵, 'Utba ibn Abi Lahab said: "I disbelieve in Him who drew near and descended." The Prophet, peace be upon him, said: "O Allah, set upon him a dog from Your dogs," meaning a lion. So 'Utba went out with his companions on a caravan to Syria. When they were on their way, the lion roared, and 'Utba's limbs trembled. His companions said: "Why are you trembling? By Allah, we and you are the same." He said: "Muhammad invoked a curse upon me, and his supplication is not rejected, and I do not find anyone more truthful in speech than him." They set out the evening meal, but he did not put his hand in it. The people surrounded themselves with their belongings, placed them in the middle, and slept. The lion came, sniffing their heads one by one until it reached him, and crushed him with a crushing that was his end. While he was in his last breath, he said: "Did I not tell you that Muhammad is the most truthful of people in speech?" Among his signs, peace be upon him: The mockers among Quraysh, who were seven: al-Walid ibn al-Mughira, al-'As ibn Wa'il al-Sahmi, al-Aswad ibn 'Abd Yaghuth al-Zuhri, Fukayha ibn 'Amir al-Fihri, al-Harith ibn al-Talatila, al-Aswad ibn al-Harith, and Ibn 'Uyaytila, used to mock him frequently and continuously harm him. He would not recite except secretly, nor supplicate except in hiding. Then the verse was revealed: "And do not raise your voice in your prayer, nor lower it, but seek a way between that" ²⁶, meaning: do not raise your voice lest they harm you, nor lower it so that your companions cannot hear you, but seek a middle way between loudness and secrecy. When the harm became severe for his companions, he permitted them to emigrate to the land of Abyssinia, because its king was just, and he beseeched Allah Almighty to suffice him against them. Then the verse was revealed: "So proclaim what you are commanded and turn away from the polytheists. Indeed, We are sufficient for you against the mockers" ²⁷. In His saying: "So proclaim what you are commanded" there are two interpretations: One: Proceed with what you are commanded regarding the abolition of polytheism. Second: Make manifest what you are commanded of the truth. In His saying: "And turn away from the polytheists" there are two interpretations: One: Mock them. Second: Do not concern yourself with their mockery; We are sufficient for you against the mockers, meaning by hastening their destruction. As for al-Walid ibn al-Mughira, he put on a cloak, and thorns got caught in it. He went to sit down, and it cut his cephalic vein, causing him to bleed profusely, and he died instantly. As for al-'As ibn Wa'il, he stepped on a thorn, and his flesh fell from his bones, and he died that very day. As for al-Aswad ibn 'Abd Yaghuth, the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, had invoked blindness upon him and the loss of his child. He came to a branch with thorns, which struck his eye, and his eyeballs fell onto his face. His son Zam'a was killed at Badr. So Allah blinded his sight and bereaved him of his child. As for Fukayha ibn 'Amir, he went out heading for Ta'if, and he was lost and never found. As for al-Harith ibn al-Talatila, he went out for some need, and a hot wind struck him on the road, turning him black, and he died. As for al-Aswad ibn al-Harith, he ate salted fish, became very thirsty, and could not stop drinking water until his stomach burst, and he died. As for Ibn 'Uyaytila, he suffered from dropsy ²⁸ and died. Similar to this is what Ibn Mas'ud related: "We were with the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, praying in the shade of the Ka'ba, while some people of Quraysh and Abu Jahl had slaughtered a camel on the outskirts of Mecca. They sent for its uterus and intestines and placed them between his shoulders while he was prostrating. Fatima came and threw it off him. When he finished, he said: 'O Allah, upon You be Quraysh, and upon Abu Jahl, 'Utba, Shayba, al-Walid ibn 'Utba, Umayya ibn Khalaf, and 'Uqba ibn Abi Mu'ayt.'" 'Abdullah ibn Mas'ud said: "I saw them dead in the well of Badr." Among his signs, peace be upon him: Khabbab ibn al-Aratt came to him when the harm from Quraysh became severe and said: "O Messenger of Allah, supplicate to your Lord to grant us victory over Mudar." He said: "You are impatient. Indeed, before you, a man would be combed with iron combs until his flesh and nerves were stripped from his bones, and he would be sawn in half, yet that would not turn him away from his religion. But you are impatient. By Allah, this matter will certainly prevail until a rider travels from San'a to Hadramawt fearing none but Allah and the wolf for his sheep." Then he invoked against them, saying: "O Allah, make Your punishment severe upon Mudar and make it years of famine like the years of Joseph." So Allah withheld rain from them until trees died, fruits disappeared, the land became barren, livestock perished, they cooked the skin of the camel's hump, and ate 'alihz ²⁹. When the admonition reached its peak, they sought his compassion, so he showed compassion and beseeched Allah, and they received rain. Among his signs, peace be upon him: Ibn 'Abbas related: "It was said to 'Umar: 'Tell us about the affair of the army of distress.' 'Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, said: 'We went out with the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, in intense heat. We stopped at a place where we suffered from thirst until we feared our necks would be cut. A man would go to seek water and not return until we thought his neck would be cut. A man would slaughter his camel, squeeze its stomach contents, drink it, and then put the rest on his chest. Abu Bakr, may Allah be pleased with him, said: "O Messenger of Allah, Allah has accustomed you to good in supplication, so supplicate to Allah for us." He said: "Would you like that?" He said: "Yes." So the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, raised his hand and did not lower it until the clouds gathered, shaded them, and it rained until they were quenched and filled their containers. We went to look and found that it had not gone beyond the camp ³⁰.'" Among his signs, peace be upon him: Muslim al-Malali narrated from Anas ibn Malik: "A Bedouin came to the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, and said: 'O Messenger of Allah, we have come to you, and we have no camel that groans nor a child that drinks milk in the morning.' Then he recited..."

We have come to you, while the virgin ³¹ has milk in her breasts, and the mother of the child is distracted from her infant. The child, out of hunger, has thrown his hands in weakness—he cannot pass [food] nor find it sweet. There is nothing of what people eat with us except the common colocynth ³² and the lowest 'alhaz ³³. We have no refuge except to you, and where else can people flee except to the messengers? So the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, arose, dragging his cloak, until he ascended the pulpit. He praised and glorified God, then said: 'O God, send us a rain that is relieving, abundant, covering, not delaying, by which You cause the crops to grow, fill the udders, and revive the earth after its death—and likewise you will be brought forth [from the graves].' He had not finished the supplication when the sky met with its clouds, and the people of the outskirts came crying: 'O Messenger of God, flooding!' He said: 'Around us, not upon us.' Then the clouds dispersed from Medina like a crown. The Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, laughed until his molars appeared and said: 'Well done by Abu Talib ³⁴! If he were alive, his eyes would be delighted by the one who recites his poetry to us.' Then Ali ibn Abi Talib, may God honor his face, said: 'O Messenger of God, it seems you meant his words: And the white-faced one ³⁵ by whose face rain is sought from the clouds, the refuge of orphans, the protector of widows; the perishing from the clan of Hashim seek shelter in him, and they are in his grace and bounties. They have lied, by the House of God, we will defend Muhammad, and we have not yet fought and struggled for him. We will not surrender him until we fall around him, and we become heedless of our sons and wives.' Then a man from Kinana stood up and recited: 'To You be praise, and praise from one who is grateful; we were given rain by the face of the Prophet. He called upon God, his Creator, with a supplication, and raised his eyes to Him. It was no sooner than the meeting with death, and it hastened until we saw the pearls [of rain]. The clouds gathered, bringing abundant rain, by which God aided the high [tribe of] Mudar. And it was as his uncle Abu Talib said: the white-faced one with a blaze [on his forehead]; by him God sends the rain of the clouds—and this visible proof confirms that report.' The Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, said: 'If a poet does well, you have done well.' Among his signs, may God bless him and grant him peace, is what God Almighty manifested of His honor through his uncle al-Abbas ³⁶ when Umar, may God be pleased with him, sought rain through him, using his uncle as a means. The people had suffered drought, and Umar went out to seek rain through him, saying: 'O God, we draw near to You through the uncle of Your Prophet, the remnant of his fathers, and the elder of his men. So preserve, O God, Your Prophet through his uncle, for we have directed ourselves to You through him, seeking intercession and forgiveness.' Then al-Abbas, his eyes flowing with tears, said: 'O God, You are the Shepherd; do not neglect the lost flock. The young have become weak, the old have become frail, complaints have risen, and You know the secret and what is even more hidden. O God, grant them relief with Your relief before they despair and perish, for none despairs of Your mercy except the disbelieving people.' Then clouds formed and the sky poured rain, and the people began to wipe the corners of al-Abbas, saying: 'Blessings to you, the water-supplier of the two sanctuaries ³⁷.' Hassan ibn Thabit said: 'The Imam ³⁸ asked, when our drought had continued, and the clouds were made to rain by the bright face of al-Abbas, the uncle of the Prophet and the equal of his father, who inherited the Prophet through that, unlike others. God revived the land through him, so it became green after despair.' Then al-Fadl ibn al-Abbas ibn Abi Lahab ³⁹ boasted about that: 'By my uncle, God gave water to the Hijaz and its people, on the evening when Umar sought rain through his gray hair. Al-Abbas turned in the drought, supplicating, and he had not returned until the rain poured down.' Among his signs, may God bless him and grant him peace, is what is narrated that Asma bint Umays said to Fatima that Ali ibn Abi Talib, may God be pleased with them both, was with the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, when revelation came to him. He covered him with his garment, and he remained like that until the sun had set or was about to set. Then the revelation ceased from the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, and he said: 'Have you prayed, O Abu al-Hasan ⁴⁰?' He said: 'No.' He said: 'O God, return the sun to Ali.' So the sun returned until it reached the middle of the mosque.' Among his signs, may God bless him and grant him peace, is what is narrated from Ali ibn Abi Talib, may God honor his face, who said: 'The Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, sent me to Yemen. I said: O Messenger of God, you send me while I am young and have no knowledge of judgment? He said: Go, for God Almighty will guide your heart and make your tongue firm.' Ali, may God be pleased with him, said: 'After that, I never doubted in judging between two people.' That is why the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, said: 'The most knowledgeable among you in judgment is Ali.' Similarly, he said to Ibn Abbas, who was then a boy: 'O God, make him understand the religion and teach him interpretation ⁴¹.' So he became the most knowledgeable of people in religion and the most learned in interpretation, to the point that he was called 'the sea' for the vastness of his knowledge. Among his signs, may God bless him and grant him peace, is what Abu al-Aliyah narrated from Abu Hurayra, who said: 'I brought some dates to the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, and said: Pray to God for blessing in them. He arranged them in my hand, then prayed for blessing in them, then said: Put them in your bag, and when you want something, put your hand in it and do not scatter them.' Abu Hurayra said: 'I carried from those dates such-and-such loads in the way of God, and we ate from them and fed others, and they never left my waist. On the day of Uthman's murder, they broke and disappeared.' Among his signs, may God bless him and grant him peace, is what Ju'ayl al-Ashja'i narrated: 'I went on a campaign with the Messenger of God in one of his expeditions. He said: Go, O rider of the horse. I said: O Messenger of God, it is thin and weak. He raised a whip he had and struck it with it, saying: O God, bless him in it.' He said: 'I saw that I could not hold its head back from advancing ahead of the people, and I sold from its offspring for twelve thousand [dirhams].' Among his signs, may God bless him and grant him peace, is what Aisha, may God be pleased with her, narrated: 'The Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, arrived in Medina while it was the most fever-ridden land. He said: O God, make Medina beloved to us as You made Mecca beloved to us, and make it healthy for us, and bless us in its sa' ⁴² and its mudd ⁴³, and transfer its fever to al-Juhfa ⁴⁴.' So it became so. Among his signs, may God bless him and grant him peace, is that on the day of Badr, he took a handful of pebbles and dust and threw it at the faces of the people, saying: 'May the faces be disfigured.' The pebbles scattered among the polytheists, and none of those pebbles and dust reached anyone except that he was killed or captured. Concerning this, God Almighty revealed: 'You did not kill them, but God killed them; and you did not throw when you threw, but God threw' ⁴⁵. Among his signs, may God bless him and grant him peace, is that al-Tufayl ibn Amr al-Dawsi came to Mecca. He was a poet and intelligent. Quraysh said to him: 'Beware of Muhammad, for his speech is like magic, separating a man from his wife.' So he came to him in his house and said: 'O Muhammad, present your matter.' He presented Islam to him and recited the Quran to him, and he embraced Islam. He said: 'O Messenger of God, I am a man obeyed among my people, and I am returning to them and calling them to Islam. So pray to God to give me a sign that will help me against them.' He said: 'O God, give him a sign.' He said: 'I left, and when I reached the mountain pass, a light appeared between my eyes like a lamp. I said: O God, let it be in a place other than my face, for I fear they might think it is a disfigurement. So it moved and settled at the top of my whip. Those present saw that light on my whip like a hanging lantern as I descended from the pass. Then I called the leaders of my people to Islam, but they delayed. So I came to the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, and said: O Messenger of God, they have overcome me regarding Daws, so pray to God against them. He said: O God, guide Daws. Return to your people and call them to God, and be gentle with them.' So I returned to them and continued calling them in the land of Daws until they embraced Islam.' Among his signs, may God bless him and grant him peace, is what Abu Nahik al-Azdi narrated from Amr ibn Akhtab, who said: 'The Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, asked for water. I brought him a vessel with water in which there was a hair. I removed it and then handed it to him. He said: O God, make him handsome. He said: I saw him after ninety-three [years], with no white hair on his head or beard.' The Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, forbade a man from smoothing his hair during prayer. He saw a man smoothing his hair during prayer and said: 'May God disfigure your hair,' and he became bald on the spot. If it is said: The answering of supplications is not a miracle of prophethood, because the supplication of non-prophets may also be answered. It is said: The supplications of the prophets are answered generally in all of them, while the supplications of others, if answered, are specific in some of them. Because the prophets speak the truth, and when their tongues utter supplication, it coincides with what they are commanded, so they are answered. Others may speak truth and falsehood. If their supplications are answered, it is a favor that depends on the will of God Almighty. Chapter Twelve: On His Warnings, May God Bless Him and Grant Him Peace, of What Would Happen After Him. Fadala ibn Abi Fadala al-Ansari narrated: 'I went out with my father to Yanbu' to visit Ali ibn Abi Talib, may God be pleased with him, who was ill there. My father said to him: O Abu al-Hasan, what keeps you in this town? I fear that death might overtake you, and no one would attend to you except the Bedouins of Juhayna. If you would go to Medina, if death overtakes you, your companions would attend to you and pray over you. He said: O Abu Fadala! My beloved and cousin, the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, told me that I will not die until I am given command, and I will not die until I kill the rebellious group, and I will not die until this [beard] is dyed with this [blood]—and he struck his hand on his beard and head—a decree decreed and a covenant made, and those who fabricate lies have failed.' Among his warnings, may God bless him and grant him peace, is what Abu Salama narrated from Abu Hurayra, who said: 'The Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, entered with Mariya the Copt ⁴⁶ into the house of Hafsa bint Umar. She found him with her, laughing with her. She said: O Messenger of God, in my house, apart from the houses of your wives? He said: She is forbidden to me to touch. Then he said to her: O Hafsa, shall I give you good news? She said: Yes, may my father and mother be sacrificed for you. He said: This matter [of leadership] after me will be taken by Abu Bakr, your father. Keep this secret. She went out and entered upon Aisha and said: Shall I give you good news, O daughter of Abu Bakr? She said: Of what? So she mentioned that to her and said: He asked me to keep it secret, so keep it secret. Then God revealed: 'O Prophet, why do you forbid what God has made lawful to you, seeking the pleasure of your wives?' ⁴⁷ Among his warnings: What Muadh ibn Jabal narrated: 'The Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, sent me to Yemen. He went out with me, advising me. When he finished, he said: O Muadh, perhaps you will not meet me after this, and perhaps you will pass by my mosque and my pulpit. Muadh wept. Then the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, turned and faced toward Medina and said: These people of my household think they are the most entitled to me, but that is not so. The most entitled to me are the God-fearing, wherever they may be. O God, I do not make lawful for them the corruption of what I have set right.' Among his warnings, may God bless him and grant him peace, is what Abdullah ibn Abbas narrated: 'I was sitting with the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, when Uthman approached. When he drew near, he said: O Uthman, you will be killed while reciting Surah al-Baqara ⁴⁸. A drop of your blood will fall on me, and God will suffice you against them. The people of the East and West will envy you, and you will be raised on the Day of Resurrection as a commander over the forsaken.' Among his warnings, may God bless him and grant him peace, is what Jabir ibn Abdullah narrated: 'The Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, said: Whoever wishes to see a martyr walking on the face of the earth, let him look at Talha ibn Ubaydullah.' Among his warnings, may God bless him and grant him peace, is what is narrated that he said to Fatima, may God be pleased with her: 'You are the first of my household to join me, and what an excellent predecessor I am for you.' So she was the first of his household to die after him, may God bless him and grant him peace.

Among his warnings, peace be upon him, is what was narrated by Abdullah ibn Abbas: The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said to his wives: "I wonder which of you will be the owner of the camel with the cut ear, who will go out and be barked at by the dogs of Haw'ab, and many will be killed to her right and left, and she will be saved after nearly being killed." It is said that when Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her, reached the waters of Bani Amir at night, the dogs barked at her. She asked, "What is this?" They said, "Haw'ab." She said, "I think I should return, for the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said to us one day: 'How will it be with one of you when the dogs of Haw'ab bark at her?'" Among his warnings, peace be upon him, is what was narrated by Thabit from al-Hasan al-Basri: Al-Hasan ibn Ali, may Allah be pleased with them both, would come while the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, was prostrating, and he would sit on his neck. When he wanted to raise his head, he would take him and place him in his lap, then say: "This son of mine is a master, and Allah will bring reconciliation through him between two great factions of Muslims." Among his warnings, peace be upon him, is what was narrated by Urwa from Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her: Al-Husayn ibn Ali, may Allah be pleased with them both, entered upon the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, while he was receiving revelation. He knelt on his back while he was prostrating and played on his back. Gabriel said, "O Muhammad, your community will be tested after you, and this son of yours will be killed after you." He extended his hand and brought a white soil and said, "In this land your son will be killed; its name is Taff." When Gabriel left, the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, went out to his companions with the soil in his hand, among them Abu Bakr, Umar, Ali, Hudhayfa, Ammar, and Abu Dharr, and he was weeping. They said, "What makes you weep, O Messenger of Allah?" He said, "Gabriel informed me that my son al-Husayn will be killed after me in the land of Taff, and he brought me this soil and informed me that his resting place is in it." Among his warnings, peace be upon him, is that when al-Hajjaj killed Abdullah ibn al-Zubayr, he entered upon his mother Asma bint Abi Bakr and said to her, "The Commander of the Faithful has instructed me regarding you; do you have any need?" She said, "I have no need, but wait until I tell you something I heard from the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, who said: 'From Thaqif will emerge a liar and a destroyer ⁴⁹. As for the liar, we have seen him—meaning al-Mukhtar—and as for the destroyer, it is you.'" Al-Hajjaj said, "I am the destroyer of the hypocrites." Among his warnings, peace be upon him, is what was narrated by Abd al-Malik ibn Umayr: Muawiya, may Allah be pleased with him, said, "By Allah, nothing made me accept the caliphate except the words of the Prophet, peace be upon him, to me: 'O Muawiya, if you are given authority, do good.'" Among his warnings, peace be upon him, is what was narrated by Abdullah ibn Abbas from his father: The Prophet, peace be upon him, looked at him as he approached and said, "This is my uncle, the father of the forty caliphs, the most generous of Quraysh in hand, and from his offspring are al-Saffah, al-Mansur, and al-Mahdi. O uncle, through me Allah opened this matter, and through a man from your offspring it will be sealed." And many similar instances. Chapter Thirteen: On the miracle of the Prophet, peace be upon him, through what appeared from animals. If the miracle is a breach of custom, it is not impossible for what contradicts it to appear. And if animals are devoid of understanding and speech, it is not inconceivable that if Allah wills to manifest a miracle through them, He grants them knowledge to speak what He inspires them and inform of what He teaches them, then removes it so they return to their nature, just as He made the tree speak to Moses and the staff become a serpent to be among the brilliant signs and overwhelming miracles. Among his signs, peace be upon him: A man was tending his sheep when he neglected them for a while, and a wolf snatched a sheep. He began to lament, so the wolf dropped the sheep and spoke to him with eloquent speech, saying, "Woe to you, why do you prevent me from sustenance that Allah has provided me?" Ahban began to clap his hands and said, "By Allah, I have never seen a wolf speaking!" The wolf said, "You are amazed, but in your affair is a lesson: Muhammad is calling to the truth in the valley of Mecca, and you are heedless of him." So the man was guided to his right path, came and embraced Islam, and told the people his story. His descendants retained honor, boasting of it over the Arabs, and their proud one would say, "I am the son of the one to whom the wolf spoke." Among his signs, peace be upon him: What was narrated by Abu Sa'id al-Khudri: While a shepherd was tending sheep in the Harra ⁵⁰, a wolf came to a sheep from his flock. He scolded it, and the shepherd intervened between the wolf and the sheep. The wolf sat on its tail and said to the shepherd, "Do you not fear Allah, preventing me from sustenance that Allah has sent to me?" The shepherd said, "Amazing! A wolf sitting on its tail speaking to me like a human!" The wolf said, "Shall I tell you of something more amazing? The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, is between the two Harras ⁵¹ telling the people of the news of what has passed." So the shepherd took the sheep and came to Medina, and came to the Prophet, peace be upon him. He went out to the people and said to the shepherd, "Stand and tell them." He stood and told them. He said, "The shepherd has spoken the truth. His name was Umayr al-Ta'i, and he was called 'Muslim al-Dhi'b' (the Muslim of the wolf)." Among his signs, peace be upon him: What was narrated by Ibn Umar from his father Umar, may Allah be pleased with them both: The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, was in a gathering of his companions when a Bedouin came who had caught a dabb ⁵² and put it in his sleeve to take and eat it. When he saw the gathering, he said, "What is this?" They said, "The Prophet, peace be upon him." He came pushing through the people and said, "By al-Lat and al-Uzza, there is no one more hateful to me than you, and were it not that my people would call me hasty, I would hasten to kill you." Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, said, "O Messenger of Allah, let me get up and kill him." He said, "O Umar, do you not know that the forbearing one is almost a prophet?" Then he said to the Bedouin, "What made you say what you said?" He said, "By al-Lat and al-Uzza, I will not believe until this dabb believes in you." He took out the dabb from his sleeve and threw it before the Prophet, peace be upon him. The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said, "O dabb." The dabb answered him in clear Arabic that all the people heard: "At your service and your pleasure, O adornment of those who stand on the Day of Resurrection." He said, "Whom do you worship?" It said, "The One whose throne is in heaven, whose authority is on earth, whose mercy is in Paradise, and whose punishment is in Hell." He said, "Who am I, O dabb?" It said, "The Messenger of the Lord of the worlds, and the Seal of the Prophets. Successful is he who believes you, and lost is he who denies you." The Bedouin said, "No, no, I do not follow a trace after sight. By Allah, I came to you with no one on earth more hateful to me than you, and today you are more beloved to me than myself and my parents. I love you inwardly and outwardly, secretly and openly. I bear witness that there is no god but Allah and that you are Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah." He, peace be upon him, said, "Praise be to Allah who has guided you through me. This religion prevails and is not prevailed over." The Bedouin returned to his people and told them the story. He was from Banu Sulaym. A thousand of them came to the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, and he ordered them to be under the banner of Khalid ibn al-Walid, may Allah have mercy on him. No thousand from the Arabs believed at one time other than them. Among his signs, peace be upon him: What was narrated by Anas ibn Malik: The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, entered a garden ⁵³ of the Ansar with Abu Bakr, may Allah be pleased with him. In the garden was a she-goat, and it prostrated to him. Abu Bakr said, "O Messenger of Allah, we are more deserving of prostrating to you than this she-goat." He said, "It is not fitting for anyone to prostrate to anyone. If it were fitting for anyone to prostrate to anyone, I would have commanded women to prostrate to their husbands ⁵⁴." Among his signs, peace be upon him: What was narrated by Abdullah ibn Abi Awfa: While we were sitting with the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, a man came and said, "O Messenger of Allah, the camel ⁵⁵ of so-and-so's family has become galled ⁵⁶." He stood up, and we stood with him. We said, "O Messenger of Allah, do not approach it, for we fear it for you." He approached the camel. When the camel saw him, it prostrated to him. He placed his hand on the camel's head and said, "Bring the knife." He placed it on its head and advised them to treat it well. Among his signs, peace be upon him: What was narrated by Jubayr ibn Mut'im: We were sitting before an idol of ours a month before the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, was sent. We slaughtered a camel and heard a caller calling, "Listen to the wonder! The eavesdropping of the jinn has ceased for a prophet in Mecca named Ahmad, who will emigrate to Yathrib." This was among the warning signs and glad tidings. Among his signs, peace be upon him: While he was sitting with his companions, a camel came bellowing and stopped. The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said, "Do you know what this says? It says, 'I belong to so-and-so's family, a clan of the Khazraj. They worked me and exhausted me until I became old and weak. When they found no trick, they wanted to slaughter me. So I seek your help against them.'" The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, stopped it and sent for them, asking them to give it to him. They gave it to him, and he let it loose in the clan. Among his signs, peace be upon him: What was narrated by Burd from Makhul: While the people of Daryah, a clan of the Arabs of Yemen, were in their gathering, a calf came and greeted them and asked them, "O people of Daryah, a successful matter is being proclaimed in the valley of Mecca with a clear tongue, bearing witness that there is no god but Allah. So respond to it." And they did. In this regard, the saying of Allah Almighty was revealed: "Our Lord, indeed we have heard a caller calling to faith, [saying], 'Believe in your Lord,' and we have believed ⁵⁷." If it is said that what was heard from the speech of animals might be like an echo that imitates the speaker's words, so the hearer thinks it is the speech of the echo, but it is the speaker's speech, and that occurs through a power that Allah creates in the one prepared for it, hidden from hearing and sight, then there are two answers: First, the echo imitates audible speech when it faces it before its sound and imitates it, but the animal's speech does not face speech that imitates it, so similarity is impossible. Second, the prepared power is not of the kind of human powers, so there is no miracle in superiority; rather, it is outside the kind of their powers, so it is beyond their ability. What is beyond human ability is miraculous. If this objection were valid, it would invalidate the objection. Chapter Fourteen: On the manifestation of his miracle, peace be upon him, from trees and inanimate objects. If knowledge from inanimate objects is more remote and speech from them is stranger, it is neither impossible nor strange that Allah creates in them signs beyond custom, by which Allah proves to those who see and supports those who seek help.

Among His signs (peace be upon him) is what the transmitters of reports have narrated from Ali ibn Abi Talib (may Allah ennoble his face) that he delivered to the people his well-known sermon called "al-Nasi'ah" (The Clear), in which he said: "Praise be to Allah, Who knows the hidden secrets of hearts and the concealed matters of the unseen. O people, fear Allah, and do not become adversaries to His blessings upon you, nor envious of His favor towards you, and do not obey the foundation of wickedness and the saddles of disobedience. For Allah, the Exalted, tests His servants who are arrogant in themselves through His friends who are deemed weak in their eyes. Do you not see that He tested the earlier ones from the time of Adam to the later ones of this world with various kinds of hardships, and obligated them with diverse forms of struggle, so that He might make these doors opened to His favor and causes leading to His forgiveness? So beware of the exemplary punishments that befell the nations before you due to evil deeds and blameworthy actions, lest you become like them. For they were in disturbed states, divided hands, scattered communities, in perpetual tribulation and layers of ignorance—from buried infant girls, worshipped idols, severed wombs, and kindled raids. So look at the places of Allah's blessings upon them when He sent to them a messenger: how the blessing spread over them the wing of its generosity, and flowed for them the streams of its bliss. Thus they became rulers over the worlds and kings in the regions of the earth, controlling affairs over those who had controlled them, and executing judgments over those who had executed them over them. And I was with the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) when the chiefs of Quraysh came to him and said: 'O Muhammad, you have claimed something great that neither your fathers nor anyone of your household claimed. We ask you for something: if you answer us and show it to us, we will know that you are a prophet and messenger; but if you do not, we will know that you are a sorcerer and a liar.' He said to them: 'What do you ask?' They said: 'Call this tree for us until it uproots itself and stands before you.' The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: 'Indeed, Allah is over all things powerful. If Allah does this for you, will you believe and bear witness to the truth?' They said: 'Yes.' He said: 'Then I will show you what you seek, and I know that you will not return to good, and that among you is one who will be thrown into the well (of Badr), and one who will gather the parties (against me).' Then he said: 'O tree, if you believe in Allah and the Last Day, and know that I am the Messenger of Allah, then uproot yourself and stand before me by Allah's permission.' Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) said: 'By Him Who sent him with the truth, it uprooted itself and came, with a loud roaring and a cracking like the cracking of birds' wings, until it stood before the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), swaying, and it cast its upper part upon him and some of its branches upon my shoulder—and I was on his right. When the people saw that, they said, out of pride and arrogance: "Command it to bring half of itself to you and leave half." So he commanded it, and half of it came with the most wondrous approach and the loudest roaring, and it almost wrapped itself around the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him). Then they said, in disbelief and obstinacy: "Command this half to return to its other half as it was." So he commanded it, and it returned. Then I said: "There is no god but Allah; I am the first to believe in you, O Messenger of Allah, and the first to affirm that the tree did what it did by Allah's command, in confirmation of your prophethood and veneration of your word." Then all the people said: "O sorcerer, liar, wondrous in sorcery, skillful in it! Would anyone believe you in this matter except someone like this?"—pointing at me. And this was narrated by a preacher publicly, and it is rare that such a gathering would be free of those who know the truth of it from its falsehood; yet they were unanimously in agreement on its authenticity, and if not, rejection would have appeared, even if rarely. And this is among the most profound of his signs and the clearest of his miracles. Among his signs (peace be upon him) is what Abdullah ibn Buraydah narrated from his father, who said: "A Bedouin came to the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) and said: 'O Muhammad, is there any sign in what you call to?' He said: 'Yes. Go to that tree and say to it: "The Messenger of Allah calls you." So it swayed to its right, left, and front, and its roots were severed, then it came, plowing the ground, until it stood before him.' The Bedouin said: 'Command it to return to its place of growth.' So he commanded it, and it returned to its place of growth. The Bedouin said: 'Permit me to prostrate to you.' He said: 'If I were to command anyone to prostrate to anyone, I would command a woman to prostrate to her husband.' He said: 'Then permit me to kiss your hands and feet.' So he permitted him." Among his signs (peace be upon him) is what Ya'la ibn Shababah narrated, who said: "I was with the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) on a journey, and he wanted to relieve himself. He commanded two young palm trees, and they joined together, one to the other. Then, after relieving himself, he commanded them to return to their places of growth, and they returned." Among his signs (peace be upon him) is what Ali ibn Abi Talib (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated, who said: "We were with the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) in Mecca, and he went out to one of its areas. No tree or rock faced him except that it said: 'Peace be upon you, O Messenger of Allah.'" Among his signs (peace be upon him) is that he passed during the expedition of Ta'if through a thicket of acacia trees, and he walked while drowsy from sleep. A lote tree obstructed him, and the lote tree split into two halves for him, and he passed between its two halves. The lote tree remained split on two trunks until near our times, and it was known for that in its place, with every passerby seeking blessings from it, and they called it "the Prophet's Lote Tree" (peace be upon him). Among his signs (peace be upon him) is what Suhayl ibn Abi Salih narrated from his father, from Abu Hurayrah, who said: "The Prophet (peace be upon him) ascended Mount Hira, with him being Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman, Ali, Abd al-Rahman, al-Zubayr, Talhah, and Sa'd. The mountain shook, so the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: 'Be still, Hira, for upon you is none but a prophet, a truthful one, or a martyr.' So the mountain became still." Among his signs (peace be upon him) is what Jabir ibn Abdullah narrated, who said: "The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) had qualities: he never passed through a path that anyone followed except that they knew he had taken it from the fragrance of his scent, and he never passed by a stone or a tree except that it prostrated to him." Among his signs (peace be upon him) is what Thabit narrated from Anas, who said: "We were with the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), and he took a handful of pebbles. They glorified Allah in his hand until we heard the glorification. Then he poured them into Abu Bakr's hand, and they glorified Allah in his hand until we heard the glorification. Then he poured them into our hands, but they did not glorify Allah in our hands." Among his signs (peace be upon him) is what Jabir ibn Samurah narrated, who said: "The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: 'I know a stone in Mecca that used to greet me with peace.'" Among his signs (peace be upon him) is that Ukashah ibn Mihsan's sword broke in his hand on the day of Badr. The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) handed him a piece of wood and said: 'Fight the disbelievers with it, O Ukashah.' It turned into a sword in his hand, and he fought with it until Tulayhah killed him during the apostasy." Among his signs (peace be upon him) is that he used to deliver sermons leaning against a palm trunk. When a pulpit was made for him, he moved from the trunk to it, and the trunk yearned for him until he embraced it, and it became still. Among his signs (peace be upon him) is that Mukriz al-Amiri came to him and said: 'Do you have any proof by which we may know that you are the Messenger of Allah?' So he called for nine pebbles, and they glorified Allah in his hand, and he heard their sounds from their solidity. This is more profound than Jesus's raising of the dead." Among his signs (peace be upon him) is that when he besieged Ta'if, they roasted a lamb for him, and its foreleg spoke to him, saying: 'Do not eat me, for I am poisoned.' This is analogous to raising the dead." Among his signs (peace be upon him) is that when revelation first came to him, he did not pass by a stone or a clod of earth except that it greeted him with prophethood. This is analogous to Allah's words to David: "O mountains, repeat [praises] with him, and the birds" (Quran 34:10). Among his signs (peace be upon him) is what Hamzah ibn Amr al-Aslami narrated, who said: "We set out with the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) on a dark night, and his fingers shone with light." Among his signs (peace be upon him) is what Ibrahim ibn Alqamah narrated from Abdullah ibn Mas'ud, who said: "You consider signs as punishment, but we used to consider them as blessings during the time of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him). We used to eat food with the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) while we heard the food glorifying Allah." If it is said: "It is possible that this is imagined by the observer, just as the rider of a ship imagines the movement of palm trees and trees," there are two responses to this: First: Even if it is imagined by the rider of a ship, it is not imagined by others, whether standing or sitting, whereas this is verified by every observer, regardless of their different states. Second: The rider of a ship knows that it is an imagination, not a known reality, whereas this is known, not imagined. If it is said: "It is possible that there is a property in the essence of substances that attracts palm trees and trees, just as the property of a magnet attracts iron," there are two responses to this: First: The property of the magnet has been known and manifested, but it has not been known in other things, so it has not been found. If it existed, kings would be most capable of it, and it would be stored in their treasuries, just as every rare and curious thing is stored, and it would be possible to claim something similar in the transformation of essences and the nullification of realities. Second: If it were due to a property of the substance that attracts, it would attract by its appearance and act by contact with the palm trees and trees, and it would not transfer from one to another. All of this is absent here, even if it exists in the magnet. Chapter Fifteen: The Glad Tidings of the Prophets (peace be upon them) of His Prophethood (peace be upon him) Indeed, Allah, the Exalted, provides support for His commands and suffices against His prohibitions. Thus, the prophets of Allah were supported in establishing prophethood by the glad tidings that preceded it and the signs and rituals that manifested it, so that the earlier one might be a bringer of good news and a warner, and the later one a confirmer and a supporter. Thus, through them, the obedience of creation endures, and through them, the continuity of truth is organized. The glad tidings of the earlier prophets of the prophethood of Muhammad (peace be upon him) have already been mentioned, which serve as a proof for their nations and a miracle indicating his truthfulness to others, through what Allah revealed to him of His unseen, to be a support for the messenger and an encouragement for acceptance. Among these are the glad tidings of Moses (peace be upon him) in the Torah: The first of them is in the ninth chapter of the first book: "When Hagar fled from Sarah, an angel appeared to her and said: 'O Hagar, servant of Sarah, return to your mistress and submit to her, for Allah will multiply your seed and offspring until they cannot be counted for multitude. Behold, you are pregnant and will bear a son, and you shall call him Ishmael, because Allah has heard your humility. He will be the eye of the people, and his hand will be above all, and the hands of all will be extended to him in submission.' This was not fulfilled in any of Ishmael's descendants except the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), for before him they were subdued, but through him they became subduers." Another: His statement in this book to Abraham when he prayed for Ishmael: "I have blessed him and multiplied him and made him very, very great. He will father twelve princes, and I will make him a great nation." None of Ishmael's descendants was made a great nation except Muhammad (peace be upon him). Another: In the eleventh chapter of the fifth book of Moses (peace be upon him):

1. istifāḍa : Widely disseminated reports that spread from many sources without intentional coordination, producing certain knowledge.
2. tawātur : Reports transmitted by a large number of narrators in each generation, precluding collusion in falsehood, yielding certain knowledge.
3. āḥād bi-qarāʾin : Solitary reports accompanied by supporting evidence that raises them to the level of certainty.
4. āḥād mujarrada : Solitary reports without any supporting evidence, yielding only probability.
5. zakāt : Obligatory alms-giving, one of the Five Pillars of Islam.
6. ḍarūrī : Necessary knowledge that is immediate and unavoidable, like sensory perception.
7. iktisābī : Acquired knowledge obtained through reasoning and inference.
8. Imāmiyya : Twelver Shīʿa, who believe in twelve infallible Imams.
9. Ḍirār ibn ʿAmr : An early Muʿtazilī theologian (d. ca. 815 CE).
10. ẓann : Probable opinion or conjecture, as opposed to certain knowledge.
11. al-Madāʾin : The ancient capital of the Sasanian Empire, near modern Baghdad.
12. ẓaʿīna : A camel litter or howdah used by women for travel.
13. al-Ḥīra : An ancient city in Iraq, capital of the Lakhmids.
14. Qurʾān 9:33 : The verse: 'It is He who sent His Messenger with guidance and the religion of truth to manifest it over all religion.'
15. Kisrā : Title of the Sasanian emperor of Persia.
16. Shīrawaih : Kavadh II, son of Khosrow II, who overthrew and killed his father.
17. abnāʾ : Descendants of Persian soldiers who settled in Yemen.
18. al-ʿAnsī : A false prophet in Yemen during the Prophet's lifetime.
19. Negus : Title of the ruler of Abyssinia (Ethiopia).
20. takbīr : The phrase 'Allāhu Akbar' (God is greatest), said during prayer.
21. Qurʾān 3:199 : The verse: 'And indeed, among the People of the Scripture are those who believe in God and what has been revealed to you and what has been revealed to them.'
22. Dhī Qār : A battle between Arabs and Persians around 609 CE, before Islam.
23. Muʾta : A battle in 629 CE between Muslims and Byzantines, where three Muslim commanders were killed.
24. zawwartu : Concealed in one's mind; inner thoughts.
25. Wa al-najmi idha hawa : Quran 53:1: 'By the star when it goes down.'
26. Wa la tajhar bi salatika wa la tukhafit biha wa ibtaghi bayna dhalika sabila : Quran 17:110: 'And do not raise your voice in your prayer, nor lower it, but seek a way between that.'
27. Fa isda' bima tu'maru wa a'rid 'ani al-mushrikeen inna kafaynaka al-mustahzi'een : Quran 15:94-95: 'So proclaim what you are commanded and turn away from the polytheists. Indeed, We are sufficient for you against the mockers.'
28. istisqa : Dropsy; a condition of abnormal fluid accumulation.
29. al-'alihz : A mixture of blood and camel hair eaten during famine.
30. al-'askar : The army or camp.
31. al-ʿadhrāʾ : The virgin; here referring to a young woman who has not yet married or given birth.
32. al-ḥanẓal al-ʿāmmī : Common colocynth; a bitter, wild gourd used as a metaphor for scarcity.
33. al-ʿahlaz al-suflī : The lowest type of 'alhaz; a plant or food of poor quality, possibly a type of herb or grain.
34. Abū Ṭālib : The uncle of the Prophet Muhammad and father of Ali; he supported the Prophet but did not convert to Islam.
35. al-abyaḍ : The white-faced one; a reference to the Prophet Muhammad, describing his radiant complexion.
36. al-ʿAbbās : The uncle of the Prophet Muhammad; an ancestor of the Abbasid caliphs.
37. sāqī al-ḥaramayn : Water-supplier of the two sanctuaries; a title for the one who provides water to pilgrims in Mecca and Medina.
38. al-imām : Here referring to Umar ibn al-Khattab, the second caliph, who led the prayer for rain.
39. al-Faḍl ibn al-ʿAbbās ibn Abī Lahab : A companion of the Prophet; note that his father is Abi Lahab, an uncle of the Prophet who opposed Islam.
40. Abū al-Ḥasan : A kunya (patronymic) of Ali ibn Abi Talib, meaning 'father of Hasan'.
41. al-taʾwīl : Interpretation; specifically, the esoteric or allegorical interpretation of the Quran.
42. ṣāʿ : A unit of volume used for measuring grains, approximately 2.5-3 kg.
43. mudd : A unit of volume, about 0.5-0.75 liters.
44. al-Juḥfa : A location near Mecca, known for its unhealthy climate; the Prophet prayed to transfer Medina's fever there.
45. Qurʾān 8:17 : The verse from Surah al-Anfal, referring to the Battle of Badr.
46. Māriya al-Qibṭiyya : A Coptic Christian slave girl given to the Prophet as a gift; she became his concubine and mother of his son Ibrahim.
47. Qurʾān 66:1 : The verse from Surah al-Tahrim, addressing the Prophet's prohibition of what God had made lawful.
48. Sūrat al-Baqara : The second chapter of the Quran; Uthman was known for reciting it.
49. مبير : A destroyer; one who causes destruction.
50. الحرة : A volcanic rocky area; a tract of black stones.
51. الحرتين : Dual of al-Harra; referring to two volcanic tracts near Medina.
52. ضبا : A dabb; a type of large lizard (Uromastyx).
53. حائطا : A walled garden or orchard.
54. تسجد لزوجها : Prostrate to her husband; a metaphorical expression for extreme respect, not literal prostration.
55. ناضح : A camel used for drawing water.
56. دبر : To become galled or sore on the back from load or saddle.
57. رَبَّنا إِنَّنا سَمِعْنا مُنادِياً يُنادِي لِلْإِيمانِ أَنْ آمِنُوا بِرَبِّكُمْ فَآمَنَّا : Quran 3:193: 'Our Lord, indeed we have heard a caller calling to faith, [saying], "Believe in your Lord," and we have believed.'

The eleventh chapter concerns what he, peace and blessings be upon him, was honored with…

The eleventh chapter concerns what he, peace and blessings be upon him, was honored with regarding the answering of his supplications.

Peace (Indeed the Lord your God said: I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brothers; I will put my words in his mouth, and whoever does not listen to my words that he speaks in my name, I will take vengeance on him.) And it is known that the brothers of the Children of Israel are the Children of Ishmael, and among them none appeared upon whose mouth the words of God Almighty were placed except Muhammad, peace be upon him ¹. Among them: In the twentieth chapter of this book (The Lord came from Sinai and dawned from Seir; he shone forth from Mount Paran, and with him were myriads of holy ones; he gave them to the peoples and blessed all his saints.) So the coming of God Almighty from Sinai is His sending down the Torah to Moses; His dawning from Seir is His sending down the Gospel to Jesus, because he was in Seir, the land of Hebron, in the village of Nazareth; and His shining forth from Mount Paran is His sending down the Quran to Muhammad, peace be upon him. Paran is the mountains of Mecca according to all. If they deny, it would be a rejection of what is in the Torah, and because no religion has triumphed as it triumphed from there, so denial is refuted by sight. [Section on the Glad Tidings of Him] Between Moses and Jesus, there were sixteen prophets who were given books by the consensus of the People of the Two Books ²; their books appeared among the Children of Israel, and many of them gave glad tidings of the prophethood of Muhammad, peace be upon him. Among them: Isaiah ³ son of Amoz said in the twenty-second chapter (Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you. For behold, darkness covers the earth, and thick darkness the peoples; but the Lord will arise upon you, and his glory will be seen upon you. Nations shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising. Lift up your eyes around and see; they all gather together, they come to you; your sons shall come from afar, and your daughters shall be carried on the hip. Then you shall see and be radiant; your heart shall thrill and exult, because the abundance of the sea shall be turned to you, the wealth of the nations shall come to you. A multitude of camels shall cover you, the young camels of Midian and Ephah; all those from Sheba shall come. They shall bring gold and frankincense, and shall bring good news of the praises of the Lord. All the flocks of Kedar shall be gathered to you) meaning the sheep of the Arabs, because they are from the children of Kedar ⁴ son of Ishmael (and they shall offer up acceptable sacrifices on my altar; and I will glorify my glorious house.) All these attributes are found in Mecca; what called to it was the truth, and the one who established it was the truth. In another chapter of his book: (The Lord said to me, Go, set a watchman; let him announce what he sees. When he sees riders, horsemen in pairs, riders on donkeys, riders on camels, let him listen diligently, very diligently. Then he saw a chariot with horsemen in pairs, a chariot of donkeys, and a chariot of camels. And he said, Fallen, fallen is Babylon; and all the carved images of her gods he has shattered to the ground. This is what I have heard from the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, and I have told you.) In the sixteenth chapter ⁵ (The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad; the desert shall rejoice and blossom like the crocus; it shall blossom abundantly and rejoice with joy and singing. The glory of Lebanon shall be given to it, the majesty of Carmel and Sharon. They shall see the glory of the Lord, the majesty of our God.) Isaiah said: And his authority is upon his shoulder, meaning the sign of his prophethood on his shoulder. This is the description of Muhammad, peace be upon him, and the desert of Hijaz. In the nineteenth chapter: (A voice cries: In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low; the uneven ground shall become level, and the rough places a plain. And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together.) In the twentieth chapter, which is mentioned in Psalm 53 and 150 of David: (Let the wilderness and its cities lift up their voice, the villages that Kedar inhabits; let the inhabitants of Sela sing for joy, let them shout from the top of the mountains. Give glory to the Lord, and declare his praise in the coastlands. The Lord goes out like a mighty man, like a man of war he stirs up his zeal; he cries out, he shouts aloud, he shows himself mighty against his foes.) The land of Kedar is the land of the Arabs, because they are the children of Kedar. The meadows are what became around Mecca of palm trees, trees, and springs. In the twenty-first chapter also: (The poor and needy seek water, and there is none; their tongue is parched with thirst. I the Lord will answer them; I will not forsake them. I will open rivers on the bare heights, and fountains in the midst of the valleys. I will make the wilderness a pool of water, and the dry land springs of water. I will put in the wilderness the cedar, the acacia, the myrtle, and the olive. I will set in the desert the cypress, the plane and the pine together, that they may see and know, may consider and understand together, that the hand of the Lord has done this, the Holy One of Israel has created it.) These are descriptions of the land of the Arabs in what God Almighty brought about for them through their Islam. From the glad tidings of Joel ⁶ son of Pethuel, one of the prophets of the Children of Israel Like the dawn spread upon the mountains, a great and strong people; such as never has been in ancient times, nor ever shall be again. Before them fire devours, and behind them a flame burns. The land is like the garden of Eden before them, but behind them a desolate wilderness, and nothing escapes them. Their appearance is like the appearance of horses, and like war horses they run. Like the noise of chariots on the tops of the mountains they leap, like the crackling of a flame of fire devouring the stubble, like a powerful army drawn up for battle. Before them peoples are in anguish; all faces grow pale. The earth quakes before them; the heavens tremble. The sun and the moon are darkened, and the stars withdraw their shining. The Lord utters his voice before his army, for his camp is exceedingly great; he who executes his word is powerful. For the day of the Lord is great and very awesome; who can endure it? This is a description of the Messenger of God, peace be upon him. From the glad tidings of Obadiah ⁷, one of the prophets of the Children of Israel In his book: (We have heard a report from the Lord, and a messenger has been sent among the nations. Then war is brought against him, O you who dwell in the clefts of the rock, whose habitation is high; for the day of the Lord is near upon all the nations.) This is alluded to in his prophecy. From the glad tidings of Micah ⁸, one of the prophets of the Children of Israel, in his book (Now she will be given up until the time when she who is in labor gives birth; then the rest of his brothers shall return to the people of Israel. And he shall stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God. And they shall dwell secure, for now he shall be great to the ends of the earth. And he shall be the one of peace.) From the glad tidings of Habakkuk ⁹, one of the prophets of the Children of Israel (God came from Teman, and the Holy One from Mount Paran. His splendor covered the heavens, and the earth was full of his praise. His brightness was like the light; rays flashed from his hand; and there he veiled his power. Before him went pestilence, and plague followed at his heels. He stood and measured the earth; he looked and shook the nations; the eternal mountains were scattered; the everlasting hills sank low. His ways were as of old. You split the earth with rivers; the mountains saw you and writhed; the raging waters swept on; the deep gave forth its voice; the sun and moon stood still in their habitation; at the light of your arrows they went, at the flash of your glittering spear. You marched through the earth in fury; you threshed the nations in anger.) And it is known that Muhammad and Mahmud are explicit in his name, and they both refer to the one who bears the name Muhammad, which in Syriac is Meshiha, meaning Muhammad and Mahmud. For this reason, when a Syriac wants to praise God, he says "Shariha li-Ilahina." From the glad tidings of Ezekiel ¹⁰, one of the prophets of the Children of Israel In his book: (The one who appears from the wilderness, in whom is the destruction of the Jews, like a vine that put forth its fruit and branches because of many waters, and from it sprouted branches that overshadowed the branches of the great and the nobles, and it grew tall. But that vine was soon plucked up in fury and cast down to the ground; it brought forth its fruit, and fire came and devoured it. So it was planted in the wilderness, in a dry and thirsty land, and from its excellent branches fire came out and devoured the fruit of that vine, until there remained no strong rod, no scepter to rule.) From the glad tidings of Zephaniah ¹¹, one of the prophets of the Children of Israel In his book: (O people, wait for the day when I rise up for witness; for my decision is to gather nations, to assemble kingdoms, to pour out upon them my indignation, all my burning anger. For at that time I will change the speech of the peoples to a pure speech, that all of them may call upon the name of the Lord and serve him with one accord. They shall bring offerings from their hiding places.) And it is known that the Arabic language is the chosen one, because it has covered the earth and most languages have shifted to it, so that other languages have become rare. From the glad tidings of Zechariah ¹² son of Berechiah, one of the prophets of the Children of Israel In his book: (The angel who talked with me came again and woke me, like a man who is awakened from his sleep. And he said to me, What do you see? I said, I see a lampstand all of gold, with a bowl on the top of it, and seven lamps on it, with seven lips on each lamp. And there are two olive trees by it, one on the right of the bowl and the other on its left. And I said to the angel who talked with me, What are these, my lord? Then the angel said to me, Do you not know what these are? I said, No, my lord. Then he said to me, This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel ¹³: Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord of hosts. And I will remove the iniquity of that land in a single day. And the two olive trees are the two anointed ones who stand by the Lord of the whole earth.) And Zerubbabel is Muhammad, peace be upon him. [From the glad tidings of Daniel, one of the prophets of the Children of Israel] In his book: (I saw in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man, and he came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him. And to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed. And from the time that the regular burnt offering is taken away and the abomination that makes desolate is set up, there shall be 2,300 evenings and mornings. Then the sanctuary shall be restored to its rightful state. And a king of bold face, one who understands riddles, shall arise. His power shall be great, but not by his own power; and he shall cause fearful destruction and shall succeed in what he does, and destroy mighty men and the people of the saints. And he shall magnify himself in his heart, and by peace he shall destroy many. He shall even rise up against the Prince of princes, but he shall be broken, but by no human hand.) In this is evidence of two things: one is the truth of the news because of its actual occurrence; the second is the validity of his prophethood because of the appearance of the news in its truth. From his glad tidings in the vision of Nebuchadnezzar ¹⁴ Nebuchadnezzar saw in the second year of his reign a dream that troubled him, and he forgot it. He summoned the magicians, enchanters, sorcerers, and Chaldeans to tell the king his dreams and their interpretation. They said, Tell your servants the dream, and we will show the interpretation. The king answered, The thing is gone from me. If you do not make known to me the dream and its interpretation, you shall be torn limb from limb. Daniel, who was among the exiles from Judah, asked for time, and prayed to God to reveal the dream and its interpretation. God revealed it to him. He came to Nebuchadnezzar and said, O king, you asked of these men what no one can reveal except God. I have prayed to Him, and He has made it known to me. Your dream: you saw a great image, mighty and of exceeding brightness, standing before you, and its appearance was frightening. The head of this image was of fine gold, its chest and arms of silver, its middle and thighs of bronze, its legs of iron, its feet partly of iron and partly of clay. As you looked, a stone was cut out by no human hand, and it struck the image on its feet of iron and clay, and broke them in pieces. Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver, and the gold, all together were broken in pieces, and became like the chaff of the summer threshing floors; and the wind carried them away, so that not a trace of them could be found. But the stone that struck the image became a great mountain and filled the whole earth. This is the dream; now I will tell its interpretation. The image represents the kingdoms: you are the head of gold. After you shall arise another kingdom inferior to you.

As for the third kingdom, which is like brass, it shall rule over all the earth. And the fourth kingdom, which is like iron, shall be strong, for just as iron shatters everything, so it shall crush and overcome all. And as for the feet and toes you saw, partly of potter's clay and partly of iron, the kingdom shall be divided and mixed; there shall be in it a root of the essence of iron and a mixture of potter's clay, so that part of the kingdom shall be strong and part weak and broken, not cohering one with another, just as iron does not mix with clay. And as for the stone cut from the mountain, the God of heaven shall set up a kingdom from Himself, for the stone was cut by no human hand in the time of these kingdoms; it shall destroy them and endure forever, and no other nation shall have kingdom or dominion except that it shall crush them as the stone crushes iron, brass, silver, and gold. Thus the great God has made known to you what shall be after you in the latter days; this is your dream and its interpretation. Then Nebuchadnezzar fell on his face, prostrating himself before Daniel, and said: 'Truly your God is the God of gods and the Lord of kings, and He reveals secrets.' And he made Daniel a chief and ruler over the land of Babylon. And it is known that God Almighty did not send a dominion by which He removed kingdoms, filled the earth, and established His command, except through the prophethood of Muhammad, peace be upon him. [From the glad tidings of Jeremiah son of Baruch, one of the prophets of the Children of Israel in the days of Nebuchadnezzar] When the people of al-Rass ¹⁵ killed their prophet, Ibn Abbas said: God Almighty commanded that Nebuchadnezzar be ordered to invade the Arabs, whose houses have no locks, and kill them for what they did to their prophet. So he was commanded to do so, and Nebuchadnezzar entered the land of the Arabs, killing and taking captives until he reached Tihama ¹⁶. Then he was brought Ma'add ibn Adnan ¹⁷ and ordered to kill him. But the prophet said to him: 'Do not do so, for in the loins of this man there is a prophet who will be sent at the end of time, with whom God will seal the prophets.' So he spared him and took him with him until he came to fortresses in Yemen, which he demolished, killing their inhabitants, and he married Ma'add to the most beautiful woman of that time, leaving him in Tihama, where he procreated. Ibn Abbas said: Concerning this, the verse was revealed: 'And how many a town that was wrongdoing have We shattered and produced after it another people' (Quran 21:11). [From the glad tidings of David in the Psalms] 'Praise be to Him whose temple is the righteous; let Israel rejoice in its Creator and the houses of Zion, because God has chosen for Himself His nation, given it victory, and honored the righteous among them with dignity. They praise Him on their beds and magnify God with loud voices, in their hands double-edged swords, to take vengeance on the nations that do not worship Him, binding their kings with chains and their nobles with fetters.' And it is known that the swords of the Arabs are double-edged, and Muhammad is the one who took vengeance with them on the nations. And in it: 'God has brought forth from Zion a glorious crown.' Zion is the Arabs, the crown is prophethood, and Mahmud ¹⁸ is Muhammad, peace be upon him. And in another Psalm: 'He shall pass from sea to sea, and from the rivers to the ends of the earth; the inhabitants of the islands shall bow before him, and his enemies shall lick the dust. Kings shall bring him gifts, prostrate themselves, and the nations shall submit to him in obedience and surrender, for he delivers the oppressed and the poor from him who is stronger than him, and saves the weak who has no helper. He has compassion on the weak and the poor, and he shall be given the gold of Sheba; prayer shall be made for him continually, and he shall be blessed every day; his name shall endure forever.' And it is known that this was only for Muhammad, peace be upon him. And in another Psalm, David said: 'O God, send the one who establishes the Sunnah ¹⁹ so that the people may know that he is human,' meaning send a prophet who teaches the people that the Messiah is human, because David knew that a people would claim about the Messiah what they claimed. This is Muhammad, peace be upon him. [From the glad tidings of the Messiah concerning him in the Gospel] The Messiah, peace be upon him, said to the disciples: 'I am going, and the Paraclete ²⁰, the Spirit of Truth, will come to you; he does not speak on his own authority, but only what he is told, and he will bear witness to me, and you also bear witness, because you have been with me from the beginning. And everything that God has prepared for you, he will tell you.' And in the account of John: 'The Paraclete will not come to you unless I go; when he comes, he will convict the world of sin, and he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will guide you into all truth and tell you of events and unseen things.' And in another account: 'The Paraclete, the Spirit of Truth, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things. I will ask that he send you another Paraclete who will be with you forever, and he will teach you all things.' And in another account: 'The herald is going, and the Paraclete after him will revive the mysteries for you and establish everything for you; he will bear witness to me as I have borne witness to him, for I bring you parables, and he brings you interpretation.' The Paraclete in their language is a word derived from praise, and the Prophet, peace be upon him, said: 'I am Ahmad, and I am Mahmud, and I am Muhammad.' These are among the glad tidings of the prophets from the divine scriptures, mutually corroborating the truth of his prophethood, with successive reports of the spread of his call and the establishment of his law. Perhaps what has not reached us is more. Some of them specified him by name, some by description, some attributed him to his people, some to his land, some distinguished him by his actions, and some by his appearance and spread. God Almighty has fulfilled all of them in him, so that it has become clear after probability and certain after doubt. If it is said: The coming of the prophets is for the welfare of the world, and they are commanded to be kind and merciful, but Muhammad came with the sword, bloodshed, and killing of souls, thus contradicting what Moses and Jesus brought, and so he is removed from their status in prophethood due to his opposition to their conduct. There are three answers to this: First: God Almighty sent every prophet according to his time. Some He sent with the sword because the sword is more effective, and some with gentleness because gentleness is more beneficial, just as He varied their miracles according to their times. He sent Moses with the staff in the age of magic, Jesus with raising the dead in the age of medicine, and Muhammad with the Quran in the age of eloquence. For people at the beginning of their affairs are compassionate with few, then they become hostile and envious with many. Therefore, the Messenger of God, peace be upon him, said: 'The first of this community will be saved by certainty and asceticism, and the last will be destroyed by stinginess and hope.' Second: The sword, if used for the sake of truth, is good, and gentleness, if accompanied by acceptance of falsehood, is evil. For the law is established to affirm divine virtues and religious rights. Therefore, the law came with killing and punishments to establish good and eliminate evil, because arrogant souls are only restrained by fear. Thus, force is more effective in their submission than desire. The Arabs were the most evil and stubborn of people due to their large numbers and strong courage, so the sword was more beneficial among them than gentleness. Third: He was not the first among the messengers to use the sword in jihad, nor the first to inflict heavy losses on the enemies of God. Before him, Abraham, peace be upon him, fought the four kings who marched to the land of the island to raid its inhabitants, and he fought them until he defeated them with his parties and followers. Joshua son of Nun killed over thirty kings of the kings of Syria and destroyed their cities, leaving no trace or inhabitant, without calling them to a religion or demanding tribute, and he took the spoils. David invaded the lands of Syria, leaving no man or woman alive, as is found in their books. Muhammad, peace be upon him, began with invitation and fought after the refusal. Ibn Shihab narrated from Urwa from Aisha, may God be pleased with her, who said: 'I never saw the Messenger of God, peace be upon him, taking revenge for any wrong done to him, unless the sanctities of God were violated. When the sanctities of God were violated, he was the most angry among them. He was never given a choice between two matters but he chose the easier one, as long as it was not sinful.' He was the most eager of people for forgiveness and compassion. Asid ibn Abd al-Rahman narrated from Farwa ibn Mujahid from Uqba ibn Amir, who said: 'I met the Messenger of God, peace be upon him, and he said to me: O Uqba, maintain ties with those who cut you off, give to those who deprive you, and forgive those who wrong you.' Could there be anyone more compassionate to creation than one who commands such things? The heretics only seek through such objections to disparage the prophets, for they have not spared any prophet from objecting to his miracles and criticizing his conduct. Among them in our time, one composed poetry attacking Moses, Jesus, and Muhammad, peace be upon them, saying: 'The splitter of the sea did not split its sides / When he was lost in it like a lost slave in the depths. And one who claims to have created things / Why did he cease while things did not cease? And another who uses the sword as his proof / Is the proof of the sword anything but the proof of a coward?' When these verses reached a certain scholar, he responded to them, saying: 'Say to the one who brought denial of the messengers / And rejected their miracles with deviation and deceit, And composed about that ornate verses / To cause people to doubt the religions: The loss of Moses is one of his proofs / After the sea became divided like a mountain, So that people might know that God split it / And that Moses was weak, lost in the paths. The true miracle in the splitting of the waters for him / And making the land what he guarded by tricks. And the son of the Virgin, God purified him / From what you mentioned of claims in general. All he did was a bird he fashioned from clay / And my Lord revived it, and He never ceases. He said: 'By God's permission I do it' / And God's permission revives creation, not my deed. And the owner of the sword, the sword was his proof / After the clear demonstration of miracles and examples. He came starting with sincere advice, striving / With miracles that confounded the people of intellect. Among them a clear Book, wondrous in composition / Containing news of the unseen revealed to the messengers. He silenced the poets who fabricated against him / When he challenged them with gentleness and deliberation. He brought forth sweet water from his fingers / Without rock or spring. He spoke to the people and they addressed him / And he said: 'How can I be safe from killing?' The wolf informed the shepherd of his mission / And came to testify to Islam in haste. The trunk yearned for him when he left it / Yearning like a wailing mother at the time of loss. He informed the people of what was in their hearts / In detail, with an unambiguous answer. He told the Romans of the victory that would come to them / After seven years of conflict. He informed the Persians of the killing of their ruler / Khusraw Parviz when Firoz came to him in distress. If I were to enumerate what the Prophet brought / The poem would be long, and I fear boredom.' Chapter Sixteen: On the Jinn's ²¹ proclamation of his prophethood, peace be upon him.

As for the jinn, they are a distinct world: they eat, marry, reproduce, and die. Their persons are hidden from sight, though they are distinguished by their actions and effects, unless God Almighty grants vision of them to whom He wills. Humans have only come to know them through divine scriptures and what they have inferred from their hidden effects. God Almighty said, describing the creation of beings: "And indeed, We created man from dried clay of altered black mud. And the jinn We created before from the fire of scorching wind" [15:26-27]. By His saying, "And indeed, We created man from dried clay"—He means Adam, the father of humanity, peace be upon him. Regarding "dried clay" there are two interpretations: first, that it is moist clay; second, that it is clay that has not been touched by fire. "Altered black mud" is the plural of "ham'ah" ²², and there are two interpretations: first, that it is erect and standing, thus a description of man; second, that it is attributed, thus a distinction of the species. His saying, "And the jinn We created before"—meaning before Adam, because Adam was created last among creation. Regarding "al-jann" ²³ there are two interpretations: first, that it is the father of the jinn, just as Adam is the father of humans and Iblis is the father of the devils; second, that it is the jinn themselves. His saying, "from the fire of scorching wind" ²⁴ has two interpretations: first, from the fire of the sun; second, from the fire of thunderbolts between the sky and a veil beneath it. There is no disagreement that the jinn reproduce and die, and among them are believers and disbelievers. As for the devils, there is disagreement: some claim they are the disbelieving jinn, reproducing and dying; others claim they are not jinn but are from the offspring of Iblis. Among those who hold this latter view, there is disagreement about their reproduction and death: one group holds that they reproduce and die; another holds that they, like Iblis, do not die except with him, and that their reproduction ceased with Iblis's respite until the Day of Resurrection. If some people deny the creation of the jinn and do not believe in the divine scriptures, rational proofs and analogical arguments overwhelm them, because God Almighty originated the creation of the world from four bodies, which He made the principles of what He created of the living world: earth, water, air, and fire. The world is unanimously divided into two types: celestial and terrestrial. The terrestrial world is of two types, created from two bodies: one from earth—that which is upon it of animals; the second from water—that which is in it of fish. Both are lowly due to the lowness of earth and water, and both are apparent due to the visibility of their origins; analogy continues in them. The celestial world remains with two bodies: air and fire. The creation of angels from air has been established, so rational analogy requires that the creation of jinn be from fire, so that the four bodies become principles for the creation of four species. Due to the loftiness of air, their world of angels is lofty; due to its hiddenness, it is hidden, not descending except by divine command, nor seen except with divine aid. Due to the loftiness of fire in its origin, though descending, their world of jinn has loftiness and descent; due to the hiddenness of its latent nature, their world is hidden from sight except with divine aid. Thus, two of the four principles are perceptible by sight—those on earth and in water—and two are intelligible by analogy—the angels and the jinn. Were it not that one who opposes this would deviate from the legal proofs, we would not have turned to this reasoning external to the legal proofs.

1. ṣallā llāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallam : Arabic phrase meaning 'peace be upon him', used after mentioning the Prophet Muhammad.
2. Ahl al-Kitābayn : People of the Two Books, referring to Jews and Christians.
3. Shaʿyā : Isaiah, a major prophet in the Hebrew Bible.
4. Qādār : Kedar, son of Ishmael, ancestor of an Arab tribe.
5. al-faṣl : Chapter; here referring to a chapter of the book of Isaiah.
6. Nawāl ibn Nūtāl : Joel son of Pethuel, a minor prophet in the Hebrew Bible.
7. ʿUwaydiyā : Obadiah, a minor prophet in the Hebrew Bible.
8. Mīkhāʾ : Micah, a minor prophet in the Hebrew Bible.
9. Ḥabaqūq : Habakkuk, a minor prophet in the Hebrew Bible.
10. Ḥizqiyāl : Ezekiel, a major prophet in the Hebrew Bible.
11. Yarṣifīnā : Zephaniah, a minor prophet in the Hebrew Bible.
12. Zakariyyā : Zechariah, a minor prophet in the Hebrew Bible.
13. Zarbāyāl : Zerubbabel, a governor of Judah; here interpreted as Muhammad.
14. Bukhtnaṣṣar : Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon.
15. al-Rass : A people mentioned in the Quran (25:38, 50:12) who killed their prophet; their exact identity is debated.
16. Tihama : A coastal region in western Arabia, including Mecca and Jeddah.
17. Ma'add ibn Adnan : Ancestor of the Prophet Muhammad, considered the father of the Adnanite Arabs.
18. Mahmud : One of the names of the Prophet Muhammad, meaning 'praiseworthy'.
19. Sunnah : The prophetic tradition, including sayings, actions, and approvals of Muhammad.
20. Paraclete : From Greek 'parakletos', meaning 'comforter' or 'advocate'; in Islamic interpretation, it refers to the Prophet Muhammad.
21. Jinn : Spiritual beings created from smokeless fire, capable of belief and disbelief, often mentioned in the Quran.
22. ham'ah : Singular of ham'ah, meaning altered black mud or fetid mud.
23. al-jann : Refers to the father of the jinn or the jinn collectively; often synonymous with jinn.
24. nar al-samum : The fire of scorching wind; a type of fire that penetrates the pores, often associated with the creation of jinn.

Chapter Sixteen: On the Jinn's Calls Announcing His Prophethood, peace be upon him [1]

## Chapter [On the Obligation of Religious Responsibility (Taklīf) upon the Jinn] If the creation of the Jinn is established by what we have demonstrated from Revelation (Shar‘) and Reason (‘Aql), then they are morally responsible (mukallafūn). For the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) challenged them with the Qur’an by His (Exalted) saying: *Say: "If mankind and the jinn gathered together to produce the like of this Qur’an, they could not produce the like thereof, even if they were helpers one of another"* (Qur’an 17:88). And He (Exalted) said: *And [mention] when We directed to you a company of the jinn, listening to the Qur’an* (Qur’an 46:29). Concerning their being directed (ṣarafnā), there are two aspects: **First:** They were turned away from eavesdropping on the heaven’s discourse by being pelted with meteors (shihāb). They had not been turned away from it after Jesus (‘alayhi al-salām) except after the sending of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). So they said: "This new occurrence in the heaven can only be due to an occurrence on earth," and they imagined by it the renewal of prophethood. They traversed the earth until they came upon the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) in the valley of Mecca (Baṭn Makka), heading towards ‘Ukāẓ, while he was praying the dawn prayer (Fajr). They listened to the Qur’an and saw how he prayed and how his Companions followed him in prayer. Thus they knew that it was because of this event that they had been turned away from eavesdropping by being pelted with meteors. This is the saying of Ibn ‘Abbās (raḍiya Allāhu ‘anhumā). ‘Ikrima narrated that the Surah he was reciting was *"Read! In the Name of your Lord Who created"* (Qur’an 96:1). **Second aspect:** They were directed away from their lands by divine guidance (tawfīq) as a guidance from Allah (ta‘ālā) until they came to the Prophet of Allah (ﷺ) in the valley of Nakhlah. Then Gabriel (Jibrīl) descended upon him with this verse and informed him of the delegation of the jinn, commanding him to go out to them. He went out with Ibn Mas‘ūd until he reached Al-Ḥajūn, near the [place of] Shu‘ayb, the father of Abū Dharr. Ibn Mas‘ūd said: "He drew a line and said: ‘Do not cross it.’ Then he proceeded to Al-Ḥajūn, and they descended upon him like [large] birds (al-ḥajal) until I could not see him." According to the first aspect, he did not know of them until they came to him. According to the second aspect, Gabriel informed him before their arrival. The people of knowledge differed concerning his seeing them and his recitation to them. Sa‘īd ibn Jubayr narrated from Ibn ‘Abbās that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) did not see them nor did he recite to them; rather, they heard his recitation when they passed by him while he was praying. It is narrated from Ibn Mas‘ūd that he saw them and recited the Qur’an to them. Concerning His saying: *And when they attended to it, they said, "Listen attentively"* (Qur’an 46:29), there are two aspects: **First:** When they attended to his recitation of the Qur’an, they said: "Listen attentively to hear it." **Second aspect:** When they attended to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), they said: "Listen attentively to hear his speech." Then when it was concluded, they turned back to their people as warners. Concerning this, there are two aspects: **First:** When he finished the prayer, they turned back to their people, warning them about him. **Second:** When he finished his recitation of the Qur’an, they turned back to their people as warners, saying what Allah (ta‘ālā) narrated from them: *"Indeed, we have heard a wonderful Qur’an"* (Qur’an 72:1) – wonderful in its eloquence (faṣāḥa) and rhetoric (balāgha). **Second:** Wonderful in the beauty of its admonitions. Concerning His saying: *"It guides to the right course (al-rushd), so we have believed in it"* (Qur’an 72:2), there are two aspects: **First:** To the right ways of affairs (marāshid al-umūr). **Second:** To the knowledge of Allah (ta‘ālā). Thus it is established that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) was sent as a messenger generally to mankind and the jinn. The people of knowledge did not differ that it is permissible to send to them a messenger from among mankind. They differed concerning the permissibility of sending a messenger from among them (the jinn). Some people permitted it, based on the saying of Allah (ta‘ālā): *"O company of jinn and mankind, did there not come to you messengers from among you?"* (Qur’an 6:130). Others forbade it, and this is the saying of those who consider them to be from the offspring of Iblīs. They interpreted His saying: *"Did there not come to you messengers from among you?"* (Qur’an 6:130) as referring to those who, when they heard the Qur’an, turned back to their people as warners. As for their disbelievers (kuffār), they will enter the Fire. As for their believers (mu’minūn), they differed concerning their entry into Paradise as a reward for their faith. Al-Ḍaḥḥāk said: "And those who permitted that their messengers could be from among them, they enter Paradise." Sufyān narrated from Layth that they are rewarded for faith by being saved from the Fire, then it is said to them: "Be dust (turāb), like the beasts." As for their eavesdropping on the heaven’s discourse, they used to do so in the pre-Islamic period (Jāhiliyya) before the sending of the Messenger. That is why soothsaying (kihāna) existed among mankind, due to the jinn casting to them what they had eavesdropped from the heaven’s discourse from stations they had near the heaven, as Allah (ta‘ālā) said: *"And we used to sit therein in positions for hearing"* (Qur’an 72:9) to listen to the news of the heaven from the angels, then they would transmit it to the soothsayers. *"But whoever listens now will find a flame (shihāb) lying in wait for him"* (Qur’an 72:9) – meaning by "flames" (shuhub) the burning stars, and by "lying in wait" (raṣad) the angels. As for their eavesdropping after the sending of the Messenger, the people of knowledge differed on two sayings: **First:** Their eavesdropping ceased, and therefore soothsaying ceased. **Second:** Their eavesdropping remains after the sending of the Messenger. Before the Messenger, the flames (shuhub) did not strike them, based on the saying of Allah (ta‘ālā): *"But whoever listens now will find a flame (shihāb) lying in wait for him"* (Qur’an 72:9). What they listen to is news of the earth, not revelation (waḥy), because Allah (ta‘ālā) has protected His revelation from them, based on His saying: *"Indeed, it is We who sent down the Reminder (al-Dhikr) and indeed, We will be its guardian"* (Qur’an 15:9). Based on this, they differed concerning the striking of the flames (shuhub) against them: does it occur before their eavesdropping or after it? Some people of knowledge held that the flames strike them before eavesdropping, so that they do not reach it, due to the cessation of soothsaying through them, and the flames are a prevention from eavesdropping. Others among them held that the flames strike them after eavesdropping, and the flames are a punishment for eavesdropping. Concerning this, when they are struck, there are two sayings: **First:** It kills them, and therefore soothsaying through them ceased. **Second:** It wounds and burns them but does not kill them, and therefore they return to eavesdropping after being burned. Were it not for their survival, eavesdropping would have ceased after the burning. What they cast from what they hear is [cast] to the jinn, not to mankind, due to the cessation of soothsaying among mankind. Concerning the flame (shihāb) that strikes them, there are two sayings: **First:** It is a light that extends due to the intensity of its brilliance, then returns. **Second saying:** It is a fire that burns them and does not return. This is the discourse on the jinn concerning their condition, attributes, and rulings. ### The Calls (Hatūf) of the Jinn As for their calls (hatūf) concerning the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), it is among the signs of his prophethood. If it was before his sending, it was among the portents of his signs emanating from inspiration (ilhām). Among their calls concerning his prophethood is what Ibrāhīm ibn Salāma narrated from Ismā‘īl ibn Ziyād from Ibn Jurayj from Ibn al-‘Abbās (raḍiya Allāhu ‘anhumā) that he used to narrate from a man of Khath‘am who said: "He did not deem lawful what is lawful nor deem unlawful what is unlawful, and he used to worship idols. While we were one night at one of their idols, seeking its judgment in a matter that had arisen between us, suddenly a caller cried out from the belly of the idol, saying: 'O you company, possessors of judgments, What have you to do with confused minds? And those who refer judgment to idols? This is a Prophet, the master of all peoples, He cleaves the truth and [calls to] Islam, The most just of all judges in judgments, He follows the light amidst darkness, He will be proclaimed in the Sacred Land, He has purified people from sins.' Al-Khath‘amī said: "We were frightened by it, and I went out to Mecca and embraced Islam with the Prophet (ﷺ)." Among the glad tidings of their calls is what ‘Uthmān ibn ‘Abd al-Raḥmān narrated from Muḥammad ibn Ka‘b who said: "While ‘Umar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb (raḍwān Allāhu ‘alayhi) was sitting one day, a man passed by him. It was said to him: 'Do you know this passer-by, O Commander of the Faithful?' He said: 'Who is he?' They said: 'This is Sawād ibn Qārib, a man from Yemen, and he had a familiar spirit (ra’ī) from the jinn.' So ‘Umar sent for him and said: 'Are you Sawād ibn Qārib?' He said: 'Yes, O Commander of the Faithful.' He said: 'Are you the one whose familiar spirit (ra’ī) came to you about the appearance of the Prophet (ﷺ)?' He said: 'Yes, O Commander of the Faithful. While I was one night between sleep and wakefulness, my familiar spirit (ra’ī) from the jinn came to me, struck me with his foot, and said: "Arise, O Sawād ibn Qārib, and listen to my speech, and understand if you are understanding. Indeed, a Messenger of Allah has been sent from [the tribe of] Lu’ayy ibn Ghālib, calling to Allah (ta‘ālā) and to His worship." And he began to recite: 'I marvel at the jinn and their seeking, And the straining of the riding camels with their saddles, Hastening to Mecca seeking guidance, The truthful jinn are not like their liars. So journey to the chosen one of Hāshim, None before them are like their ears [to hear].' I said to him: 'Leave me, for I have become drowsy,' and I did not lift my head at what he said. When the second night came, he came to me, struck me with his foot, and said: 'Arise, O Sawād ibn Qārib, and listen to my speech, and understand if you are understanding. Indeed, a Messenger of Allah has been sent from [the tribe of] Lu’ayy ibn Ghālib, calling to Allah (ta‘ālā) and to His worship.' And he began to recite: 'I marvel at the jinn and their reports, And the straining of the riding camels with their litters, Hastening to Mecca seeking guidance, The believers among the jinn are not like their disbelievers. So journey to the chosen one of Hāshim, Between its hills and its stones.' I said: 'Leave me, for I have become drowsy,' and I did not lift my head at what he said. When the third night came, he came to me, struck me with his foot, and said: 'Arise, O Sawād ibn Qārib, and listen to my speech, and understand if you are understanding. Indeed, a Messenger has been sent from [the tribe of] Lu’ayy ibn Ghālib, calling to Allah (ta‘ālā) and to His worship.' And he began to recite: 'I marvel at the jinn and their spying, And the straining of the riding camels with their saddles, Hastening to Mecca seeking guidance, The best of the jinn are not like their impure ones. So journey to the chosen one of Hāshim, And see with your eyes to his head.' He said: "So I awoke, and Allah (ta‘ālā) had tested my heart for Islam. I saddled my she-camel and came to Medina. There I found the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and his Companions. I said: 'Listen to my speech, O Messenger of Allah.' He said: 'Proceed (hāt).' So I recited: 'A confidant came to me between stillness and slumber, And I was not, in what I confided, a liar, For three nights, his speech each night: "A messenger has come to you from Lu’ayy ibn Ghālib." So I tucked up the hem of my garment and mounted My swift, long-necked she-camel across the deserts. I bear witness that there is no god but Allah, And that you are entrusted with every unseen thing, And that you are the nearest of the messengers in means To Allah, O son of the most noble and pure. Command us with what comes to you, O best of those who walk, Even if it brings greyness to the forelocks. And be an intercessor for me on the Day when no intercessor Other than you can avail Sawād ibn Qārib.' The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and his Companions rejoiced greatly at my speech, until joy was seen on their faces." He said: "‘Umar jumped up to him, embraced him, and said: 'I have been wanting to hear this narration from you. Does your familiar spirit (ra’ī) come to you today?' He said: 'Since I recited the Qur’an, no. And what an excellent substitute the Book of Allah is for the jinn!'" Among the glad tidings of their calls is what Ibrāhīm ibn Salāma narrated from Ismā‘īl ibn Ziyād from Ibn Jurayj from Ibn ‘Abbās that ‘Umar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb narrated one day in a gathering after [the death of] the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), saying: "We went out two months before the appearance of the Prophet (ﷺ) to Al-Abṭaḥ in Mecca, with us a calf we intended to slaughter, and we were [a group of] youths (nufur). When we slaughtered it, its blood flowed and it died, suddenly a caller cried out from its belly, saying: 'O Dhariḥ, O Dhariḥ, a caller cries out with a clear voice: A Prophet appears, spreading the truth, saying: There is no god but Allah.' He cried out like that three times, then his voice subsided, and we dispersed, frightened by it. The Prophet (ﷺ) did not delay in appearing." A man from the people said: "Do not marvel, O Commander of the Faithful. I went out with some companions on a trading journey, we were four men heading for Syria. When we were in one of the valleys of Syria, we felt a strong craving for meat before the appearance of the Prophet (ﷺ). Suddenly, a female gazelle appeared to us with a broken horn. We kept after it until we caught it." He said: "By Allah, while we were consulting about slaughtering it, a caller (hātif) called out, saying..."

O you four swift riders... leave the way for the frightened gazelle. For she is a gentle young one, so leave the biting snakes, for ahead of me there is ample space. Then he said: Let her go, for by God, I have seen this valley and no fewer than fifty men passed through it until you came. So we released her. When evening came, he took the reins of our mounts and brought us to a large, noisy encampment with many people. He fed us with tharid ¹ until our hunger was satisfied. Then we left until God completed our trade. A Jewish man accompanied us, and when we were in that valley, a caller cried out: "Beware, do not hasten, and take it as a destruction; for the worst of travel is the exhausting journey. A star has appeared and risen in its east, dispelling a gloomy, scowling destruction, calling to the shade of a delightful garden." The Jew said: Do you know what this caller says? We said: What does he say? He said: He tells that a prophet has appeared in Mecca, opposing you. So we came and found the Prophet, peace be upon him, in Mecca. Among the tidings from their calls is what Abu Isa narrated: He said: Quraysh heard at night a caller on Abu Qubais ² saying: "If Sa'd is safe, let Muhammad become in Mecca, fearing no opposition from any opponent." In the morning, Abu Sufyan said: Who are the two Sa'ds? Sa'd of Bakr and Sa'd of Tamim. On the second night, they heard him saying: "O Sa'd of Aws, be a helper, and O Sa'd of the Khazraj, the generous, respond to the caller of guidance and hope for Paradise with the hope of a knower. For the reward of God for the seeker of guidance is gardens of Paradise adorned." In the morning, Abu Sufyan said: By God, they are Sa'd ibn Mu'adh and Sa'd ibn 'Ubada. Among the tidings from their calls is what Ibn 'Abbas, may God be pleased with them both, narrated from Asma bint Abi Bakr: She said: The polytheists of Mecca did not know where the Messenger of God, peace be upon him, was heading when he migrated to Medina until a caller called out days later, saying: "May God reward well, and reward is ordained, two companions who lodged in the two tents of Umm Ma'bad. They entered with guidance and were guided by it, so successful is he who becomes the companion of Muhammad. Congratulations to the Banu Ka'b for their young girl's place and her seat, watched over for the Muslims." Asma said: The polytheists of Mecca did not know about the battle of Badr until a caller called out from the mountains of Mecca while young men were chatting at night in Mecca, saying: "The Hanifites ³ have removed Badr with a battle; from it the kingdom of Chosroes and Caesar will collapse. They struck men from Lu'ayy, and noble women were stripped, with unveiled chests, sorrowful. Alas for him who remains an enemy of Muhammad; he has tasted grief and regret in life. And he became in the swirling dust, covered, visited by hungry birds that then scatter." Thus they learned of it, and the news appeared the next day. Even if these calls are reports from individuals whose person is not seen ⁴ and whose statement is not accepted ⁵, their departure from the norm is a warning, and their effect on souls is a glad tiding. The listeners accepted them, and the acceptance of reports confirms their authenticity and strengthens their proof. If it is said: If the calls of the jinn are among the proofs of prophethood, then they could be a proof for the validity of soothsaying. There are two answers: First: The proofs of prophethood are different; these are merely glad tidings of it. There is a difference between proof and glad tiding. Second: Soothsaying is about the unseen, while glad tidings are about something specific. The seen is known, while the unseen is conjectural. Chapter Seventeen: On what souls whispered from the inspiration of minds regarding his prophethood, peace be upon him. The intellect is divine, placed by God Almighty in rational souls. It warns of future events by intuition and knows after existence what has passed. No event occurs without a preceding warning, and its effect is according to its significance. No event is greater than what God renewed through the prophethood of Muhammad, peace be upon him, so it necessitated that the tidings of his prophethood be more famous and the evidences of his signs more apparent. Among the inspirations of his prophethood: Ka'b ibn Lu'ayy ibn Ghalib used to gather people every Friday. Friday was called in the pre-Islamic era the day of 'Aruba, but Ka'b named it Friday. He would deliver a sermon and say after it: "Your sanctuary, honor it and hold fast to it, for a great news will come to it, and a noble prophet will emerge from it. By God, if I were to have hearing, sight, hand, and foot in his time, I would stand like a horse and prance like a stallion." Then he would say: "Would that I were present at the call of the caller when the tribe seeks to abandon the truth." Among the inspirations: What Ibn Qutayba narrated: Abu Kurayb ibn As'ad al-Himyari believed in the Prophet, peace be upon him, seven hundred years before his mission, and said: "I testify that Ahmad is a messenger from God, the Creator of souls. If my life were extended to his life, I would be his vizier and cousin." Among the inspirations: What 'Ubayd al-Jurhumi, who was old and knowledgeable about the histories of nations, narrated: That Tubba' the Younger, who is Tubba' ibn Hassan ibn Tubba', was traveling to Yathrib, camped at the foot of Uhud, went to the Jews, killed three hundred and fifty men by execution, and intended to destroy it. An old Jewish man stood up to him and said: "O king, one like you should not kill in anger nor accept false speech. Your matter is greater than that a lightning bolt should carry you away or stubbornness should hasten you. You cannot destroy this town." He said: "Why?" He said: "Because it is the place of emigration of a prophet from the descendants of Isma'il, who will emerge from this mountain pass"—meaning the Sacred House. So Tubba' refrained and went to Mecca with this Jew and another learned Jew. He covered the House, sacrificed six thousand camels there, fed the people, and said: "We have covered the House which God has sanctified with garments and robes." It is said that he ruled for three hundred and twenty years. Among the inspirations: What Hashim ibn 'Urwa narrated from his father from 'Aisha: She said: There was a Jew living in Mecca. On the night the Messenger of God, peace be upon him, was born, he attended a gathering of Quraysh and said: "O assembly of Quraysh, was a child born among you tonight?" They said: "By God, we do not know." He said: "God is greater. Since you missed it, no matter. Look and remember what I say to you: Tonight a prophet was born, between his shoulders is a mark with tufts of hair like a mane." The people dispersed from their gathering, amazed at his words. When they reached their homes, each informed his family, and they said: "A son was born to 'Abdullah ibn 'Abd al-Muttalib, named Muhammad." They went to the Jew and told him. He said: "Take me to see him." They brought him to Amina and said: "Bring out your son to us." She brought him out, and they uncovered his back. The Jew saw the mole and fell unconscious. When he regained consciousness, they said: "What is wrong with you?" He said: "By God, prophethood has left the Children of Israel. O assembly of Quraysh, by God, he will overwhelm you with a force whose news will spread from east to west." Among those who heard the Jew were Hisham ibn al-Mughira, al-Walid ibn al-Mughira, 'Ubayda ibn 'Abd al-Muttalib, and 'Utba ibn Rabi'a, but God protected him from them. Similarly: Quraysh had a festival in the pre-Islamic era where women gathered without men. They gathered, and a Jew stood before them, among them Khadija, and said: "O women of Quraysh, soon a prophet will be sent among you. Whoever of you can be a land for him, let her do so." They pelted him with pebbles, but that remained in Khadija's heart until God fulfilled it for her, and she was the first to believe in him. Similarly: A group of Christians came from Syria as traders to Mecca and camped between Safa and Marwa. They saw him when he was seven years old, and some of them recognized him by his description in their books and his appearance in their insight. He said to him: "Who are you, and whose son are you?" He said: "I am Muhammad ibn 'Abdullah ibn 'Abd al-Muttalib." He said: "Who is the Lord of this?" pointing to the mountains. He said: "God is its Lord, no partner." He said: "Who is the Lord of this?" pointing to the sky. He said: "God is its Lord, no partner." The Christian said: "Does He have any other lord?" He said: "Do not make me doubt God; He has no partner or opponent." He affirmed monotheism in his childhood, and the Christian spoke clearly about his news and announced his prophethood. Similarly: He was under the care of his grandfather 'Abd al-Muttalib, who loved him more than all his children. When death approached, he entrusted him to his uncle Abu Talib, because he was the brother of 'Abdullah by father and mother, and he composed: "I entrust to him whose kunya is Talib, 'Abd Manaf, a man of experience. O son of the beloved, the most honorable of relatives, O son of him who, since he departed, has not returned." Abu Talib accepted the trust, having heard a warning from a monk, and he composed: "Do not entrust me with a necessary obligation, for I am not heedless of the desirer. That praise of God is the saying of the monk; I have heard the most amazing wonders from every learned scholar and scribe." 'Abd al-Muttalib died eight years after his birth, so his uncle Abu Talib took care of him and took him to Syria for trade when he was nine years old. They camped under a monastery in Syria near Busra. In the monastery was a monk named Bahira, who had read the scriptures and knew the news and signs in them. Bahira saw from his monastery a cloud shading the Messenger of God, peace be upon him, from the sun. He came down to him and examined his body until he saw the seal of prophethood between his shoulders. He asked him about his state in sleep and wakefulness, and he told him, which matched what he had in the books. He asked Abu Talib about him: "Is he your son?" He said: "No." He said: "Your nephew? His father died while he was in the womb?" He said: "You have spoken truth." He prepared food for them and those with them, which he had not done before, and said: "Guard this one from the Jews and Christians, for he is the master of the worlds and will be sent as a prophet to all of them. If they recognize him with you, they will kill him." They said: "How did you know this?" He said: "The cloud that shaded him, and I saw the seal of prophethood below his shoulder blade like an apple, according to the described description. I saw the trees and stones prostrating to him, and they only prostrate to a prophet." The Messenger of God, peace be upon him, came, and while he was tending camels, the people had preceded him to the shade of a tree. When he sat, the shade of the tree leaned over him. He said to them: "This is among the signs of his prophethood. If the Romans see him, they will recognize him by his description and kill him." Then he turned and saw seven men coming from Rome. He met them and said: "What has brought you?" They said: "We have come because this prophet will appear this month, and no road was left without sending people. We are the last sent to this road of yours." He said: "Have you left behind anyone better than you?" They said: "No." He said: "Do you think that if God wants to decree a matter, can anyone prevent it?" They said: "No." He said: "Then return." He made them return, and the monk provided them with provisions until Abu Talib hurried him away. These are the tidings from Christian monks and the previous reports from Jews. All of them, despite their differing beliefs and diverse scriptures, concurred from the earliest witnesses on the designation of prophethood in him. As for the books in which he was described, they found him according to the description. So it was a divine warning that minds concurred upon, because what souls whispered about a matter that was to come, and what minds imagined, appeared and became clear. For hearts are the vanguards of destinies, and minds are the mirrors of secrets.

Among the inspirations of divine prompting: Abu al-Hasan Muhammad ibn Ali ibn Mahfal narrated to us, saying: Umar ibn Hammad al-Faqih narrated to us, saying: Umar ibn Muhammad ibn Bahir al-Samarqandi narrated to us, saying: Ahmad ibn Abd Rabbih al-Dabbi narrated to us, saying: Abd al-Rahman ibn Nuh ibn Ubayd informed us, saying: Umar ibn Bukayr narrated to us, saying: Ahmad ibn al-Qasim narrated from al-Kalbi, from Abu Salih, from Ibn Abbas, may God have mercy on him, who said: When Sayf ibn Dhi Yazan triumphed over the Abyssinians, years after the birth of the Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace, the delegations of Arabs, their nobles, and their poets came to congratulate him, praise him, and mention his ordeal and his seeking vengeance for his people. Among them came the delegation of Quraysh, including Abd al-Muttalib ibn Hashim, Umayya ibn Abd Shams, Abd Allah ibn Jud'an, and Asad ibn Khuwaylid ibn Abd al-Uzza, along with other nobles of Quraysh. When they arrived, he was at the top of a palace called Ghumdan, about which Umayya ibn Abi al-Salt said: "Drink in comfort, with the crown upon you, lofty... in the head of Ghumdan, a dwelling for you to inhabit." He said: They sought permission to enter, and he granted it. They entered and found the king anointed with ambergris, the gleam of perfume visible from his parting, wearing two garments, one wrapped around his waist and the other draped over his shoulders, his sword before him, and to his right and left were kings, sons of kings, and tribal chiefs. He said: Abd al-Muttalib approached and sought permission to speak. The king said: "If you are one who speaks before kings, then speak, for we have given you permission." Abd al-Muttalib said: "O king, God has placed you in a lofty, formidable, unassailable, exalted, and magnificent station, and has caused you to grow from a root whose origin is pure, whose stock is noble, whose foundation is firm, and whose branch has risen high in the most honorable homeland and the best mine. You, may you not be cursed, are the king of the Arabs, their spring by which they flourish, the head of the Arabs to whom they submit, the pillar upon which they rely, and the refuge to which they flee. Your predecessors were the best of predecessors, and you are for us the best of successors. The memory of one whose predecessor you are will never fade, and one whose successor you are will never perish. We, O king, are the people of God's sanctuary and the custodians of His House. We have come to you because we were delighted by the relief from the distress that overwhelmed us. We are a delegation of congratulation, not of condolence." Ibn Dhi Yazan said: "Which of you are you, O speaker?" He replied: "I am Abd al-Muttalib ibn Hashim." He said: "The son of our sister?" He said: "Yes, your sister's son." He said: "Come closer." So he brought him near, ahead of the people, and said: "Welcome, and a warm greeting, a camel, a saddle, an easy resting place, and a generous king who gives abundant gifts. The king has heard your words, recognized your kinship, and accepted your plea. You are the people of the night and the people of the day. You will have honor as long as you stay, and gifts when you depart." He said: Then they were taken to the guesthouse and the delegations. They stayed for a month without being able to reach him, nor did he permit them to leave. He said: Then he awoke from his slumber and sent for Abd al-Muttalib, raising him and seating him in the most honored place. He said: "O Abd al-Muttalib, I am entrusting to you a secret from my knowledge that, if it were anyone else, I would not disclose. But I see you as its worthy recipient, and I have informed you. Keep it concealed until God permits its revelation, for God will accomplish His command concerning it. I find it in the Preserved Book ⁶ and the treasured knowledge that we have chosen for ourselves and kept hidden from others: a great matter and a momentous affair, containing the honor of life and the virtue of death for people in general, for your clan specifically, and for you in particular." Abd al-Muttalib said: "O king, may such as you be the one to reveal secrets and do good. What is it? May the people of the tents be your ransom, group after group." He said: "When a boy is born in Tihama ⁷, with a mole between his shoulders, he will have leadership, and you will have authority through him until the Day of Resurrection." Abd al-Muttalib said to him: "May you not be cursed, you have brought news the like of which no delegate has ever brought. Were it not for my awe of the king, my reverence and veneration for him, I would have asked him about the glad tidings he has given me to increase my joy." Ibn Dhi Yazan said: "This is his time in which he will be born, or he has already been born. His name is Ahmad. His father and mother will die, and his grandfather and uncle will take care of him. We have given birth to him many times ⁸, and God will send him forth openly and make for him supporters from among us. Through them He will strengthen His friends and humiliate His enemies. He will strike the people across the breadth ⁹ and open up the precious lands through them. He will break the idols, extinguish the fires, worship the Merciful, and drive away Satan. His word is decisive, his judgment is just. He commands what is right and does it, and forbids what is wrong and abolishes it." Abd al-Muttalib said: "O king, may your glory be exalted, your progeny be high, your kingdom be pure, and your life be long. Will the king inform me clearly, for he has already made things clear?" Ibn Dhi Yazan said: "By the House with the veils ¹⁰ and the signs on the stone ¹¹, you, O Abd al-Muttalib, are his grandfather, and there is no lie in this." He said: Then Abd al-Muttalib fell prostrate. Ibn Dhi Yazan said: "Raise your head. Your chest is cooled, and your matter is elevated. Have you perceived anything of what I have mentioned?" He said: "Yes, O king. I had a son whom I cherished, and he was gentle and kind. I married him to a noblewoman from among my people, Amina bint Wahb ibn Abd Manaf. She gave birth to a boy whom I named Muhammad. His father and mother died, and I and his uncle took care of him. Between his shoulders is a mole, and in him are all the signs you mentioned." Ibn Dhi Yazan said: "What I told you is exactly as I told you. Guard your son and beware of the Jews, for they are his enemies, and God will never give them power over him. Keep what I have mentioned hidden from these people with you, for I fear that envy may enter them because you will have leadership, and they will seek to harm him and set traps for him. They and their sons will do so. Were it not that I know death will overtake me before his mission, I would march with my cavalry and infantry until I make Yathrib ¹² the seat of my kingdom, for I find in the speaking Book ¹³ and the preceding knowledge that Yathrib will be the place of his command, his supporters, and his grave. Were it not that I fear for him from the signs ¹⁴ and the afflictions, I would proclaim his mention while he is still young and make the teeth of the Arabs tread upon his heel ¹⁵. But I am entrusting that to you without any shortcoming from those with you." Then he ordered for each man of the group ten male slaves, ten female slaves, two suits of striped garments, five ratls ¹⁶ of gold, ten ratls of silver, and a leather bag filled with ambergris. For Abd al-Muttalib, he gave ten times that and said: "When a year has passed, come to me with news of him and what has happened." He said: Then Ibn Dhi Yazan died before the year had passed. He said: Abd al-Muttalib often said: "O tribe of Quraysh, let no man among you envy me for the king's abundant gift, for it will come to an end. Rather, let him envy me for what will remain for me and my descendants: his mention, pride, and honor." When asked, "What is that?" he would say: "You will know what I say to you, even if after a time." Among the inspirations of divine prompting: He grew up among Quraysh with the best guidance and way, the most noble character and nature, and the truest tongue and speech, so much so that Quraysh, in his youth, called him al-Amin ¹⁷, as a foundation for what was to come. Khadija bint Khuwaylid was a woman of honor and wealth. She had trade and partnerships. When she learned of the trustworthiness of the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, and the truthfulness of his speech, she entrusted him with some capital to trade with in Syria on a partnership basis, and sent with him her slave Maysara to serve him on the way. One day, he stopped under the cell of a monk. The monk saw from the manifestations of God's honor upon him what he knew could only be for a prophet. He said to Maysara: "Who is this?" He replied: "A man from Quraysh, from the people of the Sanctuary." He said: "He is a prophet." Maysara would see that when he rode, a cloud would shade him, protecting him from the heat of the sun. When he returned to Khadija, Maysara told her about the monk's words, what he had witnessed of the cloud's shade, and the multiplied profit from the trade. Thus she became aware of his great status and the proofs of his evidence. Khadija desired to marry him, although the nobles of Quraysh had proposed to her and she had refused. Maysara, or it is said her nephew, mediated the marriage. She feared her father's refusal, so she slaughtered an animal for him, dressed him in a fine garment, perfumed him with musk and ambergris, and gave him wine until he became intoxicated. The Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, attended with his uncle Hamza ibn Abd al-Muttalib. There is disagreement about the presence of his uncle Abu Talib; most say he attended with Hamza and proposed to her father, who agreed and married her. He was twenty-five years old, and Khadija was forty. He consummated the marriage that night. When morning came, Khuwaylid awoke sober and saw the traces on him. He said: "What is this slaughtered animal, ambergris, and fine garment?" It was said: "You have married Khadija to Muhammad." He said: "I did not do that." It was said to him: "It is shameful for you, and he has already consummated the marriage." So he accepted it. For this reason, the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, said: "No marriage of an intoxicated person is brought to me except that I validate it." Khadija, may God be pleased with her, took charge of his affairs and spared him worldly concerns. That was a help from God, a grace He bestowed upon him, and a favor. Among the inspirations of divine prompting: What Amir ibn Rabi'a narrated: I heard Zayd ibn Amr ibn Nufayl say: "I am awaiting a prophet from the descendants of Ishmael, from the Banu Abd al-Muttalib. I do not think I will live to see him, but I believe in him, affirm him, and testify that he is a prophet. If your life is prolonged and you see him, convey my greetings to him. I will tell you his description so that he will not be hidden from you." I said: "Go ahead." He said: "He is a man, neither tall nor short, neither with much hair nor little. There is a redness in his eyes that never leaves him. The seal of prophethood is between his shoulders. His name is Ahmad. This town is his birthplace. Then his people will expel him from it, disliking what he brings, until he migrates to Yathrib, where his affair will prevail. Beware of being deceived about him. I have traveled all over the earth seeking the religion of Abraham. Everyone I asked about him from among the Jews, Christians, and Magians said: 'This religion is behind you,' and they described him just as I have described him to you. They said: 'No prophet remains except him.'" Amir said: When I embraced Islam, I informed the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, of Zayd's words and conveyed his greetings. He returned the greeting, prayed for mercy for him, and said: "I saw him in Paradise, trailing his robes." Among the inspirations of divine prompting: What al-Zuhri narrated from Abu Salama ibn Abd al-Rahman ibn Awf: God sent an angel to Kisra ¹⁸ while he was in his palace hall, where no one entered upon him. The angel did not deter him except by standing at his head, holding a staff in his hand, at the hottest time of the day, during his siesta. He said: "O Kisra, will you submit, or shall I break this staff?" He said: "Bah, bah ¹⁹." So he left him. Kisra called his guards and chamberlains and was angry with them, saying: "Who brought this man in?" They said: "No one entered upon you, and we did not see anyone." The following year, he came to him at the same hour and said the same, then said: "Will you submit, or shall I break this staff?" He said: "Bah, bah," three times. Then he left. Kisra called his guards and chamberlains, was angry, and said as before. They said: "We did not see anyone enter upon you." In the third year, he came to him at the same hour and said the same, then said: "Will you submit, or shall I break this staff?" He said: "Bah, bah." So he broke it and left. Soon after, his kingdom collapsed, and his son and the Persians rose against him and killed him. Among the inspirations of dreams: What Ibn Qutayba narrated: Kisra Abrawiz ²⁰ ibn Hurmuz was traveling one day. He dozed off on his mount, and it lasted long until he was unaware. One of his commanders woke him, and he awoke terrified from a dream that the waker had interrupted. He said: "I saw a speaker saying to me: 'You have changed, so We changed you, and the kingdom has been transferred to Ahmad.' It was said to him: 'Hand over what is in your hand to the owner of the staff ²¹.'" Then the letter of al-Nu'man ibn al-Mundhir reached him, informing him that an outsider had appeared in Tihama, claiming to be the Messenger of God, the Lord of heaven and earth, to all the people of the earth. He was alarmed, considered it great, and knew that it was the one he had seen in his dream, and he had been expecting him.

Among the inspirations of dreams: what was narrated by 'Urwa ibn Mudarris from Makhrama ibn Nawfal from his mother Ruqayya bint Abi Dub'ayy ibn Hashim, who said: Years of drought followed one another upon Quraysh, drying up the udders and wasting the bones. While I was sleeping, distressed or worried, suddenly a caller cried out with a loud voice: 'O company of Quraysh, this Prophet sent among you—his days have overshadowed you, and this is the time of his stars. So come, hasten to modesty and fertility. Behold, look for a man from among you, a mediator, large-bodied, white, bright, with long eyelashes, smooth cheeks, high-bridged nose, having a dignity he suppresses, and his age guides to him. Let him and his son go out alone, and let a man from every clan descend to him. Let them draw water and touch perfume, then touch the corner [of the Ka'ba], then ascend Abu Qubays, and let the man pray for rain and lead the people. Then you will have what you wish.' So I woke up, by Allah the Exalted, terrified, my skin shivering, my mind bewildered. I recounted my dream, and by the sanctity and the sanctuary, there remained no man of the Banu 'Abd Manaf in it except he said: 'This is Shayba al-Hamd'—meaning 'Abd al-Muttalib. So the leading men of Quraysh gathered to him, and a man from every clan descended to him. They drew water, touched perfume, touched the corner, then ascended Abu Qubays and covered its sides, their effort not reaching a pause until they stood on the peak of the mountain. 'Abd al-Muttalib stood up, and with him was the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, a boy who had reached puberty or was about to. He said: 'O Allah, Filler of the gap and Remover of distress, You are the Teacher who is not taught, and the Asked who is not miserly. These are Your servants and maidservants in the courtyards of Your sanctuary, complaining to You of their year: it has destroyed the cloven-hoofed and the hoofed. O Allah, send down upon us an abundant, fertilizing rain.' By the Ka'ba, they had not yet departed when the sky burst with its water and the valley flowed with its torrent. I heard two old men of Quraysh, the most eminent of them: 'Abdullah ibn Jud'an, Harb ibn Umayya, and Hisham ibn al-Mughira, saying to 'Abd al-Muttalib: 'Congratulations to you, O Abu al-Batha', for the people of al-Batha' live through you.' And concerning that, his companion said: 'By Shayba al-Hamd, Allah gave our land to drink / When we lost the rain and the rain withheld / So He poured down water, a torrent with paths / A downpour, and livestock and trees lived by it / Blessed is the matter; the clouds seek rain through him / Among mankind, there is no equal to him nor any like.' Among the inspirations of warning, inspiration, and dreams: what was narrated by Abu Ayyub Ya'la ibn 'Imran al-Nahli from Makhzum ibn Hani' al-Makhzumi from his father, who lived one hundred and fifty years, who said: On the night when the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, was born or was sent, the arch of Kisra ²² shook, and fourteen of its battlements fell; the fire of Persia was extinguished, which had not been extinguished for a thousand years before; and the lake of Sawa dried up. That frightened Kisra, so he put on his crown, sat on his throne, gathered his viziers and marzbans ²³, and told them his dream. The Mobedhan ²⁴ said: 'And I, may Allah improve the king, saw in this night difficult camels leading Arab horses, crossing the Tigris and spreading in our land.' He said: 'What is this, O Mobedhan?' He said: 'An event that will occur from the direction of the Arabs.' So he wrote to al-Nu'man ibn al-Mundhir: 'Send me a knowledgeable man whom I may ask about what I want.' So he sent to him 'Abd al-Masih ibn 'Amr ibn Nafila al-Ghassani. When he came to him, he told him. He said: 'O king, knowledge of that is with a maternal uncle of mine who lives in the eastern parts of Syria, called Satih ²⁵.' He said: 'Go to him and ask him about what I have told you, then bring me his answer.' So 'Abd al-Masih rode his mount until he came to Satih, who was on the verge of death and placed on the edge of his grave. He greeted him and hailed him, but Satih did not answer. So 'Abd al-Masih recited: 'Deaf or does Ghitrif al-Yaman hear? / O excellent of judgment, who has failed? / The old man of the tribe from the family of Sanan has come to you / And his mother from the family of Dhi'b ibn Hajan / White, loose-garmented, with a large body / The messenger of the chief of the non-Arabs travels to sleep.' So Satih raised his head and said: 'Abd al-Masih on a swift camel has come to Satih, having brought him to the grave. The king of the Sassanids sent you because of the shaking of the arch, the extinguishing of the fires, and the dream of the Mobedhan: he saw difficult camels leading Arab horses, crossing the Tigris and spreading in their land.' Then he said: 'O 'Abd al-Masih, when recitation becomes frequent, and the owner of the staff ²⁶ is sent from Tihama, and the valley of Samawa overflows, and the lake of Sawa dries up, and the fire of Persia is extinguished, then Syria is not for Satih a Syria. There will rule from them kings and queens according to the number of battlements, and everything that is coming.' Then Satih died. So 'Abd al-Masih traveled on his mount, saying: 'Hasten, for you are resolute in purpose, a hastener / And let not division and change deceive you / If the kingdom of the Sassanids has passed them by / Then this time has varying turns / Perhaps one day they will become in a position / Whose awe the crushing lions fear / Among them is the lord of the palace, Bahram, and his brothers / And al-Hurmuzan, and Sabur, and Sabur / And people are sons of different mothers; if they know / That one has been favored, then he is abandoned and despised / And they are sons of the mother, unless they see lineage / Then that is preserved and helped by the unseen / And good and evil are paired in a rope / So good is followed and evil is warned against.' When 'Abd al-Masih came to Kisra and told him, Kisra said: 'Until fourteen kings rule from us, matters have occurred.' So ten kings ruled from them for four years, and their kingdom ended with Yazdajird the fourteenth after twelve years. If it is said: This is the saying of a soothsayer ²⁷ whom prophethood has invalidated, so his saying is not accepted in establishing prophethood, then there are two answers: One: that it is an interpretation of a dream that came true, removing it from the ruling of soothsaying. The second: that he learned it through the transmission of jinn, like the calls of jinn, as Allah the Exalted said: 'And indeed the devils inspire their allies' ²⁸. So if one examines the various paths and differing descriptions, it moves from scarcity to abundance and from isolated reports to mutawatir ²⁹, so that conjecture becomes knowledge and assumption becomes certain. Chapter Eighteen: On the beginnings of his lineage and the purity of his birth, peace and blessings be upon him. Since the prophets of Allah are the elite of His servants and the best of His creation, due to what He charged them with of standing for His right, He chose them from the noblest elements and provided them with the strongest ties, preserving their lineage from defect and their status from injury, so that souls might be more submissive to them and hearts purer for them, and people might be quicker to respond to them and more obedient to their commands. When prophethood was emptied from Ibrahim and was particularized to his offspring, it turned to the offspring of Ishaq rather than Isma'il, and thus it was among the Children of Israel due to their abundance after scarcity and their strength after weakness. Prophethood began with Musa and ended with 'Isa. When the offspring of Isma'il became numerous and spread throughout the earth, the offspring of Qahtan distinguished themselves from the offspring of 'Adnan after abundance, and Qahtan took control of the kingdom, while prophethood turned to the offspring of 'Adnan. The first to establish for them glory and build for them renown was Ma'add ibn 'Adnan, when Bukhtanassar ³⁰ chose him, having ruled the regions of the earth, and had intended to kill him when he invaded the land of the Arabs. But a prophet who was in his time informed him that prophethood would be in his offspring, so he spared him, honored him, empowered him, and he took control of Tihama with a high hand and an obeyed command. Concerning him, the poet Muhalhil said: 'Our home in Tihama was inhabited yesterday / And in it the sons of Ma'add were dwellers.' Then glory increased through his son Nizar, and the hand was extended through him, and he advanced before the kings of Persia. Tushtasf, the king of Persia, chose him, and his name was Khuldān, and he was thin-bodied. The king said: 'What is the matter with you, O Nizar?'—which in their language means 'O thin one'—so this name prevailed over him, and he was called Nizar. Concerning him, Qum'a ibn Ilyas ibn Mudar ibn Nizar ibn Ma'add ibn 'Adnan said: 'We left Jadhis and Tasm in his land / So how noble are we in glory, glory! / For we are the sons of 'Adnan, Khuldān is our grandfather / Tushtasf the noble called him Nizar / So he was named Nizar after his name was / Among the Arabs Khuldān; his sons are good.' Nizar had four sons: Mudar, Rabi'a, Iyad, and Anmar. When death approached him, he advised them, saying: 'O my sons, this red dome and what resembles it is for Iyad; this assembly and council and what resembles it is for Anmar. If it becomes difficult for you and you disagree, then go to al-Afa' al-Jurhumi in Najran.' So they disagreed about the division and set out to him. While they were traveling, Mudar saw some grass that had been grazed, and said: 'The camel that grazed this grass is one-eyed.' Rabi'a said: 'It is crooked.' Iyad said: 'It is dock-tailed.' Anmar said: 'It is skittish.' They had not traveled far when they met a man riding his mount, who asked them about the camel. Mudar said: 'It is one-eyed?' He said: 'Yes.' Rabi'a said: 'It is crooked?' He said: 'Yes.' Iyad said: 'It is dock-tailed?' He said: 'Yes.' Anmar said: 'It is skittish?' He said: 'Yes. By Allah, this is the description of my camel. Show me where it is.' They said: 'By Allah, we have not seen it.' He said: 'You have described it with its description, so how have you not seen it?' And he traveled with them to Najran until they came to al-Afa' al-Jurhumi. The owner of the camel called out: 'These are the ones who described my camel to me with its description and said they had not seen it.' Al-Afa' al-Jurhumi said to them: 'How did you describe it without seeing it?' Mudar said: 'I saw it grazing one side and leaving the other, so I knew it was one-eyed.' Rabi'a said: 'I saw one of its forelegs with a steady print and the other with a faulty print, so I knew it was crooked.' Iyad said: 'I saw its dung gathered together, so I knew it was dock-tailed.' Anmar said: 'I saw it grazing a thicket and then moving to another, so I knew it was skittish.' Al-Jurhumi said to the camel owner: 'They are not the ones who have your camel. Seek it from others.' Then he asked them who they were. They told him they were the sons of Nizar ibn Ma'add. He said: 'Do you need me when you are as I see?' He invited them to food, and they ate, and he ate; and to drink, and they drank, and he drank. Mudar said: 'I have never seen wine better than today, except that it grew on a grave.' Rabi'a said: 'I have never seen meat more delicious than today, except that it was raised on the milk of a bitch.' Iyad said: 'I have never seen a man more generous than today, except that he is called by other than his father's name.' Anmar said: 'I have never seen speech more beneficial for our need than today.' Al-Jurhumi heard the speech and was amazed at their words. He went to his mother and asked her, and she told him that she had been under a king who had no child, and she disliked that the kingdom would be lost, so she allowed a man who had stayed with her to have access to her, and he had intercourse with her, and she became pregnant with him. He asked the steward about the wine, and he said: 'From a vine I planted on your father's grave.' He asked the shepherd about the meat, and he said: 'A ewe I suckled with the milk of a bitch, because when the ewe gave birth, it died, and there was no other ewe in the flock.' So it was said to Mudar: 'How did you know the wine and that it grew on a grave?' He said: 'Because I felt intense thirst from it.' It was said to Rabi'a: 'How did you know that the ewe was suckled on the milk of a bitch?' He said: 'Because I smelled the odor of a dog from it.' It was said to Iyad: 'How did you know that the man is called by other than his father's name?' He said: 'Because I saw him undertaking what he does with difficulty.' Then al-Jurhumi came to them and said: 'Describe to me your description.' So they told him what their father Nizar had advised them. He judged that Mudar should have the red dome, the dinars, and the red camels, so he was called Mudar al-Hamra' (the Red). He judged that Rabi'a should have the black tent and the dark horses, so he was called Rabi'a al-Faras (the Horse). He judged that Iyad should have the gray-haired servant and the piebald livestock. He judged that Anmar should have the land and the dirhams. This manifestation in the sons of Nizar of strong intelligence and sharp acumen was a foundation for their distinction in virtue and their specialization in abundant intellect, as a prelude to what was intended for them. Then the tribes dispersed from them. The offspring of Mudar ibn Nizar were particularized to the sanctuary, so they were distinguished by their lineages and supported each other with their swords ³¹ until Quraysh took control of the sanctuary after Jurhum and Khuza'a, because Jurhum were tyrants who transgressed and acted arrogantly until Allah sent against them nosebleeds and ants, which destroyed them, and their affair passed to 'Amir ibn al-Harith, and they are the ones who said:

A sacred valley, its birds and wild beasts are forbidden... We are its guardians, so we do not betray it. Then Khuza'a gathered, led by 'Amr ibn Rabi'a ibn Haritha, against 'Amir ibn Rabi'a and the rest of Jurhum, expelled them from the Sanctuary, and took control of it. Khuza'a assumed authority over the House, and 'Amr ibn Rabi'a said: "We have been entrusted with the House after Jurhum... We maintain it against every oppressive heretic." When 'Amir ibn al-Harith withdrew with the rest of Jurhum from the Sanctuary upon Khuza'a's takeover, he took the two gazelles of the Ka'ba and the Stone of the Corner, seeking repentance, and said: "O God, indeed Jurhum are Your servants... The people are newcomers, while they are Your original property." But his repentance was not accepted, so he threw the two gazelles of the Ka'ba and the Stone of the Corner into Zamzam, buried them, and departed with the rest of Jurhum, saying: "As if there never was, between al-Hajun and al-Safa, any familiar companion, nor did any night-visitor stay overnight in Mecca." "Yes, we were its people, but the vicissitudes of nights and the deceitful ages destroyed us." When 'Amir ibn al-Harith al-Jurhumi saw what had become of them after their former abundance and strength, he said: "O people, proceed, for your failure is that one day you will become such that you cannot move." "We were people like you, but time changed us, and you will become as we once were." "Urge on the mounts and loosen their nose-ropes before death, and fulfill what you must fulfill." Thus Khuza'a took charge of the House and the Sanctuary, but among Mudar there were three matters concerning it: First: The departure from 'Arafa to Muzdalifa was assigned to al-Ghawth ibn Buzmur, who was its overseer. Second: The pouring forth from Muzdalifa to Mina for the sacrifice was assigned to Zayd ibn 'Adwan, and the last to hold it was Abu Sayyara. Third: The postponement ³² of the months of Hajj was assigned to al-Mutalammis of Banu Kinana, and the last to hold it until the advent of Islam was Thumama ibn 'Awf. Thus Mudar shared with Khuza'a in the rites of Hajj, although the leadership of the Sanctuary belonged to Khuza'a and Quraysh among the scattered groups of Banu Kinana from Mudar. The rites of Hajj passed from the groups of Mudar to Quraysh, and among them, Ka'b ibn Lu'ayy ibn Ghalib was entrusted with them. He used to gather the people every Friday and deliver a sermon to Quraysh, commanding them to do good and forbidding them from evil, saying: "Your Sanctuary—venerate it and hold fast to it, for a great news will come to it, and a noble Prophet will emerge from it." He was the first to speak clearly of prophethood when he witnessed its signs and recognized its secrets from the submission of the Arabs to them out of devotion to their Sanctuary and reverence for their Ka'ba. This was an inspiration that stirred in his soul and a premonition that proved true, for every momentous event has a warning, and every future has a herald. Khuza'a in the Sanctuary entrusted authority to Khalil ibn Habashiyya al-Khuza'i, who oversaw the Ka'ba and the affairs of Mecca. Qusayy ibn Kilab married into his family, and Qusayy gained strength through him—his name was Zayd. When Khalil died, Qusayy deemed himself more entitled to the guardianship of the Ka'ba and the affairs of Mecca than Khuza'a, so he took control. There is disagreement over the reason for his takeover. Some say that Khalil had bequeathed it to him. Others say that he bought it from the family of Khalil for a skin of wine. Still others say that he sought help against Khuza'a from his maternal brother Rizah ibn Rabi'a al-Quda'i until he expelled Khuza'a from Mecca, and thus leadership passed exclusively to Qusayy. He gathered Quraysh while they were scattered among the groups of Kinana, but Banu Kinana opposed them, so he fought them with those who obeyed him until he separated them from Quraysh and gathered them in Mecca, earning the name 'al-Mujammi' (the Gatherer). A poet of theirs said: "Our father Qusayy was called al-Mujammi', through him Allah gathered the tribes of Fihr." When they were assembled, he settled them in the lowlands of Mecca, in the valleys and mountain tops, and divided it into four quarters among his people, assigning each group of Quraysh their dwellings in Mecca that they still occupy. He held the offices of al-Hijaba ³³, al-Siqaya ³⁴, al-Ifada ³⁵, al-Nadwa ³⁶, and al-Liwa' ³⁷. His practice among Quraysh became like a religion that no one deviated from. Thus their strength increased through unity until he consolidated authority and rebuilt the Ka'ba—he was the first to rebuild it after Ibrahim and Isma'il. He built Dar al-Nadwa ³⁸ for adjudication, disputes, and consultation; it was the first house built in Mecca. Previously, they used to gather in its mountains. Then the people built their houses around it, and leadership was firmly established among them, and political acumen became evident. They became the leaders of worship, heralding obedience to a divine law and a prophetic religion, preparing the way for what Allah would later renew through His Messenger and laying its foundations. They attended to the Ka'ba, venerated the Sanctuary, and undertook the Hajj, becoming the religious authorities of the Arabs, the guardians of the Sanctuary, and the leaders of the pilgrims. The Arabs submitted to them, and they excelled in honor due to their residence in the Sanctuary, their care for the Ka'ba, and their management of the Hajj. This became widely known among nations. Some of the religious authorities among the Arabs reported that a group of Persian kings visited the Ka'ba in Mecca, venerated it, brought various kinds of garments and perfumes, and made their accompanying Persians murmur ³⁹ at the well of Zamzam—hence it was called Zamzam. The proponent of this view cited the poet's verse: "The Persians murmured at Zamzam, in the bygone days of old." Quraysh are the descendants of al-Nadr ibn Kinana ibn Khuzayma ibn Mudrika ibn Ilyas ibn Mudar. It is also said that they are the sons of Fihr ibn Malik ibn al-Nadr. Those who trace them to al-Nadr do so because the tribes of Kinana dispersed; it is said he was called Quraysh. Those who trace them to Fihr do so because in his time Fihr was the chief of the people in Mecca. Hassān ibn 'Abd Kulāl of Himyar and the tribes of Yemen set out to destroy the Ka'ba and transport its stones to Yemen to build a house there to which people would make pilgrimage. He camped at Nakhla and raided the livestock of Mecca. Fihr marched against him with Kinana and their allies from the tribes of Mudar. Himyar was defeated, and al-Harith ibn Fihr captured Hassān ibn 'Abd Kulāl, who remained a prisoner in Fihr's hands for three years in Mecca until he ransomed himself and departed, dying between Mecca and Yemen. Through this, the prestige of Fihr was greatly enhanced, and Quraysh attributed to him the defense of Mecca and the prevention of the Ka'ba's destruction—an event similar to the Year of the Elephant. There are four opinions regarding why they were called Quraysh: First, because of their gathering after dispersion—'taqarrush' means gathering, as the poet said: "Brothers who gathered sins upon us, in tales of their time both recent and ancient." Second, because they were merchants who earned their livelihood—'qarsh' means earning. Third, because they would search out the needs of the needy and fulfill them—'qarsh' means searching, as the poet said: "O you who seek to search out from us, concerning 'Amr—does he have any mercy?" Fourth, that Quraysh is the name of a sea creature, one of the strongest marine animals; Quraysh were named after it for their strength: it eats and is not eaten, it overcomes and is not overcome. This was reported by Ibn 'Abbas, who cited the poet's verse: "Quraysh is that which dwells in the sea—by it Quraysh were named Quraysh." "It dominates in the depths of the sea over the inhabitants of the seas like armies." "It eats the lean and the fat, and leaves not a day for the winged ones a feather." "Thus in the lands, Quraysh eat the lands like devouring." "And they will have at the end of time a Prophet who will increase killing and scratching among them." "He will fill the earth with his horses and men, urging the mounts with swift urging." This is among the premonitions of souls that foretell and the signs of minds that warn. As for Mecca, it has two names: Mecca and Bakka. The Qur'an mentions both. There is disagreement whether the two names refer to one entity or two, with two opinions: One: They refer to one entity, because the Arabs substitute 'm' for 'b', saying 'daraba lazim' and 'lazib' due to the proximity of the two points of articulation. The second opinion, which is more plausible, is that they are two names for two distinct entities. Those who hold this view differ on what each designates, with two opinions: One: Mecca is the name of the town, and Bakka is the name of the House—this is the view of Ibrahim al-Nakha'i. The second: Mecca is the entire Sanctuary, and Bakka is the entire Mosque—this is the view of Zayd ibn Aslam. As for Mecca, it is derived from their saying 'tamakkaktu al-mukha' (I extracted the marrow) because it extracts the sinner, i.e., expels him. The poet said: "O Mecca, expel the sinner, expel him, and do not expel one who has performed Hajj and 'Umra." As for Bakka, al-Asma'i said: It is so named because people jostle ⁴⁰ one another there, i.e., push. He recited: "When the drinker is seized by jostling, leave him until he jostles thoroughly." Then the leadership of Quraysh after Qusayy passed to his son 'Abd Manaf ibn Qusayy, who excelled, increased, and became eminent. The poet said of him: "Quraysh was an egg that hatched, so the qualities of 'Abd Manaf emerged." His name was al-Mughira, but his mother dedicated him to Manaf ⁴¹, the greatest idol of Mecca, to honor it, so he became known as 'Abd Manaf. He was called 'al-Qamar' (the moon) for his beauty. His leadership became firmly established after his father due to his generosity and statesmanship. Then he had sons: Hashim and 'Abd Shams were twins in one womb. It is said that when one of them began to emerge, his finger was stuck to the other's forehead; when it was removed, the spot bled, so it was said there would be blood between them. Then after them came Nawfal, then al-Muttalib, who was the youngest. They advanced, with Hashim leading them due to his generosity and nobility. His name was 'Amr, and he was called Hashim because he was the first to crumble bread into broth for his people in Mecca during a severe drought year. He traveled to Palestine, bought flour, brought it to Mecca, slaughtered camels, made broth with crumbled bread, and fed the people of Mecca until they were satisfied. The poet said: "O you who turn his baggage, why not stay with the family of 'Abd Manaf?" "Those who take covenants from its horizons, who travel for the journey of Ilaf ⁴²." "The providers—and no provider is found—and those who say 'come to the guests.'" "Those who mix their rich with their poor, so that their poor become like the rich." "'Amr al-'Ula crumbled bread for his people, while the men of Mecca were hungry and lean." Hashim was the first to institute the two journeys for Quraysh: the winter journey and the summer journey. Umayya ibn 'Abd Shams tried to imitate Hashim's deed but failed, and many of Quraysh mocked him. Wahb ibn 'Abd Qusayy said of him: "Hashim undertook what was too much for him, and what the feeble one could not bear." "He brought heavy sacks of wheat from Syria, the hated grain." "He fed the people of Mecca with crumbled bread and mixed meat with fresh meat."

The enmity broke out between Umayya and Hashim, and [Umayya] wanted to hold a contest of honor ⁴³ against him, but Hashim disliked that due to his lineage and status. However, Quraysh did not leave him until he held the contest against [Umayya] before the Khuzai soothsayer ⁴⁴ with fifty black-eyed she-camels to be slaughtered in the valley of Mecca and exile from Mecca for ten years. The Khuzai judged in favor of Hashim and said to Umayya: 'You are contesting a man who is taller than you in stature, greater in head, more handsome in appearance, less in fault, more in children, and more generous in wealth.' Umayya said: 'It is from the vicissitudes of time that we made you the judge.' So Hashim took the camels, slaughtered them, and fed those present, while Umayya left for Syria and stayed there for ten years. This was the first enmity that occurred between Hashim and Umayya. Hashim assumed the leadership of the winter and summer caravans ⁴⁵ and the provision of water ⁴⁶, and leadership was established for him. Quraysh became obedient to him, following his command and acting on his opinion. Quraysh and Khuza'a gathered to him, and he addressed them in a way that both parties acknowledged with obedience. He said in his speech: 'O people, we are the family of Ibrahim, the descendants of Isma'il, the sons of al-Nadr ibn Kinana, the sons of Qusayy ibn Kilab, the lords of Mecca and the inhabitants of the Sanctuary. To us belongs the summit of lineage and the mine of glory. For everyone there is an alliance to which he responds with his support and the answer to his call, except what calls for disobedience to one's clan and severance of kinship. O sons of Qusayy, you are like two branches of a tree; whichever is broken, its companion feels lonely. The sword is only preserved in its sheath, and the one who shoots at his clan is hit by his own arrow. Whoever is stubbornly persistent is led to transgression. O people, forbearance is honor, patience is victory, kindness is a treasure, generosity is nobility, ignorance is folly, days are vicissitudes, time changes, and a person is attributed to his deeds and held accountable for his actions. So do good deeds to earn praise, leave excess so that the foolish avoid you, honor your companion so that your gathering flourishes, protect your neighbor so that he desires your proximity, be just to yourselves so that you are trusted, adhere to noble morals for they elevate, and avoid base morals for they degrade honor and destroy glory. Indeed, restraining the ignorant is easier than his anger, and the leader of a clan bears its burdens, and the position of the forbearing is a lesson for those who benefit.' Quraysh said: 'We are pleased with you, Abu Nadla'—his nickname—'so look at what he commanded of noble morals and forbade of evil deeds. Does this come except from abundant virtue, great status, and high ambition? And that is only due to a chosen purpose and an established fame, because the continuity of these qualities in fathers necessitates their perfection in sons.' Hashim died in Gaza in the land of Syria, and he was the first of the sons of Abd Manaf to die. Then Abd Shams died in Mecca and was buried in Ajyad. Then Nawfal died in Salman on the road to Iraq, and al-Muttalib died in Rayman in the land of Yemen. Hashim had married in Yathrib ⁴⁷ from the Khazraj, Salma bint Amr al-Najjariyya, and she gave birth to Abd al-Muttalib for him in Yathrib. His name was Shayba al-Hamd ⁴⁸, and he grew up among them until his father Hashim died. Leadership, the caravan leadership, and the provision of water passed to his brother al-Muttalib. [Al-Muttalib] was told about Shayba in Yathrib, so he went and persuaded his mother to let him go, took him, and entered Mecca with him riding behind him. Quraysh asked: 'Who is this?' He said: 'My slave,' so he was called Abd al-Muttalib ⁴⁹ until he died. His uncle Nawfal ibn Abd Manaf attacked him over a rakḥ ⁵⁰ that belonged to him and seized it from him. Abd al-Muttalib asked the leading men of his people for support against his uncle, but they said: 'We will not intervene between you and your uncle.' When Abd al-Muttalib saw that, he wrote to his maternal uncles from Banu al-Najjar: 'How long is my night due to my sorrows and preoccupations... Is there a messenger to the Najjar, my maternal uncles, to inform Adi, Dinar, Mazin, and Malik, the protectors of neighbors, about my situation? I was living happily, walking proudly in my garments, until I moved to my people and was uprooted from that by my uncle al-Muttalib's relocation. Al-Muttalib disappeared into deep darkness, and Nawfal stood up to wrongfully take my property. If he sees a man whose paternal uncles are absent and whose maternal uncles are absent without a guardian, he attacks him without preserving kinship. How protected is a man between his paternal uncle and maternal uncle? So mobilize and prevent the oppression of your sister's son; do not forsake him, for you are not forsakers. There is none like you among all of Qahtan, a people of protection, kindness, and favor. You are soft to those who are soft, peaceful to you, and poison to the lofty, proud one.' Then eighty riders from Banu al-Najjar came to him and supported him against his uncle Nawfal, reclaiming the rakḥ from him and returning. Abd al-Muttalib honored them greatly. This caused Nawfal to ally with Banu Abd Shams against Abd al-Muttalib and Banu Hashim, and this caused Abd al-Muttalib to ally with Banu Hashim against Nawfal and Banu Abd Shams. Thus Abd al-Muttalib became strong and Nawfal weak, and the provision of water, caravan leadership, and leadership passed to Abd al-Muttalib. Nawfal obtained a covenant from the Chosroes of Iraq, and his journey was to them. Abd al-Muttalib obtained a covenant from the kings of Syria and the tribal chiefs of Himyar in Yemen, and his journey was to them. When Abd al-Muttalib became strong and powerful, he dug the well of Zamzam and brought out from it what Amir ibn al-Harith al-Jurhumi had thrown into it, along with the two gazelles of the Kaaba and the Black Stone ⁵¹. He made the two gazelles into gold plates on the door of the Kaaba and placed the Stone in its corner. Abd al-Muttalib became a great chief, obeyed in command, and noble in offspring, until a Bedouin passed by him while he was sitting in the Hijr ⁵² with his sons around him like lions. He said: 'When God wants to establish a state, He creates people like these.' So God established for them a state through prophethood, immortalized their mention, and raised their status until they became the masters of mankind and the banners, and everyone close to the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, among his fathers became of the greatest leadership, fame, virtue, and excellence. Al-Zuhri, Yazid ibn Ruman, and Salih ibn Kaysan narrated that Abd al-Muttalib ibn Hashim vowed that if he were granted ten male children and saw them as men before him, he would sacrifice one of them to the Kaaba as thanks to his Lord, based on his understanding that Ibrahim was commanded to sacrifice his son, imagining that it was the best act of devotion. When he completed the number of his children and they became for him the apparent number, he said to them: 'O my sons, I made a vow that you know of before today. What do you say?' They said: 'The matter is yours and to you, and we are before you.' He said: 'Let each of you go to his arrow and write his name on it.' They did so, then brought the arrows to him. He took them and began to chant: 'I made a covenant with Him, and I am faithful to His covenant... By God, nothing is praised except His praise... When my Lord is my Master and I am His servant... I vowed a vow that I do not love to break... Nor do I love to live after it.' Then he called for the trusted one who casts arrows ⁵³ and gave him their arrows, saying: 'Shake them and do not rush.' The most beloved of Abd al-Muttalib's children to him was Abdullah. The arrow caster cast the arrow and it fell on Abdullah. So Abd al-Muttalib took the knife, brought Abdullah, and laid him down between Isaf and Na'ila ⁵⁴, chanting: 'I made a covenant with Him, and I am faithful to His covenant... By God, nothing can determine anything except His determination... This is my son, I intend to sacrifice him... And if He delays him, He will accept my excuse.' He was about to slaughter him when his son Abu Talib, who was Abdullah's full brother, jumped up, grabbed Abd al-Muttalib's hand from his brother, and chanted: 'No, by the Lord of the House with the idols... Abdullah will not be slaughtered in play... O Shayba, indeed the wind is punishing... We have a say in the matter... Maternal uncles of truth like lions of the forest.' When Banu Makhzum heard this from Abu Talib—and they were his maternal uncles—they said: 'Our sister's son has spoken the truth.' They jumped up to Abd al-Muttalib and said: 'O Abu al-Harith, we will not allow our sister's son to be slaughtered. Slaughter any of your other sons instead.' He said: 'I made a vow, and the arrow has come out. I must slaughter him.' They said: 'No, that will never happen as long as we have a soul. We will ransom him with all our wealth, new and old.' Al-Mughira ibn Abdullah ibn Amr ibn Makhzum chanted: 'O wonder at the deed of Abd al-Muttalib... Slaughtering a son like a statue of gold... No, by the House of God, veiled with curtains... Abdullah will not be slaughtered among us in play... So what he seeks is met with turbulent calamities.' Then the nobles of Quraysh came to Abd al-Muttalib and said: 'O Abu al-Harith, what you have resolved to do is great. If you slaughter your son, you will not enjoy life after him. But it is not necessary; you are at the head of your matter. Wait until we go with you to the soothsayer of Banu Sa'd. Whatever she commands you, obey.' Abd al-Muttalib said: 'That is for you.' They considered soothsaying to be true. Then he set out with a group of Banu Makhzum towards Syria to the soothsayer. When they entered upon her, Abd al-Muttalib informed her of what he had resolved to do with his son and chanted: 'O Lord, I will do what You will... If You wish, inspire me with right guidance and rectitude... O bringer of good to every land... You have increased my wealth and multiplied my number.' The soothsayer said: 'Leave me today.' They left and returned the next day. She said: 'What is the blood money ⁵⁵ among you?' They said: 'Ten camels.' She said: 'Return to your land, bring this boy whom you intend to slaughter, and bring with him ten camels. Then cast arrows over him and the camels. If the arrow falls on the camels, slaughter them. If it falls on your companion, increase the camels by ten until your Lord is satisfied.' So the people returned to Mecca and said to him: 'O Abu al-Harith, you have an example in Ibrahim. You know what he resolved regarding the sacrifice of his son Isma'il, and you are the chief of the sons of Isma'il. So offer your wealth instead of your son.' When morning came, Abd al-Muttalib went with his son Abdullah to the slaughter, brought ten camels, called for the trusted arrow caster, made an arrow for his son, and said: 'Cast and do not rush.' The arrow fell on Abdullah. He made it twenty, cast, and it fell on Abdullah. He made it thirty, cast, and it fell on Abdullah. He made it forty, cast, and it fell on Abdullah. He made it fifty, cast, and it fell on Abdullah. He made it sixty, cast, and it fell on Abdullah. He made it eighty, cast, and it fell on Abdullah. He made it ninety, cast, and it fell on Abdullah. He made it a hundred, cast, and the arrow fell on the camels. Abdullah and Quraysh shouted 'Allahu Akbar' ⁵⁶ and said: 'O Abu al-Harith, your Lord's satisfaction has been achieved, and your son has been saved from slaughter.' He said: 'No, by God, until I cast three times.' He cast a second time, and it fell on the camels. He cast a third time, and it fell on the camels. So Abd al-Muttalib knew that his Lord's satisfaction for ransoming his son had been achieved, and he chanted: 'I called my Lord sincerely and openly... O Lord, do not let my son be slaughtered... And ransom him with wealth, You will find me abundant... I will give You ten of every herd... Forgive and do not gloat over envious eyes... Over the bright-faced one covered like a moon... So praise be to God, the Most Glorious, thanks... By the House covered with a veil... I will not exchange my Lord's blessing for disbelief... As long as I live or visit the grave.' Then he brought the camels—a hundred from his own camels—and they were all slaughtered as a ransom for Abdullah, left in their places, with no one prevented from them, and people, young and old, took turns eating them. Thus the custom of blood money being a hundred camels was established until this day. Abd al-Muttalib returned with his son Abdullah rejoicing, and Abdullah became known as 'the Sacrificed One' ⁵⁷. For this reason, the Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace, said: 'I am the son of the two sacrificed ones ⁵⁸.'

The two sacrifices ⁵⁹ — meaning Ishmael son of Abraham, peace be upon them, and his father Abdullah son of Abdul-Muttalib — and this is from God's doing for His Messenger, due to what He decreed for him of his message and ordained of the signs of his prophethood. For no prophet is free from a warning trial, nor any king from a deterrent affliction. This is Solomon son of David, peace be upon them: God gave him, along with prophethood, a kingdom that befits no one after him, and he asked God for wisdom, so He gave him a knowing heart and sound understanding, until he composed three thousand proverbs by which the morals of his people were refined and the conduct of his kingdom was straightened, after the wind was subjected to him, blowing gently at his command wherever he aimed, and the devils were subjected to him, working for him whatever he desired, from sanctuaries and statues and basins like reservoirs ⁶⁰. It is mentioned in his biography that his daily provision was thirty kor ⁶¹ of fine semolina flour and one kor of other than semolina, and his annual income was thirty-six thousand thousand thousand and three thousand thousand and three hundred thousand mithqals ⁶². He had one thousand four hundred concubines ⁶³ scattered among the villages, and he reigned for forty years, like his father David. Then God tested him during his reign, after twenty years of it, with what God related in His Book, saying: "And indeed We tried Solomon and cast upon his throne a body; then he repented" (Quran 38:34). Concerning his trial, there are two sayings: First: Solomon captured the daughter of a king he had conquered on an island of the sea called Sidon ⁶⁴. Love for her fell upon him, but she turned away from him, remembering her father, not looking at him except with aversion and not speaking to him except sparingly. Then she asked him to make for her a statue in his image, so he ordered it made for her, and she venerated it and prostrated to it, and her maidservants prostrated with her, and it became an idol worshipped in his house without his knowledge, until forty days had passed and the news spread among the Children of Israel and Solomon learned of it. He broke it, then burned it, then scattered its ashes in the wind. This is the saying of Shahr ibn Hawshab. Second: God had placed Solomon's kingdom in his ring. He said to Asaf ⁶⁵ — who was a devil named Asaf of the devils — "How do you lead people astray?" The devil said to him, "Give me your ring so I may tell you." So he gave him his ring, and he threw it into the sea, and his kingdom departed. This is the saying of Mujahid. Concerning the body cast upon his throne, there are two sayings: First: The devil who threw Solomon's ring into the sea sat on Solomon's throne, resembling his form, judging unjustly and commanding wrongly. Second: He [Solomon] had excessive intercourse with his concubines seeking offspring, so a half-human child was born to him, and that was the body cast upon his throne. Solomon's kingdom departed from him, so he fled to the seashore, seeking hospitality from people and carrying the fish of fishermen for wages. When he told people he was Solomon, they denied him, until he took a fish from a fisherman — it is said he begged for it as food, or took it as wages. When he split its belly, he found his ring inside it, after forty days from the departure of his kingdom, which was the number of days the idol was worshipped in his house. Then the people prostrated to him when the ring returned to him. Yahya ibn Abi Umar said: He found his ring in Ashkelon, and he walked from there to Jerusalem in humility to God. Concerning His saying "then he repented" ⁶⁶, there are two interpretations: First: Then he returned to his kingdom, said by al-Dahhak. Second: Then he repented from his sin, said by Qatada. He remained in his kingdom after his trial for twenty years, completing the forty, which was the duration of the forty days his kingdom had departed. As for the affliction of kings: Nebuchadnezzar's kingdom covered the inhabited earth until he ruled the seven climes, the kings of nations submitted to him, and they paid him the tribute of their lands. Then his heart became arrogant and his nose turned up; pride entered him, and he believed that the nations of creation had become his slaves and servants, and that the kings of the earth had submitted to his authority out of fear and dread. So God became angry with him and stripped him of the might of his sovereignty and his power, removed from him his awe and ability, made his heart like the heart of animals, so he fell from his royal throne, and his attendants expelled him from among them. He dwelt in the wilderness, eating its herbs, and his body was afflicted by the rain from the sky until his hair grew long and his nails became like the claws of birds, until he passed through seven states while in a stupor, people knowing him only as a kind of animal in human form, until God rescued him from his distress. Then his reason returned to him, his discernment came back, and he looked up to the sky, magnifying God, seeking refuge with Him, and acknowledging that there is no sovereignty except His, He gives it to whom He wills and takes it away from whom He wills. So his commanders sought him to return him to his kingdom until they found him, brought him back to his abode of honor, and seated him on his royal throne. He returned to the fear of God and His watchfulness, and to his former good conduct. He appointed Daniel the prophet as his deputy and entrusted him with the administration of his kingdom until he passed away after fifty-one years of his reign, with Daniel as his deputy. Among them from the Persian kings: Khosrow Parviz ⁶⁷. He attained a great degree of kingship. In his palace were twelve thousand maidens, among them three thousand for pleasure, and the rest for singing and service. In his house were three thousand men serving him. He had one thousand elephants minus one, and of horses and mules fifty thousand head, among them eight thousand five hundred for his riding. He ordered that the revenue from the tribute of his lands be counted in the eighteenth year of his reign, and it was six hundred thousand thousand dirhams. His son Shiruyah ⁶⁸, after seizing him, reported that he said: "We ordered in the thirtieth year of our reign to count what was in our treasuries, apart from what we set aside for the soldiers' stipends, and it was four hundred thousand purses ⁶⁹ of silver, containing one thousand thousand thousand and six hundred thousand thousand mithqals, besides what God bestowed upon us and increased from the wealth of the Roman kings in ships that the wind brought to us, which we distributed to the winds. Our wealth continued to increase until this year, which is the thirty-eighth year of our reign, in which his son seized him and killed him." This was mentioned of his accumulation because he became arrogant and despised people. So consider, O you who reflect with your intellect, the doing of God and His power in those whom He tries as a test and afflicts as a deterrent. Is there any repeller for what He has decreed, or any preventer for what He has tried, except by a grace from Him that He gives to whom He wills? And He is the Strong, the Mighty.

1. tharid : A traditional Arab dish of bread soaked in broth, often with meat.
2. Abu Qubais : A mountain in Mecca, near the Kaaba.
3. Hanifites : Followers of the monotheistic religion of Abraham, often used to refer to early Muslims.
4. whose person is not seen : Referring to the unseen caller (jinn or angel) whose physical form is not visible.
5. whose statement is not accepted : Meaning that the caller's statement is not legally binding as testimony, but still considered valid as a sign.
6. al-kitāb al-maknūn : The Preserved Book, often referring to the Preserved Tablet (al-Lawḥ al-Maḥfūẓ) in Islamic belief, where all destinies are recorded.
7. Tihāma : A region in the Arabian Peninsula, including Mecca and the surrounding lowlands.
8. qad waladnāhu marāran : Literally 'we have given birth to him many times,' a figurative expression meaning that the prophets before him foretold his coming.
9. yaḍribu bihim al-nāsa ʿan ʿaraḍ : An idiom meaning 'he will strike the people across the breadth,' i.e., he will conquer and subdue them.
10. al-bayt dhi al-ḥujub : The House with the veils, referring to the Kaaba, which is covered with a cloth (kiswa).
11. al-ʿalāmāt ʿalā al-nuṣub : The signs on the stone, possibly referring to the Maqam Ibrahim or other sacred markers.
12. Yathrib : The pre-Islamic name of Medina, the city to which the Prophet migrated.
13. al-kitāb al-nāṭiq : The speaking Book, a term for the Torah or other scriptures that speak of the coming prophet.
14. al-āyāt : Signs or miracles; here, possibly referring to portents that might endanger the child.
15. aṭaʾtu asnān al-ʿarab ʿaqibahu : Literally 'I would make the teeth of the Arabs tread upon his heel,' meaning he would make them follow him obediently.
16. raṭl : A unit of weight, varying regionally; here, approximately 1 pound or 450 grams.
17. al-Amīn : The Trustworthy, a title given to the Prophet Muhammad by the Quraysh before his prophethood.
18. Kisrā : The title of the Sasanian emperor of Persia, equivalent to 'Chosroes'.
19. bah bah : An exclamation of dismissal or surprise, similar to 'enough, enough' or 'alas, alas.'
20. Abrawīz : A variant of the name of the Sasanian king Khusrow II Parviz (r. 590–628 CE).
21. ṣāḥib al-harāwa : The owner of the staff, a reference to the Prophet Muhammad, who often carried a staff or a bow.
22. Kisra : Title of the Sassanid kings of Persia.
23. marzbans : Military governors or margraves in the Sassanid Empire.
24. Mobedhan : Zoroastrian high priest or chief magus.
25. Satih : A legendary Arabian soothsayer known for his prophecies.
26. owner of the staff : Refers to the Prophet Muhammad, who often carried a staff.
27. soothsayer : A person who claims to predict the future, often through supernatural means; in Islam, soothsaying is considered invalid after prophethood.
28. And indeed the devils inspire their allies : Qur'an 6:121, indicating that devils may inspire their followers.
29. mutawatir : A term in Islamic hadith studies meaning a report that is transmitted by so many chains of narration that it is considered certain and undeniable.
30. Bukhtanassar : Nebuchadnezzar II, the Babylonian king who destroyed Jerusalem and exiled the Jews.
31. supported each other with their swords : Meaning they defended each other militarily.
32. al-nasī' : The intercalation or postponement of sacred months to adjust the calendar, practiced in pre-Islamic Arabia.
33. al-Ḥijāba : The office of guarding the Ka'ba and holding its key.
34. al-Siqāya : The office of providing water to pilgrims.
35. al-Ifāḍa : The office of leading the pilgrims from Muzdalifa to Mina.
36. al-Nadwa : The office of presiding over the council (Dār al-Nadwa).
37. al-Liwā' : The office of bearing the military standard.
38. Dār al-Nadwa : The assembly house in Mecca used for consultation and decision-making.
39. zamzama : To murmur or hum; the well Zamzam is said to be named from the murmuring of the Persians around it.
40. yabukku : To jostle or push; Bakka is derived from this root.
41. Manāt : One of the chief idols of pre-Islamic Arabia, worshipped by the Arabs.
42. Īlāf : The trade caravans of Quraysh; mentioned in Surah Quraysh (106).
43. munāfara : A pre-Islamic contest of honor where two individuals would compete in lineage, status, or wealth, often judged by a soothsayer.
44. kāhin : A soothsayer or diviner in pre-Islamic Arabia, believed to have supernatural knowledge.
45. wafāda : The leadership of the trade caravans, specifically the winter and summer journeys mentioned in the Quran (106:2).
46. siqāya : The provision of water to pilgrims, a prestigious office in pre-Islamic Mecca.
47. Yathrib : The pre-Islamic name of Medina.
48. Shayba al-Ḥamd : Literal meaning 'the praised one of praise,' a name given to Abd al-Muttalib.
49. ʿAbd al-Muṭṭalib : Meaning 'servant of al-Muttalib,' a name given because his uncle claimed he was his slave.
50. rakḥ : A courtyard or open space around a house, here referring to a property.
51. al-Ḥajar al-Aswad : The Black Stone, a sacred stone set into the eastern corner of the Kaaba.
52. Ḥijr : The semicircular area adjacent to the Kaaba, also known as the Hijr Ismail.
53. amīn al-qidāḥ : The trusted person who casts the divinatory arrows (azlam) used in pre-Islamic Arabia for decision-making.
54. Isāf wa Nāʾila : Two idols that were placed near the Kaaba, associated with a pre-Islamic legend.
55. diya : Blood money or compensation paid for homicide or injury.
56. Allāhu Akbar : Arabic phrase meaning 'God is the Greatest,' used as a proclamation of faith.
57. al-dhabīḥ : The sacrificed one, a title given to Abdullah due to the near-sacrifice incident.
58. ibn al-dhabīḥayn : Son of the two sacrificed ones, referring to Isma'il (the intended sacrifice of Ibrahim) and Abdullah (the intended sacrifice of Abd al-Muttalib).
59. al-dhabīḥayn : The two sacrifices: refers to Ishmael, whom Abraham was commanded to sacrifice, and Abdullah, the father of the Prophet Muhammad, who was nearly sacrificed by his father Abdul-Muttalib.
60. al-jifān ka-l-jawāb : Basins like reservoirs: large cooking pots or basins, as mentioned in the Quran (34:13) describing the works of the jinn for Solomon.
61. karr : A unit of dry measure, varying by region; here likely a large quantity.
62. mithqāl : A unit of weight, approximately 4.25 grams of gold or silver.
63. qayla : Concubine or slave girl; a woman in a king's household for service or companionship.
64. Ṣaydūn : Sidon, an ancient Phoenician city in present-day Lebanon.
65. Āṣif : A devil named Asaf; not to be confused with Asaf ibn Barkhiya, the wise minister of Solomon.
66. thumma anāb : Then he repented: Quran 38:34; can also mean 'then he returned' to his kingdom or to obedience.
67. Kisrā Abarwīz : Khosrow Parviz, a Sassanid king of Persia (r. 590–628 CE).
68. Shīrūyah : Shiruyah, also known as Kavad II, son of Khosrow Parviz, who overthrew and killed his father.
69. badra : A purse or bag containing a large sum of money, typically 10,000 dirhams or more.

Chapter Seventeen: On what souls whispered of the inspiration of intellects concerning…

Chapter Seventeen: On what souls whispered of the inspiration of intellects concerning his prophethood, peace be upon him.

The purity of the Prophet's birth: God chose His Messenger from the purest lineages, protected him from the filth of immoralities, and transferred him from pure loins to pure wombs. Ibn Abbas, may God be pleased with him, interpreted God's words: "And your movement among those who prostrate" ¹ as your transfer from pure loins, from father to father, until I made you a prophet. The light of prophethood was manifest in his forefathers. It is narrated that a soothsayer in Mecca named Fatima bint Murr al-Khath'amiyya, who had read the scriptures, encountered Abd al-Muttalib with his son Abdullah, intending to marry him to Amina bint Wahb. She saw the light of prophethood in Abdullah's face and said: "Would you like to be with me and take a hundred camels?" God protected him from responding, and he said to her: "As for the forbidden, death is preferable; the lawful is not lawful, so discern; how about the matter you seek?" When he married Amina and she became pregnant with the Messenger of God, she said to him: "Would you like what you said?" But she no longer saw that light in his face. She said: "It was there once, but today it is not. What have you done?" He replied: "My father married me to Amina bint Wahb al-Zuhriyya." She said: "You have taken the light that was in your face," and she recited: "Now you have lost what was manifest upon you, and parted with the blessed light. You came to me empty and gave it to another, easy; so join your women. Do not think today is yesterday; would that I had been given a son from you in your state." She was filled with regret and envy for Amina, and recited: "I saw a cloud that arose, gleaming like the gleam of dawn. It had a light that illuminated all around like the brightness of the full moon. I saw it manifesting honor; not every fire-stick kindles. By God, what a Zuhriyya has stripped you of your garments, stripped and unaware." She warned the Banu Hashim, saying: "Banu Hashim, your brother has left behind Amina when the two testicles wrestle. Like a lamp after its extinction leaves wicks mixed with oil. Not everything a man acquires from his land is due to resolve, nor what he misses due to negligence. So be graceful when seeking a matter; two grandfathers wrestling will suffice you. When Amina obtained from him what she obtained of honor, there is no second to that. It will suffice you, either a hand that is shackled or a hand extended with fingers." This is among the signs of God concerning His Messenger: He protected his father while he was in his loins from placing him through fornication until he placed him through lawful marriage. Then the protection was removed after his placement, so that he became sought after having been sought, and desired after having been desired. Then he had no brother or sister from his parents, because their purity ended with him and their lineage was confined to him, so that he would be unique in a lineage that God made the ultimate goal for prophethood and a sign of his uniqueness. Thus, his parents died while he was young. His father Abdullah died while he was still a fetus in Mecca, and his mother Amina died in Medina when he was six years old, as she had traveled there to visit her maternal uncles from Banu al-Najjar and died among them. When you learn the state of his lineage and know the purity of his birth, you realize that he is the progeny of noble forefathers who were leaders and chiefs. He is Muhammad ibn Abdullah ibn Abd al-Muttalib ibn Hashim ibn Abd Manaf ibn Qusayy ibn Kilab ibn Murra ibn Ka'b ibn Lu'ayy ibn Ghalib ibn Fihr ibn Malik ibn al-Nadr ibn Kinana ibn Khuzayma ibn Mudrika ibn Ilyas ibn Mudar ibn Nizar ibn Ma'add ibn Adnan. Among his forefathers, there is no obscure or despised person; all were leaders and commanders. They were the most particular about pure marriages, avoiding incestuous unions even though other Arabs permitted them. It is narrated that Hajib ibn Zurara, the chief of Banu Tamim, married his daughter and fathered children by her. He had named her Dukhtunus after the daughter of Kisra, and said while marrying her: "Would that I knew about you, Dukhtunus, when the buried news comes to you, do you drag your skirts or sway? No, you sway, for she is a bride." This was considered an abomination among Quraysh. In the Torah, Lot married his two daughters, who bore him sons, and they have a large progeny. Lot was the nephew of Abraham the Friend. Abraham married his brother's daughter Sarah, daughter of Haran ibn Terah. Quraysh refrained from such marriages to preserve the sanctity of close kinship, lest it be violated by immoral unions, weakening zeal and jealousy. If it is said: Others share with the prophets in noble lineage and pure birth, so they do not deserve prophethood by these alone. It is said: These are conditions of prophethood, even if others possess them; it is not impossible that they have a significant effect and a tested attribute in prophethood. Chapter Nineteen: On the Signs of His Birth and the Manifestation of His Blessing, Peace Be Upon Him The signs of sovereignty are dazzling, and the proofs of prophethood are overwhelming; their beginnings testify to their outcomes, so falsehood is not confused with truth, nor imposture with sincerity. According to their strength and spread, their glad tidings and warnings are given. When the birth of the Messenger of God drew near, the signs of his prophethood were fragrant, and the signs of his blessing appeared. Among the greatest in significance, clearest in proof, and most famous in sight and explanation was the event of the Companions of the Elephant ², sent by the Negus from Abyssinia with a large army to Mecca to kill its men, capture its children, and destroy the Kaaba. There is disagreement over its cause. Some say that Abraha ibn al-Sabbah ³ took control of Yemen, claiming allegiance to the Negus, and built a church in Sana'a for the Christians, seeking assistance from Caesar and the Negus to build it magnificently, to divert the Arabs from pilgrimage to the Kaaba. The Arabs resented this, and some men of Kinana from Quraysh entered its sanctuary and defiled it. So Abraha wrote to the Negus, requesting the elephant and the Abyssinian army to invade Quraysh and destroy the Kaaba. He marched with them, taking Abu Righal from Ta'if as a guide to Mecca, and camped at al-Mughammas. Abu Righal died there and was buried, and the Arabs stoned his grave; it is the stoned grave at al-Mughammas. Others say the cause was that some Quraysh merchants passed by a Christian church on the seashore, camped in its courtyard, and lit a fire to cook their food, which burned the church. The Negus swore to capture Mecca and destroy the Kaaba. He sent his army with the elephant under Abraha ibn al-Sabbah, Abu Maksum, Hujr ibn Sharahil, and al-Aswad ibn Maqsud. The Negus was the king, Abraha was the commander of his army in Yemen, Abu Maksum his vizier, and Hujr and al-Aswad his generals. They marched with the army and the elephant until they camped at Dhu al-Majaz. Al-Aswad ibn Maqsud advanced and seized the livestock of Mecca. Concerning this, Abdullah ibn Makhzum said: "O God, disgrace al-Aswad ibn Maqsud, who took the camels after they were garlanded, and seeks to destroy the sacred House, the venerated, and the two Marwas and the black sacred sites. Disgrace them, O Lord, for You are worshipped." Among the livestock were two hundred camels belonging to Abd al-Muttalib, some of which were garlanded. He went out, being handsome and imposing, to Abraha and asked for his camels. Abraha said: "I admired you when I saw you, but now you have disappointed me." He asked: "Why?" Abraha said: "I have come to destroy the Kaaba, the religion of you and your forefathers, yet you did not ask me about it but asked about your camels." Abd al-Muttalib replied: "I am the lord of my camels; the House has a Lord other than me who will protect it from you." Abraha said: "He cannot protect it from me," and returned the camels mockingly, expecting him to take them back. Abd al-Muttalib secured them in the mountains of Mecca, went to the Kaaba, took hold of the door ring, and said: "O Lord, a man protects his property, so protect Your sacred property. Let not their cross and their cunning ever overcome Your cunning. If You leave them and our Kaaba, then command what You will. If You do so, it is a matter by which Your action is completed. Hear, O Lord of the thunderbolt, those who intended enmity and violated Your sacred property. They brought all their lands and the elephant to capture Your dependents. They aimed at Your sanctuary with their cunning, ignorantly, and did not regard Your majesty." The army advanced towards Mecca via Mina, with the elephant. When it was sent towards the sanctuary, it halted; when directed away, it advanced. They camped at al-Mughammas. Abu al-Tayyib ibn Mas'ud said, or it is said Abd al-Muttalib said: "Indeed, the signs of our Lord are dazzling; none disputes them but the disbeliever. The elephant was detained at al-Mughammas until it bellowed like a castrated camel." The people of Mecca saw birds coming from the sea. Abd al-Muttalib said: "These are strange to our land; they are neither Najdi, Tihami, nor Hijazi; they resemble wasps." In their beaks and claws were stones. When they overshadowed the people, they dropped them on them, killing them. Abraha escaped and returned to Yemen, dying on the way, his body parts falling off one by one until he perished. When the army was delayed and their news was unknown, Abd al-Muttalib said: "O Lord, we hope for none but You; O Lord, protect Your sanctuary from them. The enemy of the House is Your enemy; prevent them from destroying Your abode." He sent his son Abdullah to bring news of them. He found them all crushed by the stones, dead. He ran back to Abd al-Muttalib and his companions, and they took their spoils. This was the first wealth of Banu Abd al-Muttalib. He recited: "You prevented the army and the elephants, while they grazed the pastures of Mecca. We feared their fighting, and every matter of theirs was formidable. Gratitude and praise to You, O Possessor of Majesty." The sign of the Messenger from the story of the Elephant is that it occurred during his time, while he was a fetus in his mother's womb in Mecca. He was born fifty days after the Elephant, after his father's death, on Monday, the twelfth of Rabi' al-Awwal, corresponding to the twentieth of February in the Roman calendar, in the twelfth year of the reign of Hurmuz ibn Anushirwan ⁴. Abu Ja'far al-Tabari narrated that his birth was forty-two years into the reign of Anushirwan. The sign in this is twofold: First: Had they triumphed, they would have captured and enslaved; God destroyed them to protect His Messenger from being subjected to captivity as a fetus and newborn. Second: Quraysh did not have such devotion as to deserve the removal of the Companions of the Elephant; they were not People of the Book, being either idol worshippers, polytheists, heretics, or those who rejected resurrection ⁵. But God intended the emergence of Islam to establish prophethood, glorify the Kaaba, and make it a direction for prayer and a rite for pilgrimage. If it is said: How was the Kaaba protected before it became a direction and rite, yet al-Hajjaj ⁶ was not prevented from destroying it after it became a direction and rite, burning it and setting up a catapult against it? He said about it, as narrated: "How do you see its dust rising, while God, they claim, is its neighbor?" And the one who shot the catapult said: "A dripping like a swollen camel, I shoot with it the wood of every mosque." It is said: Al-Hajjaj's action occurred after the religion was established, so there was no need for signs of its establishment. The Companions of the Elephant were before the emergence of prophethood, so the protection was made a sign for the establishment of prophethood and the coming of the message. Moreover, the Messenger had foretold its destruction, so the destruction became a sign after the protection was a sign. Thus, their rulings differed in the two situations. God knows best.

When the Arabs learned of what Allah Almighty had done with the Army of the Elephant, they held the Sanctuary in awe and veneration, and its sanctity increased in their hearts. They submitted to the Quraysh in obedience, saying: 'They are the people of Allah; He fought for them and sufficed them against the cunning of their enemy.' Thus they increased them in honor and reverence, and the Quraysh undertook for them the duties of hospitality ⁷, guardianship ⁸, and water-supply ⁹. Hospitality ⁷ was a levy that the Quraysh collected annually from their wealth, with which they prepared food for the people during the days of Mina. Thus they became religious leaders and guiding chiefs, and the people of the Elephant became a byword among later generations. Hisham ibn Muhammad al-Kalbi related from his father that 'Umar ibn al-Khattab, may Allah be pleased with him, went out in the pre-Islamic period as a merchant to Syria. He passed by Zinba' ibn Rawh, who was a tax collector, and he treated him badly during his passage and took his toll. 'Umar said after leaving him: 'When will Zinba' ibn Rawh, in a land, / come to half of it, gnashing his teeth in regret? And know that we are of Lu'ayy ibn Ghalib, / thrusters in battle, strikers in the Tihamah ¹⁰.' This reached Zinba', so he prepared an army to invade Mecca. It was said to him: 'It is the Sanctuary of Allah, what...'

1. وَتَقَلُّبَكَ فِي السَّاجِدِينَ : Quran 26:219: 'And your movement among those who prostrate.' Interpreted as the Prophet's lineage through pure forefathers.
2. أصحاب الفيل : Companions of the Elephant: The Abyssinian army led by Abraha that attacked Mecca in the Year of the Elephant (c. 570 CE), destroyed by birds carrying stones.
3. إبراهيم بن الصباح : Abraha al-Ashram, the Abyssinian governor of Yemen who led the expedition against Mecca.
4. هرمز بن أنو شروان : Hurmuz I, son of Anushirwan (Khosrow I), Sassanid king; the Prophet's birth is placed in his reign.
5. مانع من الرجعة : One who denies resurrection; a reference to those who reject the afterlife.
6. الحجاج : Al-Hajjaj ibn Yusuf al-Thaqafi, Umayyad governor who besieged Mecca in 692 CE and damaged the Kaaba.
7. al-wifādah : A term referring to the hospitality or reception of pilgrims, specifically a levy collected by the Quraysh to provide food for the pilgrims during the days of Mina.
8. al-sadānah : Guardianship or custodianship of the Kaaba, a privilege held by the Quraysh.
9. al-siqāyah : The office of providing water to pilgrims, another privilege of the Quraysh.
10. al-Tihāmah : A region in the Arabian Peninsula, including Mecca and the surrounding lowlands.

Chapter Nineteen: On the Signs of His Birth and the Manifestation of His Blessing, peace…

Chapter Nineteen: On the Signs of His Birth and the Manifestation of His Blessing, peace be upon him.

If anyone sought to harm her, he perished like the Companions of the Elephant ¹, so Zinba' ² refrained. He said: "The brother of Fihr ³ longed to meet me, but between us are Qarāṭiba ⁴ like fierce lions. By Allah, were it not for Allah, none other than Him, and His Ka'ba, which has drawn you, my people, to me, I would kill every turbaned elder among you and take captive your women amidst the herds of camels." This reached 'Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, and he replied: "Do you not see that Allah destroyed those who transgressed against us long ago among the ancient peoples? He laid low Abū Maksūm ⁵ Abraha, who came to us as an aggressor like a reckless stallion, With a great host that dazzled the eye, upon his head a crown on a young camel's head. We were not alarmed by that slave's cunning, but were rather heedless and mocking. He said, 'I will demolish the House and see no one in Mecca among those sacred sites.' So the Lord of the Throne repelled him from us with His repulsion, and his veneration of the altars did not save him. So He destroyed him and his followers together, and took captive those who aided and kept him company. We have, know you, and our House has none but Allah as a mighty and helping Protector. So take our visit and you will meet what they all met: a dwelling of eye and bereavement." The affair of the Elephant was a deterrent to every transgressor and a repeller of every tyrant. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, lived during his prophethood and after his emigration with a group who witnessed the Elephant and the birds of abābīl ⁶, among them Ḥakīm ibn Ḥizām, Ḥāṭib ibn 'Abd al-'Uzzā, and Nawfal ibn Mu'āwiya, for each of these lived one hundred and twenty years: sixty in the Jahiliyya ⁷ and sixty in Islam. [The Birth of the Messenger, may Allah bless him and grant him peace] When Āmina bint Wahb became pregnant with the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, it is reported that she was told: "You have conceived the master of this community. When he falls to the ground, say: 'I seek refuge for him in the One from the evil of every envier,' then name him Muḥammad." She saw when she conceived him that a light came out of her by which she saw the palaces of Buṣrā ⁸ in the land of Syria. Umm 'Uthmān ibn al-'Āṣ said: I witnessed the birth of Āmina with the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and it was night. There was nothing in the house that I could see but light, and I saw the stars drawing near such that I thought they would fall on me. When she gave birth to him, on the night of his birth she left a bowl over him, but it turned away from him. Among his signs was that it did not cover him. She sent word to his grandfather 'Abd al-Muṭṭalib: "A boy has been born to you, so come and see him." He came and looked at him, and she told him what she had seen when she conceived him, what was said to her about him, and what she was commanded to name him. It is said that 'Abd al-Muṭṭalib took him, entered with him to Hubal ⁹ inside the Ka'ba, stood before him supplicating and thanking Allah for what He had given him, then came out with him to his mother and gave him to her, saying: "I have seen in him signs of glory and marks of good fortune: Muḥammad will not die until he becomes the master of the Arabs and non-Arabs." He composed: "Praise be to Allah who has given me this pure-bodied boy. I seek refuge for him in the One, the Beneficent, from every fault and enmity, Until I see him lofty in stature." [His Childhood, may Allah bless him and grant him peace] He continued to be abundant in blessing for every one who sought refuge with him or cared for him. It is related from Jahm ibn Abī Jahm, from 'Abd Allāh ibn Ja'far, who said: When the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was born, Ḥalīma bint al-Ḥārith ibn 'Abd al-'Uzzā came seeking wet nurses in a year of drought. She said: "We had with us a she-camel that, by Allah, did not give us a drop of milk, and with me was my son, and I had nothing in my breasts to satisfy him, except that we hoped for rain. We had sheep, and we hoped for them. When we arrived in Mecca, there was no woman left among us who was not offered the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, but she refused him, and we disliked him because of his orphanhood. Every companion of mine took a nursing child, and I found none but him, so I took him and brought him to my saddle. By Allah, no sooner had he settled in the saddle than I went in the evening and my breasts flowed with milk until I quenched his thirst and that of his brother. His father stood by our she-camel and touched it with his hand, and it was full of milk. He milked it and I drank from its milk, and the boys drank. He said: 'O Ḥalīma, we have obtained a blessed soul.' Then we set off early returning to our land. I rode my she-ass and carried him with me. By the One in whose hand is the soul of Ḥalīma, I outran the caravan until the women were saying: 'O Ḥalīma, slow down for us! Is this your she-ass that you set out on?' I said: 'Yes.' I said: 'By Allah, I hope I have carried a blessed boy on it.'" She said: "Allah increased us in goodness every day through him. Our sheep would return from grazing full-bellied and full of milk, while the sheep of others returned lean and hungry." He said: "While he was playing behind the tents with his foster brother among our lambs, his brother came running to me and said: 'My Qurayshī brother has been taken by two men in white garments; they laid him down and split open his belly.' So I and his father went out and found him standing, his color changed. When he saw us, he burst out crying. I embraced him and his father, and we said to him: 'What is the matter with you?' He said: 'Two men came to me, laid me down, split open my belly, and did something to me.'" He pulled his cloak over himself as it was. Anas ibn Mālik said: "Gabriel came to him, threw him down, split open his belly, took out the heart, then split the heart and extracted a clot from it, saying: 'This is the share of Satan from you.' Then he washed it, sewed it up, and returned it to its place." Anas said: "I used to see the stitching on his chest." Then Ḥalīma's husband said to her: "O Ḥalīma, I fear that this boy has been afflicted, so return him to his family before this becomes apparent." So Ḥalīma carried him and brought him to his mother Āmina. His mother said: "What has brought you to him, O wet nurse?" She said: "I have fulfilled my duty and feared mishaps for him, so I have returned him to you as you wish." She said: "This is not your concern; tell me the truth." So Ḥalīma told her about his condition and said: "I feared Satan for him." His mother said: "No, by Allah, Satan has no way to him, and he has a great matter. I saw when I conceived him that a light came out of me that illuminated the palaces of Buṣrā. When I gave birth to him, he placed his hands on the ground and raised his head to the sky. Leave him and go in peace." In this report are signs that make souls acknowledge the truth of his prophethood. [His Upbringing, may Allah bless him and grant him peace] Muḥammad ibn Isḥāq related: Some of our companions told me that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: "I remember when I was a young boy in Mecca with the boys of Quraysh, carrying stones on our necks, having lifted our garments and placed them on our necks, when someone I did not see pushed me and said: 'Tighten your waist-wrapper.' So I tightened my waist-wrapper." This is among the signs of protection, so that he would grow up with it and be accustomed to it. [In the Care of Abū Ṭālib] 'Alī ibn Abī Ṭālib, may Allah be pleased with him, related that he heard the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, say: "I never intended anything of what people used to do in the Jahiliyya except twice, and each time Allah prevented me from what I wanted. One night I said to a boy from Quraysh who was tending sheep with me in the upper part of Mecca: 'If you would watch my sheep, I would enter Mecca and spend the night there as the young men do.' He said: 'Enter.' So I set out intending that, until when I came to the first house of Mecca, I heard the sound of drums and flutes. I said: 'What is this?' They said: 'So-and-so son of so-and-so has married so-and-so daughter of so-and-so.' So I sat down to watch them, but Allah struck my ears [with deafness], and I fell asleep. Nothing woke me but the heat of the sun. I returned to my companion and he said: 'What did you do?' I said: 'I did nothing,' and told him the story. Then another night I said to him the same thing, and he said: 'Do it.' So I went out, and when I reached Mecca I heard the same as before. I entered Mecca that night and sat down to watch, but Allah struck my ears, and by Allah, nothing woke me but the heat of the sun. I returned to my companion and told him the story. After that, I never intended any evil until Allah honored me with His message." These are the states of his protection before the message and his being turned away from the filth of ignorance. It follows that after the message he was even greater and more secure from impurities. This state suffices to show that he was among the chosen elite, that he was spared, and among the pious righteous that he was overlooked. He is among the greatest prophets in the sight of Allah, the one sent with a pure nature and insight. Allah sent him after purification and cleansed him from impurities, so suspicions were removed from him and he was safe from the contempt of eyes, so that people would be quicker to respond to him and more obedient to him. [His Youth, may Allah bless him and grant him peace] When the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, grew up among Quraysh with the most praiseworthy guidance and protection, the most complete chastity and trustworthiness, they called him al-Amīn ¹⁰ after testing him, and they gave him precedence for his virtue and dignity. They consulted about demolishing the Ka'ba and rebuilding it because its height was low—it was above a man's height—and its walls were wide, and it was crumbling. They wanted to renew it and raise it, but they feared to proceed with its demolition. The Ka'ba had a treasure that they found with Duwayk, a client of Banī Mulayḥ from Khuzā'a. Quraysh took it from him and cut off his hand. They accused al-Ḥārith ibn 'Āmir ibn Nawfal ibn 'Abd Manāf of having taken it and deposited it with Duwayk. They took him to a soothsayer among the Arab soothsayers, who decreed that he should not enter Mecca for ten years because of his violation of the sanctity of the Ka'ba. So he wandered around Mecca until the ten years were completed. A snake appeared in the Ka'ba that people feared; no one would approach it without it recoiling and opening its mouth. They feared it until one day it climbed the wall of the Ka'ba, and a bird swooped down and snatched it. Quraysh said: "We hope that Allah has approved what we intended." The sea had cast a ship onto the shore of Jeddah belonging to a Roman merchant. There was a Coptic carpenter in Mecca, so he prepared for them the roofing of the Ka'ba from the ship's wood. When they resolved to demolish it, Abū Wahb ibn 'Umayr, who was the maternal uncle of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and a man of honor and standing, took a stone from the Ka'ba, but the stone leaped from his hand until it returned to its place. He said: "O people of Quraysh, do not put into its construction anything but what is lawful, and do not include the dowry of a prostitute, the profit of usury, or any injustice from anyone." Quraysh perceived that the return of the stone from Abū Wahb's hand to its place meant that Allah disliked its demolition, so they feared it.

Al-Walid ibn al-Mughira said: "I will begin demolishing it for you." He took the pickaxe and stood over it, saying: "O Allah, we desire nothing but good." Then he demolished the two corners ¹¹. The people waited for him that night, saying: "Let us wait; if he is struck down, we will not demolish it, but if he is not, we will demolish it, and he will have approved of what we did." The next morning, al-Walid returned to his work. The Quraysh divided the Kaaba among themselves: the section of the House belonging to Banu Abd Manaf and Zuhra, the area between the Black Stone ¹² and the Yemeni Corner ¹³ belonged to Banu Makhzum, Taym, and the tribes that joined them from Quraysh; the area of the Hijr ¹⁴ and the Hatim ¹⁵ belonged to Banu Abd al-Dar, Banu Abd al-Uzza, and Banu Adi; the back of the Kaaba belonged to Banu Jumah and Banu Sahm, until they reached the foundation. They came upon green stones, said to be over the grave of Ishmael. They struck the pickaxe between two stones, and when they moved, the whole of Mecca shook. So they stopped and reached the original foundation. Each tribe gathered the stones from what they had demolished and built until they reached the corner of the Hijr. The tribes disputed over who would place the Black Stone in its position. They remained for four or five nights, then gathered in the mosque to consult. Abu Umayya ibn al-Mughira, who was the trustee of Quraysh at the time, said: "O Quraysh, make the first man to enter this mosque the arbiter among you in what you dispute." The first to enter was the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him. They said: "This is Muhammad, the Trustworthy." They said: "We are satisfied with him," due to what had settled in their hearts of his virtue and trustworthiness. When he reached them, they informed him. He said: "Bring me a cloth." They brought him a cloth. He took the Black Stone and placed it in it with his own hand, then said: "Let each tribe take hold of a corner of the cloth and lift it together." They did so. When the stone reached its position, he placed it there with his own hand. This act was among his most commendable deeds and effects, and their satisfaction with him was a sign of their obedience to him. This occurred fifteen years after the Year of the Elephant ¹⁶, and the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, was then thirty-five years old. This was a foundation for what Allah Almighty willed of His honor for him and a preparation for the acceptance of the message he bore. And Allah knows best what is hidden of His knowledge. Chapter Twenty: On the Nobility of His Character and the Perfection of His Virtues, Peace and Blessings Be Upon Him He was prepared for the noblest of characters and the most beautiful of deeds, qualified for the highest stations and the best of actions, because they are principles that lead to what is suitable and compatible with them and separate from what is contrary and opposed to them. There is no station in the world higher than prophethood, which is an embassy between Allah Almighty and His servants, promoting the welfare of creation and obedience to the Creator. Thus, the best of creation was most deserving of it, and the most complete in its conditions was most entitled and closest to it. There was no one in the era of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, or near its two ends, who approached him in virtue or equaled him in perfection of character, temperament, speech, and action. Thus, Allah Almighty described him in His Book, saying: "And indeed, you are of a great moral character" ¹⁷. If it is said: His virtues are not proof of his prophethood, and no prophet is known to have argued with his community on their basis or relied on them for the acceptance of his message, because others may share in them until he brings a miracle that breaks the norm, and it is by the miracle that he is known as a prophet, not by virtue. It is said: Virtue is one of its signs, even if not among its miracles. Because the perfection of virtue is rare, it becomes like a miracle. And because part of the perfection of virtue is avoiding falsehood, and no one who lies in claiming prophethood is perfect in virtue. Thus, the perfection of virtue necessitates truthfulness, and truthfulness necessitates the acceptance of speech. So it is permissible for it to be among the proofs of the messengers.

1. aṣḥāb al-fīl : The Companions of the Elephant: refers to the Abyssinian army led by Abraha that attacked Mecca in the Year of the Elephant (c. 570 CE), destroyed by birds carrying stones (sijjīl) as mentioned in Surah al-Fīl.
2. Zinbā' : Zinba' is a proper name, likely a person who refrained from harming the Ka'ba after the warning.
3. akhū Fihr : Brother of Fihr: Fihr is an ancestor of Quraysh; 'brother of Fihr' may refer to a member of the Quraysh tribe.
4. Qarāṭiba : Qarāṭiba: plural of Qirṭāb, meaning a type of fortress or stronghold; here used metaphorically for fierce warriors.
5. Abū Maksūm : Abū Maksūm: a derogatory epithet for Abraha, meaning 'father of the broken one' or 'the one with a broken nose', referring to his defeat.
6. ṭayr abābīl : Birds of abābīl: flocks of birds that pelted the Abyssinian army with stones of baked clay (sijjīl), as mentioned in Surah al-Fīl.
7. Jāhiliyya : The pre-Islamic period of ignorance and polytheism in Arabia before the advent of Islam.
8. Buṣrā : A city in southern Syria (modern-day Bosra), known for its Roman ruins and mentioned in the context of the light seen by Āmina.
9. Hubal : A pre-Islamic Arabian deity, a chief idol worshipped in the Ka'ba before Islam.
10. al-Amīn : The Trustworthy: a title given to the Prophet Muhammad by the Quraysh due to his honesty and integrity.
11. al-ruknayn : The two corners of the Kaaba, likely the Black Stone corner and the Yemeni corner.
12. al-rukn al-aswad : The Black Stone, a sacred stone set into the eastern corner of the Kaaba.
13. al-rukn al-yamani : The Yemeni Corner, the southern corner of the Kaaba.
14. al-Hijr : A semicircular wall opposite the northwestern wall of the Kaaba, also known as Hijr Ismail.
15. al-Hatim : Another name for the Hijr, the area between the Black Stone corner and the Yemeni corner.
16. Am al-Fijar : The Year of the Elephant, the year of the Prophet's birth, when Abraha attacked Mecca.
17. khuluqin 'azim : Quran 68:4, referring to the Prophet's great moral character.

The twentieth chapter on the nobility of his character and the perfection of his virtues…

The twentieth chapter on the nobility of his character and the perfection of his virtues, peace be upon him.

[The Aspects of His Perfection, peace be upon him] Now that this is clear, the perfection considered in the Law is of four aspects: First: Perfection of physical form. Second: Perfection of character. Third: Virtues of speech. Fourth: Virtues of deeds. [The First Aspect: The Perfection of His Physical Form] [The Moderation of His Appearance, peace be upon him] As for the first aspect: the perfection of his physical form, after the moderation of his appearance, it consists of four qualities. First: Serenity ¹, which inspires awe and reverence, leading to precedence and submission. He was the most awe-inspiring in people's hearts, such that the envoys of Chosroes were terrified by his awe when they came to him, despite their training ² in the majesty of the Kisras ³ and the multitude of tyrannical kings. He was more awe-inspiring in their hearts and greater in their eyes, even though he did not magnify himself with pomp nor exalt himself with force; rather, he was described with humility and known for gentleness. [His Cheerfulness, peace be upon him] Second: Cheerfulness ⁴, which necessitates sincerity and love, and incites mutual affection and friendship. He was beloved, and the love of his cheerfulness was so firmly established in hearts that no companion ⁵ left him, and no one close distanced himself from him. He was more beloved to his companions than their fathers and sons, and than drinking cold water on a thirsty day. [The Inclination of Hearts toward Him, peace be upon him] Third: The beauty of acceptance ⁶, which attracts the inclination of hearts so that they hasten to obey him and submit to his agreement. The beauty of his appearance was overwhelming to hearts, and thus his companionship was firmly established in souls, such that no obstinate person turned away from him, nor did any distant one feel estranged, except those whom envy drove to misery and deprivation led to opposition. [The Inclination of Souls toward Him, peace be upon him] Fourth: The inclination of souls to follow him and their submission to his agreement, his steadfastness in hardships, and his perseverance. No sincere person deviated from him in that, nor did any dedicated one turn away from him. These four are among the causes of happiness and the principles of the message, and they were perfected in him, so he was complete in what corresponds to them and deserved what they entail. [The Second Aspect: The Perfection of His Character, peace be upon him] As for the second aspect: the perfection of his character, it consists of six traits: [The Soundness of His Intellect, peace be upon him] First: The soundness of his intellect ⁷, the correctness of his insight, and the truth of his perspicacity. The abundance of this in him is indicated by the correctness of his opinion, the rightness of his planning, and his good manner of uniting hearts. He was never deceived in a plot nor incapacitated in a difficulty; rather, he would perceive the impossibility in the beginnings, thus uncovering their flaws and resolving their troubles. This can only be achieved with the truest insight and the clearest determination. [His Steadfastness in Hardships, peace be upon him] Second: His steadfastness in hardships, which is required, and his patience in adversity and distress while he was afflicted and oppressed. His soul remained calm amidst changing circumstances; he did not panic in a severe situation nor complain of a great or major calamity. He had the power to escape or to retaliate, but he only increased in severity and patience. In Mecca, he faced from Quraysh what would turn hair gray and threaten fortresses, yet he, with the weak, endured with the patience of one who prevails and stood firm with the steadfastness of one who dominates. Hammad ibn Salama narrated from Thabit from Anas that the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said: "I have been frightened for Allah's sake while no one was frightened, and I have been harmed for Allah's sake while no one was harmed. Thirty days and nights passed over me while I and Bilal had no food that a living being could eat except something that Bilal hid under his armpit." Abd al-Rahman ibn Zayd narrated from Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her, who said: "The family of Muhammad never ate their fill of barley bread for two consecutive days until the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, passed away." Whoever endured such hardships in calling to Allah cannot be accused of desiring this world, for it was turned away from him. That was only for seeking the Hereafter, and it is impossible for one who lies in his claim to it to be averse to it, or for one who lies about Allah to be rewarded for it. [His Asceticism in This World, peace be upon him] Third: His asceticism in this world, his turning away from it, and his contentment with sufficiency ⁸ from it. He did not incline to its splendor nor was he distracted by its sweetness. Sufyan al-Thawri narrated from Habib ibn Abi Thabit from Khaythama ibn Abd al-Rahman who said: It was said to the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him: "If you wish, you will be given the treasures of the earth, which no one before you was given nor will anyone after you be given, and it will not diminish your reward in the Hereafter." He said: "Gather them for me in the Hereafter." Then was revealed: "Blessed is He who, if He wills, can give you better than that: gardens beneath which rivers flow, and can give you palaces" ⁹. Hilal ibn Abi Khabab narrated from Ikrima from Ibn Abbas that Umar ibn al-Khattab, may Allah be pleased with him, entered upon the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, while he was on a mat that had left marks on his body. He said: "O Messenger of Allah, if only you would take a softer bed than this." He said: "What have I to do with this world? What have I to do with this world? By Him in whose hand is my soul, my example and the example of this world are like a rider who travels on a hot day, then seeks shade under a tree for an hour, then leaves it behind." Humaid ibn Bilal ibn Abi Burda narrated: Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her, brought out to us a patched cloak and a coarse garment and said: "The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, passed away in these two." This, while he ruled from the farthest Hijaz to the borders of Iraq ¹⁰ and from the farthest Yemen to Shihr of Oman ¹¹, and he was the most ascetic of people in what is acquired and stored, and the most disinterested in what is gained and hoarded. He left behind neither gold nor silver, nor did he dig a river nor build a palace. He did not bequeath to his children and family any goods or wealth, so as to turn them away from desire for this world just as he turned himself away from it, so that they would be in a similar state of asceticism. Abu Salama narrated from Abu Hurayra: Fatima, may Allah be pleased with her, came to Abu Bakr, may Allah be pleased with him, seeking inheritance, but he prevented her. She said: "Who will inherit from you?" He said: "My children and family." She said: "Then will the daughter of the Messenger of Allah not inherit from him?" Abu Bakr said: "I heard the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, say: 'We do not leave inheritance; what we leave is charity.' So whoever the Messenger of Allah used to support, I will support him, and whoever the Messenger of Allah used to spend on, I will spend on him." The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, urged asceticism in this world and turning away from attachment to it, as an aid to safety from its consequences and to divert souls from its desires. Abd al-Muttalib ibn Hatib narrated from Abu Musa al-Ash'ari that the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said: "Whoever loves his worldly life harms his Hereafter, so prefer what remains over what perishes." It is narrated from al-Hasan that the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said: "Love of this world is the head of every sin." Abu Hakim narrated from Abu al-Darda' that the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said: "Beware of this world, for it is more bewitching than Harut and Marut ¹²." Amr ibn Murra narrated from Abu Ja'far that the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said: "O wonder, all wonder at the one who believes in the abode of eternity yet strives for the abode of delusion." Awf narrated from al-Hasan that the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said: "The example of this world is like a walker on water; can the one who walks on water avoid wetting his feet?" These exhortations and counsels were followed by his successors in their asceticism, and they managed affairs after him. Abu Bakr used to mend his cloak while he was caliph, so he was called "the one with the two cloaks." Umar wore a patched woolen garment with patches of leather, and he would walk in the markets with a whip on his shoulder to discipline people. He would pass by date pits, pick them up, and throw them into people's houses so they could benefit from them. He would patrol alone at night as a watchman, investigating hidden matters to enjoin good and forbid evil. Uthman would spend the entire night praying, completing the Quran in one rak'a. He gave generously of his wealth and ransomed the creation with his own self, saying: "I am but a servant; I eat as a servant eats and drink as a servant drinks." Ali, may Allah be pleased with him, while he was caliph, bought a shirt for three dirhams and cut its sleeves at the wrists, saying: "Praise be to Allah who has made this from His provision." He continued to eat coarse food ¹³ and wear rough clothes. He distributed wealth until he swept the treasury and slept in it, saying: "O yellow! O white! Deceive others besides me." It is fitting that one who was so ascetic in this world, to the extent that he drew his companions to it, should not be accused of seeking it, nor of lying about Allah in claiming the Hereafter through it. He was content in the present, having been deprived of the future with little ease, and satisfied with a troubled life. Al-Zuhri narrated from Urwa from Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her, who said: The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, used to say in the month of Ramadan: "Bring forward your blessed lunch," and she said: Sometimes it was only two dates. Abdullah ibn Maslama narrated from Malik ibn Anas that it reached him that the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, entered the mosque and found Abu Bakr and Umar, may Allah be pleased with them, and asked them: "What brought you out?" They said: "Hunger." The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said: "And hunger brought me out." So they went to Abu al-Haytham ibn al-Tayyihan, who ordered that some wheat or barley he had be prepared, and he stood up and slaughtered a sheep for them. He said to him: "Avoid the one with milk ¹⁴," and he drew sweet water for them from a date palm. Then they were brought that food, and they ate from it and drank from that water. The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said: "You will surely be asked about the bliss of this day." Then they ruled the world but rejected it and were content with sufficiency in it ¹⁵. [His Humility toward People, peace be upon him] Fourth: His humility toward people, even though they were followers, and his lowering his wing for them while he was obeyed. He walked in the markets, sat on the ground, and mingled with his companions and those who sat with him, so that he was not distinguished from them except by his modesty and shyness. Thus, through humility he became distinguished, and through lowliness he became exalted. Some Bedouins entered upon him and were frightened by his awe, so he said: "Be at ease, for I am only the son of a woman who used to eat dried meat in Mecca." This is from the nobility of his character and the generosity of his nature. It was an innate disposition with which he was created, and a natural temperament with which he was endowed, not rare that it could be counted, nor limited that it could be defined. [His Forbearance and Dignity, peace be upon him] Fifth: His forbearance and dignity, free from agitation that would shake him or roughness that would provoke him. He was more forbearing in aversion ¹⁶ than any forbearing person, and more secure in disputes than any sound person. He was afflicted by the harshness of the Bedouins, yet no rare outburst was found from him, nor was any rash action recorded against him. No forbearing person other than him is without a slip, and no dignified person other than him is without a lapse, for Allah protected him from the incitement of passion and the rashness of power, from a lapse or slip, so that he might be compassionate to his nation and kind to creation. Quraysh attacked him with every grave matter and aimed at him with every offense, yet he was patient with them and turned away from them. Not only their fools did that without their wise, nor their lowly without their great, but the elite and the common ¹⁷ conspired against him. The more they persisted in their affair, the more he turned away from them and became clearer, until he prevailed and forgave, and had power and pardoned. He said to them when he conquered them in the Year of the Conquest, as they gathered before him: "What do you think I will do to you?" They said: "A noble cousin; if you forgive, that is what we expect of you; if you punish, we have done wrong." He said: "Rather, I say as Joseph said to his brothers: 'No reproach upon you today.'"

May Allah forgive you, and He is the Most Merciful of the merciful. ¹⁸ The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said: 'O Allah, You have made the first of Quraysh taste punishment, so make the last of them taste bounty.' Hind bint Utbah came to him after she had ripped open the belly of his uncle Hamzah and chewed his liver, yet he pardoned her and gave her his hand for her pledge of allegiance. If it is said: He struck the necks of Banu Qurayzah in captivity on the day of Uhud, about seven hundred men, so where is the place of pardon and forgiveness, and he took revenge like one whom no mercy moved towards them nor tenderness entered for them? It is said: He only did that regarding the rights of Allah Almighty. Banu Qurayzah had agreed to the arbitration of Sa'd ibn Mu'adh over them, and he ruled that whoever had the razor pass over him [i.e., had reached puberty] should be killed, and whoever had not should be taken captive. The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said: 'This is the judgment of Allah from above the seven heavens.' ¹⁹ So he could not pardon a right that Allah Almighty had established against them; his pardon is only specific to his own right. [Preservation of Covenant and Fulfillment of Promise] The sixth characteristic: his preservation of the covenant and fulfillment of the promise. He never broke a covenant with anyone who kept it, nor did he break a promise to anyone who observed it. He considered treachery among the major sins and breaking promises among the worst traits, so he adhered to the strictest in them and undertook the most difficult in them, preserving his covenant and fulfilling his promise, until his covenant-breakers themselves initiated its breach, and Allah Almighty made for him a way out, like the actions of the Jews of Banu Qurayzah and Banu al-Nadir, and like the action of Quraysh in the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah. So Allah Almighty made for him the best choice in their breach. These are six characteristics that were perfected in his character, by which Allah Almighty favored him over all His creation. [The Third Aspect: The Virtues of His Sayings] As for the third aspect: the virtues of his sayings, it is considered through eight characteristics: [His Wisdom, peace be upon him] First: the profound wisdom he was given and the abundant, dazzling sciences he was granted, while he was an unlettered [prophet] from an unlettered nation; he never read a book, nor studied a science, nor accompanied a scholar or teacher. Yet he brought what confounded minds and bewildered intellects: mastery of what he clarified and perfection of what he manifested. No slip in speech or action was found in him. He made the foundation of his law upon four hadiths, by which he summarized the intent and perfected independent reasoning. First: his saying: 'Actions are but by intentions, and each person will have only what he intended.' Second: his saying: 'The lawful is clear, and the unlawful is clear, and between them are ambiguous matters. Whoever guards against the ambiguous matters will protect his religion and his honor.' Third: his saying: 'Part of the perfection of a person's Islam is his leaving what does not concern him.' Fourth: his saying: 'Leave what makes you doubt for what does not make you doubt.' Previous philosophers had legislated laws that people followed, knowing that the world's well-being depends on a religion to which they submit and by which they act, but none of them had such an effect or such fame. They were the source of wisdom and the leaders of nations. Yet this innate disposition in the Messenger, peace be upon him, came only from the purity of his essence and the sincerity of his inner self. [His Preservation of What Allah Revealed to Him] The second characteristic: his preservation of what Allah Almighty revealed to him of the stories of the prophets with their nations and the news of the world in ancient times, so that nothing, small or great, escaped him, and nothing, little or much, was lost from him, while he did not record it in a book to study nor preserve it with a guarding eye. That was only from a sound mind, a spacious chest, and a joyful heart. These three are the tools of what he was entrusted with of the message and the burdens of prophethood. So it is fitting that he was sent with them and urged to fulfill them. [His Perfection of What He Legislated] The third characteristic: his perfection of what he legislated with the clearest evidence and his explanation with the most obvious reasoning, so that nothing required by reason was left out, nor did anything rejected by reason enter it. Therefore, the Prophet, peace be upon him, said: 'I have been given the comprehensive words, and wisdom has been summarized for me concisely,' because he indicated much with little, refrained from prolixity, and removed ignorance. This was only possible because meanings were present for him and to him they were referred. [His Command for Noble Character] The fourth characteristic: what he commanded of noble character, called to of excellent manners, urged of maintaining family ties, and encouraged of compassion for the weak and orphans. Then what he forbade of mutual hatred and envy, and what he restrained from of severing ties and turning away. He said: 'Do not cut ties, do not turn away from each other, do not hate each other, and be servants of Allah as brothers,' so that virtues would be more abundant among them, noble character more widespread, excellent manners more apparent, and they would be quicker to good and more protected from evil. Thus, the saying of Allah Almighty would be realized in them: 'You are the best nation brought forth for mankind, enjoining what is right and forbidding what is wrong.' ²⁰ So they adhered to His commands and feared His prohibitions, and thus the well-being of their religion and worldly life was perfected, until Islam became mighty after its weakness and polytheism became lowly after its might. They became righteous leaders and good guides. [Clarity of His Response] The fifth characteristic: the clarity of his response when asked and the manifestness of his proof when debated. No inability confined him, nor incapacity cut him off, nor did an opponent confront him in argument without his response being clearer and his proof stronger. Ubayy ibn Khalaf came to him with a decayed bone from graves that had become dust, crumbled it until it was like ashes, then said: 'O Muhammad, do you claim that we and our fathers will be returned when we become like this? You have said a great thing that we have not heard from anyone else: "Who will give life to bones when they are decayed?"' ²¹ So Allah Almighty made His Messenger, peace be upon him, speak with the proof of his prophethood, saying: 'He will give them life who produced them the first time, and He is, of all creation, Knowing.' ²² So he left dumbfounded and could not respond. When he, peace be upon him, said: 'There is no contagion and no omens,' a man said: 'O Messenger of Allah, we see a mange sore on the lip of a camel, and then the rest of the camels become mangy.' He said: 'Who infected the first one?' and silenced him. [His Preservation of His Tongue] The sixth characteristic: his tongue was preserved from distortion in speech and from indulgence in reports that would be attributed to lying and far from truth. He was always famous for truthfulness in his reports, widespread and abundant, until he was noted for truthfulness and marked by trustworthiness. All of Quraysh were certain of his truthfulness before Islam, yet they openly accused him of lying when he called them to it. Some denied him out of envy, some out of stubbornness, and some out of disbelief that he could be a prophet or messenger. If they had recorded a single lie from him in non-prophetic matters, they would have made it evidence for his falsehood in prophethood. Whoever adheres to truthfulness in his youth is more bound to it in his maturity, and whoever is protected from lying in his own rights is even more protected in the rights of Allah Almighty. This suffices as a refutation of the denier and a response to the obstinate. [His Eloquence] The seventh characteristic: the precision of his speech in aiming at his need and limiting it to his sufficiency, so he neither indulged in vain talk nor refrained from it out of inability. Apart from the states of need and sufficiency, he was the most silent of people and the best in demeanor. Therefore, his speech was preserved so that it never became defective, its beauty appeared so that it never became weak, and mouths found it sweet so that it remained preserved in hearts and recorded in books. Excessive speech never escapes slips, nor does vain talk escape boredom. A Bedouin spoke at length in his presence, and he said: 'O Bedouin, how many veils are there between your tongue and your mouth?' He said: 'My lips and my teeth.' The Prophet, peace be upon him, said: 'Allah dislikes gushing in speech. May Allah brighten the face of a person who restrains his tongue and limits himself to his need.' [His Eloquence] The eighth characteristic: he was the most eloquent of people in speech, the clearest in expression, the most concise in words, the most comprehensive in phrases, and the most correct in meanings. No awkwardness of affectation appeared in him, nor did any difficulty of forced speech occur. The Prophet, peace be upon him, said: 'The most hateful to me among you are the talkative and the pompous.' He said: 'Beware of exaggeration in speech.' When the verse was revealed to him: 'In houses which Allah has permitted to be raised and in which His name is remembered,' ²³ he built the mosque of Quba. Abdullah ibn Rawahah attended and said: 'O Messenger of Allah, successful is he who builds mosques.' He said: 'Yes, O Ibn Rawahah.' He said: 'And does not spend the night except prostrating to Allah.' He said: 'O Ibn Rawahah, refrain from rhymed prose, for a servant has not been given anything worse than a glib tongue.' [His Sayings] Among his sayings that are unmatched in conciseness are: 'People are more like their time than their fathers.' 'No one perishes who knows his own worth.' 'If you were to uncover each other's faults, you would not bury each other.' 'The fortunate is he who is admonished by others.' 'Your love for something blinds and deafens.' 'Intellect is familiar and beloved.' 'A promise is a gift.' 'O Allah, I seek refuge in You from greed that leads to miserliness.' 'The best charity is that given by one who has little.' 'The upper hand is better than the lower hand.' 'Abandoning evil is charity.' 'Good is abundant, but few are those who do it.' 'People are like mines of gold.' 'Help comes according to one's burden.' 'When Allah wants good for a servant, He makes him an admonisher from himself.' 'Return the trust to the one who entrusted you, and do not betray the one who betrayed you.' 'The believer is trusting and noble; the wicked is deceitful and base.' 'The world is the prison of the believer and his trial, and the paradise of the disbeliever and his ease.' [More of His Sayings] Among his sayings that are unmatched in eloquence are: 'Beware of excessive consultation, for it kills confidence and revives hesitation.' 'My community will remain well as long as they do not consider trust as booty and charity as a loss.' 'May Allah have mercy on a servant who speaks good and gains, or remains silent and is safe.' 'O Allah, I seek refuge in You from knowledge that does not benefit, a soul that is not satisfied, a heart that does not humble itself, and an eye that does not weep. Does any of you hope for anything but wealth that leads to transgression, poverty that makes one forget, sickness that corrupts, senility that makes one foolish, or the Dajjal, who is the worst awaited unseen, or the Hour, and the Hour is more calamitous and bitter.' 'Three are saving and three are destructive. The saving: fear of Allah in secret and public, moderation in wealth and poverty, and justice in pleasure and anger. The destructive: miserliness obeyed, desire followed, and self-admiration.' 'Give me six things and I will guarantee you Paradise.' They said: 'What are they, O Messenger of Allah?' He said: 'When you speak, do not lie; when you promise, do not break; when you are entrusted, do not betray; lower your gaze, guard your private parts, and restrain your hands.' And in one of his sermons: 'Indeed, days are folded, lifespans are consumed, bodies decay in the dust, and night and day race like a courier, bringing near every distant thing and wearing out every new thing. In that, O servants of Allah, is a distraction from desires and a desire for lasting good deeds.' And in another sermon, when he feared for his companions from the innate disposition: 'O people, it is as if death is written for others, and as if right is obligatory upon others, and as if those we accompany to the graves are travelers who will soon return to us. We place them in their graves and consume their inheritance, as if we will remain after them. We have forgotten every admonition and felt secure from every calamity. ²⁴ Blessed is the one whose afterlife preoccupies him from his worldly life. Blessed is the one whose own faults occupy him from the faults of others.'

This is but a small portion of much that cannot be enumerated or fully comprehended. We have only mentioned an example so that it may be known that his speech encompasses the conditions of eloquence and expresses the path of fluency. If it were mixed with others, it would be distinguished by its style, and the effects of discord would appear in it, so that its right would not be confused with its falsehood, and its truth would be distinguished from its falsehood. Yet he was not a practitioner of eloquence nor a companion of its people among orators, poets, or eloquent speakers; rather, it was from the instincts of his nature and the beginning of his innate disposition. That is only for an intended purpose and a remarkable event. If it is said: If his speech differs from that of others in eloquence and fluency to the extent that none could rival him, is it then miraculous? It is said to him: If it were so and he challenged with it, it would become miraculous, but without the challenge, it is not miraculous. [The Fourth Aspect: The Virtues of His Actions] As for the fourth aspect: the virtues of his actions, it is examined by eight qualities: [The Excellence of His Conduct] The first: the excellence of his conduct and the soundness of his policy in a religion whose law he innovated until it was established, and the management of its excellent formulation until it continued. By it, he transferred the community from what was familiar and diverted them from what was known to what was unknown. Souls submitted to it willingly and yielded out of fear and hope, and it became a deeply ingrained habit, except for one who is aided by divine support with sound resolve and penetrating determination. If he was commanded in what he legislated, it is the overwhelming proof; if he exercised independent judgment in it, it is the dazzling miracle. Sufficient for you is that its foundations are established forever, transmitted from predecessors to successors, its sweetness increasing and its novelty intensifying, and they see it as a system for ages whose vicissitudes change and whose familiar customs differ—it is a proof for those who uphold it and a clear evidence for those who doubt it. [Desire and Fear] The second quality: that he combined desire for those he won over and fear for those he subdued, until both groups united in supporting him and fulfilled the duties of his call, desiring immediate and future rewards, and fearing transitory and impending [punishments], due to the diversity of temperaments and natures in submission, which cannot be organized by one alone nor sustained by both. Therefore, through both, the religion became established and righteousness continued. [Justice] The third quality: that he was just in the religion he legislated, steering away from the excess of the Christians in severity and the deficiency of the Jews in negligence, to the middle path between them. The best of matters are their middles, for it is justice between the extremes of excess and negligence. There is no share of guidance nor portion of rectitude for what exceeds justice. The Prophet ﷺ said: "Indeed, this religion is firm, so enter into it gently, for the worst of travel is haste, and the one who exhausts himself neither covers the distance nor spares the mount." [His Command for Moderation] The fourth quality: that he did not incline his companions toward this world, as the Jews desired, nor toward renouncing it, as the Christians monasticized, but commanded them to be moderate in it: to seek from it what suffices and to avoid hoarding and excess. He said to his companions: "The best of you is the one who does not neglect his worldly life for his afterlife, nor his afterlife for his worldly life, but the best of you is the one who takes from both." This is correct because total devotion to one is imbalance, while combining both is moderation. The Prophet ﷺ said: "What an excellent mount is this world; ride it, it will convey you to the afterlife." This is so because from it one provisions for his afterlife and increases in obedience to Him. The one who abandons it is either deprived and neglected or deprived and watched over; in the first case he is a burden, in the second he is humiliated. (A man was praised for his goodness) in the presence of the Messenger of God ﷺ, and they said: "O Messenger of God, whenever we rode, he would not cease to remember God until we dismounted, and whenever we dismounted, he would not cease to pray until we mounted." He said: "Then who was taking care of his camel's fodder and preparing his food?" They said: "All of us." He said: "Then all of you are better than him." [His Clarification of Acts of Worship] The fifth quality: his undertaking of the landmarks of religion and the incidents of rulings until he clarified for the community what they were obligated to do in acts of worship, and explained to them what is lawful and unlawful among permissible and prohibited things, and distinguished for them what is permissible and impermissible in contracts, marriages, and transactions, to the extent that the Jews needed his law in many of their transactions and inheritances, while his law did not need the law of others. Then he established for his law principles that indicate neglected incidents and from which reasoned rulings are derived, thus dispensing with the need for a text after its cessation and for clarification after its neglect. Then he commanded the present to convey to the absent, so that they might know through his warning and be argued against through his proclamation. He said: "Convey from me, and do not lie about me, for perhaps one who conveys is more perceptive than the one who hears, and perhaps one who carries fiqh ²⁵ to one who is more knowledgeable than him." Thus he perfected what he legislated of text and indication, and generalized by his command to the present and the absent, until he became one who fulfills what he undertook of the law and discharges what he assumed of the rights of the community, so that there would be no slip in the rights of God nor any defect in the interests of the community. This was in a short period of his time, without prolonged extension, yet he summarized and accomplished. That is nothing but a marvel and a miracle. [His Jihad] The sixth quality: his standing up for jihad against the enemies, who surrounded him from all directions and encircled him from all sides, while he was in a forsaken pole ²⁶ and a despised number. Through him, the few increased and the humiliated became mighty. He became feared by the enemies due to the terror he instilled, and victorious through the awe cast into their hearts. Thus he combined the undertaking of establishing the religion until it appeared and spread, and the standing up for jihad against the enemy until he conquered and triumphed. Combining both is difficult except for one whom God aids with His help and supports with His grace. The difficult is miraculous. [His Bravery] The seventh quality: what he was specially endowed with of bravery in his wars and valor in enduring his enemy. He never witnessed a battle in a panic except that he endured until it ended in victory or defense, and he remained in his position, never fleeing nor becoming weary. Rather, he stood firm with a secure heart and a calm soul, even when his companions turned away on the day of Hunayn, until he remained facing a large multitude and a great host with only nine of his family and companions, on a mule that was not prepared for flight or pursuit, calling out to his companions, showing himself, saying: "To me, O servants of God! I am the Prophet, no lie; I am the son of 'Abd al-Muttalib." So they returned in scattered groups, while Hawazin saw him and hesitated to attack him. He did not fear a war against a larger force, nor did he retreat from a confrontation with an opponent. God supported him with reinforcements and heroes, so they gathered and endured until God granted him victory. There is no equal to this bravery. Once, a panic struck Medina, so the people rushed toward the sound, but they found the Messenger of God ﷺ had preceded them, meeting them on a bare horse belonging to Abu Talha al-Ansari, with a sword on him, saying: "O people, do not be alarmed, but be reassured." Then he said to Abu Talha: "We found it to be a sea." The horse had been slow, but after that no horse could outrun it. That was only due to his confidence that God would grant him victory and that His religion would prevail, in fulfillment of His words: "That He may make it prevail over all religion" ²⁷ and in confirmation of the saying of His Messenger ﷺ: "The earth was folded for me, and I saw its east and west, and the dominion of my community will reach what was folded for me." Sufficient is this as a proof of his right and a witness to his truthfulness. [His Generosity and Munificence] The eighth quality: what he was granted of generosity and munificence, to the extent that he gave away everything he possessed and preferred others over himself in every desired and beloved thing. He died while his armor was pawned with a Jew for a few measures of barley for his family's food, despite having ruled the Arabian Peninsula, where there were kings and chiefs with treasuries and wealth that they hoarded and boasted about and enjoyed in arrogance and insolence. He had acquired the dominion of all of them, yet he did not accumulate a dinar or a dirham. He ate only coarse food and wore only rough garments, gave generously and abundantly, connected the great multitudes, endured the bitterness of poverty, and bore patiently the hunger of destitution, despite having acquired the spoils of Hawazin: six thousand captives, twenty-four thousand camels, forty thousand sheep, and four thousand ounces of silver. He gave away all his share and returned empty-handed. Abu Wa'il narrated from Masruq from 'A'isha, may God be pleased with her, who said: "The Messenger of God ﷺ left neither a dinar nor a dirham, nor a sheep nor a camel, nor did he bequeath anything." 'Amr ibn Murra narrated from Suwayd ibn al-Harith from Abu Dharr, who said: "The Messenger of God ﷺ said: 'It would not please me to have a mountain of gold which I spend in the way of God, and then die on the day I die with a dinar of it with me, except to pay off a debt.'" When he was asked while in need, he would promise and not refuse, waiting for what God would provide. Hammad ibn Zayd narrated from al-Mu'alla ibn Ziyad from al-Hasan that a man came to the Prophet ﷺ asking him, so he said: "Sit down; God will provide for you." Then another came, then another, and he said to them: "Sit down." Then a man came with four ounces [of silver] and gave it to him, saying: "O Messenger of God, this is charity." So he called the first and gave him an ounce, then called the second and gave him an ounce, then called the third and gave him an ounce, and one ounce remained with him. He offered it to the people, but no one stood up. When night came, he placed it under his head, and his bedding was a cloak. He could not sleep, so he would get up and pray. 'A'isha said to him: "O Messenger of God, has something happened to you?" He said: "No." She said: "Has some matter from God come to you?" He said: "No." She said: "You have done something tonight that you did not do before." So he brought it out and said: "This is what has done to me what you see; I feared that some matter from God might occur while I had not spent it." Al-Zuhri narrated from Abu Salama from Abu Hurayra from the Prophet ﷺ that he said: "I am more entitled to the believers than their own selves. Whoever leaves a debt, it is upon me; whoever leaves wealth, it is for his heirs." Is there such generosity and munificence? Or is there such renunciation and asceticism? Far from it! Can anyone attain anything like this? These are but a few of his virtues and a small portion of his excellences, which cannot be counted or fully grasped. They are not complete in anyone else so as to equal him, nor does any opponent deny them. Every hypocrite, obstinate person, heretic, and atheist has striven to disparage him in word or deed, or to find a slip in seriousness or jest, but found no way to do so. They exerted their utmost effort and gathered their cunning. So what virtue is greater than a virtue that the envious and enemies witness and find no flaw for a defamer or critic, no point of attack for a slanderer or exposurer? He is as the poet said: "All people testified to his virtue, even the enemies, and virtue is that which the enemies testify to." It is fitting for one who has reached the ultimate limits of virtues and perfected the means to the ends of matters, to be qualified for the leadership of the world and entrusted with managing the affairs of creation. There is no goal after prophethood greater than that through him reform becomes widespread or corruption is eliminated. Thus it necessitated that he be worthy of it and qualified to undertake it. Therefore, it was established through him when he was sent as a messenger, and he fulfilled its duties when he stood as a guarantor. He suited it and it suited him; he did not neglect it when it came to him. Every two proportionate things are similar, every two similar things are harmonious, and every two harmonious things are in agreement. Agreement is the foundation of every order and the basis of every harmony. This was among the clearest proofs of the truth of his prophethood and the most evident signs of the sincerity of his message. None denies it after its clarity except one who is disgraced. Praise be to God, who has guided us to obedience to Him and led us to believe in his message.

Certes, pour toute chose prédestinée parmi les affaires, lorsqu’elle approche, Allah Très-Haut a un avertisseur et un annonciateur de bonne nouvelle, par lesquels Il manifeste les prémices de ce qu’Il a caché, et fait ressentir, par leur venue, Son décret et Sa prédestination, afin qu’ils soient une excuse et un avertissement par lesquels les esprits s’éveillent et par lesquels l’ignorant se détourne, par bonté envers Ses serviteurs, pour que les affaires stupéfiantes et soudaines ne les frappent pas par des signes précurseurs irrécupérables, afin que les âmes aient un répit pour repousser leur calamité et résoudre leur difficulté. Et lorsque l’époque de l’envoi de l’Envoyé d’Allah (que la prière et la paix d’Allah soient sur lui) en tant que prophète, messager, et vers les créatures en tant qu’annonciateur de bonne nouvelle et avertisseur, approcha, il se répandit parmi les nations qu’Allah Très-Haut allait envoyer un prophète en ce temps, et que son apparition était proche et imminente. Ainsi, chaque nation qui avait un Livre le reconnaissait dans son Livre, et celles qui n’avaient pas de Livre voyaient des signes annonciateurs (āyāt mundhira) par lesquels elles déduisaient cela par leurs intelligences et y prêtaient attention par les pressentiments de leurs natures innées (fiṭar), comme une inspiration (ilhām) par laquelle Il assistait l’intelligent avisé et avertissait le résolu sagace. Cela, alors que l’Envoyé d’Allah (que la prière et la paix d’Allah soient sur lui) était inconscient de cela, ignorant qu’il était visé par cela et qualifié pour cela ; il n’en prit conscience que lorsqu’il fut appelé, et ne le réalisa que lorsqu’il fut inspiré en secret (nūjiya), afin d’être plus éloigné du soupçon et plus préservé de la suspicion, pour que sa preuve soit plus manifeste et son argument plus irréfutable. Et, en plus de sa distinction parmi son peuple par la noblesse de ses mœurs et la générosité de ses caractères, il n’adora avec eux aucune idole (ṣanam) ni ne vénéra de statue (wathan). Il pratiquait la religion selon les obligations des intelligences (farā’iḍ al-‘uqūl), selon l’avis de tous les juristes (fuqahā’) et théologiens (mutakallimīn), à savoir : l’unicité d’Allah Très-Haut (tawḥīd), Sa prééternité (qidam), la création du monde (ḥudūth al-‘ālam) et sa finitude (fanā’), la gratitude envers le Bienfaiteur, l’interdiction de l’injustice, l’obligation de l’équité et l’acquittement du dépôt. Les savants ont divergé sur le point de savoir s’il était, avant son envoi, assujetti à une loi religieuse (sharī‘a) parmi celles des prophètes qui l’avaient précédé. La majorité des théologiens (mutakallimīn) et certains juristes (fuqahā’) parmi les disciples d’al-Shāfi‘ī et d’Abū Ḥanīfa ont soutenu qu’il ne l’était pas.

1. sakīna : A state of tranquility and divine presence that inspires awe and reverence.
2. irtiyāḍ : Training or habituation, here referring to their experience with the majesty of Persian kings.
3. akāsira : Plural of Kisra, the title of the Sassanid Persian emperors.
4. ṭalāqa : Cheerfulness, openness, and amiability of countenance.
5. muṣāḥib : Companion or associate, one who accompanies another.
6. ḥusn al-qabūl : The quality of being well-received or having a pleasing appearance that attracts hearts.
7. rujāḥat al-ʿaql : Soundness or preponderance of intellect, indicating superior wisdom and judgment.
8. balāgh : Sufficiency, that which suffices for basic needs without excess.
9. Qur'an 25:10 : Reference to the Quranic verse revealed in response to the offer of worldly treasures.
10. ʿidhār al-ʿIrāq : The borders or frontiers of Iraq, indicating the extent of his dominion.
11. Shaḥr ʿUmān : A coastal region in Oman, indicating the southern extent of his rule.
12. Hārūt wa Mārūt : Two angels mentioned in the Quran (2:102) who taught magic, used here as a metaphor for the deceptive allure of the world.
13. al-khashab : Literally 'wood,' but here meaning coarse or rough food, such as barley bread.
14. dhāt al-darr : Literally 'the one with milk,' referring to a lactating ewe or goat, which he advised not to slaughter.
15. balāgha : Sufficiency, contentment with the bare minimum.
16. al-nifār : Aversion or turning away, here in the context of disputes or conflicts.
17. al-jilla wa al-dūn : The elite and the common people, i.e., all classes of society.
18. يَغْفِرُ اللَّهُ لَكُمْ وَهُوَ أَرْحَمُ الرَّاحِمِينَ : Quranic verse (Surah Yusuf, 12:64) meaning 'May Allah forgive you, and He is the Most Merciful of the merciful.'
19. سبعة أرقعة : Literally 'seven heavens'; a phrase indicating the highest authority of divine judgment.
20. كُنْتُمْ خَيْرَ أُمَّةٍ أُخْرِجَتْ لِلنَّاسِ تَأْمُرُونَ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَتَنْهَوْنَ عَنِ الْمُنْكَرِ : Quranic verse (Surah Al-Imran, 3:110) meaning 'You are the best nation brought forth for mankind, enjoining what is right and forbidding what is wrong.'
21. مَنْ يُحْيِ الْعِظامَ وَهِيَ رَمِيمٌ : Quranic verse (Surah Ya-Sin, 36:78) meaning 'Who will give life to bones when they are decayed?'
22. يُحْيِيهَا الَّذِي أَنْشَأَها أَوَّلَ مَرَّةٍ وَهُوَ بِكُلِّ خَلْقٍ عَلِيمٌ : Quranic verse (Surah Ya-Sin, 36:79) meaning 'He will give them life who produced them the first time, and He is, of all creation, Knowing.'
23. فِي بُيُوتٍ أَذِنَ اللَّهُ أَنْ تُرْفَعَ وَيُذْكَرَ فِيهَا اسْمُهُ : Quranic verse (Surah An-Nur, 24:36) meaning 'In houses which Allah has permitted to be raised and in which His name is remembered.'
24. جائحة : A calamity or disaster that befalls unexpectedly.
25. fiqh : Islamic jurisprudence; understanding of the divine law.
26. forsaken pole : Reference to the Prophet being in a state of isolation or abandonment, like a pole around which nothing revolves.
27. That He may make it prevail over all religion : Qur'an 9:33, 48:28, 61:9.

The twenty-first chapter on the beginning of his mission and the establishment of his…

The twenty-first chapter on the beginning of his mission and the establishment of his prophethood, peace be upon him.

He was not a worshiper according to the law of any prophet before him, because if he had worshiped according to it, he would have learned it and acted upon it, and if he had acted upon it, it would have appeared from him, and if it had appeared from him, those who agreed with him would have followed him in it, and those who opposed him would have disputed with him over it. Some theologians and most jurists among the followers of al-Shafi‘i and Abu Hanifa held that he was a worshiper according to the law of the prophets before him, because they called to their laws those who lived in their time and those who came after them, as long as those laws were not abrogated by a new prophethood. Thus the Messenger of God (peace be upon him) was included in the generality of their call before his mission, because God does not leave any time without a followed law or a religious person with an audible act of worship. Those who held this view differed as to which of the previous laws he followed. Some held that he followed the law of his grandfather Abraham (peace be upon them both), due to God's words: "And who would turn away from the religion of Abraham except one who makes a fool of himself?" ¹ and because he performed the Hajj and ‘Umrah according to his rites. Others held that he followed the law of Moses in what was not abrogated by the law of Jesus (peace be upon them), due to the prominence of his law in the Torah and the obsolescence of the laws before it, along with God's words: "Indeed, We sent down the Torah, in which was guidance and light" ². Others held that he followed the law of Jesus (peace be upon him), because it abrogated the law of Moses, so before his mission he was safe from any difficulty in his religion or doubt in his certainty. This is one of the signs of selection and the preludes of choice. [His love of solitude, peace be upon him] When the matter of prophethood was determined and its time drew near, God made His Messenger love solitude after forty years of his life, when his maturity was complete and his strength was firm, so that he might be prepared for what was destined for him and ready for what was intended for him. He would retreat to a cave in Hira’ for a number of nights. It is said: for a month each year, according to a custom of the Quraysh of seclusion in the neighborhood of Hira’, and then return to his family, until he continued his solitude in the cave as God willed. Food and drink would be brought to him, and he would eat from it and feed the poor for a period of time, while he was unaware of prophethood, even though it was imagined among the people and known to the People of the Book ³, so that the first encounter with it would prevent him from feigning it, and thus he would not be accused of inventing it. Had he feigned and invented, its causes would have appeared and its proofs would have been complete, and it would not have been hidden from his enemies to discuss it or from his allies to interpret it. Sufficient for you as clarity is that he was far from suspicion of it and free from doubt about it. He continued in his solitude until God manifested to him the signs of his prophethood, awakening him after heedlessness and giving him glad tidings after delay. Then He sent him as a messenger after the glad tidings, in a gradual manner in which his states were arranged, so that he might become accustomed to bearing its burdens and learn the necessary duties of its rights, so that it would not suddenly overwhelm him and cause him to be bewildered, nor would its rights be hidden from him and cause him to falter. This was from God a kindness to him, a favor upon him, and a cause for his community to submit to him. Glory be to Him, the Kind to His servants, the Bestower of favors upon His creation. [His states, peace be upon him] His states in prophethood gradually came to him until he knew that he was a sent prophet and a delivering messenger. The gradual process was arranged in six states, through which he was transferred from one station to another until he reached its ultimate goal. [True dreams] The first station: true dreams in his sleep about what his affair would lead to. This was a reminder to train his soul and test his senses, so that when he was sent, he would be strong in it and well-versed ⁴. Al-Zuhri narrated from ‘Urwa from ‘A’isha (may God be pleased with her) that she said: The first thing with which the revelation began for the Messenger of God (peace be upon him) was true dreams; they would come like the break of dawn until the truth came to him suddenly. There is disagreement whether these dreams occurred before his seclusion in the cave of Hira’. ‘Urwa narrated from ‘A’isha that solitude was made beloved to him after the dreams. Some held that the dreams came after his seclusion, because he secluded himself while heedless of his affair. Bura bint Abi Tajrah narrated that when God wanted to honor His Messenger (peace be upon him) with prophethood, he would not pass by a tree or a stone without it saying, "Peace be upon you, O Messenger of God." He would turn to his right, left, and behind, but see no one. It is possible that this was before the dream, making it like a call ⁵ outside the informing of revelation to the miracle of prophethood. It is also possible that it was after the dream, making it a confirmation and verification of its truth. [His purification, peace be upon him] The second station: what distinguished him from the rest of creation: his sanctification from impurities ⁶ and purification from filth, so that he might become pure and be chosen, and become sincere and be selected. This was a warning of the matter and an indication of the outcome. This is what was narrated by ‘Urwa ibn al-Zubayr from Abu Dharr al-Ghifari, who said: I asked the Messenger of God (peace be upon him) about the beginning of his prophethood. He said: "O Abu Dharr, two angels came to me while I was in the plain of Mecca. One of them fell to the ground, and the other was between heaven and earth. One said to the other, 'Is this he?' He said, 'Weigh him against a man from his community.' So I was weighed against a man and outweighed him. Then he said, 'Weigh him against ten.' So I was weighed against ten and outweighed them. Then he said, 'Weigh him against a hundred.' So I was weighed against a hundred and outweighed them. Then he said, 'Weigh him against a thousand.' So I was weighed against a thousand and outweighed them. They kept placing [weights] on the scale pan. Then one said to the other, 'If you weighed him against his entire community, he would outweigh them.' Then one said to the other, 'Split open his belly.' So he split open my belly. Then he said, 'Split open his heart.' So he split open my heart and removed from it the grip of Satan and the clot of blood. Then he said, 'Wash his belly like washing a vessel, and wash his heart like washing a garment.' Then he called for tranquility, which was placed in my heart. Then he said, 'Sew up his belly.' So he sewed up my belly. By Him in Whose hand is my soul, I was as if I were seeing the matter clearly." ⁷ Anas ibn Malik narrated: When the time came for the Messenger of God (peace be upon him) to be made a prophet, he used to sleep around the Ka‘ba, and the Quraysh used to sleep around it. Gabriel and Michael came to him and said, "With whom were we commanded?" They said, "We were commanded with their master." Then they left and came back the next night, and they were three. They found him sleeping, turned him onto his back, split open his belly, then brought water from Zamzam and washed what was in his belly of doubt, misguidance, or ignorance. Then they brought a golden basin filled with faith and wisdom, and filled his belly and chest with faith and wisdom. This agrees with the hadith of Abu Dharr in meaning, though it differs in description. Thus the narration is consistent, and it is a warning of prophethood. [Glad tidings of prophethood] The third station: glad tidings of prophethood from an angel who informed him of it from his Lord. These glad tidings were distinguished by being in poetry and were free from obligation and warning. He did not hear it as revelation nor see a person with it. Rather, it was a perception of the angel accompanied by a sign that indicated and a mark that appeared, sufficient without seeing him and without his speech, so that he would know that he was one of God's prophets, prepare for His revelation, and be aided by His respite, so that he would be more patient in trial and more grateful for the blessing. Al-Sha‘bi and Dawud ibn ‘Amir narrated that God associated Israfil with the prophethood of His Messenger (peace be upon him) for three years. He would hear his sound but not see his person, and he would teach him thing after thing, but he did not descend with the Qur’an. During this period, he was given glad tidings of prophethood but was not sent to the community. It is possible that this respite was a help for the Messenger, and it is possible that it was consideration for the community, and it is possible that it was for the time of benefit. It is not impossible that it was for all of them, for He knows best the secret of what He conceals and the meaning of what He reveals. The fourth station: Gabriel descended to him with the revelation of his Lord, so that he saw his person and heard his conversation. He informed him that he was God's prophet and messenger, but he confined himself to the news and did not command him to warn, so that after the glad tidings he would see it with his own eyes and be certain of it with certainty, so that his belief in it would be more reliable and his knowledge of it more truthful, and no doubt would assail him nor any suspicion occur to him. Al-Zuhri narrated from ‘A’isha (may God be pleased with her) that when the truth came suddenly to the Messenger of God (peace be upon him), Gabriel came to him and said, "O Muhammad, you are the Messenger of God." The Messenger of God (peace be upon him) said: "I fell to my knees while standing, then I returned with my sides trembling. Then I entered upon Khadija and said, 'Wrap me up, wrap me up,' until the fear left me. Then he came to me and said, 'O Muhammad, I am Gabriel, and you are the Messenger of God.' Then he said, 'Recite.' I said, 'What shall I recite?' He said, 'He took me and pressed me ⁸ three times until I was exhausted, and said, "Recite in the name of your Lord who created" ⁹.' Then I came to Khadija and said, 'I fear for myself.' I told her my story. She said, 'Rejoice, for by God, God will never disgrace you. You keep ties of kinship, speak truthfully, fulfill trusts, bear burdens, entertain guests, and help in times of truth.' Then she took me to Waraqa ibn Nawfal, who was her cousin. He had gone out in search of religion, and it is said he read the Torah and the Gospel and became a Christian. She said, 'Listen to your nephew.' He asked me, and I told him my story. He said, 'This is the Namus ¹⁰ that was sent down to Moses (peace be upon him), meaning Gabriel. Would that I were alive when your people expel you.' I said, 'Will they expel me?' He said, 'Yes, no man has ever come with what you have brought without being opposed. If I live to see that day, I will support you with strong support.' Then what was revealed to me of the Qur’an after 'Recite' was: "Nun. By the pen and what they inscribe, you are not, by the grace of your Lord, a madman. And indeed, for you is a reward uninterrupted. And indeed, you are of a great moral character. So you will see and they will see" ¹¹. This was revealed to him to increase his steadfastness, his insight, and his gratitude for his Lord's blessing. It is narrated that Khadija said to the Messenger of God (peace be upon him), "Can you inform me about this companion of yours when he comes to you?" meaning Gabriel (peace be upon him). He said, "Yes." She said, "Inform me when he comes." Gabriel came, and he said to her, "O Khadija, this is Gabriel; he has come." She said, "Stand up and sit on my left thigh." He sat on it. She said, "Do you see him?" He said, "Yes." She said, "Move to my right thigh." He moved to it. She said, "Do you see him?" He said, "Yes." She said, "Move into my lap." He moved into her lap. She said, "Do you see him?" He said, "Yes." She uncovered herself and threw off her veil while he was sitting in her lap and said, "Do you see him?" He said, "No." She said, "O cousin, be firm and rejoice, for by God, he is an angel and not a devil." And she believed in him. She was the first of all people to embrace Islam. Khadija used what she did as evidence for herself, not for the Messenger, nor as evidence against him. The Messenger of God (peace be upon him) was content with the confirmation of Gabriel through what Khadija witnessed of his miraculous signs. What Gabriel brought down in this state was limited to informing him of prophethood, so that he would know that God had chosen him for it, devote himself to it, and await what he would be commanded and what would be revealed to him, so that he would follow His commands and anticipate what was intended for him. He was permitted to mention it, though not to warn, due to God's words: "And as for the favor of your Lord, report [it]" ¹², meaning what came to you of prophethood. So he would mention it secretly.

The fifth station: after prophethood, he was commanded to warn, thereby becoming a messenger, and the Qur'an was revealed to him with commands and prohibitions, thereby becoming an envoy. He was not commanded to proclaim publicly or to give a general warning, so that he might only warn those he trusted and strengthen those who responded to him. Then the words of God Almighty were revealed: "O you who covers himself [with a garment], arise and warn. And your Lord magnify. And your garments purify. And uncleanliness avoid. And do not confer favor to acquire more. And for your Lord be patient." ¹³ Thus his prophethood was completed through revelation and warning, although it was in secret. This occurred on Monday in the month of Ramadan. Hisham ibn Muhammad said: The first time Gabriel met him was on Saturday night and Sunday night, then he appeared to him with his message on Monday. Abu Qatada narrated from Umar ibn al-Khattab, may God be pleased with him, who said: I asked the Messenger of God, peace and blessings be upon him, about fasting on Monday. He said: "That is the day I was born, and on it prophethood was revealed to me." There is disagreement about which Monday of Ramadan it was. Abu Qilaba said it was the eighteenth. Abu al-Khald said it was the twenty-fourth. He was forty years old according to the majority, forty years after the Year of the Elephant. Some claimed he was forty-three. Hisham ibn Muhammad said: That was twenty years into the reign of Khosrow Parviz. Others said sixteen years into his reign. Then it is narrated that Gabriel, peace be upon him, descended to him on Tuesday, the second day of his prophethood, while he was in the upper part of Mecca. He headed toward a hill in the valley, and a spring gushed forth from it. Gabriel performed ablution from it to show him how to purify himself. He performed ablution as Gabriel did, then Gabriel stood and prayed, and the Messenger of God, peace and blessings be upon him, prayed following his prayer. This was the first act of worship prescribed for him. Then Gabriel departed. The Messenger of God, peace and blessings be upon him, came to Khadija and performed ablution for her until she performed ablution, and he prayed with her as Gabriel had prayed with him. She was the first to perform ablution after him and to pray. He secretly warned those he trusted. There is disagreement about who was the first to embrace Islam after Khadija, according to three opinions: First: Ali ibn Abi Talib, may God be pleased with him, was the first male to embrace Islam and pray. He was nine years old, or ten. This is the view of Jabir ibn Abdullah and Zayd ibn Aslam. Yahya ibn Affif narrated from his father: I came to Mecca during the pre-Islamic period and stayed with al-Abbas ibn Abd al-Muttalib. When the sun rose and the sky became clear, a young man came, cast his gaze to the sky, faced the Kaaba, and stood facing it. Soon a boy came and stood to his right, and soon a woman came and stood behind them. The young man bowed, and the boy and woman bowed; the young man raised his head, and they raised theirs; the young man prostrated, and they prostrated with him. I said to al-Abbas: "O Abbas, a great matter! Do you know who this is?" Al-Abbas said: "Yes, this is Muhammad ibn Abdullah, my nephew; this is Ali ibn Abi Talib, my nephew; and this is Khadija bint Khuwaylid, the wife of my nephew. He has told me that the Lord of the heavens has commanded him to do what you see them doing. By God, I do not know anyone on the face of the earth who follows this religion besides these three." The second opinion: The first to embrace Islam and pray was Abu Bakr, may God be pleased with him. This is the view of Ibn Abbas and Abu Umama al-Bahili. Abu Umama narrated from Amr ibn Anbasa al-Sulami: I came to the Messenger of God, peace and blessings be upon him, while he was staying at Ukaz. I said: "O Messenger of God, who has followed you in this matter?" He said: "Two men have followed me: a free man and a slave—Abu Bakr and Bilal." He said: So I embraced Islam at that time. I saw myself as a quarter of Islam. Al-Sha'bi said: I asked Ibn Abbas: "Who was the first person to embrace Islam?" He said: "Have you not heard the words of Hassan ibn Thabit: 'When you recall a sorrow from a trustworthy brother, remember your brother Abu Bakr for what he did. The best of creation, most pious and just after the Prophet, and most faithful to what he undertook. The second of two, the praised one, whose presence is witnessed, and the first of people to believe the messengers.'" The third opinion: The first to embrace Islam was Zayd ibn Haritha. This is the view of Urwa ibn al-Zubayr and Sulayman ibn Yasar. Abu Bakr called to Islam those he trusted, for he was a merchant of good character and reputation, the most knowledgeable of Quraysh about their lineage and their good and evil, and skilled in dealing with them. They frequently visited him. Through him, Uthman ibn Affan, Talha ibn Ubaydullah, al-Zubayr ibn al-Awwam, Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas, and Abd al-Rahman ibn Awf embraced Islam. He brought them to the Messenger of God, peace and blessings be upon him, when they responded to him with Islam and prayed. They joined the previous ones, making eight people who were the first to embrace Islam and pray. It is also said that Sa'id ibn al-As and Abu Dharr embraced Islam with them. Then people successively entered Islam, while the Messenger of God, peace and blessings be upon him, continued to call secretly, although his call had spread among Quraysh. The sixth station: He was commanded to give a general warning after the specific one and to call publicly to Islam after secrecy. So God Almighty revealed to him: "So declare what you are commanded and turn away from the polytheists." ¹⁴ Thus he called publicly. Ibn Ishaq said: That was three years after his mission. He was commanded to start with his closest relatives. God Almighty said: "And warn your closest kindred and lower your wing to those who follow you of the believers." ¹⁵ Ibn Abbas said: The Messenger of God, peace and blessings be upon him, ascended al-Safa and called out: "O people of the morning! O sons of Abd al-Muttalib! O sons of Abd Manaf!" until he mentioned the closest and then the next closest tribes of Quraysh. They gathered to him and said: "What is the matter with you?" He said: "If I told you that horsemen were coming out from the foot of this mountain, would you believe me?" They said: "Yes, we have never experienced any lie from you." He said: "Indeed, I am a warner to you before a severe punishment." Abu Lahab said: "Perish you! Is it for this you gathered us?" Then he stood up. So God Almighty revealed: "May the hands of Abu Lahab be ruined, and ruined is he." ¹⁶ to the end of the sura. Ibn Ishaq said: Quraysh did not distance themselves from him at the beginning of his call, but they responded with some rejection until he mentioned their gods, criticized them, and deemed their worship foolish. When he did that, they unanimously opposed him and openly showed enmity, except those whom God protected through Islam, and they were few and insignificant. Thus, through the general warning and public call to monotheism and Islam, his prophethood became general and he was sent as a messenger to the entire community. God thereby completed his prophethood and perfected his message. He declared his command, fulfilled his duty, struggled with his warning, made his call universal, and strove for God with true striving until he overcame Quraysh when they argued with him, endured them when they opposed him, despite their large numbers and multitudes, until his word prevailed and his call became manifest. He endured hardships that none but the protected could withstand and none but the supported could survive. All these are signs that warn of truth and accord with sincerity, for God does not guide the plot of the treacherous nor does He set right the work of the corrupt. Section [on his legislation, peace be upon him] As for his legislation of religion, after monotheism it comprises two categories: acts of worship and legal rulings. As for acts of worship, during his stay in Mecca, only purification and prayer were legislated, when Gabriel taught him ablution and prayer. They were obligatory for him and a sunna for his community, due to the words of God Almighty: "O you who wraps himself [in clothing], arise [to pray] the night, except for a little—half of it, or subtract from it a little, or add to it." ¹⁷ This was the ruling concerning him and his community until the five daily prayers were made obligatory after his Night Journey from the Sacred Mosque to the Farthest Mosque, which occurred in the ninth year of his prophethood. Thus the five prayers became obligatory for him and his community. No other acts of worship were prescribed until he migrated to Medina, which became a home for Islam and its people became supporters. The first act of worship prescribed in Medina, after the five prayers had been prescribed in Mecca, was the fast of Ramadan in the second year after the Hijra, in Sha'ban. In that year, the direction of prayer was changed from Jerusalem to the Kaaba. Zakat al-Fitr was prescribed, and the Eid prayer was instituted. The Friday prayer had been established at the beginning of the Hijra as a substitute for the noon prayer. Then zakat on wealth was prescribed after the emergence of strength and the filling of need, then Hajj and Umra. As for legal rulings, those necessitated by rational considerations, such as the prohibition of murder and adultery, were legislated in Mecca with the appearance of his warning. As for matters where reason hesitated between doing and leaving, he refrained from ruling on them as permissible or forbidden, allowed or prohibited, recommended or disliked. He did not declare anything lawful or unlawful in Mecca until he migrated from it. After the migration, he declared lawful and unlawful, allowed and prohibited, because in Mecca he was overpowered by Quraysh's dominance, and it was a land of polytheism where his rulings could not be enforced. So he did not declare lawful or unlawful until he was in Medina, a land of Islam where his rulings could be enforced. Then he clarified what was lawful and unlawful, what was allowed and prohibited, and what was valid and invalid in speech. For this reason, he was peaceful in Mecca and at war in Medina. Thus wisdom was in accordance with his actions, and divine success supported his words, although he was commanded to do so, as God Almighty said: "Nor does he speak from [his own] inclination. It is not but a revelation revealed." ¹⁸ But due to his excellent execution and correctness in their contexts, the effects of his wisdom appear in the soundness of his resolve and the truth of his determination. This is a consistent summary of the signs of his prophethood, a stable foundation for the order of his message and the rulings of his law. As for the rulings of his jihad in his battles and expeditions, we will mention them in a separate book on his biography, where we will clarify the locations of his signs and the beginnings of his rulings. Success is from God Almighty. We praise You for revealing the suns of happiness with the star of glory and the foundation of sovereignty, and for manifesting from the signs of his prophethood what subdued the people of misguidance and erased the darkness of disbelief, so that none of the prophets attained what he attained—our master Muhammad, possessor of abundant miraculous signs, sent as a mercy to the community. May God bless him, his family, his companions, the followers, and those who follow his path. After... the printing of 'Alam al-Nubuwwa has been completed, which contains the biography of the Chosen One in a way that removes distress. It is a fabric whose compositions have traveled far and wide, by the scholar al-Mawardi, who had a long hand in its composition and authorship. Its printing was undertaken at the expense of Dar wa Maktabat al-Hilal. May God Almighty reward them for this beautiful deed with the best reward, by the rank of the Prophet and his pious, righteous family. Completed, praise be to God. Index of the Book 'Alam al-Nubuwwa Publisher's Introduction 5 Preface 7 Chapter One: Introduction to Evidence 17 The Science of Acquisition 17 Necessity and Evidence 18 Rulings of the Intellect 19 Rulings of Revelation 19 Chapter Two: Knowledge of the Worshipped God 21 The Saying of the Christians 25 Meaning of Oneness 26 Chapter Three: The Validity of Obligation 29 Definitions 29 Necessity of Obligation 30 Legitimacy of Obligation / Command and Will 31 Conditions for the Validity of Command / Time of Command / Categories of Command 32 Chapter Four: Establishing Prophethoods 35 The Prophets, peace be upon them 35 Disagreement of the Denier of Prophethood 36 Permissibility of Prophethoods 39 Establishing Prophethoods 41 Proofs of the Prophets 42 Miracles and Prophethood / Perception and Direct Observation 45 Revelation and Prophethood 46 Conditions for Conveying 48 Method of Conveying 49 Prophet and Messenger 50 Necessity of Conveying 51 Chapter Five: The Duration of the World and the Number of Messengers 53 God's Creation of Adam 55

Adam and His Sons 58 From Idris to Jesus, peace be upon them 61 Chapter on the Duration of the World until the Hour 63 Between Moses and Jesus, peace be upon them 65 The Sixth Chapter: On Establishing the Prophethood of Muhammad, may God bless him and grant him peace 69 The Seventh Chapter: On the Types of Inimitability ¹⁹ Contained in the Qur'an 73 Aspects of Inimitability: Inimitability in Linguistic Composition 74 Inimitability in Meanings 75 Inimitability in Style 76 Inimitability in Brevity and Sublimity of Meaning 78 Scientific Inimitability 78 Inimitability in Proofs and Evidences 79 Inimitability in Informing of the Past 80 Inimitability in Informing of the Unseen 80 Inimitability in Informing of the Secrets within Souls 81 Inimitability in Words 81 Inimitability in Recitation 82 Inimitability in Being Infallible from Error 83 Inimitability in the Comprehensiveness of Its Meanings 84 Inimitability in the Cohesion of Its Expression 85 Inimitability in the Inability to Comprehend Its Meanings 85 Inimitability in the Ease of Its Memorization 86 Inimitability in the Inability to Produce Its Like 86 Inimitability in the Inability to Add to It 87 Inimitability in the Inability to Oppose It 88 Inimitability in Being Turned Away from Opposing It 89 The Comprehensive Inimitability 90 The Qur'an is the Speech of the Lord of the Worlds 91 The Eighth Chapter: On the Miracles of His Infallibility, may God bless him and grant him peace 95 On the Signs of His Infallibility 95 The Ninth Chapter: On the Observed Miracles of His Actions 103 The Tenth Chapter: On the Heard Miracles of His Sayings 111 Categories of the Coming of Reports 113 The Eleventh Chapter: On What He, may God bless him and grant him peace, Was Honored with of Answered Supplications 127 The Twelfth Chapter: On His Warning, may God bless him and grant him peace, of What Would Occur After Him 135 The Thirteenth Chapter: On His Miracle, may God bless him and grant him peace, Manifested Through Animals 139 The Fourteenth Chapter: On the Manifestation of His Miracle, may God bless him and grant him peace, from Trees and Inanimate Objects 143 The Fifteenth Chapter: On the Glad Tidings of the Prophets, peace be upon them, of His Prophethood, may God bless him and grant him peace 149 Section on the Glad Tidings of Him 150 From the Glad Tidings of Nuwal ²⁰ son of Nuthal ²¹, from the Prophets of the Children of Israel 152 From the Glad Tidings of 'Uwaydiya ²², from the Prophets of the Children of Israel 152 From the Glad Tidings of Micah 153 From the Glad Tidings of Habakkuk 153 From the Glad Tidings of Ezekiel 153 From the Glad Tidings of Yarsafina ²³ 154 From the Glad Tidings of Zechariah 154 From the Glad Tidings of Daniel 154 From the Glad Tidings in the Vision of Nebuchadnezzar 155 From the Glad Tidings of Jeremiah son of Baruch 156 From the Glad Tidings of David in the Psalms 157 From the Glad Tidings of the Messiah ²⁴ of Him in the Gospel 157 The Sixteenth Chapter: On the Calls of the Jinn ²⁵ to His Prophethood, may God bless him and grant him peace 163 Calls of the Jinn 168 The Seventeenth Chapter: On What Souls Whispered of the Inspiration of Intellects 173 The Eighteenth Chapter: On the Beginnings of His Lineage and the Purity of His Birth, may God bless him and grant him peace 185 The Purity of the Birth of the Messenger, may God bless him and grant him peace 201 The Nineteenth Chapter: On the Signs of His Birth and the Manifestation of His Blessing, may God bless him and grant him peace 205 The Birth of the Messenger, may God bless him and grant him peace 209 His Childhood, may God bless him and grant him peace 210 His Upbringing, may God bless him and grant him peace 211 Under the Guardianship of Abu Talib 211 His Youth, may God bless him and grant him peace 212 The Twentieth Chapter: On the Nobility of His Character and the Perfection of His Virtues, may God bless him and grant him peace 215 Aspects of His Perfection, may God bless him and grant him peace 216 The Moderation of His Appearance, may God bless him and grant him peace 216 His Cheerfulness, may God bless him and grant him peace 216 The Inclination of Hearts toward Him, may God bless him and grant him peace 216 The Inclination of Souls toward Him, may God bless him and grant him peace 217 The Second Aspect: On the Perfection of His Character, may God bless him and grant him peace 217 The Soundness of His Intellect, may God bless him and grant him peace 217 His Steadfastness, may God bless him and grant him peace, in Hardships 217 His Asceticism, may God bless him and grant him peace, in the World 218 His Humility, may God bless him and grant him peace, toward People 221 His Forbearance and Dignity, may God bless him and grant him peace 221 Keeping Covenants and Fulfilling Promises, may God bless him and grant him peace 222 The Third Aspect: On the Virtues of His Sayings 222 His Wisdom, may God bless him and grant him peace 223 His Preservation of What God Revealed to Him, may God bless him and grant him peace 223 His Mastery of What He Legislated, may God bless him and grant him peace 223 His Command, may God bless him and grant him peace, of Noble Character 224 The Clarity of His Answers, may God bless him and grant him peace 224 His Guarding of His Tongue, may God bless him and grant him peace 225 His Eloquence, may God bless him and grant him peace 225 His Articulateness, may God bless him and grant him peace 225 His Speech, may God bless him and grant him peace 226 Virtues of His Actions, may God bless him and grant him peace 228 The Excellence of His Conduct, may God bless him and grant him peace 228 Desire and Awe 228 Justice 228 His Command of Moderation, may God bless him and grant him peace 229 His Clarification of Acts of Worship, may God bless him and grant him peace 229 His Struggle ²⁶, may God bless him and grant him peace 230 His Courage, may God bless him and grant him peace 230 His Generosity and Munificence, may God bless him and grant him peace 231 The Twenty-First Chapter: On the Beginning of His Mission and the Establishment of His Prophethood, may God bless him and grant him peace 233 His Love of Seclusion, may God bless him and grant him peace 234 His States, may God bless him and grant him peace: The True Vision 235 His Purification, may God bless him and grant him peace 236 The Glad Tidings of Prophethood 237

1. سَفِهَ نَفْسَهُ : Literally 'made a fool of himself'; a Qur’anic phrase (2:130) indicating one who foolishly rejects the religion of Abraham.
2. إِنَّا أَنْزَلْنَا التَّوْراةَ فِيها هُدىً وَنُورٌ : Qur’an 5:44: 'Indeed, We sent down the Torah, in which was guidance and light.'
3. أهل الكتب : People of the Book; refers to Jews and Christians who possessed scriptures.
4. بها ملي : Well-versed or competent in it; from the root m-l-w meaning to be skilled.
5. الهتوف : A call or voice from an unseen source; a supernatural summons.
6. الأرجاس : Plural of rijs; impurities, filth, or abominations, often referring to spiritual or physical uncleanliness.
7. مغمز الشيطان : The grip or hold of Satan; a reference to the part of the heart where Satan has influence.
8. فغتني : He pressed me or squeezed me; from ghatt, meaning to press or choke.
9. اقْرَأْ بِاسْمِ رَبِّكَ الَّذِي خَلَقَ : Qur’an 96:1: 'Recite in the name of your Lord who created.'
10. الناموس : The angel of revelation; derived from Greek 'nomos' (law), used to refer to Gabriel as the bearer of divine law.
11. ن وَالْقَلَمِ وَما يَسْطُرُونَ... : Qur’an 68:1-6: 'Nun. By the pen and what they inscribe, you are not, by the grace of your Lord, a madman...'
12. وَأَمَّا بِنِعْمَةِ رَبِّكَ فَحَدِّثْ : Qur’an 93:11: 'And as for the favor of your Lord, report [it].'
13. al-Muddaththir : Qur'anic reference: Surah 74, verses 1-7. 'Al-Muddaththir' means 'the one wrapped in a garment'.
14. fa-sda' : Qur'anic reference: Surah 15, verse 94. 'Fa-sda'' means 'declare publicly' or 'proclaim'.
15. wa-andhir 'ashirataka al-aqrabin : Qur'anic reference: Surah 26, verse 214. 'And warn your closest kindred'.
16. tabbat yada abi lahab : Qur'anic reference: Surah 111, verse 1. 'May the hands of Abu Lahab be ruined'.
17. al-Muzzammil : Qur'anic reference: Surah 73, verses 1-4. 'Al-Muzzammil' means 'the one wrapped in garments'.
18. wa ma yantiq 'ani al-hawa : Qur'anic reference: Surah 53, verses 3-4. 'Nor does he speak from [his own] inclination. It is not but a revelation revealed.'
19. i'jāz : The miraculous inimitability of the Qur'an, a doctrine asserting its divine origin and the inability of humans to produce its like.
20. Nuwal : Possibly a variant or misreading of a biblical prophet; likely referring to a prophet of the Children of Israel.
21. Nuthal : Unclear; possibly a name or title; context suggests a prophet of the Children of Israel.
22. 'Uwaydiya : Possibly a variant of Obadiah, a minor prophet in the Hebrew Bible.
23. Yarsafina : Unclear; possibly a variant or misreading of a biblical prophet; context suggests a prophet of the Children of Israel.
24. al-Masīḥ : The Messiah, referring to Jesus in Islamic tradition, who is considered a prophet and messenger.
25. jinn : Spiritual beings created from smokeless fire, possessing free will, often mentioned in Islamic texts.
26. jihād : Struggle or striving in the way of God; can refer to military struggle or spiritual effort.

Footnotes and comments [1]

Sūrat al-Ḥashr, verse (2). ¹ The two types. [2] i.e., perceived intuitively and by understanding. [3] i.e., by reflecting on the universe and creatures, the Creator is perceived. [4] Creator. [5] i.e., there was a time when it did not exist. [6] i.e., they are perishable, not eternal. [7] Also called al-Mathnawiyya, derived from mathnā (two), because they assert the pre-eternity of two: light and darkness. [8] The author, may Allah have mercy on him, has gone beyond the statement of the Arians, i.e., Arius and his followers, whom the noble Messenger mentioned in his letter to Caesar, the king of Rome, in his saying, peace be upon him: 'For upon you is the sin of the Arians,' who said that the Messiah is the Word, the Word of God, and that the Word is created, i.e., it is a created thing among God's creations, and that the Messiah is consequently only a prophet among prophets, and that he is a human. However, after some patriarchs and metropolitans agreed with Emperor Constantine I to make Christianity the state religion of the Roman Empire in exchange for certain modifications to the foundations of Christian doctrine, these modifications evolved until they reached the idea of the Trinity at the Council of Nicaea, i.e., they adopted the Roman pagan religion that asserted a triune divinity—Zeus, Cronus, Jupiter—under new names: Father, Son, Holy Spirit. And the Roman pagan claim that Hera, the goddess of the earth and mother of the god, they clothed with the Virgin Mary. The Arians were exterminated, cursed, declared unbelievers, and persecuted wherever they were found. As for those whom Roman paganism had killed before the state adopted Trinitarian Christianity, the church considered them martyrs and saints, but it forbade their books, claiming they contained unbelief and heresy. So reflect. [9] Sūrat al-Shūrā, verse (11). [10] i.e., to believe in the oneness of God with absolute faith, not open to discussion or questioning. [11] i.e., to submit absolutely, the submission of an obedient servant who accepts without objection the commands of his master, without asking about the reason or result. [12] Performing acts of obedience and carrying them out. [13] Negating forbidden and disliked things and refraining from them. [14] Sūrat al-Baqara, from verse (286). [15] Sūrat al-Qiyāma, verse (36). [16] Such as the command to do good to the poor and needy; leaving it is leaving good and reward, and there is no punishment for the one who leaves it. [17] Such as the command to pay zakāt; leaving it is disobedience and incurs punishment. [18] Some of them say that the perception of God's oneness is attained by reason, and they deny prophethoods, claiming that worship is only with the heart, not with actions. [19] Al-shaʿbadha: sorcery, acts of magic, sleight of hand, and illusion aimed at influencing the viewer to make him see what is not actually before him. [20] Equivalent in experience and ability to perform the same act. [21] i.e., the law, acts of obedience, worship, and prohibitions. [22] A sign or evidence. [23] The miraculous, that which transcends human ability. [24] Tiring. [25] So that the messenger may understand it, comprehend it, and be able to convey it to his people. [26] In this case, it is a delay permitted to him, not from himself. [27] Al-tawriya: using a word or phrase that can bear more than one meaning. His saying 'from water' may lead the listener to think that his tribe carries this origin, while the real meaning is that he is created from water, and we are all from water. [28] Sūrat al-Ḥajj, verse (52). [29] The books of Ṣaḥīḥ [authentic hadith collections] do not mention it due to suspicion that it is fabricated; in addition, what the author attributed to the Torah is not mentioned in it, or at least not in the Torah that exists today. [30] It is more likely that the Messenger, peace be upon him, meant the nearness of the Hour, not a specific time or a fixed proportion between what has passed and what remains, because this is known only to God. He, exalted, said: 'They ask you about the Hour: when is its arrival? Say, 'Its knowledge is only with my Lord.'' Sūrat al-Aʿrāf (187). And He said: 'Indeed, Allah [alone] has knowledge of the Hour.' Sūrat Luqmān (34). The same meaning appears in many other verses. [31] The books of Ṣaḥīḥ do not mention it. [32] The determination of the days of creation in this sequence is biblical, from the Book of Genesis. [33] Sūrat Fuṣṣilat, verse (9). [34] Sūrat Fuṣṣilat, verse (12). [35] Sūrat Fuṣṣilat, verse (11). [36] i.e., speech from heaven at the site of al-Bayt al-Maʿmūr ¹, around which the angels circumambulate. [37] This contradicts His saying, exalted: 'Fear your Lord, who created you from one soul and created from it its mate.' Sūrat al-Nisā' (1). And His saying: 'It is He who created you from one soul and made from it its mate.' Sūrat al-Aʿrāf (189), and other verses. [38] Sūrat al-Nisā', verse (1). [39] Sūrat al-Baqara, verse (35). [40] Sūrat al-Baqara, from verse (36). [41] Sūrat al-Baqara, from verse (36). [42] There is much citation and reliance on the Torah, and we know what alteration and change it contains, as informed by the exalted in the Qur'an. Therefore, we see that his reliance on it is questionable. [43] This is biblical speech, from the Book of Genesis, chapter 5, verse 5. [44] The Torah says one hundred and thirty years, and we do not know the source of his narration here. [45] Book of Genesis, chapter 5, verse 8. [46] The genealogy chain mentioned here is biblical, from the Book of Genesis, chapter 5, with occasional differences in the number of years. [47] There is a discrepancy in ages between what is mentioned in this chapter and what is mentioned in the Torah, as we said. [48] Book of Genesis, chapter 7, verse 6. And we have His saying, exalted: 'So he remained among them a thousand years less fifty years, and the flood seized them while they were wrongdoers.' Sūrat al-ʿAnkabūt, verse (14). [49] Book of Genesis, chapter 8, verse 3. [50] All these are Jewish narrations with no basis in the Noble Qur'an or in the noble prophetic hadith as found in the books of Ṣaḥīḥ. [51] Nothing proves it to be fabricated more than that we are in the year 1408 after the Hijra of the noble Messenger, and the Hour has not yet come. The knowledge of the Hour is with the Lord of the worlds alone, as stated in the Noble Qur'an. It is inconceivable that there exists a prophetic hadith that determines the coming of the Hour in this manner, contradicting what is in the Noble Qur'an. [52] Sūrat Luqmān, verse (34). [53] Sūrat al-Zukhruf, verse (66). [54] Sūrat Muḥammad, verse (18). [55] Sūrat al-Isrā', verse (59). [56] Muslim narrated in his Ṣaḥīḥ from al-Nawwās ibn Samʿān in a long hadith: 'We said, O Messenger of Allah, how long will he stay on earth?' He said: 'Forty days: a day like a year, a day like a month, a day like a week, and the rest of his days like your days.' Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, vol. 8, p. 197, chapter on the description of the Dajjāl and his characteristics and what is with him. [57] This is Jewish, biblical speech transmitted by the predecessors without scrutiny. Adam is the father of humanity, so it is inconceivable that he was a Hebrew, nor those after him until Abraham. Rather, the Hebrews were named so for their crossing of the sea with Moses, peace be upon him. How could Abraham be a Hebrew when the Arabs are from his offspring through Ishmael, peace be upon them both? [58] Sūrat al-Ikhlāṣ, verse (1). [59] Sūrat Ghāfir, verse (78). [60] Sūrat al-Anʿām, from verse (105). [61] Al-zamnā: the chronically ill whose illness has lasted long and for whose diseases there is no known cure, such as blindness, rickets, boils covering the body, madness, and the like. [62] The ages and generations. [63] Apparent, visible. [64] Sūrat al-Baqara, from verse (179). [65] Sūrat Hūd, verse (44). [66] Sūrat al-Ḥijr, from verse (94). [67] Nothing similar to it in form or meaning is brought. [68] Sūrat al-Qiyāma, verse (17). [69] Sūrat al-Qaṣaṣ, verse (7). [70] It contains knowledge of things not known in the era of the Messenger, peace be upon him, nor after him, and only recently discovered, such as the meeting of the two salty seas without their waters mixing. This phenomenon was discovered last year, and discussing it at length would be lengthy. Examples are many. [71] He overcame every rational person with argument. [72] Sūrat al-Baqara, verse (94). [73] Sūrat al-Baqara, verse (95). [74] Sūrat al-Baqara, verse (24). [75] Sūrat al-Qamar, verse (45). [76] Sūrat al-Qaṣaṣ, verse (85). [77] Sūrat Āl ʿImrān, from verse (122). [78] Sūrat al-Anfāl, verse (7). [79] Sūrat al-Ḥijr, verse (9). [80] All of this has been subject to forgery, fabrication, plagiarism, and alteration. [81] The Jewish Encyclopedia, vol. 11, p. 589, states regarding the existing Torah: 'The rabbis are still concerned with contradictions and differences that appear in these scrolls, and they continue to correct them with their wisdom and tact.' So reflect. [82] What is meant is the Gospel of Matthew, the Gospel of Mark, the Gospel of Luke, and the Gospel of John. We have discussed them at length in our book 'Stories of the Noble Qur'an'; let whoever wishes refer to it. [83] The mute person who memorizes it without understanding its language. [84] The one who reads it with his accent, i.e., his dialect far from the purity of Arabic. [85] The Torah and the Gospels have had their words and meanings translated because there is no linguistic miraculousness in them. As for the Qur'an, only its meanings are translated, according to the approved commentaries of the commentator. [86] Sūrat al-Najm, verses (19-20). [87] Sūrat al-Ḥajj, verse (52). [88] Ill: good origin, or noble lineage, which is intended here. Ill also means revelation and everything that has sanctity. [89] Sūrat al-Anʿām, verse (93). [90] Sūrat al-Isrā', verse (88). [91] Sūrat al-Jinn, verses (1-2). [92] Sūrat al-Nisā', verse (59). [93] Sūrat al-Ḥashr, verse (7). [94] Sūrat al-Najm, verses (3-4). [95] Sūrat al-Mā'ida, verse (67). [96] He became the leader of his people. [97] I prefer. [98] Al-Ḥaṭīm: a place name in the Sacred Mosque. [99] Al-faḥl: the young camel; fāghiran fāhu: opening his mouth as wide as possible. [100] Veiled: he wore a veil preventing people from seeing him. [101] Al-mudajjaj: a man carrying weapons, such as armor, shield, sword, and spear. [102] Apparent between two armors: he put them together on his chest and back.

(9) [p.97] al-Shujāʿ al-Aqraʿ: A serpent of immense form. (10) [p.98] Lā yanqilāni qadaman: i.e., unable to move; they have frozen me in place. (11) [p.99] Sūrat Fuṣṣilat, verses (1-4). (12) [p.99] Sūrat Fuṣṣilat, verse (13). (13) [p.100] Sūrat al-Māʾidah, verse (11). (14) [p.100] Mamnūʿ: i.e., no one is able to harm him or approach him with evil. (15) [p.101] Khaylan duhman: Black horses. (16) [p.101] al-Ward: Horses whose color is between bay and chestnut. (17) [p.101] al-Bakr: The camel. (18) [p.101] Raḍah: He kicked and trampled him. (19) [p.101] Sūrat al-Raʿd, verse (12). (20) [p.103] Kudyah: A hard rock. (21) [p.103] And they would bind their bellies with stones from hunger, so their pain would be alleviated. (22) [p.103] Kathīban Ahīl: A small dune of light, fine sand. (23) [p.104] al-ʿAnāq: A young female goat that has not yet completed a year. (24) [p.104] al-Barmah: A vessel made of clay. (25) [p.104] al-Athāfī: Three stones upon which the cooking pot is placed and under which fire is kindled. (26) [p.104] Lā taṣāghaṭū: Do not push one another to enter. (27) [p.104] Barrak: He invoked blessing. (28) [p.104] Makhmaṣah: Hunger. (29) [p.105] Aqrāṣan: Small, thick loaves of bread. (30) [p.105] ʿUkkah: A leather container in which clarified butter (samn) and fat are preserved. (31) [p.105] al-Ṣuffah: A shaded stone bench that was beside the mosque; the People of the Ṣuffah (Ahl al-Ṣuffah) were the poor Emigrants (al-Muhājirūn). (32) [p.106] Qalb: Slopes or low-lying places. (33) [p.106] Jāsha al-māʾ: Water gushed forth. (34) [p.106] Fīhā: In a well belonging to them. (35) [p.106] Tamaʿʿaṭa shaʿruh: His hair fell out and became weak. (36) [p.108] al-Akmah: One deprived of intellect, with a blinded eye. (37) [p.108] al-Abraṣ: One afflicted with leprosy (baraṣ), a disease that affects the skin. (38) [p.108] Sūrat al-Aḥqāf, verse (11). (39) [p.108] Ilā sāʿatih: Until his death. (40) [p.109] Shayʾan: A small quantity. (41) [p.111] Sūrat al-Anʿām, verse (50). (42) [p.112] Sūrat al-Anʿām, verse (50). (43) [p.112] Sūrat al-Anʿām, from verse (50), and Sūrat Yūnus, from verse (15). (44) [p.112] Sūrat al-Anʿām, from verse (50). (1) [p.115] i.e., he left no possibility for commentary (taʿqīb); and commentary is addition, explanation, or annotation; the commentator (al-mutaʿaqqib) is the one who does this. (2) [p.116] Sūrat al-Tawbah, verse (33). (3) [p.116] Anafa li-nafsih: He was seized by pride. (4) [p.117] Sūrat Āl ʿImrān, verse (199). (5) [p.118] Yuqaddimuhā: He precedes it. (6) [p.118] Jamal awraq: A camel with a color of white mixed with black. (7) [p.118] Ghirāratān: Dual of ghirārah, a cloth sack. (8) [p.119] Qāʾim al-ẓahīrah: i.e., when the sun is perpendicular to the earth, so everything coincides with its shadow, and then the sun inclines towards its decline (al-zawāl). (9) [p.119] Bimā ʿazza wa hān: By the precious and the cheap, i.e., at any price you wish. (10) [p.120] al-Mīḍaʾah: The vessel for ablution (wuḍūʾ) water. (11) [p.120] Faḥl al-siqāʾ: The largest of the containers. (12) [p.120] al-Samurah: Singular of al-Samar, a small tree whose leaves camels eat. (13) [p.121] The Treaty of al-Ḥudaybiyyah. (14) [p.121] Aʿlam al-shafah: Protruding, as if a distinguishing mark. (15) [p.122] Sūrat al-Māʾidah, verse (2). (16) [p.123] Mā zawwartuhu fī nafsī: What thoughts suggested themselves to me. (17) [p.127] Sūrat al-Najm, verse (1). (18) [p.128] Sūrat al-Isrāʾ, verse (11). (19) [p.128] Sūrat al-Ḥijr, verse (94). (20) [p.129] Istaṣqā: He was afflicted with the disease of dropsy (al-istiṣqāʾ), a disease that causes the body to retain water, damaging its internal organs, leading to death. (21) [p.129] al-ʿAlhaz: The large tick; a food made of blood and fur, eaten during famines. (22) [p.130] i.e., it was specific to them, not extending beyond them. (23) [p.131] Ṣawb al-ghamām wa ṣayyib al-ghamām: The water of clouds, i.e., rain. (24) [p.133] al-Juḥfah: A place distant from Medina where Jews used to dwell. And the ḥadīth was narrated by al-Shaykhān (al-Bukhārī and Muslim). (25) [p.133] Sūrat al-Anfāl, verse (17). (26) [p.135] Sūrat al-Taḥrīm, verse (1). (27) [p.137] Mubayr: Diminutive of mubirr; al-mubirr bi-al-shayʾ: the one who controls it; it is applied to a noble, stubborn horse or a restive mule. (28) [p.139] Khātalah: He caught him off guard and deceived him. (29) [p.140] And Medina is between two ḥarratayn (lava fields); al-ḥarrah is land with black stones. (30) [p.140] al-Ḍabb: A small desert animal (dabb lizard). (31) [p.141] al-Ḥāʾiṭ: The garden (orchard) surrounded by walls. (32) [p.141] Narrated by al-Shaykhān (al-Bukhārī and Muslim). (33) [p.141] al-Nāḍiḥ: The camel used for transporting water. (34) [p.141] Dabara al-baʿīr: It became enraged, foamed at the mouth, and attacked its owners. (35) [p.142] Sūrat Āl ʿImrān, verse (193). (36) [p.143] Dullal: Plural of dāl: guide. (37) [p.143] al-Muthulāt: Plural of al-muthlah: a punishment so severe it becomes a proverb (mathal). (38) [p.145] Takhuddu al-arḍ: It splits the earth and makes furrows (akhādīd) in it. (39) [p.145] al-Sidrah: The lote tree (Christ's thorn). (40) [p.146] Sūrat Sabaʾ, verse (10). (1) [p.150] Because the Qurʾān alone among the heavenly books was revealed from Him, Exalted, in wording and meaning. And He said about His noble Prophet, peace be upon him: "Nor does he speak from [his own] inclination. It is not but a revelation revealed" (Q. 53:3-4). For more details on this topic, the noble reader may refer to our book "Qaṣaṣ al-Qurʾān al-Karīm" (Stories of the Noble Qurʾān). (2) [p.150] The Book of Isaiah. (3) [p.151] Qaydār or Qaydhār, according to differing narrations. (4) [p.151] "al-Faṣl" (chapter) is what we call, following their terminology, "al-Iṣḥāḥ" (chapter/portion), wherever we cite or mention it. (5) [p.151] al-Ākām: Hills and mountains. (6) [p.152] He is Yoel (Joel) son of Pethuel, and the passage mentioned here is from the second chapter of his book mentioned in the books of Israel, with a slight difference in translation without a difference in meaning, from verse (2) to (11). (7) [p.152] And his book is one chapter, and the quoted phrase is from its beginning. (8) [p.153] The Book of Micah, and the two phrases are from the fifth chapter. (9) [p.153] The mentioned passage is from the Book of Habakkuk, the third chapter. In the translation available to us, the passage begins with the saying: "God came from Teman, and the Holy One from Mount Paran, etc." And "the Holy One" here is al-Muḥammad (the Praised One) or al-Maḥmūd (the Praiseworthy). (10) [p.153] And in the Book of Ezekiel, there are also numerous glad tidings of the noble Messenger besides this one. (11) [p.154] It is the Book of Zephaniah, and the mentioned passage is from the third chapter, from verse 8 onwards. (12) [p.154] It is the last of the books of the Jews called the Old Testament. (13) [p.155] The Book of Daniel. (14) [p.157] Sūrat al-Anbiyāʾ, verse (11). (15) [p.163] Sūrat al-Ḥijr, verses (26-27). (16) [p.163] Sūrat al-Ḥijr, from verse (27). (1) [p.165] Sūrat al-Isrāʾ, verse (88). (2) [p.165] Sūrat al-Aḥqāf, verse (29). (3) [p.165] Sūrat al-ʿAlaq, verse (1). (4) [p.166] Sūrat al-Aḥqāf, verse (29). (5) [p.166] Sūrat al-Jinn, verse (1). (6) [p.166] Sūrat al-Jinn, verse (2). (7) [p.166] Sūrat al-Anʿām, verse (130). (8) [p.167] Sūrat al-Jinn, verse (9). (9) [p.167] Sūrat al-Jinn, verse (9). (10) [p.167] Sūrat al-Ḥijr, verse (9). (11) [p.168] Hatūf al-jinn: Their caller who speaks to humans. (12) [p.172] Lā yurā shakhṣuh: He has no prominent status. (13) [p.172] Lā yuḥajju bi-qawlih: His statement is not taken as evidence. (14) [p.177] al-Ḥibāʾ: Gift and grant. (15) [p.177] Ẓaʿantum: You traveled or departed. (16) [p.182] Irtajasa: It shook or trembled violently. (17) [p.184] Sūrat al-Anʿām, verse (121). (18) [p.185] From the Assyrian kings of Mesopotamia. (19) [p.187] Tanāṣarū bi-suyūfihim: They aided each other in war. (20) [p.190] Diyānī al-ʿArab: Their religious scholars. (21) [p.190] Dhī al-khillah: The poor, needy person. (22) [p.191] And the substitution of bāʾ for mīm or vice versa is common in many Arabic words, and it is a rule in the Aramaic language, the mother of the Arabic language. (23) [p.196] al-Tilʿāb: Play, i.e., it is neither an easy nor an acceptable matter. (24) [p.196] al-Ṭārif: The new. al-Tālid: The inherited. (25) [p.196] Just as they feared that people would take it as a sunnah (established practice) after him. (26) [p.198] Sūrat Ṣād, verse (34). (27) [p.198] And it has been mentioned that it is Ṣaydūn, now known as Sidon in Lebanon. (28) [p.199] Samūk: Fish; and this is not what the Torah mentioned about the end of Solomon, peace be upon him. (29) [p.199] Sūrat Ṣād, verse (34). (1) [p.201] Sūrat al-Shuʿarāʾ, verse (219). (2) [p.208] Māniʿ min al-rajʿah: A denier of the Resurrection and the Hereafter. (1) [p.213] Intaqaḍat: It shook and trembled. (2) [p.215] Sūrat al-Qalam, verse (4). (1) [p.216] Irtiyāḍuhum: Their habituation, from irtāḍa, i.e., he accustomed himself and trained. (2) [p.216] Yuqilluhu min al-qilā: Enmity or abandonment of companionship due to aversion. (3) [p.218] Qanāʿatuhu bi-al-balāgh minhā: i.e., with what barely sustains life. (4) [p.218] Sūrat al-Furqān, verse (10). (5) [p.219] ʿUdhar al-ʿIrāq: What has split away from al-Ṭaff, i.e., the edges of its plains near the land of the Arabian Peninsula. (6) [p.219] Shiḥr ʿUmān: The sea coast between Oman and Aden. (7) [p.219] Hārūt and Mārūt: It is said they were two angels who fell into temptation when they descended to earth; we have what the Noble Qurʾān mentioned, that they teach people sorcery in Babylon. (8) [p.220] Yaʾkulu al-khashab: i.e., coarse, rough food, despite being able to enjoy luxury. (9) [p.220] Dhāt al-darr: Those from whose milk they live. (10) [p.221] al-Balāghah and al-Bulghah: Sustenance barely enough to keep body and soul together. (11) [p.221] al-Nifār: Quarrel. (12) [p.221] al-Jillah: The great ones and those of highest status. al-Dūn: Their lesser ones and those of lowest status and position. (13) [p.222] Sūrat Yūsuf, verse (92). (14) [p.222] Sabʿat armuqah: Seven heavens. (15) [p.224] Sūrat Āl ʿImrān, verse (110). (16) [p.224] Sūrat Yā Sīn, verse (78). (17) [p.224] Sūrat Yā Sīn, verse (79). (18) [p.225] al-Inbiʿāq fī al-kalām: Excessive rambling that can be summarized in few words. (19) [p.226] Sūrat al-Nūr, verse (36). (20) [p.227] al-Jāʾiḥah: Calamity and affliction. (21) [p.228] Ghulū al-Naṣārā: Exceeding the bounds regarding the Messiah until they made him a son of God—exalted is God above that and free is He from all imperfection. (22) [p.230] ʿĀdū ashdhādhan wa arsālan: They fled in scattered groups and individually. [p.231] (34) Sūrat al-Tawbah, verse (33). (23) [p.232] Lam umḍihā: I did not spend it in its proper way, or I could not decide anything concerning it. (1) [p.234] Sūrat al-Baqarah, verse (130). (2) [p.234] Sūrat al-Māʾidah, verse (44). (3) [p.234] al-Tabarruz li-al-mujāwarah: Going out for iʿtikāf (spiritual retreat), either in the Sacred Mosque (al-Masjid al-Ḥarām) or in a cave far from people, where one secludes oneself for worship. (4) [p.235] Mullī bihā: Its equal or match. (5) [p.236] al-Hutūf: The caller from among the jinn or angels. (6) [p.236] Taqdīsuhu min al-ārjās: His purification from impurities. (7) [p.236] Kaʾannamā uʿāyinu al-amr: As if I see it now before my eyes. (8) [p.237] Ghattanī: He embraced me tightly. (9) [p.237] Sūrat al-ʿAlaq, verse (1).

(10) [p238] Surah Al-Qalam, verses (1-5) (11) [p239] Surah Ad-Duha, verse (11) (12) [p239] Surah Al-Muddaththir, verses (1-7) (13) [p241] Surah Al-Hijr, verse (94) (14) [p241] Surah Al-Masad, verse (1) (15) [p242] Surah Al-Muzzammil, verses (1-4) (16) [p243] Surah An-Najm, verses (3-4)

1. al-Bayt al-Maʿmūr : The 'Frequented House' in heaven, a celestial Kaaba around which angels circumambulate.