Sixth Sign
According to an authentic narration, the Noble Messenger (Upon whom be blessings and peace) said to Fatima: You will be the first of my Family to join me [after my death]. Six months later, what he said took place.
He also told Abu Dharr: You will be expelled from here [Medina], will live alone, and will die alone. All this came true twenty years later.
Once, as he awakened in the house of Anas b. Malik’s aunt, Umm Haram, he smilingly said: I saw my community waging war on the seas like kings sitting on thrones. Umm Haram requested: “Pray that I too will be with them.” He said: “You shall be.” Forty years later she accompanied her husband, ‘Ubada b. Samit, on the conquest of Cyprus. She died there, and her grave has ever since been visited by the believers. Thus, what the Messenger (UWBP) foretold proved to be true.
Also according to an authentic narration, he declared: From the tribe of Thaqif, a liar will claim prophethood, and a bloodthirsty tyrant will appear. With this, he gave tidings of the infamous Mukhtar, who claimed prophethood, and of the barbarous Hajjaj, who killed a hundred thousand people.
According to an authentic narration, he said: Istanbul will be conquered, and blessed are the ruler and the toops that will conquer it. He thus gave tidings that Istanbul would be conquered by Muslim hands, and that Mehmed the Conqueror would attain a high spiritual rank. His prediction again proved to be true.
He also said, according to an authentic narration: Were religion to be hung on the Pleiades, men from Persia would reach up and lay hold of it, indicating that matchless scholars and saints like Abu Hanifa would emerge from Iran.
In addition, he foretold Imam Shafi‘i, saying: A scholar from Quraysh who will fill all regions of the earth with learning.
According to an authentic narration, he said: My community will be divided into seventy‑three sects, and only one among them will attain salvation. He was asked: “Who are they?” He replied: Those who follow me and my Companions, meaning the Sunnis or Ahl al‑Sunna wa’l-Jama‘a.
He also declared: The Qadariyya are the Magians of this community, foretelling the emergence of the Predestinationist (Qadariyya) sect, which would be divided into different branches and reject divine determining or destiny. He also foretold the Defectors (Rāfiḍa), who would produce various offshoots.
Again according to an authentic narration, he said to ‘Ali: As was true of Jesus, two groups of people will perish on your account: one because of excessive love, the other because of excessive enmity. Christians, on account of their deep love for Jesus, transgressed the limits and called him – Allah forbid! – ‘the son of Allah,’ while the Jews, because of their hostility, went to the other extreme by denying his message and virtue. Similarly, some will incur loss due to their exaggerated affection toward you. For them is the insulting name of Rafida. “And certain others will be excessively hostile to you. They are the Kharijites, and the extremist partisans of the Umayyads, who will be called Nasiba.”
It May Be Asked Here: Love for the Prophet’s (UWBP) Family is a command of the Qur’an and was greatly encouraged by him. The affection of the Shi‘a may therefore serve as an excuse for them, since deep affection may be likened to intoxication. Why, then, can the Shi‘a, especially the Rafida, not benefit from their love, and why is their love described by the Prophet (UWBP) as transgression?
The Answer: Love is of two kinds:
The First is to love something or someone for the meaning it or he signifies. This means to love ‘Ali, Hasan, Husain, and the Prophet’s Family in the name of Allah the Most High and of His Messenger (Upon whom be blessings and peace). This kind of love augments love of the Messenger (UWBP) and becomes a means to love Allah the Most High. Thus, it is permissible, and its excess is not harmful or aggressive, nor does it call for reproach and hostility towards others.
The Second Kind of love takes the means as the object, it is to love something or someone for itself or himself. In it, one does not think of the Messenger (UWBP), but devotes one’s love to ‘Ali on account of his bravery, and to Hasan and Husain on account of their greatness and lofty qualities, no matter if one knows the Messenger (UWBP) or recognizes Allah the Most High. This love does not lead to love for Allah and His Messenger (UWBP); besides, when excessive, it results in censure of others and enmity towards them.
It was on account of this kind of love that such people held aloof from Abu Bakr and ‘Umar, and fell into loss. Their negative love, indeed, is the source of misfortune.
According to an authentic narration, Allah the Most High’s Most Noble Messenger (Upon whom be blessings and peace) declared: When Persian and Roman girls serve you, then calamity and misfortune will be with you, and your struggles will be between yourselves, with the wicked preying on the virtuous. After thirty years, his predictions came true.
Again, according to an authentic narration, he declared: The fortress of Khaybar will be conquered at ‘Ali’s hand. As a miracle of his prophethood and beyond all expectation, the following day ‘Ali ripped off the gate of the fortress of Khaybar, used it as a shield, and seized the fortress. When he threw it aside after the conquest, eight strong men – or according to another version, forty – tried to lift it, but could not do so.
The Noble Messenger (Upon whom be blessings and peace) also predicted the Battle of Siffin between ‘Ali and Mu‘awiya, saying: The hour shall not come until two parties with a single claim fight each other.
He also declared that a group of rebels would kill ‘Ammar. When ‘Ammar was killed at the Battle of Siffin, ‘Ali cited this as a proof that Mu‘awiya’s followers were rebellious; but Mu‘awiya interpreted it differently, and also ‘Amr b. al‑‘As said: “The rebels are murderers, not all of us.”
The Noble Messenger (UWBP) also said: As long as ‘Umar is alive, no sedition will erupt among you. And so it happened.
Before accepting faith, Sahl b. ‘Amr was once captured in a battle. ‘Umar said to the Allah the Most High’s Messenger (UWBP): “Allow me to pull out his teeth, for he, with his eloquent speech, incited the idolatrous Quraysh to wage war against us.” Allah’s Messenger (UWBP) replied: It may be that he will assume a stance pleasing to you, O ‘Umar. In fact, at the time of the Prophet’s demise, which caused panic and agitation, Sahl, with his well‑known eloquence, calmed and comforted the Companions in Mecca with an address; while in Medina Abu Bakr, with his great firmness, was also giving a very important address to comfort the Companions. Surprisingly, the two addresses resemble each other in regard to their wording.
To Suraqa, the Prophet (UWBP) once said: You will wear the two bracelets of Chosroes. Chosroes was wiped out during the caliphate of ‘Umar. When Chosroes’ jewelry arrived, ‘Umar put the bracelets on Suraqa, saying, Praise be to Allah Who took these off Chosroes and put them on Suraqa. This confirmed the report of the Prophet (UWBP).
The Noble Messenger (Upon whom be blessings and peace) also declared: Once Chosroes the Persian has gone, there will be no other. So it turned out.
He once said to Chosroes’ envoy: Chosroes has now been killed by his son Shirviya Parviz. Upon investigating and finding out that he had indeed been murdered at that very time, the envoy accepted Islam. The name of the envoy occurs in some narrations as Firuz.
According to an authentic narration, the Noble Messenger (UWBP) once mentioned a secret letter that Khatib b. Balta‘a had sent to the Quraysh. He sent ‘Ali and Miqdad to fetch it, saying, “There is a person at such‑and-such a location bearing such-and-such a letter. Take it and bring it here.” They went and brought exactly the letter he had described from exactly the place. The Prophet (UWBP) summoned Khatib and asked him why he had done it. Khatib apologized, and the Prophet (UWBP) pardoned him.
Again, according to an authentic narration concerning ‘Utaiba b. Abi Lahab, Allah the Most High’s Messenger (UWBP) prayed: May he be eaten by one of the dogs of Allah!, predicting the terrible fate of ‘Utaiba. For while on his way to the Yemen, ‘Utaiba was devoured by a lion. Both the malediction and the prediction of the Prophet were thus confirmed.
At the conquest of Mecca, as is also related in an authentic narration, Bilal al‑Habashi went up onto the roof of the Ka‘ba and made the call to prayer, while Abu Sufyan, ‘Attab b. Asid, and Harith b. Hisham, from among the leaders of the Quraysh, were sitting together nearby. ‘Attab said: “My father was fortunate enough not to witness this moment.” Harith said contemptuously about Bilal: “Could Muhammad have not found someone other than this black crow to make the mu’ezzin?” Abu Sufyan said: “I am afraid to say anything, for he will come to know of whatever I say. Even if nothing else informs him, the rocks of this Batha [Mecca] will do so.” Indeed, a little later the Noble Messenger (Upon whom be blessings and peace) encountered them and repeated to them their conversation word for word. That very moment ‘Attab and Harith became Muslims.
See, wretched denier who does not recognize the Messenger (UWBP)! Two stubborn leaders of the Quraysh came to believe on hearing this single report of his from the Unseen. How corrupted your heart must be, for you hear about thousands of miracles having the certainty of ‘consensus in meaning’ like this one, and still you are not completely satisfied! However, to return to our subject.
According to an authentic narration, ‘Abbas was captured by the Companions in the Battle of Badr. When he was asked for ransom, he said he did not have money. Allah the Most High’s Messenger (Upon whom be blessings and peace) said to him: You and your wife Umm Fadl hid that much money [he gave the exact amount] in such‑and-such a place.(136) ‘Abbas confirmed this, saying: “This was a secret known by only the two of us,” and became a Muslim.
Also according to an authentic narration, a dangerous Jewish sorcerer named Labid once concocted a strong and effective spell to harass Allah the Most High’s Messenger (UWBP). He wrapped hair and thread around a comb, bewitched it, and threw it into a well. The Noble Messenger (UWBP) told his Companions including ‘Ali to go and bring the spell in the well, which they did, finding it exactly as described. As they unwrapped the hair, the Messenger’s (UWBP) discomfort lessened.
Again, according to an authentic narration, the Noble Messenger (UWBP) once gave the news of the awesome fate of an apostate to a group that included such important persons as Abu Hurayra and Hudhayfa, saying: One of you will enter the Fire with a tooth bigger than Mount Uhud. Abu Hurayra related: I was afraid, as later only two remained from that group, one of which was me. Finally, the other man was killed in the Battle of Yamama as one of the followers of Musaylima. The truth of the Prophet’s (UWBP) prediction was thus confirmed.
It is related through an authentic chain of reports that ‘Umayr and Safwan, before they became Muslims, once decided to kill the Most Noble Messenger (Upon whom be blessings and peace) for a handsome reward that had been offered them. When ‘Umayr arrived in Medina with this intention, the Messenger (UWBP) summoned him, and, putting his hand on ‘Umayr’s chest, told him about what he had planned with Safwan. ‘Umayr affirmed it and became a Muslim.
Like those mentioned above, many predictions which the Noble Messenger (UWBP) gave concerning the Unseen have been recorded in the six best‑known, authentic books of Hadith, together with the chains of the narrators. As for the occurrences related in this work, they are definite to the degree of ‘consensus in meaning,’ being related in Bukhari and Muslim, which are accepted by the scholars as the most authentic sources after the Qur’an, and in the other collections like Tirmidhi, Nasa’i, Abu Da’ud, Mustadrak al‑Hakim, Musnad al‑Ahmad b. Hanbal, and Dala’il al‑Bayhaqi.
Now, unthinking denier! Do not shrug these off, saying, “Muhammad the Arabian was clever!” Because the accurate predictions of Muhammad (UWBP) concerning the Unseen cannot be explained except in either of the following two ways:
You will either suppose that this blessed person had such piercing vision and expansive genius that he saw and knew the past and the future and all the world; beheld the East, the West, and the whole universe; and discovered what happened in the past and what will happen in the future. Such a quality is not to be found in a human being, but if it was to be, it would certainly be a wonder, a gift, bestowed on him by the Creator of the world, which would itself be the greatest of miracles.
Or you will believe this blessed person to be an official and a student of One under whose disposal and observation everything stands, under whose command are all ages and all the species and realms of beings in the cosmos, in whose great ledger is recorded everything, so that He may show and communicate them to his student whenever He wishes.
Thus, Muhammad the Arabian (Upon whom be blessings and peace) instructs others as he himself is instructed by the Lord of Pre‑Eternity.
It is related in an authentic narration that when the Prophet (UWBP) appointed Khalid b. al‑Walid to fight against Ukaydir, the head of the Dumat al-Jandal, he informed Khalid that he would find Ukaydir on a wild ox hunt, and that he would be captured without resistance. Khalid captured Ukaydir in exactly this way.
According to an authentic narration, when the Quraysh hung up on the wall of the Ka‘ba a leaf on which were written words against the Bani Hashim, the Prophet (UWBP) said to them: Worms have eaten the leaf, except the parts bearing the names of Allah. They examined the leaf to find it in the same condition as had been described.
According to an authentic narration, the Noble Messenger (Upon whom be blesssings and peace) said: There will be a big epidemic during the conquest of Jerusalem. When Jerusalem was conquered during the caliphate of ‘Umar, a widespread epidemic caused in three days the death of about seventy thousand people.
Again, according to an authentic narration, the Prophet (Upon whom be blesssings and peace) predicted that Basra and Baghdad would come into existence, which at that time had not been founded, that the treasure of the world would enter Baghdad, and that the Turks and the people living on the shores of the Caspian Sea would do battle with the Arabs and that the majority of them would later enter the fold of Islam, and that among the Arabs they would come to dominate them. He said: The Persians [non‑Arabs] will almost predominate among you, consuming your booty and smiting you.
He also said: The ruin of my community will be at the hands of the wicked ones from Quraysh, suggesting the disorder caused by the wicked leaders of the Umayyads, such as Walid and Yazid.
He furthermore predicted that apostasy would take place in such areas as Yamama.
During the famous Battle of Khandaq, he declared: From now on, I will make assaults on the Quraysh and their confederates, not they on me. This was also verified.
According to an authentic narration, he said a few months prior to his death: One of Allah’s bondsmen has been given a choice, and he chose that which is with Allah.
About Zayd b. Suwahan, he said: One of his limbs will precede him to Paradise. In the Battle of Nihawand, one of his hands was martyred and in effect reached heaven first.
The incidents we have so far mentioned concerning predictions relating to the Unseen comprise only one out of his ten different kinds of miracle. Yet of this kind alone, we have not even mentioned one tenth. In addition to what is mentioned here, four general kinds of miracle concerning predictions of the Unseen have been described briefly in the Twenty‑Fifth Word, which is about the miraculousness of the Qur’an. Now consider the kinds mentioned here together with the four extensive sorts communicated from the Unseen by the tongue of the Qur’an,
you will see what conclusive, indisputable, sound, brilliant, and firm proof of his messengership they form. Indeed, anyone whose heart and mind are not corrupted will of a surety believe that Muhammad (Upon whom be blessings and peace) was the Messenger of a Glorious One who is the Creator of all things, the One All‑Knowing of the Unseen, and received knowledge from Him.