sands of strong, reliable hands. Moreover, the texts of Hadiths written down in the Era of Bliss, the era of the Prophet, were handed down in accurate form till they reached the brilliant scholars of the science of Hadith like Bukhari and Muslim. And they, through punctilious examination and classification, collected together those that were undoubtedly authentic, and presented and taught them to us. May God reward them abundantly!
Thus, the flowing of water from the fingers of God’s Messenger (Upon whom be blessings and peace) and many men drinking from it has the certainty of ‘consensus.’ It is impossible that the gathering who narrated it would have agreed upon a lie. The miracle is most definite. Moreover, it was repeated three times in the presence of three vast assemblies. A great many accurate scholars, primarily, Bukhari, Muslim, Imam Malik, Imam Shu‘ayb, and Imam Qatada, recorded from definitely authenticated narrations from a great many of the well-known Companions, primarily, the Prophet’s (UWBP) servants, Anas, Jabir, and Ibn Mas‘ud how abundant water flowed from his fingers and the army drank from it. We will cite here only nine examples from numerous narrations about this kind of miracle.
F i r s t E x a m p l e : Accurate books of tradition, in particular Bukhari and Muslim, report from an authentic narration from Anas: “About three hundred of us were together with God’s Noble Messenger (Upon whom be blessings and peace) in the place named Zawra’. He ordered us to perform the ablution for the afternoon prayer, but we could find no water. So he told us to bring a little water, which we did, and he dipped his auspicious hands into it. I saw water flow from his fingers like a fountain. His three hundred men performed the ablution with the water and drank from it.”1
Anas relates this incident in the name of three hundred men. Is it possible that those three hundred people did not in effect assent to it, or in the event of their not assenting to it, not deny it?
S e c o n d E x a m p l e : As narrated in accurate books, and foremost Bukhari and Muslim, Jabir b. ‘Abdullah al-Ansari said: “We were one thousand five hundred men on the Hudaybiyya expedition, and we were thirsty. The Noble Messenger (Upon whom be blessings and peace) performed the ablutions from a leather water-bag called a qirba, then he dipped his hand into it. I saw that water was flowing from his fingers like a spring. The one thousand five hundred men drank from it and filled their
Bukhari, Wudu, 32, 46; Manaqib, 25; Muslim, Fada’il, 45, 46; Tahara, 60; Abu Da’ud, Muqaddima, 5; Tirmidhi, Manaqib, 6; Muwatta’, Tahara, 32; Musnad, iii, 132, 147, 170, 215, 289; Ibn Hibban, Sahih, viii, 171; Tirmidhi (Ahmad Shakir), no: 3635.