Indexed OCR Text

on a journey. They traveled the whole night, and
when dawn approached, they took a rest and sleep
overwhelmed them till the sun rose high in the sky.
The first to get up was Abu Bakr
. Allâh's
Messenger # used not to be awakened from his
sleep, until he woke up by himself. 'Umar % woke
up and then Abu Bakr
4% sat by the side of the
Prophet's head # and started saying: "Allahu Akbar
(Allâh is great), raising his voice till the Prophet #
woke up (and after travelling for a while) he
dismounted and led us in the morning prayer. A man
amongst the people failed to join us in the prayer.
When the Prophet # had finished the prayer, he
asked (the man) "O so and so! What prevented you
from offering the prayer with us?" He replied, "I
am Junub (in a state of sexual impurity)". Allâh's
Messenger # ordered him to perform Tayammum20
with clean earth. The man then offered the prayer.
Allâh's Messenger # ordered me and a few others to
go ahead of him. We had become very thirsty. While
we were on our way, we came across a lady (riding
an animal) hanging her legs between two water-
skins. We asked her, "Where can we get water?" She
replied: "Oh! There is no water". We asked: "How
far is your village from the water?" She replied: "A
distance of a day and a night ". We said: "Come to
20 It means performing ablution using sand or earth when water is not
available ..
50

Allâh's Messenger#". She asked: "Who is Allâh's
Messenger?" So we brought her to the Prophet
against her will, and she told him what she had told
us before and added that she was the mother of
orphans. So the Prophet ordered that her two
water-skins be brought and he rubbed the mouths of
the water-skins. As we were thirsty, we drank till we
quenched our thirst and we were forty men. We also
filled our water-skins and other utensils with water,
but we did not water the camels. The water skin was
so full that it was almost about to burst. The Prophet
# then said: "Bring what (foodstuff) you have". So,
some dates and pieces of bread were collected for the
lady, and when she went to her people, she said: "I
have met either the greatest magician or a prophet as
the people claim". So Allâh guided the people of
that village through that lady. She embraced Islâm
and so did all of them. "21.
B. Food multiplies in amount in his hand
Milk becomes abundant on some occasions as well:
Imam al-Bukhârî reported on the authority of
Abu Hurairah who said: "By Allâh except whom
none has the right to be worshiped, (sometimes) I
used to lay (asleep) on the ground on my liver
(abdomen) because of hunger. One day I sat in the
21 Narratd byal-Bukharî, Book of : "The merits of the Prophet .
51

way, where they (the Prophet # and his companions)
used to come. When Abu Bakr % passed by, I asked
him about a Verse from Allâh's Book and I only
asked him hoping that he might satisfy my hunger,
but he passed by and did not do so. Then 'Umar
passed by me and I asked him about a Verse from
Allâh's Book, and I only asked him hoping that he
might satisfy my hunger, but he passed by without
doing so. Finally, Abul-Qasim (the Prophet #)
passed by me and he smiled when he saw me, for he
knew what was in my heart and on my face. He
said: "O Abâ Hirr (Abû Hurairah)!" I replied:
"Labbaik22, O Messenger of Allâh". He said to me:
"Follow me. " He left and I followed him. Then he
entered the house and I asked permission to enter
and was admitted. He found milk in a bowl and
said: "From where is this milk?" They said: "It has
been presented to you by such and such a man (or by
such and such family). He said: "O Abâ Hirr!" I
said: "Labbaik O Messenger of Allâh". He said:
"Go and call the people of Suffah23 to me". He said
(i.e. Abû Hurairah): "These people of Suffah were
the guests of Islam who had no families, nor money,
22
Here I come, I respond to your call, etc ...
23 Many companions of the Prophet
who left their homes, and
stayed with him to learn Islam in Madinah. They were very poor,
and so their boarding place was at the end of the mosque, where they
used to sleep.
52

nor anybody to depend upon, and whenever an
object of charity was brought to the Prophet # he
would send it to them and would not take anything
from it, and when a present was given to him he used
to send some to them and take some of it himself.
The order of the Prophet # upset me, and I said to
myself. "How will this little bit of milk be enough
for the people of As-Suffah?" I thought I was more
entitled to drink from that milk in order to strengthen
myself, but behold! The Prophet
came to order
me to give that milk to them. I wondered what would
remain of that milk for me, but anyway, I could not
but obey Allâh and His Messenger #, so I went to
the people and called them, and they came and asked
the Prophet's permission to enter. They were
admitted and took their seats in the house. The
Prophet # said: "O Aba Hirr!" I said: "Labbaik O
Messenger of Allâh". He said: "Take it and give it
to them." So, I took the bowl (of milk) and started
giving it to one man who would drink his fill and
return it to me, whereupon I would give it to another
man who, in his turn, would drink his fill and return
it to me, and I would then offer it to another man
who would drink his fill and return it to me. Finally,
after the whole group had drunk their fill, I reached
the Prophet # who took the bowl and put it on his
hand, looked at me and smiled and said: “O Abâ
Hirr!" I replied: "Labbaik O Messenger of Allâh".
He said: "There remains you and I". I said: "You
53

have said the truth O Messenger of Allâh!". He said:
"Sit down and drink." I sat down and drank. He
said: "Drink", and I drank. He kept on telling me
repeatedly to drink, till I said, “No. By Allâh Who
sent you with the Truth, I have no space for it (in my
stomach)". He said: "Hand it over to me." When I
gave him the bowl, he praised Allâh and
pronounced, Allâh's Name on it and drank the
remaining milk "24.
The reason behind Ibn Mas'ûd's embracing Islâm:
Imam Ahmad narrated on the authority of Ibn
Mas 'ûd who said : "I was a young shepherd boy
pasturing sheep for 'Uqbah Ibn Abû Mu'aiyt. The
Prophet # once came with Abu Bakr % and said: "O
boy, do you have milk for us to drink?" I replied :
"Yes, but I am entrusted with these sheep (i.e. I
can't let you drink their milk)". The Prophet # said:
"Do you have a virgin sheep that has never mated
with a male?" I thereupon brought him a sheep,
which he caught and stroked its udder, which
became full with milk. The Prophet # milked the
sheep into a bowl, drank some of the milk and gave
Abû Bakr to drink. After that the Prophet # said to
the udder, "Shrink" and it did. I went to the
Prophet # after this incident and said to him: "Teach
me this kind of talk (i.e. the prayers he was
24 Narrated by al-Bukhârî, Book of : "Ar-Raqâ 'iq" ..
54

uttering)". The Prophet # stroke his head and said:
"O boy! May Allâh have mercy on you. You are
already a learned boy". (In another narration by
Imam al-Baihagî, Ibn Mas'ûd added: "I learnt from
the Prophet # seventy chapters that no one else
learnt from him".
The Hadîth narrated by Umm Ma'bad (on the way
to Madînah):
When the Prophet # was on his way to Madinah
(during his migration Journey), he stopped at the
tent of a woman called Umm Ma'bad al-Khuzâ'iyah.
The was a gracious lady who sat at her tent-door
ch a mat spread out for any traveler that might
p os by. The Prophet # and his companion wanted
refresh themselves with food and some milk, so
hey asked her if she had anything (food or milk) for
nem. The lady told them that the flock was out in the
usture and the goat standing nearby was almost
v, and it was a rainless year. The Prophet # asked
ter to bring that goat to him. He rubbed its udders
with his hand, reciting the name of Allâh and making
Du'â'. To their joy, there flowed plenty of milk out
of them. The Prophet # first offered it to the lady of
the house, and she drank until she quenched her
thirst. He # shared what was left with his
companions, and they drank to their fill. Before he
55

left, he milked the goat once more, filled the
container and gave it to her. When her husband
arrived with slender goats hardly having any milk in
their udders, he was astonished to see milk in the
house. His wife told him that a blessed man passed
by, and then she gave him details about his physical
appearance and manner of talk. Here Abû Ma'bad
realized on the spot that the man was the one whom
the Quraish were searching for and asked her to give
a full description of him .... "25
The story of Umm Shuraik:
Imam al-Baihagî related on the authority of Abû
Hurairah who said: "There was a woman from the
tribe of Doas called Umm Shuraik26, who embraced
Islâm in Ramadân". Abû Hurairah mentioned the
25
Related by Ibn-Hishâm in his "Seerah" (Biography of the Prophet
装).
She is Umm Shuraik ad-Dawsiyah, and she is counted as one of
the emigrants, It was said that she embraced Islâm in Ramadân, and
came asking for someone to take her to the Prophet .
She came
across a Jewish man who asked her what she wanted. She said: “I
am asking for someone to take me to the Prophet *, so he offered to
take her to him, and he did. Before she migrated to Madinah, she
was active in making Da'wah to Islâm in Makkah. She used to go
secretly to the women of Quraish, inviting them to embrace Islâm,
until her activities in Makkah were disclosed. Thereupon, they took
her by force i her family, so she migrated to Madinah. (Usd al-
Ghâbah 7/351.
56

story of her migration to Madînah, accompanied by
a Jewish man. On the way, she became thirsty, but
he refused to give her water unless she embraced
Judaism. She fell asleep and saw in her dreams that
someone was giving her water, and when she woke
up she felt that she has quenched her thirst. When
she came to the Prophet
she told him her story,
and he asked her for marriage, but she felt that she
did not deserve to be the wife of the Prophet # and
said to him: "But marry me to whoever you choose".
He married her to his slave Zaid Ibn Hârithah, and
he ordered that 30 Sâ' (a measure of capacity) of
barley be given to her, and said to them: "Eat and
do not re-measure the barley". She also had some
clarified butter in a small leather skin which she
intended to give as a present to the Prophet # . She
ordered her servant to carry it to him #, and when
she arrived there, she poured it all for him. He
ordered her to hang it in its place, when she gets
back (to Umm Shuraik) and not to tie it up. When
Umm Shuraik came in, she found that the skin was
full, so she asked her servant: "Didn't I ask you to
take it to the Messenger of Allâh #? The servant
assured her that she did. They mentioned what
happened to the Prophet # and he ordered them not
to tie it up. It remained there for a while, until Umm
Shuraik tied it up, and when they measured the
barley, they found that it was still 30 Sâ'".
57

Another Hadîth reported by Jâbir:
Imâm Muslim reported on the authority of Jâbir
that a man came to the Prophet # and asked for
food. He gave him half a Wasq (measure) of barley,
and the man and his wife and their guest kept on
making use of it (as a food) until he weighed it (in
order to find the actual quantity), but he found
nothing left. He came to Allâh's Messenger # and
informed him about it. He said: "Had you not
weighed it, you would be eating out of it and it
would have remained intact for you "27.
The Prophet # is a guest of Abû Talhah al-Ansârî :
Imam al-Bukhârî related on the authority of Anas
Ibn Mâlik who said: "Abû Talhah said to Umm
Sulaim: "I have noticed feebleness in the voice of
Allâh's Messenger # which I think, is caused by
hunger. Have you got any food?" She said: "Yes."
She brought out some loaves of barley and took out a
veil belonging to her, and wrapped the bread in part
of it and put it under my arm and wrapped part of
the veil round me and sent me to Allâh's Messenger
. I carried it and found Allah's Messenger in
the Mosque sitting with some people. When I stood
there, Allâh's Messenger
É asked: "Has Abû
27 Narrated by Imam Muslim in his Sahîh in the book of "The merits
of the Prophet ).
58

Talhah sent you?" I said: "Yes". He asked: "With
some food?" I said: "Yes". The Prophet # then said
to the men around him: "Get up!" He set out
(accompanied by them) and I went ahead of them till
I reached Abû Talhah and told him (of the Prophet's
visit). Abû Talhah said: "O Umm Sulaim! Allâh's
Messenger # is coming with the people and we have
no food to feed them." She said: "Allâh and His
Messenger know better". So Abû Talhah went out to
receive Allah's Messenger . Allah's Messenger
came along with Abû Talhah and said: “O Umm
Sulaim! Bring whatever you have. " She brought the
bread, which Allâh's Messenger # ordered to be
broken into pieces. Umm Sulaim poured on them
some butter from an oilskin. Then Allâh's Messenger
# recited what Allâh wished him to recite, and then
said: "Let ten persons come (to share the meal)".
Ten persons were admitted, and when they were full,
they went out. Then he again said: "Let another ten
do the same". They were admitted, ate their fill and
went out. Then he again said: "Let another ten
persons (do the same)." They were admitted, ate
their fill and went out. Then he said: "Let another
ten persons come." In short, all of them ate their
fill, and they were seventy or eighty men. "28
28
Narrated by al Bukhari, Book of : "The merits of the Prophet
59

The Prophet # is a guest of Jabi. . . `Abdullah:
Imam al-Bukharî narrated on the authority of
Jabir Ibn 'Abdulle wmv said: "We were digging (the
trench) on the day of (al-Khandaq, i.e. the trench)
and we came across a large solid rock. We went to
the Prophet # and said, " Here is a rock appearing
across the trench. " He said, "I am coming down."
Then he got up, and a stone was tied to his belly for
we had not eaten anything for three days. So, the
Prophet # took the spade and struck the large rock
and it became like sand. I said, "O Allâh's
Messenger! Allow me to go home." (When the
Prophet # allowed me) I said to my wife, "I saw the
Prophet # in a state that I cannot take lightly, Have
you got something (for him to eat) ?" She replied, "?
have barley and a she goat." So I slaughtered the
she-kid and she ground the barley: then we put the
meat in an earthenware cooking pot. Then I came to
the Prophet # when the dough had become soft and
fermented and (the meat in) the pot over the stone
trivet was nearly cooked, and said, "I have got a
little food prepared, so get up O Allâh's Messenger,
you and one or two men along with you (for the
food)." The Prophet # asked "How much is that
food?" I told him about it. He said: "It is abundant
and good. Tell your wife not to remove the
earthenware pot from the fire and not to take out
any bread from the oven till I reach there. " Then he
60

said (to all his companions): "Get up". So the
emigrants and the Ansâr got up. When I came to my
wife, I said: "Allâh's Mercy be upon you! The
Prophet # came along with the emigrants and the
Ansâr and those who were present with them." She
said, "Did the Prophet # ask you (how much food
you had?" I replied "Yes" Then the Prophet # said:
"Enter and do not throng" The Prophet # started
cutting the bread (into pieces) and put the cooked
meat over it. He covered the earthenware pot and
the oven whenever he took something out of them. He
would give the food to his companions and take the
meat out of the pot. He went on cutting the bread
and scooping the meat (for his companions) till they
all ate their fill, and even then, some food remained.
Then the Prophet # said (to my wife): "Eat and
present to others as the people are stricken with
hunger"29.
The Walîmah (wedding meal) of Zainab bint
Jahsh:
Imâm Muslim reported on the authority of Anas
Ibn Mâlik who said:
"Allâh's Messenger
contracted a marriage and went to his wife. My
mother Umm Sulaim prepared some (food which is
made of dates, flour and butter) and placed it in an
29
Narrated by al-Bukhari in the book of "al-Maghâzî (the military
expeditions).
61

earthen vessel and said: "Anas, take it to Allâh's
Messenger and say: "My mother has sent that to you
and she offers greetings to you and says that it is a
humble gift for you on our behalf, Messenger of
Allâh". So, I went along with it to Allâh's Messenger
and said: "My mother offers you salutations and
says that this is a humble gift for you on our behalf".
He said: "Place it here" and then said: "Go and
invite on my behalf so and so and anyone whom
you meet", and he even named some persons. He
(Anas) said: "I Invited whom he had named and
whom I met. I (one of the narrators) said to Anas:
"How many (persons) were there? He (Anas)
said: "They were about three hundred persons. Then
Allâh's Messenger (said to me): "Anas, bring that
earthen vessel". They (the guests) then began to
enter until the courtyard and the apartment were
fully packed. Allâh's Messenger # said: "Make a
circle of ten (guests), and every person should eat
from that nearest to him". They began to eat, until
they ate to their fill. A group went out (after eating
the food) and another group came in until a lot of
them had eaten . He (the Holy Prophet) said to me:
"Anas, lift it (the earthen vessel)". So, I lifted it, but
I could not asses whether it had more (food) when I
placed it (before Allâh's Messenger) or when I lifted it
(after the people had been served out of it)
"30
30
Narrated by Muslim, Book of "an-Nikâh (marriage).
62

The story of the bowl in the house of Abu Bakr
Imam al-Bukhârî narrated on the authority of
'Abdur-Rahmân Ibn Abî Bakr who said: "The
companions of Suffah were poor people. The Prophet
# once said: "Whoever has food enough for two
persons, should take a third one (from among
them), and whoever has food enough for four
persons, should take a fifth or a sixth (or said
something similar)." Abû Bakr 4brought three
persons while the Prophet # took ten. And Abu Bakr
with his three family members (who were I, my father
and my mother) (the sub-narrator is in doubt whether
'Abdur-Rahmân said, "My wife and my servant who
was common for both my house and Abu Bakr's
house".) Abu Bakr took his supper with the Prophet
# and stayed there till he offered the 'Ishâ (night)
prayer. He returned and stayed till Allâh's
Messenger # took his supper. After a part of the
night had passed, he returned to his house. His wife
said to him, "What has detained you from your
guests?" He said: "Have you served supper to
them?" She said, "They refused (to take supper) until
you come. They (i.e. some members of the
household) presented the meal to them but they
refused (to eat)". I went to hide myself and he said:
"O Ghunthar!31" He invoked Allâh to cause my ears
31
This expression indicates that Abu Bakr was angry with his son
'Abdur-Rahmân.
63

to be cut and he rebuked me. He said: 'Do eat!"
and added, "I will never eat that meal". By Allâh
whenever we took a handful of the meal, the meal
grew from underneath more than that handful till
everybody ate to his satisfaction; yet the remaining
food was more than the original meal. Abu Bakr saw
the food was as much as or more than the original
amount. He called his wife, "O sister of banî Firâs!"
She said: "O pleasure of my eyes. The food has been
tripled in quantity." Abû Bakr then started eating
thereof and said: "It (i.e. my oath not to eat) was
because of the Shaitân. " He took a handful from it.
and carried the rest of it to the Prophet # so the
food was with the Prophet #. There was a treat
between us and some people, and when the period of
that treaty had elapsed, he divided us into twelve
groups, each headed by a man. Allah knows HOW
many men were under the command of each leader
Anyhow, the Prophet # surely sent a leader with
each group. Then all of them ate of that meal "32.
The story of the debt of Jabir's father, and the
multiplication of the dates:
Imâm al-Bukhârî narrated on the authority of
Jâbir who said: "My father had died in debt. So I
came to the Prophet # and said: "My father (died)
32
Narrated by al-Bukharî in the Book of "al-Managib (the virtues
and merits of the Prophet ".)
64

leaving unpaid debts, and I have nothing except the
yield of his date-palms; and their yield for many
years will not cover his debts. So please come with
me, so that the creditors may not misbehave with
me." The Prophet # went round one of the heaps of
dates and invoked Allâh, and then did the same with
another heap and sat on it and said: "Measure (for
them)".
He paid them their rights and what
remained was as much as had been paid to them "33.
The guest who drank the milk taken from seven
goats:
Imâm Muslim related on the authority of Abû
Hurairah that: "Allâh's Messenger # invited a non-
Muslim. Allâh's Messenger # commanded that a
goat be milked for him. It was milked and he drank
its milk. Then the second one was milked and he
drank its milk, and then the other one was milked
and he drank its milk, till he drank the milk of seven
goats. The next morning he embraced Islâm and
Allâh's Messenger commanded that a goat should be
milked for him and he drank its milk and then
another was milked but he did not finish it,
whereupon Allah's Messenger # said: "A believer
drinks in one intestine whereas a non-believer
drinks in seven intestines".34
33
Ibid.
34
Related by Muslim in the Book of "al-Ashribah (drinks)".
65

C. The tree follows the command of the Prophet
Imâm Muslim reported on the authority of
'Ubâdah Ibn as-Sâmit on the authority of Jâbir who
said: "We set out on an expedition along with Allâh's
Messenger # until we got down at a spacious valley
and Allâh's Messenger # went to relieve himself. I
followed him with a bucket full of water and Allâh's
Messenger # looked about and he found nothing to
sit behind (for privacy) but two trees at the end of the
valley. Allâh's Messenger #went to one of them and
took hold of one of its twigs and said: "Follow me
(i.e. be under my control) by the permission of
Allâh", and so it followed him like the camel who
has its nose string in the hand of its rider. And then
he came to the second tree and took hold of one of its
twigs and said: "Follow me by the permission of
Allâh", and so it followed him, just as the first one
did. When he came in the middle of the two trees he
joined together the two twigs and said: "Join with
the permission of Allâh", and so they joined
together. Jâbir said: "I was afraid lest Allâh's
Messenger should be aware of my nearness and go
still farther. I sat down and began to talk to myself,
and suddenly I found Allâh's Messenger before me
and the two trees were separated and each one of
them was standing at its trunk. I saw Allâh's
Messenger # standing for a short time, nodding his
head toward right and left (i.e. pointing to the trees
66

to go, one to the right and one to the left)". Then he
(The Holy Prophet
%) came to me and said: "Jâbir,
did you see the place where I was standing?" I said:
"Allâh's Messenger, yes". He then said: "Then you
should go to those two trees and cut a twig from
each of them and go to that place with them where
I was standing and stand there and place a twig on
the right and a twig on the left". Jâbir said: "I set
out and took hold of a stone and broke it and
sharpened it and then I came to those trees and cut a
twig from each one of them. I then dragged them
until I stood at the place where Allâh's Messenger #
had been standing and placed a twig on the right and
a twig on the left. Then I came to him and said:
"Allâh's Messenger, I have done that, but (kindly)
explain to me the reason for it". Thereupon he said:
"I passed by two graves the occupants of which had
been undergoing torment. I liked to make
intercession for them so that they might be relieved
of this torment as long as these twigs remain
fresh". Jâbir said: "We went back to the army camp
and Allâh's Messenger # said: "Jâbir, call people to
perform Wudû'". I said: "Allâh's Messenger, there
is not even a drop of water in the army camp". There
was a person who used to cool the water for Allâh's
Messenger in an old water-skin, which was
hanging by the twig. He asked me to go to such and
such Ansârî (the supporters from the inhabitants of
67

Madînah) and ask him to see if there was any water
in that skin. I went to him and cast a glance in it but
did not find anything but a drop in the mouth of that
water-skin and if I were to draw that, the water
skin's dried part would soak it up. I came to Allâh's
Messenger # and said: "I have not found anything in
it but a drop of water in the mouth of the water-skin
and now if I were to draw that, it would be
absorbed. He then said : "Go and bring that to
me". I brought it to him. He took hold of it and
began to utter something which I could not
understand and then pressed it with his hand and
gave that to me and said: "Jâbir, announce for the
tub to be brought". So, I announced that the tub of
the army (be brought). It was brought accordingly
and I placed it before him (the Holy Prophet).
Thereupon Allâh's Messenger # placed his hands in
the tub like this: with his fingers stretched out, and
then he placed his fingers at the bottom of the tub
and said: "Jâbir, take it (that water-skin) and pour
water over me and say: "Bismillah" (In the Name
of Allâh)". I poured water and I said: "Bismillah"
(In the Name of Allâh)", and found water spouting
out between the fingers of Allah's Messenger # .
Then that tub gushed forth until it was filled up and
the Messenger
said:
"Jâbir, make an
announcement to the effect: He who needs water
should take that". Jabir said: "The people came
68

and got water until they were all satisfied. I said: "Is
there anyone left who wants any water? And Allâh's
Messenger # then lifted up his hand from that tub
and it was still full. Then the people made a
complaint to Allâh's Messenger # about hunger and
he said: "May Allâh provide you with food!". We
came back to the ocean and the ocean was tossing
and it threw out a big whale and we lit a fire and
cooked it and took it until we had eaten to our
heart's content. Jâbir said: "I and such and such five
persons entered its socket and nobody could see us
until we had come out, and we took hold of one of its
ribs and twisted it into a sort of arch, then we called
the tallest of the persons of the army and the most
huge of the camels of the army and it had a big
saddle over it, and it could easily pass through it
without the rider having need to bend down "35
A sign which was shown to him by Jibreel
(Gabriel):
Imam Ahmad narrated on the authority of Anas
Ibn Mâlik who said: "Jibreel came to the Messenger
of Allâh # one day, when he was sitting on his own
feeling sad and bleeding after being hit by some of
the people of Makkah. Jibreel asked him: "What is
35
Narrated by Muslim in his Sahîh, "Book of: Az-Zuhd war-
Raqâ'iq", Chapter: "The story of Abu al-Yasar and the lengthy
Hadîth of Jâbir".
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