AS FOR ALLAH’S STATEMENT, CONCERNING MOOSA (PEACE BE UPON HIM) AND THE CHILDREN OF ISRA’EEL
And (remember) when Moosa asked for water for his people, We said: “Strike the stone with your stick.” Then gushed forth therefrom twelve springs. Each (group of) people knew its own place for water.” (Soorah Al-Baqarah 2:60) The Messenger of Allah (Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him) inserted his hand into a small bowl that was wide enough to spread his hand in it and water started gushing out of the bowl in-between his fingers like springs. He did the same on many other occasions such as the day of the Campaign of Hudaibiyah, the day his Companions in Al-Madinah asked him for water and his supplication was answered with exactness without having more or less than what was needed. These are instances of greater and more astounding miracle than the one that occurred to Prophet Moosa (Peace be upon him).
Abu Amrah Al-Ansari narrated: “We were with the Messenger of Allah (Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him) in one of the battles and there was no food and people passed their night in hunger. The Prophet (Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him) then called for a small pot and it was brought in front of him. He also called for water and it was poured into the pot. He then spit into it and said whatever Allah willed him to say. Then he put his finger in it. I swear by Allah, I saw the water gushing out of the fingers of Allah’s Messenger (Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him) like springs. Thereupon he asked people to drink and fill their water skins and vessels.”
Holding of sun for Prophet Yoosha‘ (Joshua) Ibn Noon Ibn Afrayeem Ibn Yoosuf Ibn Ya‘qoob Ibn Ishaq Ibn Ibraheem (peace be upon them)
Yoosha‘ was the Prophet of the Children of Isra’eel after Prophet Moosa (Peace be upon him). He was the one who led them out of the wilderness into Jerusalem after a siege and a fight. The victory was achieved in the afternoon of a Friday. It was near sunset and Saturday was approaching so they could not continue fighting. Yoosha‘ looked at the sun and addressed it thus: “You are under Allah’s command and I, also, am under Allah’s command.” He then supplicated to Allah: “O Lord! Delay the sunset for me.” So Allah delayed it for him until he was able to conquer the city. The sun then set afterward.
Abu Hurairah narrated that the Messenger of Allah (Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “A prophet amongst the prophets carried out a holy military expedition, so he said to his followers, ‘Anyone who has married a woman and wants to consummate the marriage, and has not done so yet, should not accompany me nor should a man who has built a house but has not completed its roof nor a man who has sheep or she-camels and is waiting for the birth of their young ones.’ So, the prophet carried out the expedition and when he reached that town at the time or nearly at the time of the ‘Asr prayers, he said to the sun, ‘O sun! You are under Allah’s Order and I am under Allah’s Order O Allah! Stop it (i.e. the sun) from setting.’ It was stopped till Allah made him victorious.”
This Prophet was Yoosha‘, son of Noon, according to the narration recorded by Imam Ahmad on the authority of Abu Hurairah that the Messenger of Allah (Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “The sun was never stopped (from setting) for any human but Yoosha‘ (Peace be upon him) during the nights on which he marched to Jerusalem.”
Abul-Ma‘ali Ibn Az-Zamlakani said: As for delaying of the sunset for Prophet Yoosha‘ so that he could fight the tyrants, what was greater than that had occurred to our Prophet Muhammad (Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him). The moon split into two for him and splitting of the moon is more extraordinary than delaying of the sunset. Narrations about splitting of the moon are successively and authentically recorded. One part of the spilt moon was at the back of the mountain and the other was at its front. The Messenger of Allah (Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him) said to the people: “Bear witness!” The Quraish, however, were not convinced. They claimed that the Prophet (Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him) was just pulling the wool over their eyes. But some travelers arrived and informed them that they actually saw the moon split. It is in this regard that Allah revealed His noble statement:
“The Hour has drawn near, and the moon has been cleft asunder (the people of Makkah requested Prophet Muhammad (Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him) to show them a miracle, so he showed them the splitting of the moon). And if they see a sign, they turn away, and say: ‘This is continuous magic.’” (Soorah Al-Qamar 54:1-2)
Also, the sun was delayed for the Messenger of Allah (Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him) twice. At-Tahawi recorded a narration he regarded as authentic that the Messenger of Allah (Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him) was receiving revelations while his head was on Ali’s lap. And he did not lift his head until after the sunset and Ali had not performed ‘Asr prayers. Thereupon the Prophet (Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him) supplicated, “O Allah, if it was in Your service and in obedience of Your Messenger, return the sun for him (that he may perform his ‘Asr prayers).” And the sun rose again that it was seen. Ali then got up and performed ‘Asr. The sun then set.
The second occasion was on the morning after the night he was taken on a night journey from the Sacred Mosque in Makkah to Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem and from there to the heaven. The Makkah pagans asked him about things in Jerusalem and Allah showed it to him as if it was there in front of him and he described all that he saw there to them. They also asked about a caravan of theirs that was on a trade journey and he informed them, “It will reach you at sunrise.” However, the caravan was late; but in order to attest to truthfulness of His Messenger, Allah delayed the sun from rising until after the caravan had arrived.
Concerning merits granted to Prophet Idrees (Peace be upon him) such as his being Elevated
Allah says about him: “And We raised him to a high station.” (Soorah Maryam 19: 57)
In response to this, we can say that our Prophet Muhammad (Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him) was given what was better, greater and more perfect in that Allah elevated his mentioning in this world and in the Hereafter. Allah says: “And have We raised high your fame.” (Soorah Ash-Sharh 94:4)
There is no preacher, intercessor or worshipper who does not say in his sermon, intercession or prayer, “I testify that there is no deity worthy of being worshipped except Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah.” So, his name is always mentioned along with the Name of his Lord, in attestation to the Verse quoted above. Allah sent Angel Gabriel to tell Muhammad (Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him), “Whenever My Name is mentioned, your name will also be mentioned.”
Anas Ibn Malik narrated that the Messenger of Allah said, “When I finished from what Allah ordered me to do of the matter of the heavens and the Earth, I said, ‘O My Lord, there was no Prophet before me whom You have not honored. You made Ibraheem Your friend, You addressed Moosa directly, You subdued mountains for Dawood, You made the wind subservient to Sulaiman and You resurrected the dead for ‘Eesa. What are You going to honor me with?’ Allah said, ‘Have I not given you what is better than all that? Whenever I am mentioned, you are also mentioned along with Me. I have allowed your followers to know the Qur’an by heart, and this I have not allowed any other nation. And I revealed to you a word from the treasures of My Throne: La hawla wa la quwwata illa billah’.”
Abu Hurairah and Anas narrated that the Prophet, when he was relating the events of Al-Isra’ wal-Mi‘raj that “When Allah showed me of His Signs, I observed a nice fragrance and I said to Gabriel, ‘What is this?’ He said, ‘This is Paradise.’ I said, ‘O my Lord, bring me my people!’ Allah, High and Exalted, said, ‘I am Allah, there is no god but I, You will have what I have promised you: Every male and female Believer who did not associate any partner with Me. He who spends his wealth in My cause, I shall reward him; he who relies on Me, I shall suffice him; and he who asks from Me, I shall grant his request. His wealth will not diminish. As for you, yours is that which you have asked. Excellent is the abode of the pious.’ I said, ‘I am pleased!’ When we reached the Lote Tree, I fell in prostration. I then raised my head and said, ‘O Allah, You took Ibraheem as Your friend; You directly addressed Moosa; You gave Dawood the Psalms and You honored Sulaiman with a great kingdom.’ Allah then said in response, ‘Indeed, I have elevated for you your name. It will not be valid for your followers to make any sermon without testifying that you are My Messenger. I have made hearts of your followers like books (i.e. they will read the Qur’an by heart); and, from under My Throne, I have blessed you with the last Verses of Soorah AlBaqarah.’”
Abu Zur‘ah, in his version of the above report, has this addition: “And he (the Messenger of Allah (Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him) met the souls of the past Prophets (peace be upon them) and they all praised their Lord. Muhammad also praised his Lord and then said to the Prophets, ‘You all praised your Lord and I am also praising my Lord: All praise is due to Allah Who sent me as a mercy to mankind and as a giver of glad tiding and warner to the entire humanity. He sent down to me the Criterion in which everything is explained and made my nation the best nation ever evolved for mankind. He made my followers the just nation; the last of all nations but the first to enter Paradise. Allah expanded my heart, removed my burden and made me the first and the last’!” It was then that Prophet Ibraheem said to the other Prophets, “Muhammad has excelled you with this!”
As mentioning of Muhammad’s name among the past nations and earlier centuries, Al-Bukhari recorded on the authority of Ibn Abbas who narrated that Allah did not send a Prophet without making him undertaking a covenant that if Muhammad was sent while he was still alive, he would follow and support him and that they would command their followers that if they would be alive when Muhammad would be sent, they would believe in him and follow him. All the Prophets informed their respective people about Muhammad and the last of them in this was Prophet ‘Eesa (Peace be upon him). He has indeed informed the Children of Isra’eel of the imminent advent of Muhammad (Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him). And monks and priests also spoke of his impending appearance.
As for elevating his mentioning among the latter generations, it manifests in the fact that his religion would be everlasting and would abrogate all other religions. It shall remain the only unabrogated Divine religion till the end of the time. There will always be among his followers a group that will remain victorious upon the Truth, and whoever opposes this group will never be able to harm it until the establishment of the Hour.
Muhammad’s name is also perpetuated by the fact that, at every elevated ground five times a day, testimony is borne while making the call to prayer that there is no deity worthy of being worshiped except Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah. Likewise, no preacher will deliver a sermon on Friday without mentioning his name in his sermon.
By Ibn Katheer
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