THE ISSUES THAT THE MESSENGER OF ALLAH (PBUH) WAS ASKED ABOUT
The issues that the messenger of Allah (pbuh) was asked about and then answered in accordance with the truth in agreement with what the previous inherited books from the prophets before him stated
We have mentioned in the beginning of the section, “Prophetic mission,” that the Quraish used to repeatedly ask about with stubbornness in accepting the truth. So they sent a delegation to enquire from the Jews of Madinah about what they should ask from the Messenger of Allah (Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him). They said: “Ask him about the soul, the people who disappeared in ancient times and it is not known what happened to them and about a man who reached the East and the West of the world.” When they returned they asked the Messenger of Allah (Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him) about that. Allah revealed his statement: “And they ask you (O Muhammad (Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him)) concerning Rooh (the Spirit); Say: ‘The Rooh, it is one of the things, the knowledge of which is only with my Lord. And of knowledge, you (mankind) have been given only a little.” (Soorah Al-Isra’: 85) Then He revealed Soorah Al-Kahf explaining in it the news of the young men who left the religion of their people and believed in Allah and they singled him out in worship and they secluded themselves from their people. They stayed in a cave and that is Al- Kahf and slept in it. Allah woke them after 309 years and from their affair is that which Allah narrated to us in His Book. He told the story of two men; a believer and a disbeliever and what occurred from their affair, and then the story of Moosa and Al-Khidr and that which took place from wisdoms and admonishments. He said: And they ask you about DhulQarnain. Say: I shall recite to you something of his story. (Soorah Al-Kahf: 83) He gave account of his news and that which he had reached from the East and the West of the world, and that which he performed from benefits to the world. This is the reality of what happened. The books which are in the hands of the People of the Book exclusively are in agreement with it that which is true from them (books). As for that which has been changed and altered then it is rejected, for indeed Allah sent Muhammad (Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him) with the truth and revealed a book to him to clarify to the people that which they differ in from stories and regulations. Allah said after mentioning the Tawrah and the Bible: And We have sent down to you (O Muhammad (Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him)) the Book (this Qur’an) in truth, confirming the Scripture that came before it and Muhaimin (trustworthy in highness and a witness) over it (old Scriptures) (Soorah Al-Ma’idah: 48) And we mentioned in the beginning of the, Hijrah (section) the story of Abdullah Ibn Salam’s embracement of Islam and he said: “When the Messenger of Allah (Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him) arrived in Madinah the people rushed toward him. And I was from those who rushed toward him and when I saw his face I said that his face isn’t the face of a liar. The first thing which I heard him say was, ‘O people, spread the Salam, and keep the ties of kinship, feed the people and pray in the night when the people are asleep (then) you shall enter Paradise with peace’.”
It has been affirmed in Saheeh Al-Bukhari, from Anas the story of Abdullah Ibn Salam’s questioning of the Messenger of Allah (Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him): Three matters, nobody knows them except a Prophet; what is the first of the signs of the Last Hour, what is the first meal that the people of Paradise shall eat and what makes the child go to his mother or father (i.e. what determines male or female gender)? The Messenger of Allah (Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him) said, “Jibreel informed me earlier.” Then he said, “As for the first of the signs of the hour, a fire that will gather the people from the East to the West. And as for the first meal that the people of Paradise shall eat, it is the extra piece of flesh of the whale’s liver. And as for the child, if the substance (chromosomes and genes) precedes the substance of the woman then the child shall take from his father and if the substance of the woman precedes the substance of the man then the child shall take from his mother.”
Another Hadith with the same meaning
Narrated by Thawban, he said: I was standing with the Messenger of Allah (Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him) and a Rabbi came and said, “Assalamu ‘Alaika, Ya Muhammad.” I pushed him with a hard push which almost made him fall. Then he said, “Why did you push me?” The narrator said: I said, “Won’t you say: O Messenger of Allah?” He said, “I only named with the name that his family named him.” Then the Messenger of Allah (Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him) said, “The name which my family named me with is Muhammad.” The Jew said, “I came to ask you.” The Messenger of Allah (Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him) said, “Will it benefit you if I spoke to you?” He replied, “I shall listen with my ear.” He made a mark with a stick on the ground which was with him. He said to him, “Ask.” The Jew said to him, “Where will the people be on the day when the Earth will be changed to another earth and so will be the heavens?” The Messenger of Allah (Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him) said, “In darkness before the bridge.” He said, “Who will be the first to pass?” He replied, “The poor from the Muhajiroon.” The Jew said, “What will be their first snack when they enter Paradise?” He said, “The piece of flesh attached to the whales liver.” He said, “What shall be their dinner straight after it?” He said, “The bull of Paradise which ate from its boundaries.” He said, “What shall they drink following that?” He said, “From a spring therein (Paradise) called Salsabeela.” He said, “You spoke the truth.” The Jew added, “I came to ask you about something which nobody from the inhabitants of the world knows about except either a Prophet or a man or two men. The Prophet said, “Has it benefitted you that I informed you?” He replied, “I hear with my ear.” The Jew later said, “I came to ask you about the child.” He said, “The substance of the man is white and the substance of the woman is yellow. When they come together and the fluid of the man overcomes the fluid of the woman it becomes a male with the permission of Allah.” The Jew said, “You spoke the truth and you are indeed a Prophet.” Then he left. The Prophet (Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him) said, “He asked me what he asked while I didn’t have any knowledge about until Allah inspired it to me.” Narrated by Muslim.
Another Hadith
Narrated by Ibn Abbas, he said: A group from the Jews came to the Messenger of Allah (Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him) one day and said, “O Abul-Qasim, inform us of some matters that nobody knows except a Prophet.” He said, “Ask me that which you wish, however make for me the agreement of Allah and that which Ya‘qoob (Peace be upon him) took from his children; that if I tell you something and you recognize it you shall follow me upon Islam.” They said, “That shall be yours.” He said, “Ask me what you wish.” They said, “Tell us about four matters which we will ask you about: Inform us which food Isra’eel made forbidden upon himself before the Tawrah was revealed? And inform us how is the fluid of the woman and the fluid of the man and how the male receives from it? And inform us how this illiterate Prophet is in his sleep and who is his ally from the angels?” He replied: “Incumbent upon you is the pact of Allah and his covenant that if I inform you, then you shall follow me.” The narrator said: They gave him what he wished from pact and covenant.
He said, “I shall inform you by the One Who revealed the Tawrah to Moosa (Peace be upon him); do you know that Isra’eel was Ya‘qoob (Peace be upon him), he became very ill and his illness lasted long. The most beloved food to him was the meat of the camel and the most beloved drink to him was its milk?” They said: “O Allah, yes. He said, “O Allah, bear witness over them. For I ask you by the One besides Whom there is no God deserving of worship except Him, the One Who revealed the Tawrah to Moosa; do you know that the fluid of the man is white and thick and the fluid of the woman is yellow and thin and whichever of them overcomes the other then for him (/her) is the child and resemblance with the permission of Allah; if the fluid of the man overcomes the fluid of the woman then it shall be a male with the permission of Allah, and if the fluid of the woman overcomes the fluid of the man then it shall be a female with the permission of Allah?” They said: O Allah, yes. He said, O Allah, bear witness over them. For I ask you by the One Who revealed the Tawrah to Moosa; do you know that this illiterate Prophet’s eyes sleep, yet his heart does not sleep?” They replied: O Allah, yes. He said, “O Allah, bear witness.” They said, “Tell us: Who is your guardian ally from the angels? Based on this we shall either join you or leave you. If your guardian was other than him from the angels, then we shall follow you and deem you truthful.” He replied, “What prevents you from believing in him?” They said, “He indeed is our enemy from the angels.” Then at that point Allah said (revealed): Say (O Muhammad (Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him)): “Whoever is an enemy to Jibreel (Gabriel) (let him die in his fury), for indeed he has brought it (this Qur’an) down to your heart by Allah’s Permission.” (Soorah Al-Baqarah: 97). And at that point the Verse was revealed: So they have drawn on themselves wrath upon wrath. (Soorah Al-Baqarah: 90).”
We mentioned this story in the “Tafseer” at the explanation of Allah’s statement in Soorah Al-Baqarah: Say to (them): “If the home of the Hereafter with Allah is indeed for you specially and not for others, of mankind, then long for death if you are truthful.” But they will never long for it because of what their hands have sent before them (i.e. what they have done). And Allah is All-Aware of the Zalimoon (polytheists and wrong-doers). (Soorah Al-Baqarah: 94-95) And similar to it in Soorah Al-Jumu‘ah and it is his statement: Say (O Muhammad (Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him)): “O you Jews! If you pretend that you are friends of Allah, to the exclusion of (all) other mankind, then long for death if you are truthful.” But they will never long for it (death), because of what (deeds) their hands have sent before them! And Allah knows well the Zalimoon. (Soorah Jumu‘ah: 6-7) And we mentioned the opinions of the Mufassiroon (commentators of the Qur’an) in that regards and the truth is that he called them to Al-Mubahalah (invoking the curse on the family of the one who is a liar) and to pray for death upon the liar from either them or the Muslims. However, they refused to do so because of their knowledge of them oppressing themselves and that the curse will fall upon them, and its disaster shall fall on them. He similarly invited the Christians of Najran when they debated with him regarding ‘Eesa Ibn Maryam. Allah commanded him to invite them to make Al-Mubahalah in his statement: Then whoever disputes with you concerning him (‘Eesa) after (all this) knowledge that has come to you, (i.e. ‘Eesa being a slave of Allah, and having no share in Divinity) say: (O Muhammad (Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him)) “Come, let us call our sons and your sons, our women and your women, ourselves and yourselves – then we pray and invoke (sincerely) the Curse of Allah upon those who lie.” (Soorah Aal Imran: 61) And similarly he cursed the idolaters by the way of Al-Mubahalah in his statement: Say (O Muhammad (Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him)) whoever is in error, the Most Beneficent (Allah) will extend (the rope) to him, until when they see that which they were promised, either the torment or the Hour, they will come to know who is worst in position, and who is weaker in forces. (Soorah Maryam: 75) And we spoke in detail about this in the explanation of these verses in our book, “Tafseer ” which is sufficient.
By Ibn Katheer
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