News of the Past

One of the strongest evidences of Prophet Muhammad’s truth is his knowledge of the Unseen world: his accurate knowledge of previous nations and future prophecies.  No matter how intelligent, a man cannot authoritatively speak of the past based upon mere intelligence.  The information has to be learned.  Muhammad was a human being, who did not live in the midst of the nations he spoke of, did not inherit any knowledge of their civilization, or learn it from a teacher.  God says:

“That is from the news of the unseen which We reveal to you, [O Muhammad].  And you were not with them when they cast their pens as to which of them should be responsible for Mary.  Nor were you with them when they disputed.” (Quran 3:44)

“That is from the news of the unseen which We reveal, [O Muhammad], to you.  And you were not with them when they put together their plan while they conspired.” (Quran 12:102)

Consider the verses:

“And We gave Moses the Scripture, after We had destroyed the former generations, as enlightenment for the people and guidance and mercy that they might be reminded.  And you, [O Muhammad], were not on the western side [of the mount] when We revealed to Moses the command, and you were not among the witnesses [to that] but We produced [many] generations [after Moses], and prolonged was their duration.  And you were not a resident among the people of Madyan, reciting to them Our verses, but We were senders [of this message].  And you were not at the side of the mount when We called [Moses] but [were sent] as a mercy from your Lord to warn a people to whom no Warner had come before you that they might be reminded.  And if not that a disaster should strike them for what their hands put forth [of sins] and they would say, ‘Our Lord, why did You not send us a messenger so we could have followed Your verses and been among the believers?’” (Quran 28:43-47)

These events in the story of Moses were related by Muhammad.  Either he witnessed them and was present there, or learned it from those who knew.  In either case, he would not be God’s prophet.  The only other possibility, rather an inescapable conclusion, is that Muhammad was taught by God Himself.

A few facts must be considered to recognize the full strength of the argument.  Muhammad did not learn from any religious scholar, there were no Jewish or Christian scholars in Mecca at the time, and he did not know any language other than Arabic.  In addition to the previous, he could neither read nor write.  No Meccan, Jew, or Christian ever claimed to be Muhammad’s teacher.  Had Muhammad learned from any source, his own companions who believed in him would have exposed him.

“Say, ‘If God had willed, I would not have recited it to you, nor would He have made it known to you, for I had remained among you a lifetime before it.  Then will you not reason?’” (Quran 10:16)

Despite their strong opposition, the unbelievers could not attribute his knowledge of the past and present to any source.  The failure of his contemporaries is sufficient proof against all later skeptics.

The Correction of Jewish and Christian Misunderstandings

Below are two examples of the Quran correcting what had undergone change in Jewish and Christian beliefs:

(1)  The Jews claim Abraham to be a Jew, the father of the Jewish nation, whereas the Christians consider him to be their father as well, as the Roman Catholic Church calls Abraham “our father in Faith” in the Eucharistic prayer called Roman Canon recited during Mass.  God responds to them in the Quran:

“O People of the Scripture, why do you argue about Abraham while the Torah and the Gospel were not revealed until after him?  Then will you not reason?” (Quran 3:65)

(2)  The Quran forcefully denies the crucifixion of Jesus, an event of immense proportions to both religions:

“And [We cursed them] for their breaking of the covenant and their disbelief in the signs of God and their killing of the prophets without right and their saying, ‘Our hearts are wrapped’ [i.e., sealed against reception].  Rather, God has sealed them because of their disbelief, so they believe not, except for a few.  And [We cursed them] for their disbelief and their saying against Mary a great slander, And [for] their saying, ‘Indeed, we have killed the Messiah, Jesus, the son of Mary, the messenger of God.’  And they did not kill him, nor did they crucify him; but [another] was made to resemble him to them.  And indeed, those who differ over it are in doubt about it.  They have no knowledge of it except the following of assumption.  And they did not kill him, for certain.” (Quran 4:155-157)

This Quranic denial raises some fundamental questions.

First, if Islamic doctrine were borrowed from Judaism and Christianity, why did it deny crucifixion?  After all, both religions agree it took place!  For the Jews, it was Jesus the imposter who was crucified, but for Christians, it was the Son of God.  The Prophet Muhammad could have easily agreed to the crucifixion of Jesus, this giving more credit to his message.  If Islam were a false religion, an imitation of Judaism or Christianity, or if Muhammad was not true in his claim, Islam would not take an uncompromising stand on this issue and declare both religions to be outright wrong in this matter, as there is nothing as such to gain by its denial.

Second, if Islam had borrowed the myth of crucifixion from these two religions, it would have eliminated a point of major contention with them, but Islam brought the truth and could not vindicate a myth just to appease them.  It is quite possible the Jews were responsible for crucifying Jesus, for their historical transgressions against the prophets of God has been documented in the bible and the Quran alike.  But in regards to Jesus, the Quran states forcefully:

“And they did not kill him, nor did they crucify him.”

How is it possible, then, to say that the Muhammad produced the Quran by information learnt from Jewish or Christian scholars when he brought ideologies uprooting their doctrine?

Third, the denial of crucifixion by itself negates other Christian beliefs:

(i)   Jesus’ atonement for sin’s of man.

(ii)  Burden of original sin carried by all men.

(iii) Deconstructs the myth of the cross and its veneration.

(iv) The last supper and the Eucharist.

Thus we see that the stories the Prophet, may the mercy and blessings of God be upon him, told of nations of past were not mere folklore, nor were they learnt from Jewish or Christian learned men.  Rather, they were revealed to him from above the seven heavens by the God of creation.

The Letter of the Prophet to the Emperor of Byzantium (part 3 of 3): Heraclius Invites His Subjects

The Public Reading of the Letter

After Heraclius had confirmed that he believed Muhammad to be a prophet, he said:

“I knew that he was going to appear, but I did not know that he would be from among you.  If what you have said is true, he will rule the very the ground beneath my feet; if I knew I would definitely see him in person, I would undertake the journey to meet him; and if I were with him, I would wash his feet.”

This is in keeping with the placement of this story after the ibn al-Natur’s report of the attempt by Heraclius to foretell the future astrologically.  It is apparent that he ‘knew’, or at least suspected, that a powerful prophet had arisen among the Arab people.  It was at this stage that he asked for the letter he had received from the Messenger of God so as to read it aloud to the assembly.

“When Heraclius had finished his speech and had read the letter, there was a great hue and cry in the Royal Court, so the Meccans were ejected.  Abu Sufyan wondered aloud to his companions, “The affairs of ibn abi-Kabsha[1] have become so prominent that even the King of the Bani-Asfar (the fair skinned ones) fears him.”

Abu Sufyan later told the narrator[2]  “I lay low, by God, and reserved, certain that the affairs of Muhammad would emerge triumphant, until God brought my heart to the point of embracing Islam.”

Heraclius in Homs

Meanwhile, according to ibn al-Natur’s narration, Heraclius had written a letter to a friend in Rome concerning the letter he had received[3]  whose knowledge he trusted as comparable to his own.  Then he left Jerusalem[4]  for Homs (Emesa in Roman times) in Syria, where he awaited the reply.

“When he received the reply from his friend, he saw that the man agreed that the signs portended the appearance of a new leader, and that the leader was the expected prophet.  On that, Heraclius invited all the Grandees of Byzantium to assemble in his palace at Homs.

“When his Grandees had assembled, he ordered that all the doors of his palace be closed.  Then he came out and said, “O Byzantines!  If success is your desire and if you seek right guidance and want your Empire to remain, then give a pledge of allegiance to the emerging Prophet!

“On hearing this invitation, the Grandees of the Church ran towards the gates of the palace like a herd of wild asses, but found the doors closed.  Heraclius, realizing their hatred towards Islam, lost hope that they would ever embrace Islam, and he ordered that they should be brought back to the audience room.  After they returned, he said, “What I have just said was simply to test the strength of your conviction, and I have seen it.

“The people prostrated before him and became pleased with him, and Heraclius turned away from faith.”

A legend has grown up around the events at Homs.  It is said that Heraclius first suggested that his bishops embrace Islam, but when they refused, he suggested that the Empire pay tribute to the Prophet of Islam.  When they refused this in turn, he suggested making peace with the Muslims and agreeing to a pact of non-belligerence.  When this too was refused, he left Syria for Byzantium, and gave up all interest in preserving the Empire south and east of Antioch – never taking the field against the Muslim advance in person, and sending incompetent generals as the defenders of his Middle Eastern lands.  What is certain is that he treated the letter and the claim to prophethood therein seriously, and he made every effort to sway his people before turning back.

The Heirloom

The historian, al-Suhayli was the source of two more stories associated with the letter to Heraclius, both of which ibn Hajar included in the commentary on the stories above.[5]  He commented that al-Suhayli recalled hearing of a letter that was kept in a jeweled diamond case, which showed the high status of its owner, that had been left as an heirloom even until that day, and had reached the hands of the King of Franja.[6]  His descendants thought that it had come into his possession at the time of the conquest of Toledo,[7]  and the Commander of the Muslim Army, Abdul Malik bin Saad came to know of it through one of these descendants[8]  in the 12th Century.  Some of Abdul Malik’s companions related that the Commander of the Muslim Army sat with the King of Franja[9], who took out the letter in its jeweled case.  When Abdul Malik saw the treasured scroll he realized it was very ancient, and asked if he could kiss the venerable antiquity.  However, the King of Franja refused to let him.

Al Suhayli further said that he had been told by more than one source that the jurist, Nuraddin ibn Saygh al-Dimashqi said that he had heard that Sayfuddin Flih al-Mansuri was sent with a gift by King al-Mansur Qalaun[10]  to the King of Morocco,[11]  who then sent the gift to the King of Franja[12]  in exchange for an unmentioned favor, which was granted.  The King of Franja invited the messenger to stay in his Kingdom for a while, but he turned the offer down.  Before he left, however, the King asked Sayfuddin if he would like to see a valuable object which may have been of interest to him (as a Muslim).  Then he had a chest brought out full of compartments, each compartment filled with treasures.

From one of the compartments he took out a long, thin diamond encrusted box (rather like a pencil case).  He opened it and took out a scroll.  The ancient paper of the scroll was damaged and the writing on it somewhat faded, but most of the body had been preserved by dint of sandwiching it between two silk cloths when rolling it for storage.  The King of Franja said: “This is the letter that my ancestor, Caesar, received from your Prophet, which has been handed down to me as an heirloom.  Our ancestor left behind a will that his descendents should keep this heirloom if they wished their rule of the Kingdom to last.  With it we are strongly protected as long as we respect the letter and keep it hidden.  So has the Kingdom come down to us.”[13]

Exactly how valid the claim that the Kingdom of Heraclius (who had officially been Caesar of the entire Roman Empire) had descended to him is questionable, as the Byzantine Empire still existed in the east, and would continue for a further 150 years.  However, Heraclius could have sent the letter to Rome, as mentioned earlier, and the letter could have been kept there and passed down into the Visigoth line of Emperors when Charlemagne was crowned Emperor in Rome by Pope Leo III in 800CE.

We cannot categorically say that the letter actually did survive the centuries, though these stories point to that possibility.  One of the Prophet’s letters still exists on its original parchment in Topkapi museum.

Conclusion

Many may think that Heraclius secretly became Muslim, for he sought to establish whether Muhammad’s prophetic claim was true by considering his background, motivations, and effects on his people; his character, accomplishments and message.  Judging from his reply to Abu Sufyan and the invitation to his pillars of society in Homs, he seems to have been convinced that Muhammad was genuine.  Perhaps his heart was swayed towards the monotheism expressed by Muhammad in his letter, and he certainly tried to follow his advice to avoid the sin of misguiding those he ruled.  His subjects, however, proved too strong in their rejection, and he capitulated to their pressure, unable to submit to this new faith because he feared the rebellion of the people.  For this reason, like the uncle of the Prophet, Abu Talib, who believed that Muhammad was a prophet and guarded him throughout his latter life until death but still did not submit to Islam due to the shame brought on by his peers, Heraclius died as a disbeliever in Islam and the Prophet of God..

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Footnotes:

[1] The Prophet Muhammad, may the mercy and blessings of God be upon him.

[2] Ibn Abbas.

[3] It is possible he sent the actual letter from the Prophet with his request to assess it, though this is not made explicit in the narration.

[4] It is historically recorded that he in March 630CE restored the cross the Nestorians had removed from the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, which was several months after his meeting with Abu Sufyan.  He would have left for Homs soon after that.

[5] Fat-hal-Bari by Ibn Hajar al-Askalani.

[6] ‘Franja’ is the Spanish word used for the coastal kingdom(s) of the Iberian Peninsula. In this story the Kings of Franja are from the Jiminez and Burgundy dynasties of Asturias, Galicia, Leon and Castile (which split off from Leon). Leon came into existence when the Kingdom of Asturias was split three ways in 910.

See (http://www.tacitus.nu/historical-atlas/regents/iberian/leon.htm).

[7] By Alfonso VI 1085CE, or 478H.

[8] The Kings of Leon from the House of Burgundy

[9] Though not named, this would probably have been Alfonso VII ‘The Emperor’ or Ferdinand II of Castile and Leon.

[10] Possibly the Egyptian King from the Mamluk Dynasty, who ruled Egypt from 1278-90CE.

[11] Very probably Abu Yusuf Yaqub from the Merinid Dynasty, who reigned from 1259-86CE.

[12] Most likely, Alfonso X, King of Castile and Leon (1252-84CE).  He had the title Rex Romanorum (the King of Rome – See: http://www.masterliness.com/s/Rex.Romanorum.htm), to which he was elected, as his family was one who could claim descent from Charlemagne.See: (http://www.masterliness.com/a/Alfonso.X.of.Castile.htm).

[13] Alfonso VII, his forefather, had been known as ‘The Emperor’ because traditionally the Kings of Leon and Asturias, being descendents of the Visigoth Holy Roman Empire, were known as pretenders to the Empire of Iberia.

The Letter of the Prophet to the Emperor of Byzantium (part 2 of 3): The Reception

Heraclius Receives News of Muhammad

Ibn al-Natur was the Governor of Jerusalem for Heraclius, who was the head of the Christians of Greater Syria.  Ibn al-Natur narrates that once, while he was in Jerusalem:

Heraclius got up in the morning in a sad mood.  Some of the priests asked him why.

Being one who practiced astrology, Heraclius had been attempting to map out the future.

In reply to the enquiry, he said, “Last night I was looking at the stars, and I saw that a leader of those who practice circumcision had appeared (and would conqueror all before him).  Who are they who practice circumcision?”

The priests replied, “Except the Jews nobody practices circumcision, and you needn’t be afraid of them; just issue orders to kill every Jew present in the country.”

While they were discussing it, a messenger sent by the King of Ghassan[1] to convey the news of the Messenger of God to Heraclius was brought in.

(This news may have been the actual letter from the Prophet)

Having heard the news, Heraclius ordered the priest check whether the messenger from Ghassan was circumcised.  After having him physically examined, they reported that the man was circumcised.  Heraclius then asked the messenger about the custom of the Arabs.  The messenger replied, “Arabs also practice circumcision.”

When he heard this, Heraclius said, “The reign of the Arabs has began and their kingdom is about to become manifest.”[2]

The following story is taken from the narratives by the companions of the Prophet.  The story was told by Abu Sufyan to Abdullah Ibn Abbas, who related it to others.[3]  Ibn Abbas was a very devoted student to Muhammad, may the mercy and blessings of God be upon him, and a well respected scholar of the Quran.

Abu Sufyan’s Meeting with Heraclius Caesar

In 629CE, three years before the death of the Messenger of God, Heraclius re-conquered Jerusalem triumphantly bearing what was said to be the original cross venerated by the Christians, and which the Khosrau II had taken as booty 15 years previously.[4]  While resident there, the letter Muhammad had sent, perhaps a year earlier, came to his hand.  When he read it, he enquired about the presence of someone from the author’s people in the territory he controlled, and was told of Abu Sufyan’s trade caravan from Mecca, which was trading nearby.  He, with his companions, was summoned to the Emperor’s court in Jerusalem, appearing before Heraclius who had his Byzantine Grandees around him.

The Questions Posed by Heraclius and Their Answers

Heraclius called for his interpreter so as to question them, commanding him to ask who amongst them was the closest in kinship to the man who claimed to be a prophet.

Abu Sufyan replied, “I am the nearest relative to him (in this group).”

Heraclius asked, “And what is the relationship between you and him?”

Abu Sufyan said, “He is my (distant) cousin on the spear side.”[5]

Heraclius said, “Bring him closer!”  and had Abu Sufyan’s companions placed behind him, at his shoulders.  Then he ordered his interpreter, “Tell his companions that I am going to question him about the man who claims to be a prophet, so if he tells a lie, immediately repudiate it as a lie.”

“How is the lineage of this man among you?” the Roman Emperor continued.

“He is of noble descent.”  Abu Sufyan replied.

Heraclius further enquired, “Has anybody amongst you ever previously claimed the same as he does?”  “Was he prone to lying before he claimed what he has claimed?”  “Was anybody among his ancestors a king?”

To each question Abu Sufyan could only answer, “No.”

“Do the highborn or the humble among his people listen to him?”

Abu Sufyan replied, “The powerless, rather than the highborn, follow him.”

He said, “Are they increasing or decreasing in number?”

“They are increasing,” was the reply.

He then asked, “Does anybody amongst those who embrace his religion turn away discontent and renounce it after a while.”

“No.”

Heraclius said, “Does he break his covenants?”

The caravan leader replied, “No.  We have a truce with him now, but we fear he may betray us.”

The questioning relentlessly continued: “Have you ever fought each other?”

“Yes.”

“How do the battles turn out?”

“Sometimes he wins the battles and sometimes we win them.”

“What does he order you to do (when he preaches)?

“He tells us to worship God alone and not to worship anything along with Him, and to renounce the all the idols that our ancestors have taught us to worship.  He orders us to pray, give charity, be chaste, fulfill promises and discharge our trusts to kith and kin.”

Abu Sufyan was to later admit that he would have lied about the Prophet if he hadn’t been afraid of the shame of having his colleagues (listening behind him) spread reports that he was a liar.  So he answered as truthfully as he could.  He also mentioned the part that he had feared betrayal from Muhammad and those he led because it presented the best opportunity he had to slip in a negative statement against him.

The Emperor Assesses the Interrogation

After he had finished interrogating Abu Sufyan about the Prophet, Heraclius decided to tell him what he had learned from the interview.  His interpreter conveyed his analysis.

He said:  “I asked you about his lineage among you, and you stated that he was of sound lineage.  Indeed, all the Messengers of God come from sound lineages among their respective peoples.

“Then I asked if anybody had claimed what he claims before him among your tribe, and your reply was that none had.  If you had said others had made such a claim, I would have assumed he was following that which had been said before him.

“I further asked if you had found him a liar before he said what he said, and you said that you had not.  I know that a person who does not lie about other men would never lie about God.

“And I asked you if any of his ancestors had been a king.  If your reply had been an affirmative, I would have thought that the man was seeking to restore his ancestral kingdom.

“Then I enquired whether the highborn or the humble followed him, and you told me his followers were mainly humble people.  Indeed, they are invariably the followers of Messengers.

“Then I asked you whether his followers were increasing or decreasing, and you informed me that they were increasing.  And so it is with true faith until it is complete.

“I further asked you whether there was anybody who embraces the religion he teaches who turns away discontent and renounces it after a while.  Your reply was in the negative, which is how true faith is, when the delight of it mixes completely with their hearts.

“And I asked you whether you fought one another, to which you replied affirmatively, adding that the fortunes of war were sometimes in his favor and sometimes in yours.  So it is with all Messengers, but the final victory will be with him.

“I asked you whether he is ever treacherous, and you said he is not.  So it is with all the Messengers; they never act treacherously.

“Then I asked you what he enjoins upon you in the religion he preaches.  You stated that he orders you to worship God alone, and not associate any thing with Him, and not worship the idols of your ancestors.  And that he enjoins you to pray and give charity, to be chaste, fulfill covenants and discharge trusts.  And this is the description of what a prophet does.”

Thus did The Byzantine Caesar acknowledge the prophethood of the Messenger of God.

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Footnotes:

[1] Ghassan was vassal state of the Roman Empire in Greater Syria administered by an Arab king loyal to Byzantium.

[2] This aspect of the story will be continued in the next article.

[3] The stories in this article are as related by Abdullah ibn Abbas in Saheeh Bukhari

[4] Khosrau II, a Wikipedia article incorporating information from Heraclius and Khosrow II in the online Encyclopædia Britannica (2006).

[5] “the son of my paternal great uncle.”

The Letter of the Prophet to the Emperor of Byzantium (part 1 of 3): An Introduction

Organization of the Article

This article consists of a first part which is the background and context of the two stories that are told in the second and third part.  The main story is the narration of Abu Sufyan  ibn Harb to Abdullah ibn Abbas concerning his meeting with Heraclius in Jerusalem, recorded in the collection of Saheeh al-Bukhari.  Appended to this narration is another, whose source was the Governor of Jerusalem, ibn al-Natur.  From the events recorded in each story, it seems obvious that the invitation to Islam by Heraclius to his people in Homs happened at a later date than the meeting of Abu Sufyan with him in Jerusalem.  However, it also seems clear that Heraclius must have called for Abu Sufyan after he had heard news of the Prophet in Arabia.  Moreover, it is without doubt that when Abu Sufyan met Heraclius, the latter was in possession of the letter from the Prophet.  Thus I have split the narration of ibn al-Natur into two episodes which coincidentally occurred in two different locations.  The first episode took place in Jerusalem, before the meeting of Abu Sufyan with Heraclius there. while the second in Homs, after Heraclius left Jerusalem.  I have also placed the split narration before and after Abu Sufyan’s story.  Both stories were narrated by ibn Abbas.

Abu Sufyan ibn Harb

Although Abu Sufyan was to eventually embrace Islam, for most of his career during the life of the Prophet, he was bitterly opposed to it.  He was the leader of the Umayyad clan of the Quraish tribe and was the chieftain of the entire Quraish tribe, making him one of the most powerful men in Mecca during the lifetime of Muhammad.  His great-grand father was Abdul Shams ibn Abd al-Manaf, whose brother was Hashim, the great-grandfather of Muhammad, so there was a distant cousin relationship between them.  It was Abu Sufyan’s position that made him an enemy of Muhammad, whom he viewed as a threat to his power and a blasphemer of the Quraish gods.  The enmity between the Quraish, of whom Abu Sufyan was a prominent leader, and the early Muslims reached such heights that many battles were fought between the two parties after the Muslims settled in Medina in which he participated, and it was he who led the army of Quraish in the Battle of Uhud in 625CE.  After the Treaty of Hudaybiyya in 628CE, he took a trading caravan to Greater Syria, and was called to Caesar in Jerusalem.  Meanwhile, the treaty with Muhammad was broken by allies of the Quraish while Abu Sufyan was on the way back to Mecca.  Knowing the Muslims were now free from the treaty made a year and a half earlier, he personally went to Medina to try and patch it up, but came away empty handed.  The Muslims subsequently attacked Mecca in 630CE.  Seeing the writing on the wall, Abu Sufyan fled the city, but later returned in order to embrace Islam.

The Prophet and the Emperor

The Prophet Muhammad and the Emperor Heraclius were contemporaries.  Born only 5 years apart, they both lived into their sixties.  The reign of Heraclius was marked by ups and downs in military success.  In 609CE, when he was 40, Muhammad received the first revelations that marked the beginning of his prophetic mission.  In 610CE Heraclius deposed Procus as Emperor and took his place, but the beginning of his reign was marked by the defeat of his armies in Palestine and Turkey between 614 and 619CE.[1]  These defeats, and the subsequent victory the Romans would enjoy, were mentioned in the Quran at the time:

“The Romans have been defeated in the nearer land; and they, after their defeat, will be victorious.  Within three to nine years.” (Quran 30:2-4)

The reconquest by the Romans of the lands ceded to Khosrau started in 625 and ended in triumph in 627CE.  The following year, Muhammad, may the mercy and blessings of God be upon him, sent the following letter to Heraclius by the hand of Dihya al-Kalbi, by way of the governor of Bostra al-Sham, in Syria.

The Letter

The letter Muhammad sent is incorporated in the narration of Abu Sufyan, and I reproduce it below word for word as Heraclius read it out before all his Grandees.

In the name of God, the Beneficent, the Merciful.

This letter is from Muhammad the slave of God and His Messenger to Heraclius, the ruler of the Byzantines.

Peace be upon him who follows the right path.

I am writing this invitation to call you to Islam.[2]  If you become a Muslim you will be safe - and God will double your reward, but if you reject this invitation of Islam you will bear the sin of having misguided your subjects[3].  Thus do I urge you to heed the following:

“O People of the Scriptures!  Come to a word common to you and us that we worship none but Allah and that we associate nothing in worship with Him, and that none of us shall take others as Lords beside Allah.  Then if they turn away, say: Bear witness that we are Muslims.”

Muhammad, the Messenger of God[4]

In contrast to Khosrau II, who had been sent a similar letter earlier, the Byzantine Emperor Heraclius kept the letter and sought to find confirmation concerning what it contained.  This is quite different to the treatment accorded to his letter to Khosrau II of the Sassinid Empire.  According to Abdullah ibn Abbas, the latter was sent with Abdullah ibn Hudhafa al-Sahmi by way of the Governor of Bahrain.

“So, when Khosrau read the letter he tore it up.  Saeed ibn al-Musaiyab said, ‘The Prophet then invoked God to destroy and disperse Khosrau and his followers fully and with severity”. (Saheeh Al-Bukhari)

The Sassinid Empire was to utterly dissolve almost immediately, first through the defeat by the Romans, and then by the onslaught of the new Muslim nation.  The Byzantine Empire, too, while still under Heraclius, dissolved in Egypt, Palestine and Syria.  However, unlike the Sassinid Empire, the Byzantine Empire continued on in various forms for another 800 years until Constantinople finally fell, and this may be because of the contrast in the way each of the letters was received.

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Footnotes:

[1] Heraclius. (2006). In Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved August  22,  2006, from Encyclopædia Britannica Premium Service.

[2] That none has right to worship but God, and Muhammad is His Messenger.

[3] As well as his own sin of rejecting it.

[4] This letter is preserved in some history books, and a plate of the original letter was included in Khan, Dr. Majid Ali (1998). Muhammad The Final Messenger. Islamic Book Service, New Delhi, 110002 (India). One of his letters to Christian rulers is preserved in Topkapi Museum, Istanbul.

Prophecies of the Quran Addressed to Muhammad

Entering Mecca’s Grand Mosque (al-Masjid al-Haram)

In the sixth year after the Prophet was forced to migrate from Mecca to Medina, he saw himself visiting Mecca and performing pilgrimage in a vision mentioned in the Quran:

“Certainly has God showed to His Messenger the vision (i.e. dream) in truth.  You will surely enter al-Haram mosque, if God wills, in safety, with your heads shaved and [hair] shortened[1], not fearing [anyone].  He knew what you did not know and has arranged before that a conquest near [at hand].” (Quran 48:27)

God made three promises:

(a)   Muhammad would enter into Mecca’s Grand Mosque.

(b)  Muhammad would enter in a state of security.

(c)   Muhammad and his companions would get to perform pilgrimage and fulfill its rituals.

Ignoring the hostility of Meccans, Prophet Muhammad gathered his companions and embarked on a peaceful journey to Mecca.  But the Meccans continued to be hostile and he was forced to return to Medina.  The vision remained unfulfilled; however, an important treaty was signed between the Prophet and the Meccans, which would prove of great significance.  It is due to this treaty that Muhammad performed a peaceful pilgrimage with his companions the very next year.  The vision had found its fulfillment.[2]

The Quranic Prophecy; ‘The Unbelievers Will Lose’

Muslims were subject to severe persecution in Mecca at the hand of pagans.  At one time they were boycotted for three years, and the perpetual shortage of food sometimes bordered on famine.[3]  Any talk of victory was unimaginable.  Despite all odds, God prophesized in Mecca:

“[The pagans’] assembly will be defeated, and they shall turn their backs [in flight]!.” (Quran 54:45)

The Arabic verb yuhzamu is preceded by sa (an Arabic prefix denoting the future tense), making it a distinct prophecy awaiting fulfillment in future.  And so it was in the holy month of Ramadan, two years after the Prophet’s migration from Mecca to Medina that the Meccans were defeated in the Battle of Badr and forced to retreat.[4]  Umar, the second caliph of the Muslims after the Prophet, used to say that they did not know how the Quranic prophecy would be fulfilled until they themselves witnessed it coming true at the famous battle of Badr! (Saheeh Al-Bukhari)

The Quranic Prophecy; ‘Believers Will Get Political Authority’

Despite severe oppression at the hands of Meccans, Muslims were given good news fromGod:

“God has promised those who have believed among you and done righteous deeds that He will surely grant them succession [to authority] upon the earth just as He granted it to those before them and that He will surely establish [therein] their religion which He has preferred for them and that He will surely substitute for them, after their fear, security, [for] they worship Me, not associating anything with Me.  But whoever disbelieves after that - then those are the defiantly disobedient.” (Quran 24:55)

How such a promise from Almighty God would be fulfilled to the oppressed, brutalized Muslims in Mecca was impossible to imagine at the time it was made.  It was  fulfilled, nevertheless.  Indeed, God made Muslims secure and gave them political sway in a matter of years.

“And Our word [decree] has already preceded for Our slaves, the messengers, [that] indeed, they would be those given victory.” (Quran 37:171-172)

At first, the Muslims established their own state, by the invitation of the people of Medina, when God commanded they migrate there from Mecca.  Then, within the lifetime of the Prophet, that state expanded to hold sway over the whole of the Arabian Peninsula, from the Gulf of Aqaba and the Arabian Gulf to the Arabian Sea in the south, including the place from whence the Muslims had been driven out (Mecca itself).  This decree was ongoing, for the expansion of the Muslim political and religious dominion did not stop at the Arabian Peninsula.  History gives a living testimony that the Muslims addressed by these verses ruled the lands of the former Persian and Roman empires, an expansion that amazed and won admiration of world historians.  In the words of Encyclopedia Britannica:

“Within 12 years after Muhammad’s death, the armies of Islam took possession of Syria, Iraq, Persia, Armenia, Egypt, and Cyrenaica (in modern Libya).”[5]

The Quran’s Prophecy Regarding the Hypocrites and the Tribe of Banu Nadhir

God says in the Quran:

“Surely, if they are expelled, never will they (hypocrites) go out with them, and if they are attacked, they will never help them.  And if they do help them, they (hypocrites) will turn their backs, so they will not be victorious.” (Quran 59:12)

Pickthall

(For) indeed if they are driven out they go not out with them, and indeed if they are attacked they help them not, and indeed if they had helped them they would have turned and fled, and then they would not have been victorious.

“Have you not observed how those who are hypocrites, tell their brothers (i.e. associates) among the People of the Scripture who disbelieved, ‘If you are expelled, we will surely also leave with you, and we will never anyone against you; and if you are attacked (i.e. by the Muslim militia), we will surely aid you.’  But God bears witness that they are liars.  If they (i.e. the Jews) are expelled, they (i.e. the hypocrites) will not leave with them, and if they are fought, they will not aid them.  And [even] if they were to aid them, they will surely turn their backs; then they will not be aided.” (Quran 59:11-12)

The prophecy was fulfilled when the Banu Nadhir were expelled in August 625 CE from Medina; the hypocrites did not accompany them or come to their aid.[6]

The Quranic Prophecies concerning Future Confrontations

“They will not harm you except for [some] annoyance.  And if they fight you, they will show you their backs (i.e., flee); then they will not be aided.” (Quran 3:111)

“And if those (Meccans) who disbelieve were to fight you, they would certainly turn their backs (i.e., flee).  Then they would not find a protector or a helper.” (Quran 48:22)

Historically, after these verses were revealed, the unbelievers in the Arabian Peninsula were never able to withstand the Muslims again.[7]

We see from the prophecies discussed in these articles that the claim many detractors of Muhammad’s Prophethood are utterly unfounded.  They have based their criticism on the challenge to show that what Muhammad, may the mercy and blessings of God be upon him, foretold, if anything, and what came true of his foretelling.[8]  Demonstrably, he did prophesize, with God’s guidance, and demonstrably, what he was directed to tell us did actually occur.  Therefore, by the criterion of the detractors, Muhammad was the Messenger of God, and the last of the prophets to be sent, by both his statements in the Sunnah (narrations from his life) and the word of the Quran.

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Footnotes:

[1] Some of the rites of Hajj.

[2] See ‘Mercy For the Worlds,’ by Qazi Suliman Mansoorpuri, vol.1, p. 212 and ‘Madinan Society At The Time Of The Prophet,’ by Dr. Akram Diya al Umari, vol. 2, p. 139.

[3] ‘Muhammad: His Life Based on the Earliest Sources’ by Martin Lings, p. 89.

[4] ‘Mercy For the Worlds,’ by Qazi Suliman Mansoorpuri, vol. 3 p. 299 ‘Madinan Society At The Time Of The Prophet,’ by Dr. Akram Diya al Umari, vol. 2, p. 37.

[5] “arts, Islamic.” Encyclopædia Britannica from Encyclopædia Britannica Premium Service. (http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-13813)

[6] ‘Muhammad: His Life Based on the Earliest Sources’ by Martin Lings, p. 204.  ‘Mercy For the Worlds,’ by Qazi Suliman Mansoorpuri, vol. 3 p. 302.

[7] ‘Risala Khatim al-Nabiyeen Muhammad,’ by Dr. Thamir Ghisyan.

[8] You may say in your heart, ‘How will we know the word which the Lord has not spoken?’  When a prophet speaks in the name of the Lord, if the thing does not come about or come true, that is the thing which the Lord has not spoken.  The prophet has spoken it presumptuously; you shall not be afraid of him. (The Bible, New American Standard Version, Deuteronomy 18:21-22)

The Prophecies of Muhammad

One of the ways in which a person proves his prophethood is honesty, whether it be in regards to incidents in the past, in their everyday life, or things to come in the future.  In addition to the Quran, there are many sayings of Prophet Muhammad which contain prophecies he made in his lifetime dealing with near and distant future.  Some of them have come true, others await fulfillment.  Hudhaifah, a disciple of Prophet Muhammad, tells us:

“The Prophet once delivered a speech in front of us wherein he mentioned everything [all the signs] that would happen till the Final Hour without leaving anything.  Some of us remembered it and some forgot it.  After that speech, I used to see events taking place which were referred to in that speech, but I had forgotten them before their occurrence.  Then I would recognize such events as a man recognizes another man who has been absent and then sees and recognizes him.” (Saheeh Al-Bukhari)

There are at least 160 known and confirmed prophecies of Prophet Muhammad which were fulfilled in his lifetime and the first generation after him.[1]  We will mention some here.

(1)  Preceding the Battle of Badr, the first and decisive confrontation with pagan Meccans in the second year of migration from Mecca in 623 CE, Prophet Muhammad foretold the precise spot every pagan Meccan soldier would fall.  Those who witnessed the battle saw the prophecy come true with their own eyes.[2]

(2)  Prophet Muhammad prophesized the Battle of the Confederates (al-Ahzab) would be the last invasion the tribe of Quraish (the pagan Meccans) would launch against the Muslims.  It was fought in the fifth year of migration, 626 CE and was the last military conflict between the two sides.  All Meccans embraced Islam after a few years.[3]

(3)  The Prophet informed his daughter, Fatima, that she would be the first member of his family to die after him.  There are two prophecies in one: Fatima will outlive her father; Fatima will be the first member of his household to die after him.  Both were fulfilled.[4]

(4)  The Prophet Muhammad prophesized Jerusalem would be conquered after his death.[5]  The prophecy was fulfilled when, according to Encyclopedia Britannica: “In 638 the Muslim Caliph, Umar I, entered Jerusalem.”[6]

(5)  The Prophet Muhammad prophesized the conquest of Persia.[7]  It was conquered by Umar’s commander, Sa’ad bin Abi Waqqas.  In the words of Encyclopedia Britannica:

“…raids into Sasanian territory were quickly taken up by Muhammad’s Caliphs, or deputies, at Medina - Abu Bakr and Umar ibn al-Khattab… an Arab victory at Al-Qadisiyyah in 636/637 was followed by the sack of the Sasanian winter capital at Ctesiphon on the Tigris.  The Battle of Nahavand in 642 completed the Sasanids’ vanquishment.”[8]

(6)  The Prophet Muhammad prophesized the conquest of Egypt.[9]  In the words of Encyclopedia Britannica:

“Amr… undertook the invasion in 639 with a small army of some 4,000 men (later reinforced).  With what seems astonishing speed the Byzantine forces were routed and had withdrawn from Egypt by 642… Various explanations have been given for the speed with which the conquest was achieved.”[10]

(7)  The Prophet foretold confrontation with the Turks.[11]  The first conflict took place in the caliphate of Umar in 22 AH.[12]

(8)  The Prophet foretold the first maritime battle to be undertaken by Muslims would be witnessed by Umm Haram, the first woman to participate in a naval expedition.  He also prophesied the first assault on Constantinople.[13]

The first maritime battle in Muslim history was in 28 AH in the rule of Mu’awiya.  It was witnessed by Umm Haram as foretold by Prophet Muhammad, and Yazid ibn Mu’awiya led the first attack on Constantinople in 52 AH.[14]

(9)  The prophecy that Rome, Persia, and Yemen will be conquered was made during the Battle of Confederates in 626 CE,[15]  under extreme circumstances, as is described by the Quran:

“[Remember] when they came at you from above you and from below you, and when eyes shifted [in fear], and hearts reached the throats and you assumed about God [various] assumptions.  There, the believers were tested and shaken with a severe shaking.  And [remember] when the hypocrites and those in whose hearts is disease said, ‘God and His Messenger did not promise us except delusion.’” (Quran 33:10-12)

(10)     Prophet Muhammad prophesized an imposter claiming to speak in the name of God would be killed at the hands of a righteous man in Muhammad’s lifetime.[16]  Al-Aswad al-Ansi, an imposter prophet in Yemen, was killed in the Prophet’s lifetime by Fayruz al-Daylami.[17]

There are at least an additional 28 prophecies pertaining to the end times which are awaiting fulfillment.

Indeed these well-documented prophecies are clear proofs of the Prophethood of Muhammad, may the mercy and blessings of God be upon him.  There is no possible way that the Prophet could have knowledge of these incidents except if it were inspired by God Himself, all in order to further prove the authenticity of the Muhammad, that he was not an imposter, but rather a Prophet raised by God to deliver humanity from Hellfire.

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Footnotes:

[1] They are collected by Dr. Muhammad Wali-ullah al-Nadavi in his Master’s thesis entitled, ‘Nubuwwat al-Rasul,’ from al-Azhar University, Cairo, Egypt.

[2] Saheeh Muslim, Abu Ya’la.

[3] Saheeh Al-Bukhari, Bazzar, and Haithami.

[4] ‘Sharh’ Saheeh Muslim,’ by Imam al-Nawawi.

[5] Saheeh Al-Bukhari.

[6] “Jerusalem.” Encyclopædia Britannica from Encyclopædia Britannica Premium Service. (http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-61909)

[7] Saheeh Muslim.

[8] “Iran.” Encyclopædia Britannica from Encyclopædia Britannica Premium Service. (http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-32160)

[9] Saheeh Muslim.

[10] “Egypt.” Encyclopædia Britannica from Encyclopædia Britannica Premium Service. (http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-22358)

[11] Saheeh Al-Bukhari, Saheeh Muslim.

[12] Ibn Kathir’s ‘al-Bidaya wal-Nihaya.’

[13] Saheeh Al-Bukhari, Saheeh Muslim.

[14] Ibn Kathir’s ‘al-Bidaya wal-Nihaya.’

[15] Saheeh Al-Bukhari.

[16] Saheeh Al-Bukhari.

[17] Encyclopedia of Islam.

What is the Criteria for a True Prophet?

Rays from the Same Lamp

A natural question to ask someone who believes in any prophet is: ‘What are the criteria for your belief in him?’  Reasonable criteria would be:

(i)   evidence for his claim.

(ii)  consistency in his teachings (about God, afterlife, and similar issues of belief)

(iii) similarity to the teachings of earlier prophets.

(iv) integrity: he must be a man of high morals.

The Bible lends support to our criteria.  The Old Testament says of a false prophet:

1.    Pretends to be sent by God.[1]

2.    Described as covetous,[2]  drunken,[3]  immoral and profane,[4]  influenced by evil spirits.[5]

3.    Prophesizes falsely,[6]  lies in the name of the Lord,[7]  out of his own heart,[8]  in the name of false gods.[9]

4.    Often practices divination and witchcraft.[10]

5.    Leads people into error,[11]  makes to forget God’s name,[12]  teaches profaneness and sin,[13]  and oppresses.[14]

The New Testament says of Jesus’ criteria to identify false prophets:

“Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.  Ye shall know them by their fruits.  Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?  Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.”[15]

We learn the following:

(i)   prophecy will continue after Jesus.

(ii)  beware of false prophets.

(iii) the criteria to identify a false prophet is his fruits, that is his works or deeds.[16]

As stated earlier, Muhammad claimed unequivocally, ‘I am God’s Messenger.’  If a person evaluates his claim on the above criteria, he will find it meets the criteria completely.

In Islamic doctrine, all prophets constitute a spiritual fraternity of brothers with a single ‘father,’ but different ‘mothers.’  The ‘father’ is prophethood and unity of God, the ‘mothers’ are the different Laws they brought.  Emphasizing the spiritual fraternity of all prophets, Prophet Muhammad said:

“I am the closest of all people to the son of Mary (Jesus).  The prophets are paternal brothers, their mothers are different, but their religion is one.” (Saheeh Al-Bukhari, Saheeh Muslim)

All prophets are ‘rays’ from the same ‘Lamp’: the central message of all prophets throughout ages was to dedicate worship to God only.  That’s why Islam views denying a single prophet as equivalent to denying them all.  The Quran states:

“Indeed, those who deny God and His messengers, and wish to separate God from His messengers, saying: ‘We believe in some but reject others’ and want to pursue a path in-between - it is they, they who are truly denying the truth: and for those who deny the truth We have readied shameful suffering.  But as for those who believe in God and His messengers and make no distinction between any of them - unto them, in time, will He grant their rewards [in full].  And God is indeed much-forgiving, a dispenser of grace.” (Quran 4:150-152)

Denying the prophethood of Muhammad is tantamount to denying all prophets.  The prophethood of Muhammad is known just like the prophethood of Moses and Jesus is known: the numerous reports of their miracles that have reached us.  The Book brought by Muhammad (the Quran) is fully preserved, and His Law is complete and applicable to today’s world.  Moses brought the Law and justice, Jesus brought grace and flexibility.  Muhammad combined between the Law of Moses and the grace of Jesus.

If someone were to say, ‘he was an imposter,’ others are more fit to be charged with this accusation.  Hence, denying Muhammad is denying one’s own prophets.  If a reasonable person looks at two bright stars, he must acknowledge both are stars, he cannot say to one, ‘Yes, this one is a bright star,’ but deny the other!  Doing so would be denying reality and a lie.

Make a table of all the prophets you believe in.  Start from the first one to the last one you believe in.  Answer the following questions:

What is the evidence I believe he was a true prophet?

What was the mission of the prophet in his own words?

Did he bring a Law?  Is his Law applicable today?

What scripture did he bring?  How is its content and meaning?

Is the scripture preserved in the original language it was revealed in?  Is it considered a literary authority, free of internal inconsistencies?

What do you know of his morals and integrity?

Compare all the prophets you have listed and then answer the same questions about Muhammad.  Then ask yourself, ‘Can I honestly take Muhammad out of my list because he does not meet the criteria as other prophets?’  It will not take too much effort to discover that the evidence for Muhammad’s prophethood is stronger and more convincing.

A skeptic need consider what is so unusual about Muhammad’s claim to be a prophet?  When did God declare an end to prophecy before him?  Who decided that there would not be any more divine communication with human beings?  With no evidence to block divine revelation, it is natural to accept a continuity of revelation:

“Indeed, We have sent you with the truth, as a bearer of glad tidings and a Warner: for there never was any community but a Warner has [lived and] passed away in its midst.” (Quran 35:24)

“And We sent forth Our messengers, one after another: [and] every time their messenger came to a community, they gave him the lie: and so We caused them to follow one another [into the grave], and let them become [mere] tales: and so - away with the folk who would not believe!” (Quran 23:44)

This is true especially when the truth was perverted by Jews and Christians, the Christians claiming Jesus was the son of God and Jews calling him an illegitimate son of Joseph the Carpenter.  Muhammad brought the truth: Jesus was God’s noble prophet born of a miraculous virgin birth.  As a result, Muslims believe in Jesus and love him, neither going to the extreme like the Christians, nor disparaging him like the Jews.

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Footnotes:

[1] Jer 23:17,18,31

[2] Mic 3:11

[3] Isa 28:7

[4] Jer 23:11,14

[5] 1Ki 22:21,22

[6] Jer 5:31

[7] Jer 14:14

[8] Jer 23:16,26; Eze 13:2

[9] Jer 2:8

[10] Jer 14:14; Eze 22:28; Act 13:6

[11] Jer 23:13; Mic 3:5

[12] Jer 23:27

[13] Jer 23:14,15

[14] Eze 22:25

[15] Matthew 7:15-17 (King James Version)

[16] According to ‘Vine’s Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words.’