QUESTIONS POSED TO THE PROPHET (SallAllaho Alaihe WaSallam)

QUESTIONS POSED TO THE PROPHET (SallAllaho Alaihe WaSallam)

Sent by: Sister Laila Kareem

When the Last Prophet of Allah (Subhaanahu Wa Ta’aalaa), Hadhrat Muhammad (SallAllaho Alaihe WaSallam), started preaching Islam, the Jews were very upset. Though they did not accept him as Messenger of Allah (Subhaanahu Wa Ta’aalaa) finally, they initially tested him to find out whether he was a true Prophet.

No doubt that the Jews disbelieved in what Allah (Subhaanahu Wa Ta’aalaa) revealed to His Last Prophet, Hadhrat Muhammad (SallAllaho Alaihe WaSallam) and hated it. They were envious of him — except a few of them — because he was not one of them, i.e. did not descend from the children of Israel.

Allah (Subhaanahu Wa Ta’aalaa) says (which means):

وَلَمَّا جَاءَهُمْ كِتَابٌ مِنْ عِنْدِ اللَّهِ مُصَدِّقٌ لِمَا مَعَهُمْ وَكَانُوا مِنْ قَبْلُ يَسْتَفْتِحُونَ عَلَى الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا فَلَمَّا جَاءَهُمْ مَا عَرَفُوا كَفَرُوا بِهِ فَلَعْنَةُ اللَّهِ عَلَى الْكَافِرِينَ [] بِئْسَمَا اشْتَرَوْا بِهِ أَنْفُسَهُمْ أَنْ يَكْفُرُوا بِمَا أَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ بَغْيًا أَنْ يُنَزِّلَ اللَّهُ مِنْ فَضْلِهِ عَلَى مَنْ يَشَاءُ مِنْ عِبَادِهِ فَبَاءُوا بِغَضَبٍ عَلَى غَضَبٍ وَلِلْكَافِرِينَ عَذَابٌ مُهِينٌ [البقرة: 89-90]

“And when there came to them a Book from Allah, which confirms what was with them — while earlier, they used to seek help against those who disbelieved — yet when there came to them that which they did recognize, they denied it. So the curse of Allah is upon the disbelievers. Vile is that for which they have sold out their selves: that they should deny what Allah has revealed, grudging that Allah should send down some of His bounty to whomsoever He wills from among His servants. So, they came out with wrath upon wrath. And for the unbelievers, there is humiliating punishment.” (Al-Baqarah 2:89-90)

Imam Bukhari reported in his Saheeh al-Bukhari through Hadhrat Anas who narrated that when ‘Abdullah Ibne Salam heard about the arrival of the Prophet (SallAllaho Alaihe WaSallam) to Madinah al Munawwarah, he came to him and asked him about some things, saying: "I will ask about three things that none except a Messenger knows. What is the first sign of the Hour? What is the first meal that the dwellers of Jannah (Paradise) eat? Why is it that the child sometimes resembles his father and other times his mother?”

The Prophet (SallAllaho Alaihe WaSallam) said: "Jibreel (Gabriel) informed about this earlier.

Abdullah Ibne Salam said: "That is the Jews’ enemy from the angels.”

The Prophet (SallAllaho Alaihe WaSallam) said: "As for the first sign of the Hour, it is a fire that gathers the people from the East and the West. As for the first meal that the dwellers of Jannah eat, it is a portion of the fish liver. As for the child, if the water (i.e. sperm) of the man comes before that of the woman, the child resembles his father and if the mother’s water comes first then the child resembles her.”

Thereupon, Abdullah Ibne Salam said: "I bear witness that none has the right of being worshipped but Allah and that you are His Messenger.”

Then Abdullah Ibne Salam said: "O Allah (Subhaanahu Wa Ta’aalaa)’s Messenger (SallAllaho Alaihe WaSallam)! The Jews are people of falsehood. So ask them about me before they realize that I have become Muslim.

The Jews came and the Prophet (SallAllaho Alaihe WaSallam) asked them: "How do you grade ‘Abdullah Ibne Salam within your community.”

They said: "Our best and the son of our best.”

Thereupon, the Prophet (SallAllaho Alaihe WaSallam) said: "What if ‘Abdullah Ibne Salam becomes Muslim?”

They said: "May Allah protect him from that!”

The Prophet (SallAllaho Alaihe WaSallam) then repeated the same questions and the Jews repeated the same answers. At that time, ‘Abdullah Ibn Salam came out to them and said: ‘I bear witness that none has the right to be worshipped but Allah and that Muhammad is His Messenger.’

Thereupon, they (the Jews) said: "He is our worst and the son of our worst.”

They demeaned Abdullah Ibne Salam, but he said: ‘This is what I feared, O Allah (Subhaanahu Wa Ta’aalaa)’s Messenger (SallAllaho Alaihe WaSallam)!”

Imam Ahmad reported in his Musnad that Abdullah Ibne Abbas said: "A group of Jews came one day to the Prophet (SallAllaho Alaihe WaSallam) and said:

“O Abu Al-Qaasim! Tell us some things that only true messengers of Allah know.”

The Prophet (SallAllaho Alaihe WaSallam) said: "Ask me about whatever you wish, but promise me by the Name of Allah and by the covenant Prophet Ya’qoob took from his sons, that if I tell something that you know, then you will follow me and become Muslims.”

They said: "That’s for you.”

Thereupon they said: "Tell us about the following four things: tell us about the meal that Israel forbade himself before the revelation of the Torah and tell us about the water (sperm) of the woman and the water of the man how is the male child formed from that? And tell us this illiterate Prophet during his sleep and who is his guardian from the angels.”

The Prophet (SallAllaho Alaihe WaSallam) said: "Do you accept by the covenant of Allah that you will follow me if I inform you?”

They gave him as much covenant and promise as he wished. Then the Prophet -(SallAllaho Alaihe WaSallam) said: "I ask you by the One Who revealed the Torah to Moosaa! Do you know that Israel (Ya’qoob) fell badly sick and his sickness took a long time, then he made a vow to Allah that he would forbid on himself the food he liked most if Allah cures him, and the food he liked most was camel meat and the drink was camel milk?”

They said: "Yes.”

He said: "O Allah! Testify against them.”

Then Prophet (SallAllaho Alaihe WaSallam) said: "I ask you by Allah, the One Who has no partners Who revealed the Torah to Moosaa! Do you know that the man’s water is white and thick and that the woman’s water is yellow and thin. Any of the two waters gets above the other gets the resemblance of the child in his sex and characters by the will of Allah. If the water of the man gets over the woman it is a male by the Will of Allah and if the water of the woman gets above that of the man then it is a female by the Will of Allah?”

They said: “By Allah! What you said is true.”

The Prophet (SallAllaho Alaihe WaSallam) said: "O Allah! Testify against them.”

Then he said: "I ask you by the One Who revealed Torah to Moosaa! Do you know that the eyes of this illiterate Prophet sleep but his heart does not?”

They said: “By Allah! That is true.”

He said: "O Allah! Testify against them.”

They said: “You, now tell us about your guardian from the angels, we will stay with you or leave you according to that.”

The Prophet (SallAllaho Alaihe WaSallam) said: "My guardian is Jibreel (Gabriel) and Allah never sent any Prophet but he was his guardian.”

The Jews said: “So, we will separate from you. Had your guardian been another angel not Jibreel, we would have followed you and believed in what you brought.”

The Prophet (SallAllaho Alaihe WaSallam) said: "But what prevents you from believing in him?”

They said: “He is our enemy.”

Then Allah (Subhaanahu Wa Ta’aalaa) revealed the following Aayaat (Verses), which means:

قُلْ مَنْ كَانَ عَدُوًّا لِجِبْرِيلَ فَإِنَّهُ نَزَّلَهُ عَلَى قَلْبِكَ بِإِذْنِ اللَّهِ مُصَدِّقًا لِمَا بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ وَهُدًى وَبُشْرَى لِلْمُؤْمِنِينَ [البقرة: 97]

“Say, if someone is an enemy to Jibra‘il (Gabriel) (it can by no means degrade him for) it is he who has brought it (the Quraan) down upon your heart by the permission of Allah…….” (Al-Baqarah 2:97)

Allah (Subhaanahu Wa Ta’aalaa) further says, which means:

وَلَمَّا جَاءَهُمْ رَسُولٌ مِنْ عِنْدِ اللَّهِ مُصَدِّقٌ لِمَا مَعَهُمْ نَبَذَ فَرِيقٌ مِنَ الَّذِينَ أُوتُوا الْكِتَابَ كِتَابَ اللَّهِ وَرَاءَ ظُهُورِهِمْ كَأَنَّهُمْ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ [البقرة: 101]

“And when a messenger from Allah came to them, confirming what was already with them, some from among the people of the Book threw the Book of Allah behind their backs, as if they did not know.” (Al-Baqarah 2:101)

Allah (Subhaanahu Wa Ta’aalaa) also says, which means:

فَبَاءُوا بِغَضَبٍ عَلَى غَضَبٍ [البقرة: 90]

“So, they came out with wrath upon wrath. (Al-Baqarah 2:90)