whole earth will be but His handful, and the heavens will be rolled up in His right hand,”(39:67) and said: ‘God the Compeller is exalting Himself and saying: I am the Compeller! I am the Compeller! I am the Mighty! I am the Most High!’ As he said this, the pulpit so trembled and shook that we were frightened that God’s Messenger (UWBP) would fall.” [^173]

[^173]: Muslim, Ṣifāt al-Qiyāma, 19-26; Musnad, ii, 88; al-Ḥākim, al-Mustadrak, ii, 252; Qāḍī Iyāḍ, al-Shifa’, i, 308; al-Khafājī, Sharḥ al-Shifā’, iii, 75; ‘Alī al-Qārī, Sharḥ al-Shifā’, i, 630; Ibn Ḥibbān, Ṣaḥīḥ, ix, 214.

Seventh Example

S e v e n t h E x a m p l e: It is reported through an authentic line of narrators from Ibn ‘Abbas, [^174] known as the Learned One of the Muslim Community and Interpreter of the Qur’an, and Ibn Mas‘ud, [^175] the Prophet’s (UWBP) servant and one of the great scholars of the Companions, that they said: “On the conquest of Mecca, there were three hundred and sixty idols around the Ka‘ba, fixed with lead to the stone. That day, the Noble Messenger (Upon whom be blessings and peace) pointed to each of the idols in turn with a stick he was holding curved like a bow, saying, ‘The Truth has arrived and falsehood has perished; indeed, falsehood is ever bound to perish.’(17:81) “Whichever one he pointed to, it fell down. [^176] If he pointed to the face of the idol, it fell backwards; otherwise it fell on its face. Thus they all toppled over and fell to the ground.” [^177]

[^174]: Muslim, Jihād, 87, no: 1781.

[^175]: Bukhārī, Maghāzī, 48; Maẓālim, 32; Tafsīr al-Qur’ān, 12; Tirmidhī, Tafsīr al-Qur’ān, 18 (Bāb: Sūra Bani Isrā’īl); Ibn Ḥibbān, Ṣaḥīḥ, no: 1702.

[^176]: In Bukhārī, Muslim, Tirmidhī, and other books, this much is recorded. Only in the following is the Ḥadīth complete.

[^177]: al-Haythamī, Majma‘ al-Zawā’id wa’l-Manbā’ al-Fawā’id, vi, 176 (from Ibn Mas’ūd).

Eighth Example

E i g h t h E x a m p l e: This is the famous story of the well-known monk Bahira. Before the beginning of his prophethood, God’s Noble Messenger (Upon whom be blessings and peace) was travelling towards Damascus to trade together with his uncle Abu Talib and some of the Quraysh. They rested when they came near the church of Bahira the monk. Bahira, who was a hermit and did not mix with people, suddenly came out. He saw Muhammad the Trustworthy (UWBP) among the caravan, and said: “He is the Lord of the World; he will be a prophet.” The Quraysh asked: “How do you know?” The holy monk replied: “I saw a small cloud over the caravan as you were coming. When you sat down, the cloud moved toward him and cast its shadow over him. I also saw trees and rocks prostrate themselves before him, which they only do before prophets.” [^178]

[^178]: Qāḍī Iyāḍ, al-Shifā’, i, 308; ‘Alī al-Qārī, Sharḥ al-Shifā’, i, 631; Tirmidhī, Manāqib, 3 (Bāb: Mājā’ fī Badī’ al-Nubūwwa); al-Mubārakfūrī, Tuḥfat al-Aḥwazī, no: 3699; al-Ḥākim, al-Mustadrak, ii, 615; Ibn Ḥishām, Sīrat al-Nabī, 115.