The Earth Seized a Horse

One Account, One Miracle

The Earth Seized a Horse

Arshad Aslam Attari Madani

Suhayb returned home from tuition. “Show me what you guys bought from the shop!” he shouted. Suhayb’s sister, Umm Habiba, entered the room. “Look at my bangles, Suhayb,” she said excitedly, showing them to him.

“They look great!” Suhayb exclaimed, “Let me see them from up close!”

Suhayb could not contain himself. “Show me what you brought for me!” he said eagerly, peeking inside the shopping bag.

Umm Habiba replied, “I only went to get things for myself, I didn’t bring anything for you.” Suhayb’s expression changed at once. Looking as though he would burst into tears at any second, he quietly went and sat to the side.

Suhayb’s grandfather came in. “What happened?” he asked, seeing Suhayb was clearly upset. “Everyone went shopping, but they didn’t get me anything!” he complained. His sadness turned into anger, and he bellowed, “That’s it! I’m going to take those bangles for myself and not give them back!”

Grandfather sat Suhayb on his lap and lovingly kissed his forehead. “Suhayb, you are a good boy, and good children do not act stubbornly.” To lift Suhayb’s spirits, he continued “I was about to tell you of a miracle, but Suhayb seems to be upset! I will only tell him about it when his mood is better.”

Suhayb immediately sat in front of Grandfather, as though he was never upset. Khubayb had entered the room in the meantime, and beamed, “Suhayb loves to hear about the miracles of our beloved Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم! Look at how his mood improved at once.” Suhayb smilingly replied, “Now everyone please be quiet! Let me hear this miracle!”

Grandfather began to narrate the miracle:

Our beloved Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم was born in Makkah, at a time when the majority of people who lived there were disbelievers. He invited them towards Islam, to believe in Allah Almighty and to become Muslim. Some accepted Islam after hearing his beautiful words, but there were others who did not like people becoming Muslim.

“But being Muslim is a good thing!” exclaimed Umm Habiba. “Why did the disbelievers not like it?”

Grandfather replied:

As they were disbelievers, they wanted everyone else to disbelieve too. As Islam began to spread, these disbelievers became bitter enemies of our beloved Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم and began to torment him. They even conspired to take the blessed life of the Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم. But, Allah Almighty informed His Prophetصَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم about the disbelievers’ plots and commanded him to migrate from Makkah to Madinah.

A few days later, the disbelievers surrounded the home of the final Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم one night. Whilst reciting Surah Yāsīn, the beloved Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم exited his home and passed right by the disbelievers, but none of them even saw him! When the disbelievers came to know of this in the morning, they became frustrated and enraged.

Khubayb asked, “Grandad, the disbelievers wanted our Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم to leave Makkah; so, they should have been happy now. Why did they become angry?”

Grandfather answered, “These disbelievers had planned to take the blessed life of our Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم. Their plan had failed, which is why they were angry.”

Grandfather went quiet for some time, and then continued:

Despite our beloved Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم leaving Makkah, the disbelievers were trying to find some way to carry out their plan. They announced a huge reward for the one who would bring the Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم to them. Sayyidunā Surāqa رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ عَـنْهُ also heard this announcement; at that time, he had not yet become Muslim. He later accepted Islam and became from amongst the honourable Companions.

After hearing this announcement, as he was not yet Muslim, he did not have true recognition of right and wrong. Thus, he set out in search of our beloved Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم, hoping to claim this bounty. Eventually, he managed to find the whereabouts of the final Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم.

The children gasped. “What happened next?” they asked. “Did he try to take the Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم to the enemies?”

Grandfather quickly replied, “He did not have it in him to lay a hand on our beloved Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم.”

He then continued:

As Sayyidunā Suraqā advanced towards the Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم, the hooves of his horse sunk into the earth! In other words, the earth seized the horse, leaving it unable to move. This is a miracle of the Messenger of Allah صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم. Sayyidunā Surāqa tried his best to free the horse but was unable to do so. He was overcome with fear and began to call out, “Save me, save me!”

“Then what happened, grandad?” asked Khubayb. “How was his horse freed?”

Grandfather explained, “As our Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم has the best character, he would always keep other people in mind. Even though Sayyidunā Surāqa was not yet a Muslim, not yet a Companion, and was an enemy at that time, our beloved Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم still helped him and saved him from his worries!”

“How did our Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم help Sayyidunā Surāqa?” Umm Habiba asked.

Grandfather replied:

“Everything obeys the commands of our Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم; the earth, the sky, the sun, the moon and everything else. He made du’a, and the earth let go of Sayyidunā Surāqa’s horse.^[1]  In this way, he alleviated Sayyidunā Surāqa’s worries in the most beautiful of ways.

The Messenger of Allah صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم knew that Sayyidunā Surāqa was in search of reward in return for bringing him to the disbelievers. Allah Almighty had informed our Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم regarding the future of every person, and he knew the future of Sayyidunā Surāqa too. Revealing this knowledge he had, he said, “Surāqa, you will wear the gold bangles of Kisra (the king of Iran).”

“Did he wear the gold bangles then?” Umm Habiba asked.

Grandfather beamed:

“Dear child, our beloved Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم had said it, so of course it was going to happen! After a brief time, Sayyidunā Surāqa رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ عَـنْهُ embraced Islam and became an honourable Companion. After many years, when the Muslims were under the leadership of the second Caliph, Sayyidunā ʿUmar رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ عَـنْهُ, a war broke out between the Muslims and the disbelievers, which led to the Muslims conquering Iran and attaining vast treasures. Among these treasures were the gold bangles of the king. Sayyidunā ʿUmar رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ عَـنْهُ himself took these bangles and placed them on the wrist of Sayyidunā Surāqa. Like this, the prophecy of our Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم came to pass.”^[2]

“Grandad, is telling the future also a miracle of our Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم?” asked Suhayb.

“Yes, it is!” he replied. “There are many more miracles like this, which I will tell you about at another time. Come! We will get a gift for you first!” So, Suhayb quickly stood up and went with Grandfather.