Proving Muhammad’s صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم Prophethood

Miracles of the final Prophet صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم

Proving Muhammad’s صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم Prophethood

Sayyid Imran Akhtar Attari Madani

Dear children! Allah Almighty has ordered us to obey and follow His beloved and final Prophet Muhammad صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم. Even animals, birds, trees, and plants listened to him.

The final Prophet صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم was approached by a Bedouin, who asked, “How can I know you are a prophet?” He replied, “What do you think; if I call that branch of that date-palm tree and it comes off, will you bear witness I am a prophet?”  The Bedouin said yes.

The Prophet صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم called for it. The branch detached itself, came to the ground, and began hopping towards him. Some narrations even describe it as prostrating as it drew nearer. The Prophet صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم ordered it to return, which it promptly did. 

Seeing this amazing miracle of the final Prophet صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم, the Bedouin took an oath by Allah, saying that he would believe everything the Prophet صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم told him in the future, and also accepted Islam.[1]

A branch or fruit detaching itself from a tree like this does not fall into the realm of human comprehension. This is not a story about a normal person, but a miracle of the Prophet Muhammad صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم, and miracles cannot be understood by one’s intellect.

We learn several things from this:

* If we have a misunderstanding about someone, then instead of speaking to others about it, we should speak to the person directly. This way we will find out the truth and avoid misconceptions. Disbelievers would say wrong things about the final Prophet صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم, but whenever people came to him themselves, they learned the truth.

* If somebody asks us for proof about what we are saying, then instead of becoming upset, we should provide it to them.

* Before providing proof to someone, it is beneficial to ask whether they will accept such-and-such type of evidence; just as the Prophet صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم asked the Bedouin.

* Accepting someone’s word after they give correct proof is a virtue. Not accepting it and remaining stubborn on your mistake is misfortune.

* Allah Almighty granted lifeless things the ability to recognise and obey the Prophet صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم.

* When the power and authority of the Prophet صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم were shown, non-Muslims became Muslim.

Remember that our Islamic law has made it impermissible and haram for anybody to prostrate to other than Allah. Trees, stones, and animals are not bound by said law. This is why hadith prove them to have prostrated to the Prophet صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم ˹out of respect˺. Humans have been forbidden from prostrating to anyone besides Allah ˹out of respect or in worship˺.[2]