The Filling of an Empty Waterskin - Miracle of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ

Miracles of the final Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم

The filling of an empty waterskin

Sayyid Imran Akhtar Attari Madani

When those who witnessed the miracles of the final Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم focussed only upon explaining them with rationale or via outward means, they were unable to do so, and thus developed misplaced uncertainty. Yet, those who did not focus on outward means and instead centred upon the actual miracle; it was they who were filled certainty and tranquillity.

One such miracle of the Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم transpired before Umm Sulaym رَضِیَ اللّٰهُ عَنْهَا. She made butter from goat’s milk and filled a waterskin with it. Giving this to her maidservant, she said, “Take this and present it to Allah’s Messenger صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم, so food can be prepared from it.”

The maidservant took the waterskin, presented it the Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم, and said, “Umm Sulaym has sent this butter for you.” The Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم said, “Empty the waterskin and return it to her.” The maidservant did as instructed and returned. When Umm Sulaym رَضِیَ اللّٰهُ عَنْهَا saw the waterskin overflowing with butter, she told the maidservant she had ordered her to take it to the Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم. In reply, she said, “I did so. If you do not believe me, come and we shall ask.” Umm Sulaym رَضِیَ اللّٰهُ عَنْهَا took her maidservant with her to the Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم and said, “I sent a waterskin filled with butter to you, with this maidservant.”

The Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم replied, “Yes, she brought it.”

Umm Sulaym رَضِیَ اللّٰهُ عَنْهَا said, “I take oath by He who sent you with truth and guidance! That waterskin is full and overflowing with butter!”

The Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم responded, “Why are you surprised? Allah Almighty has arranged food for you, just as you arranged for His Prophet. Eat, and feed others.”

Umm Sulaym explains, “I came home, placed the butter into various vessels and left some in the waterskin, from which we prepared food for two months.”^[1]

This refilling and overflowing of the empty waterskin is a great miracle of the Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم. Several points can be learnt from this.

* Presenting sincere gifts to the righteous is a cause of blessings.

* If you deliver someone else’s gift to a person, make it clear who it is from, so the person receiving does not mistakenly assume it is from you.

* To verify a matter, one should contact the person it concerns directly, so doubts and misunderstandings can be dispelled.

* When something is sent to another person, it should be made clear to the one delivering whether the item is a trust or gift.

* If someone sends us an item of food or drink, we should return utensils, crockery, any special bag etc., it is sent with. This is unless custom dictates otherwise.

* Sometimes, Allah Almighty shows us the benefit of good and the consequence of evil inside this world.