Abdul Rasool Syed
THE month of Rabi-ul Awal enjoys prominence in Islamic
calendar. On 12th of this blessed month, the great Last Prophet
(SAW) was born. This very day, is therefore, marked by the Muslims with great reverence and devotion all across the globe. Muslims commemorate this day as Eid and, therefore, the day is also popular among the Muslims by the name of “Eid Milad-ul Nabi”. Muslims on this day, in order to express their profound love for Holy Prophet (SAW), decorate their homes with flags, bunting, and glimmering lights; they also arrange grand symposiums in which Naat Khawan and religious scholars pay rich tribute to Holy Prophet (SAW) in their respective ways. The event of holy prophet’s birth is, undoubtedly, a moment of immense jubilation for every Muslim and an unusual event in human history. The history is witness to the fact that many extraordinary and miraculous events occurred during birth of Holy Prophet (SAW).
When lady Amina (R.A) the mother of holy Prophet became pregnant, she saw in a dream that a light came out of her that lit the land as far north as Syria. She was also told in her dream that she was pregnant with the master of this nation and the sign of that would be that when she gave birth to him she would see a light coming out with him that would shine over Bosra in Syria. When this happens, she was told, call him Muhammad (SAW). I conceived him she said, and suffered no pain until delivery. When he came out of me, a light came out with him that illuminated everything from East to West that I was able to see the palaces of Syria. The Prophet (SAW) later confirmed this, saying, my mother saw, when she gave birth to me, a light that illuminated the palaces of Bosra. Further, Hazrat Aisha (R.A) narrated that there was a Jewish merchant in Mecca on the night when Prophet was born. He inquired, Oh, people of Quraish, was there any newborn among you? They replied, we don’t know. He said, tonight, the Prophet of this last nation was born. Between his shoulders there is a mark containing a few hairs on it like a horse’s mane (part on the back of horse’s neck). They accompanied the Jew and went to the Prophet’s mother, and asked her if they could see her son. She brought him to them and they uncovered his back and saw the birth mark, whereupon the Jew fell unconscious. When he regained consciousness, they asked him what the matter with you is. He answered, By Allah; Prophethood has gone away from the children of Israel. (Imam Ahmad Shihab ad-Din al-Qastallani).
Another miraculous event related to Mawlid of prophet was of Thuwaiba, the freed female slave of Abu Lahab. He freed her upon her bringing him the good news of the Prophet’s birth. After his death, Abu Lahab was seen in a dream, when he was asked, what was his condition after death? He answered, I am in the fire. However, I get a break on every Monday, when I am able to suck water from this spot between my fingers, and he gestured with two of his fingertips. This miracle is due to my freeing Thuwaiba when she brought me the good news of the birth of the Prophet. (Sahih Bukhari).
Let me conclude this piece by quoting Hazrat Halima Sadia (wet nurse of Holy Prophet); she said that it was a year of drought and famine and we had nothing to eat. I rode on a brown donkey. We also had with us an old she-camel. By Allah, we could not get even a drop of milk. We could not have a wink of sleep during the night for the child kept crying on account of hunger. There was not enough milk in my breast and even the she-camel had nothing to feed him. At length we reached Makkah looking for children to suckle. Not even a single woman amongst us accepted the Messenger of Allah (Peace Be Upon Him) offered to her. As soon as they were told that he was an orphan, they refused him. Every woman who came with me got a child to nurse and when we were about to depart, I said to my husband: By Allah, I do not like to go back along with the other women without any baby.
I should go to that orphan and I must take him. He said, there is no harm in doing so and perhaps Allah might bless us through him. So I went and took him. When I lifted him in my arms and returned to my place I put him on my breast and to my great surprise, I found enough milk in it. He drank to his heart’s content, and so did his foster brother and then both of them went to sleep although my baby had not been able to sleep the previous night. My husband then went to the she-camel to milk it and, to his astonishment; he found plenty of milk in it. He milked it and we drank to our fill, and enjoyed a sound sleep during the night. The donkey that she rode when she came to Makkah was lean and almost foundered; it recovered speed much to the amazement of Haleemah’s fellow travellers. Their barren land sprouted forth luxuriant grass and beasts came back to them satisfied and full of milk.
— The writer is a Legal practitioner-cum-columnist based in Quetta Balochistan.
