CHILDHOOD OF THE PROPHET
History
tells us that the life of the Prophet, the noble guide of the
Muslims, was replete with a chain of wonderful events from his very
childhood up to the time when he was entrusted with the prophetic
mission and all these events had an aspect of greatness. On the
whole these events testify that the life of the Prophet was not a
usual one.
As regards
the explanation of these events the writers are divided into two
groups, the materialists and a number of orientalists.
1. The
materialist scholars who look at the world from the material point
of view and consider the organisation of existence as confined
within the four walls of matter and believe that. all the phenomena
are material and dependent upon physical causes do not attach any
importance to these events and even though they may be supported by
a very strong authority, they do not pay any heed to them. The
reason for such an attitude on their part is that according to the
principles of materialism the occurrence of such events is
impossible. As and when, therefore, they observe such happenings
recorded in history they adjudge them to be the offspring of the
imagination, love and devotion of the followers of the particular
religion.
2.
There is also a group of the orientalists, who apparently present
themselves to be theists and godly persons and express belief in the
supernatural, but, on account of weakness of their faith, their
pride about their knowledge and predominance of materialism over
their thoughts, while analysing events, follow the principles of
materialism. We frequently come across this sentence in their
discourses "Prophethood is the state of being a human genius. A
Prophet is a social genius who illuminates the path of life of human
beings with his brilliant ideas etc.... " Discourses of this type
originate from a sense of materialistic thinking which considers all
religions to be the outcome of human reflection, although the
doctrinal scholars have proved, while discussing 'general
prophethood', that prophethood is a divine gift which is the source
of spiritual inspirations and connections, and, unless there is a
diffusion from the side of the Almighty, not the slightest benefit
can be derived by this side (i.e. by the Prophets). However, as the
Christian orientalist looks at these matters from the materialistic
point of view and wishes to measure all events in accordance with
the scientific principles, which have been discovered through tests
and expert meets, he subjects to criticism all those events which
have a supernatural aspect and denies their genuineness.
WORSHIPPERS OF ALLAH
These are
the people who believe that the properties and structure of the
material world are under the management of another world and another
power (the world of solitude and metaphysics) is responsible for the
order of the physical world. In other words the material world is
not free and independent and all its fixed rules and natural and
scientific laws are inspired by another world viz. the Will of the
Creator which surrounds all things that exist. It is He who has
created matter and enforced sound laws amongst its ingredients and
erected it on the basis of a chain of natural and scientific
principles.
Along with
believing in the scientific laws and whole heartedly accepting the
statements of scholars about the connections of physical beings upto
the extent to which they have been substantiated by science, the
people belonging to this group also believe that these scientific
rules and principles and the wonderful system of the material world
are connected with another organization, all parts of which revolve
according to the Will of that High Being. Furthermore, they do not
consider these scientific laws to be permanent and unalterable and
believe that watchful Power can change them at any time it likes, in
order to achieve some special object. It is competent to do so and
(not only competent but) has actually done this many times for such
aims and objects as it has had in view.
They say
that supernatural and surprising acts of the Prophets which do not
accord with the natural laws have been performed through this
channel. These people do not permit themselves unduly to reject or
doubt what they come across in the Holy Qur'an and in the Hadith as
well as in authentic and reliable history hooks merely on the ground
that it does not conform With the standards of nature and scientific
laws. Now we mention two events from the mysterious and wonderful
life history of the Holy Prophet relating to his childhood and when
this narrative is kept in view no room is left for any improbability
or doubt about them.
1. The
historians have quoted Halimah as saying: "When I assumed
responsibility for bringing up the new-born child of Aminah I
decided to feed the infant with my milk in the same assembly and in
the presence of his mother. So I put into his mouth my left breast
which contained milk, but the child was more inclined to my right
breast. However, I did not have any milk in my right breast since I
had given birth to my first-born. The insistence of the child made
me put my milkless right breast in his mouth, and, as soon as he
began sucking it, its dry mammary glands were filled with milk and
this incident made all those present wonder.[1]
2. She
also says "From the day I took Muhammad to my house I became all the
more prosperous and my wealth and herd increased".[2]
Undoubtedly in these matters the judgement of materialists and their
followers differs from that of the persons who worship Allah,
although none of them has observed these events and the only
evidence for them is the statement of the nurse of the Holy Prophet.
As those who follow materialistic principles cannot explain such
incidents through natural sciences, they immediately say that these
events are the creation of imagination. If they are very much
respectful they say that the Prophet of Islam did not stand in need
of such miracles. There is no doubt about the fact that the Prophet
did not stand in need of these miracles, but not standing in need of
something is a matter totally different from a judgement on its
being true or false. However, a godly person, who considers the
organism of nature to be conquered and subdued by the Will of the
Creator of the world and believes that the entire Universe including
the smallest being (viz. atom) and the biggest phenomenon (viz. the
Milky Way) rotates according to His plan and control. After studying
these events and their supporting evidence, he looks at all these
events with due respect and, even if he is not satisfied, he does
not reject them outright.
We come
across a similiar event in the Holy Qur'an regarding Maryam (mother
of Prophet 'Isa) about whom it has been said: When the time
for Maryam, being delivered of the child, drew near she lay down by
the trunk of a palm-tree and (on account of throes of childbirth,
loneliness and fear of accusations) she wished to Allah that she
might die. At this moment she heard a voice saying, "Do not despair.
Your Lord has provided a brook that runs at your feet and if you
shake the trunk of this (withered up) palm tree, it will drop fresh
ripe dates in your lap. (Surah Maryam, 19:24 - 25).
Although
there is a great difference between Maryam and Halimah from the
point of view of their respective positions and virtues, but a
similar difference also exists between the two new-born babes. And
if the personal merit and excellence of Maryam made her an object of
Divine blessings it is also possible that the position and rank
which this infant (i.e. Muhammad) was to acquire later might have
made his nurse worthy of Allah's bounties.
We also
learn something more about Maryam from the Holy Qur'an Her
chastity and piety had elevated her so much that whenever Zakariyah
visited her place of worship, he found heavenly food there, and when
he asked her from where that food had come, she used to say that it
had come from Allah. (Surah Ale Imran, 3: 32)
On this
basis we should not doubt the correctness of such miracles or
consider them to be impossible.
FIVE YEARS IN THE
DESERT
The Holy
Prophet spent five years amongst Bani Sa'd tribe and was
sufficiently grown up. During this period Halimah took him to his
mother twice or thrice and eventually made him over to her.
The first
time that Halimah took him to his mother was when his suckling
period was over. She, however, insisted on her giving him back to
her. The reason for her insistence was that this child had become a
source of bounties and blessings for her, and the reason why his
mother acceded to her request was that cholera had broken out in
Makkah at that time.
The second
time that she took him to l\lakkah was when a group of Ethiopian
clergymen came to the Hijaz and saw Muhammad amidst the tribe of
Bani Sa'd. They observed that all the signs of the Prophet who was
to come after Prophet 'Isa, as given in the Heavenly Books, were
found in this child. They, therefore, decided to take hold of him,
in whatever manner it might be possible, and to take him to
Ethiopia, so that the honour of having the Prophet might fall to the
share of that country.[3]
This is
not at all unlikely, because, as clearly mentioned in the Holy
Qur'an, the signs of the Prophet of Islam had been narrated in the
Injeel. It was, therefore, perfectly in order that the sages of that
time should have identified the person in whom those signs were
present. The Holy Qur'an says in this regard:
And of 'Isa,
who said to the Israelites: "I have been sent to you by Allah
to confirm the Taurat already revealed and to give news of an
apostle who will come after me. His name is Ahmad". Yet when he (the
Prophet about whom 'Isa had foretold), came to them with all the
signs and proofs to support his truthfulness), they said: "This is
plain magic ''. (Surah al-Saff, 61 6).
There are
other verses also which show that the signs of the Prophet of Islam
were clearly described in the Heavenly Books and the earlier peoples
were aware of them.[4]
Notes:
[1] Biharul Anwar, vol. XV, page 345
quoted from Fazatil-i Waqidi.
[2] Manaqib-i Ibn Shehr Ashob, vol. I,
page 24.
[3] Seerah-i Ibn Hisham, vol. I, page
167.
[4] Vide Surah al-A'raf, 7:157.
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