Various Miscellaneous Incidents of 5 A.H. — Seal of the Prophets Vol. 2
Introduction
In this discourse from The Life & Character of the Seal of the Prophets (Volume 2), Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad (ra) details the historical events and scholarly insights surrounding Various Miscellaneous Incidents of 5 A.H..
Book Series: The Life & Character of the Seal of the Prophets (Volume 2)
Author: Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad (ra)
Section: XI – Treachery of the Banu Quraizah and the End of the Jews in Madinah, Laws of Marriage and Divorce
Pages: Book pp. 511–512 (PDF pp. 535–536)
Navigation: Book Table of Contents | « Previous: [Reality of the Bounties of Paradise] | Next: [Attention of the Holy Prophet (sa) Towards Military Exercise] »
Historical Account
During this year, various miscellaneous incidents also took place, for which exact dates have not been recorded in narrations. Among these incidents, one was the occurrence of an earthquake. When this quake was felt in Madīnah, the Holy Prophetsa exhorted the Companions that these were natural phenomena, from which a believer should take a lesson, and that on certain occasions, in order to make people vigilant, alert and attentive, Allāh the Exalted brings about such happenings.
[Tārīkhul-Khamīs Fī Aḥwāli Anfasi Nafīs, By Ḥusain bin Muḥammad bin Ḥasan, Volume 1, p. 502, Wuqū‘uz-Zalzalati Bil-Madīnah, Mu’assasatu Sha‘bān, Beirut]
In light of various narrations, it was in this year that Ḥajj was made obligatory. However, according to most scholars, these narrations are not correct and the actual era in which Ḥajj was officially prescribed was at a later time. Nonetheless, as mentioned above, ‘Īdul-Aḍḥā which is part and parcel of Ḥajj had already been instituted in 2 A.H. According to authentic narrations, it is also ascertained that from the very start, the Muslims believed in the Ka‘bah as being a holy place. As an act of voluntary worship, etc., they would perform circumambulation of the Ka‘batullāh as well whenever they could find an opportunity. However, the official and detailed obligation of the duty of Ḥajj was perhaps prescribed at a later date. Therefore, at this instance we shall leave this discussion. In the same year, i.e., 5 A.H., the Holy Prophetsa fell off of a horse as well and sustained injuries to his calf and thigh. Due to this, the Holy Prophetsa was required to lead the Ṣalāt whilst sitting.
[Sharḥul-‘Allāmatiz-Zarqānī ‘Alal-Mawāhibil-Ladunniyyah, By Allāmah Shihābuddīn Al-Qusṭalānī, Volume 3, pp. 100-101, Ghazwatu Banī Quraiẓah, Dārul-Kutubil-‘Ilmiyyah, Beirut, Lebanon, First Edition (1996) * Zādul-Ma‘ādi Fī Hadyi Khairil-‘Ibād, By Shamsuddīn Abū ‘Abdillāh Muḥammad bin Abī Bakr (Ibni Qayyim Al-Jauziyyah), p. 208, Faṣlun Fī Siyāqi Hadyihīsa Fī Ḥajjatihī, Mu’assisatur-Risālah, Beirut, Lebanon (2006)]
[Tārīkhul-Khamīs Fī Aḥwāli Anfasi Nafīs, By Ḥusain bin Muḥammad bin Ḥasan, Volume 1, p. 502, Suqūtu Ṣallallāhu ‘Alaihi Wa Sallama ‘An Farsihī, Mu’assisatu Sha‘bān, Beirut * Al-Muwaṭṭā, By Imām Mālik bin Anas, Kitābu Ṣalātil-Jamā‘ah, Bābu Ṣalātil-Imāmi Wa Huwa Jālisun, Ḥadīth No. 306]
Attention of the Holy Prophetsa towards Military Exercise
In the same year, due to engagement in war, the Holy Prophetsa
arranged for a few horse races. Even generally, the Holy Prophetsa would encourage his Companions to keep horses and master the art of riding. Keping Jihād in view as the primary purpose for this, the Holy Prophetsa considered such training to be a source of great spiritual blessing. As such, those Companions who possessed the means, keenly kept horses with great interest. In one narration, there is also an indication that the Companions would also practice jumping techniques on horseback as well. Similarly, the Holy Prophetsa would also arrange for camel races as well. The Holy Prophetsa himself also owned a she-camel which generally maintained its position ahead of the rest.
[Tārīkhul-Khamīs Fī Aḥwāli Anfasi Nafīs, By Ḥusain bin Muḥammad bin Ḥasan, Volume 1, p. 502, Musābaqatul-Khail, Mu’assisatu Sha‘bān, Beirut * Ṣaḥīḥul-Bukhārī, Kitābul-Jihād, Bābu Ghāyatis-Sabqi Lil-Khailil-Muḍammarah, Ḥadīth No. 2870]
[Ṣaḥīḥul-Bukhārī, Kitābul-Jihād, Bābu Maniḥtabasa Farsan Fī Sabīlillāh, Ḥadīth No. 2853]
[Tārīkhul-Khamīs Fī Aḥwāli Anfasi Nafīs, By Ḥusain bin Muḥammad bin Ḥasan, Volume 1, p. 502, Suqūtu Ṣallallāhu ‘Alaihi Wa Sallama ‘An Farsihī, Mu’assisatu Sha‘bān, Beirut]
[Ṣaḥīḥul-Bukhārī, Kitābul-Jihād, Bābu Nāqatin-Nabiyyisa, Ḥadīth No. 2872]
In actuality, it was a common practice of the Holy Prophetsa to emphatically encourage his Companions to exercise and develop military skills and in order to develop a keen interest, at times, he would even participate himself. On certain occasions, the Holy Prophetsa arranged for and spectated competitions in archery and swordsmanship as well. The Holy Prophetsa would also exhort that Muslims should remain active and walk briskly, so that the enemy would remain in awe of their strength and activeness, and so that Muslims also felt alert themselves. For the purpose of war, some of the Companions would even practice sprinting. In this respect, a Companion named Salamah bin Akwa‘ was so outstanding that certain narrations relate that he could even outstrip a horse at times. Once or twice, even the Holy Prophetsa himself raced Hadrat ‘Ā’ishahra. Even though this be in the form of leisure, this demonstrates the lively and active spirit of the Holy Prophetsa and his Companions, of which even the ladies were not bereft.
[Ṣaḥīḥul-Bukhārī, Kitābul-Jihād, Bābut-Taḥrīs ‘Alar-Ramyi, Ḥadīth No. 2899]
[Ṣaḥīḥul-Bukhārī, Kitābul-Maghāzī, Bābu ‘Umratil-Qaḍa, Ḥadīth No. 4256]
[Al-Iṣābah Fī Tamīziṣ-Ṣaḥābah, By Aḥmad bin ‘Alī bin Ḥajar Al-‘Asqalānī, Volume 3, p. 127, Salamatubnu ‘Amribnil-Akwa‘, Dārul-Kutubil-‘Ilmiyyah, Beirut, Lebanon (2005)]
[Sunanu Abī Dāwūd, Kitābul-Jihād, Bābu Fis-Sabqi ‘Alar-Rijli, Ḥadīth No. 2578]
Book Series: The Life & Character of the Seal of the Prophets (Volume 2)
Section: XI – Treachery of the Banu Quraizah and the End of the Jews in Madinah, Laws of Marriage and Divorce | Navigation: « Previous: [Reality of the Bounties of Paradise] | Next: [Attention of the Holy Prophet (sa) Towards Military Exercise] »