Was Prophet Muhammad
the one I saw in my dream?
By Abdulfatah Oladeinde
Friday
March 21, 2008
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| • Spiritual
leader of Marcaz Salam, Sheikh Moshood Jubril Ramadan
delivering a lecture at the 8th day Fidau prayers for
the late Chief Imam of Agege, Lagos Alhaji Abdulazeez
Sulaiman on Monday. Sitting beside him is a former Nigerian
diplomat, Sheikh (Ambassador) Isa Salahdeen.
Photo: MOSHOOD RAJI
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Assalamu Alaikum. I was recently reading a description of
the physical characteristics of the Holy Prophet. I formed
a picture in my mind. Then I saw in a dream, a man who looked
like the picture formed in my mind. I do not clearly remember
what he said, but I am afraid he might have said that some
Muslim brothers who I love very much would have a dream with
me in it.
I committed a sin in their house before, and before this dream,
I was always worrying that they might find out through a dream.
How do I know for sure if I saw the Holy Prophet in this dream.
This is worrying me very much.
Also, I just saw a dream, where I thought it was the Holy
Prophet again, during his last recitation of the Quran to
Jibreel (AS) during Ramadan. Zaid (RA) was there, too, but
also Hamzah (RA) was there in my dream. I know that Hamzah
(RA) wasn't really there, because he was martyred at Uhud.
So was this the Holy Prophet in this dream?
We will quote below a number of ahaadeeth which describe the
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). If what
you saw in your dream is in accordance with this, then you
did indeed saw the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be
upon him), because he said: "Whoever sees me in a dream
has really seen me, because Shaytaan cannot appear in my image."
(Reported by al-Bukhaari, 5729).
Rabee'ah ibn Abi 'Abd al-Rahmaan said: "I heard Anas
ibn Maalik (may Allah be pleased with him) describing the
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him).
He said: 'He was of average height, not too tall and not too
short, with a pinkish colour, not very white and not dark,
and his hair was neither very curly nor very straight. The
Revelation came to him when he was forty years old, and he
stayed in Makkah for ten years after the Revelation came,
then in Madeenah for ten years. When he died, there were no
more than twenty white hairs on his head and in his beard."
(al-Bukhaari, 3283).
Al-Baraa' ibn 'Aazib said: "The Messenger of Allah (peace
and blessings of Allah be upon him) was broad shouldered and
had thick hair coming down to his shoulders and earlobes.
He was wearing red garments. I have never seen anything more
beautiful than him." (Reported by Muslim, Kitaab al-Fadaa'il,
Baab Sifat Sha'r al-Nabi (peace and blessings of Allah be
upon him), no. 2338).
'Ali said: "He was neither tall nor short, and had large
hands and feet. He had a large head and was big-boned, and
the thin line of hair (starting from his chest and extending
to the navel) was long. When he walked, he would lean forward,
as if he was walking downhill. I have never seen anyone like
him, before or since." (Reported by al-Tirmidhi, 3570,
who said this is a saheeh hasan hadeeth).
Jaabir ibn Samurah said: "The Messenger of Allah (peace
and blessings of Allah be upon him) was dalee' al-fam, ashkal
al-'ayn and manhoos al-'aqib." Shu'bah said: "I
asked Maalik, 'What is dalee' al-fam?' He said: 'Wide-mouthed.'
I asked, 'What is ashkal al-'ayn?' He said, 'Big-eyed.' I
asked, 'What is manhoos al-'aqib?' He said, 'His heels were
not fleshy.'" (Saheeh Muslim, Kitaab al-Fadaa'il, 2339).
As for the sin, which you committed in the house of your brothers,
repent to Allah for this. If you took something that belongs
to them, then give it back. And Allah is All Forgiving, Most
Merciful.
Is there any evidence that Prophet Muhammad was unable to
read or write?
Allah says: "Those who follow the Messenger, the Prophet
who can neither read not write whom they find written with
them in the Tawraat and the Injeel, - he commands them for
al-Ma’roof (i.e., Islamic monotheism and all that Islam
has ordained); and forbids them from al-Munkar (i.e., disbelief,
polytheism of all kinds, and all that Islam has forbidden);
he allows them as lawful al-Tayyibaat (i.e., all good and
lawful as regards things, deeds, beliefs, persons, foods,
etc.), and prohibits them as unlawful al-khabaa’ith
(i.e., all evil and unlawful as regards things, deeds, beliefs,
persons, foods, etc.), he releases them from their heavy burdens
(of Allah’s Covenant) and from the fetters (bindings)
that were upon them. So those who believe in him (Muhammad),
honour him, help him and follow the light (the Qur’an)
which has been sent down with him, it is they who will be
successful."[al-A’raaf 7:157]
Al-Qurtubi, may Allah have mercy on him, said in his tafseer
of this aayah: "Allah says ‘al-ummi.’ Ibn
‘Abbaas, may Allah be pleased with him, said: ‘Your
Prophet was unlettered, unable to read or write or calculate.’
Allah says: ‘Neither did you (O Muhammad) read any book
before it (this Qur’an), nor did you write any book
(whatsoever) with your right hand . . .’ [al-‘Ankaboot
29:48]."
Ibn Katheer, may Allah have mercy on him, said in his tafseer
of the second aayah quoted [al-‘Ankaboot 29:48]: "Allah
says: ‘Neither did you (O Muhammad) read any book before
it (this Qur’an), nor did you write any book (whatsoever)
with your right hand . . .’ i.e., ‘you (O Muhammad)
lived among your people for a while before you brought this
Qur’an to them, and you never read any book or were
able to write anything. Everyone among your people and others
knows that you are an unlettered man, who does not read or
write.’
This is how he was described in the previous Books as Allah
said (interpretation of the meaning): ‘Those who follow
the Messenger, the Prophet who can neither read not write
whom they find written with them in the Tawraat and the Injeel,
- he commands them for al-Ma’roof (i.e., Islamic monotheism
and all that Islam has ordained); and forbids them from al-Munkar
(i.e., disbelief, polytheism of all kinds, and all that Islam
has forbidden) . . .’ [al-A’raaf 7:157].
Hence the Prophet will remain unable to write even one line
or one letter, until the Day of Resurrection. He had scribes
who would write down in front of him the Revelation and letters
to different regions. . . . Allah says: ‘. . . In that
case, indeed, the followers of falsehood might have doubted.’
[al-‘Ankaboot 29:48], i.e., if you had been good at
it (reading and writing), some of the ignorant people would
have doubted you and said that you had learnt this from the
previous Books left by the Prophets. Indeed, they say this
despite the fact that they know he was unlettered and unable
to write, as it says in the Qur’an: ‘And they
say: "Tales of the ancients, which he has written down,
and they are dictated to him morning and afternoon."’
[al-Furqaan 25:5]"
Allah says: "He it is Who sent among the unlettered ones
a Messenger from among themselves, reciting to them His Verses,
purifying them (from the filth of disbelief and polytheism),
and teaching them the Book and al-Hikmah (al-Sunnah). And
verily, they had been before in manifest error." [al-Jumu’ah
62:2]
Al-Qurtubi, may Allah have mercy on him, said in his tafseer
of this aayah: "It was said: ‘the unlettered ones’
means those who do not write. Such were the Quraysh. Mansoor
reported from Ibraaheem, who said: ‘Al-ummi (the unlettered
one) is the one who neither reads nor writes. "A Messenger
from among themselves" means Muhammad, who was unlettered
and never read a book nor learned how.’ Al-Mawardi said:
‘what is good about the fact that Allah sent an unlettered
Prophet? There are three things:
(i) His message fulfilled the foretelling of the previous
Prophets;
(ii) This made him similar to and closer to other Prophets;
(iii) This would eliminate all suspicion that he had learned
the message he preached from books and writings that he had
read."
I say: all of this is evidence of the miraculous nature and
truth of his Prophethood.
(The above has been summarised from the Tafseer of al-Qurtubi,
may Allah have mercy on him).
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