Letters ( revised ) | THE NINETEENTH LETTER | 144
(111-259)
After that the blessing of abundance disappeared and the barley began to dwindle rapidly. The man went to the Messenger (UWBP) and told him what had happened. God’s Messenger (UWBP) replied: “If you had not put it to the test by measuring  it, it would have lasted you a life-time.” [103]

E i g h t h  E x a m p l e : According to accurate books such as Tirmidhi, Nasa’i, Bayhaqi, and al-Shifa’ al-Sharif, Samura b. Jundub related that a bowl of meat was brought to the Noble Messenger (Upon whom be blessings and peace). From morning to evening, many groups of men came and ate from it. [104]

As we explained in the introduction to this section, this is not the narration of Samura alone, since he narrated this incident on behalf of all those present, and with their approval.

N i n t h  E x a m p l e : It is also narrated by reliable and trusted scholars such as the well-known author of al-Shifa’ al-Sharif, Ibn Abi Shayba, and Tabarani, that Abu Hurayra related: “The Noble Messenger (Upon whom be blessings and peace) commanded  me,  ‘Invite  the  poor  Meccan  migrants  who  have  made  the  bench (suffa) [105] of the mosque their home and who number more than a hundred.’ So I went and searched for them and gathered them together. A tray of food was set before us, and we ate as much as we wanted, then we arose. The dish was as full as it had been when first set down, only, there were fingermarks on the food. [106]

Thus, this incident was related by Abu Hurayra in the name of all the People of the Bench, supported by their confirmation. Hence, the incident is as definite as if all the People of the Bench had related it. Is it at all possible that if it had not been true those men of truth and perfection would have remained silent and not denied it?

              T e n t h  E x a m p l e : According to an authentic narration from ‘Ali, the Noble Messenger (Upon whom be blessings and peace) once gathered the Bani ‘Abd al- Muttalib. They were about forty, including some who would eat a young camel and drink a gallon of milk at one meal. Yet for them he had prepared only a handful of food. All ate and were satisfied, and the food remained  just as it had been before.



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[103] Muslim, Fada’il, 3, No: 2281; Bayhaqi, Dala’il al-Nubuwwa, vi, 114.

[104] Tirmidhi (Tahqiq: Ahmad Shakir), no: 2629; Abu Da’ud, Muqaddima, 9; Musnad, v, 12, 18; al- Hakim, al-Mustadrak, ii, 618.

          [105] The People of the Bench: those among the Meccan migrants (Muhajirun) who lived in the outer part of the mosque, who devoted their lives to the preservation and dissemination of the Qur’an, Sunna, and Hadith, and whose livelihood was provided by the Prophet (UWBP). (Tr.)

[106] Qadi Iyad, al-Shifa’, i, 293; ‘Ali al-Qari, Sharh al-Shifa’, i, 606; al-Haythami, Majma’ al-Zawa’id, viii, 308; Bayhaqi, Dala’il al-Nubuwwa, vi, 101.

No Voice

Letters ( revised )