S e v e n t h  E x a m p l e : Scholars of Hadith relate from Ibn Mas‘ud with an authentic narration: “When, seeking guidance, the jinn of Nusaybin came to the Noble Messenger (UWBP) in the place called Batn al-Nakhl, a tree informed him of their coming.” Also, Imam Mujahid relates from Ibn Mas‘ud in the same Hadith: “The jinn asked for a proof of his prophethood, so the Noble Messenger (UWBP) commanded the tree, and it left its place, came to him, then returned to its place.”[139] That single miracle was sufficient for the race of jinns. So if a human being does not come to believe having heard of a thousand miracles like this one, is he not more of a devil than those described by the jinn as, “Some foolish ones among us”?[140]

E i g h t h  E x a m p l e : Tirmidhi reports in his Sahih from Ibn ‘Abbas through a sound line of transmission: “God’s Noble Messenger (Upon whom be blessings and peace) asked a beduin: ‘Will you testify that I am the Messenger of God if a branch of that tree comes to me when I call to it?’ He replied: ‘Yes.’ The Messenger (UWBP) called to the branch. It broke off and jumped over near him, then jumped back when he told it to do so.”[141]

There are many other examples similar to these eight that are narrated through many chains of transmission. Seven or eight strands of rope form a strong cable when they are put together. Similarly, the miracles related to trees, which were reported on the authority of the best-known and most veracious Companions in thus numerous chains of transmission, certainly have the strength of ‘consensus in meaning,‘ indeed, ‘true consensus.’ In fact, they take on the form of ‘consensus’ when passed down by the  Companions  to  the  following  generation.  In  particular,  the  accurate  books  of Hadith such as Bukhari, Muslim, Ibn Hibban, and Tirmidhi, ensured that the chains of authorities leading back to the time of the Companions were so sound, and they kept them thus, that reading a Hadith, say in Bukhari, is like hearing it directly from the Companions.

[139] Bukhari, Manaqib al-Ansar, 32 (Bab: Dhikr al-Jinn); Muslim, Salat, 150; ‘Ali al-Qari, Sharh al- Shifa’, i, 619.

[140] Qur’an, 72:4.

[141] Tirmidhi, Manaqib, 6; al-Mubarakfuri, Tuhfat al-Ahwazi, no: 3707; al-Haythami, Majma’ al- Zawa’id, ix, 10.