S e v e n t h  E x a m p l e :  It is reported through an authentic line of narrators from Ibn ‘Abbas,[174] known as the Learned One of the Muslim Community and Interpreter of the Qur’an, and Ibn Mas‘ud,[175]  the Prophet’s (UWBP) servant and one of the great scholars of the Companions, that they said: “On the conquest of Mecca, there were three hundred  and sixty idols around  the Ka‘ba, fixed with lead to the stone. That day, the Noble Messenger (Upon whom be blessings and peace) pointed to each of the idols in turn with a stick he was holding curved like a bow, saying, ‘The Truth has arrived  and falsehood  has perished;  indeed,  falsehood  is ever  bound  to perish.’(17:81) “Whichever one he pointed to, it fell down.[176] If he pointed to the face of the idol, it fell backwards; otherwise it fell on its face. Thus they all toppled over and fell to the ground.”[177]

E i g h t h   E x a m p l e : This is the famous story of the well-known monk Bahira.  Before  the  beginning  of his prophethood,  God’s  Noble  Messenger  (Upon whom be blessings  and peace) was travelling towards Damascus  to trade together with his uncle Abu Talib and some of the Quraysh. They rested when they came near the  church of Bahira  the  monk.  Bahira,  who  was a hermit  and  did  not mix with people, suddenly came out. He saw Muhammad the Trustworthy (UWBP) among the caravan, and said: “He is the Lord of the World; he will be a prophet.” The Quraysh asked: “How do you know?” The holy monk replied: “I saw a small cloud over the caravan as you were coming. When you sat down, the cloud moved toward him and cast its shadow over him. I also saw trees and rocks prostrate themselves before him, which they only do before prophets.”[178]

[173] Muslim, Sifat al-Qiyama, 19-26; Musnad, ii, 88; al-Hakim, al-Mustadrak, ii, 252; Qadi Iyad, al- Shifa’, i, 308; al-Khafaji, Sharh al-Shifa’, iii, 75; ‘Ali al-Qari, Sharh al-Shifa’, i, 630; Ibn Hibban, Sahih, ix, 214.

[174] Muslim, Jihad, 87, no: 1781.

[175] Bukhari, Maghazi, 48; Mazalim, 32; Tafsir al-Qur’an, 12; Tirmidhi, Tafsir al-Qur’an, 18 (Bab: Sura Bani Isra’il); Ibn Hibban, Sahih, no: 1702.

[176] In Bukhari, Muslim, Tirmidhi, and other books, this much is recorded. Only in the following is the Hadith complete.

[177] al-Haythami, Majma’ al-Zawa’id wa’l-Manba’ al-Fawa’id, vi, 176 (from Ibn Mas’ud).

[178] Qadi Iyad, al-Shifa’, i, 308; ‘Ali al-Qari, Sharh al-Shifa’, i, 631; Tirmidhi, Manaqib, 3 (Bab: Maja’ fi Badi’ al-Nubuwwa); al-Mubarakfuri, Tuhfat al-Ahwazi, no: 3699; al-Hakim, al-Mustadrak, ii, 615; Ibn Hisham, Sirat al-Nabi, 115.