Letters ( revised ) | THE NINETEENTH LETTER | 167
(111-259)
She then sent it to God’s Messenger (Upon whom be blessings and peace). The Companions had begun to eat it, when the  Prophet  (Upon whom  be blessings  and  peace)  suddenly said:  “Withdraw  you hands! It tells me it is poisoned!” Everyone pulled back his hand. But Bishr b. al- Bara’ had eaten a single morsel and died from the effects of the severe poison. The Noble Messenger (Upon whom be blessings and peace) sent for the Jewess called Zaynab and asked her why she had done it. The inauspicious woman retorted: “I considered that if you were a prophet, it would not harm you; and if you were a king, I would save the people from  you.”[181] According  to some narrations,  the Prophet (UWBP) did not have her put to death, but left her to Bishr’s family to be killed.[182] Now listen to a few points demonstrating aspects of the miraculousness in this extraordinary incident:

The First: According to one narration, some of the Companions also heard the goat speaking.[183]

The Second: According to another, God’s Messenger (UWBP) said: “Say, Bismillah, then eat; the poison will not affect you.”[184] Ibn Hajar al-‘Asqalani does not accept this narration, but others do.

The  Third:  The  treacherous  Jews  wanted  to  deal  a  sudden  blow  at  God’s Messenger (Upon whom be blessings and peace) and his close Companions, but being informed  about this from the Unseen, the Prophet’s (UWBP) warning proved true, and their plot was uncovered and brought to naught. And when Muhammad (UWBP), from whom the Companions never heard an untrue statement, said: “This goat tells me that..., ” everyone believed him with conviction as sure as if they themselves had heard the goat.[185]

T h i r d  E x a m p l e : This consists of three instances of another miracle which resembles the Shining Hand and Staff of Moses:

The First: Imam Ahmad  b. Hanbal,  explaining  and authenticating  a narration from Abu Sa‘id al-Khudri, reports: “One dark and stormy night, the Noble Messenger (Upon whom be blessings and peace) gave Qatada b. al-Nu‘man a staff, saying:

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[181] From Abu Hurayra: Bukhari, Tibb, 55; Jizya, 7; Maghazi, 41; Abu Da’ud, Diyat, 6, nos: 4509, 4511, 1512; Darimi, Muqaddima, 11; Musnad, ii, 451. From Anas: Muslim, no: 2992; Bukhari, al-Hiba, 28; Abu Da’ud, Diyat, 6, no: 4508. From Jabir b. ‘Abdullah: Darimi, Muqaddima, 11; Abu Da’ud, Diyat, 6, no: 4510. For the lines of transmission and narrations about this Hadith, see, Abu Da’ud, Diyat, 6

[182] al-Hakim, al-Mustadrak, iii, 219; iv, 109; Bayhaqi, Dala’il al-Nubuwwa, vi, 256, 264; Ibn al-Qayyim, Zad al-Ma’ad, iii, 336.

[183] al-Tabrizi, Mishkat al-Masabih, no: 5931; Abu Da’ud, Diyat, 6; Darimi, Muqaddima, 11; al-Jizri, Jami’ al-Usul, No: 8888; al-Haythami, Majma’ al-Zawa’id, viii, 295-6

[184] Qadi Iyad, al-Shifa’, i, 317-9; ‘Ali al-Qari, Sharh al-Shifa’, i, 645.

[185] Abu Da’ud, Diyat, 6; Darimi, Muqaddima, 11; al-Haythami, Majma’ al-Zawa’id, viii, 295-6; Bayhaqi, Dala’il al-Nubuwwa, iv, 262.

No Voice

Letters ( revised )