strength for this end. Yes, Abu Hurayra devoted his entire life to memorizing Hadiths, while ‘Umar was occupied with the world of politics and the Caliphate. ‘Umar therefore narrated very few traditions, relying on persons like Abu Hurayra, Anas, and Jabir, to teach the Hadiths to the Muslim community. Furthermore, on a well-known, truthful, sincere, honest, and trusted Companion reporting an incident through one chain, it was regarded as sufficient, and no need remained for another to narrate it. This is why some significant events were narrated through only two or three chains of transmission.

ELEVENTH SIGN

As the Tenth Sign explained miracles of the Prophet related to trees, the Eleventh Sign will describe how rocks and mountains among lifeless creatures also demonstrated prophetic miracles. Here we cite a few out of numerous instances.

F i r s t E x a m p l e : The great scholar of the Maghrib, Qadi Iyad, in his Shifa’ al-Sharif, with a celebrated chain of authorities, and great imams like Bukhari, report through an authentic narration, from Ibn Mas‘ud, the Prophet’s servant: “While eating together with God’s Noble Messenger (Upon whom be blessings and peace), we used to hear the food glorifying God.”(156)

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(156) Bukhari, Manaqib 25; Tirmidhi, Manaqib 6 (Tahqiq: Ibrahim A’wad) no: 3633; Musnad i, 460; Qadi Iyad, al-Shifa: i, 306; Ali al-Qari, Sharh al-Shifa: i, 627; Ibn Kathir, al-Bidaya wa’l-Nihaya vi, 97-8, 133.