Chapter 7 of 336 min read

Chapter 7: The Prophet’s ﷺ journey with his uncle Abu Taalib to alShaam and the encounter with Baheerah the monk

الفصل السابع: سفر النبي ﷺ مع عمه أبي طالب إلى الشام وما جرى له مع بحيرى الراهب

Al-Haafidh Abu Bakr al-Kharaa’itee reported from the route of Younus Ibn Abee Is-haaq, from Abu Bakr Ibn Abee Moosaa that his father said: “Abu Taalib departed to al-Shaam, and the Prophet ﷺ left with him, along with some of the elders of Quraish. When they came across the monk – i.e. Baheerah 36 – they stopped there and began setting up their camp, and the monk came out to them. Before that, they used to pass by him and he wouldn’t come out nor pay attention to them.” He (Abu Moosaa) said: “They were setting up their camp when the monk was walking amidst them until he came and took the hand of the Messenger of Allaah ﷺ. Then he said: ‘This is the master of all mankind and Jinn; this is the Messenger of the Lord of the worlds. Allaah will raise him as a mercy to the men and Jinn.’ So, some of the elders of Quraish said: ‘What makes you know?’ He said: ‘When you people came along from the road, not a rock or a tree was left, except that it prostrated, and they do not prostrate except for a Prophet. And I can recognize him by the seal of the Prophethood which is below his shoulder blade, like an apple.’ Then he went back and made them some food, and when he brought it to them, he [the Prophet (ﷺ)] was tending to the camels. So he said: ‘Send for him.’ So he came, and there was a cloud over him that was shading him. He (the monk) said: ‘Look how the cloud is shading him.’ So, when he ﷺ came close to the people, he ﷺ found that they had beaten him to the tree’s shade. So when he ﷺ sat down, the shade of the tree leaned towards him. He (the monk) said: ‘Look at the shade of the tree leaning towards him.’” He (Abu Moosaa) said: “So while he was standing over them, telling them not to take him to Rome with him - because if the Romans were to see him, they would recognize him by his description, and they would kill him - he turned, and there were seven people who had come from Rome. So he faced them and said: ‘Why have you come?’ They said: ‘We came because this Prophet is going to appear during this month, and there isn’t a road left except that people have been sent to it, and we have been informed of him, and we have been sent 36 [TN: Shaikh al-Albaanee said in “Defense of the Prophetic narrations” pg. 69 (Arabic): “The name of the monk has not been mentioned in any of the authentic narrations. The name “Baheerah” was mentioned in some of the extremely weak narrations. In one of these chains is al-Waaqidee, who is a (known) liar; and the other is which Muhammad Ibn Is-haaq, the author of “al-Seerah” reported without a chain. These are the two narrations which many of the historians relied on, who referred to the monk with the name “Baheerah”. So their conclusion is not considered since the authentic narration is in opposition to it. Moreover, other historians like al-Mas`oodee are of the opinion that his name was “Jarjis”.]

to this road of yours.’ So he said: ‘Is there anyone better than you behind you?’ They said: ‘We only have news of him from this road of yours.’ He said: ‘Do you think that if there is a matter which Allaah wishes to bring about, there is anyone among the people who can turn it away?’ They said: ‘No.’” He (Abu Moosaa) said: “So they gave him their pledge, and they stayed with him. And he said: ‘I ask you by Allaah, which of you is his guardian?’ They said: ‘Abu Taalib.’ So he kept adjuring him until Abu Taalib returned him (back to Makkah) and he sent Abu Bakr and Bilaal with him. And the monk gave him provisions of Ka`k (a type of bread) and olive oil.” Reported by al-Tirmidhee, al-Haakim, al-Baihaqee, Ibn `Asaakir and others. Al-Tirmidhee said: “(This narration) is Hasan Ghareeb, we do not know it except from this route.] 37 I (Ibn Katheer) say: There are (things mentioned in) this (narration) which are weird and strange. This is from the Mursal narration of the Companions (i.e. a smaller Companion skipping the name of the senior Companion from whom he heard the incident). Abu Moosaa al-Ash`aree accepted Islaam in the year of the incident of al-Khaybar, i.e. the seventh year after Hijrah. So this narration is Mursal (hurried). This incident happened when the Messenger of Allaah ﷺ was, like some claimed, to be around twelve years old. Perhaps Abu Moosaa heard it from the Prophet ﷺ, or from some of the senior Companions رضي اهلل عنهم, or that it was common knowledge and he heard it from many routes. 38 [Shaikh al-Albaanee’s addition] On the authority of `Aaishah رضي اهلل عنها that the Prophet ﷺ said: ❝The Quraish had no courage (to harm me openly) till the death of Abu Taalib.❞ 37 [TN: Sunan al-Tirmidhee (3620), Mustadrak al-Haakim (4229), al-Baihaqee in al-Dalaail (2/25) and Shaikh alAlbaanee said: It is “sahih”, but the mentioning of Abu Bakr and Bilaal is rejected.] 38 I (al-Albaanee) say: These types of “could be” have been discussed in the science of hadith: The Mursal narrations of the Sahaabah are Hujjah (evidence). The defect in the narration is that there is the mention of Abu Bakr and Bilaal. Abu Bakr at that time would have been only nine or ten years old. This is based on the claim that the Prophet ﷺ at that time was twelve years old – but this is not proven authentically. Rather, the one who mentioned this age was from the narration of al-Waaqidee, as the author (Ibn Katheer) had mentioned, and alWaaqidee is accused of lying and his narrations are abandoned. So it could be that the incident happened years after from what is claimed. I have spoken about the authenticity of this hadith in details in my refutation of Dr. al-Bootee, in the book “Difaa` al-hadith” (pg. 62-72). I have mentioned seven Huffaadh (scholars of hadith) who have preceded me in authenticating this narration, one may refer to it. [TN: At this age which al-Waaqidee is claiming, Bilaal was not even born [See the above book of Shaikh al-Albaanee (pg.68).]

Reported by al-Haakim in al-Mustadrak (4243) and he said: “It is sahih as per the conditions of al-Bukhaaree and Muslim.” I (al-Albaanee) say: In its chain is `Uqbah al-Mujaddar, who is not from the narrators of al-Bukhaaree and Muslim, but he is truthful, and the chain of this narration is “Jayyid” (good). The author (Ibn Katheer) رمحه اهلل has mentioned it with different wording from the narrations of Ibn Is-haaq in the chapter: “death of Abu Taalib) along with other narrations. [End of Shaikh al-Albaanee’s addition]

Chapter 7 of 336 min read

Chapter 7: The Prophet’s ﷺ journey with his uncle Abu Taalib to alShaam and the encounter with Baheerah the monk

الفصل السابع: سفر النبي ﷺ مع عمه أبي طالب إلى الشام وما جرى له مع بحيرى الراهب

Al-Haafidh Abu Bakr al-Kharaa’itee reported from the route of Younus Ibn Abee Is-haaq, from Abu Bakr Ibn Abee Moosaa that his father said: “Abu Taalib departed to al-Shaam, and the Prophet ﷺ left with him, along with some of the elders of Quraish. When they came across the monk – i.e. Baheerah 36 – they stopped there and began setting up their camp, and the monk came out to them. Before that, they used to pass by him and he wouldn’t come out nor pay attention to them.” He (Abu Moosaa) said: “They were setting up their camp when the monk was walking amidst them until he came and took the hand of the Messenger of Allaah ﷺ. Then he said: ‘This is the master of all mankind and Jinn; this is the Messenger of the Lord of the worlds. Allaah will raise him as a mercy to the men and Jinn.’ So, some of the elders of Quraish said: ‘What makes you know?’ He said: ‘When you people came along from the road, not a rock or a tree was left, except that it prostrated, and they do not prostrate except for a Prophet. And I can recognize him by the seal of the Prophethood which is below his shoulder blade, like an apple.’ Then he went back and made them some food, and when he brought it to them, he [the Prophet (ﷺ)] was tending to the camels. So he said: ‘Send for him.’ So he came, and there was a cloud over him that was shading him. He (the monk) said: ‘Look how the cloud is shading him.’ So, when he ﷺ came close to the people, he ﷺ found that they had beaten him to the tree’s shade. So when he ﷺ sat down, the shade of the tree leaned towards him. He (the monk) said: ‘Look at the shade of the tree leaning towards him.’” He (Abu Moosaa) said: “So while he was standing over them, telling them not to take him to Rome with him - because if the Romans were to see him, they would recognize him by his description, and they would kill him - he turned, and there were seven people who had come from Rome. So he faced them and said: ‘Why have you come?’ They said: ‘We came because this Prophet is going to appear during this month, and there isn’t a road left except that people have been sent to it, and we have been informed of him, and we have been sent 36 [TN: Shaikh al-Albaanee said in “Defense of the Prophetic narrations” pg. 69 (Arabic): “The name of the monk has not been mentioned in any of the authentic narrations. The name “Baheerah” was mentioned in some of the extremely weak narrations. In one of these chains is al-Waaqidee, who is a (known) liar; and the other is which Muhammad Ibn Is-haaq, the author of “al-Seerah” reported without a chain. These are the two narrations which many of the historians relied on, who referred to the monk with the name “Baheerah”. So their conclusion is not considered since the authentic narration is in opposition to it. Moreover, other historians like al-Mas`oodee are of the opinion that his name was “Jarjis”.]

to this road of yours.’ So he said: ‘Is there anyone better than you behind you?’ They said: ‘We only have news of him from this road of yours.’ He said: ‘Do you think that if there is a matter which Allaah wishes to bring about, there is anyone among the people who can turn it away?’ They said: ‘No.’” He (Abu Moosaa) said: “So they gave him their pledge, and they stayed with him. And he said: ‘I ask you by Allaah, which of you is his guardian?’ They said: ‘Abu Taalib.’ So he kept adjuring him until Abu Taalib returned him (back to Makkah) and he sent Abu Bakr and Bilaal with him. And the monk gave him provisions of Ka`k (a type of bread) and olive oil.” Reported by al-Tirmidhee, al-Haakim, al-Baihaqee, Ibn `Asaakir and others. Al-Tirmidhee said: “(This narration) is Hasan Ghareeb, we do not know it except from this route.] 37 I (Ibn Katheer) say: There are (things mentioned in) this (narration) which are weird and strange. This is from the Mursal narration of the Companions (i.e. a smaller Companion skipping the name of the senior Companion from whom he heard the incident). Abu Moosaa al-Ash`aree accepted Islaam in the year of the incident of al-Khaybar, i.e. the seventh year after Hijrah. So this narration is Mursal (hurried). This incident happened when the Messenger of Allaah ﷺ was, like some claimed, to be around twelve years old. Perhaps Abu Moosaa heard it from the Prophet ﷺ, or from some of the senior Companions رضي اهلل عنهم, or that it was common knowledge and he heard it from many routes. 38 [Shaikh al-Albaanee’s addition] On the authority of `Aaishah رضي اهلل عنها that the Prophet ﷺ said: ❝The Quraish had no courage (to harm me openly) till the death of Abu Taalib.❞ 37 [TN: Sunan al-Tirmidhee (3620), Mustadrak al-Haakim (4229), al-Baihaqee in al-Dalaail (2/25) and Shaikh alAlbaanee said: It is “sahih”, but the mentioning of Abu Bakr and Bilaal is rejected.] 38 I (al-Albaanee) say: These types of “could be” have been discussed in the science of hadith: The Mursal narrations of the Sahaabah are Hujjah (evidence). The defect in the narration is that there is the mention of Abu Bakr and Bilaal. Abu Bakr at that time would have been only nine or ten years old. This is based on the claim that the Prophet ﷺ at that time was twelve years old – but this is not proven authentically. Rather, the one who mentioned this age was from the narration of al-Waaqidee, as the author (Ibn Katheer) had mentioned, and alWaaqidee is accused of lying and his narrations are abandoned. So it could be that the incident happened years after from what is claimed. I have spoken about the authenticity of this hadith in details in my refutation of Dr. al-Bootee, in the book “Difaa` al-hadith” (pg. 62-72). I have mentioned seven Huffaadh (scholars of hadith) who have preceded me in authenticating this narration, one may refer to it. [TN: At this age which al-Waaqidee is claiming, Bilaal was not even born [See the above book of Shaikh al-Albaanee (pg.68).]

Reported by al-Haakim in al-Mustadrak (4243) and he said: “It is sahih as per the conditions of al-Bukhaaree and Muslim.” I (al-Albaanee) say: In its chain is `Uqbah al-Mujaddar, who is not from the narrators of al-Bukhaaree and Muslim, but he is truthful, and the chain of this narration is “Jayyid” (good). The author (Ibn Katheer) رمحه اهلل has mentioned it with different wording from the narrations of Ibn Is-haaq in the chapter: “death of Abu Taalib) along with other narrations. [End of Shaikh al-Albaanee’s addition]