Hadiths about Muhammad
Hadiths Concerning Muhammad the Messenger of Allah
From being a prophet only to the Arabs who had no previous scripture the Quran goes on to portray Muhammad as the unique, final and universal messenger to all the nations of the world. This Prophet and his Quran are said to supersede Judaism and Christianity. This need of another effective universal messenger is not only false but irrelevant as Jesus Christ has dealt with the sin problem being the final and sufficient answer to the need of mankind to have peace with God.
Hebrews Chapter 1 verse 1 – 3: “God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high”
Below we list appropriate Hadiths taken from Bukhari and Muslim which emphasise his claims to the peculiar office of the Apostle of God.
Muhammad the final brick
> “Abu Huraira reported Allah’s Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying: The similitude of mine and that of the Apostles before me is that of a person who built a house quite imposing and beautiful and he made it complete but for one brick in one of its corners. People began to walk round it, and the building pleased them and they would say: But for this brick your building would have been perfect. Muhammad (may peace be upon him) said: And I am that final brick. (Muslim Book 30, Number 5674)
Muhammad affirms he is the Apostle of God
> “Narrated Anas bin Malik: While we were sitting with the Prophet in the mosque, a man came riding on a camel. He made his camel kneel down in the mosque, tied its foreleg and then said: “Who amongst you is Muhammad?” At that time the Prophet was sitting amongst us (his companions) leaning on his arm. We replied, “This white man reclining on his arm.” Then he addressed him, “O Son of ‘Abdul Muttalib.” The Prophet said, “I am here to answer your questions.” The man said to the Prophet, “I want to ask you something and will be hard in questioning. So do not get angry.” The Prophet said, “Ask whatever you want.” The man said, “I ask you by your Lord, and the Lord of those who were before you, has Allah sent you as an Apostle to all the mankind?” The Prophet replied, “By Allah, yes.” (Bukhari Volume 1, Book 3, Number 63)
Muhammad’s ring engraved ‘Muhammad the Apostle of Allah’
> “Narrated Ibn. ‘Umar: Allah’s Apostle wore a gold ring or a silver ring and placed its stone towards the palm of his hand and had the name ‘Muhammad, the Apostle of Allah’ engraved on it. The people also started wearing gold rings like it, but when the Prophet saw them wearing such rings, he threw away his own ring and said. “I will never wear it,” and then wore a silver ring, whereupon the people too started wearing silver rings. Ibn Umar added: After the Prophet Abu Bakr wore the ring, and then Umar and then ‘Uthman wore it till it fell in the Aris well from ‘Uthman. bin ‘Umar: Allah’s Apostle wore a gold ring, then he threw it and said, “I will never wear it.” The people also threw their (gold) rings. (Bukhari Volume 7, Book 72, Number 756)
> “Narrated Anas bin Malik: When the Prophet intended to write to the Byzantines, the people said, “They do not read a letter unless it is sealed (stamped).” Therefore the Prophet took a silver ring —- as if I am looking at its glitter now —- and its engraving was: ‘Muhammad, Apostle of Allah’ (Bukhari Volume 9, Book 89, Number 276).
The universality of Allah and the Apostle of God
> “Narrated Abu Huraira: While we were in the mosque, Allah’s Apostle came out to us and said, “Let us proceed to the Jews.” So we went along with him till we reached Bait-al-Midras (a place where the Torah used to be recited and all the Jews of the town used to gather). The Prophet stood up and addressed them, “O Assembly of Jews! Embrace Islam and you will be safe!” The Jews replied, “O Aba-l-Qasim! You have conveyed Allah’s message to us.” The Prophet said, “That is what I want (from you).” He repeated his first statement for the second time, and they said, “You have conveyed Allah’s message, O Aba-l-Qasim.” Then he said it for the third time and added, “You should know that the earth belongs to Allah and His Apostle, and I want to exile you from this land, so whoever among you owns some property, can sell it, otherwise you should know that the earth belongs to Allah and His Apostle.” (Bukhari Volume 9, Book 85)
> “Anas b. Malik reported: The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) said: Amongst the apostles I would have the largest following on the Day of Resurrection, and I would be the first to knock at the door of Paradise. (Muslim Book 1, Number 382)
The Apostlehood of Muhammad is universal – the red and the black
> “Jabir b. ‘Abdullah al-Ansari reported: The Prophet (may peace be upon him) said: I have been conferred upon five (things) which were not granted to anyone before me (and these are): Every apostle was sent particularly to his own people, whereas I have been sent to all the red and the black the spoils of war have been made lawful for me, and these were never made lawful to anyone before me, and the earth has been made sacred and pure and mosque for me, so whenever the time of prayer comes for any one of you he should pray wherever he is, and I have been supported by awe (by which the enemy is overwhelmed) from the distance (which one takes) one month to cover and I have been granted intercession. (Khattabi explains that the earlier prophets were not allowed to wage war against their enemies so the question of spoils did not arise. As far as booty was concerned lightning came from the sky and burnt the whole lot of it). Only Muhammad would have the privilege of intercession on Doomsday all the other apostles will be helpless. (Muslim Book 4, Number 1058)
The two truths – obeying Allah and obedience to the Apostle of God
> “Narrated Abu Huraira: Allah’s Apostle said, “Whoever obeys me, obeys Allah, and whoever disobeys me, disobeys Allah, and whoever obeys the ruler I appoint, obeys me, and whoever disobeys him, disobeys me.” (Bukhari Volume 9, Book 89, Number 251)
> ” (the narrator) said: During the time of Tabuk expedition, the (provisions) ran short and the men (of the army) suffered starvation; they said: Messenger of Allah, would you permit us to slay our camels? We would eat them and use their fat. The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) said: Do as you please. He (the narrator) said: Then ‘Umar came there and said: Messenger of Allah, if you do that (if you give your consent and the men begin to slay their camels), the riding animals would become short. But (I would suggest you to) summon them along with the provisions left with them Then invoke Allah’s blessings on them (different items of the provisions) It is hoped Allah shall bless them. The Messenger of Allah replied in the affirmative. (the narrator) said: He called for a leather mat to be used as a table cloth and spread it out. Then he called people along with the remaining portions of their provisions. He (the narrator) said: Someone was coming with handful of mote, another was coming with a handful of dates, still another was coming with a portion of bread, till small quantities of these things were collected on the table cloth. He (the narrator said): Then the messenger of Allah invoked blessing (on them) and said: Fill your utensils with these provisions. He (the narrator) said: They filled their vessel to the brim with them, and no one amongst the army (which comprised of 30,000 persons) was left even with a single empty vessel. He (the narrator) aid: They ate to their fill, and there was still a surplus. Upon this the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) remarked: I bear testimony that there is no god but Allah and I am the messenger of Allah. The man who meets his Lord without harbouring any doubt about these two (truths) would never be kept away from Paradise. (Muslim Book 1, Number 42)
The Apostle of Allah’s knowledge impresses a Jew
> “Thauban, the freed slave of the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him), said: While I was standing beside the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) one of the rabbis of the Jews came and said: Peace be upon you, O Muhammad. I pushed him back with a push that he was going to fall. Upon this he said: Why do you push me? I said: Why don’t you say: O Messenger of Allah? The Jew said: We call him by the name by which he was named by his family. The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) said: My name is Muhammad with which I was named by my family. The Jew said: I have come to ask you (something). The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) said: Should that thing be of any benefit to you, if I tell you that? He (the Jew) said: I will lend my ears to it. The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) drew a line with the help of the stick that he had with him and then said: Ask (whatever you like). Thereupon the Jew said: Where would the human beings be on the Day when the earth would change into another earth and the heavens too (would change into other heavens)? The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) said: They would be in darkness beside the Bridge. He (the Jew) again said: Who amongst people would be the first to cross (this bridge)? He said: They would be the poor amongst the refugees. The Jew said: What would constitute their breakfast when they would enter Paradise? He (the Holy Prophet) replied: A caul of the fish-liver. He (the Jew) said. What would be their food after this? He (the Holy Prophet) said: A bullock which was fed in the different quarters of Paradise would be slaughtered for them. He (the Jew) said: What would be their drink? He (the Holy Prophet) said: They would be given drink from the fountain which is named” Salsabil”. He (the Jew) said: I have come to ask you about a thing which no one amongst the people on the earth knows except an apostle or one or two men besides him. He (the Holy Prophet) said: Would it benefit you if I tell you that? He (the Jew) said: I would lend ears to that. He then said: I have come to ask you about the child. He (the Holy Prophet) said: The reproductive substance of man is white and that of woman (i.e. ovum central portion) yellow, and when they have sexual intercourse and the male’s substance (chromosomes and genes) prevails upon the female’s substance (chromosomes and genes) prevails upon the female’s substance (chromosomes and genes), it is the male child that is created by Allah’s Decree, and when the substance of the female prevails upon the substance contributed by the male, a female child is formed by the Decree of Allah. The Jew said: What you have said is true; verily you are an Apostle. He then returned and went away. The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) said: He asked me about such and such things of which I have had no knowledge till Allah gave me that” (Muslim Book 3, Number 614)