Terrifying Vision of Monster Camel

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

والصلوة والسلام على رسوله الكريم

والعاقبة للمتقين

An incident from the life of the Prophet Muhammad (sall Allahu alayhi wasallam) while he was still in Makka during the beginning of his prophetic ministry, reveals something about the immense spiritual power he wielded that even his sworn, mortal enemies testified to that spiritual power and would behold terrifying visions in connection with our Prophet (sall Allahu alayhi wasallam):

 

عَنِ ابْنِ إِسْحَاقَ ، قَالَ : حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الْمَلِكِ بْنُ أَبِي سُفْيَانَ الثَّقَفِيُّ ، قَالَ : قَدِمَ رَجُلٌ مِنْ إِرَاشٍ بِإِبِلٍ لَهُ مَكَّةَ فَابْتَاعَهَا مِنْهُ أَبُو جَهْلِ بْنُ هِشَامٍ ، فَمَطَلَهُ بِأَثْمَانِهَا وَأَقْبَلَ الإِرَاشِيُّ حَتَّى وَقَفَ عَلَى نَادِي قُرَيْشٍ وَرَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ جَالِسٌ فِي نَاحِيَةِ الْمَسْجِدِ ، فَقَالَ : يَا مَعْشَرَ قُرَيْشٍ ، مَنْ رَجُلٌ يُؤَدِّينِي ؟ وَفِي غَيْرِ هَذِهِ الرِّوَايَةِ : يُعَدِّينِي عَلَى أَبِي الْحَكَمِ بْنِ هِشَامٍ ، فَإِنِّي غَرِيبٌ ابْنُ سَبِيلٍ وَقَدْ غَلَبَنِي عَلَى حَقِّي ، فَقَالَ أَهْلُ الْمَجْلِسِ : تَرَى ذَلِكَ الرَّجُلَ ، وَهُمْ يُهْوُونَ لَهُ إِلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ لِمَا يَعْلَمُونَ بَيْنَهُ وَبَيْنَ أَبِي جَهْلِ بْنِ هِشَامٍ مِنَ الْعَدَاوَةِ ، اذْهَبْ إِلَيْهِ فَهُوَ يُؤَدِّيكَ عَلَيْهِ وَفِي غَيْرِ هَذِهِ الرِّوَايَةِ : يُعَدِّيكَ عَلَيْهِ ، فَأَقْبَلَ الإِرَاشِيُّ حَتَّى وَقَفَ عَلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَذَكَرَ ذَلِكَ لَهُ ، فَقَامَ مَعَهُ ، فَلَمَّا رَأَوْهُ قَامَ مَعَهُ ، قَالُوا لِرَجُلٍ مِمَّنْ مَعَهُمُ : اتْبَعْهُ فَانْظُرْ مَا يَصْنَعُ ، فَخَرَجَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ حَتَّى جَاءَهُ فَضَرَبَ عَلَيْهِ بَابَهُ ، فَقَالَ : مَنْ هَذَا ؟ قَالَ : مُحَمَّدٌ فَاخْرُجْ إِلَيَّ ، فَخَرَجَ إِلَيْهِ وَمَا فِي وَجْهِهِ بَايِحَةٌ وَقَدِ انْتَقَعَ لَوْنُهُ ، قَالَ : أَعْطِ هَذَا الرَّجُلَ حَقَّهُ ، قَالَ : لا تَبْرَحْ حَتَّى أُعْطِيَهُ الَّذِي لَهُ فَدَخَلَ فَخَرَجَ إِلَيْهِ بِحَقِّهِ ، فَدَفَعَهُ إِلَيْهِ ، ثُمَّ انْصَرَفَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ وَقَالَ لِلإِرَاشِيِّ : الْحَقْ بِشَأْنِكَ ، فَأَقْبَلَ الإِرَاشِيُّ حَتَّى وَقَفَ عَلَى ذَلِكَ الْمَجْلِسِ ، فَقَالَ : جَزَاهُ اللَّهُ خَيْرًا فَقَدْ أَخَذَ الَّذِي لِي ، وَجَاءَ الرَّجُلُ الَّذِي بَعَثُوا مَعَهُ ، فَقَالُوا : وَيْحَكَ مَاذَا رَأَيْتَ ؟ فَقَالَ : عَجَبًا مِنَ الْعَجَبِ ، وَاللَّهِ مَا هُوَ إِلا أَنْ ضَرَبَ عَلَيْهِ بَابَهُ ، فَخَرَجَ وَمَا مَعَهُ رُوحُهُ ، فَقَالَ : أَعْطِ هَذَا الرَّجُلَ حَقَّهُ ، فَقَالَ : نَعَمْ ، لا تَبْرَحْ حَتَّى أُخْرِجَ إِلَيْهِ حَقَّهُ ، فَدَخَلَ فَأَخْرَجَ إِلَيْهِ حَقَّهُ فَأَعْطَاهُ إِيَّاهُ ، ثُمَّ لَمْ يَلْبَثْ أَنْ جَاءَ أَبُو جَهْلٍ ، فَقَالُوا لَهُ : وَيْلَكُ مَا لَكَ ؟ فَوَاللَّهِ مَا رَأَيْنَا مِثْلَ مَا صَنَعْتَ ! ، فَقَالَ : وَيْحَكُمْ وَاللَّهِ مَا هُوَ إِلا أَنْ ضَرَبَ عَلَيَّ بَابِي ، وَسَمِعْتُ صَوْتَهُ ، فَمُلِئتُ رُعْبًا ، ثُمَّ خَرَجْتُ إِلَيْهِ ، وَإِنَّ فَوْقَ رَأْسِي لَفَحَلا مِنَ الإِبِلِ مَا رَأَيْتُ مِثْلَ هَامَتِهِ وَلا قَصَرَتِهِ ، وَلا أَنْيَابِهِ لِفَحْلٍ قَطُّ ، فَوَاللَّهِ لَوْ أَبَيْتُ لأَكَلَنِي

Narrated Ibn Ishaq that Abdul Malik bin Abi Sufyan al-Thaqafi narrated to us that a man from Irash arrived in Makka with his camel. Abu Jahl bin Hisham bought the camel from him but refused to pay its price. The man went away until he came across an assembly of Quraish. Meanwhile, the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, was sitting at a section of the Mosque. The man called out: “O Quraish! Is there any man who could aid me against Abul-Hakam bin Hisham for I am a stranger and a wayfarer and he has usurped my rights?”

The attendees of the assembly said to him: “Do you see that man?” hoping to make a jest of Allah’s Messenger, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, since they knew the enmity existing between him and Abu Jahl, “go to him, he will aid you against him,” they said. The man from Irash went toward the Messenger of Allah and narrated his ordeal to him. The Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, rose in his aid. When they saw the Prophet, peace and blessing of Allah be upon him, stood, they sent one of them to follow him. They said: “Follow him so that we may see what he intends to do.” The Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, then left for Abu Jahl’s residence. He knocked at his door. “Who is there?” Abu Jahl asked. “This is Muhammad, come out!” the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said.

Abu Jahl came out without any bloodshot face (of anger). The Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said: “Give this man his right.” Astonishingly, Abu Jahl said, “Right away, while you are still present I will give him what belongs to him.” So he went in and restored the man’s right. The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, went back and said to the Irashi, “here is your right”. The Irashi went away and came upon the initial gathering of men and said: “May Allah reward him, I have received my right.”

Soon afterward, the man whom they had sent with him (and had witnessed the incident) arrived. “Woe be to you, what did you witness?” “One of the most astonishing things,” the man began, “he did nothing other than knock at his door and he came out and he said to him, ‘give this man his right’ and he said, ‘right away while you are still present, I will give him what belongs to him.’ He then went in and brought to him his right.”

Shortly thereafter, Abu Jahl himself came to the gathering and they asked him: “Woe be to you! Whatever happened to you? We never saw anything like what you did (today).” Abu Jahl replied, “Woe be to you all! There was nothing other than he knocked at my door and when I heard his voice I was filled with fright. Then I came out to see that above his head was a ferocious looking bull camel with fiery shoulders and canines the type of which I have never seen before. By Allah, if I had refused, it would have devoured me!” (Dala’il an-Nubuwwa lil-Bayhaqi)