Miracle of Emerging Safe and Sound from the Fire (Abraham and Abu Muslim al-Khawlani)

 بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

الصلاة والسلام عليك يا سيدى يا رسول الله وعلى آلك واصحابك يا سيدى يا نور الله

In the Name of Allah, the Rahman, the Merciful

Prayers and peace be upon you, my Master, Apostle of Allah

And upon your Family and Companions, my Master, Light of Allah

Allah, Holy and Exalted is He, said:

قُلۡنَا یٰنَارُ کُوۡنِیۡ بَرۡدًا وَّسَلٰمًا عَلٰۤی اِبۡرٰہِیۡمَ

We said, “O fire, be cool and safe upon Abraham”

(Surah 21, Ayah 69)

וַיָּמָת הָרָן עַל פְּנֵי תֶּרַח אָבִיו (בראשית יא, כח), רַבִּי חִיָּא בַּר בְּרֵיהּ דְּרַב אַדָא דְּיָפוֹ, תֶּרַח עוֹבֵד צְלָמִים הָיָה, חַד זְמַן נְפֵיק לַאֲתַר, הוֹשִׁיב לְאַבְרָהָם מוֹכֵר תַּחְתָּיו. הֲוָה אָתֵי בַּר אֵינַשׁ בָּעֵי דְּיִזְבַּן, וַהֲוָה אֲמַר לֵהּ בַּר כַּמָּה שְׁנִין אַתְּ, וַהֲוָה אֲמַר לֵיהּ בַּר חַמְשִׁין אוֹ שִׁתִּין, וַהֲוָה אֲמַר לֵיהּ וַי לֵיהּ לְהַהוּא גַבְרָא דַּהֲוָה בַּר שִׁתִּין וּבָעֵי לְמִסְגַּד לְבַר יוֹמֵי, וַהֲוָה מִתְבַּיֵּשׁ וְהוֹלֵךְ לוֹ. חַד זְמַן אֲתָא חַד אִתְּתָא טְעִינָא בִּידָהּ חָדָא פִּינָךְ דְּסֹלֶת, אֲמָרָהּ לֵיהּ הֵא לָךְ קָרֵב קֳדָמֵיהוֹן, קָם נְסֵיב בּוּקְלָסָא בִּידֵיהּ, וְתַבְרִינוּן לְכָלְהוֹן פְּסִילַיָא, וִיהַב בּוּקְלָסָא בִּידָא דְּרַבָּה דַּהֲוָה בֵּינֵיהוֹן. כֵּיוָן דַּאֲתָא אֲבוּהָ אֲמַר לֵיהּ מַאן עָבֵיד לְהוֹן כְּדֵין, אֲמַר לֵיהּ מַה נִּכְפּוּר מִינָךְ אֲתַת חָדָא אִתְּתָא טְעִינָא לָהּ חָדָא פִּינָךְ דְּסֹוֹלֶת, וַאֲמַרַת לִי הֵא לָךְ קָרֵיב קֳדָמֵיהון, קָרֵיבְתְּ לָקֳדָמֵיהוֹן הֲוָה דֵּין אֲמַר אֲנָא אֵיכוֹל קַדְמָאי, וְדֵין אֲמַר אֲנָא אֵיכוֹל קַדְמָאי, קָם הָדֵין רַבָּה דַּהֲוָה בֵּינֵיהוֹן נְסַב בּוּקְלָסָא וְתַבַּרִינוֹן. אֲמַר לֵיהּ מָה אַתָּה מַפְלֶה בִּי, וְיָדְעִין אִינוּן. אֲמַר לֵיהּ וְלֹא יִשְׁמְעוּ אָזְנֶיךָ מַה שֶּׁפִּיךָ אוֹמֵר. נַסְבֵיהּ וּמְסָרֵיהּ לְנִמְרוֹד. אֲמַר לֵיהּ נִסְגוֹד לְנוּרָא, אֲמַר לֵיהּ אַבְרָהָם וְנִסְגּוֹד לְמַיָא דְּמַטְפִין נוּרָא. אֲמַר לֵיהּ נִמְרוֹד נִסְגּוֹד לְמַיָא, אֲמַר לֵיהּ אִם כֵּן נִסְגּוֹד לַעֲנָנָא דְּטָעִין מַיָא. אֲמַר לֵיהּ נִסְגּוֹד לַעֲנָנָא. אָמַר לֵיהּ אִם כֵּן נִסְגּוֹד לְרוּחָא דִּמְבַדַּר עֲנָנָא. אֲמַר לֵיהּ נִסְגּוֹד לְרוּחָא. אֲמַר לֵיהּ וְנִסְגּוֹד לְבַר אֵינָשָׁא דְּסָבֵיל רוּחָא. אֲמַר לֵיהּ מִלִּין אַתְּ מִשְׁתָּעֵי, אֲנִי אֵינִי מִשְׁתַּחֲוֶה אֶלָּא לָאוּר, הֲרֵי אֲנִי מַשְׁלִיכֲךָ בְּתוֹכוֹ, וְיָבוֹא אֱלוֹהַּ שֶׁאַתָּה מִשְׁתַּחֲוֶה לוֹ וְיַצִּילְךָ הֵימֶנּוּ. הֲוָה תַּמָן הָרָן קָאֵים פְּלוּג, אָמַר מַה נַּפְשָׁךְ אִם נָצַח אַבְרָהָם אֲנָא אָמַר מִן דְּאַבְרָהָם אֲנָא וְאִם נָצַח נִמְרוֹד אֲנָא אֲמַר דְּנִמְרוֹד אֲנָא. כֵּיוָן שֶׁיָּרַד אַבְרָהָם לְכִבְשַׁן הָאֵשׁ וְנִצֹּל, אָמְרִין לֵיהּ דְּמַאן אַתְּ, אֲמַר לְהוֹן מִן אַבְרָהָם אֲנָא, נְטָלוּהוּ וְהִשְּׁלִיכוּהוּ לָאוּר וְנֶחְמְרוּ בְּנֵי מֵעָיו, וְיָצָא וּמֵת עַל פְּנֵי תֶּרַח אָבִיו, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב: וַיָּמָת הָרָן עַל פְּנֵי תֶּרַח וגו

According to a Jewish Midrash: “Terah was an idol worshipper [and a seller of idols]. One time, he went away to some place, and he installed Abraham as salesman in his stead. A person would come seeking to buy. He [Abraham] would say to him: ‘How old are you?’ He would say to him: ‘Fifty or sixty years old.’ He would say to him: ‘Woe to this man who is sixty years old and seeks to prostrate himself before something that is one day old.’ He would be ashamed and leave. One time, a certain woman came, carrying a dish of fine flour in her hand. She said to him: ‘Here, offer it before them.’ He arose, took a club in his hand, shattered all the idols, and placed the club in the hand of the largest among them. When his father came, he said to him: ‘Who did this to them?’ He said to him: ‘I will not lie to you, a certain woman came, carrying a dish of fine flour in her hand. She said to me: Here, offer it before them. I offered it before them. This one [idol] said: I shall eat first, and another one said: I shall eat first. This big idol, who was standing among them, got up and took the club and shattered them.’ He [Terah] said to him: ‘What, are you mocking me? Are they sentient at all?’ He said to him: ‘Do your ears not hear what your mouth is saying?’ He [Terah] took him and handed him over to Nimrod. He [Nimrod] said to him [Abraham]: ‘Let us bow down to fire.’ Abraham said to him: ‘Let us better bow down to water, that extinguishes fire.’ Nimrod said to him: ‘[All right,] let us bow down to water.’ He said to him: ‘If so, let us bow down to the clouds, that bear the water.’ He said to him: ‘[All right,] let us bow down to the clouds.’ He said to him: ‘If so, let us bow down to the wind, that scatters the clouds.’ He said to him: ‘[All right,] let us bow down to the wind.’ He said to him: ‘Better let us bow down to a person, who can withstand the wind.’ He said to him: ‘You are saying mere words. I bow down only to fire. I will cast you into it, and let that God to whom you bow down come and rescue you from it.’ Haran was there and he was conflicted. He said: ‘Either way [I will know what to do]; If Abraham is victorious, I will say: I am with Abraham, and if Nimrod is victorious, I will say: I am with Nimrod.’ When Abraham descended into the fiery furnace and was rescued, they said to him [Haran]: ‘With whom are you?’ He said to them: ‘I am with Abraham.’ They took him and cast him into the fire and his innards were scorched. He emerged and died in the presence of Terah his father. That is what is written: “Haran died in the presence of Terah…” (Bereshit Rabbah, ch.38)

We Muslims believe in the miracle of Abraham, peace be upon him, emerging from the fire unharmed as stated in the Holy Quran, and attested to in Jewish literature. Likewise, the Quranic account of Abraham’s polemic of the largest idol destroying the other idols (Surah 21, Ayah 63) and his debate with a king (Surah 2, Ayah 258) are attested to in this Midrash, though in the latter instance the details differ.

One of the great Saints of this Ummah, from the Tabi’in, was sayyiduna Abu Muslim Abdullah bin Thawb al-Khawlani, may Allah be pleased with him. He was a Believer from the Himyarite Yemeni people. In his time the false prophet al-Aswad al-Ansi arose and confronted him:

أَخْبَرَنَا شرحبيل بن مسلم ‌الخولانيّ أن الأسود ابن قَيْسِ بْنِ ذِي الْخِمَارِ تَنَبَّأَ بِالْيَمَنِ فَبَعَثَ إِلَى أَبِي مُسْلِمٍ فَلَمَّا جَاءَهُ قَالَ[لَهُ أَتَشْهَدُ أَنِّي رَسُولُ اللَّهِ قَالَ مَا أَسْمَعُ قَالَ أَتَشْهَدُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ قَالَ نَعَمْ قَالَ أَتَشْهَدُ أَنِّي رَسُولُ اللَّهِ قَالَ مَا أَسْمَعُ قَالَ أَتَشْهَدُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ قَالَ نَعَمْ فَرَدَّدَ ذَلِكَ عَلَيْهِ كُلُّ ذَلِكَ يَقُولُ لَهُ مِثْلَ ذَلِكَ

قَالَ فَأَمَرَ بِنَارٍ عَظِيمَةٍ فَأُجِّجَتْ ثُمَّ أُلْقِيَ فِيهَا أَبُو مُسْلِمٍ فَلَمْ تَضُرَّهُ شَيْئًاقَالَ فَقِيلَ لَهُ انفه عنك وإلا أفسد عَلَيْكَ مَنِ اتَّبَعَكَ قَالَ فَأَمَرَهُ بِالرَّحِيلِ فَأَتَى أَبُو مُسْلِمٍ الْمَدِينَةَ وَقَدْ قُبِضَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم واستخلف أبو بكر فَأَنَاخَ أَبُو مُسْلِمٍ رَاحِلَتَهُ بِبَابِ الْمَسْجِدِ وَدَخَلَ الْمَسْجِدَ وَقَامَ يُصَلِّي إِلَى سَارِيَةٍ فَبَصُرَ بِهِ عُمَرُ بْنُ الْخَطَّابِ فَقَامَ إِلَيْهِ فَقَالَ مِمَّنِ الرَّجُلُ قَالَ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْيَمَنِ قَالَ مَا فَعَلَ الرَّجُلُ الَّذِي أَحْرَقَهُ الْكَذَّابُ بِالنَّارِ قَالَ ذَلِكَ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ ثَوْبٍ

قَالَ أَنْشُدُكَ باللَّه أَنْتَ هُوَ قَالَ اللَّهمّ نَعَمْ قَالَ فَاعْتَنَقَهُ عُمَرُ وَبَكَى ثُمَّ ذَهَبَ بِهِ حَتَّى أَجْلَسَهُ فِيمَا بَيْنَهُ وَبَيْنَ أَبِي بَكْرٍ وَقَالَ الْحَمْدُ للَّه الَّذِي لَمْ يُمِتْنِي حَتَّى أَرَانِي فِي أُمَّةِ مُحَمَّدٍ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ مَنْ فُعِلَ بِهِ كَمَا فُعِلَ بِإِبْرَاهِيمَ خَلِيلِ اللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ السَّلامُ

Al-Aswad al-Ansi pretended to prophesy in Yemen and came to Abu Muslim, saying to him, “Do you testify that I am the Messenger of Allah?” Abu Muslim said, “I didn’t hear”. Al-Aswad said, “Do you testify that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah?” Abu Muslim said, “Yes!” Al-Aswad asked again, “Do you testify that I am the Messenger of Allah?” and Abu Muslim said, “I didn’t hear”. Al-Aswad said, “do you testify that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah?” and Abu Muslim said, “Yes!” And Al-Aswad kept repeating the question with Abu Muslim answering in the same way. Then the false prophet Al-Aswad had a great fire kindled and had Abu Muslim thrown into it, but the fire did not burn or harm Abu Muslim in the least. On account of this miracle of Abu Muslim al-Khawlani, the false prophet Al-Aswad’s advisers advised him to banish Abu Muslim from Yemen lest he become a source of dissent in the land. So Abu Muslim migrated to Medina and when he arrived the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, had already passed away and Abu Bakr, may Allah be pleased with him, had become his successor. Abu Muslim arrived at the door of the Mosque, dismounted his camel intending to offer his prayers. Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, noticed Abu Muslim and asked him where he was from. Abu Muslim informed him that he was from Yemen, upon which Umar asked him if he knew about the man who was thrown into the fire by the false prophet emerged unharmed. Abu Muslim said the man’s name is Abdullah son of Thawb. Umar asked him, “Testify by Allah, are you him?” and Abu Muslim said, “Allahumma! Yes.” So Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, embraced him and began to weep. He seated him between himself and Abu Bakr and said, “All praise belongs to Allah Who did not cause me to die until I met someone from the Ummah of Muhammad to whom that was done which was done to Abraham” (al-Isti’ab fi Ma’rifat al-Ashab, v.4, p.1757)

Ibn Taymiyah has also mentioned this story about Abu Muslim al-Khawlani and his miracle of emerging safe and sound from the blazing fire (an-Nubuwwat, v.2, p.1024)

This story is a proof that miracles (Karamat) continue to occur in this Ummah even after the cessation of Prophesy at the hands of the Saints and pious Believers.