Vision of the Prophet: Spread of Islam throughout the East and West

 

بِسۡمِ اللّٰہِ الرَّحۡمٰنِ الرَّحِیۡمِ

وصلى الله على نبينا محمد

وعلى آله واصحابه

In the Name of Allah, the Rahman, the Merciful

My Master the Holy Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, described a vision he beheld:

إِنَّ اللهَ زَوَى لِيَ الأَرْضَ فَرَأَيْتُ مَشَارِقَهَا وَمَغَارِبَهَا وَإِنَّ أُمَّتِي سَيَبْلُغُ مُلْكُهَا مَا زُوِيَ لِي مِنْهَا وَأُعْطِيتُ الْكَنْزَيْنِ الأَحْمَرَ وَالأَبْيَضَ

Verily, Allah folded the Earth for me that I saw its easts and its wests. Verily, the kingdom of my Ummah shall reach what was folded for me of it, and I have been given the two treasures; the Red and the White

(Sahih Muslim)

It is noteworthy that the Prophet, peace be upon him, would say “I have been given”, attributing the ownership of the future masses of Muslims among the red and white peoples to his blessed person. Likewise, he said “The keys of the treasures of the Earth were given to me and placed in my hand” (Sahih al-Bukhari), “I have been given the keys of Sham” (Musnad Ahmad), “To me are the keys of Paradise on the Day of Resurrection” (Dalail un-Nubuwwah li-Abi Nuaym al-Isbahani). Although all things belong to Allah in reality, the Ummah, its lands and treasures and even Paradise itself belong to the Prophet, peace be upon him, for he symbolizes the Religion of Islam in his blessed person. We Ummatis are his ghilman and mamalik or servants and possessions, and he is our Master. This vision was fulfilled and continues to be fulfilled till this day with the expansion of Islam in both the lands to the east of Medina and to its west. The people of this vast region are diverse in their color, some are darker with a reddish complexion like the Indians and Egyptians, while others are fair in their complexion, described as white, like the Levantines and Iranians. But my Master the Holy Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, said:

يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ أَلَا إِنَّ رَبَّكُمْ وَاحِدٌ وَإِنَّ أَبَاكُمْ وَاحِدٌ أَلَا لَا فَضْلَ لِعَرَبِيٍّ عَلَى عَجَمِيٍّ وَلَا لِعَجَمِيٍّ عَلَى عَرَبِيٍّ وَلَا أَحْمَرَ عَلَى أَسْوَدَ ‌وَلَا ‌أَسْوَدَ ‌عَلَى ‌أَحْمَرَ ‌إِلَّا ‌بِالتَّقْوَى

O people! Your Lord is One and your father is one. There is no superiority of an Arab over a non-Arab, and neither a non-Arab over an Arab, and neither a Red over a Black nor a Black over a Red except by piety

(Musnad Ahmad, v.38, p.474, #23489)

The Prophet, peace be upon him, described another vision he beheld:

‌رَأَيْتُ ‌غَنَمًا ‌كَثِيرَةً سَوْدَاءَ دَخَلَتْ فِيهَاغَنْمٌ كَثِيرَةٌ بِيضٌ

I beheld many black sheep into which were entered many white sheep

He then interpreted the meaning of the vision:

الْعَجَمُ يَشْرَكُونَكُمْ فِي دِينِكُمْ وَأَنْسَابِكُمْ

The Ajam [non-Arabs] shall join you in your Religion and your lineage

In another version:

إِنِّي رَأَيْتُ فِي الْمَنَامِ غَنَمًا سَوْدَاءَ يَتْبَعُهَا غَنْمٌ عُفْرٌ يَا أَبَا بَكْرٍ اعْبُرُهَا فَقَالَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ هِيَ الْعَرَبُ تَتْبَعُكَ ثُمَّ تَتْبَعُهَا الْعَجَمُ حَتَّى تَغْمُرَهَا فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ هَكَذَا عَبَرَهَا الْمَلَكُ بِسَحَرَ

I saw in a dream black sheep followed by white sheep. O Abu Bakr, interpret it. Abu Bakr said, O Apostle of Allah, they are the Arabs following you, then the Ajam will follow them until they cover them. The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, This is how the Angel interpreted it at dawn (al-Mustadrak lil-Hakim, v.4, p.437, #8193, 8194)

The Hadith demonstrates that that the Ajam, though meaning non-Arabs in general it is primarily a reference to Iranic people, shall overtake the Arabs in Islam and that the Prophet’s most senior and greatest companion, Abu Bakr, may Allah be pleased with him, had immense understanding given to him by Allah. The black sheep symbolize the Arabs while the white sheep symbolize the Ajam.