Al-Shamail Al-Muhammadiya | Episode (4) | Chapter on what was mentioned regarding the seal of prophecy

0:00 In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

0:07 With pens of longing

0:09 And the ink of love

0:11 We write letters more precious than gold.

0:15 In describing the master of creation, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,

0:17 May the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.

0:20 The Prophetic characteristics (Shama'il)

0:30 Chapter: What Has Been Related Concerning the Seal of Prophethood

0:33 The Seal of Prophethood

0:37 It is one of the distinct physical signs that marked his noble body, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.

0:42 that demonstrate his prophethood.

0:45 This mark was well known among the People of the Book.

0:49 It is mentioned in their books.

0:52 And through it, some of them came to know the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.

0:56 Like Salman al-Farsi, may Allah be pleased with him,

0:59 When he met the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him),

1:03 Upon his initial arrival in Medina

1:05 So he believed in him.

1:07 Al-Hafiz Ibn Rajab (may Allah have mercy on him) said:

1:10 And the seal of prophethood is among the signs of his prophethood.

1:13 By which the People of the Book used to recognize him.

1:17 And they ask about it.

1:19 And they desire to gain insight into them.

1:22 On the authority of Al-Sa'ib ibn Yazid (may Allah be pleased with him and his father), who said:

1:28 My maternal aunt took me to the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.

1:33 She said:

1:35 "O Messenger of Allah!"

1:37 "Indeed, my nephew is ill."

1:39 And the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, wiped my head.

1:43 And he prayed for blessings for me.

1:45 And he performed ablution.

1:47 So she drank from the water of his ablution.

1:49 and I stood behind his back.

1:51 So I looked at the seal between his shoulders.

1:54 And there it was, like the button of a tent-canopy.

1:57 In this hadith,

2:00 Al-Sa'ib (may Allah be pleased with him) relates:

2:03 It happened one day

2:05 Then he felt a pain in his foot.

2:08 So his maternal aunt brought him to the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.

2:13 So he wiped his head out of affection for him.

2:16 And he prayed for Allah to bless him.

2:18 Then the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, performed ablution.

2:22 Then Al-Sa'ib went to the ablution water.

2:25 So he drank from it.

2:27 Then he stood behind the back of the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.

2:30 He then saw the Seal of Prophethood between his shoulders.

2:33 Like the button of the bride's alcove curtains.

2:35 What is meant by *hijlah* is the singular form of *hijal* (curtained bridal canopies).

2:39 And it was a structure like a domed tent.

2:41 It had large buttons and loops.

2:44 It was also said:

2:45 The *hajalah* (partridge) is a well-known bird.

2:48 Its burden is its own weight.

2:52 Among the benefits derived from this hadith are the following:

2:55 The legitimacy of taking a sick person to someone who will perform ruqyah upon them or pray for their recovery.

3:00 The legitimacy of wiping the head of a sick person and supplicating for them.

3:04 And the compassion of the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, for his Companions.

3:08 And his supplication for them to be blessed.

3:11 And the blessing of the supplication of the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, for al-Sa'ib, may Allah be pleased with him.

3:17 It has been narrated from al-Ja'id ibn 'Abd al-Rahman that he said

3:22 I saw al-Sa'ib Ibn Yazid when he was ninety-four years old.

3:27 A moderate lashing.

3:29 He then said

3:30 I have truly known what I have enjoyed with my hearing and my sight.

3:34 except through the supplication of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.

3:40 Narrated Jabir Ibn Samurah, may Allah be pleased with him, who said:

3:44 I saw the seal between the shoulder blades of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, as a reddish protuberance.

3:51 Like the egg of a dove.

3:56 In this hadith, Jabir, may Allah be pleased with him, mentions

4:00 He saw the seal of prophethood between the shoulders of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.

4:05 And his statement, "a red gland."

4:08 A gland is a raised piece of flesh.

4:12 The intended meaning is that it bears a resemblance to it.

4:15 And "hamra'" means that its color leans towards redness.

4:20 And it is stated in a narration in Sahih Muslim that his body resembled

4:25 Meaning that the color of the ring resembled the color of the rest of his body, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.

4:31 His skin color did not differ.

4:34 And his statement is like the egg of a dove.

4:37 That is, it is circular in terms of its dimensions.

4:40 Narrated by 'Asim ibn 'Umar ibn Qatadah

4:45 On the authority of her grandmother, Rumaytha, may Allah be pleased with her, who said:

4:49 I heard the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, say:

4:53 And had I wished to kiss the seal between his shoulders, being so close to him, I would have done so.

5:00 He said regarding Sa'd Ibn Mu'adh on the day he passed away:

5:03 The Throne of the Most Merciful trembled at his passing.

5:07 In this hadith, 'Asim ibn 'Umar ibn Qatadah narrates:

5:13 He is a well-known Tabi'i.

5:15 On the authority of his grandmother, the noble female Companion.

5:18 Rumaythah bint 'Amr ibn Hashim, one of the Ansar.

5:21 She said, and she was close to the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.

5:27 To the extent that had she wished to kiss the seal [of Prophethood] between his shoulders, she could have done so.

5:33 Due to the intensity of her closeness to him.

5:36 I have included this parenthetical clause.

5:39 In order to achieve the realization of hearing it directly from him.

5:42 For the matter being narrated is of immense significance.

5:45 This demonstrates the perfection of her ease and her unique intimacy with the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.

5:52 And the culmination of his humility and the excellence of his companionship.

5:56 And the gentleness of his character toward his Ummah.

5:59 Especially the elderly and the destitute.

6:02 She said:

6:03 I heard him say on the day Sa'd ibn Mu'adh, may Allah be pleased with him, passed away.

6:08 The Throne of the Most Merciful trembled for him.

6:11 And Sa'd ibn Mu'adh, may Allah be pleased with him.

6:14 He is the leader of the Ansar.

6:16 He embraced Islam in Medina at the hands of Mus'ab ibn 'Umayr, may Allah be pleased with him.

6:21 And the Banu 'Abd al-Ashhal embraced Islam through his conversion.

6:24 And it was the first household among the Ansar to embrace Islam.

6:28 He was a prominent and influential leader among his people.

6:32 He witnessed the Battle of Badr.

6:33 And he stood firm with the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, at the Battle of Uhud.

6:38 And he was struck in his median cubital vein on the day of the Trench.

6:41 The bleeding did not cease until he passed away a month later.

6:45 This took place in Dhu al-Qa'dah in the year five.

6:48 He was thirty-seven years of age.

6:51 And he was buried in al-Baqi'.

6:53 And seventy thousand angels attended his funeral.

6:58 And His saying, "The Throne of the Most Merciful shook for him."

7:01 It moved in joy at the arrival of the soul of Sa'd.

7:05 Ibn Rajab said:

7:06 A hadith has been narrated regarding the shaking of the Throne upon the death of Sa'd Ibn Mu'adh, may Allah be pleased with him.

7:10 From ten of the Companions, or more.

7:14 It is established in the two Sahih collections.

7:16 Therefore, there is no meaning in denying it.

7:18 The Throne is the greatest of all Allah’s creations, may He be glorified and exalted.

7:22 It is the greatest and most expansive of them.

7:25 Allah the Exalted has described him in the Qur'an as the Great, the Noble, and the Glorious.

7:31 It is the ceiling of all created beings, the highest and most exalted of them.

7:35 It is for this reason that it is stated in the hadith that the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said:

7:41 When you ask Allah, ask Him for Firdaws.

7:45 For it is the center of Paradise and the highest part of Paradise.

7:49 And above it is the Throne of the Most Merciful.

7:52 And from it, the rivers of Paradise gush forth.

7:56 And on the authority of 'Ilba' ibn Ahmar

7:59 On the authority of Abu Zayd 'Umar ibn Akhtab al-Ansari, may Allah be pleased with him, who said:

8:04 The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said to me:

8:08 O Abu Zayd, come closer to me and wipe my back.

8:13 I then wiped his back, and my fingers fell upon the Seal of Prophethood.

8:18 I asked, "And what is the seal?"

8:21 He said: "They are scattered hairs gathered together."

8:25 In this hadith

8:28 It is possible that the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,

8:32 He knew that Abu Zayd wanted to understand the proper way to conclude the session.

8:37 He then requested that he wipe his back.

8:40 So that he may understand what is stirring within his own soul.

8:43 Showing him kindness and concern for his affairs.

8:46 Then Abu Zayd wiped his back, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.

8:51 His fingers then landed upon the ring.

8:54 The Tabi'un then asked him about the ring, inquiring what it was.

8:59 A few gathered hairs.

9:01 And perhaps Abu Zayd, may Allah be pleased with him,

9:04 He reported what his hand had reached.

9:07 It is the inscription that was upon the seal ring.

9:10 Among the benefits derived from this hadith are the following:

9:13 The humility of the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.

9:16 And his gentle, kind treatment of his Companions, may Allah be pleased with them.

9:19 And the permissibility of wiping the back of another person.

9:22 And the affirmation of the Seal of Prophethood.

9:24 And upon him were some gathered hairs.

9:27 And the excellence of Abu Zayd al-Ansari, may Allah be pleased with him.

9:31 For the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, singled him out for it.

9:34 Through this noble virtue.

9:36 This refers to the wiping of his noble back.

9:38 And in the Musnad of Ahmad

9:40 Abu Zayd, may Allah be pleased with him, said

9:43 The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said to me:

9:47 Draw near to me.

9:49 He said:

9:50 He then wiped his head and beard with his hand.

9:54 He said

9:55 Then he said:

9:56 O Allah, adorn him.

9:58 And perpetuate its beauty.

10:00 He said

10:01 For he had reached over a hundred years of age.

10:04 And there was no gray hair on his head or in his beard.

10:07 Except for a negligible amount.

10:09 He was known for his cheerful and welcoming countenance.

10:12 His countenance never darkened until the day he passed away.

10:15 This means that he did not suffer from wrinkles.

10:19 which afflict the elderly

10:21 Yet his face remained in all its beauty until he passed away.

10:25 Through the blessing of the supplication of the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.

10:30 Narrated Buraydah, may Allah be pleased with him, who said:

10:35 Salman al-Farisi came to the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.

10:40 When he arrived in Medina with a tray of fresh dates.

10:44 He then placed it before the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.

10:50 He then said

10:51 O Salman, what is this?

10:54 He then said

10:56 It is a charity for you and for your companions.

10:59 He then said

11:00 Raise it away, for we do not consume zakat.

11:04 He said

11:05 He raised it.

11:07 The next day, he brought something similar.

11:09 He then placed it before the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.

11:14 He then said

11:15 "What is this, Salman?"

11:18 He replied,

11:19 "It is a gift for you."

11:21 Then the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said to his Companions,

11:25 "Partake."

11:27 Then he looked at the seal on the back of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him),

11:33 and believed in him.

11:35 He had been owned by the Jews,

11:37 so the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) purchased his freedom for such-and-such number of dirhams,

11:43 on the condition that he plant palm trees,

11:45 and Salman would work on them until they bore fruit.

11:49 He said,

11:50 "The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) planted the palm trees,

11:54 except for one tree that 'Umar planted.

11:58 The trees bore fruit that same year,

12:01 but that one tree did not.

12:03 The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) asked,

12:07 'What is the matter with this one?'

12:09 'Umar said,

12:10 'O Messenger of Allah,

12:12 I planted it.'

12:14 He said,

12:15 'So the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) pulled it out,

12:19 replanted it, and it bore fruit that same year.'"

12:23 This was part of the story of Salman al-Farisi (may Allah be pleased with him),

12:28 that he had heard about the approaching mission of the Prophet (peace be upon him),

12:34 and heard of some of the signs of his prophethood,

12:37 among which were that he would accept a gift,

12:40 but would not eat charity,

12:42 and that between his shoulder blades was the seal.

12:45 So he sought to meet him,

12:47 and tracked his whereabouts.

12:49 Regarding his statement:

12:51 "Salman al-Farisi came to the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him)

12:55 when he arrived in Medina, with a platter of fresh dates,

12:59 and placed it before the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him).

13:04 He asked,

13:06 'What is this, Salman?'"

13:08 The question was not about the type of food he had brought,

13:12 but rather a question about another matter that Salman understood.

13:16 He said,

13:18 "It is charity for you and your Companions."

13:21 He said, "Take it away,

13:23 for we do not eat charity."

13:26 It is mentioned in some narrations of the hadith

13:28 that the Prophet (peace be upon him)

13:31 ordered his Companions to eat,

13:33 and he refrained from it.

13:35 This was the first sign

13:37 that appeared to Salman (may Allah be pleased with him),

13:40 that he (peace be upon him)

13:42 would not eat charity.

13:44 And his statement:

13:46 "He came the next day with the like of it,

13:48 and placed it before the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him).

13:53 He asked,

13:54 'What is this, Salman?'

13:56 He said, 'A gift for you.'

13:58 The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said to his Companions,

14:03 'Partake,'

14:04 meaning: stretch out your hands.

14:06 They ate from it,

14:08 and he (peace be upon him) ate with them.

14:12 This was the second sign that appeared to Salman (may Allah be pleased with him),

14:17 that he accepts gifts.

14:20 And his statement:

14:21 "Then he looked at the seal on the back of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him),

14:26 and believed in him."

14:28 This is the evidence from the hadith,

14:31 that when he saw the seal on the back of the Prophet (peace be upon him),

14:36 he believed in him without delay or hesitation,

14:39 after seeing the correspondence of the signs he possessed in the person of the Prophet (peace be upon him).

14:46 And his statement: "He had been owned by the Jews,

14:50 so the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) purchased his freedom for such-and-such number of dirhams,

14:56 on the condition that he plant palm trees,

14:58 and Salman would work on them until they bore fruit."

15:02 This means that Salman (may Allah be pleased with him) was a slave to the Jews,

15:07 so the Prophet (peace be upon him) negotiated with the Jews to write a contract of manumission for a certain amount of silver,

15:14 and that he plant palm trees for them.

15:16 The Prophet (peace be upon him) ordered his Companions to assist him,

15:21 and the Prophet (peace be upon him) would personally plant those saplings with his own hand,

15:27 out of his concern for the emancipation of Salman (may Allah be pleased with him).

15:31 Salman would work on them until they bore fruit and their produce was eaten.

15:36 And his statement: "The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) planted the palm trees,

15:41 except for one tree that 'Umar planted.

15:45 The trees bore fruit that same year, but that one tree did not.

15:50 The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) asked, 'What is the matter with this one?'

15:55 'Umar said, 'O Messenger of Allah, I planted it.'

16:00 He said, 'So the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) pulled it out and replanted it,'

16:06 and it bore fruit that same year."

16:09 Perhaps the wisdom in this was to manifest the miracle by the bearing of all the trees,

16:15 except for the one he (peace be upon him) did not plant with his own hand,

16:20 and another miracle, which was his replanting of that tree,

16:25 and its bearing fruit in that same year.

16:28 On the authority of Abu Nadra al-'Awqi, he said:

16:33 "I asked Abu Sa'id al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) about the seal of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him),"

16:41 meaning the Seal of Prophethood.

16:43 He said, "It was a raised piece of flesh on his back."

16:48 In this hadith, Abu Sa'id al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) informs us,

16:54 when asked about the Seal of Prophethood,

16:57 that it was a raised piece of flesh on his back.

17:02 The "bid'ah" (piece) is a piece of flesh,

17:05 and "nashizah" means prominent and raised,

17:09 so it was not level with the body.

17:12 On the authority of 'Abdullah ibn Sarjis (may Allah be pleased with him), he said:

17:19 "I came to the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him)

17:23 while he was among some of his Companions,

17:25 and I walked around behind him.

17:28 He knew what I wanted,

17:30 so he cast the garment off his back,

17:33 and I saw the place of the seal on his shoulder blades, like a clenched fist,

17:38 surrounded by moles that looked like warts.

17:42 I returned until I was facing him,

17:44 and said, 'May Allah forgive you, O Messenger of Allah.'

17:49 He replied, 'And you.'

17:51 The people asked,

17:53 'Did the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) ask for forgiveness for you?'

17:57 He said, 'Yes, and for you.'"

18:00 Then he recited this verse:

18:03 ﴾And ask forgiveness for your sin and for the believing men and believing women﴿.

18:08 In this hadith,

18:12 the noble Companion 'Abdullah ibn Sarjis (may Allah be pleased with him) reports

18:16 that he came to the Prophet (peace be upon him)

18:20 while he was sitting with his Companions,

18:22 and he circled around until he came behind the Prophet (peace be upon him).

18:27 His intention in doing so was to see the seal he had heard about.

18:33 The Prophet (peace be upon him) knew his intent,

18:37 so he cast the garment off his back.

18:40 The "rida'" (garment) is the part placed on the upper body,

18:45 and removing it from the back was easy.

18:48 'Abdullah ibn Sarjis (may Allah be pleased with him) saw the place of the seal on his shoulder blades

18:54 like a clenched fist,

18:56 and the "jam'" is the gathering of the hand when it is clenched.

19:00 It came in Sahih Muslim:

19:03 "I looked at the Seal of Prophethood between his shoulder blades,

19:06 near the top of his left shoulder blade, like a clenched fist,

19:10 upon it were moles like warts."

19:14 The "naghid" of the shoulder is the thin, protruding bone on its edge.

19:19 This indicates that the Seal of Prophethood was between the shoulder blades,

19:24 but it was closer to the left shoulder blade.

19:29 And his statement: "surrounded by moles that looked like warts."

19:33 "Khilan" is the plural of "khal,"

19:36 which is what is called a mole.

19:39 It is a small, black-colored piece.

19:43 "Thaalil" is the plural of "thu'lul,"

19:46 which is a small, protruding part on the body,

19:49 that is firm and solid.

19:52 And his statement: "I returned until I was facing him,"

19:56 meaning he came from in front of him after seeing the seal,

20:00 and said, "May Allah forgive you, O Messenger of Allah."

20:04 He (peace be upon him) said, "And you."

20:08 The Prophet (peace be upon him) prayed for him with this great supplication for forgiveness.

20:15 The people said, "Did the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) ask for forgiveness for you?"

20:21 meaning: you have attained this great matter,

20:24 as the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) asked for forgiveness for you.

20:29 He said, "Yes, and for you,"

20:32 meaning that he (peace be upon him) asked for forgiveness for you as well,

20:37 and he cited the statement of the Almighty:

20:40 “So know (O Muhammad) that there is no Allah save Allah, and ask forgiveness for thy sin and for believing men and believing women. Allah knoweth (both) your place of turmoil and your place of rest.” (47:19)

20:45 The summary of this chapter:

20:49 The confirmation of the Seal of Prophethood between the shoulder blades of the Prophet (peace be upon him),

20:55 and that it is closer to the left shoulder.

20:58 And that the seal is a small piece of red-colored flesh.

21:04 When described as small, it is like a pigeon's egg,

21:08 and when described as large, it is like a clenched fist.

21:14 Around it are black moles and clustered hairs.

21:19 A benefit:

21:23 The Hafiz Burhan al-Din al-Halabi (may Allah have mercy on him) was asked:

21:27 Is the Seal of Prophethood one of the characteristics of the Prophet (peace be upon him),

21:32 or was every prophet sealed with a seal of prophethood?

21:37 He replied, "I do not recall anything regarding that,

21:41 but what appears to be the case is that he was distinguished by it for several reasons:

21:47 among them is that it is an indication that he is the Seal of the Prophets,

21:52 and others were not such.

21:54 And because the door of prophethood was sealed with him, so it will never be opened after him."

22:00 The hadith has more to follow, if Allah wills.

22:05 And Allah knows best.

22:07 May the peace and blessings of Allah be upon our Prophet Muhammad,

22:10 and upon all his family and companions.

Al-Shamail Al-Muhammadiya | Episode (4) | Chapter on what was mentioned regarding the seal of prophecy

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