The Journey to Syria

As soon as you struck the stone with your foot, clear and pure water sprang out from beneath it. They had never drunk such water before. He drank to his fill. Then he asked:

“Dear nephew! Have you had enough?”

The Noble Prophet ﷺ replied:

“Yes!”

You struck the same place with your heel again, and that place immediately became dry again, just as it had been before.

The Noble Prophet ﷺ also spent a few years with another of his uncles, Zubair bin Abdul-Muttalib. During that period, on one occasion, the Prophet ﷺ traveled to Yemen with this uncle as part of a caravan.

On the way, they passed through a valley. A wild and unruly camel lived in that valley. It used to block the path of travelers. But as soon as it saw the Noble Prophet ﷺ, it immediately sat down and began rubbing its chest against the ground.

You got down from your camel and mounted it. The camel then carried you and took you across the valley. After that, you left the camel.

When this caravan returned from its journey, it passed through a valley that was filled with floodwater. The water was surging with waves.

Seeing this, you said to the people of the caravan:

“Follow me.”

Then you entered the valley calmly, and the others followed behind you.

Allah Almighty, through His power, caused the water to dry up, and you crossed the valley with the entire caravan.

When the caravan reached Makkah, the people narrated these astonishing events. Upon hearing them, the people exclaimed:

“This boy certainly possesses an extraordinary rank.”

Ibn Hisham writes that there was a man from Banu Lahab who was a great expert in recognizing people’s physical features. In other words, he would look at people’s appearance and make predictions about their circumstances and future.

Whenever he came to Makkah, people would bring their children to him. He would look at them and tell them things about their future.

Once, when he came, Abu Talib also took you to him. At that time, you were still a young boy.

The expert looked at you once and then began looking at the other children.

After he had finished, he said:

“Bring this boy to me.”

Abu Talib had noticed that the expert had looked at his nephew in a strange manner. Therefore, he took you away from there.

When the expert discovered that you were no longer there, he began shouting:

“Woe to you! Bring me the boy whom I have just seen. By Allah! He possesses a great rank.”

Abu Talib heard these words as he was leaving.

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Abu Talib decided to travel to Syria for the purpose of trade.

The Noble Prophet ﷺ also expressed his desire to accompany him. According to some narrations, you specifically requested permission to go.

Seeing your eagerness, Abu Talib said:

“By Allah! I will definitely take him with me. He can never be separated from me, nor can I ever separate him from myself.”

According to one narration, you held the reins of Abu Talib’s camel and said:

“Dear uncle! To whom are you leaving me? I have neither a mother nor a father.”

At that time, you were nine years old.

Finally, Abu Talib set out with you. He seated you on his camel.

On the way, they stopped near a Christian place of worship.

The monk of the monastery saw the Noble Prophet ﷺ and was startled. He asked Abu Talib:

“Who is this boy to you?”

He replied:

“He is my son.”

Hearing this, the monk said:

“He cannot be your son.”

Abu Talib was greatly surprised and said:

“What do you mean? Why could he not possibly be my son?”

He said:

“It is impossible that this boy’s father is alive. He is a prophet.”

What he meant was that the signs found in this boy were the signs of the final Prophet of the world.

One of his signs would be that he would be an orphan. His father would die around the time when he was yet to be born.

All the signs of the coming Prophet were present in this boy.

One of his signs would also be that his mother would pass away during his childhood.

Abu Talib then asked the monk:

“What is a prophet?”

The monk replied:

“A prophet is someone to whom news comes from the heavens, and then he informs the people of the earth about it.

Protect this boy from the Jews.”

After this, Abu Talib continued onward from there.

On the way, they stopped at another monk.

He was also a worshipper living in a monastery.

When he saw the Noble Prophet ﷺ, he likewise asked:

“What relation is this boy to you?”

Abu Talib gave him the same answer:

“He is my son.”

Upon hearing this, the monk said:

“He cannot be your son. His father simply cannot be alive.”

Abu Talib asked:

“Why?”

The monk replied:

“Because his face is the face of a prophet. His eyes are the eyes of a prophet—that is, like the prophet who is to be sent for the final Ummah.

His signs are present in the ancient heavenly books.”

After this, the caravan continued its journey and reached Busra.

Here, a monk named Bahira lived in his monastery.

His actual name was Jirjis, while Bahira was his title.

He was a tremendously knowledgeable scholar.

Thus, at that time, Bahira was their greatest scholar.

The people of Quraysh often passed by Bahira, but he had never spoken to them.

However, this time, when he saw you in the caravan, he had food prepared for the entire caravan.

Bahira also saw that a cloud was providing shade over the Noble Prophet ﷺ.

When the caravan stopped beneath a tree, he looked toward the cloud. It was now casting its shade over that tree, and the branches of the tree had bent toward the side where the Noble Prophet ﷺ was present.

He saw that many branches had gathered together above you, forming something like a canopy.

In reality, what had happened was that when the Noble Prophet ﷺ reached the tree, the people of the caravan had already occupied the shaded places.

Now there was no shaded place left for you.

Therefore, when you sat in the sunlight, the branches changed their direction and gathered above you.

In this way, you came completely under the shade.

Bahira had clearly witnessed this scene.

Upon seeing this sign of yours, he sent a message to the people of the caravan:

“O people of Quraysh! I have had food prepared for you. I wish all of you to come and eat—that is, the children, the elderly, and the slaves should all come.”

After hearing Bahira’s message, one of the people in the caravan said:

“O Bahira! Today you are doing something new. We often pass along this route, but you have never arranged a feast for us before. So what is the matter today?”

Bahira replied only:

“You are right, but you are guests, and honoring guests is a very good thing.”

Thus, everyone went to Bahira…

But the Messenger of Allah ﷺ was not with them.

He had been left behind at the campsite.