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The Precursors to the Prophet's Mission
Author : Mufti Basem Al-Qudah
Date Added : 18-08-2025

Allah The Almighty Says (What means): "It is He Who has sent amongst the Unlettered an apostle from among themselves, to rehearse to them His Signs, to sanctify them, and to instruct them in Scripture and Wisdom,- although they had been, before, in manifest error;-." [Al-Jumu'ah/2].

Each year, we commemorate the birth of the Chosen One (peace be upon him)—the advent of light that dispelled darkness, the emergence of a spring that transformed barren deserts into flourishing gardens, and the arrival of a spiritual revival that awakened souls once lost in ignorance.

Speaking about the aspects of greatness in the personality of the Messenger (peace be upon him) is difficult for speakers and orators. It is like searching for a ring in a vast desert. Nevertheless: "What cannot be attained in its entirety should not be abandoned entirely." May Allah be pleased with Khalid Ibn Al-Walid (May Allah Be Pleased with), who, when asked to describe the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), said: "Do you want me to be long or short?" They said: "Be short." He replied: "He is the Messenger of Allah, and the Messenger is according to the One who sent him."

Let us review some of the precursors and signs (Irhasat) of his prophecy (peace be upon him), beginning with those that occurred at his birth:

Among what happened at the time of his birth was the shaking of the palace of Chosroes of Persia and the fall of fourteen of its balconies. This was interpreted as the fall of fourteen of their kings; ten of them fell within four years, and the other four fell during the era of the Islamic conquest. The fire of Persia, which had not been extinguished for a thousand years, was also put out.

Among the precursors were events that happened to him (peace be upon him) when he was a nursing infant in the care of Haleema. Haleema narrated that when the Messenger (peace be upon him) was first presented to her, she turned away, as did the other wet nurses, because he was an orphan. What good, she thought, could come from an orphan? When she found no other child to take, she returned and took this orphan. As soon as she took him, her breasts became full of milk, and their she-camel, which had not given milk for a long time, suddenly became full of milk. Her husband said to her: "By Allah, Haleema, you have taken a blessed soul." Haleema continued: "Then we left, and I rode my she-donkey with him, and by Allah, I outpaced the caravan in a way that none of their donkeys could, so much so that my companions said to me: "O daughter of Abu Dhu'ayb, woe to you! Wait for us! Isn't this the same she-donkey you left with?" I said to them: "By Allah, it is indeed the same one!' They replied: "By Allah, he has a great matter!"

Among the precursors was the splitting of his chest that occurred while he was with the family of Haleema. Haleema narrated: "He was with his brother (Prophet`s brother by suckling/Haleema`s son) behind our houses when his brother came running to me and his father and said: "My Qurayshi brother, two men in white garments have taken him, laid him down, and have split open his belly." I went out with his father—Haleema's husband—towards him and found him standing, his face pale and changed. I hugged him and his father hugged him. We asked him: "What is wrong with you, my son?" He said: "Two men in white garments came to me, laid me down, and split my belly, and searched for something in it, but I don't know what it was."

Among the precursors was the acknowledgment of his prophecy by Bahira the monk, who advised his uncle Abu Talib to be wary of the Jews. When the Prophet (peace be upon him) was twelve years old, he traveled with his people. Bahira the monk was a scholar in that region due to his knowledge and merit. He looked out from his cell and saw a caravan, and a boy was shaded by a cloud. He had never seen such a sight before, so he prepared a feast for them and invited them. He had never cared for them before. When they came, the boy Muhammad (peace be upon him) was not present, so he sent for him. When he came, Bahira scrutinized him and asked him about the Seal of prophecy on his back. He knew then that he was the Prophet promised in the Torah and the Gospel, so he advised his uncle Abu Talib to protect him well and warned him that the Jews might try to assassinate him.

Among the precursors in his youth was Allah's protection of him from attending anything forbidden. One day, he heard the sound of flutes and drums and decided to go to the wedding. He fell asleep and did not wake up until the heat of the next day's sun.

Among the precursors was the trees and stones greeting him (peace be upon him) as he walked in Mecca. [Al-Mu'jam Al-Kabir by At-Tabarani/vol. 2/pp.351].

One of the signs of his perfect character was that his private parts were never exposed. It is narrated that he was participating in the rebuilding of the Kaaba with his people. His people were lifting their garments onto their shoulders to protect themselves from the rough stones, while he was placing the stones on his shoulder without any covering. His uncle Al-Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) saw him and said: "Why don't you lift your garment over your shoulder so the stones won't hurt you?" The Prophet (peace be upon him) did so, and his private parts were exposed, at which point he fell on his face and was called out to: "Cover your private parts." An angel called to him, and after that, his private parts were never seen again.

Among the signs of his perfect character was that Allah Made him Detest idols and all forms of falsehood, as well as the singing and drinking of wine that the people of Quraysh engaged in. It is narrated from him (peace be upon him): "When I grew up, idols became hateful to me, and poetry became hateful to me. I did not intend to do anything that the people of the Age of Ignorance used to do except twice. Each time, Allah Almighty Came between me and what I intended, and I never intended to pursue poetry after that until Allah Honored me with His Message..." [Al-Shifa' by Al-Qadi Iyad/vol.1/pp.8].

Undoubtedly, this was due to Allah's protection of him (peace be upon him) from anything that would harm his lofty status and high rank.

Among the precursors is what Maysarah narrated when he traveled with the Prophet (peace be upon him) on a trade journey for Khadijah Bint Khuwaylid to Sham (Syria). He saw two angels shading him from the heat of the sun in the scorching midday. Also, the Prophet (peace be upon him) sat under the shade of a tree near a monk's cell. The monk saw him and asked Maysarah about him. Maysarah said: "He is a man from the Sacred Precinct, a Qurayshi." The monk replied: "No one has ever sat under this tree except a prophet."

Among the precursors were the true visions just before his mission. He would not see a vision in his sleep by night or by day except that it came to pass like the breaking of dawn. Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) narrated that the first thing with which the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) began were true visions. He would not see a vision in his sleep except that it would come true like the breaking of dawn. She said: "And solitude was made dear to him, and he would go to the cave of Hira to seclude himself, meaning to cleanse himself from what he saw or heard of the polytheism and falsehood among the people of his tribe, Quraysh."

This is but a small portion of a great many manifestations of human perfection that preceded the mission of the Messenger (peace be upon him). And all praise is due to Allah, The Lord of The Worlds.

References:

1. Sahih Al-Imam Al-Bukhari.

2. Musnad Al-Imam Ahmad.

3. Al-Mu'jam Al-Kabir, Al-Tabarani.

4. Al-Shifa, Al-Qadi 'Iyad.

5. Muhammad, the Beloved (peace be upon him), Abu Bakr Al-Jazairi.

6. Noor Al-Yaqeen, Muhammad Al-Khudari.

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Summarized Fatawaa

Is fasting obligatory for a child?

Fasting is not obligatory for a child until they reach puberty. Puberty is determined by well-known signs, the most common of which are: nocturnal emission (for both males and females), menstruation (for females), or reaching the age of fifteen lunar years.
A guardian must instruct their children to fast once they reach the age of discernment, which is around seven years old, if they are capable of fasting.

What is the waiting period ('Iddah) for a woman whose husband has passed away, and what is the ruling on her wearing gold?

Praise be to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our Master, the Messenger of Allah.
 
The waiting period ('Iddah) for a woman whose husband has passed away is four months and ten days for one who is not pregnant. As for a pregnant woman, her waiting period lasts until she gives birth. It is obligatory for her to remain in the marital home, only leaving for a necessity. During this time, it is prohibited (Haram) to display any form of adornment on the body or clothing; this includes wearing kohl, gold, all types of perfume, and dyeing the hair. Likewise, it is prohibited to receive a direct marriage proposal or to marry during this period.
 
It was narrated by Umm 'Atiyyah that the Prophet ﷺ said: 'We were forbidden to mourn for a deceased person for more than three days, except for a husband, for whom the mourning period is four months and ten days. During this time, we were not to use kohl, nor wear perfume, nor wear dyed clothing except for garments made of 'Asb (coarsely dyed yarn). We were, however, granted a concession at the time of purification—when one of us bathed following her menses—to use a small amount of Kust (costus) or Azfar (fragrant substances). We were also forbidden from following funeral processions.' (Narrated by Al-Bukhari). And Allah the Exalted knows best."

Is it permissible to offer an Udhiyah on behalf of the deceased?

In the Name of Allah, and may peace and blessings be upon our Master, the Messenger of Allah.
 
Offering an Udhiyah (sacrificial animal) on behalf of a deceased person is permissible. This is the official position of the Hanbali school (as stated in Kashshaf al-Qina’ by al-Bahuti,Vol.6/P.428) and was also upheld by the prominent Shafi'i scholar Al-’Abbadi (mentioned in Bidayat al-Muhtaj by Ibn Qadi Shuhbah,Vol. 4/P.358). It has likewise been narrated as a valid view among some Maliki and Hanafi scholars.
 
In fact, Imam Abu Dawud dedicated an entire chapter in his Sunan collection entitled, "Chapter on Sacrificing on Behalf of the Deceased." In it, he recorded a narration from Hanash, who said: "I saw 'Ali sacrificing two rams, so I asked him, 'What is this?' He replied, 'The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) commanded me to offer a sacrifice on his behalf, so I am sacrificing on his behalf.'"
 
Imam Abu Dawud also narrated from Jabir (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "O Allah, this is from You, for You, and on behalf of Muhammad and his Ummah (community). In the Name of Allah, and Allah is the Greatest," and he then slaughtered the animal.
 
The textual evidence here lies in the fact that our Master, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), offered a sacrifice on behalf of his entire community—and it is well-established that his community includes those who have already passed away.
 
Furthermore, there is an abundance of sacred texts demonstrating that the rewards of righteous deeds reach the deceased. For instance, it is permissible to fast on behalf of a deceased person who passed away with missed obligatory fasts, and it is equally permissible to perform Hajj on their behalf, both of which are firmly established in authentic Hadiths. Therefore, if the reward of fasting (which is a purely physical act of worship) and Hajj (which is a joint physical and financial act of worship) can reach the deceased, then the reward of an Udhiyah reaches them with greater reason (by way of A Fortiori argument). This is because it is a purely financial act of worship, falling under the general category of charity (Sadaqah).
 
Additionally, scholars have reached a consensus (Ijma') that the rewards of charity reach the deceased, and since the Udhiyah is inherently an act of charity, it falls under the same ruling. Consequently, based on all the aforementioned evidence, we hold the view that offering a sacrifice on behalf of the deceased is entirely permissible. And Allah the Almighty Knows Best.

The Jurisprudential Significance of the Ḥadīth: "Whoever says, at the conclusion of the Fajr Prayer, while crossing his legs, before speaking..."
"Whoever says, at the conclusion of the Fajr prayer, while crossing his legs, before speaking: 'Lā ilāha illā Allāh, waḥdahu lā sharīka lah, lahu al-mulku wa lahu al-ḥamdu yuḥyī wa yumītu wa huwa ʿalā kulli shayʾin qadīr' ten times — ten good deeds will be recorded for him, ten bad deeds will be erased from him, he will be raised ten levels, he will spend that day in protection from everything disliked and guarded from the devil, and no sin will be able to befall him on that day except associating partners with Allah" — does this noble ḥadīth apply to the imam, and what is meant by "extraneous speech"?

All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our master the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.
It is recommended for both the imam and those praying behind him to recite, immediately after the final salām, the specific remembrance reported in the sunnah to be said before turning away from one's place of prayer. The imam then leaves his praying spot, and the act of "turning" is fulfilled when the imam faces the congregation — even without physically leaving his spot — by positioning his right side toward them and his left side toward the qiblah, and this applies even while he is engaged in supplication.
Al-ʿAllāmah Ibn Qāsim al-ʿAbbādī states in his Ḥāshiyah ʿalā al-Tuḥfah (Vol.2/P.105): "It is most virtuous for the imam, once he has given the salām, to rise from his place of prayer immediately afterward." He adds that an exception must be made for the remembrances that are specifically required to be recited before he turns away. He then notes, citing Sharḥ al-ʿUbāb: "Yes, an exception to this rising immediately after the salām applies to the Fajr prayer, due to the authentic report that the Prophet ﷺ, when he prayed Fajr, would remain seated until the sun rose." He further cites, from al-Khādim, the ḥadīth concerning one who recites, at the conclusion of the Fajr prayer while still in the position of crossing his leg to rise: "Lā ilāha illā Allāh, waḥdahu lā sharīka lah..." and the rest of the well-known ḥadīth. He comments that this makes explicit that this particular remembrance is to be recited before the worshipper turns his legs to leave, and the same applies to Maghrib and ʿAṣr, as reported in those contexts as well.
What is meant by "speech" in the relevant ḥadīth is extraneous worldly speech that is not called for after the prayer and for which there is no legitimate excuse. The remembrances reported to be recited upon concluding the prayer, however, do not fall under this category of extraneous speech, since they are themselves required by the sharīʿah.
Al-ʿAllāmah ʿAlī al-Shabrāmalsī states in his Ḥāshiyah ʿalā al-Nihāyah (Vol.1/P.551): "If someone greets a person with salām while he is occupied with reciting this remembrance [i.e., 'Lā ilāha illā Allāh...'], should he return the greeting — without this causing him to forfeit the promised reward, since he is engaged in an obligatory matter — or should he delay returning the greeting until he finishes, this being a legitimate excuse for the delay?" He continues: "I say: the more likely view is the former, and the prohibition on speech is to be understood as applying to extraneous speech for which there is no legitimate excuse. Based on this, should the worshipper give precedence to this remembrance ('Lā ilāha illā Allāh...') or to reciting Sūrat al-Ikhlāṣ ('Qul huwa Allāhu aḥad')? This requires consideration, though it is not unlikely that the remembrance takes precedence, given that the Lawgiver urged hastening to it through his words 'while crossing his leg.' This is not considered ordinary speech, since it is not extraneous to what is required after the prayer."
Accordingly, it is recommended for both the imam and those praying behind him to recite this remembrance and to give it precedence over the other remembrances of the prayer, ensuring it is said before they move from their place. And Allah the Almighty knows best.

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