1-24-2012

Episode 10: Birth of the Messenger Pt 2

Welcome to Seerah Pearls, which aims to highlight some tantalising learning points from each episode of the Seerah- Life of the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wasallam).

Several miraculous events are said to have happened around the time of the birth of the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wasallam). The issues with the authenticity of these reports are discussed.

It is mentioned that the palace of Kisra, in Persia, shook on the night of the birth of the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wasallam). Fourteen balconies broke and fell off the palace. A sacred fire, which was the central object of worship in the region, that had not blown out for 1000 years, became extinguished. The Tigris river levels became very low, so that water stopped flowing to some regions.

With these events, the king gathered his people and council. He was advised that that there are suggestions of something interesting going on towards Arabia. The king thus sent a man in the direction of the Arabs to find out what was happening. The leaders of Sham were also found to be asking the same question: what was happening in the direction of the Arabs? An individual who was knowledgable about prophecies reported that these events signified that the man who was to be the Prophet of the last times had been born. He details a prophecy that the reign of the Kisra would see only fourteen more emperors until its demise.

Other prophecies around the person to be the last Prophet include:

- he would be born on a Monday, given Prophethood on a Monday and die on a Monday

- a star would be present that was also seen the night previous Prophets were born

- he would be an orphan

- on his back, between his shoulder blades, was a birth mark like a cluster of moles with hairs growing (the seal of Prophethood)

- he would not live to see the age of 70 years.