The Guiding Light — Page 15
S u rah Ban i Isr a ’ i l, Chapter 17, Verses 79-85 15 that in fulfilment of the prophecy made in the words, ‘ Glory be to Him, Who carried His servant by night from the Sacred Mosque to the Distant Mosque ,’ he would be taken to Med i nah, which would constitute the first of the various ‘exalted positions’ ﻣﻘﺎم حمﻤﻮد ( maq a m-e-ma h m u d ) which are to be bestowed upon him. In anticipation of the fulfilment of this prophecy the Prophet sa is commanded to pray that his entry in Med i nah may be doubly blessed and so may be his departure from the town in which he is now living (Makkah). This prayer of the Prophet sa was amply fulfilled. His enemies desired to expel him from Makkah in ignominy and disgrace but he was foretold by God of their evil designs and in accordance with divine plan he left Makkah of his own accord and arrived in perfect safety in Med i nah, where he succeeded in gathering round him a band of most faithful and devoted followers. The question may be asked why the entry of the Prophet sa in to Med i nah has been mentioned before his ‘coming forth’ from Makkah, which is contrary to events as they took place. The answer to this seeming historical anomaly is that the order in the statement of events as they took place has been reversed in order to console the Holy