The Life & Character of the Seal of Prophets (sa) - Volume I — Page 237
VII - Days of Struggle 237 to an end. It is this very elucidation which makes the Shaqqul-Qamar a grand miracle. Although literally breaking the moon into two pieces without purpose would prove to be a wonder in light of astronomy, it would hold no weight in the spiritual realm. For this reason, past research scholars the like of Imam Ghazālī and Shāh Walīullāh Muḥaddith Dehlvī, have also expressed a similar ideology that this was merely a supernatural influence, under which the infidels witnessed the moon breaking into two pieces, but the moon did not actually break into two. 1 Moreover, when the moon did not actually break into two, rather, only seemed that way to spectators, without question, there must be a deeper wisdom behind it. That very wisdom is the one we have mentioned above. ُ وَاللّٰه ُ اَعْلَم 2 The miracle of the Shaqqul-Qamar took place approximately five years prior to the migration, in 9 Nabawī. 3 Demise of Ḥaḍrat Khadījah ra and Abū Ṭalib When the Holy Prophet sa came out of the The Valley of Abū Ṭālib he was struck by two consecutive misfortunes. Ḥaḍrat Khadījah ra and Abū Ṭālib passed away, one after the other. Both of them were aged and death is ordained for every individual. However, the demise of both of them so close to the era of their besiegement in the The Valley of Abū Ṭālib, strongly gives rise to the possibility that the insistent hardships of their imprisonment had a great role to play in their demise. It seems as if under the influence of constant severities, their health greatly deteriorated. While they were besieged, the thought of struggle kept their dispositions well-maintained, but as soon as they came out, the adversity of their besiegement brought forth its impact, and both of them fell victim to death, one after the other. On account of these consecutive grievances, the Holy Prophet sa named this year, that is, 10 Nabawī , the ‘Āmul- Ḥuzn , ‘The Year of Grievances’. 4 Abū Ṭālib was like a father to the Holy Prophet sa. He loved the Holy Prophet sa immensely and the Holy Prophet sa also loved him dearly. When Abū Ṭālib was in his terminal illness, the Holy Prophet sa would 1 Sīratun-Nabī sa (Urdu), By Shiblī Nu‘mānī, ‘Allāmah Syed Sulaiman Nadvī, Volume 3, p. 295, Bāb Shaqqul-Qamar, Published by the Ḥudhaifah Academy, Urdu Bazār, Lahore (2000) 2 For an elaborate discussion on this issue, refer to Surmah-e-Chashm-e-Āryah, Rūḥānī Khazā’in, Volume 2, pp. 108-116, Written by the Holy Founder of the Aḥmadiyya Community. (Author) 3 Tārīkhul- Khamīs, By Ḥusain bin Muḥammad bin Ḥasan Dayār Bakrī, Volume 1, p. 298, Inshiqāqul- Qamar, Muwassasatu Sha‘bān, Beirut 4 Sharḥul-‘Allāmatiz-Zarqānī ‘alal-Mawāhibil-Ladunniyyah, By Muḥammad bin ‘Abdul-Bāqī Az- Zarqānī, Volume 2, p. 49, Bābu Wafāti Khadījata wa Abī Ṭālib, Dārul-Kutubil-‘Ilmiyyah, Beirut, Lebanon, First Edition (1996)