Muhammad: Seal of the Prophets — Page 91
MUHAMMAD : SEAL OF THE PROPHETS 91 This was a grand sign, which had some resemblance to a sign shown by Moses, but was much more awe - inspiring. The sign of Moses is mentioned in the Holy Quran as follows: ‘We directed Moses, “Cast down thy rod,” and lo, it appeared to swallow up all that th e magicians had fabricated’ (7:118). Bokhari and Muslim have both described this event in their compilations as follows. The Meccans demanded that the Holy Prophet, peace be on him, should show them a sign. He showed them the moon divided into two sectors between which Mount Hira was visible. This sign predicted that the ruin of Arab tribal power was approaching. The Arabs well understood that if a person saw the moon in his dream it signified Arab power, Arab rule or an Arab ruler. For instance, it is related in a well - known hadith that Aisha saw in a dream that three moons had, one after the other, fallen into her chamber. This dream was fulfilled in that the Holy Prophet, and after him Abu Bakr, and after him Umar, were each in their turn, when they died, buried in the chamber of Aisha. Another significance of this event was that at the time of the display of this divine sign the fortunes of Islam, in the estimation of the worldly, were at the lowest ebb. The Holy Prophet and his small band of followers were shut up in a narrow valley whe re they were exposed to extreme privation and distress. They were helpless and, except during the pilgrimage season, they enjoyed no contact with the citizens of Mecca or anyone else. In this situation, God Almighty assured them that the time of the ruin o f the power of their enemies was approaching, and that soon Islam would triumph.