Chief of the Prophets — Page 76

Chapter Five 76 Once I went to Makkah. The Quraish were quite concerned to see me, as I might be influenced by listening to Muḥammad sa. Therefore, they warned me so much that I plugged my ears lest I hear his voice and become his victim. One morning, I went to Masjid al-Ḥarām and saw Muḥammad sa praying in one corner. I was attracted to him, so I gradually approached him. Now, I could faintly hear him, and in my heart I said, “I am a sensible man, and can differentiate between a good and evil individual. What harm is there that I listen to this man? If it is good I shall believe it and if it is evil I shall reject it. ” As this thought entered my heart, I unplugged my ears, and began to listen to the recitation of the Qur’ān. By now, I was deeply moved. I accompanied Muḥammad sa on his way home and asked him about his mission. Muḥammad sa preached to me about the Unity of God. I accepted Islam right away and returned to my tribe to spread Islam. 1,2 Prophecy about the Victory of Rome against Persia At that time, Persia and Rome were at war and Persia had gained dominance over Rome and had seized many of its territories. After being informed by God, the Exalted, Muḥammad sa prophesized that despite Rome being currently dominated by Persia, in a few years time, it shall defeat Persia, and on that day the believers shall rejoice. Within the prophesized time, the war took such a complete turn that Rome became victorious over Persia and conquered all of its lost lands. 1 Please see a note about Mi‘rāj and Isrā’ in Sīrat Khātamun-Nabiyyīn, Urdu edition, published by Islam International Publications, 1996, p. 189. 2 See the ordainment of the five prayers and the philosophy of the Islamic teachings in Sīrat Khātamun-Nabiyyīn, Urdu edition, published by Islam International Publications, 1996, p. 208.