A Gift for Baghdad — Page 79
REPLY TO THE ANNOUNCEMENT & LETTER taught. And say: 'If I have invented it of myself, the sin thereof is on me. These people will devise their plans and 79 Observe how the angel of Allah spoke to Maryam though she was not a prophetess. So, fear Allah and be not of the transgressors. Moreover, a report appears in an authentic hadith from Amr bin al-Harith, who said: 'While Umar was delivering the sermon on Friday, he digressed from his sermon and cried out two or three times, "O Sariyah, the mountain!", then he reverted to the sermon. So, some peo- ple from among the Companions of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said: “He is, indeed, an insane person to depart from his sermon and cry out, O Sariyah, the mountain!" So, 'Abdur-Rahman bin Auf went to him and inquired about the incident. He said: "O Commander of the Faithful, why have you behaved in such a manner that people spoke about you? During your sermon you cried out: 'O Sāriyah, the mountain!' What does this mean?" He [Umar] re- plied: "I swear by Allah I could not help it, for I saw at that time Sāriyah and his companions fighting near the mountain and [the enemy] was advancing from the front and the rear. That is why I was compelled to say: 'O Sāriyah, the mountain!,' in order that they might seek cover at the mountain. " Subsequently, when some days had passed, Sāriyah's courier brought a letter which stated: "We encountered the enemy on Friday and we fought them after the morning Prayer until the arrival of the time for al-Jumu'ah [the Friday Prayer]. Then we heard a voice advising us, 'The mountain!', twice. Therefore, we sought refuge at the mountain, and thereafter we became victorious over our enemy in a way that Allah vanquished them and manifested a clear victory. "" (Author)