The Holy Quran with Five Volume Commentary (Vol 1) — Page clxiv
GENERAL INTRODUCTION asked 'Amir bin Fuhairah to write me a guarantee, and he did. As I got ready to return with it, the Prophet received a revelation about the future and said, "Surāqah, how wilt thou feel with the gold bangles of the Chosroes on thy wrists?" Amazed at the prophecy I asked, "Which Chosroes? Chosroes bin Hormizd, the Emperor of Iran?" The Prophet said, "Yes" (Usdul-Ghābbah). Sixteen or seventeen years later the prophecy was literally fulfilled. Surāqah accepted Islam and went to Medina. The Prophet died, and after him, first Abu Bakr, and then 'Umar became the Khalifah of Islam. The growing influence of Islam made the Iranians jealous and led them to attack the Muslims but, instead of subjugating the Muslims, they were themselves subjugated by them. The capital of Iran fell to the Muslims who captured its treasures, including the gold bangles which the Chosroes wore at state functions. After his conversion, Surāqah used to describe his pursuit of the Prophet and his party and to tell of what passed between him and the Prophet. When the spoils of the war with Iran were placed before 'Umar, he saw the gold bangles and remembered what the Prophet had told Surāqah. It was a grand prophecy made at a time of utter helplessness. 'Umar decided to stage a visible fulfilment of the prophecy. He, therefore, sent for Surāqah and ordered him to put on the gold bangles. Surāqah protested that the wearing of gold by men had been forbidden by Islam. 'Umar said that this was true, but that the occasion was an exception. The Prophet had foreseen Chosroes' gold bangles on his wrists; therefore he had to wear them now, even on pain of punishment. Surāqah was objecting out of deference to the Prophet's teaching; otherwise he was as eager as anyone else to provide visible proof of the fulfilment of the great prophecy. He put on the bangles and Muslims saw the prophecy fulfilled (Usdul-Ghābbah). The fugitive Prophet had become a king. He himself was no longer in this world. But those who succeeded him could witness the fulfilment of his words and visions. The Prophet Arrives at Medina To return to our narrative of the Ḥijrah. After the Prophet had dismissed Surāqah he continued his journey to Medina unmolested. When he reached Medina, the Prophet found the people waiting impatiently. A more auspicious day could not have dawned for them. For, the sun which had risen for Mecca had come instead to shine on Medina. News that the Prophet had left Mecca had reached them, so they were expecting his arrival. Parties of them went miles out of Medina to look for him. They went in the morning and returned disappointed in the evening. cxxxviii