The Holy Quran with Five Volume Commentary (Vol 1) — Page cclxxxi
GENERAL INTRODUCTION in religious scriptures were only by way of metaphor which, instead of being interpreted in accordance with its correct significance, had given rise to superstitions. Nevertheless, some among Muslims were prone to attribute these phenomena to events in the lives of the great Prophets. In the closing years of the Holy Prophet's life his son Ibrāhim died at the age of two and a half years. An eclipse of the sun occurred on the same day. Some Muslims in Medina gave currency to the idea that the sun had been darkened on the occasion of the death of the Prophet's son as a mark of divine condolence. When this was mentioned to the Holy Prophet he expressed great displeasure and severely condemned the notion. He explained that the sun and the moon and other heavenly bodies were all governed by divine laws and that their movements and the phenomena connected with them had no relation to the life or death of any person (Bukhārī). Arabia is a very dry country and rain is always welcome and is eagerly waited for. The Arabs used to imagine that the coming of rain was controlled by the movements of stars. Whenever anybody gave expression to that idea, the Holy Prophet used to be very upset and admonished his people not to attribute favours bestowed upon them by Providence to other sources. He explained that rain and other natural phenomena were all governed by divine laws and that they were not controlled by the pleasure or displeasure of any god or goddess or of any other power (Muslim, Kitābul-Īmān). He had perfect trust in God which no combination of adverse circumstances could shake. On one occasion an enemy of his, finding him asleep and unguarded, stood over his head with drawn sword and threatened to despatch him at once. Before doing so he asked: "Who can rescue you from this predicament?" The Holy Prophet calmly replied: "Allah. " He uttered this word with such perfect assurance that even the heart of his disbelieving enemy was forced to acknowledge the loftiness of his faith and trust in God. The sword fell from his hand, and he, who a moment before was bent upon his destruction, stood before him like a convicted criminal awaiting sentence (Muslim, Kitābul-Faḍā'il and Bukhārī, Kitābul-Jihād). At the other end of the scale was his sense of perfect humility vis-a-vis the Divine. Abū Hurairah relates: "One day I heard the Holy Prophet say that no man would attain salvation through his own good deeds. Thereupon I said: ‘O Messenger of Allah! 'Surely you will enter Paradise through your own good actions,' to which he replied: 'No, I too cannot enter Paradise through my own actions save only that God's Grace and Mercy should envelop me' (Bukhārī, Kitābur-Riqāq). " He always exhorted people to choose and follow the right path and to be diligent in their search for means whereby they could attain nearness to God. He taught that no man should desire death for himself, for if he is good he cclv