Are
Umar and Hassan b. Thabit Among the Prophets?
An
Examination of the Inspiration of Muhammad’s Companions
What do all of the following verses have in
common?
Say: 'Whosoever is
an enemy to Gabriel -- he it was that brought it down upon thy heart by the leave
of God, confirming what was before it, and for a guidance and good tidings to
the believers. Whosoever is an enemy to God and His angels and His Messengers,
and Gabriel, and Michael - surely God is an enemy to the unbelievers.' S.
2:97-98 Arberry
And when We appointed the House to be a place of visitation for the
people, and a sanctuary, and: 'Take to yourselves Abraham's station for a place
of prayer.' And We made covenant with Abraham and
Ishmael: 'Purify My House for those that shall go about it and those that
cleave to it, to those who bow and prostrate themselves.' S. 2:125 Arberry
O believers, enter
not the houses of the Prophet, except leave is given you for a meal, without
watching for its hour. But when you are invited, then enter; and when you have
had the meal, disperse, neither lingering for idle talk; that is hurtful to the
Prophet, and he is ashamed before you; but God is not ashamed before the truth.
And when you ask his wives for any object, ask them from behind a curtain; that
is cleaner for your hearts and theirs. It is not for you to hurt God's
Messenger, neither to marry his wives after him, ever; surely that would be, in
God's sight, a monstrous thing. S. 33:53 Arberry
It is possible that,
if he divorces you, his Lord will give him in exchange wives better than you,
women who have surrendered, believing, obedient, penitent, devout, given to
fasting, who have been married and virgins too. S. 66:5 Arberry
They did not initially originate from Allah
or Muhammad! Many readers, especially Muslims, may be shocked to discover that
part of the statements, if not all, of the foregoing verses are actually the
words or suggestions of Umar ibn al-Khattab, Muhammad’s close companion and
second Caliph. Renowned Muslim exegete Ibn Kathir provides the historical
background for these specific texts:
Ibn Abi Hatim
reported that Jabir, describing the Hajj (pilgrimage) of the Prophet said,
"When the Prophet performed Tawaf, `Umar asked him, `Is this
the Maqam of our father?' He said, `Yes.' `Umar said, `Should we
take it a place of prayer?' So Allah revealed…
<And take you
(people) the Maqam (place) of Ibrahim (Abraham) as a place of prayer.">
Al-Bukhari said,
"Chapter: Allah's statement…
<And take you
(people) the Maqam (place) of Ibrahim (Abraham) as a place of prayer> meaning, they return to it repeatedly." He then
narrated that Anas bin Malik said that `Umar bin Al-Khattab said, "I
agreed with my Lord, or my Lord agreed with me, regarding three matters. I
said, `O Messenger of Allah! I wish you take the Maqam of Ibrahim a
place for prayer.' The Ayah…
<And take you
(people) the Maqam (place) of Ibrahim (Abraham)> was revealed. I also said, `O Messenger of
Allah! The righteous and the wicked enter your house. I wish you would command
the Mothers of the believers (the Prophet's wives) to wear Hijab. Allah sent
down the Ayah that required the Hijab. And when I knew that the
Prophet was angry with some of his wives, I came to them and said, `Either you
stop what you are doing, or Allah will endow His Messenger with better women
than you are.' I advised one of his wives and she said to me, `O `Umar! Does
the Messenger of Allah not know how to advise his wives, so that you have to do
the job instead of him.' Allah then revealed…
<It may be if
he divorced you (all) that his Lord will give him instead of you, wives better
than you, Muslims (who submit to Allah)>." (66:5)… The Leader of the faithful `Umar bin Al-Khattab, one of
the Four Rightly Guided Caliphs whom we were commanded to emulate, moved the
stone away from the Ka`bah's wall during his reign. `Umar is one of the two
men, whom the Messenger of Allah described when he said…
<<Imitate
the two men who will come after me: Abu Bakr and `Umar.>>
`Umar was also the
person whom the Qur'an agreed with regarding praying next to Maqam
of Ibrahim. This is why none among the Companions rejected it when he moved it.
(Tafsir Ibn Kathir: http://tafsir.com/default.asp?sid=2&tid=3438;
bold and underline emphasis ours)
This is what he wrote regarding Q. 66:5:
… Muslim also
recorded that Ibn `Abbas said that `Umar bin Al-Khattab said to him, "When
Allah's Messenger stayed away from his wives, I entered the Masjid and found
people striking the ground with pebbles. They said, `Allah's Messenger has
divorced his wives.' That occurred before Hijab was commanded. I said to
myself, `I must investigate this news today.''' So he mentioned the Hadith in
which he went to `A'ishah and Hafsah and admonished
them. He then said, `I went in and found Rabah, the servant of Allah's
Messenger, sitting on a window sill. I called, `O Rabah, seek permission for me
from Allah's Messenger.’" He then mentioned the story as we mentioned
above. `Umar continued, "I said, `O Messenger of Allah, what trouble do
you feel from your wives If you have divorced them, verily Allah is with
you, His angels, Jibril, Mikal, I, Abu Bakr and the
rest of believers are with you.' Often, when I talked, all praise is due to
Allah, I hoped that Allah would testify to the words that I uttered. And so the
Ayat of option was revealed. Allah said…
<Maybe his
Lord, if he divorces you, will give him in your place wives better than
you,> and…
<but if you help one another against him, then verily, Allah
is his Protector, and Jibril, and the righteous among the believers; and after
that the angels are his helpers.> I
said, `Messenger of Allah, have you divorced them?' He said, `No.' I stood at
the door of the Masjid and called out at the top of my voice, `The
Messenger of Allah has not divorced his wives.' It was on this occasion that
this Ayah was revealed…
<When any
matter pertaining to peace or alarm comes to them, they broadcast it; whereas,
if they would refer it to the Messenger and those who have been entrusted with
authority among them, those of them who are engaged in obtaining intelligence
would indeed know (what to do with) it.> (4:83) It was I who understood (and properly investigated) this
matter." … Al-Bukhari recorded that Anas said, "`Umar said, `The wives of the Prophet were all jealous for his affection,
and I said to them…
<Maybe his
Lord, if he divorces you, will give him instead of you, wives better than
you.> Thereafter, this Ayah
was revealed.’" We mentioned before that `Umar said statements
that were confirmed by the Qur'an, such as about the revelation about Hijab
[see 33:53] and the captive idolators after the battle of Badr [see 8:67].
`Umar's suggestion to take the Station of Ibrahim as a place for prayer and
Allah revealed this Ayah…
<And take you
the Maqam (station) of Ibrahim as a place of prayer.> (2:125) Ibn Abi Hatim recorded that Anas said that
`Umar bin Al-Khattab said, "I heard news that the Mothers of the faithful
had a dispute with the Prophet . So I advised them,
saying, `Either stop bothering Allah's Messenger or
Allah might provide him better wives than you.’"… Al-Bukhari recorded that
Anas said, "`Umar said, `The wives of the Prophet
were all jealous for his affection, and I said to them…
<Maybe his
Lord, if he divorces you, will give him instead of you, wives better than
you.> Thereafter, this Ayah
was revealed.’" We mentioned before that `Umar said statements that
were confirmed by the Qur'an, such as about the revelation about Hijab [see
33:53] and the captive idolators after the battle of Badr [see 8:67].
`Umar's suggestion to take the Station of Ibrahim as a place for prayer and
Allah revealed this Ayah…
<And take you
the Maqam (station) of Ibrahim as a place of prayer.> (2:125) Ibn Abi Hatim recorded that Anas said that
`Umar bin Al-Khattab said, "I heard news that the Mothers of the faithful
had a dispute with the Prophet. So I advised them, saying, `Either
stop bothering Allah's Messenger or Allah might provide him better wives than
you.’" Abu `Abdur-Rahman As-Sulami, Abu Malik, Ibrahim An-Nakha`i,
Al-Hasan, Qatadah, Ad-Dahhak, Ar-Rabi` bin Anas, As-Suddi, and others. (Tafsir Ibn Kathir: http://tafsir.com/default.asp?sid=66&tid=54321;
bold and underline emphasis ours)
Lest Muslims call into question the
historical veracity of Ibn Kathir’s citations, here is what al-Bukhari said
regarding Umar’s influence on the "revelation" of the Quran:
Narrated ‘Umar (bin
Al-Khattab):
My Lord agreed
with me in three things:
1. I said, "O Allah's
Apostle, I wish we took the station of Abraham as our praying place (for some
of our prayers). So came the Divine Inspiration: And take you (people) the
station of Abraham as a place of prayer (for some of your prayers e.g. two Rakat of Tawaf of Ka'ba)." (2.125)
2. And as regards
the (verse of) the veiling of the women, I said, "O Allah's Apostle! I
wish you ordered your wives to cover themselves from the men because good and
bad ones talk to them." So the verse of the veiling of the women was revealed.
3. Once the wives of
the Prophet made a united front against the Prophet and I said to them,
"It may be if he (the Prophet) divorced you, (all) that his Lord (Allah)
will give him instead of you wives better than you." So this verse (the
same as I had said) was revealed. (66.5). (Sahih al-Bukhari, Volume 1,
Book 8, Number 395: http://www.usc.edu/dept/MSA/fundamentals/hadithsunnah/bukhari/008.sbt.html#001.008.395)
And:
Narrated Anas:
Umar said, "I
agreed with Allah in three things," or said, "My Lord agreed
with me in three things. I said, ‘O Allah's Apostle! Would
that you took the station of Abraham as a place of prayer.’ I also said,
‘O Allah's Apostle! Good and bad persons visit you! Would
that you ordered the Mothers of the believers to cover themselves with veils.’
So the Divine Verses of Al-Hijab (i.e. veiling of the women) were revealed. I
came to know that the Prophet had blamed some of his wives so I entered upon
them and said, ‘You should either stop (troubling the Prophet) or else Allah
will give His Apostle better wives than you.’ When I came to one of his wives,
she said to me, ‘O ‘Umar! Does Allah’s Apostle haven't[sic]
what he could advise his wives with, that you try to advise them?’"
Thereupon Allah revealed:--
"It may be, if
he divorced you (all) his Lord will give him instead of you, wives better than
you Muslims (who submit to Allah)…" (66.5) (Sahih al-Bukhari,
Volume 6, Book 60, Number 10: http://www.usc.edu/dept/MSA/fundamentals/hadithsunnah/bukhari/060.sbt.html#006.060.010)
The audacity of Umar to boast that Allah actually
agreed with him! Finally:
Narrated 'Aisha (the
wife of the Prophet):
'Umar bin Al-Khattab
used to say to Allah's Apostle, "Let your wives be veiled." But he
did not do so. The wives of the Prophet used to go out to answer the call of
nature at night only at Al-Manasi.' Once Sauda, the daughter of Zam'a went out
and she was a tall woman. 'Umar bin Al-Khattab saw her while he was in a
gathering, and said, "I have recognized you, O Sauda!" He
('Umar) said so as he was anxious for some Divine orders regarding the veil
(the veiling of women.) So Allah revealed the Verse of veiling. (Al-Hijab; a complete body cover excluding the eyes). (See
Hadith No. 148, Vol. 1) (Sahih al-Bukhari, Volume 8, Book 74, Number
257: http://www.usc.edu/dept/MSA/fundamentals/hadithsunnah/bukhari/074.sbt.html#008.074.257)
Clearly, the words of Umar have found their
way into the Quran, which Muslims claim is the eternal, uncreated speech of
Allah (http://answering-islam.org/Shamoun/eternal_quran.htm)!
Even more intriguing is that Umar’s
corrections to Muhammad were also included in the Quran!
It is not for any
Prophet to have prisoners until he make wide slaughter in the land. You desire
the chance goods of the present world, and God desires the world to come; and
God is All-mighty, All-wise. S. 8:67 Arberry
And
never (O Muhammad) pray for one of them who dieth,
nor stand by his grave. Lo! they disbelieved in Allah and His messenger, and they died
while they were evil-doers. S. 9:84 Pickthall
Ibn Kathir noted in reference to Q. 9:84
that:
The Prohibition
of Prayer for the Funeral of Hypocrites
Allah commands His
Messenger to disown the hypocrites, to abstain from praying the funeral prayer
when any of them dies, from standing next to his grave to seek Allah's
forgiveness for him, or to invoke Allah for his benefit. This is because
hypocrites disbelieved in Allah and His Messenger and died as such. This ruling
applies to all those who are known to be hypocrites, even though it was
revealed about the specific case of `Abdullah bin Ubayy bin Salul, the chief
hypocrite. Al-Bukhari recorded that Ibn `Umar said, "When `Abdullah bin
Ubayy died, his son, `Abdullah bin `Abdullah, came to the Messenger of Allah
and asked him to give him his shirt to shroud his father in, and the Messenger
did that. He also asked that the Prophet offer his father's funeral prayer, and
Allah's Messenger stood up to offer the funeral prayer. `Umar took hold of the
Prophet's robe and said, `O Allah's Messenger! Are you going to offer his
funeral prayer even though your Lord has forbidden you to do so?' Allah's
Messenger said…
<<I have
been given the choice, for Allah says…
<Whether
you ask forgiveness for them (hypocrites), or do not ask for forgiveness for
them. Even though you ask
for their forgiveness seventy times, Allah will not forgive them.> …
<<Verily, I
will ask [for forgiveness for him] more than seventy times>>.’ `Umar said, `He is a hypocrite!’ So Allah's
Messenger offered the funeral prayer and on that Allah revealed this Verse…
<And never (O
Muhammad) pray (funeral prayer) for any of them (hypocrites) who dies, nor
stand at his grave.>" `Umar
bin Al-Khattab narrated a similar narration. In this narration, `Umar said,
"The Prophet offered his funeral prayer, walked with the funeral
procession and stood on his grave until he was buried. I was amazed at my
daring to talk like this to the Messenger of Allah, while Allah and His
Messenger have better knowledge. By Allah, soon afterwards, these two Ayat
were revealed…
<And never (O
Muhammad ) pray (funeral prayer) for any of them (hypocrites) who dies.> Ever since this revelation came, the Prophet never
offered the funeral prayer for any hypocrite nor stood on his grave until
Allah, the Exalted and Most Honored, brought death to him.’" At-Tirmidhi
collected this Hadith in his Tafsir [section of his Sunan] and said,
"Hasan Sahih". Al-Bukhari also recorded it. (Tafsir Ibn Kathir: http://tafsir.com/default.asp?sid=9&tid=21802)
Al-Bukhari confirms the foregoing narrative:
Narrated Umar bin
Al-Khattab:
When 'Abdullah bin
Ubai bin Salul died, Allah's Apostle was called in order to offer the funeral
prayer for him. When Allah's Apostle got up (to offer the prayer) I
jumped towards him and said, "O Allah's Apostle! Do you offer the prayer
for Ibn Ubai although he said so-and-so on such-and-such-a day?" I
went on mentioning his sayings. Allah's Apostle smiled and said, "Keep
away from me, O 'Umar!" But when I spoke too much to him, he said, "I
have been given the choice, and I have chosen (this); and if I knew that if I
asked forgiveness for him more than seventy times, he would be for given, I
would ask it for more times than that." So Allah's Apostle offered the
funeral prayer for him and then left, but he did not stay long before the two
Verses of Surat-Bara'a were revealed, i.e.:-- ‘And
never (O Muhammad) pray for anyone of them that dies.... and died in a state of
rebellion.’ (9.84) Later I was
astonished at my daring to speak like that to Allah's Apostle and Allah and His
Apostle know best. (Sahih a-Bukhari, Volume 6, Book 60, Number 193:
http://www.usc.edu/dept/MSA/fundamentals/hadithsunnah/bukhari/060.sbt.html#006.060.193)
Narrated Ibn Umar:
When Abdullah bin
Ubai died, his son 'Abdullah bin 'Abdullah came to Allah's Apostle who gave his
shirt to him and ordered him to shroud his father in it. Then he stood up to
offer the funeral prayer for the deceased, but 'Umar bin Al-Khattab took
hold of his garment and said, "Do you offer the funeral prayer for him
though he was a hypocrite and Allah has forbidden you to ask forgiveness for
hypocrites?" The Prophet said, "Allah has given me the choice
(or Allah has informed me) saying:
‘Whether you, O
Muhammad, ask forgiveness for them, or do not ask forgiveness for them, even if
you ask forgiveness for them seventy times, Allah will not forgive them,’
(9.80)" The he added, "I will (appeal to Allah for his sake) more
than seventy times." So Allah's Apostle offered the funeral prayer for him
and we too, offered the prayer along with him. Then Allah revealed: "And
never, O Muhammad, pray (funeral prayer) for anyone of them that dies, nor
stand at his grave. Certainly they disbelieved in Allah and His Apostle and
died in a state of rebellion." (9.84) (Sahih a-Bukhari, Volume 6,
Book 60, Number 194: http://www.usc.edu/dept/MSA/fundamentals/hadithsunnah/bukhari/060.sbt.html#006.060.194)
Here is what Ibn Kathir wrote regarding Q.
8:67:
Imam Ahmad recorded
that Anas said, "The Prophet asked the people for their opinion about the
prisoners of war of Badr, saying…
<<Allah has
made you prevail above them.>> `Umar bin Al-Khattab stood up and said, `O Allah's
Messenger! Cut off their necks,' but the Prophet turned away from him. The
Messenger of Allah again asked…
<<O people!
Allah has made you prevail over them, and only yesterday, they were your
brothers.>> `Umar again stood up and said, `O Allah's Messenger! Cut off their
necks.' The Prophet ignored him and asked the same question again and he
repeated the same answer. Abu Bakr As-Siddiq stood up and said, `O Allah's
Messenger! I think you should pardon them and set them free in return for
ransom.' Thereupon the grief on the face of Allah's Messenger vanished. He
pardoned them and accepted ransom for their release. Allah, the Exalted and
Most Honored, revealed this verse…
<Were it not a
previous ordainment from Allah, a severe torment would have touched you for
what you took>." (Tafsir Ibn Kathir: http://tafsir.com/default.asp?sid=8&tid=20537)
The late Muslim scholar Martin Lings provides
some background material which helps to show how Umar was instrumental in the
composition of Q. 8:67:
Since Quraysh so
greatly outnumbered the believers, the possibility of their rallying and
returning to the fight had still to be considered, and the Prophet was
persuaded to withdraw to his shelter with Abu Bakr while some of the Helpers
kept watch. Sa‘d ibn Muadh was standing on guard at the entrance with drawn
sword, and when his fellow warriors started to bring their captives into the
camp the Prophet was struck by the expression of strong disapproval on his
face. "Sa‘d," he said, "it would seem
that what they are doing is hateful in thine eyes." Sa‘d
vigorously assented; then he added: "This is the first defeat God hath
inflicted on the idolaters; and I had rather see their men slaughtered than
left alive." ‘Umar was of the same opinion, but Abu Bakr was
in favour of letting the captives live, in the hope that sooner or later they
might become believers, and the Prophet inclined to his view. But later in the
day, when ‘Umar returned to the shelter, he found the Prophet and Abu
Bakr in tears on account of a Revelation which had come: It is not
for a prophet to hold captives until he hath made great slaughter in the land.
Ye would have for yourselves the gains of this world and God would have for
you the Hereafter, and God is Mighty, Wise. But the Revelation had made it
clear that the decision to spare the captives had been accepted by God and
should not now be revoked; and the Prophet was given a message for the captives
themselves: O Prophet, say unto those captives who are in your hands: If God
knoweth any good in your hearts, He will give you better than that which hath
been taken from you, and He will forgive you. (Lings, Muhammad: his life
based on the earliest source [Inner Traditions International, Ltd.,
Rochester, Vermont 1983], p. 149; bold and underline emphasis ours)
Here is another version of the events:
Captives
of Badr
About
the fate of the captives of Badr, Abu Bakr and Umar held contrary views. Abu
Bakr took the lenient view, while Umar took the sterner view.
After
taking into consideration both the views, the Holy Prophet said:
"Almighty
God softens the hearts of some people-softer than milk. And He hardens the
hearts of some people-harder than stone."
Turning
to Abu Bakr who had counselled a lenient view, the
Holy Prophet said:
"Abu
Bakr you are like Abraham who said, 'He who follows me is one of us, and he who
disobeys me, then O God, You are gracious enough to forgive'. And Abu Bakr you
are also like Jesus who said, 'If you punish them they are Your
servants, and if You forgive them, You are All Powerful, Mighty and Wise."
Turning
to Umar, the Holy Prophet said:
Umar,
you are like Noah who said, 'O God, do not leave on the earth a single
unbeliever.' And Umar you are also like Moses who said, 'O God destroy their
properties and harden their hearts so that they are not converted till they
have suffered punishment."
The
Holy Prophet accepted the advice of Abu Bakr and acted accordingly.
The
following day, Umar visited the Holy Prophet, and saw that both the Holy
Prophet and Abu Bakr were weeping.
Umar
addressing the Holy Prophet said:
"What
is it that makes you weep? Tell me, so that if there is any matter to be
grieved over, I may also weep with you."
The
Holy Prophet said:
"Umar,
there is nothing for you to be grieved over. On the other hand you should
rejoice that God has upheld the view that you had taken about the captives of
Badr, and admonished those who had taken a contrary view."
Umar's
curiosity was awakened and he wanted know what exactly was
the revelation. The Holy Prophet recited the verses that had been
revealed:
"It
is not fitting for an Apostle
That he should have prisoners of war,
Until he has thoroughly subdued the land.
Ye look on the temporal goods of this world,
But God looks to the Hereafter,
And God is Exalted, Mighty, and Wise." (8:67) (Khalifa Umar bin al-Khattab, Battle of Badr:
http://www.witness-pioneer.org/vil/Articles/companion/04_umar_bin_al_khattab.htm;
bold and underline emphasis ours)
It seems that in these instances Umar was
more inspired than Muhammad!
In light of the foregoing it comes as no
surprise that Muhammad claimed that Umar had the potential of being a prophet:
‘Ali: So what is stopping you from asking ‘Umar to make
du’a for you? Do you know, Ibn Qurt, that his du’a is
never rejected and always reaches Allah and that Rasulullah said in his regard:
"Were there to be another prophet after me it would have been ‘Umar."
Is he not that man whose decisions corresponded to that of the Quran until
Rasulullah said, "Were punishment to fall from the sky to Earth, none
would escape it except ‘Umar bin al-Khattab."
Do you not know that
Allah revealed clear verses about him? Is he not ascetic, pious and always
engaged in worship? Does he not greatly resemble the prophet Nuh? Should he
offer du’a on your behalf it would be answered. (Al-Imam al-Waqidi, The
Islamic Conquest of Syria, A Translation of Futuhusham: The Inspiring History
of the Sahabah’s Conquest of Syria, translated by Mawlana Sulayman
al-Kindi [Ta-Ha Publishers Ltd., London 2005], Part 3: Al-Yarmuk, pp. 287-288;
bold and italic emphasis ours)
Narrated Abu
Huraira:
The Prophet said,
"Amongst the people preceding you there used to be 'Muhaddithun'
(i.e. persons who can guess things that come true later on, as if those
persons have been inspired by a divine power), and if there are any
such persons amongst my followers, it is 'Umar bin Al-Khattab." (Sahih
al-Bukhari, Volume 4, Book 56, Number 675: http://www.usc.edu/dept/MSA/fundamentals/hadithsunnah/bukhari/056.sbt.html#004.056.675)
The problem with Muhammad’s statement is that
Umar couldn’t have simply been a person who came close to being inspired or a
prophet, but must have been an inspired prophet in order to influence Allah to
insert his words into the Quran. Otherwise, we must assume that an uninspired
man caused Allah to include, in fact plagiarize, words which did not originate
from a divine source!
_____________________________________________________________________________
Umar wasn’t the only person inspired by Allah
to recite revelations, but Muhammad had another companion who received
inspiration as well. Hassan ibn Thabit was Muhammad’s companion and poet who
would recite poetry lampooning the unbelievers. What makes this rather
astonishing is that Muhammad believed that the Holy Spirit and Gabriel inspired
Hassan to write these poems:
Narrated Abu Salama
bin 'Abdur-Rahman bin 'Auf:
that he heard Hassan bin Thabit Al-Ansari asking the witness of Abu Huraira,
saying, "O Abu Huraira! I beseech you by Allah (to tell me). Did you hear
Allah's Apostle saying ‘O Hassan! Reply on behalf of
Allah's Apostle. O Allah! Support him (Hassan) with the Holy Spirit!’?"
Abu Huraira said, "Yes." (Sahih Al-Bukhari, Volume 8, Book 73,
Number 173: http://www.usc.edu/dept/MSA/fundamentals/hadithsunnah/bukhari/073.sbt.html#008.073.173)
Narrated Al-Bara:
The Prophet said to Hassan, "Lampoon them (the pagans) in verse, and
Gabriel is with you." (Sahih Al-Bukhari, Volume 8, Book 73,
Number 174:
http://www.usc.edu/dept/MSA/fundamentals/hadithsunnah/bukhari/073.sbt.html#008.073.174;
see also Volume 1, Book 8, Number 444, Volume 4, Book 54, Number 434-435, and
Volume 5, Book 59, Number 449)
Al-Bari' b. 'Azib reported:
I heard Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) as
saying: Hassan b. Thabit, write satire (against the non-believers); Gabriel
is with you. This hadith has been narrated on the authority of Shu'ba with
the same chain of transmitters. (Sahih Muslim, Book 031, Number 6074: http://www.usc.edu/dept/MSA/fundamentals/hadithsunnah/muslim/031.smt.html#031.6074;
see also Number 6071 and 6073)
Interestingly, Hassan had an encounter with a jinn which is similar to Muhammad’s encounter with
the spirit who claimed to be Gabriel:
But let me
illustrate in detail. A good example is given in the stories told about Hassan
ibn Thabit, a close personal follower of Muhammad, and, in a sense, his
poet-laureate. Muhammad in general was opposed to poetry; the poets were mostly
opposed to him; but Hassan upheld his cause with poetry of a kind, and was
especially useful in replying to satirical and abusive attacks. But this
Hassan, while still a young man in the days before
Islam, and before he had made any verses, was initiated into poetry by a
female Jinni. She met him in one of the streets of
Further,
the story runs that Muhammad used to set up for him a pulpit in the mosque and
stand by in evident enjoyment, while Hassan hurled from it stinging verses against
the enemies of Islam. This was
one of the few occasions on which Muhammad seems to have tolerated poetry, and his
reported comment is significant, "Allah aids Hassan with the Holy Spirit
so long as he is defending or boasting of the Apostle of God." But by the
Holy Spirit here, you must not understand any conception like that of the third
person of the Christian trinity. For Muhammad the phrase referred only to the
angel messenger who brought to him his revelations. The theological
consequences of the lack of the conception of the Holy Ghost, the Lord and
Giver of Life, in Islam were wide, but this is not the place to enter upon
them. Here Muhammad simply ascribed to Hassan the same kind of inspiration
that he had himself, and that is remarkable enough.
Another point to
observe is the close parallel between the terms used in the story of
Hassan's initiation and that of the first revelation to Muhammad. Just as
Hassan was thrown down by the female spirit and had verses pressed out of him,
so the first utterances of prophecy were pressed from Muhammad by the angel
Gabriel. And the resemblances go still farther. The angel Gabriel is spoken
of as the companion (qarin) of Muhammad, just as though he were the
Jinni accompanying a poet, and the same word nafatha, "blow
upon", is used of an enchanter, or a Jinni inspiring a poet and of Gabriel
revealing to Muhammad. It was, of course, the nightmare of Muhammad's earlier
years - a fear of his own and an accusation of his enemies - that he was
simply a poet possessed by a Jinni; it dictated his whole attitude to poets and
poetry, and it is very plain how near the fact, the fear and accusation lay.
He was in truth a poet of the old Arab type, without skill of verse, and with all his being given to the prophetic side of
poetry. Add to this a strange jumble of Jewish and Christian conceptions, and
you have the key to Muhammad. (Duncan B. Macdonald puts this into perspective:, The Attitude of the Semites Toward the Unseen World;
Prophecy as a Semitic Phenomenon and Especially Among the Arabs, http://answering-islam.org/Books/Macdonald/haskell_lecture1.htm;
bold emphasis ours)
Now contrast this with Muhammad’s initial
experience with "Gabriel":
I. How the
revelation to the Messenger of Allah , may Allah bless
him and grant him peace, began and the words of Allah, "We have
revealed to you as We revealed to Nuh and the Prophets who came after
him." (4:162) …
3. 'A'isha, Umm
al-Mu'minin, may Allah be pleased with her, said,
"The beginning of the revelation to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah
bless him and grant him peace, took the form of the true dream. Whenever he had
this kind of dream, it was clear like the break of day [and was true]. Then he was
made to love retreat and used to go into retreat in the cave of Hira' where he
would devote himself to the worship of Allah alone, continuing in this worship
for a number of nights until he felt inclined to return to his family. He would
take provision for his stay. Then he would return to Khadija to restock with
provision to do the same again. This lasted until the Truth came to him while
he was in the
The angel came to
him and said, ‘Read!’ He said, ‘I cannot read.’
The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, ‘He seized
me and squeezed me until all the strength went out of me and then released me
and said, ‘Read!’ I said, ‘I cannot read.’ Then he seized me and squeezed me
a second time until all the strength when out of me and then released me. Then
he seized me and squeezed me a third time and then released me, and then he
said, 'Recite: In the Name of your Lord who
created, created man from a blood clot. Recite: And your Lord is the Most
Generous.’"
[She went on,]
"Then the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him
and grant him peace, returned with that and his heart was quaking. He came to
Khadija bint Khuwaylid, may Allah be pleased with her, and said, ‘Wrap me up!
Wrap me up!’ They wrapped him up until the state of terror had left him and
then he told Khadija what had happened and said, 'I am afraid for myself.'
Khadija said, ‘No, by Allah, Allah would never bring disgrace upon you. You
maintain ties of kinship, bear people's burdens, help the destitute, give
hospitality to your guests and help those who have been afflicted by
calamities.’
"Khadija then
went with him to Waraqa ibn Nawfal ibn Asad ibn ‘Abdu'l-‘Uzza,
Khadija's cousin, who had become Christian during the Jahiliyya. He
could write in Hebrew and wrote in Hebrew as much of the Gospel as Allah
willed. He was an old man who had gone blind. Khadija said to him, ‘Cousin!
Listen to your nephew.’ Waraqa said to him, ‘Nephew, what have you seen?' The
Messenger of Alla, may Allah bless him and grant him
peace, told him what he had seen. Waraqa said to him, ‘This is the Namus
[Jibril] which Allah sent to Musa. I wish that I were still young. I wish I
might still be alive when your people drive you out!’ The Messenger of Allah,
may Allah bless him and grant him peace, asked, ‘Will they drive me out?’ He
said, ‘Yes, no man has brought anything similar to what you have brought
without being treated with hostility. If I am still alive on that day, I will
give you my strong support.’ Shortly after that, Waraqa died and there was a
pause in the revelation." (Aisha Bewley, Sahih Collection of al-Bukhari,
Chapter 1: The Beginning of the Revelation: http://bewley.virtualave.net/bukhari1.html#1;
underline emphasis ours)
For an alternate translation please consult
the following: http://www.usc.edu/dept/MSA/fundamentals/hadithsunnah/bukhari/001.sbt.html#001.001.003
Muhammad was even accused of being majnun,
which literally means "jinn-possessed":
Thou art not, by the
Grace of thy Lord, mad or possessed (bi-majnunin). S. 68:2 Y. Ali
And (O people) your
companion (Muhammad (Peace be upon him)) is not a madman (bi-majnunin);
S. 81:22 Hilali-Khan
The foregoing basically demonstrates that
Hassan wasn’t merely inspired in the same way as Muhammad, but that he was
being inspired by the very same entity that came to Muhammad. In other words,
Hassan was just as much a prophet and messenger as Muhammad!
But this means that Muhammad couldn’t have
been the last inspired messenger of Allah since Hassan, who was also inspired,
outlived him. And yet, by living longer than Muhammad, Hassan ends up
falsifying the assertion of the Quran that the former was the prophetic seal or
last prophet:
Muhammad is not the father of any man among
you, but he is the messenger of Allah and the Seal of the Prophets; and Allah
is ever Aware of all things. S. 33:40 Pickthall
This would also apply to Umar, since he too
was inspired to recite Allah’s revelations and who happened to die long after
Muhammad! Thus, there were at least two inspired men who outlived Muhammad, the
so-called last prophet of Allah.