Question:
Alaykum as-Salam,
Recently i was reading in “Lives of man” by Imam Al Haddad- “It is narrated that the messenger of God was already a prophet when Adam was between water and Clay, Between Spirit and Body, and that he accompanied Adam when he was brought down from garden,Noah when he boarded his ark, Abraham when he was thrown into Nimrod’s fire. He was at this stage most perfect and Complete” (Lives of Man- Alawi Al Haddad. Page no: 7,8) My Question to you is. 1, Do you agree with the above narration?
2, Do we have any supporting verses from the Qur’an for the above narration (statement)? I mean is this narration agree with the Qur’anic depiction of Prophethood of Muhammed (pbuh)?
3, How do you explain prophet muhammed (pbuh) was present when Noah (pbuh) boarded his ship and when Abraham (pbuh) was thrown into Nimrod’s fire.?
Answer:
1) Yes, we agree with it heart and soul. Anyone who knows the standing of Imam `Abd Allah al-Haddad (Allah have mercy on him) can trust what he relates about the Prophet, upon him blessings and peace; furthermore this particular explanation is well-known and related from the Companions (Allah be well-pleased with them).
One time after Imam al-Shafi`i narrated a hadith to a man who asked him about a certain matter the latter said: “Do you also say that?” whereupon al-Shafi`i jumped, his color changed, and he said: “Woe to you! What earth would carry me, what heaven would shade me if I narrated from the Messenger of Allah something but did not agree with it? Yes, I agree with it heart and soul! Yes, I agree with it heart and soul!”
2) First things first. The author said “It is narrated” which means he is referring to a hadith. The hadith of the Prophet being already a prophet when Adam was between spirit and body is sahih and well-known. Another similar sahih hadith states:
“Truly I was [already], in the sight of Allah, the Seal of Prophets, when Adam was still kneaded in his clay. I shall inform you of the meaning (ta’wil) of this. It is the supplication of my father Ibrahim (Q 2:129) and the glad tidings of my brother `Isa to his people (Q 61:6); and the vision my mother saw the night I was delivered: she saw a light that lit the palaces of Syro-Palestine so that she could see them.”
Narrated by Ahmad, Musnad al-Shamiyyin, from al-`Irbad b. Sariya (al-Zayn ed. 13:282 §17086, 13:285 §17098; al-Arna’ut ed. 28:382 §17151, 28:395 §17163), among others.
The Holy Prophet also disclosed a very important and great revelation, namely that his lineage all came down to him through lawful marriage (nikah) and never through fornication (sifah). This is narrated from at least five Companions. The Shafi`i arch-hafiz of hadith Ibn al-Mulaqqin documented all the routes and versions of the latter authentic hadith in his book al-Badr al-Munir as follows:
– “Nothing of the sifah of Jahiliyya ever gave birth to me; only nikah such as the nikah of Islam ever gave birth to me.” Al-Bayhaqi in his Sunan and al-Tabarani in al-Mu`jam al-Kabir from Ibn `Abbas (Allah be well-pleased with him and his father).
– “My two foreparents never met in sifah. Allah Most High transported me from times immemorial (lam yazal Allah yanquluna) from the excellent loins into the pure wombs, singled out and refined (musaffan muhadhdhaban). Never did two branches branch off except I was in the better one of the two.” Abu Nu`aym from Ibn `Abbas through two chains.
– “I came down [through my lineage] out of nikah, never sifah (kharajtu min nikah la min sifah). Allah Most High transported me, etc…” Ibn Sa`d in al-Tabaqat al-Kubra and al-Harith b. Abi Usama in his Musnad from `A’isha (Allah be well-pleased with her).
– “I came down [through my lineage] out of nikah, never sifah, all the way from Adam to the time my father and mother gave birth to me. Never did the sifah of Jahiliyya ever touch me in anything.” Ibn Abi `Umar al-`Adani in his Musnad and al-Ajurri in al-Shari`a from `Ali (Allah be well-pleased with him).
– The same from Abu Hurayra (Allah be well-pleased with him) as narrated by Ibn `Asakir in Tarikh Dimasqh.
– The same from Anas (Allah be well-pleased with him) as narrated by al-Bayhaqi in Dala’il al-Nubuwwa, who added that Ibn al-Kalbi said: “I researched 500 foremothers of the Prophet, and have not found among them any sifah or anything of what the Jahiliyya practiced.”
As for its meaning in the Book of Allah it is found in three verses:
1. {Truly when the waters rose We carried you upon the ship} (69:11): “Meaning during the Flood, that is, your ancestors as you were in their loins, on board the ark of Nuh (upon him peace)” Al-Baydawi, Tafsir Anwar al-Tanzil.
2. {And a token unto them is that We bore their offspring in the laden ship} (36:41), “that is, their ancestors on Nuh’s ship, as the term ‘offspring’ (dhurriyya) is used for forefathers just as it is used for descendants.” Al-Wahidi, Tafsir al-Wasit.
3. {[Your Lord] Who sees you when you stand, and your turning (taqallubak) among those who prostrate themselves} (26:218-219), “meaning your descent through the loins of your ancestors – Adam and Nuh and Ibrahim, until He brought him out as a Prophet.” Narrated from Ibn `Abbas by al-Hakim in al-Mustadrak (2:338), also al-Bazzar and al-Tabarani with a sound chain according to al-Haythami, Majma` al-Zawa’id (7:86 and 8:214); and this is the explanation retained in the Tafsirs of Muqatil, Ibn Abi Hatim, Ibn Mardawayh, al-Baghawi, Abu al-Layth al-Samarqandi, al-Qushayri, al-Tha`labi, Ibn al-Jawzi, al-Razi, al-Qurtubi, Abu Hayyan, al-Khazin, Ibn `Adil al-Hanbali, al-Naysaburi, al-Suyuti, and others.
3) By hearing and believing, the same way as we explain that the souls of all human beings were brought out like ants from the loins of our father Adam and were given the power of speech.
As the Prophet’s paternal uncle al-`Abbas b. `Abd al-Muttalib (Allah be well-pleased with him) said in his famous verses:
<<Before [your translation] you were blessed in the shades [of Paradise] and the repository (Eden) where leaves were used for garments. Then you alighted upon earth, neither a human being nor a piece of flesh nor clot, but as a drop that boarded the Ark when the flood destroyed Nasr and the rest of the idols, transported from loins to wombs in the succession of worlds and centuries.>>
Narrated by al-Hakim, Mustadrak (3:327); Abu Nu`aym, Hilya (1:364); Ibn Kathir, Sira (4:51).
Blessings and peace on the Prophet, his Family, his Companions, and all his sincere followers to the Day of Resurrection.
Hajj Gibril Haddad