THREAD: The Prophecies of Muhammad PBUH: Proofs of Prophethood. [Sh. Mohammad Elshinawy, Yaqeen]

This thread will present some of the most compelling and intriguing prophecies of Muhammad pbuh and the Quran from Sh. Elshinawy's elaborate article on the topic, which in their totality represent undoubtable miraculousness.

1. Some of the greatest and most convincing testimonies to the prophethood of Muhammad ﷺ are the multiple occasions on which he correctly predicted future events. Only one to whom God had granted access to the unseen could have, time and again, accurately foretold the future.

2. Only the Creator of time, as we know it, is not restricted by it. Only God has full access to the forgotten past and unseen future.

3. Supposed psychics and fortune-tellers either speak in ways that carry a thousand potential interpretations (from which the most “accurate” is claimed after the fact) or get exposed as frauds over time (as eventually, their guesses are more often wrong than right).

4. As for predicting specifics about the future while never erring, that is only possible for the Knower of the Unseen, and whoever He may grant partial access to the unseen world.

5. Al-Qāḍi ‘Eyāḍ (d. 1149) says, “The hadith(s) in this regard are a bottomless ocean and an unending stream. They are one of his miracles which are undeniably established, transmitted to us by tawâtur (abundant recurrence),...

6. ...due to their many narrators and the concordance of their meanings, all corroborating the fact that he ﷺ was privy to [some of] the unseen.”

7. In this paper, Elshinawy takes a dive into this bottomless ocean, exploring its wonders, namely some of the events foretold by the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ which are among the greatest testimonies to his prophethood.

8. A. The Byzantines will Rebound: Despite being isolated by endless deserts, and largely unaffected by the power struggles of the world’s superpowers, the Qur’an boldly foretold most unexpected events that would transpire between Persia and Byzantium in a few short years.

9. “The Byzantines have been defeated. In the nearest land. But they, after their defeat, will triumph. Within three to nine years.” [ar-Rūm 30: 2-4]

10. From 613-619 CE, the Byzantines were absolutely decimated by the Persian Empire, losing the territories of Antioch, then Damascus, then Armenia, then their most cherished Jerusalem, then Chalcedon, and finally Egypt.

11. In his book, The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, Edward Gibbon says, “At the time when this prediction is said to have been delivered, no prophecy could be more distant from its accomplishment,...

12. ...since the first twelve years of Heraclius announced the approaching dissolution of the empire.” Everyone saw Byzantium as on its deathbed; thus opponents of the Prophet ﷺ like Ubayy b. Khalaf mocked this “preposterous” foretelling in the Qur’an.

13. However, not long after, Heraclius led the Byzantine Crusade like a dagger into the heart of the Persian Empire, fulfilling the amazing prophecy 6-8 years after it was uttered.

14. The verses that immediately follow this prediction say, “The decision of the matter, before and after [these events], is only with Allah. And on that Day, the believers (i.e., Muslims) will rejoice in the victory of Allah.” [ar-Rūm 30: 4-5]

15. Abu Ḥayyān al-Andalūsi (d. 1344) lists in al-Baḥr al-Muḥīṭ four reasons for this rejoicing, of them being that the miraculous prophecy unfolding would further validate their belief in his prophethood.

16. Another reason, which involves another prophecy, is the Muslims would at that time find themselves celebrating their own victory: a long-awaited triumph against the Meccan oppressors in the Battle of Badr happened in 624 as well.

17. B. The Abode of Abu Lahab: In the moments following the Prophet Muhammad’s ﷺ first public call to Islam, his own uncle, Abu Lahab, scoffed at and chastised him. In his defense, God immediately revealed:

18. “May the hands of Abu Lahab be ruined, and ruined is he. His wealth will not avail him or that which he gained. He will burn in a Fire of [blazing] flame.” [al-Masad 111: 1-3]

19. It is astonishing that for the next nine years of Abu Lahab’s life, despite hearing these verses being recited, his pride still kept him from a potential golden opportunity to discredit the Qur’an.

20. Had Abu Lahab simply professed faith, even disingenuously, that could have brought into serious question the truth of this Revelation. Of course, He Who revealed this knew Abu Lahab would never do so.

21. C. Undeterred by Time or Distance: Anas (rA) reported that, as the Battle of Mu’tah was taking place in Jordan, the Prophet ﷺ had informed the people in Madinah of the martyrdom of Zayd b. Ḥāritha, Ja‘far b. Abi Ṭālib, and ‘Abdullāh b. Rawāḥa.

22. While 600 miles away, the Prophet ﷺ said, “Zayd took the flag (as commander) and was killed, then Ja‘far took the flag and was killed, then Ibn Rawāḥa took the flag and was killed.” Anas says that as the Prophet ﷺ was telling them this, “his eyes were shedding tears.”

23. He ﷺ continued, “Then the flag was taken by one of God’s swords (Khālid b. al-Walīd), and Allah made him victorious.”That army eventually returned to Madinah, with eyewitness accounts that matched exactly what the Prophet ﷺ had described.