The power of the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) over animals

 

This was the blessing of the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam), as if a new soul had been blown into the nerves and sinews of the horse and that in turn became its nature.  Everyone knows that nature of a thing doesn’t change, but the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) changed its nature by riding it.

 

It is mentioned in Khasaais-e-Kubra, Vol. 2, Pg. No. 57 on the authority of Tha’alaba bin Malik that a certain person bought a camel and kept it in a tight place.  When he went to animal to put it to some use, the camel started troubling him.  Whenever anyone would go closer, the camel would attack them.  This was brought to the notice of the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam).  He went there and ordered that the door be opened.  People said that they were afraid of the camel hurting the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam).  The Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) ordered that the door be opened.  The moment the camel saw the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam), it prostrated. Everybody marveled at this and said:  If this animal prostrates to you, we are more deserving of this honor of prostrating to you.  The Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) said:  If it were right for a creation to prostrate to another creation, then women should prostrate to their husbands.

 

There is another Hadith in the same place.  Buraidah (May Allah be well pleased with him) says:  A Madinite Companion came and requested the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam):  O Prophet of Allah (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam)!  There is a camel with us which is attacking people and no one has the strength to put a halter on it.  On listening to this, the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) got up and we also went along with Him.  The Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) reached that place and had the door opened.  The camel was a bit far.  When it saw the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam), it came closer and prostrated and placed its neck on the ground.  The Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) held its head and asked for a rope.  He then put a halter on it and handed it over to the Companion.  Hadhrat Abu Bakr and Hadhrat ‘Umar (May Allah be well pleased with them) said:  O Prophet of Allah (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam)!  Sublime is Allah!  It recognized that you are the Prophet of Allah.  The Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) said:  There is nothing that doesn’t recognize that I am the Prophet of Allah.  Except men and genie.

 

There is yet another Hadith in the same place that a camel of a Madinite Companion became rebellious and ran away.  He said:  He is on the other side of my land and I cannot go near him, out of the fear that it will kill me.  The Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) went there.  When the camel saw the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam), it started making noises and came closer to the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) and prostrated to Him and placed its neck on the ground.  Tears were flowing from its eyes.  The Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) told the Companion:  This camel is complaining about you.  Treat it nicely.  The Companions said:  It is an animal, it doesn’t have sense and yet prostrates to you.  We are more deserving.

 

Yet another Hadith is related in the same place that the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) went to the orchard of a Madinite Companion and Hadhrat Abu Bakr and Hadhrat ‘Umar and many Madinite Companions (May Allah be well pleased with them) were with Him.  There were many goats in the orchard.  The moment they saw the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam), the goats prostrated to Him.  Hadhrat Abu Bakr (May Allah be well pleased with him) said:  O Prophet of Allah (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam)!  We are more deserving of prostrating to you than these goats.  The Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) said:  In my Ummah, no one should prostrate to another.  If it was right, then I would have ordered women to prostrate to their husbands.

 

It is mentioned in Seerat Un Nabawiyya on the authority of Hadhrat Jabir (May Allah be well pleased with him), he says:  I was with the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) in the Battle of Dhaat Ur Riqaa.  My camel was exhausted.  By chance the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) came and asked:  How are you?  I answered:  My camel is exhausted and has fallen behind everyone else.  On listening to this, the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) got down from His mount and poked the camel with His stick.  He then said: Mount it.  After this, the camel became so swift and it was difficult to stop it.  Then the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) bought it.  On reaching Madina, the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) returned the price of the camel with some more gifts and gave him the camel as well.

 

This was the blessing of the stick of the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam).  As if poking with the stick was to spur on the nature of the camel.  Usually animals work harder when they are beat, but only for the duration of the pain, the effect of which is related to the body.  The act of the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) was not limited to its body but it affected its entire nature.

 

There is a Tradition in Seerat Un Nabawiyya that Ibn Zyad says:  I was with the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) in a battle.  I was on a weak and thin mare which couldn’t walk properly.  When I fell far behind everyone, the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) asked:  What is the matter with you?  I answered:  This mare is thin and weak and cannot walk.  The Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) hit it with the stick in His hand and prayed: May Almighty Allah grant you blessings in it.  He says:  After this, I always remained at the forefront and couldn’t stop the mare.  The progeny of the mare was such that I got 12,000 Dirhams by selling them.

 

That a weak and thin mare should be made swift by a mere gesture of the hand and that these qualities remain forever is beyond the power of a human.  It is the domain of the Almighty, but what happened was the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) beat it with a stick and Almighty turned His attention to it and for as long as the mare was alive, its nerves were renewed, which resulted in swiftness.  In the same way, the special attention of the Almighty was turned to its progeny so that the prayer of blessing which the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) had said should have its full effect.  If one reflects on it, such incidents can easily prove that the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) is the beloved of Almighty Allah.