Water coming from the blessed hands of the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam)

It is mentioned in Khasaais-e-Kubra on the authority of Hadhrat Anas (May Allah be well pleased with him) that one day the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) went to Quba.  A small cup was brought to the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam).  He desires to enter His blessed hand inside it, but it was too small.  He placed only his fingers and asked those who were present to drink water.  Hadhrat Anas (May Allah be well pleased with him) said:  I was seeing that the water was gushing forth from the fingers of the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) and people were drinking water.  At last everyone’s thirst was quenched and they had performed Wudhu as well.  We asked Hadhrat Anas (May Allah be well pleased with him) how many people were present.  He said:  We were more than 80.

 

A similar incident is narrated yet again on the authority of Hadhrat Anas (May Allah be well pleased with him).  The Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) asked for a cup and placed His hand inside it.  Water started gushing out of His fingers and all the Companions performed Wudhu with it.  The narrator says:  I asked him how many Companions were there and he said:  We were more than 300.

 

These Hadith are present in Sahih Bukhari and Sahih Muslim whom no one can deny.  Most of all the non-followers (Gair Muqallideen) can never doubt them.  Just see!  These Hadith don’t say when the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) desired water through His finger, He supplicated:  O Lord!  Let water through my fingers and satisfy everyone.  Instead, the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) Himself placed His hand in the water and announced that anyone who wants water can come.  Which water?  That water which was until now nonexistent and is now coming into existence by the miracle of the blessed hand of the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam).  At this point, can anyone say that those who describe these Hadith are polytheists as this necessitates Shirk Fit Takhleeq?  I think this would be disrespect, because if this were polytheism, then it would have been obligatory for the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) and save people from this.  These kinds of attacks are not only on the scholars but are covertly on the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) Himself.  The water which was created by the power of the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) was not absolutely the power of the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam).  Every Muslim understands that this power was granted to the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) by Almighty Allah.  This would be polytheism when someone considers the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) or the saints having power and authority of their own meaning that even if Allah Most High wants to stop them, it won’t.  As the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) had described that the power of Allah is the only true one and that of others is granted by the Lord Almighty, it was not necessary that each time the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) expressed a miracle, He should pray and show that His own power is not the ultimate one.

 

There is a Hadith in Khasaais-e-Kubra on the authority of Zyad bin Harith that in a journey, just before Salaat Ul Fajr, the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) got down and went to relieve Himself.  When He returned, he asked me:  Do you any water?  I said:  Very little which will not suffice for you.  He said:  Pour it in a vessel and bring it to me.  When I did so, He put His blessed hand in it.  Immediately, a spring gushed forth from between the 2 fingers of the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam).  He said:  Announce that whoever needs water should come.  Many people came and started taking water from it. We said:  O Prophet of Allah (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam)!  There is a well in our clan.  In winter, its water is enough and we all gather round it and when summer comes, its water lessens and we separate and go wherever we find water.  Now we have embraced Islam.  The neighboring clans are our enemies.  You please pray that the water of our well be enough for us so that we stay together and there be no need to separate.

 

The Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) asked for 7 pebbles and took them in His hand and said some prayer.  Then said:  Take these pebbles and when you reach the well, take the name of Allah and put them in the well one by one.  He says:  When we did so, so much water came in the well that we could not reach its bottom.

 

That water gushed from between the fingers of the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) is not at all understandable.  There was no water body in the blessed body of the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam).  And that too in such quantity that hundreds of men drink it, perform Wudhu with it, etc.  These things are not understandable when the belief in the power of Allah is not sound.  When the Lord Almighty wants something to be created, He just says:  Kun and that thing immediately comes into existence.  When Muslims have believed in the Word of Allah with all sincerity, then it is easy for them to understand that wherever Almighty Allah wants to, He can simply let a river flow and those people who don’t have faith in it and just want to remain nominal Muslims, they say that it is against the laws of nature and end up denying the miracles.

 

This Hadith says that the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) caressed the pebbles in His hand and had them put into the well and because of this the water increased greatly.  This shows that the intention was to transfer the blessings of the hand to the well.  The method used was to influence the pebbles and that effect got transferred to the well and the water immediately increased.  No tangible effect of His blessed hand was felt on those pebbles, but the effect was so real that the water increased immediately.  This shows the power of the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) that whatever He desires, He brings it into existence.  When people saw water gushing from the blessed hand of the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam), they requested Him to increase the water in their well.  At that moment, it was not possible for the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) to go there and it was not reasonable to deny them either.  That’s why, the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) transferred the blessings of His hand through the pebbles.

 

It is mentioned in Khasaais-e-Kubra on the authority of Hadhrat Abu Ya’ala Ansari (May Allah be well pleased with him), he says:  We were in a journey with the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam).  One day, there was no water and everyone was thirsty and complained about this to the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam).  The Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) had a pit dug, spread an animal skin inside and placed His blessed hand on it.  He asked:  Is there any water?  A person brought a little water in a pail.  He was told:  Pour that water on my palm and take the name of Allah. 

 

Abu Ya’ala (May Allah be well pleased with him) says:  I saw that immediately water started gushing out of the fingers of the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) and it came in such a quantity that everyone was satisfied.  They even had their animals drink.

 

Just see!  When there was complaint of thirst all round, with what certainty did the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) had a pit dug and had an animal skin spread there.  Surely, some of the onlookers wouldn’t have grasped as to what is happening, but the wise ones must have understood that arrangements are being made to provide water for the whole army.  If for example, water wouldn’t have come, what murmurings would have gone around.  God knows, how many people’s faith would’ve been destroyed.  But it is not at all possible that the thing that the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) desires shouldn’t come to pass.  If they didn’t come to pass, then the Prophethood of the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) would’ve come under the shadow of doubt and it is not at all conceivable that Allah Most High will make Him a Prophet and then embarrass Him.  However, on some occasions some things happened against the intent of the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam), but the reasons were different which the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) was well aware.

 

Only because of some isolated incidents, it can’t be said that Allah Most High decreed things against the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam).

 

It is mentioned in Khasaais-e-Kubra on the authority of Abu ‘Umar Ansari (May Allah be well pleased with him), he says:  We were with the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) in a battle.  One day, people became very thirsty.  The Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) sent for a pail of water, placed it before Himself, took some water and spat it back into the pail.  He also said something.  Then He placed His little finger in the pail.  The narrator says on oath:  I saw that streams of water burst forth from all the fingers of the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam).  Then, as per orders, people drank water and watered their animals as well.  They filled up their waterskins and pails as well.  On seeing this, the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) smiled so much so that all His teeth could be seen.  He (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) said:  I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah and Hadhrat Muhammad (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) is His slave and Prophet.  The person who presents this before Allah on the Day of Judgment will definitely enter paradise.

 

Those desolate forests of Arabia where water can’t be found for leagues around.  When the whole army was assailed by thirst, how anxious those moments must have been!  Streams of sweet water coming out of the blessed hand of the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) must have been nothing short of a new life and in what regard they must have held the blessed hand of the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam).

 

The words of the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) after this incident that Allah is the only One worthy of being worshipped and that the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) is His Prophet show that these things can’t happen without the will of Allah and they are proofs of the veracity of the One at whose hands they are expressed.


[Excerpted from Maqasid Ul Islam of Shaykh Ul Islam Imam Muhammad Anwarullah Farooqui, Vol 9]