The Encounter with Hadhrat Suraqah ibn Malik RA : Aaj Ki Ta'leem : Hadhrat Mufti Ikramul Haq Saheb

Aaj a Ki Ta'leem * The Encounter with Hadhrat Suraqah ibn Malik RA بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم اللهم صل على محمد وعلى ال محمد و بارك وسلم اما بعد During the journey of hijrat, there was The Encounter with Hadhrat Suraqah ibn Malik RA: Ibn Shihab said: `Abdur-Rahman ibn Malik Al-Mudliji, who was the nephew of Suraqah ibn Malik, told me that his father informed him that he heard Suraqah saying: The messengers of the Quraysh came to us declaring that they had assigned for the persons who would kill or arrest the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم and Abu Bakr RA, a reward of 100 finest camels. While I was sitting in one of the gatherings of my tribe, a man from them came to us and stood while we were sitting, and said, “O Suraqah! I have just seen some people far away on the shore, and I think they are Muhammad and his companion.” Suraqah added: I realized that it must have been them. But I said, “No, it is not them, but you must have seen so-and-so, and so-and-so whom we saw setting out.” I stayed in the gathering for a while and then got up and left for my home. I ordered my slave-girl to get my horse, which was behind a hillock, and keep it ready for me. Then I took my spear and left by the back door of my house dragging the lower end of the spear on the ground and keeping it low. Then I reached my horse, mounted it and made it gallop. When I approached them (i.e., Muhammad and Abu Bakr), my horse stumbled and I fell down from it. Then I stood up, got hold of my quiver and took out the divining arrows and drew lots as to whether I should harm them or not, and the lot which I disliked came out. But I remounted my horse and let it gallop, giving no importance to the divining arrows. And as the Prophet ﷺ turned back and looked towards him, he made dua against him, (and told H Abubakr RA not to fear). Suddenly the forelegs of my horse sank into the ground up to the knees, and I fell down from it. Then I rebuked it and it got up but it could hardly lift its forelegs from the ground, and when it stood up straight again, its forelegs caused dust to rise up in the sky like smoke. Then again I drew lots with the divining arrows, and the lot which I disliked came out. At that point, Suraqa called out the Prophet ﷺ and said, Can you invoke your Lord to release me, and I promise I will not harm you. Just let me come and speak to you. The Prophet ﷺ made dua, and Suraqa was was now able to approach the Prophet ﷺ, along with Abu Bakr (RA), and ‘Amir ibn Fuhayrah (RA). He said: I do not know your religion. I do not understand your message. But I know this — whatever this affair of yours is, it’s pretty amazing and it will reach throughout the world. So I said to him, “Your people have assigned a reward of 100 camels for your capture.” Then I told them all the plans the people of Makkah had made concerning them. Then I offered them some journey food and goods but they refused to take anything and did not ask for anything, but the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said, “Do not tell others about us.” Then I requested him to write for me a guarantee of security. He ordered `Amir bin Fuhayrah to write it for me on a piece of animal skin, then the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم went on his way. As Suraqa ibn Malik RA was leaving the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم turned to him and said, “What about the day when you will be wearing the bracelets of Qisra!” There was only one Qisra (King of Persia) in the world. He was one of the most powerful men on Earth. Suraqa couldn’t believe what he had heard so he exclaimed, “Qisra?” Our beloved Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم responded, “Yes, Qisra, son of Hormuz.” These were some very famous and expensive bracelets. They were worn by the Persian Kings who would wear them to show off their power. For Suraqa ibn Malik this wasn’t believable at all. Years passed. The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم had passed away as well. Islam’s rays had risen in Persia. Suraqa ibn Malik was now Muslim as well. One day when one of the armies from Persia had returned the war booty, it just so happened that amongst the booty were the famed bracelets of Qisra. Umar ibn al-Khattab (ra) who was Khalifah at the time, ordered Suraqa ibn Malik to be brought forth. Suraqa ibn Malik was then shown the bracelets and he wore them and would tell people about his story and how the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم predicted him wearing them. On that day, a Bedouin from the desert was wearing the prestigious bracelets of Qisra. This was the promise of Allah’s صلى الله عليه وسلم Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم. Later in his life, Suraqah RA said to Abu jahal (whose former name was Abul hukm) that if you were present in my place, referring to the incident of the hijrar, you would have also accepted the message of Nabi صلى الله عليه وسلم Let us understand the status of Our Beloved Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم and follow his sunnats at all times. Ameen.