Was the monk Bahira a monotheist like the group of Salman the Persian, or was he from the people of the Trinity and the Cross? And was the Gospel he possessed, in which he found the description of the Seal of Prophethood, distorted?
**Answer:**
Praise be to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah, his family, and his companions.
We have not come across the true nature of Bahira or the true nature of the Gospel he possessed. However, it is evident from the narrations that he was among the Christian monks and scholars, and he had books that he studied.
In the book *Dala’il al-Nubuwwah* by Abu Nu’aym al-Isfahani, it is mentioned that when the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) traveled to Syria for the first time at the age of ten, there were signs indicating his future prophethood. The Quraysh decided to send a trade caravan to Syria with significant wealth, and Abu Talib decided to join the caravan. When he prepared to leave, he noticed that the Prophet (peace be upon him) wanted to accompany him. Abu Talib felt compassion for him and asked, “Do you want to travel?” His uncles and aunts advised Abu Talib not to take such a young boy on a journey, fearing he might be exposed to hardships and diseases. Abu Talib considered leaving him behind, but when he saw the Prophet (peace be upon him) crying, he asked, “Why are you crying, my nephew? Is it because I want to leave you behind?” The Prophet (peace be upon him) replied, “Yes.” Abu Talib then said, “I will never leave you,” and took him along.
When the caravan reached Busra in Syria, there was a monk named Bahira in a monastery. The Christian scholars would reside in that monastery, inheriting it from one another and studying a book there. When the caravan stopped near Bahira’s monastery, Bahira, who had often seen them pass by before without speaking to them, prepared food and invited them. He did so because he had seen a cloud shading the Prophet (peace be upon him) as they approached, and when they stopped under a tree, the cloud shaded the tree, and its branches lowered to provide shade for the Prophet (peace be upon him). When Bahira saw this, he came down from his monastery, prepared food, and sent a message to the Quraysh: “O people of Quraysh, I have prepared food for you, and I want all of you to attend—young and old, free and slave. This is something you will honor me by accepting.” One of the men said, “O Bahira, you have never done this before. What is the matter today?” Bahira replied, “I wanted to honor you, and you owe me this.”
They gathered, but the Prophet (peace be upon him) stayed behind due to his young age, as he was the youngest among them, watching over their belongings under the tree. When Bahira looked at the group and did not see the signs he was familiar with, he noticed the cloud still hovering over the Prophet (peace be upon him). Bahira said, “O people of Quraysh, let no one stay behind from my food.” They replied, “Only a young boy, the youngest among us, stayed behind to watch our belongings.” Bahira said, “Call him to join us. It is not right for all of you to attend while one stays behind. I see him as one of your own.” They said, “By Allah, he is of noble lineage among us, the nephew of this man, and a descendant of Abdul Muttalib.” Al-Harith ibn Abdul Muttalib stood up and said, “By Allah, today the son of Abdul Muttalib almost stayed behind.” He then embraced the Prophet (peace be upon him) and brought him to sit with them. The cloud continued to shade him, and the tree uprooted itself when the Prophet (peace be upon him) left it.
Bahira observed him closely and noticed signs on his body that matched the descriptions in his books. After they finished eating, Bahira approached the Prophet (peace be upon him) and said, “O young boy, I ask you by the rights of Lat and Uzza to answer my questions.” The Prophet (peace be upon him) replied, “Do not ask me by Lat and Uzza, for I hate nothing more than them. Ask me by Allah, and I will answer if I know.” Bahira said, “Then by Allah, I ask you,” and he began to ask him about various matters, including his sleep. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “My eyes sleep, but my heart does not.” Bahira noticed a redness in his eyes and asked his people, “Tell me, does this redness come and go, or does it remain?” They said, “We have never seen it leave him.” Bahira then asked the Prophet (peace be upon him) to remove his cloak so he could see his back, and he saw the Seal of Prophethood between his shoulders, resembling a pigeon’s egg. Bahira trembled and kissed the spot, and the Quraysh remarked, “Muhammad must hold a special place with this monk.”
Abu Talib, fearing for his nephew, asked Bahira, “What do you think of this boy?” Bahira replied, “He is not your son, and his father should not be alive.” Abu Talib said, “He is my nephew.” Bahira asked, “What happened to his father?” Abu Talib replied, “He died while his mother was pregnant with him.” Bahira asked, “And his mother?” Abu Talib said, “She died recently.” Bahira said, “You speak the truth. Take your nephew back to your land and protect him from the Jews, for if they see him and recognize what I have recognized, they will harm him. Your nephew is destined for greatness, as we find in our books and what we have inherited from our ancestors. We have been given covenants regarding him.” Abu Talib asked, “Who gave you these covenants?” Bahira smiled and said, “Allah gave them to us through Jesus, the son of Mary. Do not stay long, and return him to his birthplace, for I have advised you. The Jews hope for him, and if they realize he is not among them, they will envy him.”
Some Jewish men saw the Prophet (peace be upon him) and plotted to kill him, recognizing his description. They were Zuraid, Tamam, and Dubais, who were from the People of the Book. They went to Bahira, thinking he would support their plan, but he strongly forbade them, saying, “Do you recognize his description?” They said, “Yes.” Bahira said, “Then you have no way to harm him.” They left him, and Abu Talib quickly returned with the Prophet (peace be upon him), fearing the Jews would harm him.
The Prophet (peace be upon him) grew up under the care of Abu Talib, protected by Allah from the evils of ignorance and the flaws of his time. He became the most virtuous, honorable, and trustworthy among his people, known for his excellent character, patience, truthfulness, and integrity. He was called “Al-Amin” (the Trustworthy) by his people due to his noble qualities.
**Question:**
The story of Bahira the monk when he met the elders of Quraysh and said to them, “When you ascended the hill, no tree or stone remained but that it prostrated, and they do not prostrate except for a prophet.” Did the monk actually see the stones and trees prostrating for the Prophet (peace be upon him)? And how did he know they were prostrating for him?
**Answer:**
Praise be to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah, his family, and his companions.
The story of Bahira the monk is well-known and has been narrated by historians in their books. It has been reported by Al-Tirmidhi in his *Sunan*, Ibn Abi Shaybah in his *Musannaf*, Al-Hakim in his *Mustadrak*, and others with varying wordings. Scholars have differed regarding its authenticity. Some, like Al-Albani, have authenticated it in *Sahih al-Sirah*, while others, like Al-Dhahabi, have weakened it.
The summary of the story, as mentioned in *Al-Rahiq al-Makhtum*, is that when the Prophet (peace be upon him) was twelve years old (some say twelve years, two months, and ten days), Abu Talib took him on a trade journey to Syria. When they reached Busra, a city in Syria, they encountered a monk named Bahira (also said to be named George). Bahira, who had never come out to meet them before, approached the caravan and took the hand of the Prophet (peace be upon him), saying, “This is the master of all worlds. This is the Messenger of the Lord of all worlds. Allah will send him as a mercy to all worlds.” Abu Talib and the elders of Quraysh asked, “How do you know this?” Bahira replied, “When you ascended the hill, no stone or tree remained but that it prostrated, and they do not prostrate except for a prophet. I recognize him by the Seal of Prophethood below his shoulder blade, resembling an apple. We find his description in our books.” Bahira then honored them with hospitality and advised Abu Talib to return the Prophet (peace be upon him) to Mecca, fearing for him from the Romans and Jews.
This story is referenced in *Qurat al-Absar* in the biography of the Chosen Intercessor (peace be upon him):
“Then to Syria with his uncle he traveled,
At the age of twelve, his journey began.
He was sent back for fear of the Jews,
Those who plot and deny the truth.”
The story has a sound basis, including Bahira’s statement that no stone or tree remained but that it prostrated, as mentioned by several scholars, including Al-Hafiz Ibn Hajar in *Al-Isabah*, as quoted by Mulla Ali al-Qari in *Mirqat al-Mafatih*. He said, “The narrators of the hadith are trustworthy, and there is no issue except for this wording, which may have been inserted erroneously by one of the narrators.”
As for how the prostration occurred, it could have been through the inclination or movement of the trees and stones, or in a manner unknown to us. Allah says in the Quran:
“There is nothing that does not glorify Him with praise, but you do not understand their glorification.” (Quran 17:44)
And:
“To Allah prostrates whoever is in the heavens and the earth, willingly or unwillingly, and their shadows as well, in the mornings and the evenings.” (Quran 13:15)
This means that everything in the universe glorifies Allah and prostrates to Him. Allah knows best how the prostration occurred and how Bahira recognized it. Mulla Ali al-Qari interpreted it as falling and humbling themselves, saying, “No tree or stone remained but that it fell, prostrating in humility.”
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**Additional Note:**
Before answering your question, we would like to remind you that the Gospels have been distorted and altered, as evidenced by their current contradictions. However, researchers have discovered that they still contain references to Muhammad (peace be upon him). For example:
1. Sheikh Abdul Majeed al-Zindani, in his book *Al-Basharat bi Muhammad (peace be upon him) fi al-Kutub al-Samawiyyah al-Sabiqah*, mentions that in the Gospel of Barnabas, Chapter 22, it is written: “This will remain until Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah, comes, and when he comes, he will expose this deception to those who believe in the law of God.”
In the Book of Isaiah: “I have made your name Muhammad, O Muhammad, O Holy One of the Lord: your name has existed from eternity.”
In the Book of Habakkuk: “God came from Teman, and the Holy One from Mount Paran. The heavens were illuminated by the splendor of Muhammad, and the earth was filled with his praise.”
In the Book of Isaiah: “What I have given him, I will not give to another. Ahmad will praise Allah with a new praise from the best of the earth. The wilderness will rejoice, and they will unite on every high place and glorify him on every hill.”
2. The former Bishop of Mosul, Professor Abdul Ahad Dawud al-Ashuri, who converted to Islam, said in his book *Muhammad in the Bible*: “The common phrase among Christians, ‘Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men,’ was not originally so. It was: ‘Glory to God in the highest, and on earth Islam, and for men Ahmad.’”
3. In the Gospel of John, Jesus (peace be upon him) says to his disciples: “But I tell you, it is better for you that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Comforter will not come to you.” The word “Comforter” is derived from the Greek word *Parakletos*, which is a distortion of the word *Periklytos*, meaning Muhammad or Ahmad.
These are some of the many texts indicating the mention of the Prophet (peace be upon him) in the Gospels.
And Allah knows best.
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