The Life of Muhammad ﷺ Chapter 10: Bahira the Monk (2022-02-05) #

0:00:03 a reading from muhammad his life based
0:00:06 on the earliest sources by martin lings
0:00:10 chapter 10
0:00:12 bahira the monk
0:00:14 the fortunes of abdal muttalib had waned
0:00:18 during the last part of his life and
0:00:20 what he left at his death amounted to no
0:00:23 more than a small legacy for each of his
0:00:26 sons
0:00:27 some of them especially abdal uzar who
0:00:30 was known as abu lahab had acquired
0:00:33 wealth of their own
0:00:35 but abu talib was poor and his nephew
0:00:38 felt obliged to do what he could to earn
0:00:41 his own livelihood
0:00:44 this he did mostly by pasturing sheep
0:00:47 and goats and he would thus spend day
0:00:50 after day alone in the hills of
0:00:52 bubmecker or on the slopes of the
0:00:54 valleys beyond
0:00:57 but his uncle took him sometimes with
0:00:59 him on his travels and on one occasion
0:01:02 when muhammad was nine or according to
0:01:05 others 12
0:01:06 they went with a merchant caravan as far
0:01:09 as
0:01:10 syria at bostra near one of the halts
0:01:14 where the meccan caravan always stopped
0:01:17 there was a cell which had been lived in
0:01:19 by a christian monk for generation after
0:01:23 generation
0:01:24 when one died another took his place and
0:01:27 inherited all that was in the cell
0:01:30 including some old manuscripts
0:01:34 among these was one which contained the
0:01:36 prediction of the coming of a prophet to
0:01:39 the arabs
0:01:41 and bahira the monk who now lived in the
0:01:43 cell was well versed in the contents of
0:01:46 this book
0:01:47 which interested him all the more
0:01:49 because like warika he too felt that the
0:01:53 coming of the prophet would be in his
0:01:56 lifetime
0:01:58 he had often seen the meccan caravan
0:02:01 approach and halt not far from his cell
0:02:05 but as this one came in sight his
0:02:07 attention was struck by something the
0:02:09 like of which he had never seen before
0:02:13 a small low-hanging cloud moved slowly
0:02:17 over their heads
0:02:19 so that it was always between the sun
0:02:21 and one or two of the travelers
0:02:24 with intense interest he watched them
0:02:26 draw near
0:02:28 but suddenly his interest changed to
0:02:31 amazement for as soon as they halted the
0:02:34 cloud ceased to move
0:02:36 remaining stationary over the tree
0:02:38 beneath which they took shelter
0:02:41 while the tree itself lowered its
0:02:44 branches over them
0:02:46 so that they were doubly in the shade
0:02:49 bahira knew that such important though
0:02:52 unobtrusive was of high significance
0:02:57 only some great spiritual presence could
0:03:00 explain it and immediately he thought of
0:03:02 the expected profit
0:03:05 could it be that he had come at last and
0:03:08 was amongst these travelers
0:03:12 the cell had been recently stocked with
0:03:14 provisions and putting together all he
0:03:17 had he sent words to the caravan
0:03:20 men of quraish i have prepared food for
0:03:23 you and i would that you should come to
0:03:25 me every one of you young and old
0:03:29 bondman and free
0:03:32 so they came to his cell but despite
0:03:34 what he had said they left muhammad to
0:03:37 look after their camels and their
0:03:39 baggage
0:03:41 as they approached bahira scan their
0:03:44 faces one by one
0:03:46 but he could see nothing that
0:03:48 corresponded to the description in his
0:03:51 book
0:03:52 nor did there seem to be any man amongst
0:03:54 them who was adequate to the greatness
0:03:57 of the two
0:03:58 miracles perhaps they had not all come
0:04:02 men of quraish he said
0:04:04 let none of you stay behind
0:04:07 there is not one that hath been left
0:04:09 behind there they answered save only the
0:04:12 boy the youngest of us all
0:04:15 treat him not so said bahira but call on
0:04:19 him to come and let him be present with
0:04:22 us at this meal
0:04:25 abu talib and the others reproached
0:04:28 themselves for their thoughtlessness
0:04:30 we are indeed to blame said one of them
0:04:33 that the sons of ab allah should have
0:04:35 been left behind and not brought to
0:04:38 share this feast with us
0:04:40 whereupon he went to him and embraced
0:04:43 him and brought him to sit with the
0:04:46 people
0:04:48 one glance at the boy's face was enough
0:04:51 to explain the miracles to bahira
0:04:54 and looking at him attentively
0:04:56 throughout the meal he noticed many
0:04:58 features of both face and body which
0:05:02 corresponded to what was in his book
0:05:05 so when they had finished eating the
0:05:08 monk went to his youngest guest and
0:05:10 asked him questions about his way of
0:05:13 life and about his sleep and about his
0:05:15 affairs in general
0:05:18 muhammad readily informed him of these
0:05:20 things for the man was venerable and the
0:05:23 questions were courteous and benevolent
0:05:27 nor did he hesitate to draw off his
0:05:29 cloak when finally the monk asked if he
0:05:33 might see his back
0:05:36 the hera had already felt certain but
0:05:39 now he was doubly so
0:05:42 so for there between his shoulders was
0:05:45 the very mark he expected to see
0:05:48 the seal of prophethood even as it was
0:05:52 described in his book
0:05:54 in the self-same place
0:05:57 he turned to abu talib what kingsman
0:06:00 hath this boy with thee he said
0:06:04 he is my son said abu talib
0:06:07 he is not thy son said the monk it
0:06:10 cannot be that this boy's father is
0:06:12 alive
0:06:14 he is my brother's son said abu talib
0:06:18 then what of his father said the monk
0:06:22 he died said the other when the boy was
0:06:24 still in his mother's womb
0:06:28 that is the truth said bahira
0:06:30 take thy brother's son back to his
0:06:33 country
0:06:34 and guard him against the jews for by
0:06:37 god if they see him and know of him that
0:06:40 which i know
0:06:42 they will contrive evil against him
0:06:46 great things are in store for this
0:06:49 brother's son of vine
0:06:54 that's a reading from bahira the monk
0:06:56 chapter 10.
0:06:58 till next time