The Holy Prophet’s ﷺ First Journey to Syria & Meeting with Monk Bahira

The
Holy Prophet’s ﷺ

First
Journey to Syria & Meeting with Monk Bahira

It
was customary for the Quraish tribe who were engaged in trade to visit Syria
once every year. Hazrat Abu Taalib [Radiyal Laah Anhu] the
caretaking uncle of Holy Prophet had determined to participate in the annual
journey of the Quraish to Syria. As regards his nephew, whom he did not usually
leave alone even for a while, he had decided to leave him behind in Makkah and
to appoint some persons to look after him. However, when the caravan was about
to move, tears trickled down the eyes of young beloved [Prophet] Muhammad ﷺ

 and he extremely felt the separation from his
guardian. The sad face of young Muhammad ﷺ aroused
the sentiments of Hazrat Abu Taalib رضي الله عنه to such an extent that he felt
compelled to take him along with himself.

This
memorable journey, undertaken by young [Prophet] Muhammad ﷺ at the age of nine or
twelve years, is considered to be one of the most pleasant journeys performed
by him, because during this journey he passed through Madyan the Quraa valley
and the country of Samud and witnessed the beautiful natural sceneries of
Syria.

The
caravan had not yet reached Syria when an incident occurred enroute at a place
called Busra which hindered the plan of Hazrat Abu Taalib’s journey to some
extent.

The
details of this incident are as follows:

 For very many years a monk named ‘Bahira’ had
been engaged in worship in his particular monastery situated at Busra/Bostra;
an ancient city in southern Syria. He possessed very deep knowledge of the
Christian faith and was held in much respect by the Christians of that area. At
times the trade caravans broke their journey at that place and the members of
the caravans visited him to seek blessings.

Monk
Bahira was known for his belief that a ‘Prophet’ was soon to appear among the
Arabs.]
Both Ibn Saa’d and al-Tabari write that Bahira found the announcement of the
coming of the ‘Final Prophet’ in the original, unadulterated gospels, which he possessed,
and he was convinced that this Noble Prophet would appear in his own lifetime.
He was particularly interested in the Arab merchants who visited Syria, to see
if his conviction would come true.

The
Monk Bahira’s invitation to the Caravan from Makkah!

He
was looking outside and caught sight of a caravan approaching. His residence
was on the main caravan route, and he regularly saw caravans passing by,
carrying different goods destined to be sold in the great markets of Syria.

But
this particular caravan approaching was different; there was something special
about it. He decided to invite the people to a meal and find out more. Bahira
sent a message to the caravan that his hospitality was extended to all the
members of the caravan. The caravan traders accepted the invitation and arrived
at the Monk Bahira’s place.

When
they arrived, Bahira searched their faces looking for something. He said that
he had offered his hospitality to everyone, was there anyone left behind? They
said that they had left a young boy called [Prophet] Muhammad ﷺ to look
after the camels. Bahira insisted that they send someone to get him to join his
dining hospitality.

Meeting
the young [Prophet] Muhammad ﷺ

When
Bahira saw his face, he was delighted for he was aware from the scriptures of
the arrival of a ‘Final Prophet’ and he could see the signs on the young boy.
He asked him a series of questions which satisfied his curiosity.

After
the food, Bahira approached Hazrat Abu Taalib and asked him of his relationship
to [Prophet] Muhammad ﷺ.  Hazrat Abu
Taalib firstly replied saying that he was his son upon which Bahira remarked
that that could not be possible upon which Hazrat Abu Taalib confirmed that he
was in fact his nephew. The Monk Bahira revealed to Hazrat Abu Talib that this
young boy would be a great Prophet one day. He said that when he had seen the
caravan in the distance there was a cloud hanging over them, which was shading
them from the great heat of the desert. When the caravan had stopped under a
tree the cloud had also stopped above them.

Syria Visit by the Prophet

He
looked at the [Prophet] Muhammad’s ﷺ back and noticed the seal of the Prophets,
which was an oval shape size of pigeon egg protruding just below [Prophet]Muhammad’s
ﷺ shoulder blades. He said that this was one of the signs of a ‘Great Prophet’
to come that was taught to them in their Holy Book’s.

Bahira
said, “God [Allaah] will send him with a message which would be a mercy
to all humans”.

Then
the Monk Bahira advised:

“Return
to your own country with your nephew, and take care of him for, by God, if the Jews
see him and know what I know about him, they will desire evil; for great
fortune is in store for your nephew. So, hurry up to your country with him.”

Hazrat
Abu Taalib set out with him quickly and soon reached Makkah on the completion
of their trade in Syria.

[Ibn
Hisham A.H.S P 61].

Scholars
who accept that the story is established include: Imam Ibn Isḥāq [d. 150/767-8]
[Sīrah, p.73], Imam Ibn Saʿd [d. 230/845] [al-Ṭabaqāt al-Kubrā, 1:97,122], Imam
Abū Nuʿaym [d. 430/1038] [Dalāʾil al-Nubuwwah, p.168], Imam Bayhaqī [d.
458/1066] [Dalāʾil al-Nubuwwah, 2:24], Ḥāfiẓ Ibn ʿAbd al-Barr [d. 463/1071] [al-Istīʿāb,
1:34], Imam Nawawī [d. 676/1277] [Tahdhīb al-Asmāʾ, 1:24], Ḥāfiẓ Mizzī [d.
742/1341] [Tahdhīb al-Kamāl, 1:189], Ḥāfiẓ Ibn al-Qayyim [d. 751/1350] [Hidāyat
al-Ḥayārā, 2:407; Zād al-Maʿād, 1:75], Ḥāfiẓ Ibn Kathīr [d. 774/1373] [al-Bidāyah
wa al-Nihāyah, 2:229, 283], Ḥāfiẓ Ibn Ḥajar [d. 852/1149] [al-Iṣābah, 1:475;
Fatḥ al-Bārī, 8:716], Ḥāfiẓ Sakhāwī [d. 902/1497] [al-Maqāṣid al-Ḥasanah, p.122],
Ḥāfiẓ Suyūṭī [d. 911/1505] [al-Khaṣāʾiṣ, 1:141], Shāh Walī Allah Muḥaddis Dehlavī
[d. 1176/1762] [Qurrat al-ʿAynayn, p.106 as cited in al-Yawāqīt al-Gāliyah,
4:373], and many others.

Further,
scholars who regard the narration as ṣaḥīḥ [sound] include Imam Ḥākim [d.
405/1014] [al-Mustadrak, 4229], ʿAllāmah Jazarī [d. 833/1429] [Mirqāt al-Mafātīḥ,
9:3818] and Shaykh Nāsir al-Dīn al-Albānī [d. 1420/1999] [Mishkāt, 5918; Ṣaḥīḥ
al-Sīrah al-Nabawiyyah, 1:29; Difāʿ ʿan al-Ḥadīth al-Nabawī, p.62]. Scholars
who regard the narration as ḥasan [agreeable] include Imam Tirmidhī [d. 279/892]
[Sunan, 3620] and Imam Bagawī [d. 516/1122] [Maṣābīḥ al-Sunnah, 4634]. This
appears to be the preferred view. Ḥāfiẓ Ibn Ḥajar describes the chain of Sunan
al-Tirmidhī as strong [Fatḥ al-Bārī, 8:716] and suggests in al-Iṣābah [1:475]
that all its transmitters are thiqah [trustworthy]. Shaykh al-Islām Ibn
Taymiyah [d. 728/1328] also appears inclined that the story is established in
principle [al-Jawāb al-Ṣaḥīḥ, 6:340], see al-Bidāyah wa al-Nihāyah, 2:285;
al-Maqāṣid al-Ḥasanah, p.123].

A young
Prophet Muhammed being recognized by the monk Bahira. Miniature illustration on
vellum from the book Jami’ al-Tawarikh (literally “Compendium of
Chronicles” but often referred to as The Universal History or History of
the World), by Rashid al-Din Hamadani, published in Tabriz, Persia, 1307 A.D.
Now in the collection of the Edinburgh University Library, Scotland.

Image courtesy Wikipedia