Siyer-i Nabi Lectures-8: Busra Trip and Priest Bahira

Author:Mutlu Binici

Translated By Necmettin Bera Çalık

Busra Trip

The endless deserts, the heat that ravages the bodies, and the journeys that last for months... All of these were the constant part of Meccan life. For the city's terrain wasn't suitable for agriculture. The Qurayshis would earn their lives by trading. Thanks to commercial agreements signed during the time of Haşim b. Abdimenaf, the great grandfather of the Prophet, Meccans would travel to Syria in the summer and Yemen and Abyssinia in the winter.[1]

When the Prophet reached the age of 12, his uncle Abu Talib decided to join a caravan which is prepared to go to Syria. Since the household was crowded and the income was insufficient, he had to leave his home, his homeland and go abroad. As he completed the preparations for the journey and said goodbye to his family, he saw his nephew Muhammed (sav) crying. When he asked, "O my nephew, are you crying because I leave you here?", our Prophet grabbed his uncle's camel's halter and said: "I have neither mother nor father, who do you leave me with?". Those words made Abu Talib very emotional, and he took his nephew with him by saying, "Vallahi, I will take him with me. Neither will he leave me nor will I leave him.". 

The Messenger of Allah was not stranger to these routes.  Years ago, he passed through these roads to Madinah, and on the way back, he had buried his mother on one side of the road. Now, he was going far from Madinah, to Syria. Perhaps, he passed through the village that His mother passed away, and felt the sadness and longing for losing her more deeply.


Priest Bahira

As caravan approaches to Busra where is in the south of Damascus[2], the priest named Bahira who was watching the arrival of the caravan from his monastery witnessed a miracle. There was a small cloud above the caravan and it was moving with the caravan. Therefore, in this caravan, there was one whom Allah (c.c) loved and allocated a cloud to protect him from the sun. A deep curiosity surrounded Bahira’s heart by shaking with excitement.

When people in the caravan had a break near the monastery and set up their tent, Bahira invited them to his monastery for lunch meal. Arab caravans had passed by the monastery over and over, but they had not gained traction. The Qurayshis, who knew this very well, accepted the invitation despite the surprise they experienced.

Bahira, whose name was originally Sergius, was a wise with extensive knowledge. He did not see any difference in the face of the Qurayshis who came for the feast. What superiority did these men have before the Bedouins that he saw earlier? When he was in complete disappointment, he asked: "Is there anybody in the caravan who does not attend this meal?" Qurayshis said that everyone was here but they left a little kid with the properties. Bahira asked that child to attend the dinner and not be separated. Some people who were uncomfortable about leaving Muhammad behind them immediately took action and brought our Prophet to dinner. Muhammed (sav) was in front of Bahira with a shining face like 14th of the month.

Bahira, who admired the Prophet, chatted with him for a while. Later, he met with Abu Talib and learned about his nephew and said, “Your nephew's glory will be very great.  Take him back to his hometown because the Jews can harm him. ”

By giving importance to the warnings of Bahira, Abu Talib gave up the rest of the journey and returned to Mecca with his nephew.[3]

A lot has been narrated about the Busra trip of our Prophet and the priest Bahira, and different ideas have been put forward by both Islamic scholars and Western writers. Some Christians claimed that the Prophet learned the principles of Islam from Bahira, and even went so far as to assert, "The author of the Qur'an is Bahira." On the other hand, some siyer scholars have claimed that this story is completely fabricated.  It is not an acceptable idea for the Prophet to meet with Bahira for a few minutes to hear and memorize the Qur'an in such a short time. Plus, if that was the case, people who attended this journey and witnessed the period of our Prophet's prophethood should have been brought forward this topic. However, there is no information in the narrations that our Prophet has listened or learnt something from Bahira.

In the days when the Islamic sun was about to rise, Jews and Christians were waiting for a prophet to come and they knew the characteristics of that prophet. Although it is not possible for Muhammad, who is still very young, to know that he will be a prophet, it is not surprising that when someone who has a deep knowledge and dedicates himself to worship, sees our Prophet and admires him and says that our Prophet will be a great person in the future. It is quite natural for people with knowledge and experience to make predictions and wishes for the future situation of the people they encounter at first glance. So there is no need to reject this narration.

The Prophet started to work at a young age to earn his life, he worked as a shepherd in the mountains, learnt the trade under the supervision of his uncle Abu Talib and later became a successful trader.

Busra trip provided our Prophet with an opportunity to meet people from different geographies and diverse cultures.


Under the Protection of Your God

Our beloved Prophet had never associated a partner with Allah, like his ancestor, Abraham, and did not worship idols. His Lord protected him from all the dark, ugly and common nature of the ignorance.

According to the narration of our Prophet's nanny Ummu Eymen, the Qurayshis would go to their idols named Buvane once a year, and they would stay with them all day long and honour their idols by sacrificing the victims. Abu Talib, who was preparing to attend this ceremony, wanted to take his nephew Muhammed (sav) with him. When our master did not want this, his uncles and aunts scolded him violently.  They forced him to the ceremony, saying that disasters would come over if he turned away from the gods.

When Muhammed (sav) came to the place where the ceremony was held and approached Buvane, he grew pale. When his aunts asked him in a stew what happened, he said that he was warned by a tall man in a white dress who he had never seen before, about not to touch idols. After this incident, his relatives did not force him to take him to idols.[4]

According to the narration of Hz. Ali, Prophet Muhammed (sav) said, “I attempted twice to do the things that people in ignorance days did. However, Allah always detained me to do those things. One night I was grazing sheep with a young man from my tribe on the upper side of Mecca.  I told my friend to look after my sheep that night and I would attend night talks like other Mecca youths.  My friend accepted, and I left my sheep to him and set off.  When I approached the first house at the entrance of Mecca, I heard an instrument. When I asked, what happened? They said that so-and-so man and woman were marrying.  I sat down to listen to the sounds of the instrument. However, at that time Allah put weight on my ears so I couldn't hear. I caught some shut-eye, and fall asleep. The next morning I could only wake up with the effect of the temperature.  I immediately came back to my friend and told him what had happened to me.

Another night, I asked the same friend.  After I got permission, I went down to the city.  When I heard the same instrument sounds again, I immediately went there and started listening.  Then Allah gave weight to my ears again and after a while, I fell asleep.  When I woke up with the effect of the temperature, I went to my friend and explained what had happened. I did not attempt any evil until Allah honoured me with Prophecy.[5]

Our Prophet, who never worshipped idols, neither drank alcohol nor contaminated himself by any dirt of the ignorance days. Prior to his prophecy, he preserved his good morals thanks to the protection of his Lord, and continued his life as a virtuous young man, being appreciated by all the people around him. He, who is edified by his Lord, is the one who possesses the highest moral values that he has not left it even for a second.  May our Lord not separate us from his path. May he protect us from the evil of our evil soul.  Amin.

 

 

 

[1] İbn Sa’d, Tabakat,I,75; İbn Esir, el-Kamil,II,16

[2] Mustafa Fayda,’’Busra’’,DİA,VI,470

[3] İbn Sa’d,I,155

[4]İbn Sa’d,I,158; Halebi,İnsanu’l-Uyun,I,201

[5]İbn Seyyid, Uyunu’l-Eser,I,45; Hakim,Müstedrek,II,245

 

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