Abu-Bakr Ibn Abu Qhuhafah.

THE VALOUR OF IMAM HUSSAIN {AS}.

The moment one lifts the pen to write something about the valour of Imam Hussain (as), he is reminded of the words of the Principal of Al-Azhar University Janab Shabravi that he had written in his book ‘Al Athaaf be hubbil Ashraaf’. He writes: “The Ahlul-Bait (as) were perfect from the aspect of knowledge, forebearance, eloquence and bravery. They had not acquired these merits in their lives. Rather these virtues were divinely bestowed. (Then he makes a grand statement) Those who try to conceal these merits, are in fact trying to conceal the brilliant sun.”

These sentences are filled with a profound meaning. This implies that Imam Hussain (as) was valiant not only due to His status as the Imam, but also from His ancestry. His Forefathers (as) were valiant, as were His Sons – the noble Imams (as). Even a brief scrutiny of Islamic history will reveal how the Son of Imam Hussain (as) – Sayyid-e-Sajjad displayed exemplary courage and eloquence when He delivered an articulate sermon in the courts of Kufa and Syria. This sermon shook the pillars of Yazid’s government and proved that those who are divinely bestowed by valour can never be subdued by tyranny. Moreover the light of the Ahlul-Bait (as) transcends the dungeons and prisons and all forms of suppression in much the same as the sunlight transcends the dark clouds on a cloudy day.

In order to get a fair estimate of Imam’s (as) valour, we must first evaluate the valour of His Sister – Janabe Zainab binte Ali (sa).

History is witness that none dared to interrupt Sayyidah Zainab (sa) in Her sermon. A poet has aptly remarked:

The court of Syria, the speech of Zainab, the antidote of evil

As if it was Imam Ali (as) at the battle of Khaiber or the Prophet (saww) on His pulpit.

While it is not possible to analyse the bravery of each and every companion in such a brief treatise, one realises that if such was the courage of Imam Hussain’s (as) Sister and Son, then the valour of Imam Hussain (as) can only be imagined. On the eve of Ashura, Imam Hussain (as) declared to His companions, ‘These people are only concerned with Me. If they succeed in killing Me, they will not trouble anybody else. You can take the advantage of the darkness of the night and escape.’ This statement itself highlights Imam Hussain’s (as) valour. At a time when He was being confronted by a huge, well-organised army, while His own did not exceed a 100 warriors, Imam Hussain (as) was not concerned about increasing the strength of His army. On the contrary, He was exhorting His companions to leave if they wanted to. Is there anyone in the world who will readily diminish His numbers instead of increasing them, in the face of such adversity?

The first one to speak up to Imam Hussain’s (as) call was His Brother – Hazrat Abul Fazl Abbas (as) who declared, ‘Master! How is it possible that we abandon you?
What is life without You?
Next to answer Imam Hussain (as) was His beloved companion, Muslim b. Awsaja (ra), ‘Can we leave You alone?
Never! By Allah! I shall continue to fight the treacherous enemy till I sink my dagger into their hearts. If I am killed and my body burnt, and I am revived once again, even then I shall not desert you.’ This underlines the fact that the support garnered on the basis of wealth and power is weak and flawed, but support mobilised under the shade of love of Imamat and Wilayyat is indomitable.

Moreover psychologists also admit that man’s preparation in confronting the enemy highlights the strength and power of his enemy. In other words, no one would make elaborate preparations in facing a weak and feeble enemy. Rather he would make elaborate preparations only if he was confronting a strong and powerful enemy. Let us sift through the pages of history and see who was the bravest one at Karbala.

1) Allama Majlisi (ra) writes in his Jalaa-ul-Uyoon on the authority of narrators and historians that Umar b. Sa’d b. Abi Waqqas arrived at Karbala on the 3rd of Muharram 61 A.H. leading a cavalry of 4,000 riders.

(2) Shaikh Saduq in his Amali on the discussion of Ibne Ziyad writes that Ibne Ziyad dispatched for Karbala on the 4th of Muharram, Umar b. Hajjaj with 500 riders, Muhammed bin Ashath with 1,000 riders, Yazid bin Rekab, Nafar Bin Kharsha and Urwa b. Qays with 2,000 riders. Khuli bin Yazid Asbahi, Qatham, Mazaaer bin Rahniya Maazani and Bakr bin Ka’b bin Khursha with 3,000 riders each, were also sent by Ibne Ziyad (la). Ibne Anas Nakhaee and Sheeth bin Rabi were sent with 4000 riders each. Aamir bin Sareema got 6,000 riders whereas Haseen bin Numayr got 8,000. Finally, Abu Qidar Baaheli was appointed at the head of 9,000-strong cavalry.

(3) Maulana Qazwini writes in Riyazush Shahaadah that according to different narrations, a total of 22,000 or 30,000 or 70,000 or 100,000 troops had gathered at Karbala to massacre the son of the Holy Prophet (saww).

(4) It is mentioned in Bahrul Masaib that such was the magnitude of troops from Kufa, that it covered the pathways and the desert in a kind of enveloping darkness.

(5) According to one report of Bahrul Masaib, 620,000 riders, footmen and servants were collected by Umar Ibne Saad (la) in support of Yazid (la) and Ibne Ziyad (la) at Karbala.

Please spare a thought! The Grandson of Allah’s Messenger (saww) had left His home without any intention of warfare.
He was accompanied by just 72 men, including the aged, children and youth.
His own age according to accepted narration was 57 years. The magnitude of troops arranged for confrontation with this personality underlines the fact that He possessed bravery of a very high order. Moreover, Imam Hussain (as) also had the valiant Hazrat Abbas (as) as the commander of His modest army. The enemy feared that they would be devastated by this small army. Water supply was cut off and there was no water from the 7th Muharram in Imam Hussain’s (as) camp. From the morning of Ashura till Asr, Imam Hussain (as) permitted one companion after the other to wage the Holy war Jihad. The mortal remains of the companions were brought to the camp. Even Janab Ali Asgar (as), who was not capable to ride to the battlefield, was carried in the arms of Imam Hussain (as), who sought water for Him from the enemies.

The enemies thought that being Imam Ali Ibn AbiTalib (as)’s Grandson if He was allowed a drink of water He would exhibit the courage of His Forefathers! According to historical reports this infant of six months was struck with a three-pronged arrow with such velocity that not only did it sever the tender throat of the infant, it even sank into the arm of Imam Hussain (as). The three-pronged arrow shows how much the enemy dreaded this infant’s valour, let alone the valour of His Father. When Prophethood takes its Son for slaughter, it ties a blindfold, but when Imamat takes its infant to the battlefield, it does not use a blindfold. On the contrary, it pulls out the arrow from the infant’s body with its own hands.

[May our lives be sacrificed for the Infant, who accepted martyrdom with a smile].

At last the time arrived for the Son of the lion of Allah to exhibit His own courage. What a strange sight it was, worded by Mir Anees in a beautiful verse:

What a terrible loneliness has afflicted Shabbir?

The cloud of oppression covers the moon of Zahra;

On one side confronts Him an enormous military power;

There is neither a Son nor nephew nor brother;

Hunted by the swords and sharp daggers;

‘Kill the thirsty one’ is the slogan of the murderers;

Injured arms, a broken back, no strength in the body;

Due to quiver, the feet slip from the (horse’s) bridle;

Extreme thirst, parched lips and eyes watering;

He deflects every attack of the enemy with His sword;

When He halts for a moment due to weariness;

Hundreds of arrows pierce His Body.

Describing the courageous feats of Imam Hussain (as) in the battlefield, a historian writes:

‘I have never seen a wounded man - whose children, friends and relatives had been killed in front of his eyes- fight with such a spirit.’ Apart from this, Imam Hussain (as) Himself recited many couplets that express His valour. For instance Imam Hussain (as) declares:

‘We are not cowards! We are the brave chiefs of the world. If We are to be killed it is not due to Our weakness. Rather it is Our destiny. And the day of martyrdom had arrived.’

Tabari in Tarikhul Umam Wal Muluk (vol. 4 p. 345) and Ibne Atheer in Al-Kaamil Fi al-Tarikh (vol. 3, p. 295) has recorded in the events of the battle that the oppressive army attacked Imam Hussain (as) from both the flanks. So when Imam Hussain (as) was attacked from the right He rushed upon them and did not rest till they had fled the battle. After this He launched an attack on the left flank and made them flee in a similar manner. Finally His turban fell down. By Allah! I have never seen a wounded person whose sons, friends and relatives have been massacred before him to fight with such fervour.

According to a tradition of Imam Baqir (as) there were 320 wounds on Imam Hussain’s (as) Holy Body.
Shabraavi writes in Al Athaaf be hubbil Ashraaf (p.16-17) that Imam Hussain (as) was fighting a valiant battle till He fell down from His horse. In all He had 31 spear wounds and 43 sword wounds.

In the end it is appropriate that we mention the words of Abbas Aqqaad in his book Abu al-Shuhadaa (Father of the Martyrs). He writes:

‘The valour of Imam Hussain (as) is such a quality that its reality is not surprising, just as it is not surprising to find jewels in a mine.’

Lastly, we pray to Allah the Almighty to hasten the advent of the last Son of Imam Hussain (as) so that people may once again get a glimpse of the valour of Ahlul-Bait (as). May Allah, for the sake of the companions of Imam Hussain (as) include us among the valiant servants of the heir of Imam Hussain (as).
Ameen Ameen Yaa Rabbi!

LESSONS THAT WE CAN LEARN FROM IMAM HUSSAIN {AS} AND KARBALA .

Among so many lessons mentioned that we can learn, we’ve choosen only 14 for today, in the name of 14 infallibles (as).

1) DON’T ACCEPT HUMILIATION: In one of His speeches, Imam Hussain (as) said that: the authorities in Kufa had given Him only two options - humiliation or death. He carried on to say: ‘And we do not accept humiliation’. A tradition reported by Imam Ja'far As-Sadiq (as) records that, other than not accepting humiliation, Allah Almighty has given to believers a choice in all matters.

2) BROAD-MINDNESS: This means thinking independently and being just in one’s judgements. Not simply following others blindly and keeping one’s eyes closed. On the Day of Ashura Imam Hussain (as) addressed Yazid’s (la) troops: “Oh followers of Abu Sofian (la), if you are not following the teachings of Islam then as freemen, be independent of judgement.
On what basis do you fight Me now?”

3) A WIDER UNDERSTANDING OF DEATH: Few people desire death. The Holy Qur’an challenges the Jews for not welcoming death in view of their alleged special relationship with Allah (swt) Imam Hussain (as) extended our comprehension of death by drawing attention to the three points below:

a. Death is written for everyone and no soul may escape it. He said: “Death is an adornment of life as a necklace is an adornment of a beautiful woman.”

b. Death with dignity is preferable to a life lived in humiliation.

c. Dying for the cause of Islam is martyrdom and a great honour. In His farewell to relatives in Madina, Imam Hussain (as) said: “Whoever joins us will be martyred, those who remain behind will miss the victory.”

4) AWARENESS: Desertion is discouraged via military courts martial and firing squads. A commander has never given troops permission to evade the battlefield before or after Imam Hussain (as). The Imam Himself would like them all to be aware of the consequences of the impending action before any accepted the challenge.

5) SUPPORT THE TRUTH: Imam Hussain (as) announced: “Don’t you see that Truth has been replaced by falsehood. We must be prepared to sacrifice everything that is precious in support of Truth!” Truth is the ‘essence’ of Islam and fortifies the values emphasized in the Holy Qur’an. Hazrat Ali Akbar (as) asked His Father (Imam Hussain (as): ”Are We not supporting the Truth?”. Imam Hussain (as) replied in the affirmative Hazrat Ali Akbar (as) said: “then, it makes no difference if death comes to us or if we approach death.”

6) IT IS NEVER TOO LATE TO REPENT: Hur Riahi, the first commander to surround Imam Hussain’s troops and prevent their access to the water of Euphrates, provides an excellent illustration of repentance. Regretting his action, he asked Imam Hussain (as) if his repentance would be accepted. Imam Hussain (as) told him that it is never too late to repent. Hur joined Imam Hussain’s camp and was honoured by being one of the first martyrs (Peace be upon Him).

7) FIDELITY AND LOYALTY: Fidelity is a characteristic admired by all. If friends meet in times of comfort and wealth but leave when hardship and difficulty strike, it is clear that their friendship is not true. On the day of Ashura, Imam Hussain (as) told John bin Hui, a servant of the renowned companion Hazrat Abu Dhar (as): “You have accompanied us all the way but now you may go.” John replied: “It is not fair that I benefit from your company and hospitality but abondon you in your hardship?” His attitude exemplifies fidelity, loyalty and true friendship.

8) LADIES PARTICIPATE: Without Lady Zainab’s (as) participation in Karbala, the mission of Imam Hussain (as) could not have been fulfilled.

9) TO PLEASE ALLAH: The objective of all believers should be the pleasure of Allah Almighty. Imam Hussain (as) said in one of His speeches that the only objective of the Prophet’s Household is to please Allah. Whenever He saw family members martyred He would utter “It’s bearable only because Allah is its witness.”

10) GIVING PREFERENCE TO THE NEEDS OF OTHERS: In Islamic terminology, giving preference to the needs of others is referred to as “Ithaar”. On the Day of Ashura, the actions of Hazrat Abbas (as), Brother of Imam Hussain (as) exemplify “Ithaar”! Hazrat Abbas (as) battled bravely to gain access to the water of Euphrates. Although He gave no consideration to his own thirst but strove instead to bring water to the tents for the women and children.

11) PATIENCE IN ADVERSITY: Allah tells us in the Holy Qur’an that only those who remain patient will receive reward without measure. Imam Hussain (as) brought up to understand the Holy Qur'an that is why He was happy to ‘remain patient’ in hardship and endurance and to await His Lords reward. His patience wasn’t out of weakness or helplessness but a demonstration of His steadfastness and bravery. Those who saw Imam Hussain (as) on the Day of Ashura reported. ”We have never seen a man remaining as composed as Imam Hussain (as) whereas His relatives and children were slaughtered before His eyes.”

12) THE SIGNIFICANCE OF AMR BIL MAROUF: Imam Hussain (as) declared in a speech that the only objective of seeking this reform is to emphasis the significance of ‘Amr bil Marouf and Nahy anil Munkar’. (Enjoining good and forbidding evil).

13) THE USE OF LAWFUL MEANS: Imam Hussain (as) tried to stop Umar ibn Sa’d (la) from pursuing his evil objectives. He said to him: “You are promised government over ‘Ray’ (Tehran today) yet you will never eat the wheat of that area.” Ibn Sa’d (la) responded: “Its barley will suffice!!” Realizing that He couldn’t change Ibn Sa’d’s mind, Imam Hussain (as( said: “Those who use unlawful means to achieve their objectives never attain them.”

14) CHASTITY AND HIJAB: After the tragedy of Ashura, women and children became prisoners of war and were taken first from Karbala to Kufa and then to Damascus. They were tortured on route and forced to walk behind the soldiers who carried the heads of Imam Hussain (as) and His companions mounted on their spears. When they arrived at Yazid’s (la) headquarter in Damascus, Imam Sajjad (as) asked that the ‘heads’ be removed from the proximity of the women and children in order to protect them from spectators.

“Glory be to your Lord, the Lord of Honour, beyond what they describe. And peace be upon the Apostles. And all praise is due to Allah, the Lord of the worlds.”

THE SHAMEFUL DEPICTIONS OF THE MENTAL STATE OF THE DOUBTING PROPHET MUHAMMAD {SAWW} FOLLOWING HIS RECEIVING THE DIVINE REVELATION.

Sahih Bukhari depicts the confused mental state of the suicidal Prophet Muhammad (saww)-(astaghfirullah).

We read in Sahih Bukhari Volume 9, Book 87, Number 111:

Narrated Ayisha:
The commencement of the Divine Inspiration to Allah’s Apostle was in the form of good righteous (true) dreams in His sleep. He never had a dream but that it came true like bright day light. He used to go in seclusion (the cave of) Hira where He used to worship (Allah Alone) continuously for many (days) nights. He used to take with Him the journey food for that (stay) and then come back to (His wife) Sayyidah Khadija (sa) to take His food like-wise again for another period to stay, till suddenly the Truth descended upon Him while He was in the cave of Hira. The Angel came to Him in it and asked Him to read. The Prophet (saww) replied: “I do not know how to read.” (The Prophet added), “The Angel caught Me (forcefully) and pressed Me so hard that I could not bear it anymore. He then released Me and again asked Me to read, and I replied: “I do not know how to read,” whereupon He caught Me again and pressed Me a second time till I could not bear it anymore. He then released Me and asked Me again to read, but again I replied: “I do not know how to read (or, what shall I read?).” Thereupon He caught Me for the third time and pressed Me and then released Me and said: “Read: In the Name of your Lord, Who has created (all that exists). Has created man from a clot. Read and Your Lord is Most Generous…up to….. ..that which he knew not.” (Qur'an 96:15).

Then Allah’s Apostle returned with the Inspiration, His neck muscles twitching with terror till He entered upon Sayyidah Khadija and said: “Cover Me! Cover Me!” They covered Him till His fear was over and then He said: “Oh Khadija, what is wrong with Me? ” Then He told Her everything that had happened and said: “I fear that something may happen to Me.” Sayyidah Khadija (sa) said: “Never! But have the glad tidings, for by Allah! Allah will never disgrace You as You keep good reactions with Your Kith and kin, speak the truth, help the poor and the destitute, serve Your guest generously and assist the deserving, calamity-afflicted ones.” Sayyidah Khadija then accompanied Him to (Her cousin) Waraqa bin Naufal bin Asad bin ‘Abdul ‘Uzza bin Qusai. Waraqa was the son of Her paternal uncle, i.e., Her father’s brother, who during the Pre-Islamic Period became a Christian and used to write the Arabic writing and used to write of the Gospels in Arabic as much as Allah wished him to write. He was an old man and had lost his eyesight. Sayyidah Khadija said to him: “Oh my cousin! Listen to the story of your nephew.” Waraqa asked: “Oh my nephew! What have you seen?”
The Prophet (saww) described whatever He had seen.

Waraqa said: “This is the same Namus (i.e., Gabriel, the Angel who keeps the secrets) whom Allah had sent to Prophet Moses (as). I wish I were young and could live up to the time when your people would turn you out.” Allah’s Apostle asked: “Will they turn Me out?” Waraqa replied in the affirmative and said: “Never did a man come with something similar to what You have brought but was treated with hostility. If I should remain alive till the day when You will be turned out then I would support You strongly.” But after a few days Waraqa died and the Divine Inspiration was also paused for a while and the Prophet (saww) became so sad as we have heard that He intended several times to throw Himself from the tops of high mountains and every time He went up the top of a mountain in order to throw Himself down, Angel Gabriel (as) would appear before Him and say: “Oh Muhammad! You are indeed Allah’s Apostle in truth” whereupon His heart would become quiet and He would calm down and would return home. And whenever the period of the coming of the inspiration used to become long, He would do as before, but when He used to reach the top of a mountain, Angel Gabriel (as) would appear before Him and say to Him what He had said before.

Comment....

Our observations of this Hadith are set out asunder:

The Prophet (saww) after the first Qur’anic revelation and His encounter with Angel Gibrael (as) had doubts over His Prophethood and in fact opined that He was a madman or a poet! He hated poets in Jahiliyyah (the time of ignorance) and His fear that He had become ‘one of them’ led to Him contemplating su***de. Fortunately it was His beloved Wife and Waraqa that gave Him an assurance that He was not mad, rather He was in receipt of divine revelation as He was a Prophet (saww). Is it plausible to believe that the Prophet (saww) who is in receipt of the revelation is completely ignorant that He is a Prophet (saww), and it was in fact a Christian Priest that possessed a prior knowledge of this reality! Let us contemplate the assertion of Waraqa that evidences the level of faith He has, namely that Muhammad (saww) is a Prophet (saww), to the extent that He makes it clear ‘…if I should remain alive till the day when you will be turned out then I would support you strongly’. Now contrast this firm belief of a mere follower, to that of the recipient of the appointment who doubts His position, to the extent that He contemplates su***de! Sayyidah Khadija (sa) consoles Him (saww) assuring Him that He is a Prophet (saww), He attempts su***de on several occasions, and on each occasion Angel Gabriel reassures Him that He is a Prophet of Allah (swt). The very fact that the Prophet (saww) tried killing Himself despite this assurance proves that He (saww) remained unconvinced, if our contention is incorrect why did He return to the mountain to take His life, and why did Angel Gabriel (as) have to likewise return and convince Him that He was a divinely appointed? All this points to the Prophet (saww) having major doubts over His appointment, doubts that were causing Him to fall in to depression and with it suicidal thoughts!

Just consider the continual lingering doubts the recipient had over His (saww) Prophethood. Ayisha informs us that ‘the commencement of the Divine Inspiration to Allah’s Apostle was in the form of good righteous (true) dreams in His sleep. He never had a dream but that it came true like bright day light’. Despite His receipt of truthful dreams He was unable to grasp this truth and recognise the appointment bestowed on Him (saww). Even when He has a face to face encounter with Angel Gabriel who appears to Him as His Teacher, He remains unable to recognise the Angel, and accept His Prophetic appointment; rather He flees the scene, hides in a blanket and questions what has happened to Him. He expresses a fear over His mental state, saying: ‘What is wrong with Me? I was afraid that something bad might happen to Me’ such a fear would not come into the equation if He (saww) believed that He was a Prophet of Allah (swt).

Is it logical to believe that Allah (swt) would keep the rank of Prophethood hidden from that very individual that He (swt) appoints as His Prophet?

Is the individual that has attained the rank of Prophethood incapable of differentiating between Divine and Satanic Revelation? Let us not forget that Prophet Issah (as) was fully aware that He was a Prophet (saww) from birth as can be evidenced from His statement to quash the seditious tongues of the Jewish He said: “I Am indeed a servant of Allah: He hath given Me revelation and made Me a Prophet ”(Qur'an 19:30).
Or compare the example of Prophet Musa (as) whom following direct communication with His Creator, rather than exhibit fear, made a direct submission before His Lord for tools to enable Him to implement the task:

(Moses) said: “Oh my Lord! expand me my breast; “Ease my task for me;
And remove the impediment from my speech” (Qur'an 20:25-27).

Having been cajoled in to reciting the divine revelation a terrified Prophet (saww) returns and informs His wife stating “I fear that something may happen to Me”, what was this fear? Was He still unconvinced of His encounter with Angel Gibrael (as)? Clearly not, and this fear clearly alludes to a fear for Him losing His sanity as can be evidenced by the words of assurance that His wife gives to Him, “Never! But have the glad tidings, for by Allah! Allah will never disgrace you as you keep good reactions with your Kith and kin” – Her words of assurance wherein She made an oath that He would be safe, alludes to the fact that He (saww) was fearful that He would lose His thinking faculty, after all humiliation/ disgrace is attributed to one that loses the ability to think rationally, and that is precisely what the Prophet (saww) feared. What is this new form of Prophethood that is being administered to Prophet Muhammad (saww) wherein He is expressing fears, and doubts about Himself?

What sort of Messengership is this, one wherein the recipient is only convinced of His position when He is provided with reassurance by His wife and a Christian Priest?
Aren’t His wife and Waraqa at a more superior level as both understood that (unlike Muhammad (saww)) He was the recipient of divine wahi?
Amazingly, they are foretelling details of Islam before the Prophet (saww). When Sayyidah Khadija (sa) approaches Waraqa She states as follows to Him “Oh my cousin! Listen to the story of your nephew” – She says nothing further, yet Waraqa automatically states ‘Oh my nephew! What have you seen?’ – How did Waraqa deem it pertinent to pose this impromptu question? Did he possess knowledge of this incident before it had occurred? Did he possess some knowledge of the unseen, or was this incident disclosed to him? We see nothing from this narration to suggest that he was privy to even a restricted form of prior disclosure; rather we are informed that the sole witness Sayyidah Khadija (sa) approaches Waraqa directly without discussing the matter with anyone else. In the absence of evidence to suggest prior knowledge the only conclusion one can deduce is that Waraqa possessed knowledge of the unseen, hence his question ‘O my nephew! What have you seen?’ Clearly this knowledge of the unseen must have been linked with the divine blessings showered on Waraqa through his knowledge of the Gospels. Now compare the knowledge of Waraqa to that of the recipient of the divine revelation, who is at a loss to explain what has happened to him, knowledge of His Prophetic appointment does not even come to His mind, rather His contact with Angel Gibrael (as) causes Him to experience a heightened state of fear!

The Prophet (saww) relays His entire experience to Waraqa, that leads Him to conclude “…this is the same Namus (i.e., Gabriel, the Angel who keeps the secrets) whom Allah had sent to Moses”. It is worthy to note that this narration informs us that Waraqa was a Jew that had then embraced Christianity, and was active in that he translated the Gospels into the Arabic language. Despite this, the response he gives suggests that Waraqa remained under the influence of Judaic thinking despite his conversion, evident by the fact that rather than cite the example of a nexus between the Messiah Issah (as) and Namus, he referred to Moses, that points to him rejecting any such connection with Issah (as). Had he affirmed belief in Namus approaching Issah (as), he would have not needed to cite the example of Prophet Moses (as), as he had abandoned Judaism in favour of a religion wherein Christ was deemed the divine head, that would have (without a doubt) had a link with Namus.

Having affirmed the divine rank of Prophet Muhammad (saww), Waraqa expresses regret ‘I wish I were young and could live up to the time when Your people would turn You out’ that evidences his own knowledge of death, and what would happen to the Prophet (saww) in the future, does this not prove that Waraqa possessed a knowledge of the unseen?
This knowledge does not just end there, the Prophet (saww) asks for clarification over His exile, to which ‘Waraqa replied in the affirmative and said: “Never did a man come with something similar to what you have brought but was treated with hostility’. His knowledge of the unseen is such he clarifies his migration and the circumstances on the ground that perpetuate it. If a Christian layman possessed such hidden knowledge, why do the Nawasib reject the suggestion that the Prophet (saww) and his Ahlul-Bait (as) can possess such knowledge?

Angel Gibrael (as) had ordered the Prophet (saww) to read on the first occasion to which He replied that He was not able to do so. The same response was provided by Him (saww) when Angel Gabriel said the same on the second occasion. On the third occasion He was reciting verbatim that which Angel Gibrael (as) was reciting. The fact that the Prophet (saww) was unable to recite these words on the first and second occasion suggests that at the outset, the Prophet (saww) was unable to grasp the instructions given to Him (saww) by Angel Gibrael (as), an instruction that required that He (saww) recite the words that Angel Gibrael (as) was saying. He assumed that He (saww) was being told to scribe that which appeared in some written form, it took three bear hugs for the Prophet (saww) to understand the true nature of the instruction. Our question is who was at fault here, had Angel Gibrael (as) failed in clarifying the precise details of the instruction?
Or was the understanding of the Prophet (saww) so limited that He simply could not gauge the true nature of the instruction?

When the Prophet (saww) stated that He was incapable of complying with the instruction, Angel Gibrael (as) resorted to giving Him a bear hug that subjected the Prophet (saww) to excruciating pain, was this Angel Gibrael hugging methodology applied to past Prophets as a mechanism for cascading divine instructions?
Imam Qastalani in Irshad al-Sari, Kitab al-Wahi had acknowledged that no previous Prophet received Wahi (revelation) through this method, so why was this new precedent applied for the Final Messenger (saww)? Lest not forget the Allah (swt) says in Surah Ahzab verse 62: (Such was) the practice (approved) of Allah among those who lived aforetime: No change wilt thou find in the practice (approved) of Allah.

What was the logic behind Angel Gibrael (as) subjecting the Prophet (saww) to such a painful embrace? When the Prophet (saww) was making it explicitly clear that He was devoid of the capability to read, what was the sense in responding with physical pain? Or was Angel Gibrael (as) seeking to assess His personal physical strength, and wanted the Prophet (saww) to likewise demonstrate His abilities?
If the objective of the Angel Gibrael (as) was to instil fear into the Prophet (saww), could another pain free method not have been pursued, rather than one that subjected him to a physical assault?

If the intention was to make an assessment of the Prophet (saww)’ physical strength, did He (saww) not even possess the same level of strength as Prophet Musa (as) to slap Angel Gibrael (as)?
The same Bukhari after all informs us that Prophet Musa (as) through one slap inflicted blindness to the Angel of death!