The Ninth Proof: A Mercy to the Whole World

Allah sent the Prophet (sws) to be a mercy to the whole world—to bring them out of the darkness of unbelief and idol worship to the light of monotheism and a straightforward, uncorrupt law, to avoid Allah's displeasure and punishment and to gain His approval, His
paradise and a good reward.

  The Prophet (sws) struggled greatly and maintained his patience throughout the period of delivering his message, until the light of pure monotheism filled the whole of the earth. 

Let us meditate on the effect Prophet Muhammad (sws) had on all those who followed him:
A - The unbelievers of Mecca: the people of Mecca were worshipping idols instead of Allah.

  Abrahah al-Ashram tried to demolish the Kaäba with his elephant and army. That was in the same year that Prophet Muhammad (sws) was born. The people of Mecca did not have the ability to fight off Abrahah's army, so Allah sent birds to throw stones which made the army no more than an empty field of wheat stalks. The warriors then ran away, leaving their dead in shame as a punishment for them in this world, while they await their punishment in the Hereafter. All of this was in the year in which Prophet Muhammad
(sws) was born.

Allah Almighty did not wish for His prophet (sws) to be a slave of Abrahah and his army, and that would have been possible if Abrahah had managed to demolish the Kaäba and enslave the people of Mecca, but Allah prevented them. He protected His prophet
and granted them victory.

  As mentioned before, that was at the same year in which Prophet Muhammad (sws) was born. It was his blessing that saved all the people of Mecca from Abrahah and his army, even though they still worshipped idols.

B - The name of Prophet Muhammad (sws) and other names mentioned in relation to him have auspicious, not repellent, meanings:
1 – Let us start with his name, Muhammad (sws), which is derived from the word, 'praise.' Prophet Muhammad (sws) is praised throughout the earth and in the heavens. He was given that name even though it was not well-known at the time as a regular Arab name. Because he was the last of the all the prophets, peace be upon them, he received that name by the wisdom and will of Allah Almighty.
2- The name of the Prophet's (sws) father was Abd-Allah, meaning 'slave of Allah,' not the slave of any of the idols his people worshipped at the time.
3- His mother's name was Amina, which is from the word, 'safe,' not like other names of women at the time, which often had bad meanings.
4 -The midwife who aided Amina when she was giving birth was named Shifaa, which means, 'recovery.'
5- The woman who breastfed the Prophet (sws) after his mother was called Thuwaiba, derived from the word for reward.
6 - It was the habit of the Arabs to find wet nurses for their babies from among the Bedouin nomads, to protect them from urban diseases, to strengthen their bodies and nervous systems and to make them excel in the Arabic language from an early age. The Prophet's (sws) wet nurse was named Halima al-Sa`adia, from the words for forbearance and happiness.                                                7 - The Prophet's (sws) maid was named Baraka, which means 'blessing' and 'felicity.'                                                                             8 - The birth of Muhammad (sws) took place in the month of Rabi` al-Awwal (falling that year in the spring). It was the best and nicest time of the year, when the flowers were blooming and flourishing.                                                                                                        9 - Since the Prophet Muhammad (sws) migrated north, from Mecca to Medina, the city has been known as al-Madina al-Munawwara (The Illumined City). Allah selected His prophet, Muhammad (sws), to be the last of all prophets to the whole of mankind. He selected his name and the names of everyone surrounding him.

C - The blessing of the Prophet (sws) had an effect on everyone around him. We will mention only two examples of this:
1 - Halima al-Sa`adia, the Prophet's (sws) wet nurse, gave us a detailed explanation about what she saw of the blessing of Prophet Muhammad (sws). Ibn Ishaq narrated that Halima reported that she had been traveling with her husband, her own baby boy, and a group of eight other women looking for work as wet nurses, for it had been an arid year. She rode a very weak she-donkey and had spent a very hard and sleepless night because her poor little baby had been crying of hunger. She said that when they arrived in Mecca seeking infants to suckle, all the women refused to take Muhammad (sws), for he was an orphan and he had no father. None of them wanted to take him because they did not expect his mother or grandfather to pay them well. When it was time to leave, all of the women had a baby except Halima, but she told her husband that she did not want to go back empty-handed, so she decided to take in the orphan. Her husband agreed, saying that perhaps Allah would bless them in him. Halima admitted that she only took him because she did not find any other infant to suckle but him. She took him back to camp and gave him her breasts, which were full of milk, and it was enough for both him and her own little boy. Thus, the Prophet (sws) and Halima's baby became foster brothers. She said that they slept that night as they had not slept before. Her husband went to feed the she-camel which had been very weak, but he found its udders full of milk. They both drank until they were entirely satisfied and spent a quiet and comfortable night. They began their return voyage and found their she-donkey was so fast that it outpaced all the others. This made her companions ask in astonishment if that was really the same donkey she had ridden on the way there. They returned to their home in Bani Sa`d which was the most arid land in the whole region. Her sheep would go out into the barren fields and return with much milk in their udders, while the sheep of other tribes would return without a single drop in their udders. Her neighbors were surprised and they began telling their shepherds to graze their sheep where hers had gone.

Halima and her husband spent two years in that state of favor and blessing. When she weaned Muhammad (sws), he was healthy and well-built. They took him back to Mecca to return him to his mother, hoping that she would allow them to keep him for longer to enjoy more of his blessing. Halima tried to convince Amina that it would be better for him to stay with her and her husband to protect him from the diseases of the city. They kept asking until, at long last, Amina agreed to let Muhammad (sws) go back with them. [Al- Raheeq al-Makhtum, Ibn Hisham 1/162-164]

2 - Umm Ma`bad al-Khuza`iya is the other example. While he was fleeing Mecca for Medina, the Prophet (sws) passed by her tent. She was a hard-working woman who had some sheep to raise, and she used to feed travelers from their milk. The Prophet (sws) and his companions asked her for something to eat. She responded that she wished she had something to offer them. The Prophet (sws) saw one sheep through the opening in the tent and asked about it. She explained that this one had stayed behind because it was old. He asked if it had any milk, and she said it was too weak for that. The Prophet (sws) asked for Umm Ma`bad's permission to milk it, and sheagreed.

The Prophet (sws) touched its udder with his hand, mentioned Allah's name and prayed. Its udders swelled with milk, so he called for a container in which to collect it. He milked the old sheep until the foam reached the top of the container. Umm Ma`bad drank until she was full, and the Prophet's (sws) companions did the same. The Prophet (sws) himself drank, milked the sheep until the container was full again and went on his way with his companions. When Umm Ma`bad's husband returned, he was astonished to find that so much milk had come from such a weak animal. When he asked his wife for an explanation, she told him that a blessed man had done it. She described him to her husband, who said that he had heard of such a man from the people of Quraish. In fact, he had been just about to join him, and, considering what he had just heard, he declared that he would do so if he could find a way. 

There are many more examples of such miracles that prove the blessing of the Prophet (sws), and that is no wonder, for he is the Seal of the Prophets.