Bahira's Interview with Hazrat Muhammad (saw) [Eid e Milad un Nabi, Birth Anniversary]

Hazrat Abu Talib ibn Abd Al-Muttalib set out for Damascus (Syria) on
business and took Hazrat Muhammad (saw) along when he (saw) was 12
years old. It was a massive caravan and a great number of people
traveled along with a huge quantity of merchandise until they arrived
in Syria and entered the city of Busra. In the vicinity of a
monastery, they pitched a tent and took rest.
Bahira, a devout Christianmonk, caught sight of it through his
monastery's window. He observed thecaravan shaded by a littlecloud
that kept pace withit. Bahira came out of his monastery, stood in a
corner and instructed his servant, 'Go and tell themthat today they
are all myguests'.
All came to him but Hazrat Muhammad (saw),who was standing besidethe
property and equipment of the caravan. Seeing that the cloud had
ceased to move, Bahira asked his guests, 'are all the members of the
caravan present here?' They answered, 'All but a youth who is the
youngest'. Bahira said, 'Tell him to come as well'.So he was asked to
come to the monk's room. The keen eyes of Bahira noticed that the
cloud over his head moved with him. Taken by surprise, Bahira kept
staring at the young boy. When the meal was over, the pious monk told
him, 'I have a question to ask you and you must swear by Lat and
Al-Uzza to answer my question'.
Hazrat Muhammad (saw) said, 'Those two you haveasked me to swear by
arethe most detestable things to me'. Bahira said, 'Swear by Allah to
answer my question'.
Hazrat Muhammad (saw) said, 'I always speak the truth and I have never
told a lie; you ask your question'.
Bahira asked: "What do you like the most"?
Hazrat Muhammad (saw) answered: "Loneliness".
Bahira asked: "What do you look the most at and what do you like to look at"?
Hazrat Muhammad (saw) said: "The sky and the stars within it".
Bahira asked: "What do you think of"?
Hazrat Muhammad (saw) remained silent, but Bahira carefully glanced at
his forehead.
Bahira asked: "When do you sleep and with what thoughts"?
Hazrat Muhammad (saw) stated: "When I fix my eyes upon the sky, I see
the stars and I find them in my lap and myself above them".
Bahira asked: "Do you see dream also"?
Hazrat Muhammad (saw) stated: "Whatever I see indream, the same I see
while I am awake."
Bahira asked: "What do you dream of, as an example"?
Hazrat Muhammad (saw) kept quiet, Bahira also kept quiet.
After a while, Bahira asked: "May I take a look at the centre of your
shoulders"?
Hazrat Muhammad (saw),while standing still, stated: "Come and see."
Bahira stood up, came closer, and pulled the dress of Hazrat Muhammad
(saw) off his shoulders. A mole appeared. Bahira took a look and said
in a murmuring voice: "He is the very person".
Bahira knelt down before him and started kissing his hands and feet,
saying, 'If I live till you start your divine mission, I will most
faithfully aid you and fight your enemies. You are superior to all of
Adam's offspring...'.
Then Bahira asked, 'whose son is this youth?'The caravan members
pointed to Hazrat Abu Talib ibn Abd Al-Muttalib, saying, 'His son'.
Bahira said, 'No. His father must be dead!'
Hazrat Abu Talib ibn Abd Al-Muttalib said, 'You are right. He is my
nephew'. Bahira then said, 'This youth will have a brilliant,
extraordinary future. If the Jews find out what I have realized about
him, they will destroy him. Take great care lest the Jews should hurt
him'.
Hazrat Abu Talib ibn Abd Al-Muttalib said, 'What is he destined to do?
What have the Jews to do with him?' Bahira said, 'He is predestined to
become a Hazrat, and the angel of inspiration will come down and make
divine revelations to him'. Hazrat Abu Talib ibn Abd Al-Muttalib said,
'God will not leave him alone and will Himself protect him against the
Jews and his malevolent enemies'.

Some scenes from Hazrat Muhammad's (saw) childhood and youth

Hazrat Muhammad (saw) went through the difficulties of orphanhood in
his childhood with the support of his high-spirited grandfather,
Hazrat Abd Al-Muttalib, and his affectionate uncle, HazratAbu Talib
ibn Abd Al-Muttalib.
When Hazrat Muhammad (saw) became eight yearsold, Hazrat Abd
Al-Muttalib passed away as well. This incident made Hazrat Muhammad
(saw) very sad.
After that Hazrat Abu Talib ibn Abd Al-Muttalib, the master of
Quraish, accepted to look after him. Although Hazrat AbuTalib ibn Abd
Al-Muttalib was not rich, he and his honorable wife Hazrat Fatima bint
Asad [the mother of Hazrat Ali (as)],tried their best in lookingafter
Hazrat Muhammad (saw).
It seems that the heart rendering pains of orphanhood must have
severely tormented his pure delicate soul. It is logical to believe
that these sufferings were necessary for the foundation of his supreme
character and that such difficulties taught him how to resist the
hardships of life and to bear the heavy responsibility later to be put
on his blessed shoulders.
As time went on, Hazrat Muhammad (saw) grew up and his childhood gave
place to youth, when instincts and potentials bloom. Hazrat Muhammad
(saw) received affectionate care and attention from his uncle Hazrat
Abu Talibibn Abd Al-Muttalib, who, due to his moral attitudesand in
obedience to his father's emphatic order, protected and supported him.
In fact, Hazrat Muhammad (saw) represented three things to Hazrat Abu
Talib ibn Abd Al-Muttalib: a son, a reminder of his brother, Hazrat
Abdullah ibn Abd Al-Muttalib, and of his father, Hazrat Abd
Al-Muttalib. So Hazrat Muhammad (saw) became a beloved member of
Hazrat Abu Talib ibn Abd Al-Muttalib's family, lived in his house, and
was treated as his own son. To Hazrat Muhammad (saw), Hazrat Abu Talib
ibn Abd Al-Muttalib was an affectionate father, a loyal uncle, and a
compassionate preceptor. These two - uncle and nephew - wereso fond of
each other that their lives seemed tobe intertwined. This very intense
affection had caused Hazrat Abu Talib ibn Abd Al-Muttalib to refuse to
ever part from him.
Hazrat Muhammad's (saw) presence in his uncle's house was not
ordinary. Signs of his greatness could be seen everywhere. His
entranceto their house brought bountiful blessings to thehouse of
Hazrat Abu Talibibn Abd Al-Muttalib. Hazrat Fatima bint Asad has said,
"From the moment that Hazrat Muhammad (saw) entered our home, the
tree, which had dried up for years, prospered and offered fruits."
Hazrat Abu Talib ibn Abd Al-Muttalib narrates that they would hear
Hazrat Muhammad (saw) praying at nights. Though it was against the
custom of Arabs to remember Allah (SWT) while eating, the little
Hazrat Muhammad (saw) would not start eating or drinking unless
reciting the name of Allah (SWT). He would also end his meal by
thanking Allah (SWT), the exalted.

A glimpse into Hazrat Muhammad's (saw) character [Mawlid al-Nabi, Mawlid an Nabi]

Just as Hazrat Muhammad's (saw) birth and the events that followed his
blessed birthwere extraordinary and suggestive of his majesty and
supreme character, so his behaviour and manner of speaking in
childhood also made him different from other children. Hazrat Abd
Al-Muttalib, the chief of the Quraish tribe, did not treat his
grandson like other children, but held him in great respect and
reverence.
Hazrat Abu Talib ibn Abd Al-Muttalib, Hazrat Muhammad's (saw)
uncle,used to say, 'We have never heard any lies fromMuhammad, nor
have weseen him misconduct himself or make mischief.He never laughs
unduly nor speaks idly and he is mostly alone'.
Hazrat Muhammad (saw) was seven years old when the Jews remarked,'In
our Books we have read that the Prophet of Islam refrains from eating
any food which is religiously prohibited or doubtful. Let's try him'.
So they stole a hen and sent it to Hazrat Abu Talibibn Abd
Al-Muttalib. Not knowing that the hen had been stolen, all ate from
the cooked hen but Hazrat Muhammad (saw),who avoided even tasting it.
When they asked the reason for this avoidance of the food, he(saw)
answered, 'this food is forbidden by Allah (SWT), and Allah (SWT)
protects me against anything that He has forbidden.'
Then the Jews took a henfrom a neighbour, intending to pay for it
later on, and sent it to Hazrat Abu Talib ibn Abd Al-Muttalib's house.
Againhe (saw) avoided eating the hen, saying, 'this food is doubtful
and ...'
Then the Jews said, 'This child has an extraordinary character and a
supreme position'.

Hazrat Muhammad (saw) as Wonderful Baby (Eid-E-Milad un Nabi, Birth celebration)

Hazrat Muhammad (saw) was born and his blessed birth gave rise to
numerous wonderful incidents in the sky and on the earth, especially
inthe East, the cradle of civilization.
News of these events spread quickly and informed the people of an
imminent, very significant incident. Sincethis newborn child was
predestined to destroy the people's old superstitious beliefs and
customs and to lay new foundations for human progress and prosperity,
from the very beginning he sounded the reveille.
It is narrated that on the day which our Hazrat Muhammad (saw) was
born, the following incidents happened:
*. All the idols fell down.
*. The "Kasra Veranda" (a part of the palace of Iran's King) shook and
fourteen of its notches were damaged.
*. The "Saweh Lake" that people worshiped for years, dried up.
*. Water flowed in"Samaweh Desert", where no one had seenwater for many years.
*. The fire in the fire-temple of Persia was extinguished, which had
been flaming for several years.
*. On that night, a light came out from "Hijaz" and spread to the east.
So the humiliated worshippers of that false,destructive object of
worship, whose minds had been blocked by the obstacles of prejudice
and false imitation and who thus could not reflect upon nature took
notice of the truth and were attracted toward a totally different
direction.
Hazrat Muhammad (saw) in the Storm of events
Hazrat Muhammad (saw) was just six years old when his mother, Hazrat
Aminah bint Wahab, left Makkah for Medina to visit her relatives and
probably to pay a respectful visit to her husband's grave. He (saw)
accompanied his mother on that trip. But after visiting her
relativesand expressing love and loyalty to her husband at Hazrat
Abdullah ibn Abd Al-Muttalib's graveside, on her way back to Makkah,
Hazrat Aminah bint Wahab passed away at a place named Abwa. Thus,
Hazrat Muhammad (saw) had lost both his mother and father by that
tender age when every child needs a father's affections and a mother's
loving embrace.