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The Noor of Rasoolullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) was the first thing that Allah Ta’ala created and the entire creation came into being through his Noor. Rasoolullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) himself has stated,
انا من نور الله والخلق كلهم من نورى
I am from the Light of Allah and the entire creation is from my light.
{Madārij-un-Nubuwwah}
If it was not for Rasoolullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) no creation would have existed.
This is why Hazrat Allamah Ibrahim Khushtar Siddīqui Qadri Razvi (Alaihir Rahmah) states:
نہ وہ ہو تے اگر خوشترؔ نہ یہ بزم جہاں ہوتی
انہی کا فیض ہے جو ربط ہے ان چار عنصر میں
Had he not existed, O Khushtar, this entire universe would not have existed
It is his favour that is bound together in the four elements
{Qaseem-e-Bakhshish}
Every atom that exists in the creation is through the favour of Rasoolullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) and this includes the four elements, namely, water, fire, earth and wind. Not only do they exist because of Rasoolullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) but he is also in control of them through the power granted by Allah Ta’ala. There are numerous miraculous events that occurred in the time of Rasoolullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) with regard to the four elements, some of which are discussed hereunder.
Water
There are numerous miracles of Rasoolullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) with regard to water. Looking just at the miracle of rivers flowing from the blessed fingers of Rasoolullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam), from the Hadith it becomes apparent that it occurred approximately thirteen times. Hereunder one of these thirteen incidents is being narrated.
Once, when Rasoolullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) took an army and travelled towards Makkatul Mukarramah, he stopped over at Hudaibiyah. There was little water left in a well and eventually that also finished. Hazrat Jābir (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh) states that there was only one bowl of water left and Rasoolullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) made Wudhu from that. The army came to Rasoolullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) and said, “Ya Rasoolullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam)! This is all the water that is left. How will we make Wudhu and where will we drink from?” Hearing this, Rasoolullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) placed his blessed hands in that bowl and water started to flow out from between his blessed fingers as if they were flowing from a fountain. It continued to flow until such time that everyone had drunk water, everyone had made Wudhu and even the camels had drunk water, yet even then the water was not finishing. Hearing this, someone asked Hazrat Jābir (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh), “How many of you were there in the army?” Hazrat Jābir (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh) replied, “Even if we were a hundred thousand the water would still not have finished, however we were only a thousand five hundred.” {Bukhāri Shareef; Mishkāt Shareef}
With regard to this incident A’la Hazrat Imām Ahmad Raza (Alaihir Rahmah) states:
انگلیاں ہیں فیض پر ٹوٹے ہیں پیاسے جھوم کر
ندیاں پنجاب رحمت کی ہیں جاری واہ واہ
The fingers overflow with grace; the thirsty rush to them in ecstasy
Behold! The five rivers of mercy flow forth continuously, SubhānAllah!
{Hadāiq-e-Bakhshish}
How beautiful was the reply of Sayyiduna Jābir (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh), that he first stated his Aqīdah (belief) in the power of Rasoolullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) and then answered how many were actually present. With his reply, he removed the doubt from anyone who might have thought that the water would eventually get finished. SubhanAllah, this is the power and authority that Allah Ta’ala has granted to His Beloved Rasool (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) over the elements and the entire creation.
Fire
Regarding fire, amongst the miracles of Rasoolullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) is that fire cannot burn anything that has been connected to him.
It is stated by Imām Qurtubi (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh) that the fire which encircled Madinatul Munawwarah in 654 AH, foretold by Rasoolullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam), appeared in close proximity to the mountains where the Banu Quraizah tribe used to live. When it continued to the Haram of Madinah, it encountered a rock whose one half was in the precincts of the Haram and the other half was outside. On reaching it, the fire was able to burn the portion of the rock outside the precincts of the Haram but immediately became extinguished upon reaching the half inside. {Al-Kalām-ul-Mubeen}
Similarly, the tablecloth of Hazrat Anas (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh) is also renowned for not being able to burn in the fire as Rasoolullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) used to wipe his Mubarak hands with it. {Mathnawi Shareef}
It is stated in Naseem-ur-Riyādh that Adīm bin Tāhir Alawi had approximately fourteen strands of the blessed hair of Rasoolullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) and presented this to the governor of Halb as a gift, who in return showered him with respect and granted gifts to him as well. When Adīm bin Tāhir went to visit him for a second time however, the governor of Halb spoke to him in a very harsh manner. Enquiring the reason for this, the governor replied, “People have told me that the strands of hair that you have given to me are not proven to be those of Rasoolullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam).” Thus Adīm bin Tāhir asked for these Mubarak strands of hair to be brought back to him, as well as for a fire to be lit. After placing the strands in this blazing fire, instead of them becoming singed as per normal hair in flames, their lustre became more apparent within. This caused the governor to fall down and kiss the feet of Adīm bin Tāhir and he once again showed respect and honour to him. {Al-Kalām-ul-Mubeen}
Earth
There was a Christian who became a Muslim and began to live in the company of Rasoolullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam), and had already read Surah Baqarah and Surah Āle Imrān. He was a calligraphic writer and was therefore given the responsibility of being a scribe of revelations. However, he later became an apostate and returned to Christianity saying, “Muhammad (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) only has as much knowledge as I write and give to him.”
The Wrath of Allah Ta’ala seized him and he died. The Christians buried him but the earth threw him out. The Christians dug a deep grave and buried him three times, but each time the earth threw him out. Eventually the Christians realised that the throwing out of his body from the earth was not the doing of man, and thus they left his body on the ground without burying it. {Bukhari Shareef}
Wind
The Battle of Khandaq also referred to as the Battle of the Trench took place in 5 AH. This is the battle in which Rasoolullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) and his illustrious Companions dug a trench around Madinah, to protect the city from the enemies, since the Kuffār and Arab tribes had joined forces to fight against the Muslims. The punishment of Allah Ta’ala later descended upon the Kuffār in the form of a severe easterly wind, causing a dense cloud of dust to rise, filling the disbeliever’s eyes with dust and pebbles, overturning their cooking pots, uprooting their tent pegs and tearing apart their tents. They eventually lost hope and they all ran away in defeat.
With regard to this storm, Allah Ta’ala states in the Holy Qurān, “O Believers! Remember the favour of Allah upon you when some armies came to (attack) you, so We sent on them a windstorm and the armies you could not see; and Allah sees your deeds.” {Holy Qurān 33:9}
With regard to this storm, Rasoolullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) has said, “I have been helped by the easterly wind, while the people of Aad have been destroyed by the westerly wind.” {Bukhāri Shareef}
May Allah Ta’ala grant us the Taufeeq to have utmost love and honour for Rasoolullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam), and to learn about the power and authority granted to him by Allah Ta’ala, Allahumma Ameen.