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The miraculous and blessed hands of the Master of the Universe, Sayyiduna Rasoolullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) are unique just like his entire being. It might seem like a paradox that his blessed hands are bountiful yet empty, but this in itself is his miracle.
There are many people whose hands are filled with wealth, so there is nothing extraordinary about them providing some of their wealth to others. But what is indeed remarkable, is for someone not to have anything physically with them yet still be able to distribute every kind of wealth and bounty of this world and the hereafter, to the people. And this is the exalted status of the miraculous hands of Rasoolullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam), that they extrinsically appear to be empty, yet intrinsically they are filled with the bounties of both the worlds. This is why Sayyidi A’la Hazrat Imām Ahmad Raza Khan Fāzil-e-Bareilwi (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh) states,
مالکِ کونین ہیں گو پاس کچھ رکھتے نہیں
دو جہاں کی نعمتیں ہیں ان کے خالی ہاتھ میں
He is the Master of both the worlds although he does not keep anything with himself
The Bounties of both the worlds are indeed in his empty hands
{Hadāiq-e-Bakhshish}
A few examples are presented hereunder to refresh our Imān and to obtain a glimpse of the excellence of the miraculous and blessed hands of Rasoolullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam).
Once, Hazrat Sayyiduna Abu Huraira (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh) presented himself in the court of Rasoolullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) and said, “Ya Rasoolullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam)! Whatever I hear I forget.” Hearing this, Rasoolullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) said, “O Abu Huraira! Spread out the shawl that is on you.” When he spread out the shawl, Rasoolullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) put something, which was not visible, with both his hands onto the shawl. He then said, “Take this and hold it to your chest.” Hazrat Abu Huraira (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh) says, “After I placed it on my chest I never again forgot anything; in fact, even the things that I had previously forgotten, came back to my memory.” SubhanAllah! {Bukhāri Sharīf; Hujjatullah ‘Alal Ālamīn}
Hazrat Utba bin Farqad Salami (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh) had four wives and they used to compete with each other to apply nice fragrance for him. However, whenever he used to come home, his fragrance used to overcome their fragrance and one could not even notice their fragrance. In fact even the streets through which he would walk, would also become perfumed with his fragrance. One day his four wives got together, came and sat by him and asked him, “What is the reason that we have never seen you buying perfume and we have never seen you applying perfume, yet when you come home then all other fragrances cease to exist in the presence of your fragrance?” Hearing this, the Companion replied, “Once, I had a breakout of pimples on my body so I presented myself in the court of Rasoolullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) and told him about it. He told me to remove my Kurta and to sit down. Then Rasoolullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) ran his blessed hands over my body; immediately the pimples disappeared and from that day this fragrance is emanating from me.” {Madārij-un-Nubūwwah; Al-Khasāis-ul-Kubra}
SubhanAllah! Such is the excellence of the blessed hands of Rasoolullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) that they do not only grant what was asked for, but they also bless the recipient with bounties that was not even requested. We furthermore understand from these narrations that when the blessed Companions had problems they would come to Rasoolullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) because it was their firm belief that Rasoolullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) was blessed with the power to alleviate their problems and to cure their illnesses.
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 Sharīf; Mishkāt Sharīf}
SubhanAllah! What is important to understand from this narration is the belief and conviction of Hazrat Jābir (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh) with regard to the excellence and power of Rasoolullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam). Instead of directly answering the question, he first presented his belief and stated that even if there were to be a hundred thousand people the water flowing from the blessed hands of Rasoolullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) would still not have finished. Today some people who have the sickness of animosity for Rasoolullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) in their hearts, accuse the Ahle Sunnah Wal Jamā’ah of exaggerating the honour and excellence of Rasoolullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam). It is not exaggeration but rather the conviction of faith in the excellence and honour that Allah Ta’ala has granted to His Beloved Rasool (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam), which the great Companions themselves have taught us, as we learn from this narration. Will those corrupt people then throw accusations of exaggeration at the blessed Companions of Rasoolullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam), Allah Forbid!?
Hazrat Sayyiduna Anas (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh) narrates, “When Rasoolullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) made Nikāh to Hazrat Sayyidah Zainab (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anha), my mother Umme Sulaim prepared a Halwa (sweetmeat) made of dates, cheese and ghee, placed it in a container and said to me, “My son Anas! Take this and present it in the court of Rasoolullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam), and say that your mother has presented this and she requests that he accept this insignificant gift.” When I took it, presented myself in the court of Rasoolullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) and presented her request, Rasoolullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) said , “Leave it here. Go and invite so and so Companions and whoever you meet on the way invite them also.” I went and invited those Companions whose names Rasoolullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) took, and as I met Companions on the way I carried on inviting them. When I came back I saw that the entire house was full.” The narrator states that he asked Hazrat Anas (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh) how many Companions there were and he replied, “There were close to three hundred. Rasoolullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) read something and he proceeded to call ten Companions at a time and fed them. Eventually all of them had eaten to their fill and thereafter Rasoolullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) said, “O Anas! You can take your Halwa away.” When I picked up the Halwa I did not know whether it was more before or more now.” SubhanAllah! This was after almost three hundred Companions had eaten to their fill from it. {Mishkāt Sharīf}
May Allah Ta’ala increase our love and honour for Rasoolullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam), Allahumma Ameen.
