56. Allah and His angels send blessings on the Prophet: O ye that believe!

Send ye blessings on him, and salute him with all respect. [Al-Ahzab (33:56)]

Wednesday, April 11, 2007

Dream of Sultan Mahmood

It is narrated that Sultan Mahmood of Ghazni had doubts about three particular things. The Sultan doubted: 1) whether the learned Islamic scholars were the successors of the Prophets and the Messengers as mentioned in the Hadith; 2) whether the Day of Judgment was inevitable; and 3) whether he was related by blood to Amir Nasiruddin Sabuktigin.

One evening, while traveling with an attendant carrying a lamp made of gold, Sultan Mahmood saw that one particular student of a Madrasah, engulfed in darkness, was struggling to read a book with the scant light that was coming in from the lamps of a nearby store. The Sultan became very saddened at this scene and immediately proceeded to donate the gold lamp to the student.

In the same night, Sultan Mahmood saw the Beloved Prophet (sallallahu alaihe wa sallam) in a dream. The Beloved Prophet (sallallahu alaihe wa sallam) said to Sultan Mahmood: “Oh son of Amir Sabuktigin! May Allah honour you in this world and in the hereafter as you have honoured a successor of my mine.”

The dream dispelled all doubts held by the Sultan. The Beloved Prophet (sallallahu alaihe wa sallam) addressed the Sultan as the descendant of Amir Sabuktigin. The Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alaihe wa sallam) prayed for the success of Sultan Mahmood both in this world and in the hereafter. The reference to life after death also corroborated the existence of the Day of Judgment. Lastly, the Beloved Prophet (sallallahu alaihe wa sallam) confirmed Islamic religious scholars as his successors, ending all doubts about the accuracy of this particular Hadith.