Question
Ussalaamu ءlaykum
We know that our prophet (pbuh) suffered injuries in the battle of Uhud? After all, It was the fault of his followers not him that the battle was turned around. Why God did not save him from the infliction? The other incidence is the Ta’if one, where he suffered great injuries too.
You wrote: “If God and His appointed angels could not (or did not) protect the Prophet (pbuh) against such a magical spell then what exactly is the implication of God’s declaration mentioned in Al-Jinn 72: 27 – 28 and His promise mentioned in Al-Maaidah 5: 67?”
Can’t we take the Al-Jinn 72: 27 & Al-Maaidah 5: 67 as the ‘death’ of the prophet?
So, are we really in no position to accept even the possibility of magic on the Prophet (pbuh), even though we exclude details like infallibility of the prophet and the amnesia in many of the day-to-day affairs of the Prophet (pbuh) those might have misjudged by the narrators?
Jazzakallah khairun
Answer
As for those whom He [i.e. God] selects as His messengers, He guards them – from front and from behind – so that it is ascertained that they have delivered the messages of their Lord. – Al Jinn 72: 27 – 28
O Messenger, deliver that which has been revealed to you from your Lord; if you do it not then you would not have delivered His message. And [do not fear your enemies,] Allah shall protect you against these people. – Al Ma’idah 5: 67
In my opinion the above two verses, refer mainly to the protection of the Prophet (PBUH) while he was delivering the Divine Message. He would be protected in such a way that he delivers the Message perfectly. If this is correct then it should be clear that the Prophet (PBUH) could still have got hurt like he did at Ta’if and the battle of Uhud. I would also add that when the Prophet (PBUH) was promised that God would protect him from the people that this was not referring to the battle of Uhud. It was a totally different occasion.
As for the times in which the Prophet (PBUH) got hurt, I do not see these as negative. On the contrary, they may be viewed as positive. This has many reasons. The fact that a person is able to come on the battle field and strike the Prophet (PBUH) so hard and yet not kill him must surely have been utterly displeasing to the Prophet’s (PBUH) enemies. They came so close so often and yet remained so far. It also showed the people’s great rebellion; that they not only reject a Messenger of God after he made the truth as clear as day light but actually go as far as injuring him and attempting to murder him. They did indeed get what was coming to them. Furthermore, this was an occasion of testing the believers to see how they would react. There were some that lost all hope and began to flee but then there were others that remained firm. What is important to notice here is that none of these injuries did anything to message of God or its safe deliverance.
However, when we talk of the Prophet (PBUH) being cast under spells, I think that this would probably affect the Message. The Hadith that refer to him being under a spell for six months would in my opinion most certainly have affected the Message. So, while the Prophet (PBUH) getting physically harmed does not contradict the cited verses of the Qur’an, the spiritual damage to him (through spells) in my opinion would.
Assalam-U-Alaikum,
Hischam
June 13, 2004