Episode 11: Buhaira, the Monk Meets the Prophet
The Prophet’s Journey to Sham:
Abu Talib was getting ready to go from Makkah to Sham and the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, who was twelve years of age at the time, asked his uncle for permission to accompany him on the journey.
Abu Talib tried to convince him to stay in Makkah but the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ started to cry and pleaded with Abu Talib to let him go.
Abu Talib eventually agreed and the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ joined him and the Quraysh in the caravan.
Meeting with the Monk, Buhaira:
On the way to Sham, they passed by a Christian monastery, and the leader of the monks was a man named Buhaira.
As the caravan got closer, Buhaira noticed there was a cloud above them and wherever the caravan went, the cloud would provide shade for them.
Buhaira invited the people in the caravan to come for food.
Abu Talib and the Quraysh agreed to eat there but they wanted someone to stay and watch their caravan. Because of this, they instructed the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ to stay with the caravan.
Buhaira asked the Quraysh: did you come with anybody else on this trip? One man replied: Yes, we have left a young boy to look after the caravan.
Buhaira insisted to also invite the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ to join them in their meal.
Tests and Signs:
Buhaira noticed that the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said: ‘Bismillah’ before eating the food. The rest of the Quraysh would start by saying: in the name of their idols rather than Allah SWT.
Buhaira then asked the Prophet: what is your name? The Prophet ﷺ replied: Muhammad.
Buhaira became more convinced that the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ was special because in their scriptures, it was stated that a Prophet would come named Muhammad.
Buhaira wanted to test the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ as he knew that the people of the Quraysh would swear by idols such as Al-Lat and Al-Uzzah. He asked the Prophet: I want to ask you a question by Al-Lat and Al-Uzzah.
The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ replied: Do not speak to me by swearing by Al-Lat and Al-Uzzah. By Allah, I do not hate anything other than Al-Lat and Al-Uzzah.
Buhaira would ask the Prophet personal questions and with every answer provided, he was even more certain that this man would be the Prophet.
Buhaira then asked the Prophet ﷺ to uncover his back. This was because, in previous revelations, it was said that a Prophet would have a seal of prophethood on his back.
When the Prophet ﷺ showed him his back, Buhaira saw this and knew straight away this was going to be the Prophet they were waiting for.
Buhaira Warns Abu Talib About the Prophet:
Buhaira then asked Abu Talib: who is this boy to you? Abu Talib replied: This is my son.
Buhaira knew that it wasn’t the son of Abu Talib as from previous scriptures, it was stated that the Prophet was an orphan.
He asked him again: who is this boy to you? Abu Talib replied: I am his uncle.
Buhaira then told Abu Talib: Do not take him to Sham. Because in Sham, there are the Jews who when they see the Prophet, they will recognise him because of the description from the Tawrah. But once they realise he is from the Arabs, they will want to kill him because of jealousy.
Abu Talib became very scared as he did not understand what was happening, so he decided to send the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ back to Makkah.
Allah’s Protection of the Prophet from Childhood:
One day in Makkah, the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ was tending some sheep. While they were doing this, they could see a wedding party going on in Makkah.
The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ told his companion: can you look after my sheep tonight?
The Prophet wanted to go to the party but he became very tired and he fell asleep.
The same situation occurred again and another wedding happened and the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ wanted to go but once again, he became tired and fell asleep.
Both times, Allah SWT saved him from witnessing the immorality that was going on at the weddings.
One day, the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ was helping his uncles lift heavy stones by the Kabah and his uncle told him to take off his waist cloth and put it on his shoulder so it would be easier to carry the stones.
When the Prophet was about to do this, Allah SWT caused him to faint.
Allah protected him from exposing his body to the people.
The Prophet’s Manners:
When food would be prepared, all of the children in the family would jump at the food caravans.
The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ would watch his cousins do this, and if there was any food left over, he would go and take it but if there wasn’t any left, he would go to sleep hungry without complaining.
After some time, Abu Talib noticed this and he instructed the people preparing the food to keep a part separate for the Prophet because even from a young age, Allah SWT blessed him with the best of manners.