The Miracles concerning the sick and the wounded being healed

Another of the miracles of Muhammad (pbuh) of which there are numerous instances, which are reported unanimously, is the sick and the wounded being healed through his blessed breath. These miracles are mentioned in Hadith and Sirah books repeatedly. We shall mention a few instances of the miracles out of many:

The healing of an eye that was shot by an arrow

The learned scholar of the Maghrib, Qadi Iyad, in his Shifa’ ash-Sharif, narrates through an elevated chain of authorities and numerous lines of transmission that Sa‘d b. Abi Waqqas, the Prophet’s servant and commander, and commander-in-chief of the army of Islam in the time of ‘Umar, the conqueror of Iran, and one of the ten promised Paradise, said:

“I was at the Noble Prophet’s side during the Battle of Uhud. He shot arrows at the unbelievers until his bow broke. Then he gave arrows to me, telling me to shoot them. The arrows he gave me were without flights, that is, without the feathers which help them fly. He was ordering me to shoot them, which I did, and they flew like flighted arrows, hitting the unbelievers’ bodies and piercing them.” (1)

“At that point, Qatada b. Nu‘man was hit in the eye by an arrow; it was struck out of his head, so that it was sitting on the side of his face. God’s Messenger (pbuh) took the eye in his blessed, healing hand and placed it in its socket; it was healed as though nothing had happened to it and became the better of his two eyes.”

This event became very widely known. A grandson of Qatada, even, once described himself to ‘Umar b. ‘Abd al-‘Aziz as, “I am the grandson of one who, when God’s Most Noble Messenger placed his eye back in its socket after it had been struck out, it was suddenly healed and became his best eye.”He said this in verse, introducing himself to ‘Umar in that way. (2)

It is also related through an authentic narration that during the battle known as the Yawm Dhi-Qarad, Abu Qatada was hit in the face by an arrow. God’s Prophet touched his face with his blessed hand. Abu Qatada said:“I felt no pain at all, nor did the wound fester.” (3)

Two Healing Miracles in the battle of Khaybar

The authentic books of Hadith, and foremost Bukhari and Muslim, report that:

The Noble Prophet (pbuh) had appointed ‘Ali al-Haydari as standard-bearer during the Battle of Khaybar, but his eyes were aching severely due to illness. The moment the Noble Messenger applied his healing spittle to his eyes, they were cured, with no trace of the discomfort remaining. (4) The following morning, ‘Ali conquered the citadel of Khaybar by removing its extremely heavy gate and using it in his hand as a shield.

During the same battle, Salama b. al-Aqwa’s leg was struck and split open by a sword; God’s Messenger breathed onto it, and the leg was at once healed. (5)

The healing of blind eyes

Authorities on the Prophet’s life, and foremost Nasa’i, report from ‘Uthman b. Hunayf, who said:

 “A blind man came to God’s Noble Messenger (PBUH) and said: ‘Pray so that my eyes may be healed and I may see!’ The Prophet said:

“Go and take the ablutions, then pray two rak‘ats, and say: O God! I beseech you and I turn to you, for the sake of the Prophet Muhammad, the Prophet of Mercy. O Muhammad! I turn to your Sustainer, for your sake and through you, asking that He uncover my sight. O God, make him my intercessor!” (6)

He went and did this, and when he returned, we saw that his eyes had opened and he could see very well. (7)

A great authority, Ibn Wahab, reports:

“The hero Mu‘awwidh b. ‘Afra’, one of the fourteen martyrs of the Battle of Badr, had his hand cut off by Abu Jahl, the Accursed, while fighting with him. He took the hand with his other hand and went to the Noble Messenger (pbuh). God’s Messenger stuck the hand in its place and spread his spittle over it. It was at once healed. Mu‘awwidh went again to fight and continued to do so until he was martyred.” (8)

Imam Jalil b. Wahab also reports: “During that same battle, Hubayb b. Yasaf was struck on the shoulder by a sword so that he received a grievous wound with part of it almost severed. The Noble Messenger (pbuh) joined the arm and shoulder back together again and breathed on it, and it was healed.” (9)

Thus, for sure these two incidents are separate, single reports, but if an authority like Ibn Wahab considered them to be sound, and if they occurred during a battle like that of Badr, which was a spring of miracles, and if there are many other examples which resemble these two incidents, for sure it may be said that they definitely occurred. Indeed, there are perhaps a thousand examples established in authentic traditions for which the blessed hand of God’s Messenger (PBUH) was healing.

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Up to here, we have narrated many miracles of the prophet Muhammad (pbuh), now we want to call your attention to the following part:

• Small stones glorifying, praising God in his hand,
• In accordance with the verse, "When you threw, it was not you who threw," (10) earth and small stones in the same hand becoming missiles and projectiles against the enemy, routing them;
• and according to the verse, "And the moon split," (11) the moon splitting at a sign of the fingers of the same hand;
• and water flowing like a spring from the ten fingers of the same hand , and their providing a whole army with water;
• and the same hand being healing to the sick and wounded-all

this shows what a wondrous miracle of Divine Power that blessed hand was.

• It was as if, for friends, its palm was a small place for the remembrance of God, for as soon as small stones entered it, they glorified God and recited His Names;
• while in the face of enemies, it was a small dominical ammunitions store which when pebbles and earth entered it, they were transformed into missiles and projectiles.
• And for the sick and the wounded it was a small pharmacy of the most Merciful One which was a cure for whatever ills it touched.
• When it rose with Glory, it split the moon, giving it the shape of two bows,
• while when it was lowered with Beauty, it became like a spring of mercy with ten spigots pouring forth the water of Kawthar.

If the single hand of such one is the means of those wondrous miracles, is not  then to be understood clearly how acceptable he is before the Creator of the Universe, and how loyal he is to his cause, and how fortunate are those who declare their allegiance to him?

* * *

A possible question by our readers: We have said that many miracles narrated here were reported unanimously through many channels, but we may be hearing most of them for the first time. Surely, something reported by numerous people and unanimously cannot remain secret

We can answer this question as follows: There are numerous things concerning which there is consensus in their various reports and which are self-evident to the learned scholars of the Shari‘a, but are unknown to those who are not one of them. For the scholars of Hadith there are many such things, which for poets have not even the status of isolated reports, and so on. The specialists of all the sciences explain the theories and axioms of their science, and the ordinary people rely on them, and either submit to them, or become one of them and see for themselves.

Now, the events the reports of which we describe as forming ‘true consensus,’ ‘consensus in meaning,’ or which express certainty like ‘consensus,’ (12) have been shown to be thus by both the scholars of Hadith, and the scholars of the Shari‘a, and the scholars of the principles of religion, and by most of the other levels of the ‘ulama. If ordinary people in their heedlessness or the ignorant who close their eyes to the truth do not know this, the fault is theirs. 

The Healing of leg that was broken

Having explained and authenticated it, Imam Baghawi relates:

 “At the Battle of Khandaq, ‘Ali b. al-Hakam’s leg was broken by the blow of an unbeliever. The Noble Messenger (PBUH) rubbed it. At the moment he did so, it was healed so that ‘Ali b. al-Hakam did not even dismount from his horse.” (13)

The prayer of Healing for Hazrat Ali

The scholars of Hadith, and foremost Imam Bayhaqi, relate: “‘Ali was very ill. In his distress, he was moaning and praying for himself. The Noble Messenger (pbuh) came and said: ‘O God! Grant him healing,’ and touched ‘Ali with his foot. He told him to stand, and ‘Ali was at once cured. He stated: ‘I never again suffered from that illness.’” (14)

The hand that was healed

This is the well-known story of Shurahbil al-Ju‘fi. He had a morbid growth in the palm of his hand so that he could hold neither his sword nor the reins of his horse. God’s Messenger (pbuh) rubbed the growth with his blessed hand and massaged it; not a trace of it remained. (15)

The children that were healed

We will narrate six examples of miracles concerning the healing of children with the hand of the prophet Muhammad (PBUH):

The First: Ibn Abi Shayba, a meticulous researcher and well-known scholar of Hadith, relates:

A woman brought her child to God’s Messenger (pbuh). The child had an affliction; he could not speak and was an idiot. God’s Messenger rinsed his mouth with water and washed his hands, then gave the water to the woman, telling her to give it to the child to drink. After the child had drunk it, nothing remained of his illness and affliction, and he became so intelligent, he surpassed even the brightest of the rest. (16)

The Second: According to an authentic narration, Ibn ‘Abbas said: “An insane child was brought to the Noble Messenger (pbuh). He placed his blessed hand on the child’s chest and the child suddenly vomited a small black object like a cucumber. The child was healed and went home.” (17)

The Third: Imam Bayhaqi and Nasa’i relate through an authentic chain of transmission that a child called Muhammad b. al-Hatib had been scalded by a pan of boiling water and his whole arm burnt. God’s Noble Messenger (pbuh) touched the arm, spreading his spittle over it; the same instant it was healed. (18)

The Fourth: A child who was not young but was mute came to the Noble Messenger (pbuh). He asked the child: “Who am I?” The child, who had been mute from birth, replied: “You are the Messenger of God,” and started to speak. (19)

The Fifth: Jalal al-Din Suyuti, who was honoured with conversing with God’s Messenger (pbuh) on many occasions while awake and was the leading scholar of his age, explaining and authenticating a narration, reports: Soon after being born, a famous person called Mubarak al-Yamama was taken to the Prophet.

On his turning to the baby, it started to speak, saying: “I testify that you are the Messenger of God.” The Prophet exclaimed: “May God bless you!” The child never spoke again in his infancy, and later became famous as “Mubarak al-Yamama” (the blessed one, Yamama), since he had been the object of this miracle of the Prophet and his prayer. (20)

The Sixth: A shameless woman, who was like a child, asked for a piece of the food God’s Messenger (pbuh) was eating. He gave her some, but she said: “No, I want a piece from your mouth.” So he gave her a piece, and, after eating the morsel, she became the most modest and bashful woman in Madinah. (21)

There are hundred further examples of this miracle similar to the mentioned above, most of which are related in the Hadith books and books of the Prophet’s biography. For sure, since the blessed hand of God’s Messenger (pbuh) was like a pharmacy of Luqman the Wise, and his spittle was like a spring of Khidr’s water of life, and his breath soothing and healing like that of Jesus (pbuh), certainly many people would have recourse to him; and the sick, children, and the insane did flock to him in great numbers, and they were all healed. Abu ‘Abd al-Rahman al-Yamani, known as ‘Tawus’, even, who made the Hajj forty times and for forty years performed the morning prayer with the ablution of the preceding night prayers, and who met with many of the Companions and was one of the greatest scholars of the generation following them, stated and made the certain report that however many lunatics came to God’s Messenger (pbuh), placing his hand on their chests, they were all healed; not one was not cured. (22)

Thus, since a great scholar such as that who had direct connections with the era of the Prophet, made such definite and general statements, for sure, none of the sick who came to God’s Prophet were not healed; they were all healed. Since this was the case, certainly thousands would have had recourse to him.
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[1] Qadi Iyad, ash-Shifa’ 1, 322; ‘Ali al-Qari, Sharh ash-Shifa’ 1, 651; al-Haythami, Majma’ az-Zawa’id 4, 113; Muslim, Fada’il as-Sahaba 42 no: 2412; Ibn Hibban, Sahih 9, 65.
[2] Qadi Iyad, ash-Shifa’ 1, 322; al-Haythami, Majma’ az-Zawa’id 6, 113; al-Hindi, Kanz al-‘Ummal 12, 377; Ibn al-Qayyim, Zad al-Ma’ad (Tahqiq: Arnawudi) 3, 186-7; al-Hakim, al-Mustadrak 3, 295.
[3] Qadi Iyad, ash-Shifa’ 1, 322; al-Khafaji, Sharh ash-Shifa’ 3, 113; ‘Ali al-Qari, Sharh ash-Shifa’ 1, 653.
[4] Bukhari, Jihad 102, 144; Maghazi 38; Fada’il as-Sahaba 32, 34; al-Hakim, al-Mustadrak 3, 38.
[5] Bukhari, Maghazi 38 (from Yazid b. ‘Ubayd); Abu Dawud, Tibb 19; as-Sa’ati, al-Fath ar-Rabbani Sharh al-Musnad 22, 259.
[6]see Tirmidhi, Daawat: 118; Ibn Majah, Iqama: 189; Musnad: 4-138.
[7] Tirmidhi, Daawat: 119 (hadith no. 3578); al-Hakim, al-Mustadrak, 1:526; Bayhaqi, Dalailu’n-Nubuwwa: 6:166; Ibn Majah, Iqama, 189; Musnad, 4:138.
[8]Qadi Iyad, ash-Shifa, 1:324; Ali al-Qari, Sharhu'sh-Sifa, 1:656; Ibn Sayyidi’n-Nas, Uyunu’l-Athar, 1:261.
[9] Bayhaqi, Dalailu’n-Nubuwwa: 6:178; Ibn Hajar, al-Isaba, 1:418; Ibnu’l-Athir, Usdu’l-Ghaba, 2:118.
[10]al-Anfal, 8;17.
[11]al-Qamar, 54:1.
[12]You can find information related to these notions in the “Introduction” part of “the Miracles of the Prophet”.
[13]Qadi Iyad, ash-Shifa, 1:323; Ali al-Qari, Sharhu’sh-Sifa, 1:656; Al-Khafaji, Sharhu’sh-Shifa, 3:118; al-Haythami, Majmau’z-Zawaid, 6:134.
[14] Tirmidhi, Daawat: 112; Musnad, 1:83, 107, 128; Qadi Iyad, ash-Shifa, 1:323; Ali al-Qari, Sharhu’sh-Sifa, 1:656; Ibn Hibban, Sahih, 9:47; al-Mubarakfuri, Tuhfatu’l-Ahwazi, 3635.
[15]al-Haythami, Majmau’z-Zawaid, 8:298; Qadi Iyad, ash-Shifa, 1:324; Ali al-Qari, Sharhu’sh-Sifa, 1:657.
[16]Ibn Majah, Tib: 40, no. 3532; Qadi Iyad, ash-Shifa, 1:324; Ali al-Qari, Sharhu’sh-Sifa, 1:654, 657.
[17]Darimi, Muqaddima: 4; Musnad, 1:254; Qadi Iyad, ash-Shifa, 1:324; Ali al-Qari, Sharhu’sh-Sifa, 1:657; al-Haythami, Majmau’z-Zawaid, 9:2;Tabrizi, Mishqatu’l-Masabih, 3:188.
[18]Qadi Iyad, ash-Shifa, 1:324; Ali al-Qari, Sharhu’sh-Sifa, 1:657; Al-Khafaji, Sharhu’sh-Shifa, 3:121; al-Haythami, Majmau’z-Zawaid, 9:415; Ibn Kathir, al-Bidaya wa’n-Nihaya, 1:295; al-Hakim, al-Mustadrak, 4:62-63.
[19]Qadi Iyad, ash-Shifa, 1:319; Al-Khafaji, Sharhu’sh-Shifa, 3:105; Ibn Kathir, al-Bidaya wa’n-Nihaya, 6:158-159
[20]Qadi Iyad, ash-Shifa, 1:319; Al-Khafaji, Sharhu’sh-Shifa, 3:105; Suyuti, Kanzu’l-Ummal, 4:379; Ibn Kathir, al-Bidaya wa’n-Nihaya, 6:159.
[21]Qadi Iyad, ash-Shifa, 1:325; Ali al-Qari, Sharhu’sh-Sifa, 1:657; al-Haythami, Majmau’z-Zawaid, 8:312.
[22]Qadi Iyad, ash-Shifa, 1:335; Ali al-Qari, Sharhu’sh-Sifa, 1:676.

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