MAGAZINE: EDITION JULY 2021
The Holy Prophet Muhammad (sa)

A Glimpse into the Life of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (sa) – Fear of Allah’s Displeasure and His Punishment

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The Holy Prophet Muhammad (sa) was always apprehensive of the Gracious and Benevolent God’s displeasure. Once he fell ill and could not get up for tahajjud for two or three nights. Hazrat Khadijah (ra) said, ‘O Messenger of Allah, there has been a delay in your friend Gabriel’s visit.’ The Holy Prophet (sa) was naturally worried about it too. At that time Surah al-Duha (93:4) was revealed:

مَا وَدَّعَكَ رَبُّكَ وَمَا قَلَىٰ

meaning: ‘Thy Lord has not forsaken thee, nor is He displeased with thee.’ Hazrat A’ishah (ra) relates that on seeing the signs of a dust storm or clouds, the expression on his face would change. She asked him, ‘O Messenger (sa) of Allah, people are happy to see clouds as they bring rain, but I see you become worried.’ He replied, ‘O ‘A’ishah, a punishment might be hidden in this storm, like the one which destroyed a previous nation. There was a nation called ‘Ad, who on seeing the clouds said that they were only the clouds, it would rain and the clouds would disperse. But this cloud rained as a grievous punishment on them.’

The chapter containing the description of punishment for the past people weighed heavily on the Holy Prophet Muhammad’s (sa) heart. Once Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra) remarked that the Holy Prophet Muhammad’s (sa) hair were turning grey. He replied, ‘Yes, Surah Hud, Surah al-Waqi‘ah, Surah al-Mursalat, Surah al-Naba’ and Surah al-Takwir have made me old.’ Once the Holy Prophet Muhammad (sa) went to visit a young man who was in the throes of death. The Holy Prophet Muhammad (sa) asked him how he was? He replied, ‘I take oath in the name of Allah, O Messenger (sa) of Allah, I hope for the best from Allah and at the same time I am afraid because of my sins.’ The Holy Prophet Muhammad (sa) said, ‘If these two sentiments of hope and fear are present in a believer at the last moments of life, then God will bestow upon him whatever he had wished for and would transform his fear into peace.’

Muhammad (sa) – The Perfect Man (Qadian, India: Nazarat Isha’at, 2015), 91-93.