The hour of the manifestation of Āminah’s light was fast approaching and the days of her delivery were near. She lived in The Valley of Banī Hāshim and was anxiously waiting for her child to enter the light of this world, so as to rejuvenate the memory of her deceased husband and thus become a source of tranquility and solace for her ever grief-stricken heart. Therefore, 25 days following the occurrence of the Aṣḥābul-Fīl,1 the Holy Prophetsa was born on 12 Rabī‘ul-Awwal,2 correspondingly the 20th of August 570 A.D., or according to recent and perhaps more authentic research, 9 Rabī‘ul-Awwal, correspondingly the 20th of April 571 A.D. It was a Monday morning.3 The fact that the birth of the Holy Prophetsa is so closely contiguous to the occurrence of ‘the elephant’ is, in itself, a clear indication from God that just as He rendered vain the physical attack upon the Ka‘bah, in the same way it was time when falsehood and vain worship would also be wiped out in a confrontation with the ultimate divine religion. It appears as if the Holy Qur’ān has also mentioned the attack of the Aṣḥābul-Fīl to indicate the same superlative purpose. In any case, as soon as the child was born, Āminah sent word to ‘Abdul-Muṭṭalib who immediately came to Āminah satiated with feelings of extreme happiness. Āminah presented the newly born before him and said that, “In a dream, I saw his name to be Muḥammadsa.” ‘Abdul-Muṭṭalib took the newly born in to his arms and made his way to the Baitullāh, where he offered his gratitude to God and named the child Muḥammadsa, which means the ‘most praiseworthy’. Then, he brought the child back and happily entrusted him to his mother.4
Historians have attributed many strange occurrences to the birth of the Holy Prophetsa. For example, it is said that the palace of Chosroe, King of Iran, was struck with a devastating earthquake and that fourteen of his royal galleries collapsed. Furthermore, the fire at ‘The Holy Fire Temple of Persia’, which had been alit for hundreds of years, was suddenly extinguished. Then it is also said that various rivers and fountains became dry, and even in the very house of Muḥammadsa many miraculous wonders were manifested. However, these narrations are generally weak. There is also a narration which is perhaps true and it states that during the time of the birth of Muḥammadsa, the sky was a spectacle of the breaking of many stars.5 Similarly, there is also another narration which states that the young Muḥammadsa was born naturally circumcised.6 If in fact this is true, it should not spur astonishment, for natural phenomena like this have been witnessed in other children also. Another feature naturally inherited by the Holy Prophetsa was an ascent piece of flesh on the left side of his back, which is well-known among the Muslims as the ‘Seal of Prophethood’.7
1 The People of the Elephant (Publishers)
2 The third month in the Islāmic Calendar (Publishers)
3 Maḥmūd Pāshā Miṣrī
4 As-Sīratun-Nabawiyyah, By Abū Muḥammad ‘Abdul-Malik bin Hishām, p. 129, Bābu Wilādati Rasūlillāhsa wa Riḍā‘atihī, Dārul-Kutubil-‘Ilmiyyah, Beirut, Lebanon, First Edition (2001)
5 * Sharḥul-‘Allāmatiz-Zarqānī ‘alal-Mawāhibil-Ladunniyyah, By Muḥammad bin ‘Abdul-Bāqī Az-Zarqānī, Volume 1, pp. 227-230, Bābu Min ‘Ajā’ibi Wilādatihīsa, Dārul-Kutubil-‘Ilmiyyah, Beirut, Lebanon, First Edition (1996)
* Tārīkhul-Khamīs, By Ḥusain bin Muḥammad bin Ḥasan Dayār Bakrī, Volume 1, p. 200, Dhikru Mā Waqa‘a Lailata Mīlādihī, Muwassasatu Shu‘bān, Beirut
6 * Sharḥul-‘Allāmatiz-Zarqānī ‘alal-Mawāhibil-Ladunniyyah, By Muḥammad bin ‘Abdul-Bāqī Az-Zarqānī, Bābu min ‘Ajā’ibi Wilādatihīsa, Volume 1, p. 232, Dārul-Kutubil-‘Ilmiyyah, Beirut, Lebanon, First Edition (1996)
* Tārīkhul-Khamīs, By Ḥusain bin Muḥammad bin Ḥasan Dayār Bakrī, Volume 1, p. 204, Dhikru Khatānihi, Muwassasatu Shu‘bān, Beirut
7 Sharḥul-‘Allāmatiz-Zarqānī ‘alal-Mawāhibil-Ladunniyyah, By Muḥammad bin ‘Abdul-Bāqī Az-Zarqānī, Volume 1, p. 226, Bābu Min ‘Ajā’ibi Wilādatihīsa, Dārul-Kutubil-‘Ilmiyyah, Beirut, Lebanon, First Edition (1996)