Download PDF: Did You Know – Episode 1

Q:      Who are the five Noble personalities whose names were kept prior to their birth?

A:      Hazrat Ibn Abi Haatim has narrated from Hazrat ‘Amr Ibn Murrah – may Allah be pleased with them – stating that the names of five Prophets – peace be upon them – were kept prior to their birth:

  1. The Holy Prophet Muhammad – may Allah send peace and blessings upon him. Allah Almighty states:

وَ مُبَشِّرًۢا بِرَسُوۡلٍ یَّاۡتِیۡ مِنۡۢ بَعْدِی اسْمُہٗۤ اَحْمَدُ

And conveying the glad news of the Messenger who will come after me, his name is Ahmad

(Al-Saff 61, Verse 6)

  1. Hazrat Yahya – peace be upon him. Allah Almighty states:

اِنَّا نُبَشِّرُکَ بِغُلٰمِ ۣاسْمُہٗ یَحْیٰی

We give you glad tiding of a son whose name is Yahya.

(Maryam 19, Verse 7)

  1. Hazrat Ishaaq – peace be upon him.
  2. Hazrat Ya’qoob – peace be upon him. Allah Almighty states:

فَبَشَّرْنٰہَا بِاِسْحٰقَ ۙ وَمِنۡ وَّرَآءِ اِسْحٰقَ یَعْقُوۡبَ ﴿۷۱﴾

Then We gave her the glad tiding of Ishaque and after Ishaque, of Yaqoob.

(Hood 11, Verse 71)

  1. Hazrat ‘Isa – peace be upon him. Allah Almighty states:

مُصَدِّقًۢابِکَلِمَۃٍ مِّنَ اللہِ

Who shall confirm a word from Allah

(Aale ‘Imraan 3, Verse 39)

(Al-Itqaan of Imam Suyooti Vol. 2, p. 428)

Q:      Which two brothers were born on the same day and died on the same day but there is an age difference of 100 years between their lifespan?

A:      The two brothers are Hazrat ‘Uzair – peace be upon him – and Hazrat ‘Azeez; Hazrat ‘Azeez is 100 years older than Hazrat ‘Uzair – peace be upon him – yet, both of them were born on the same day and from the same mother.  What transpired is that Allah Almighty caused Hazrat ‘Uzair – peace be upon him – to die for a period of 100 years to disclose His perfect Power, and then He brought him back to life.  Allah Almighty states:

قَالَ اَنّٰی یُحْیٖ ہٰذِہِ اللہُ بَعْدَ مَوْتِہَاۚ فَاَمَاتَہُ اللہُ مِائَۃَ عَامٍ ثُمَّ بَعَثَہٗؕ قَالَ کَمْ لَبِثْتَؕ قَالَ لَبِثْتُ یَوْمًا اَوْ بَعْضَ یَوْمٍؕ قَالَ بَلۡ لَّبِثْتَ مِائَۃَ عَامٍ

Spoke he, ‘How Allah shall give life to it after its death. Then Allah kept him dead for a hundred years; then gave him life. Said, He! ‘How long you stayed here, submitted he ‘I would have stayed a full day or a little less.’ He said, ‘No you have passed a hundred years

(Al-Baqarah 2, Verse 259)

He returned home 100 years later after coming back to life, and then remained alive for a few days more, thereafter he and his brother died on the same day.  It was for this reason that one was older by 100 years and the other, younger by 100 years.

(Al-Tanweer, Ahsan p. 26)

Q:      Is there anything that does not have life but breathes?

A:      Yes. It’s the morning which has no life but it breathes.  Allah Almighty states:

وَ الصُّبْحِ اِذَا تَنَفَّسَ ﴿ۙ۱۸﴾

And by the morning when it breathes.

(Takweer 81, Verse 18)

Q:      What is the farthest thing of all?

What is the closest thing of all?

What is the most beloved thing?

What is the most horrific thing?

What are the two stable things?

What are the two things that differ from one another?

What are the two things that hate each other?

A:      It is narrated from Hazrat Abu Hurairah – may Allah be pleased with him – that once, a sealed book was revealed upon the Prophet Hazrat Dawood – peace be upon him – which contained a few questions.  There was an instruction for him to ask for the answers of those questions from his son Hazrat Sulaiman – peace be upon him, and that if he succeeds in answering them all correctly then he will be his successor after him.  Hazrat Dawood – peace be upon him – invited 70 scholars and made Hazrat Sulaiman – peace be upon him – sit before them, and said, “My son, there has been revealed a book from heaven which contains some questions.  I have been instructed to ask you the answers of those questions, and that if you succeed in answering them all correctly then you will become my successor after me.”

Hazrat Sulaiman replied, “O Allah’s Prophet, ask me the questions وَمَا تَوْفِیْقِیْ اِلَّا بِاللّٰہِ (i.e.) “I have my reliance for guidance only in Allah.”  Hazrat Dawood – peace be upon him – asked:

  1. What is the farthest thing of all?

The world, when one washes his hands off it.

  1. What is the closest thing of all?

The hereafter.

  1. What is the most beloved thing of all?

Body, while the soul is still attached to it.

  1. What is the most horrific thing?

Body, when the soul departs.

  1. What are the two stable things?

The earth and skies.

  1. What are the two things that differ from one another?

Day and night.

  1. What are the two things that hate each other?

Life and death.

  1. What is the emotional expression due to of which one is praised by others?

That is being tolerant in the state of anger.

  1. What is the emotional expression due to of which one is devalued by others?

That is when one is overcome by anger.

All his answers were correct but the scholars raised an objection and said, “We will not agree until he replies to our question as well.  If he correctly answers the question then he can become the successor after you.”

Hazrat Dawood – peace be upon him – said, “Ask him.” and the same was Hazrat Sulaiman’s response, with the addition of “وَمَا تَوْفِیْقِیْ اِلَّا بِاللّٰہِ (i.e.) I have my reliance for guidance only in Allah.”

They asked, “What is that one thing when it functions properly everything else falls into place as well.”

“It’s the human heart.  When it functions properly everything else also comes right, and when it gets corrupt then the rest also becomes corrupt.” He replied, and then he was chosen to be the successor.

(Ibn Asaakir Vol. 6, p. 254)

Q:      Which are those seven graveyards wherefrom 70,000 people will be raised from each one of them and will not be held accountable on the Day of Resurrection?

A:

  1. Once the Holy Prophet – may Allah send peace and blessings upon him – stood in the graveyard of Jannat Al-Ma’la and stated, “70,000 people from this place will be raised and enter Jannah without accountability, and each one of them will intercede for 70,000 more people. Their faces will be shining like the full moon.”

(Ishfaa Al-Gharaam, Vol. 1, p. 284)

  1. Hazrat Umme Qais Bint Muhsin said, “I went to Jannat Al-Baqee’ with the Holy Prophet – may Allah send peace and blessings upon him. He stated, “70,000 people from this graveyard will enter Jannah without accountability and each of them will intercede for 70,000 people.  Their faces will be shining like the full moon.”

(Wafa Al-Wafa Vol. 3, p. 884)

  1. 70,000 martyrs from the graveyard of the city of Damascus in Al-Shaam (modern name Syria) will enter Jannah without accountability, and each of them will intercede for 70,000 people.

(Tareekhe Dimashq Vol. 1, p. 264)

  1. A saint from Kufa by the name ‘Umar said, “I have been informed that 70,000 people from Kufa will enter Jannah without accountability, therefore I would love to be buried in Kufa after my death.”

(Tareekhe Baghdad Vol. 12, p. 190)

  1. 70,000 people of the city of Hims (Homs), in Syria, will enter Jannah without accountability.

(Kanz Al-‘Ummaal Vol. 12, 274)

  1. 70,000 people of ‘Asqalaan will enter Jannah without accountability.

(Kanz Al-‘Ummaal Vol. 12, p. 190)

  1. 70,000 people of Karbala will enter Jannah without accountability.

(Kanz Al-‘Ummaal Vol. 13, p. 672)