KHOSRAU
Question:
Suraqa and Bracelets of Kisra
“I have been trying to find the hadith where the Prophet (s) tells Suraqa bin Malik that he will wear the bracelets of Kisra. Can anyone provide this for me?
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Sahih al Bukhari Volume 4, Book 56 [virtues and merits of the prophet and his companions], Number 812: Narrated Al-Bara' bin 'Azib:
Abu Bakr came to my father who was at home and purchased a saddle from him. He said to 'Azib. "Tell your son to carry it with me." So I carried it with him and my father followed us so as to take the price (of the saddle). My father said, "O Abu Bakr! Tell me what happened to you on your night journey with Allah's Apostle (during Migration)." He said, "Yes, we travelled the whole night and also the next day till midday. when nobody could be seen on the way ( because of the severe heat) . Then there appeared a long rock having shade beneath it, and the sunshine had not come to it yet. So we dismounted there and I levelled a place and covered it with an animal hide or dry grass for the Prophet to sleep on (for a while). I then said, 'Sleep, O Allah's Apostle, and I will guard you.' So he slept and I went out to guard him. Suddenly I saw a shepherd coming with his sheep to that rock with the same intention we had when we came to it. I asked (him). 'To whom do you belong, O boy?' He replied, 'I belong to a man from Medina or Mecca.' I said, 'Do your sheep have milk?' He said, 'Yes.' I said, 'Will you milk for us?' He said, 'Yes.' He caught hold of a sheep and I asked him to clean its teat from dust, hairs and dirt. (The sub-narrator said that he saw Al-Bara' striking one of his hands with the other, demonstrating how the shepherd removed the dust.) The shepherd milked a little milk in a wooden container and I had a leather container which I carried for the Prophet to drink and perform the ablution from. I went to the Prophet, hating to wake him up, but when I reached there, the Prophet had already awakened; so I poured water over the middle part of the milk container, till the milk was cold. Then I said, 'Drink, O Allah's Apostle!' He drank till I was pleased. Then he asked, 'Has the time for our departure come?' I said, 'Yes.' So we departed after midday.
Suraqa bin Malik followed us and I said, 'We have been discovered, O Allah's Apostle!' He said, Don't grieve for Allah is with us.' The Prophet invoked evil on him (i.e. Suraqa) and so the legs of his horse sank into the earth up to its belly. (The subnarrator, Zuhair is not sure whether Abu Bakr said, "(It sank) into solid earth.")
Suraqa said, 'I see that you have invoked evil on me. Please invoke good on me, and by Allah, I will cause those who are seeking after you to return.' The Prophet invoked good on him and he was saved. Then, whenever he met somebody on the way, he would say, 'I have looked for him here in vain.' So he caused whomever he met to return. Thus Suraqa fulfilled his promise."
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Sahih Bukhari Volume 005, Book 058, Hadith Number 250.
Narated By Anas bin Malik : Allah's Apostle arrived at Medina with Abu Bakr, riding behind him on the same camel. Abu Bakr was an elderly man known to the people, while Allah's Apostle was a youth that was unknown. Thus, if a man met Abu Bakr, he would day, "O Abu Bakr! Who is this man in front of you?" Abu Bakr would say, "This man shows me the Way," One would think that Abu Bakr meant the road, while in fact, Abu Bakr meant the way of virtue and good. Then Abu Bakr looked behind and saw a horse-rider persuing them. He said, "O Allah's Apostle! This is a horse-rider persuing us." The Prophet looked behind and said, "O Allah! Cause him to fall down." So the horse threw him down and got up neighing. After that the rider, Suraqa said, "O Allah's Prophet! Order me whatever you want." The Prophet said, "Stay where you are and do not allow anybody to reach us." So, in the first part of the day Suraqa was an enemy of Allah's Prophet and in the last part of it, he was a protector.[…]
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Also similar Hadith on subject:
Sahih Muslim Book 023, Hadith Number 4984...etc
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To Suraqa,
The Blessed Prophet
(SALLALLAHU ALAIHE-E-WA-SALLAM)
once said,
" You will be wearing the
two bracelets of the Chosroes."
The Chosroes was destroyed during the caliphate of Umar. When the jewellery of the Chosroes arrived, Umar put the bracelets on Suraqa, saying. "Praise be to Allah Who took these of the Chosroes and put them on Suraqa."
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SURAQAH
When
the Quraysh realised that the Messenger (sallallahu alaiyhi
wassallam) of Allah had escaped, they offered a hundred camels to
anyone who handed him over, dead or alive. The Messenger (sallallahu
alaiyhi wassallam) of Allah remained in the cave for three days and
then left with ‘Air ibn Fuhayrah who guided him along the coastal
route.
Suraqah
ibn Malik ibn Ju’sham was
eager to get the reward offered for the Messenger (sallallahu alaiyhi
wassallam) of Allah. He was tracking his footsteps when his horse
stumbled and he was thrown off. He refused to give up so he mounted
again and rode on. His horse stumbled a second time and he fell
again. Determined to capture his quarry, he rode on once more. Just
as he caught sight of the Messenger (sallallahu alaiyhi wassallam) of
Allah, his horse stumbled a third time. Its feet sank into the sand
and Suraqah fell. Then he watched as dust rose from the ground like a
sandstorm in front of him.
When
Suraqah saw that happen, he
knew that the Messenger (sallallahu alaiyhi wassallam) of Allah was
under the protection of Allah. He realised that the Messenger
(sallallahu alaiyhi wassallam) of Allah would certainly have the
upper hand over his enemies. He called out, ‘I
am Suraqah ibn Ju’sham. Wait for me so that I can speak to you. By
Allah, I will not harm you.’
The
Messenger (sallallahu
alaiyhi wassallam) of Allah said to Abu Bakr, ‘Ask him what he
wants from us.’
‘Write
a document for me which will be a warrant of security.’
The
Messenger (sallallahu alaiyhi wassallam) of Allah asked ‘Air ibn
Fuhayrah to write it and Suraqah kept the piece of leather (or bone)
on which it was written for many years.
The
Messenger (sallallahu
alaiyhi wassallam) of Allah, looking ahead to the day when
the Persian
Empire would
crumble, said to Suraqah, ‘How
will you feel when you are wearing the bracelets of Chosroes?’
And
indeed that event took place. When Persia was conquered,
the bracelets, belt and crown of Chosroes were brought to Umar. He
summoned Suraqah ibn Malik and put the royal insignia on
him.
Although
Suraqah offered the Messenger (sallallahu alaiyhi wassallam) of Allah
provisions for his journey to Madinah, they were not accepted. He
only asked, ‘Conceal our presence.’
---
The Blessed Prophet(S) told him that he would one day wear the bangles of Khusrow of Iran. He asked in wonderment if Prophet(s) meant the bangles of Khusrow bin Hormuz, the emperor of Iran. The Blessed Prophet(S) nodded in acknowledgement.
Suraqa entered the court of the Prophet(S) and declared shahadah.
Suraqa always rued the day he pursued The Blessed Prophet(s) for the mere earthly reward of 100 red camels. He was struck with profound grief the day Blessed Prophet(S) died but remembered the promise of the Blessed Prophet(S) that he would one day receive the bangles of Khusrow of Iran.
Years passed.
Iran was conquered during the caliphate of Umar ibn al-Khattab. Umar received a missive from Saad bin Abi Waqqas, commander of the Islamic forces about the conquest of Iran. A fifth of the booty was sent to Umar in Madinah. It contained the famed crown of Khusrow studded with rubies, a gold belt studded with pearls and the gold bangles.
Umar was looking at each of the items sent by the Commander of the forces. Suddenly Umar called Suraqa to him and put the crown on his head, helped him don the gold embroidered dress and gold bangles.
Suraqa felt uncomfortable in the royal outfit. He raised his hands towards the sky and prayed: ‘O my Lord, how could I put on something which your Prophet deserved far more than I? I smell the air of punishment in it."
He then turned towards Umar and asked him to distribute all those royal appendages among the Muslims.
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At
the time of the Hijra (the
migration from Mecca to Medina), the Prophet (s) and
Abu Bakr were being chased across the desert. The Quraysh were
pursuing them and had a bounty of 100 camels placed on the Prophet’s
head. In one gathering around Mecca, a man came in and said he
had seen two men walking through the desert and it was possible that
they were Muhammad and Abu Bakr.
Suraqa
ibn Malik, one
of the Bedouins in
the gathering, deceptively denied that this could be the case, but
secretly left the gathering and prepared his horse to pursue the two
men. He wanted to gain the reward of 100 camels.
Abu
Bakr would constantly be looking back and he was very worried about
being caught, whereas the Prophet (s) was completely calm and
reciting Quran.
When
Suraqa ibn Malik came
close to them, the front legs of his horse sank into the sand and he
fell. He thought this odd because his horse never did this before. So
he got back onto his horse and continued pursuing them. The same
thing happened again! The third time it happened, he saw a wall of
dust in front of him. So after this, when he approached the Prophet
he came to beg for peace. Initially he had come to kill the Prophet
but now he was asking the Prophet for a pledge of protection!
So
the Prophet (s) gave him the promise of
protection from any future violence in writing, and he said to Suraqa
ibn Malik: “What
about a day when you will be wearing the Bracelets of Kisra.”
There was only one Kisra and
everyone knew who this was, but this statement was so shocking
that Suraqa
ibn Malik had
to clarify again: “Kisra!?”
The
Prophet (s) said
“Yes,
Kisra the son of Hermuz.”
Now
these Bracelets were very famous, the equivalent to the Crown Jewels
in our days. These large bracelets were worn by the Persian Kings,
who would simply rest their hands in them as a show of power. For a
man who was fleeing persecution and on the brink of assassination,
this promise seemed hardly appropriate!
Years
later, when
the Muslims came to the land where Suraqa ibn Malik lived, they were
going to kill him. But he pulled out this piece of paper which had
the Prophet’s promise on it, and this paper saved his life. He then
became Muslim, and during the time of Umar he joined the army that
one day conquered Persia.
The
treasures of Persia were
brought back to Umar, and amongst the booty were these famous
bracelets. Umar
called Suraqa ibn Malik and
told him to wear the bracelets and tell the story to the people. So
on that day, a Bedouin man from the Arabs was wearing the Bracelets
of Kisra,
the most famous at the time – a promise given to him by the
Messenger of Allah (s) decades before. (Narrated
by Anwar al-Awlaki)
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Long before the conquest of Iraq and Persia, the Prophet(s) gave Suraqa, who had chased after the Prophet(s ) when he emigrated from Makka to Madina, the glad tidings that he, Suraqa, would wear the bracelets of Chosroes, the son of Ormuz, the Emperor of Persia (Ibn al-Athir, al-Kamil fi al-Tarikh, 2, 74).
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The Persian Emperors during the lifetime of the Blessed Prophet (s)
Khusraw 1st Anushirwan the Just (Chosroes 1) – 531-579 CE
Hormuz 4th 579 - 590 CE
Bahram 6th Chobin 590 - 590 CE
Khusraw 2nd Parviz (‘The Victorious’), (Chosroes 2) – 591-628 CE
Kavadh (Kaveh) 2nd Shirawayh (Shiruya/Ciroes) – 628-628 CE
Ardashir 3rd b. Shirawayh 628 - 629 CE
Other rulers including Shahrvaraz 629 - 629 CE; 2 female rulers – Puran Dukht - 629 - 630 CE and Azarmidukht, both daughters of Khusraw 2nd Parviz; and Hormuz 5th 630 - 632 CE
Khusraw 3rd Yazdigard b. Shahryar b. Khusraw 2nd Parviz - 632-651 CE
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Khosrau II (Chosroes II) was the last king of the Sasanian Empire. He was the son of Hormizd IV (reigned 579–590) and the grandson of Khosrau I (reigned 531–579).
He was the last king of Persia to have a lengthy reign before the Muslim conquest of Iran.
The Blessed Prophets (s) prediction that Sayyidina Suraqa would one day wear the bangles of Chosroes. This came true during Sayyidina Umar's reign. This prediction also proves the Messenger of Allah’s knowledge that Sayyidina Suraqa would soon embrace Islam, as he was not a Muslim at that time.
• Sayyidina Suraqa, before he became a Muslim, was enticed by the Quraysh’s promises of reward for capturing the Messenger of Allah. He set out in pursuit, and eventually his mule caught up with the Messenger of Allah. It became extremely close, and the Messenger of Allah prayed for Allah’s protection. Consequently, Sayyidina Suraqa’s mule began to stumble in the sand, unable to proceed. Eventually he realised the divine implication, and asked the Messenger of Allah for amnesty, which was then granted to him. Then the Messenger of Allah said, “You will wear the two bracelets of Chosroes.”
During the khilafat of Sayyidina Umar b. al-Khattab, the land of Chosroes was conquered and his jewellery was brought to Sayyidina Umar, who put the bracelets on Sayyidina Suraqa. This confirmed the report of the Messenger of Allah. [Qadi Iyaad’s al-Shifa, Mulla Ali Qari’s Sharh al-Shifa, Imam ibn Hajar’s al-Isabah]
The Prophet(s) told Suraqa that he would wear the bracelets of the Chosroes."
Many years after that statement of the Blessed Prophet(s), Iran was conquered during the caliphate of Hazrat Umar. When the jewelry of the Chosroes arrived, Umar put the bracelets on Suraqa, saying. "Praise be to Allah Who took these of the Chosroes and put them on Suraqa." Thus, he reminded them the statement of the Prophet(s). [Ali al-Qari, Sharhu’sh-Shifa, 1:703, al-Asqalani, al-Isaba, no. 3115; Qadi Iyad, ash-Shifa, 1:344.]
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Sa’ad sent
to Umar bin
Al-Khattab (radiallahu anhu)
Khosrau’s sword, belt, bracelets, trousers, short, crown, and
shoes, all of which were very precious bedecked with silk, gold. and
jewels. He glanced at the people present and saw that Suraqa
bin Malik Jhath’am was the
hugest man with the largest proportions.
Umar said
to him, “O Suraqa! Stand up and
wear these.”
Saraqa later said,"I really wanted to have those, so I stood up and put them on. Umar said, ‘turn around’ so I turned my back to him. He told me to turn around again so I turned toward him again.
Umar commented, ‘Splendid! Splendid! A Bedouin wearing Khosrau’s clothes, sword, belt, crown, and shoes. There was a day, O Suraqa when possessing these belongings of the Persian Emperor might been an honor for you and your people. Take it off!’ So I took it off.
Then
Umar said,
'O Allah! you did not give these to your
Prophet and Messenger (sallallahu alyhi wasallam) who was more
Honorable and beloved to You than me. You did not give these to Abu
Bakr (radiallhu anhu), who was too more honorable and beloved to You
than me.
You gave it to me! so, I seek refuge with You, that please do not put me to trial with these.' Then he started weeping, until those around him pitied him. Then he said to Abdul Rahman bin Auf, 'I order you to distribute all of this [for the sake of Allah] before the evening.' [Tabaree (4/472) and Al Bidaya wa Al-Nihaya (7/68).]
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It is forbidden for men to wear Gold, however the Prophet (Peace be upon him) told Suraqa bin Malik (ra):
“ O Suraqa what will be your state at a time
“WHEN YOU WILL WEAR (GOLD) BANGLES OF KASRA”
[Seerat al Halbi, Volume No.2, Page No. 221]
This hadith also proves Ilm ul Ghayb of The Blessed Prophet (Peace be upon him)
Later Umar (ra) did make Suraqa (ra) wear the golden bangles of Kasra!
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Suraqa was allowed to wear gold bracelets (as Rasoolallah had foretold from the knowledge of the Ghayb [unseen] that Allah has given to him). ‘Umar put the bracelets on Suraqa’s hands. [Dalail an-Nubuwah lil Baihaqi, vol. 6, p.364]
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