Lu'lu' wal-Marjan

Hazrat Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) said: No one spoke in the cradle except for three children. First was Jesus (peace be upon him). (The second incident is that) there was a pious man among the Children of Israel, whose name was Jurayj. He was praying when his mother called him. He thought to himself, “Should I answer my mother or continue praying?” Upon this, his mother (angrily) supplicated, “O Allah! Do not let him die until he sees the faces of adulterous women.” Jurayj used to stay in his place of worship. Once, a prostitute came before him and wanted to commit adultery with him, but he refused her request. Then she went to a shepherd and gave herself to him. She bore a child from him and accused Jurayj, saying that the child was his. The people of his community came, destroyed his place of worship, brought him down, and insulted him. Then he performed ablution and prayed. After that, he came to the child and asked, “Who is your father?” The child (by Allah’s command) spoke and said, “The shepherd.” Upon this (his people were ashamed and) said, “We will rebuild your place of worship with gold,” but he said, “Never, let it be made of clay.” (The third incident) There was a woman from the Children of Israel who was breastfeeding her child. Nearby, a rider of great honor and fine clothing passed by. The woman prayed, “O Allah! Make my child like him.” But the child (by Allah’s command) spoke, “O Allah! Do not make me like him.” Then he returned to her breast and began to suckle. Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that it is as if I am seeing the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) sucking his finger (to demonstrate how the child was suckling). Then a slave girl was brought near (whom her master was beating). The woman prayed, “O Allah! Do not make my child like her.” The child stopped suckling again and said, “O Allah! Make me like her.” The woman asked, “Why are you saying this?” The child said, “That rider was one of the oppressors, and people were saying to this slave girl that you have stolen and committed adultery, although she had done nothing.”