Authored by: Hafiz Muhammad Anwar Zahid (Hafizahullah)
It is commonly narrated that when the time of the birth of the Noble Prophet ﷺ arrived, Allah ﷻ commanded the angels to open the gates of the heavens and Paradise. The angels were seen giving glad tidings to one another. The sun adorned itself with a new garment of light. That year, all women on earth were granted the unique privilege of giving birth only to male children. Trees bore fruit, and pillars of red rubies were erected in the sky. Pure musk trees were planted along the banks of the River Kawthar. The idols of Makkah fell face-down, and so on.
This tale has been cited in Mawahib al-Ladunniyyah and Khasa'is al-Kubra referencing Abu Nu‘aym. However, in the printed version of Abu Nu‘aym’s Dala’il al-Nubuwwah, the narration is not found at the place where it would have been expected. It is possible that:
① Abu Nu‘aym may have mentioned this narration in another book.
② The printed version of Dala’il al-Nubuwwah is incomplete.
Nonetheless, the foundation of this narration is merely that Abu Nu‘aym quotes it from a 4th-century narrator, ‘Amr ibn Qutaybah, who in turn reports it from his father Qutaybah, a man described as learned and virtuous.
The truth is that this entire narrative is:
✔ Unsubstantiated,
✔ Lacks any reliable chain of transmission, and
✔ Is a fabricated (mawḍūʿ) account.
◈ The Narrative
It is commonly narrated that when the time of the birth of the Noble Prophet ﷺ arrived, Allah ﷻ commanded the angels to open the gates of the heavens and Paradise. The angels were seen giving glad tidings to one another. The sun adorned itself with a new garment of light. That year, all women on earth were granted the unique privilege of giving birth only to male children. Trees bore fruit, and pillars of red rubies were erected in the sky. Pure musk trees were planted along the banks of the River Kawthar. The idols of Makkah fell face-down, and so on.
◈ Analysis of the Hadith
This tale has been cited in Mawahib al-Ladunniyyah and Khasa'is al-Kubra referencing Abu Nu‘aym. However, in the printed version of Abu Nu‘aym’s Dala’il al-Nubuwwah, the narration is not found at the place where it would have been expected. It is possible that:
① Abu Nu‘aym may have mentioned this narration in another book.
② The printed version of Dala’il al-Nubuwwah is incomplete.
Nonetheless, the foundation of this narration is merely that Abu Nu‘aym quotes it from a 4th-century narrator, ‘Amr ibn Qutaybah, who in turn reports it from his father Qutaybah, a man described as learned and virtuous.
◈ Scholarly Criticism
- Qastallani, in Mawahib al-Ladunniyyah, after quoting this narration, states that ‘Amr ibn Qutaybah is criticized (muṭaʿan).
- Hafiz al-Suyuti, in Khasa’is al-Kubra, also narrates this report and then states that ‘Amr ibn Qutaybah is criticized.
- Hafiz al-Suyuti has explicitly declared this narration to be munkar (rejected).
❀ Conclusion
The truth is that this entire narrative is:
✔ Unsubstantiated,
✔ Lacks any reliable chain of transmission, and
✔ Is a fabricated (mawḍūʿ) account.
