Author: Hafiz Muhammad Anwar Zahid (May Allah preserve him)
Famous Incident:
It is a well-known story that Sultan Nur ad-Din Mahmud Shahid bin Imad ad-Din Zangi, after performing the Tahajjud prayer one night, saw a dream in which he visited the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). In this dream, the Prophet (peace be upon him) pointed to two men with distorted or lazy eyes and said, "Save me from these two."
Startled, Sultan Nur ad-Din woke up, performed ablution, prayed extra Nawafil prayers, and then lay back down. As soon as he lay down, he fell asleep again and saw the same dream. He woke up again, performed ablution, prayed Nawafil prayers, and lay back down. However, the same dream recurred. The Sultan, feeling anxious and disturbed, sent for his minister, Jamal ad-Din Asfahani, and told him the entire story.
The minister advised, "Do not delay, go to Madinah immediately, and do not mention it to anyone. It is likely that something has happened in Madinah, and you must reach there as soon as possible."
The Sultan, accompanied by his minister, twenty members of his council, and two hundred soldiers, mounted swift horses laden with emeralds and jewels, and traveled day and night. After sixteen days of travel, they arrived in Madinah. At that time, the region was under the control of the Arab Sultan. The sudden arrival of the Sultan in Madinah astonished the locals. When the governor of Madinah inquired about the Sultan's unexpected visit, the Sultan explained the entire matter.
The governor suggested, "I will organize a procession where all the people of Madinah will pass in front of you, and you may identify the two men." The procession took place, but the Sultan could not identify the men. Astonished, he asked, "Is there anyone in the city who has not received any reward?"
The attendants replied, "Your Majesty, there are two Western men left who are pious, religious, and reclusive. They serve by giving water at Jannat al-Baqi and spend their days in worship at home."
The Sultan called for them, and as soon as they entered, he immediately recognized them. However, he did not speak out before investigating further. The Sultan shook hands with them, honored them, and conversed with them. As they talked, they reached their room, where a simple mat was spread on the floor. On the shelves, there were copies of the Quran and other religious books, and some items for charity. The Sultan was amazed by the simplicity and devotion of the men. Feeling disappointed, he was about to leave when he felt something move beneath the mat.
Upon lifting the mat, a plank was discovered, which when raised revealed a tunnel. This tunnel had been dug towards the blessed grave of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). At that moment, the two men were captured, and when questioned, they confessed their guilt. They admitted to being Christian spies sent by Christian kings, who had given them wealth to dig under the Prophet's blessed grave and steal his body to take to Rome in an effort to destroy the heart of the Muslim world. The people of Madinah had been deceived by their disguise. The two men had been digging the tunnel at night, and during the day, they pretended to be pious and visited the shrines. After years of work, they had finally reached the Prophet’s blessed grave.
It is said that the night they reached the grave, a fierce storm with lightning and thunder occurred, causing great disturbance among the people. Hearing this, Sultan Nur ad-Din Zangi wept bitterly. He ordered the two men to be executed on the spot, and then he prayed in gratitude. Following this, a deep trench was dug around the blessed grave, and molten lead was poured into it to prevent any future threats. A wall was then constructed over it.
Hadith Verification:
The chain of narration for this story is weak.
The narration is weak because Jamal ad-Din al-Asnawi, who was born after Sultan Nur ad-Din Zangi’s death by 135 years, did not provide a reliable source or connection to a trustworthy witness from the time of the Sultan. Scholars such as Ibn Jauzi, Ibn Asakir, and others have written about the life of Sultan Nur ad-Din Zangi, but none mention this incident. Therefore, the source of information that reached al-Asnawi remains unclear.
In summary, this story does not have a reliable chain of narration and is not established as a sound event.
*(Source: Monthly Al-Ilah, Issue No. 62, p. 11)
Famous Incident:
It is a well-known story that Sultan Nur ad-Din Mahmud Shahid bin Imad ad-Din Zangi, after performing the Tahajjud prayer one night, saw a dream in which he visited the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). In this dream, the Prophet (peace be upon him) pointed to two men with distorted or lazy eyes and said, "Save me from these two."
Startled, Sultan Nur ad-Din woke up, performed ablution, prayed extra Nawafil prayers, and then lay back down. As soon as he lay down, he fell asleep again and saw the same dream. He woke up again, performed ablution, prayed Nawafil prayers, and lay back down. However, the same dream recurred. The Sultan, feeling anxious and disturbed, sent for his minister, Jamal ad-Din Asfahani, and told him the entire story.
The minister advised, "Do not delay, go to Madinah immediately, and do not mention it to anyone. It is likely that something has happened in Madinah, and you must reach there as soon as possible."
The Sultan, accompanied by his minister, twenty members of his council, and two hundred soldiers, mounted swift horses laden with emeralds and jewels, and traveled day and night. After sixteen days of travel, they arrived in Madinah. At that time, the region was under the control of the Arab Sultan. The sudden arrival of the Sultan in Madinah astonished the locals. When the governor of Madinah inquired about the Sultan's unexpected visit, the Sultan explained the entire matter.
The governor suggested, "I will organize a procession where all the people of Madinah will pass in front of you, and you may identify the two men." The procession took place, but the Sultan could not identify the men. Astonished, he asked, "Is there anyone in the city who has not received any reward?"
The attendants replied, "Your Majesty, there are two Western men left who are pious, religious, and reclusive. They serve by giving water at Jannat al-Baqi and spend their days in worship at home."
The Sultan called for them, and as soon as they entered, he immediately recognized them. However, he did not speak out before investigating further. The Sultan shook hands with them, honored them, and conversed with them. As they talked, they reached their room, where a simple mat was spread on the floor. On the shelves, there were copies of the Quran and other religious books, and some items for charity. The Sultan was amazed by the simplicity and devotion of the men. Feeling disappointed, he was about to leave when he felt something move beneath the mat.
Upon lifting the mat, a plank was discovered, which when raised revealed a tunnel. This tunnel had been dug towards the blessed grave of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). At that moment, the two men were captured, and when questioned, they confessed their guilt. They admitted to being Christian spies sent by Christian kings, who had given them wealth to dig under the Prophet's blessed grave and steal his body to take to Rome in an effort to destroy the heart of the Muslim world. The people of Madinah had been deceived by their disguise. The two men had been digging the tunnel at night, and during the day, they pretended to be pious and visited the shrines. After years of work, they had finally reached the Prophet’s blessed grave.
It is said that the night they reached the grave, a fierce storm with lightning and thunder occurred, causing great disturbance among the people. Hearing this, Sultan Nur ad-Din Zangi wept bitterly. He ordered the two men to be executed on the spot, and then he prayed in gratitude. Following this, a deep trench was dug around the blessed grave, and molten lead was poured into it to prevent any future threats. A wall was then constructed over it.
Hadith Verification:
The chain of narration for this story is weak.
The narration is weak because Jamal ad-Din al-Asnawi, who was born after Sultan Nur ad-Din Zangi’s death by 135 years, did not provide a reliable source or connection to a trustworthy witness from the time of the Sultan. Scholars such as Ibn Jauzi, Ibn Asakir, and others have written about the life of Sultan Nur ad-Din Zangi, but none mention this incident. Therefore, the source of information that reached al-Asnawi remains unclear.
In summary, this story does not have a reliable chain of narration and is not established as a sound event.
*(Source: Monthly Al-Ilah, Issue No. 62, p. 11)