How did "the Miracle of Hanin al-Jiz", which means the moaning of the date trunk in the mosque, take place?

Dear Brother / Sister,

Masjid an-Nabawi did not have a mimbar when it was first built. The Honorable Messenger used to lean on a date tree log when he recited a sermon. This continued for a long time. Later, a mimbar with three steps was built as the companions wanted. From then on, the Prophet started to give talks on this mimbar.

When the Honorable Messenger got on the mimbar for the first time to recite the sermon, a sorrowful sound and crying resembling the crying of a pregnant camel was heard. They looked around but there was neither a pregnant camel nor a camel cub. It was that deadwood crying! Both the Prophet and his companions heard the log crying like a camel. It would not stop crying. The Prophet climbed down the mimbar and went up to it. When he put his hand on it to console, it stopped. Even the companions who heard the date log crying like a camel could not help but burst into tears.

Yes, the deadwood log was crying because it was away from the Messenger of Allah. It was weeping like a pregnant camel because it was deprived of the dhikr which was said on it. After consoling the deadwood log, the Honorable Messenger turned to his Companions and said:

“If I did not embrace and console it, it would continue crying until the end of time because it was separated from the Messenger of Allah.”1

The log was buried in a hole dug under the mimbar, by the order of the Honorable Messenger. Later, Ubay bin Ka’b brought it home and kept it until it decayed, when the mosque was pulled down to restore in Hazrat Uthman’s era.2

It was a bright miracle of the Messenger of Allah that the dead date log cried before the eyes of the community. Yes, just like the Jinn and the humankind recognize the greatest Prophet, deadwoods too recognize him, know his duty and uphold his cause in their own way.

While narrating this miracle to his students, Hazrat Hassan al-Basri used to say in tears:

“Wood shows affection and aspiration for the Honorable Messenger! You are much worthier of showing affection and aspiration for the Messenger!”3

Would we not be lower in rank than that deadwood if we the conscious and intelligent beings behaved in a carefree way towards the Prophet while dead, dry woods showed him affection and aspiration?

It is only possible to show him affection and aspiration through abiding by his sunnah.

According to another narration, when the deadwood cried, the Honorable Messenger put his hand on it and said:

“I shall send you to the garden where you were before if you like, there you will take root again and refresh with leaves and fruits. And if you like, I shall plant you in Heaven so that dearest slaves of Allah will eat your fruits."

The deadwood said:

“Plant me in Heaven so that Allah’s dearest slaves will eat my fruits. And Heaven is such place that there is no decaying there; let me live forever!”

Upon this, the Honorable Messenger stated that he made its wish come true and then he turned to his Companions and said:

“It preferred the everlasting world to the mortal world!”4

Footnotes:

1. Mektûbat, p. 134
2. Tabaqat, 1/252
3. Mektûbat, p. 135
4. Badiüzzaman Said Nursi, ibid, p. 135.

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