The incident of Prophet Muhammad and the Christian monk is reported in various
sources but with different specific details. This event took place in modern-day Bosra, Syria. At the early age of eight years, Prophet Muhammad and his Uncle Abu Talib went on a business trip. There, he encountered a Christian monk, Bahira, who informed him of his
prophethood and asked his uncle to take good care of him. Read further as we dive into each and every detail of this account.
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| Bahira met Muhammad's caravan |
According to the major belief among Muslims, Prophet Muhammad first encountered Archangel Gabriel at the age of 40 years and then he officially announced himself as a prophet. However, there were at certain times, certain hints of his prophethood before him announcing his prophethood. One of those events was his encounter with a Christian monk. Prophet Muhammad accompanied by his Uncle Abu Talib bin Abdul Muttalib, went on a business trip to Busra, Syria. Bahira met with their caravan and identified Muhammad and questioned his uncle. Bahira asked whether Muhammad was his son, and Abu Talib replied saying he was Muhammad's uncle. Bahira's curiosity increased realising that Muhammad was an orphan. Muhammad fulfilled major prophecies, one of which was a mark on his body. Bahira identified the mark and confirmed that Muhammad is the same prophet prophesied by Jesus in the Gospels. Apparently, he had the original gospel with him.
The mere presence of Muhammad filled the area with joy. Trees were swinging and
clouds followed Muhammad, showing a sign of Muhammad's greatness. These clear
signs persuaded the Christian monk to proclaim the prophethood of Muhammad. The
monk didn't just stop there, he even asked Abu Talib to return to their place as the Jews of
Syria might recognize Muhammad and intentionally hurt him. No doubt, Jews have a history of
killing the true Prophets. Bahira further asked Abu Talib to take good care of Muhammad. It is evident from the different accounts that Abu Talib was always by the side of
Muhammad. Then there are people who doubt Abu Talib's Islam.