Like all prophets, Prophet Muhammad gave many prophecies about future events. One of the most amazing prophecies was about conquering Persia. This prophecy was given at a moment when the Persian army was the strongest army in the whole world; its soldiers exceeded 250,000 soldiers and they were triumphant over the Romans and had even invaded most of their lands. Meanwhile there weren’t more than 800 Muslims all over the world including women, old men, and children; and less than 400 of them could fight (The number of Muslims at the first battle they ever entered was 313 which was one year after this incident). Any observer of the events could unhesitatingly confirm that this prophecy could never happen, and that the prophet would even be killed before reaching Madinah. The incident occurred as follows:

Muslims emigrated to Madinah escaping with their lives from the pagan’s persecution, except for the prophet and his two companions ‘Ali Ibn Abi-Tālib and Abu-Bakr. Quraish and other Arabian tribes decided to kill the prophet. They planned that a man from every tribe would contribute in stabbing him so that his blood would be scattered among all tribes; consequently, his relatives and followers wouldn’t dare avenge him. Allah revealed to Prophet Muhammad that it was time for him to emigrate to Madinah, for Quraish had planned to kill him at that night while sleeping. Prophet Muhammad brought his young cousin ‘Ali Ibn Abi-Tālib and asked him to sleep in his bed assuring that the pagans won’t kill him. He ordered ‘Ali to return all of the deposited trusts which the polytheists of Makkah had entrusted to him; thereafter, he can catch up with them at Madinah. The prophet then went to Abu-Bakr’s house and told him that it was time for them to emigrate. They immediately set out towards south Makkah, where they took a temporary refuge in a cave called Thawr, waiting for Abu-Bakr’s son ‘Abdullah to make the necessary preparations for their trip.

Finding that it was ‘Ali sleeping in the prophet’s bed, the notables of Makkah summoned an emergency meeting in which they decided to block all avenues leading out of Makkah, they imposed armed surveillance over all exits and dispatched their horsemen to explore all areas and capture the prophet. A bounty of 100 camels was set for the head of Prophet Muhammad. Horsemen, infantry and trackers scoured the country. Abu-Bakr reported that when the trackers reached the entrance of their cave, he whispered to the Prophet: “O Prophet, if they were to look beneath their feet (in to the cave’s entrance), they would see us”, But the Prophet calmed Abu-Bakr saying: “What do you think of two men whom Allah watches over them.” And Allah did deliver the prophet and his friend from the pagans.

‘Abdullah hired a guide named ‘Abdullah Ibn ’Uraiqet to escort the prophet and Abu-Bakr on their trip. He brought them two camels that were well prepared for the journey, and he also brought Abu-Bakr’s servant to help them during the trip. When the news of the 100 camels bounty reached a man named Suraqa Ibn Malik, who was a very skilled tracker, he decided to chase after the prophet. While gathering information from the men of his tribe, a traveler arrived and said that he saw a couple of riders faraway in the desert heading north towards Madinah just a while ago, and that he thinks they were the prophet and his companion. Suraqa, so cunningly, replied in the negative saying that these were so-and-so searching for some lost cattle of theirs. He was hoping to kill the prophet and receive the big prize alone. When the people resumed their speech ignoring what the man said, Suraqa silently went out to get the job done.

Later on, Suraqa reported what happened to him during the chase saying:
“When I approached the prophet and his companions, suddenly my horse’s front legs sank into the sand throwing me off the saddle. I got up and picked out the divination stones from my quiver and threw them, the stones ordered me to go back, but I hated it, so I rode my horse again disobeying the divination stones and continued chasing after the prophet. When I approached them, I heard him reciting the Qur’an while riding his camel. Abu-Bakr looked around and saw me approaching. My horse’s front legs sank again in to the sand throwing me off its back. I got up in anger swearing at my horse, but I couldn’t free the horse’s legs. I yelled in fear: ‘Safety O, Muhammad.’ The prophet stopped, I said to him: ‘I realize that you have invoked your god to punish me. Ask Him to set my horse free and save me from this situation, and I promise to distract those who are chasing after you.’
The prophet invoked Allah for me and the horse was immediately freed. I approached him and said warning him: ‘Your people have placed a big prize on your head, and they are chasing after you.’
I offered him and his companions what I had from water and food, but they rejected it and said: ‘Only don’t tell anyone of the way we have taken (to Madinah).’
I asked the prophet to write me a safety pact, and he ordered Amer Ibn Fuhairah (Abu-Bakr’s servant) to write down what he dictates on a piece of leather. Then the prophet told me while I was leaving: ‘How will you look Suraqa wearing Chosroes’s cloak, armlets and crown?’ 
I said: ‘Chosroes son of Hormizd?!’ 
And the prophet answered: ‘Yes, Chosroes son of Hormizd,’ and he went on his way.”

Suraqa didn’t believe what the prophet told him, and he didn’t embrace Islam or follow Muslims to Madinah. He was probably thinking: ‘Where are all Arabs from Chosroes’s big armies, not to mention those few escaping Muslims.’ He went back to his home, fulfilling his promise and distracting whomever he met away from the path which the prophet took to Madinah. Suraqa lived among his tribe near Makkah for the next eight years, but he kept the safety pact with him. Later on, after the conquest of Makkah, the prophet and his army of ten thousand soldiers reached Suraqa’s town. Suraqa asked to meet the prophet. He pushed himself through the crowd till he reached the prophet and raised the safety pact to him, so the prophet said: “This is the day of fidelity and kindness, approach Suraqa, there is no faith for him who is not honest, and there is no religion for him who doesn’t keep his promise.”
Suraqa approached the prophet and declared that he embraces Islam between his hands. Not long after that, the prophet passed away. Suraqa reported that: “When the news of the prophet’s death reached me, I remembered the day when I went out chasing after him hoping to kill him and receive a bounty of 100 camels, then later on, when I received the news that the prophet passed away, all the camels in this world seemed unworthy of a broken piece of the prophet’s nail.” Suraqa always took pride in telling his story to the companions and that the prophet told him that one day he would wear Chosroes’s cloak, armlets and crown.

Years passed by, until during the reign of the second Caliph ‘Omar Ibn Al-Khattab, the Muslims’ army was able to free Bahrain, Yemen, Oman, and Iraq from the Persian occupation and met the Persian army at Iraq’s borders. After many battles, they succeeded in earning victory and opening Persia for preaching Islam. The Army brought back to ‘Omar the booty left behind the Persian army and their leaders, among these were the late Chosroes’s crown that was inlaid with jewels and pearls, Chosroes’s cloak that was sewed with golden threads, and his armlets. ‘Omar stood looking at this treasure with tearful eyes. When his companions asked him why he was crying, he said his famous sentence: “The people who have brought this are surely trustworthy, only Chosroes’s crown is worth millions, if him who has brought it had taken it to Antakia, he would have lived there the richest among all people.”
Then ‘Omar summoned Suraqa who came hurriedly and ‘Omar dressed him Chosroes’s crown, cloak, and armlets, then said: “Praises be to the One who removed those from a tyrant like Chosroes, and dressed them to Suraqa, an Arabian from Madlag tribe.” There stood Suraqa cloaked, crowned and wearing Chosroes’s armlets, and this was the fulfillment of the prophecy given 18 years earlier.
‘Omar lifted his hands up to the sky and said: “O Allah, you have held back this treasure from your messenger, and he was far more beloved to you and more honored by you than I. You have held it back from Abu-Bakr, and he too was more beloved to you and more honored by You than I, and now you have laid this treasure in front of me, I ask your refuge from its seduction.”
‘Omar then retrieved Chosroes’s stuff from Suraqa, and refused to get up from that session until all of the booty was distributed evenly in front of him on the poor and the needy.
[Compiled narrations recorded by Bukhari, Ibn Abd Al-bar, Ibn Hagar Al-Asqalany and others].

Written By: Ehab Shawky

In Response To: Cloaked
https://dailypost.wordpress.com/prompts/cloaked/