Salaamu alan-noori-ladhee jaa’a bil-hudda: salaamu ‘ alal-badiri-musamma Muhammada.(Sallallahu Allahae Wasalam).
Allah Provides From Unexpected Sources.
It was narrated that Jabir bin Abdullah (radi Allahu anhu) said: “The Messenger of Allah (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) sent us, three hundred men, carrying our provisions on our necks. Our provisions ran out until there would be for ever man among us one date (a day) to eat”. Then it was said, “O Abu Abdullah, how can one date satisfy a man?” He replied, “When we no longer had it, we realised how much it was worth. Then we came to the sea and found a whale that had been thrown up by the sea, and we ate from it for eighteen days.” [Ibn Majah – graded sahih]
➡ The hadith showed the devotion with which the Prophet’s Sahabah (radi Allahu anhum) carried out Jihad.
➡ They persevere in all circumstances, even when they did not have mounts to ride nor food to eat.
➡ The second thing that we learnt from the hadith was that dead fish are lawful to eat.
✒ Fish do not have to be slaughtered while alive, as some deviant sects believed.
The Prophet (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) said of the sea, “Its water is pure and its dead are permissible.”
Finally, the hadith showed us how Allah (subhana wa ta’ala) provided from unexpected quarters. This is true of rizq/provisions for everybody. However, the mujahideen are blessed with even stranger and more unique favours from Allah (subhana wa ta’ala). It is not uncommon for Allah (subhana wa ta’ala) to provide them with miracles. The whale Allah (subhana wa ta’ala) provided for Jabir bin Abdullah’s expedition was big such that 300 men ate from it for 18 days, and then took its dried meat back with them to Madina.
Since this was a special provision from Allah (subhana wa ta’ala), the Prophet (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) also asked for some of this dried meat. He also ate from Allah’s unique favour to the mujahideen. The cavity of one of the eyes of the whale was so big that thirteen men could sit together on it. The largest camel that they had, fully saddled, could pass under the bones of its ribs without touching them too.
