23. The account of Rukāna al-Muṭṭalibī and his wrestling match with the Prophet ﷺ

1. Sirat Ibn Hisham 451No grade recorded

   أَمْرُ رُكَانَةَ الْمُطَّلِبِيِّ وَمُصَارَعَتُهُ لِلنَّبِيِّ ﷺ [ غَلَبَةُ النَّبِيِّ لَهُ وَآيَةُ الشَّجْرَةِ ] قَالَ ابْنُ إسْحَاقَ: وَحَدَّثَنِي أَبِي إسْحَاقُ بْنُ يَسَارٍ، قَالَ: كَانَ رُكَانَةُ بْنُ عَبْدِ يَزِيدَ بْنِ هَاشِمِ بْنِ عَبْدِ الْمُطَّلِبِ بْنِ عَبْدِ مَنَافٍ أَشَدَّ قُرَيْشٍ، فَخَلَا يَوْمًا بِرَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ فِي بَعْضِ شِعَابِ مَكَّةَ، فَقَالَ لَهُ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ: يَا رُكَانَةُ، أَلَا تَتَّقِي اللَّهَ وَتَقْبَلُ مَا أَدْعُوكَ إلَيْهِ ؟ قَالَ: إنِّي لَوْ أَعْلَمُ أَنَّ الَّذِي تَقُولُ حَقٌّ لَاتَّبَعْتُكَ، فَقَالَ ( لَهُ ) رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ: أَفَرَأَيْتَ إنْ صَرَعْتُكَ، أَتَعْلَمُ أَنَّ مَا أَقُولُ حَقٌّ ؟ قَالَ: نَعَمْ؛ قَالَ: فَقُمْ حَتْي أُصَارِعَكَ. قَالَ: فَقَامَ إلَيْهِ رُكَانَةُ يُصَارِعُهُ، فَلَمَّا بَطَشَ بِهِ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ أَضْجَعَهُ، وَهُوَ لَا يَمْلِكُ مِنْ نَفْسِهِ شَيْئًا، ثُمَّ قَالَ: عُدْ يَا مُحَمَّدُ، فَعَادَ فَصَرَعَهُ، فَقَالَ - يَا مُحَمَّدُ. وَاَللَّهِ إنَّ هَذَا لَلْعَجْبُ، أَتَصْرَعُنِي فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ: وَأَعْجَبُ مِنْ ذَلِكَ إنْ شِئْتَ أَنْ أُرِيَكَهُ، إنْ اتَّقَيْتَ اللَّهَ وَاتَّبَعْتَ أَمْرِي، قَالَ: مَا هُوَ ؟ قَالَ: أَدْعُو لَكَ هَذِهِ الشَّجَرَةَ الَّتِي تَرَى فَتَأْتِينِي، قَالَ: اُدْعُهَا، فَدَعَاهَا، فَأَقْبَلَتْ حَتَّى وَقَفَتْ بَيْنَ يَدَيْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ. قَالَ: فَقَالَ لَهَا: ارْجِعِي إلَى مَكَانِكَ. قَالَ: فَرَجَعَتْ إلَى مَكَانِهَا قَالَ: فَذَهَبَ رُكَانَةُ إلَى قَوْمِهِ فَقَالَ: يَا بَنِي عَبْدِ مَنَافٍ، سَاحِرُوا بِصَاحِبِكُمْ أَهْلَ الْأَرْضِ، فَوَاَللَّهِ مَا رَأَيْتُ أَسْحَرَ مِنْهُ قَطُّ، ثُمَّ أَخْبَرَهُمْ بِاَلَّذِي رَأَى وَاَلَّذِي صَنَعَ

   ✧ THE AFFAIR OF RUKĀNAH AL-MUṬṬALIBĪ AND HIS WRESTLING WITH THE PROPHET ﷺ [THE PROPHET'S OVERCOMING HIM AND THE SIGN OF THE TREE] Ibn Isḥāq said: My father Isḥāq b. Yasār related to me, saying: Rukānah b. ʿAbd Yazīd b. Hāshim b. ʿAbd al-Muṭṭalib b. ʿAbd Manāf was the strongest of Quraysh. One day he was alone with the Messenger of God ﷺ in one of the mountain passes of Makkah, and the Messenger of God ﷺ said to him: “O Rukānah, will you not fear God and accept what I call you to?” He said: “If I knew that what you say is true, I would follow you.” The Messenger of God ﷺ said to him: “What do you think—if I throw you down, will you know that what I say is true?” He said: “Yes.” He said: “Then get up so that I may wrestle you.” He said: Rukānah rose to wrestle him, and when the Messenger of God ﷺ seized him, he laid him flat, while he had no control over himself. Then he said: “Return, O Muḥammad.” He returned and threw him down again. He said: “O Muḥammad, by God, this is indeed a wonder—you throw me down!” The Messenger of God ﷺ said: “And more wonderful than that, if you wish, I will show you, if you fear God and follow my command.” He said: “What is it?” He said: “I will call for you this tree that you see so that it comes to me.” He said: “Call it.” So he called it, and it came forward until it stood before the Messenger of God ﷺ. He said: Then he said to it: “Return to your place.” He said: It returned to its place. He said: Then Rukānah went to his people and said: “O Banū ʿAbd Manāf, match your companion against the sorcerers of the earth, for by God, I have never seen a greater sorcerer than him.” Then he informed them of what he had seen and what he had done.