Some of the miracles of our prophet (PBUH) are about trees. There are many incidents concerning trees leaving their places and coming to him and obeying the orders of the prophet Muhammad (PBUH). There is also ‘mutawatir manawi’ in the reports of these miracles. (1) That is, these miracles are conveyed to us through chains of companions where there is no room for doubt. The best-known of the Companions who conveyed these miracles to us are ‘Hazrat Ali, Ibn ‘Abbas, Ibn Mas‘ud, Ibn ‘Umar, Ya‘la b. Murra, Jabir, Anas b. Malik, Burayda, Usama b. Zayd, and Ghaylan b. Salama.’ Each companion conveyed a different miracle to the latter ages. Hundreds of scholars of the succeeding generation distinguished the authentic miracles and conveyed them to us. That is why these riwayahs should be evaluated as tawatur in which there is no room for doubt. Now we are going to narrate some of these miracles with their sources.
The miracle of the tree that obeys the order – 1
Foremost, the same miracle was narrated by Imam Ibn Maja, Darimi, Imam Bayhaqi, Hazrat Anas Ibn Malik from Hazrat Ali; Bazzaz and Imam Bayhaqi narrated it from ‘Umar:
When the Noble Messenger (pbuh) was saddened at the denial of the unbelievers, he said:
“O my Sustainer! Give me a sign that I shall no longer see anyone who contradicts me!”
According to Anas, Gabriel was also there present before the occurrence of this miracle. There was a tree at the side of the valley. Upon the instruction of Gabriel, the messenger of Allah called that tree. The tree came near him. He then told the tree to “go back”; it returned and settled itself in its place. (2)
The miracle of the tree that obeys the order – 2
In Shifa’ ash-Sharif, Qadi Iyad, the leading scholar of the Maghrib, relates from ‘Abd Allah b. ‘Umar through an exalted and sound chain of narrators:
“On one expedition, a Bedouin approached the Noble Messenger (pbuh). Allah's Messenger asked him:
‘Where are you going?’ The Bedouin replied:
‘To my family.’ Allah's messenger asked him again:
‘Do you not want something better than that?’ The Bedouin asked:
‘What is that?’The Messenger said:
‘That you bear witness that there is no deity but Allah, He is One, He has no partner, and that Muhammad is His servant and Messenger.’The Bedouin asked:
‘What is witness to this testimony?’Allah's Messenger said:
‘The tree beside the valley shall bear witness.’
Ibn ‘Umar said: “Shaking, the tree cleft the earth and came to Allah's Messenger. He asked the tree three times to testify; each time it testified to his truthfulness. When he ordered, it went back and settled in its place.” (3)
According to the authentic narration of Ibn Sahib al-Aslami, Burayda reports: “When we were with the Noble Messenger (pbuh) on an expedition, a Bedouin came and asked for a sign, that is, a miracle. The Messenger said: ‘Tell that tree that God’s Messenger summons it!’ Then he pointed to a tree; it swayed to right and left, brought itself out of the ground with its roots, and came to the presence of the Messenger, saying: ‘Peace be upon you, O Messenger of Allah!’ The Bedouin said: ‘Now let it go to its place again!’ He commanded, and it went.
Then the Bedouin said: ‘Allow me to prostrate before you.’ The Messenger replied: ‘No one is permitted to do that.’ The Bedouin said: ‘Then I will kiss your hands and feet,’ and he permitted him.” (4)
The miracle of the tree that obeys the order – 3
Foremost the Sahih of Muslim, and the authentic books of Hadith relate that Jabir said:
“We were together with Allah's Noble Messenger (pbuh) on an expedition when he searched for a place to answer the call of nature. There was no secluded place. So, he went towards two trees, caught hold of the branches of one of them, and pulled. Obeying him, the tree went together with him to the second tree. It was like an obedient camel being led by its reins. Having, in this way, brought the two trees together, he said: ‘Join together over me, with Allah's permission....and many more miracles
