The Fire Trench Protected the Prophet
Abu Hurairah narrated. One day, one of the enemies of the Prophet named Abu Jahal, asked his friends, “Did Muhammad prostrate in your midst?”
They replied, “Yes, it is true Abu Jahal. We saw Muhammad prostrating in front of us!”
Abu Jahal said, “By my Lord, if I saw him praying like that, I would step on his neck and roll his face on the ground.”
Abu Jahal then approached the Prophet Muhammad or the Messenger of Allah while he was praying, but suddenly with fear he quickly retreated.
Abu Jahal was shocked to see a blazing fire pit around the Messenger of Allah. So Abu Jahal did not hurt the Messenger of Allah.
The Messenger of Allah then said, “If Abu Jahal approached me, the angels would have struck every part of Abu Jahal’s body with blazing fire.” ***
Multiple Choice Questions
Who is the Prophet’s enemy who wants to harm him in this story?
a. Abu Bakr
b. Umar bin Khattab
c. Abu Jahl
d. Uthman bin Affan
Answer: c
What did Abu Jahl ask his friends?
a. Did Muhammad already have many followers?
b. Did Muhammad prostrate himself among them?
c. Did Muhammad carry a sword when praying?
d. Did Muhammad live in Medina?
Answer: b
What did Abu Jahl want to do when he saw the Prophet praying?
a. Respect him
b. Spreading slander about him
c. Stepped on the neck of the Messenger of Allah and rolled his face to the ground
d. Giving gifts to the Messenger of Allah
Answer: c
What happened when Abu Jahl approached the Prophet?
a. He stepped back because he saw the burning fire
b. He dared to hurt the Messenger of Allah
c. He argued with his friends
d. He apologized to the Messenger of Allah
Answer: a
What prevented Abu Jahal from hurting the Messenger of Allah?
a. Because the companions protected the Messenger of Allah
b. Because Abu Jahal was afraid of the people around him
c. Because there was a fire ditch that protected the Messenger of Allah
d. Because the Messenger of Allah hid somewhere else
Answer: c
What did the Messenger of Allah say about Abu Jahal?
a. If Abu Jahal came close, the angels would burn him
b. Abu Jahal was a good leader of Quraysh
c. Abu Jahal would repent one day
d. Abu Jahal did not have the power to hurt him
Answer: a
From whom was this story narrated?
a. Abu Bakr Ash-Shiddiq
b. Anas bin Malik
c. Abu Hurairah
d. Abdullah bin Umar
Answer: c
What shows that the Messenger of Allah was protected by Allah?
a. The Messenger of Allah could fly away from danger
b. The Messenger of Allah had a strong army
c. There was a burning fire that protected the Prophet from enemies
d. The Prophet used weapons to defend himself
Answer: c
Who was this hadith narrated by?
a. Bukhari, Muslim, Tirmidhi, an-Nasa’i, and Ibn Jarir
b. Ahmad, Abu Dawud, Ibn Majah, and Hakim
c. Malik, Anas bin Malik, and Tabrani
d. Ibn Abbas, Abu Daud, and Adz-Dzahabi
Answer: a
What lessons can be learned from this story?
a. Allah always protected the Messenger of Allah from the evil of the enemy
b. Prayer does not need to be done in congregation
c. Fire can appear by itself without cause
d. Everyone who prays is protected by fire
Answer: a
