It was a few years before our Holy Prophet (PBUH) was given the duty of prophethood.

The “Suq Uqaz”, which was one of the two famous fairs, was filled with hundreds of people of a multitude of colors in Hijaz. There also were many Arab gentlemen among them. In the meantime, a patron saint, who was beyond a hundred years in age, appeared riding on top of a red-haired camel. His eyes were sagged down and he had become bent double due to old age. However, this horseman, who had an enlightened soul, was Quss b Saida, the elder of the tribe of Iyad. Quss, who believed in the existence and oneness of Allah as well as the Day of Resurrection, was the Arabs’ poet, orator, and judge. This individual, who had become legendary due to his eloquence, addressed the hundreds of people who were completely silent and were listening to him attentively:

“Oh people, come, listen, and commit the following to memory! Draw a lesson! Those who live will die and those who are dead will feel deep regret. Whatever is meant to happen will occur. The rain will pour, the grass will die. Children are born and then take the place of their parents. They all pass away at the blink of an eye. Incidents occur one after another and they all seem to chase each other. Listen carefully and pay attention; there are lessons to learn in the sky and on the ground. The Earth is a large council and the sky is a high ceiling. The stars move and the oceans come to a halt. What arrives does not remain and what leaves does not come back. Are they content in the place they go? Or do they fall asleep there as well? I swear, I swear that there is a religion in the presence of Allah that is more beloved to Him than the religion that you follow. There is a prophet of Allah who is about to appear and his arrival is very soon. His shadow is right on top of your heads. How happy is the person who puts his faith in him (the Prophet PBUH); May he guide him to the true path! Shame on the unfortunate person who will oppose and rebel against him! Woe on the ummahs that spend their lives in heedlessness!

Oh, people! What happened to (where are) the fathers, grandfathers, forefathers? Where are the family relations? Where are those fancy palaces and the tribes of Ad and Thamud that heightened those marble buildings? Where are the Pharaoh and Nimrod who boasted of their wealth and said to their tribes, “Am I not your greatest lord?” They were far more superior to you in terms of wealth and power. What happened to them? This ground ground them and dispersed them as dust in its mill. Even their bones have rotted and have dispersed. Their homes have fallen apart and are without owners. Now dogs enliven their grounds and territories. Avoid becoming heedless like them! Do not follow in their tracks! Everything is fleeting. Only Allah is everlasting. He is One and does not have a partner or a guardian. Only He is to be worshipped. He was not born and He did not give birth. There are many lessons to learn from those who have passed away. Death is a kind of river. There are many places in which you can enter but it does not have a place from which you can exit. All things that are big and small pass away. That which goes away does not come back. “I know for certain that whatever happens to everyone else will happen to you and me. “ (1)

Strangely, when Quss addressed the crowd with his magnificent speech and notified them of our Holy Prophet’s (PBUH) arrival, which was very near, he was unaware that the individual whom he mentioned was among the crowd that was all ears.

The Master of the Universe (PBUH) was appointed as a prophet shortly after Quss bin Saida, to whose heart Allah granted guidance and beneficence during the Age of Ignorance, gave his speech.

However, Quss passed away during this time. Consequently, he was not granted the opportunity to meet with our Holy Prophet (PBUH) whose arrival he mentioned would be soon.

Many years passed…

Together with the leading figures, Jarud bin Ala, who was the Bani Iyad’s ruler and an elder who followed Hazrat Isa’s religion, went to see our Holy Prophet (PBUH) with the intention of learning his character. After he learned the purpose with which the Holy Prophet (PBUH) was sent by asking questions, he said, “I swear to Allah, Who has sent you as the Prophet of Truth, that I learned of your attributes in the Bible. Maryam’s son heralded your arrival. May peace and blessings be invoked upon you continuously and praise be to Allah for sending you. Extend your hand. I testify that there is no God but Allah and that you are Allah’s Messenger” and became a Muslim. His friends followed his example and became Muslims as well. (2)

The Master of the Universe (PBUH) was extremely pleased and asked, “Does anyone among you know Quss bin Saida?”

Jarud answered, “Of course, O Messenger of Allah . We all know him. I know much about him because I always follow his path.”

Thereupon, our Holy Prophet (PBUH) answered:

“The sermon that Quss bin Saida read upon a camel during the Suq Uqaz in which he said, “The one who lives will die and the one who dies will feel deep regret. Whatever is meant to happen will occur” never leaves my mind. He recited other words of a strange and wonderful eloquence that I find I do not recall.

“Hazrat Abu Bakr, who was present at this gathering,  quickly stepped in, “Oh Rasullulah, I was present at the Suq Uqaz that day. I remember all the words that Quss bin Saida spoke. I will recite them if you grant me permission.”

Afterwards, he recited the aforementioned discourse from the very beginning to the end.

Upon this, someone else from the assembly rose and recited a few other of Quss’ poems. In these poems, he openly declared that Hazrat Muhammad (PBUH) would be sent from the Sons of Hashim and the Haram Sharif as a prophet.

After all of this, our Holy Prophet (PBUH) said:

“I hope that on the Day of Resurrection that God Almighty (Allah) will resurrect Quss as a separate nation/ummah.” (3)

[1] Ahmed Cevdet Paşa, Kısas-ı Enbiya, V. 1, p. 62.

[2] Ibn Hisham, Sirah, V. 4, p. 221; Ibn Sa’d, Tabaqat, V. 6, p. 560; Tabari, Tarikh, V. 3, p. 161.

[3] Ahmed Cevdet Paşa, ibid, V. 1, p. 62.