Life-of-Muhammad

40Life of Muhammad saagain they boded ill-luck. My horse's hoofs sank deep intothe sand. Mounting again and resuming the pursuitseemed difficult. I then understood that the party wasunder divine protection. I called out to them and entreatedthem to stop. When near enough I told them of my evilintention and of my change of heart. I told them I wasgiving up the pursuit and returning. The Prophet sa let mego, but made me promise not to reveal their whereaboutsto anybody. I became convinced that the Prophet sa was atrue one, destined to succeed. I requested the Prophet sa towrite me a guarantee of peace to serve me when he becamesupreme. The Prophet sa asked ‘Amir bin Fuhaira ra to writeme a guarantee, and he did. As I got ready to return withit, the Prophet sa received a revelation about the future andsaid, "Suraqa ra , how wilt thou feel with the gold bangles ofthe Chosroes on thy wrists?" Amazed at the prophecy Iasked, "Which Chosroes? Chosroes bin Hormizd, theEmperor of Iran?" The Prophet sa said, "Yes" (Usud al-Ghaba).Sixteen or seventeen years later the prophecy wasliterally fulfilled. Suraqa ra accepted Islam and went toMedina. The Prophet sa died, and after him, first AbuBakr ra , and then ‘Umar ra became the Khalifahs of Islam.The growing influence of Islam made the Iraniansjealous and led them to attack the Muslims but, insteadof subjugating the Muslims, they were themselvessubjugated by them. The capital of Iran fell to theMuslims who captured its treasures, including the goldbangles which the Chosroes wore at State functions.After his conversion, Suraqa ra used to describe hispursuit of the Prophet sa and his party and to tell of whatpassed between him and the Prophet sa . When the spoilsof the war with Iran were placed before ‘Umar ra , he sawthe gold bangles and remembered what the Prophet sahad told Suraqa ra . It was a grand prophecy made at atime of utter helplessness. ‘Umar ra decided to stage avisible fulfilment of the prophecy. He, therefore, sent forSuraqa ra and ordered him to put on the gold bangles.Suraqa ra protested that the wearing of gold by men had