PROPHET MUHAMMAD'S (Peace be upon Him) NAME IN SONG OF SONGS 5:16 (Article 3)

by Shibli Zaman

[Above] SONG OF SONGS 5:16 - Scanned from the Tanakh (Jewish Publication Society).

"The whole word is not worth the day on which the Song of Songs was given to Israel; for all the writings are holy, but the Song of Songs is the holiest of the holy." [Rabbi Akiva (died AD 135), Tractate of Yaddayim (3:5), Mishna] "...and the book itself as an allegory depicting in great detail the experiences of the nation in its relations with its God from the Exodus down to *THE COMING OF THE MESSIAH AND THE BUILDING OF THE THIRD TEMPLE.* This in general is also the interpretation of the Midrash Rabbah and such famous scholars as Saadia ben Joseph, Rashi, and Ibn Ezra, although they differ considerably among themselves in details." [The Interpreter's Bible Encyclopedia] Allow me to elucidate this by bringing in its context. The area in question is chapter 5 of Shir Hashirim which is titled "Song of Songs" or "Song of Solomon" in English translations. It is a poem which uses heavy allegory and poetic license. It is a description of a woman's yearning for her "beloved" whom she is telling "the daughters of Jerusalem" about. The Christian world interprets this as a metaphor that one should love God with the same passion as one loves their lover. I will type each verse with an shockingly corresponding Hadeeth. I will also include some of Umm Ma`bad al-Khuza`iyah's description of the Prophet (s) which she told her husband as recorded in Zad al Ma`ad, 2:45 and found in the earliest books of "Seeratun-Nabi" or "History of the Prophet". Remember these are hundreds of years, a different language and an entire nation apart.

SHIR HASHIRIM (also called "Song of Songs" or "Song of Solomon") 5:10-16

SONG OF SONGS 5:10 "My beloved is white and ruddy, the chiefest among ten thousand." HADEETH ON WHITE AND RUDDY (reddish) SKIN: Rosy color [Saheeh Bukhari 4:747]; "White man reclining on his arm" [Saheeh Bukhari, 1:63]; Whiteness of his armpits [Saheeh Muslim, 4:1000]; Whiteness of his legs [Saheeh Muslim, 4:1014, 19:4437]; Whiteness of his cheek [Saheeh Muslim 4:1208]; Whiteness of his belly [Saheeh Muslim 19:4442]. In all these narrations his whiteness is pointed out as something exceptional for an Arab. HADEETH ON "THE CHIEFEST AMONG TEN THOUSAND": "The Prophet left Medina (for Mecca) IN THE COMPANY OF TEN THOUSAND (Muslim warriors) in Ramadan" [Saheeh Bukhari 5:574] Also see Saheeh Bukhari 5:622; 626 BIBLE CONCORDANCE: "...and he came with TEN THOUSANDS OF SAINTS: from his right hand went a fiery law for them." [Deuteronomy 33:2] Hopefully, inshaa' Allah, if time permits, I will write a lengthy exegesis substantiating this verse's connection with the Prophet Muhammad (May the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). I will have to save that for another article.

SONG OF SONGS 5:11 "His head is as the most fine gold, his locks are bushy, and black as a raven." "His hair GLOSSY AND BLACK, INCLINED TO CURL, he wore long." [Zad al Ma`d 2:45] "His head was large, well formed and set on a slender neck." [Zad al Ma`ad 2:45] "When he (The Prophet, May Allah peace and blessings be upon him) died, HE HAD SCARCELY TWENTY WHITE HAIRS IN HIS HEAD AND BEARD." [Saheeh Bukhari 4:747,748] "Anas was asked about the old age of Allah's Apostle (May Allah peace and blessings be upon him). He said, 'ALLAH DID NOT BLEMISH HIM WITH WHITE HAIR." [Saheeh Muslim 30:5784] "I said to him: O son of my brother, the hair of the Messenger of Allah (May the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) was THICKER THAN YOUR HAIR AND THEY WERE FINER (than yours)." [Saheeh Muslim, 3:642]

SONG OF SONGS 5:12 "His eyes are as the eyes of doves by the rivers of waters, washed with milk, and fitly set." "He had black attractive eyes finely arched by continuous eyebrows." [Zad al Ma`d 2:45] "Allah's Messenger (May the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) had a broad face with REDDISH (wide) EYES.." [Saheeh Muslim 30:5776] (Note: Doves have reddish eyes.