(7.) A Benediction is uttered on the breasts that gave them suck, but in the one case it came from the visible, and in the other, from the invisible, world.

a. 'As Jesus spake those things, a certain woman of the company lifted up her voice, and said unto him, Blessed is the womb that bare thee, and the paps which thou hast sucked' (Luke xi. 27).

b. 'Ibn Abbas states, all creatures, even birds, air, clouds, and winds contended for and contested the privilege of suckling the prophet; for, when some one from the unseen world had taken that Excellency away from his mother's sight and carried him about to all the places of the east and of the west, a Caller from the Compassionate was calling out thus, "O, all ye creatures, this infant is Mohammed Ibn Abd Allah Ibn Abdu-l-Mottaleb: blessed are the breasts that give him milk, and blessed are the hands that bring him up, and blessed are the places where he dwells." Then all the creatures which heard this call, were seized with the desire of suckling him, and all of them, birds, clouds, winds, and others, claimed a prerogative and priority in the matter. Thereupon another call came from the unseen world, to this effect, "Stand ye back from this matter: in the beginning of eternity this blessed writing has been drawn up in the name of Halima Saadia, the daughter of Abu Zuweib." It is recorded that Halima narrated as follows: When the women of my people went to Mecca in search of a living, I joined them, with the same object. On arriving in the neighbourhood of Mecca, we heard a voice (hatif) from the unseen world, calling out thus, "Know and understand that the Most High has this year rendered it, unlawful for the women to take girls, on account of that male child which has been born amongst the Koreish. That child is the sunshine of the day, and the moonshine of the night; and blessed are the paps that shall give it milk. O ye women of the Beni Saad tribe, walk quickly, make haste, that ye may obtain that child."' (R.)

(8.) Not long after their birth, their Nature and Destiny are made known by special Revelation.

a. 'The angel said unto the shepherds, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day, in the city of David, a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord' (Luke ii. 10, 11). — 'Simeon took him up in his arms, and blessed God, and said, Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word: for mine eyes have seen thy salvation, which thou hast prepared before the face of all people;' etc. (Luke ii. 28-32). — 'And Anna the prophetess coming that instant gave thanks likewise unto the Lord, and spake of him to all them that looked for redemption in Jerusalem' (Luke ii. 38).

b. 'Shefa Bint Awf says, After that, the person speaking from the unseen world called, "O Mohammed, the honour,, and glory of the world are promised to thee. Verily thou art he who holds firmly under the strongest protection every one that lays hold on the branches of the tree of thy religion, and peculiar people, and acts according to thy words, and will be known to belong to thy people, on the day of the Resurrection." — Amina heard another Caller call thus, "Verily in the seas his name is the Destroyer;¹ for he will destroy all idolatry, so as not to leave a particle of it on the face of the earth." — It is recorded that Abdu-l-Mottaleb said, I was that night in the Kaaba. At midnight I saw that the four side-walls of the Kaaba inclined toward the place of Abraham, and worshipped before it. Then they rose again and returned to their former places; and I heard a wonderful thing in them, namely, a voice calling out, "God is great! God is great! The Lord Mohammed, the chosen, has now cleansed me, my Lord, from the pollution of idols and from the