The Mushrik Man Who Tested the Prophet About Baitul Maqdis

Series: The Incident of Quraysh Questioning the Prophet About Baitul Maqdis

Introduction

In the previous article, we saw how this long narration mentions the Quraysh trade caravan after Abu Jahl mocked the report of Isra’. When the Prophet SAW spoke about the caravan, the caravan was not yet in front of them. It was still on its journey.

That is why the trade caravan in this narration must be read as material for verification that could be checked later, not as a verification completed at that very moment. The Prophet SAW mentioned a caravan belonging to Quraysh, the place where he saw it, the condition of the caravan, its people, their camels and their goods. All of this became information that could be followed up when the caravan arrived.

However, after the section on the caravan, the narration does not introduce the man who stepped forward as a Quraysh man. The wording used is:

فَقَالَ رَجُلٌ مِنَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ

“Then a man from among the mushrikin said.”

This is important. In the section on the caravan, the narration clearly mentions Quraysh through the wording عِيرٍ لِقُرَيْشٍ, meaning a caravan belonging to Quraysh. However, when this man is mentioned, the wording used is not Quraysh, but الْمُشْرِكِينَ. Therefore, it is safer to read this man as the narration itself reads him: a man from among the mushrikin who was present in that setting.

This man also must not be mixed together with the trade caravan. He is not mentioned as a member of the caravan. He did not ask about the people in the caravan, their camels or their trade goods. He came with another question, a question about Baitul Maqdis itself.

Therefore, this article separates two matters. The trade caravan was material for verifying the journey and could be checked later. This mushrik man, on the other hand, was the tester who was present at that time to ask about Baitul Maqdis. He claimed to be the most knowledgeable about that place, then asked about three matters: its structure, its appearance and its nearness to the mountain.

Hadith Context Excerpt

The section that becomes the focus of this article is the following excerpt:

فَقَالَ رَجُلٌ مِنَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ

Then a man from among the mushrikin said.

أَنَا أَعْلَمُ النَّاسِ بِبَيْتِ الْمَقْدِسِ

“I am the most knowledgeable of people about Baitul Maqdis.”

وَكَيْفَ بِنَاؤُهُ

“And how is its structure.”

وَكَيْفَ هَيْئَتُهُ

“And how is its appearance.”

وَكَيْفَ قُرْبُهُ مِنَ الْجَبَلِ

“And how is its nearness to the mountain.”

فَإِنْ يَكُنْ مُحَمَّدٌ صَادِقًا فَسَأُخْبِرُكُمْ

“So if Muhammad is truthful, I will inform you.”

وَإِنْ يَكُنْ كَاذِبًا فَسَأُخْبِرُكُمْ

“And if he is lying, I will inform you.”

Then the narration mentions:

فَجَاءَهُ ذَلِكَ الْمُشْرِكُ

Then that mushrik man came to him.

فَقَالَ يَا مُحَمَّدُ

Then he said, “O Muhammad.”

أَنَا أَعْلَمُ النَّاسِ بِبَيْتِ الْمَقْدِسِ فَأَخْبِرْنِي

“I am the most knowledgeable of people about Baitul Maqdis. So inform me.”

كَيْفَ بِنَاؤُهُ وَكَيْفَ هَيْئَتُهُ وَكَيْفَ قُرْبُهُ مِنَ الْجَبَلِ

“How is its structure, how is its appearance and how is its nearness to the mountain?”

Then after the Prophet SAW answered, the narration mentions:

فَقَالَ الْآخَرُ صَدَقْتَ

Then that other man said, “You have spoken the truth.”

Then he returned to his group and said:

صَدَقَ مُحَمَّدٌ فِيمَا قَالَ

“Muhammad has spoken the truth in what he said.”

Brief Note on the Excerpt

This excerpt comes after the section on the trade caravan. In the sequence of the narration, the caravan is mentioned first as material for verifying the journey. Only after that does a mushrik man appear, claiming to be the most knowledgeable about Baitul Maqdis.

The narration does not name this man. The narration also does not mention that he was from the trade caravan. The wording used is only رَجُلٌ مِنَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ, meaning a man from among the mushrikin.

Therefore, the function of this man must be read separately. The caravan concerns the journey. This mushrik man concerns Baitul Maqdis. He came not to ask about the caravan, but to test the Prophet’s answer about the structure, appearance and nearness of Baitul Maqdis to the mountain.

The Position of the Mushrik Man’s Identity

Before analysing this man’s role, the boundary of his identity must be set clearly. The narration does not name this man. It does not mention his tribe. It also does not mention where he came from. The narration does not state that he was a Quraysh man, a member of the caravan, a resident of Makkah or someone who had just returned from Baitul Maqdis.

The wording used in the narration is:

فَقَالَ رَجُلٌ مِنَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ

“Then a man from among the mushrikin said.”

Therefore, we cannot build a biographical profile that is not mentioned by the narration. We cannot name his origin. We cannot say that he was from Quraysh. Nor can we say that he came together with the trade caravan. None of that is mentioned in the wording that has reached us.

However, this does not mean the narration gives no profile of him at all. The narration does not give a biographical profile, but it does give a functional profile. In terms of his function within the incident, this man was a mushrik who was present in a setting where Quraysh were denying the Prophet SAW. He stepped forward with a major claim: that he was the most knowledgeable about Baitul Maqdis.

That claim came through the wording:

أَنَا أَعْلَمُ النَّاسِ بِبَيْتِ الْمَقْدِسِ

“I am the most knowledgeable of people about Baitul Maqdis.”

This claim establishes his position in that gathering. He did not step forward as someone who had merely heard of Baitul Maqdis. Nor did he say that he knew a little about the place. Instead, he placed himself as the person most knowledgeable about Baitul Maqdis.

At the same time, this claim must be read carefully. The narration does not prove that he was truly the most knowledgeable person about Baitul Maqdis in an absolute sense across the whole world. However, the narration shows that in that setting, he stepped forward with a claim of the highest knowledge about Baitul Maqdis and his claim is not recorded as being challenged by Abu Jahl or Quraysh.

This is also supported by another form of narration which mentions that among that group were people who had travelled to that place. Such wording does not necessarily name the same mushrik man, but it does show the broader setting of the incident: the questioning about Baitul Maqdis did not come from people who had no information at all. In that gathering, there were parties who possessed experience or knowledge of the place.

Therefore, this man’s profile must be read within clear boundaries. His origin is unknown. His name is unknown. His tribe is unknown. Yet his role in the narration is very clear. He was a mushrik who claimed to be the most knowledgeable about Baitul Maqdis, whose claim is not recorded as being challenged in that gathering, who stepped forward to test the Prophet SAW directly and who eventually acknowledged that the Prophet’s answer was true.

With that, we are not building a new biography of this man. We are only reading the function given by the narration. The narration does not introduce who his father was, which tribe he belonged to or from which land he came. The narration introduces his role as a testing witness who claimed to possess enough knowledge to verify the Prophet’s answer about Baitul Maqdis.

So the boundary of our reading remains safe. We are not saying that he was Quraysh. We are not saying that he was a member of the caravan. We are not saying that we know his origin. However, we can say that the narration places this man as a mushrik with a strong testing function, because he stepped forward with a claim of specific knowledge about Baitul Maqdis and his question was accepted as a test before the gathering.

Analysis of the Mushrik Man as a Testing Witness Before Quraysh

This mushrik man did not come as an ordinary listener. Before asking the Prophet SAW, he first announced his position:

أَنَا أَعْلَمُ النَّاسِ بِبَيْتِ الْمَقْدِسِ

“I am the most knowledgeable of people about Baitul Maqdis.”

This wording establishes his position before the gathering. He was not merely asking because he wanted to know. He was placing himself as someone who possessed the highest information regarding Baitul Maqdis among those present at that time. That is why the question that followed becomes important.

More importantly, this claim is not challenged in the narration. If this man were speaking empty words, the setting gave Quraysh room to reject him. If he was not qualified, Abu Jahl could have interrupted and shut down his role. However, the narration does not show that this happened.

Abu Jahl himself had already shown that he knew the travel distance to Baitul Maqdis. He mocked the report of Isra’ by measuring it as a month’s journey going and a month’s journey returning. This shows that Abu Jahl had general knowledge about the distance of the journey to Baitul Maqdis. However, knowledge of distance is not the same as knowledge of the structure, appearance and nearness of that place to the mountain.

Here, the position of this mushrik man becomes sharper. Abu Jahl used distance as material for mockery. This mushrik man, however, entered with more specific information. He did not repeat the mockery of distance. He entered into the features of the place. He asked about its structure, its appearance and its nearness to the mountain.

Therefore, the narration is showing two layers of knowledge. Abu Jahl represents Quraysh’s general knowledge about the travel distance. This mushrik man steps forward with a claim of specific knowledge about Baitul Maqdis. That is why this man’s question cannot be treated the same as Abu Jahl’s mockery. His question is more technical and closer to the verification of the place’s features.

The wording that follows is even more important:

فَإِنْ يَكُنْ مُحَمَّدٌ صَادِقًا فَسَأُخْبِرُكُمْ

“So if Muhammad is truthful, I will inform you.”

وَإِنْ يَكُنْ كَاذِبًا فَسَأُخْبِرُكُمْ

“And if he is lying, I will inform you.”

He did not say, “If Muhammad is truthful, I will believe.” Nor did he say, “If Muhammad is truthful, I will follow him.” Instead, he said, فَسَأُخْبِرُكُمْ, “then I will inform you.” This shows that he placed himself as a verifier before the people. He wanted to be the one who would announce the result of that test to Quraysh.

Here, the credibility of this man becomes clearer from the functional angle of the narration. He was not only claiming to know. He was also offering himself as the party who would verify the result of the test before the people. In other words, he was not merely a holder of private information, but someone whose information was considered sufficient to be used as a measure before the gathering.

If he did not possess a credible position of knowledge, his claim would have been useless to Quraysh. The people would not have needed his verdict. Abu Jahl would not have allowed an unqualified person to take over the space of testing. Yet the narration shows that this man was given space to test.

This matter is important because the atmosphere at that time was not neutral. Quraysh were looking for a way to bring down the Prophet’s claim. Abu Jahl was mocking the report of Isra’. Therefore, if this man were weak, unknown, unqualified or lacking information that could be checked, he could easily have been pushed aside. However, the narration does not show that he was pushed aside.

Instead, the narration gives him space to step forward, ask and then announce his assessment. This makes him an important testing witness. He was not a witness from among the believers. Nor was he someone who came to affirm the Prophet SAW from the beginning. He came as a mushrik who wanted to test. The value of his admission becomes stronger because it came after the test was carried out.

For that reason, this man cannot be read like a person asking an ordinary question. He did not come to learn. He came to test. Through his wording, it is as though he was saying to Quraysh, “I know Baitul Maqdis. Let me check Muhammad’s answer. If he is truthful, I will tell you. If he is lying, I will also tell you.”

Then the narration mentions:

فَجَاءَهُ ذَلِكَ الْمُشْرِكُ

“Then that mushrik man came to him.”

This shows that he did not merely speak from afar. He did not merely whisper to Quraysh or make an accusation from behind. He advanced personally toward the Prophet SAW to test him face to face. This makes the atmosphere of the narration more confrontational. The question took place directly, not merely as a side comment.

His form of address also shows that tone:

يَا مُحَمَّدُ

“O Muhammad.”

He did not use a title of honour. He did not say, “O Messenger of Allah.” This is consistent with his condition as a mushrik who was testing, not a Companion who was learning. Thus, the way he addressed him already shows the relationship between the questioner and the Prophet SAW in the context of this narration.

After that, he said:

فَأَخْبِرْنِي

“So inform me.”

This verb comes in the imperative form. It was not a soft request and not a general question. He demanded a specific answer from the Prophet SAW. In this context, أَخْبِرْنِي carries the tone of a test, not mere curiosity. He wanted the Prophet SAW to provide information that could be verified.

The entire wording shows that he was not merely interrupting from afar. He made a claim, came forward himself, addressed the Prophet SAW directly and demanded an answer. His role is clear: he wanted to test the Prophet’s answer based on the knowledge he claimed to have about Baitul Maqdis.

With this arrangement, the mushrik man can be read as a testing figure with credibility within the space of the narration. That credibility does not come from his name, because his name is not mentioned. It also does not come from his tribe, because his tribe is not mentioned. His credibility is built through the function he played in that incident.

He claimed to be the most knowledgeable about Baitul Maqdis. That claim is not recorded as being challenged by Abu Jahl or Quraysh. He was given space to test the Prophet SAW directly. After hearing the Prophet’s answer, he acknowledged that the answer was true.

Therefore, this man’s profile is not a biographical profile, but a testing profile. The narration is not introducing who his father was, what tribe he belonged to or from which land he came. The narration is introducing his function as someone who claimed to possess enough information to test the Prophet’s answer about Baitul Maqdis.

This is important because his final admission did not come from someone who had already sided with the Prophet SAW. It came from someone who initially appeared as a tester. When the narration mentions that the man eventually said:

صَدَقْتَ

“You have spoken the truth.”

and then returned to his group and said:

صَدَقَ مُحَمَّدٌ فِيمَا قَالَ

“Muhammad has spoken the truth in what he said.”

This admission is important because it came after the test was made. The man had already claimed to be the most knowledgeable about Baitul Maqdis. He had already asked directly. After receiving the answer, he did not object. The narration mentions that he affirmed the Prophet’s answer, then returned to his group with the admission that Muhammad had spoken the truth in what he said.

Therefore, the main value of this narration is not only in the question about Baitul Maqdis, but also in the position of the person who asked. This narration portrays a mushrik who claimed to be the most knowledgeable, stepped forward as a public judge, tested the Prophet SAW directly, then finally acknowledged the truth of his answer. This is what makes this section important before we enter the more specific analysis of the three matters he asked about: the structure, appearance and nearness of Baitul Maqdis to the mountain.

Closing

At this point, we can see that this mushrik man must be read according to the wording of the narration, not according to our assumptions. The narration does not name him. It does not mention that he was from the caravan. It also does not introduce him specifically as a Quraysh man. The wording used is only رَجُلٌ مِنَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ.

That is enough to determine the boundary of our reading. Do not go beyond the text. What can be said is that he was a man from among the mushrikin, present in that setting, claiming to be the most knowledgeable about Baitul Maqdis and then testing the Prophet SAW with specific questions.

His position in the narration also must not be reduced. He did not come as an ordinary listener. He stepped forward with a claim of knowledge, was given space to ask, tested the Prophet SAW directly and eventually acknowledged that his answer was true.

The question he brought has also not yet been completed in this article. Here, we have only separated his position from the trade caravan and examined his role as a tester. After this, attention must be given to the content of his question.

He asked about three matters: the structure, appearance and nearness of Baitul Maqdis to the mountain. Among these three matters, the wording that is most rarely noticed is:

وَكَيْفَ قُرْبُهُ مِنَ الْجَبَلِ

“And how is its nearness to the mountain?”

This question will open the next discussion. Not in this article, but in the following article, when we begin to examine why the element of the mountain appears in the question of a man who claimed to be the most knowledgeable about Baitul Maqdis.

That is what will be discussed in the next article, The Lone Mountain Beside Baitul Maqdis Is an Important Indicator.