The possessions of the Islamic prophet

Muhammad Muhammad ( ar, مُحَمَّد; 570 – 8 June 632 CE) was an Arab religious, social, and political leader and the founder of Islam. According to Islamic doctrine, he was a prophet divinely inspired to preach and confirm the mon ...

are a group of his items and possessions such as weapons, armor and clothing, including those known with unique names. There is doubt about the attribution of these possessions to Muhammad, as many of them were lost during wars and tribulations.

Weapons

Swords

Muhammad had nine

sword A sword is an edged, bladed weapon intended for manual cutting or thrusting. Its blade, longer than a knife or dagger, is attached to a hilt and can be straight or curved. A thrusting sword tends to have a straighter blade with a pointed ti ...

s: 2 through inheritance, 3 as booty, and some from being given as gifts. Eight of the nine swords of Muhammed are in the Topkapi Palace, Turkey. The 9th one is in Cairo, Egypt. However, only the "Dhu al-faqar" was proven in the authentic ''

Sunnah In Islam, , also spelled ( ar, سنة), are the traditions and practices of the Islamic prophet Muhammad that constitute a model for Muslims to follow. The sunnah is what all the Muslims of Muhammad's time evidently saw and followed and passed ...

'' of these swords. * Al-’Adb ( ar, العَضب) is the name of sword meaning “anger” or “sharp.” This sword was sent to Muhammad by one of his companions,

Saʽd ibn ʽUbadah Sad ibn Ubadah ibn Dulaym ( ar, سعد بن عبادة بن دليم) (d. 637) was the chief of the Sa'ida clan of the Khazraj tribe in Medina in the early seventh century. He was later recognised as the chief of the whole Khazraj tribe, and then ...

, just before the

Battle of Badr The Battle of Badr ( ar, غَزْوَةُ بَدِرْ ), also referred to as The Day of the Criterion (, ) in the Qur'an and by Muslims, was fought on 13 March 624 CE (17 Ramadan, 2 AH), near the present-day city of Badr, Al Madinah Provin ...

. Muhammad also used this sword at the

Battle of Uhud The Battle of Uhud ( ar, غَزْوَة أُحُد, ) was fought on Saturday, 23 March 625 AD (7 Shawwal, 3 AH), in the valley north of Mount Uhud.Watt (1974) p. 136. The Qurayshi Meccans, led by Abu Sufyan ibn Harb, commanded an army of 3,000 ...

and his followers used it, to note one companion ''Samaak bin Kharsha'' (commonly known as " Abu Dujanah"), to demonstrate their fealty to him, to show the strength, solidity and durability of Islam and Muslims' elegance in front of the

Quraysh The Quraysh ( ar, قُرَيْشٌ) were a grouping of Arab clans that historically inhabited and controlled the city of Mecca and its Kaaba. The Islamic prophet Muhammad was born into the Hashim clan of the tribe. Despite this, many of the Qu ...

is who opposed him. Currently the sword is in the

Al-Hussein Mosque The Imam Hussein Mosque ( ar, مسجد الإمام ٱلحُسين) or Jame Sayyidna Husayn ( ar, جامِع سيّدنا ٱلحُسين) is a mosque and mausoleum of Husayn ibn Ali, originally built in 1154, and then later reconstructed in 1874. ...

Cairo Cairo ( ; ar, القاهرة, al-Qāhirah, ) is the capital of Egypt and its largest city, home to 10 million people. It is also part of the largest urban agglomeration in Africa, the Arab world and the Middle East: The Greater Cairo metr ...

, Egypt. * Al-Ma’thur ( ar, المأثُوُر), also known as “Ma’thur al-Fijar” is the sword which was owned by Muhammad before he received his first revelations in

Mecca Mecca (; officially Makkah al-Mukarramah, commonly shortened to Makkah ()) is a city and administrative center of the Mecca Province of Saudi Arabia, and the holiest city in Islam. It is inland from Jeddah on the Red Sea, in a narrow v ...

. This sword was given to him due to the will of his father. When Muhammad migrated from Mecca to

Medina Medina,, ', "the radiant city"; or , ', (), "the city" officially Al Madinah Al Munawwarah (, , Turkish: Medine-i Münevvere) and also commonly simplified as Madīnah or Madinah (, ), is the Holiest sites in Islam, second-holiest city in Islam, ...

, the sword remained with him until it was transferred to

Ali ibn Abi Talib ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib ( ar, عَلِيّ بْن أَبِي طَالِب; 600 – 661 CE) was the last of four Rightly Guided Caliphs to rule Islam (r. 656 – 661) immediately after the death of Muhammad, and he was the first Shia Imam. ...

, along with other war equipment. The length of the sword with the handle is 95 cm, the length of the handle is 14 cm, the width at the handle is 4 cm, while the length of the blade is 81 cm, and the length at the tip is 3.5 cm. The handle is make of

gold Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au (from la, aurum) and atomic number 79. This makes it one of the higher atomic number elements that occur naturally. It is a bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile ...

in the shape of two serpents, and is encrusted with emeralds and

turquoise Turquoise is an opaque, blue-to-green mineral that is a hydrated phosphate of copper and aluminium, with the chemical formula . It is rare and valuable in finer grades and has been prized as a gemstone and ornamental stone for thousands of year ...

. Near the handle is an inscription saying:

Abdullah ibn Abd al-Muttalib Abdullah may refer to: * Abdullah (name), a list of people with the given name or surname * Abdullah, Kargı, Turkey, a village * ''Abdullah'' (film), a 1980 Bollywood film directed by Sanjay Khan * '' Abdullah: The Final Witness'', a 2015 Pakis ...

. This sword is housed in the Topkapi Museum, Istanbul. * Ar-Rasub ( ar, الرسَّوب). The sword is preserved in the Topkapi museum, Istanbul. The blade of this sword is 140 cm in length. It has gold circles. * Al-Battar ( ar, البَتَّار, meaning "cutter") sword was taken by Muhammad as booty from the Banu Qaynaqa. It is called the “sword of the prophets” and is inscribed in Arabic with the names of

David David (; , "beloved one") (traditional spelling), , ''Dāwūd''; grc-koi, Δαυΐδ, Dauíd; la, Davidus, David; gez , ዳዊት, ''Dawit''; xcl, Դաւիթ, ''Dawitʿ''; cu, Давíдъ, ''Davidŭ''; possibly meaning "beloved one". w ...

Solomon Solomon (; , ),, ; ar, سُلَيْمَان, ', , ; el, Σολομών, ; la, Salomon also called Jedidiah (Hebrew language, Hebrew: , Modern Hebrew, Modern: , Tiberian Hebrew, Tiberian: ''Yăḏīḏăyāh'', "beloved of Yahweh, Yah"), ...

Moses Moses hbo, מֹשֶׁה, Mōše; also known as Moshe or Moshe Rabbeinu ( Mishnaic Hebrew: מֹשֶׁה רַבֵּינוּ, ); syr, ܡܘܫܐ, Mūše; ar, موسى, Mūsā; grc, Mωϋσῆς, Mōÿsēs () is considered the most important pr ...

Aaron According to Abrahamic religions, Aaron ''′aharon'', ar, هارون, Hārūn, Greek (Septuagint): Ἀαρών; often called Aaron the priest ()., group="note" ( or ; ''’Ahărōn'') was a prophet, a high priest, and the elder brother of ...

Joshua Joshua () or Yehoshua ( ''Yəhōšuaʿ'', Tiberian: ''Yŏhōšuaʿ,'' lit. 'Yahweh is salvation') ''Yēšūaʿ''; syr, ܝܫܘܥ ܒܪ ܢܘܢ ''Yəšūʿ bar Nōn''; el, Ἰησοῦς, ar , يُوشَعُ ٱبْنُ نُونٍ '' Yūšaʿ ...

Zechariah Zechariah most often refers to: * Zechariah (Hebrew prophet), author of the Book of Zechariah * Zechariah (New Testament figure), father of John the Baptist Zechariah or its many variant forms and spellings may also refer to: People *Zechariah ...

John John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Secon ...

Jesus Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label= Hebrew/ Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other names and titles), was a first-century Jewish preacher and relig ...

, and

. It also has a drawing of King David cutting off the head of

Goliath Goliath ( ) ''Goləyāṯ''; ar, جُليات ''Ǧulyāt'' (Christian term) or (Quranic term). is a character in the Book of Samuel, described as a Philistine giant defeated by the young David in single combat. The story signified King Sau ...

. The sword also features a

Nabataean The Nabataeans or Nabateans (; Nabataean Aramaic: , , vocalized as ; Arabic: , , singular , ; compare grc, Ναβαταῖος, translit=Nabataîos; la, Nabataeus) were an ancient Arab people who inhabited northern Arabia and the southern L ...

inscription. The length of blade of this sword is 101 cm, the sword is made of copper with a black sheath. It is currently in the Topkapi Museum in

Istanbul ) , postal_code_type = Postal code , postal_code = 34000 to 34990 , area_code = +90 212 (European side) +90 216 (Asian side) , registration_plate = 34 , blank_name_sec2 = GeoTLD , blank_i ...

, along with eight of the nine preserved swords of Muhammad. It is claimed by some to be the sword that Jesus will use when he returns to

Earth Earth is the third planet from the Sun and the only astronomical object known to harbor life. While large volumes of water can be found throughout the Solar System, only Earth sustains liquid surface water. About 71% of Earth's sur ...

to defeat the

anti-Christ In Christian eschatology, the Antichrist refers to people prophesied by the Bible to oppose Jesus Christ and substitute themselves in Christ's place before the Second Coming. The term Antichrist (including one plural form)1 John ; . 2 John . i ...

Dajjal Al-Masih ad-Dajjal (), otherwise referred to simply as the Dajjal, is an evil figure in Islamic eschatology similar to the Antichrist in Christianity, who will pretend to be the promised Messiah, appearing before the Day of Judgment accordin ...

. * Hatf ( ar, الحتف, meaning "death") is a sword which Muhammad took as booty from the Banu Qaynaqa. It is said that

King David David (; , "beloved one") (traditional spelling), , ''Dāwūd''; grc-koi, Δαυΐδ, Dauíd; la, Davidus, David; gez , ዳዊት, ''Dawit''; xcl, Դաւիթ, ''Dawitʿ''; cu, Давíдъ, ''Davidŭ''; possibly meaning "beloved one". w ...

took the sword “al-Battar” from

as booty when he defeated him, when he was less than 20 years old.

God In monotheistic thought, God is usually viewed as the supreme being, creator, and principal object of faith. Swinburne, R.G. "God" in Honderich, Ted. (ed)''The Oxford Companion to Philosophy'', Oxford University Press, 1995. God is typically ...

gave King David the ability to work with

iron Iron () is a chemical element with symbol Fe (from la, ferrum) and atomic number 26. It is a metal that belongs to the first transition series and group 8 of the periodic table. It is, by mass, the most common element on Earth, right in ...

, to make

armour Armour (British English) or armor (American English; see spelling differences) is a covering used to protect an object, individual, or vehicle from physical injury or damage, especially direct contact weapons or projectiles during combat, or f ...

and

weapons A weapon, arm or armament is any implement or device that can be used to deter, threaten, inflict physical damage, harm, or kill. Weapons are used to increase the efficacy and efficiency of activities such as hunting, crime, law enforcement, s ...

and instruments of war, and using his ability made for himself a sword. It was thus that the Hatf sword came about, resembling the al-Battar but larger than it. He used this sword and it was passed onto the

tribe of Levi According to the Bible, the Tribe of Levi is one of the tribes of Israel, traditionally descended from Levi, son of Jacob. The descendants of Aaron, who was the first ''kohen gadol'' (high priest) of Israel, were designated as the priestly clas ...

tes who kept the weapons of the

Israelites The Israelites (; , , ) were a group of Semitic-speaking tribes in the ancient Near East who, during the Iron Age, inhabited a part of Canaan. The earliest recorded evidence of a people by the name of Israel appears in the Merneptah Stele o ...

until it passed into the hands of Muhammad. Nowadays this sword is housed in the Topkapi museum. The blade of this sword is 112 cm in length and has a width of 8 cm. It is the heaviest of swords and Muhammad gave the sword to Ali bin Abi Talib. * Qal’i ( ar, القلعى) sword is known as “Qal’i” or “Qul’ay.” This sword is one of the three swords which Muhammad acquired as booty from the Banu Qaynaqa. . Inscribed in Arabic on its blade above the handle is: “This is the noble sword of the house of Muhammad the prophet, the apostle of God.” The blade of this sword is distinguished from the other swords because of its wave-like design. Now the sword is preserved in the Topkapi Museum,

. Its length is 114 cm, the length of its handle is 13 cm, the length of the blade is 91 cm, and the width at the handle is 5.5 cm and the tip is 4.5 cm. * Dhu al-Faqar ( ar, الفَقَار) was taken as booty by Muhammad at the

. The length of the sword with the handle is 104 cm, the length of the handle is 15 cm, the length of the blade is 89 cm, and the width at the handle is 6 cm and at the tip is 4.5 cm. * Al-Mikhdham ( ar, المِخذَم, meaning "segments of part of the main body or vertebrae") is now in the Topkapi Museum,

. The blade is 97 cm in length. * Al-Qadib ( ar, القَضيب, meaning "rod, staff") is a thin-bladed sword which was a sword of defense or companionship for the traveller but not used to battle. Written on the side of the sword in silver is the inscription: “''There is no god but Allah (God), Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah (God) – Muhammad bin Abdu 'llah bin Abdu 'l-Muttalib''.” There is no indication in any historical source that this sword was used in any battle. It stayed in the house of Muhammad. The length of the sword is 100 cm, the length of the blade is 86 cm, the length of its handle is 14 cm, and its width at the handle is 2.8 cm, and at the shrew is 2.2 cm, and has a scabbard of dyed animal hide. This sword is housed in the Topkapi Museum, Istanbul.

Quiver

Muhammad had a

quiver A quiver is a container for holding arrows, bolts, ammo, projectiles, darts, or javelins. It can be carried on an archer's body, the bow, or the ground, depending on the type of shooting and the archer's personal preference. Quivers were trad ...

, Al-Kafur ( ar, الكافور). This quiver had a strap made from tanned skin. This quiver had also three silver circular rings, a buckle, and an edge made of silver.

Bows

Muhammad owned 6 bows. * Az-Zawra ( ar, الزوراء) * Ar-Rauha ( ar, الروحاء) * As-Safra ( ar, الصفراء) * Al-Bayda' ( ar, البيضاء) * Al-Katum ( ar, الكتوم): This bow broke during the

and later was taken by Qatadah bin an-Nu’man * As-Saddad ( ar, السداد )

Spears

Muhammad owned five

spears A spear is a pole weapon consisting of a shaft, usually of wood, with a pointed head. The head may be simply the sharpened end of the shaft itself, as is the case with fire hardened spears, or it may be made of a more durable material fastene ...

: * Al-Muthwi ( ar, المثوي) * Al-Muthni ( ar, المثنى) * An-Na'bah ( ar, النعبة): a small spear * Al-Bayda' ( ar, البيضاء) a bigger spear * Anazah ( ar, العنزة): a short lance, which Muhammad held while attending the ‘Id festivals, and used to place in front of him when he led the prayer, using it as a '' sutrah''. Sometimes, Muhammad walked while holding the ‘Anazah.

Armor

Muhammad had seven pieces of armor * Dhat al-Fudul ( ar, ذات الفضول), which he pawned with Abu ash-Shahm, a Jew, in return for some 30 sa’ (weights relate to food) of barley for his family. The debt was for a year. This armor was made of iron. * Dhat al-Wishah ( ar, ذات الوشاح) * Dhat al-Hawashi ( ar, ذات الحواشي) * As-Sa’diyyah ( ar, السعدية) * Fiddah ( ar, فضة) * Al-Batra ( ar, البتراء) * Al-Khirniq ( ar, الخرنق)

Helmets

Muhammad had several helmets: * Al-Muwashah ( ar, الموشح): a helmet made of iron, adorned with copper. * As-Sabugh ( ar, السبوغ) or Dhu as-Sabugh ( ar, ذو السبوغ)

Shields

Muhammad had several shields: * Az-Zalluq ( ar, الْزَلُوق) * Al-Futaq ( ar, الفتق) was given to Muhammad as a gift, It is also said that there was a picture of a statue on the shield. Muhammad always placed his hand on the image of the statue on his shield.

Allah Allah (; ar, الله, translit=Allāh, ) is the common Arabic word for God. In the English language, the word generally refers to God in Islam. The word is thought to be derived by contraction from '' al- ilāh'', which means "the god", a ...

made the image fade away.

Clothing and accessories

Muhammad owned three long shirts (jubbas in Arabic) which he wore during battle. In one of the narrations from Ahmad, he said that it is allowed to wear silk during war. Accessory items included: * Al-'Uqab ( ar, العقاب): a black banner or flag. According to hadith of Abu Dawud's "Sunan" from one of the Companions who said: "I saw the Prophet’s banner, it was yellow."'Zad al-Ma'ad'; 1/50 * White banners that were sometimes mixed with black. * A pavilion called Al-Kann ( ar, الكن), and a crook that was one cubit's length long which Muhammad would carry while walking or riding. * A baton called Al-'Arjun. * A staff called Al-Mamshuq.

Descriptions

The 9th-century Emir

Ahmad Ibn Tulun Ahmad ibn Tulun ( ar, أحمد بن طولون, translit=Aḥmad ibn Ṭūlūn; c. 20 September 835 – 10 May 884) was the founder of the Tulunid dynasty that ruled Egypt and Syria between 868 and 905. Originally a Turkic slave-soldier, in 868 I ...

mentioned in his book “''Mufākahat al-Khullān'' ''fī Hawādith Az-Zamān''”, in the incidents of the year 19 AH (640 CE) and 900 AH (1500 CE) that some claimed that they had a mug and some crutches of Muhammad and that “it was found that they are not of the possessions of the Prophet Muhammad, but rather they are the fragments of

al-Layth ibn Sa'd Al-Layth ibn Saʿd ibn ʿAbd al-Raḥmān al-Fahmī al-Qalqashandī ( ar, الليث بن سعد بن عبد الرحمن الفهمي القلقشندي) was the chief representative, imam, and eponym of the Laythi school of Islamic Jurispruden ...

." The 15th-century scholar

al-Suyuti Jalal al-Din al-Suyuti ( ar, جلال الدين السيوطي, Jalāl al-Dīn al-Suyūṭī) ( 1445–1505 CE),; ( Brill 2nd) or Al-Suyuti, was an Arab Egyptian polymath, Islamic scholar, historian, Sufi, and jurist. From a family of Persian ...

said, on the authority of Muhammad (his garment): The modern scholar

Ahmed Taymour Ahmed Tawfik Taymour Pasha (1871–1930) was an Egyptian writer and historian. Taymour Pasha was born on 6 November 1871 in Cairo to a family of the Egyptian elite, his father Isma'il Taymur being of Kurdish origin and his mother of Turkish ...

says - after listing the remnants attributed to Muhammad in

References

External links

al-Mikhdham
(inc. image) - ''source: Center for Middle East and Islamic Studies, Department of History,

United States Naval Academy The United States Naval Academy (US Naval Academy, USNA, or Navy) is a federal service academy in Annapolis, Maryland. It was established on 10 October 1845 during the tenure of George Bancroft as Secretary of the Navy. The Naval Academy ...

''
List of Prophet's Swords
{{Muhammad2 Possessions of Muhammad Weapon history