Throughout history, countless individuals have claimed greatness, but only a true prophet can speak of the unseen with unwavering certainty and be proven right time and again. The life of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) is filled with guidance and mercy and remarkable prophecies that unfolded exactly as he foretold. These are not mere coincidences instead, they are divine signs, witnessed by his companions and recorded in authentic sources. In this article, we explore powerful moments where his words illuminated the future, strengthened the faith of believers, and echoed across generations as undeniable proof of his truthfulness.
One of the most compelling evidence for the truthfulness of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) lies in the numerous authentic prophecies he made, many of which were fulfilled in astonishing detail. These predictions, rooted in Quranic revelation and rigorously authenticated Hadith, offer powerful testimony to his Prophethood. As Al-Qazi Iyad (d. 544 AH / 1149 CE) rightly stated:
“This genre of hadith is a bottomless ocean and an unending stream. They are among his miracles which are undeniably established, transmitted to us by tawatur (abundant concurrence), due to their many narrators and the concordance of their meanings, all corroborating the fact that He (PBUH) was aware of (some of) the unseen.”
Al-Qazi Iyad, al-Shifaʾ bi-Tarif Ḥuquq al-Muṣṭafa, vol. 1, pp. 335–336
(Amman: Dar al-Fikr, 1988)
The Prophecy of the Byzantine Victory
Quranic Foretelling
The Quran states:
“The Byzantines have been defeated. In the nearest land. But they, after their defeat, will overcome. Within three to nine years.”
Quran, Surah al-Rum 30:2–4 (Saheeh International)
From 613–619 CE, the Byzantine Empire suffered a string of catastrophic defeats at the hands of the Sassanid Persians, including the loss of Jerusalem, Antioch, Damascus, Armenia, and Egypt. Historian Edward Gibbon remarks on the severity of the situation:
“When this prediction is said to have been delivered, no prophecy could be more distant from its accomplishment, since the first twelve years of Heraclius announced the approaching dissolution of the empire.”
Edward Gibbon, The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, vol. 4, chap. XLVI, p. 479 (London: Electric Book Co., 2001)
Fulfillment
Contrary to all expectations, Emperor Heraclius launched a successful counter-offensive starting in 622 CE, reclaiming lost territories and decisively defeating the Persians within the predicted time frame six to eight years after the prophecy.
Concurrent Muslim Victory
The Quran also states:
“And on that Day the believers will rejoice in the victory of Allah.”
Quran, Surah al-Rum 30:4–5 (Muhsin Khan Translation)
According to Abu Ḥayyan al-Andalusi (d. 745 AH / 1344 CE), one reason for this rejoicing was the Muslims’ concurrent victory at the Battle of Badr in 624 CE, which occurred the same year as Heraclius’s resurgence:
Muḥammad ibn Yusuf Abu Ḥayyan, al-Baḥr al-Muḥiṭ fi al-Tafsir, vol. 8, p. 375 (Beirut: Dar al-Fikr, 1992)
The Foretold Doom of Abu Lahab
Quranic Foretelling
Upon being publicly called to Islam, Abu Lahab, an uncle and staunch enemy of the Prophet (PBUH), rebuked him. God then revealed:
“May the hands of Abu Lahab be ruined, and ruined is he. His wealth will not avail him, nor that which he gained. He will (enter to) burn in a Fire of (blazing) flame.”
Quran, Surah al-Masad 111:1–3 (Saheeh International)
Fulfillment
For nine years following the revelation, Abu Lahab had every opportunity to feign acceptance of Islam and invalidate this claim. Yet he never did, affirming the prophecy’s accuracy and reinforcing the Quran’s divine origin.
Islam’s Global Spread
Prophetic Foretelling
At a time when Muslims were few, powerless, and persecuted in Makkah, the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) made the astounding prophecy:
“This matter will certainly reach every place touched by the night and day. Allah will not leave a house of mud or even fur except that He will cause this religion to enter it, by which the honourable will be honoured and the disgraceful will be disgraced. Allah will honour the honorable with Islam and He will disgrace the disgraceful with unbelief.”
Musnad Aḥmad, vol. 28, p. 154, Hadith no. 16957; authenticated by al-Arnaut and al-Albani in Silsilat al-Aḥadith al-Ṣaḥiḥah, vol. 1, p. 32, Hadith no. 3 (Riyadh: Maktabat al-Marif, 1996)
In another narration:
“Indeed, Allah gathered up the earth for me so that I saw its east and its west, and the dominion of my nation will indeed reach what was gathered up for me.”
Ṣaḥiḥ Muslim, vol. 4, p. 2215, Hadith no. 2889
Fulfillment
Despite the initial improbability, Islam today is a global religion with adherents on every inhabited continent, including remote regions like Alaska and the Pacific Islands. According to a Pew Research Centre report:
“Islam is projected to become the world’s largest religion by 2070.”
Pew Research Center, The Future of World Religions: Population Growth Projections, 2010–2050, April 2, 2015
The Prophecy of Umm Ḥaram and the Naval Expedition
The Prophetic Words
Umm Ḥaram bint Malḥan (R.A) reported:
“The first army from my nation to ride the sea has guaranteed themselves (Paradise).”
She said, “O Messenger of Allah, will I be among them?”
He replied, “You will be among them.”
Later, the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said:
“The first army from my nation to march in battle to the City of Caesar (Constantinople) will be forgiven.”
She asked, “Will I be among them, O Messenger of Allah?”
He replied, “No.”
Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhari, vol. 4, p. 42, Hadith no. 2924; vol. 9, p. 34, Hadith no. 7002
Ṣaḥiḥ Muslim, vol. 3, p. 1518, Hadith no. 1912
Historical Fulfillment
During the caliphate of Muawiyah ibn Abi Sufyan (R.A), the first Muslim naval expedition set sail. Umm Ḥaram accompanied her husband, ʿUbadah ibn al-Ṣamit (R.A), as part of this fleet. While in enemy territory on the island of Cyprus she fell from her mount and passed away, as foretold by the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).
Her Grave in Cyprus
Imam al-Ṭabarani and others recorded that her grave remained known on the island of Cyprus:
Al-Ṭabarani, Al Mujam Al-Kabir vol. 25, p. 130, Hadith no. 316
Abu Nuaym al-Iṣfahānī, Ḥilyat al-Awliya, vol. 2, p. 62
Ibn Ḥajar’s Commentary
Ibn Ḥajar al-Asqalani (d. 852 AH) wrote:
“This narration contains multiple prophecies by the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), all of which came true. Among them: that his Ummah would survive after him, would become strong and capable of confronting enemies, would ride the sea, and that Umm Ḥaram would live to witness it and participate in the naval campaign, but would not live to see the campaign to Constantinople.”
Ibn Ḥajar, Fatḥ al-Bari, vol. 11, p. 77
The Prophecy Regarding the Liar and the Murderer from Thaqif
Prophetic Statement and Historical Context
After the martyrdom of Abdullah ibn al-Zubair (R.A), who had resisted the tyranny of al-Ḥajjaj ibn Yusuf, his body was crucified near the Kabah and later discarded into a Jewish graveyard. Al-Ḥajjaj then approached his mother, Asma bint Abi Bakr (R.A), the sister-in-law of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), and said:
“What do you think of what I have done to the enemy of Allah?”
She replied with unwavering conviction:
“You have ruined his worldly life by ruining your afterlife. The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) told us that from Thaqīf would emerge a liar and a murderer. We have seen the liar, and I am sure you are the murderer.”
Hearing this, al-Ḥajjaj left in shame.
Ṣaḥiḥ Muslim, vol. 4, p. 1971, Hadith no. 2545
The Liar Identified
Hadith commentators agree that the “liar” from Thaqīf refers to al-Mukhtar ibn Abi Ubayd, who falsely claimed Prophethood. The “murderer” is identified as al-Ḥajjaj ibn Yusuf, infamous for his ruthless suppression of opposition and desecration of sacred sites.
The Prophecy of Political Phases in Muslim History
The Foretold Sequence of Governance
Ḥuzaifa ibn Al-Yaman (R.A) reported that the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said:
“Prophethood will remain among you as long as Allah wills. Then He will remove it when He wills. Then there will be a caliphate upon the prophetic methodology (khilafah ʿala minhaj al-nubuwwah) it will remain as long as Allah wills. Then He will remove it. Then there will be a biting monarchy (mulk aḍḍ), and it will last as long as Allah wills. Then He will remove it. Then there will be a tyrannical monarchy (mulk jabri), lasting as long as Allah wills. Then He will remove it. Then there will be a caliphate upon the prophetic methodology.”
Musnad Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal, vol. 30, p. 355, Hadith no. 18406
Authenticated as Hasan (acceptable) by al-Arnauṭ
Historical Correlation
This narration outlines five distinct phases of Muslim governance:
- Prophethood: During the life of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).
- Rightly Guided Caliphate: The era of the four caliphs (Abu Bakr, ʿUmar, ʿUsman, and ʿAli (R.A).
- Biting Monarchy: The Umayyad and Abbasid dynasties.
- Tyrannical Monarchy: Subsequent regimes characterized by oppression and dictatorship.
- Return of the Caliphate upon the Prophetic Model: A yet future era of just Islamic governance.
The precise sequence and prophetic foresight affirm the truthfulness of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).
In a world of uncertainty, the fulfilled prophecies of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) shine as beacons of divine truth. They are historical facts and moments of living faith where heaven met earth and the unseen became seen. From the tears of Umm Ḥaram on the shores of Cyprus to the unshakable courage of ʿAsmaʾ in the face of tyranny, these events reaffirm what every believing heart knows: that Muhammad (PBUH) was not a mere man, but the final Messenger of Allah guided by revelation, supported by miracles, and forever engraved in the story of truth.
