Prophet's Realization & Insight

Deep realization that caused him to express sorrow

Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, being a prophet of Allah and a chosen one could see what many could not see. Allah ﷻ had removed the veils from his heart, he was able to see the realities of the heavens, and the earth, which gave him a glimpse in to the affairs of what was in al-ghayb (unseen). Being at a level much higher and deeper than our limited minds can encompass, he knew and saw what others could not. Many, pious believers like the saints of Islam, are also able to catch glimpse of such realities and experiences referred in sufi terms as Kashf (unveiling of the divine). They are able to because they do not indulge in worldly pleasures as most of us do. Whoever attaches themselves more to Allah ﷻ, they will experience a realization of their own. Many companions of the Prophet ﷺ had certain level of realization of this life and hereafter which others around them could not experience and that was due to the exertion and efforts they input in the path of Allah ﷻ which made them reach a certain spiritual level and status. Such a realization reveals to them the reality of this worldly life, which gives them more sorrow of what is in it when compared with what is in the hereafter. The Prophet ﷺ once said: “Had Shaytaan not been able to roam the minds of men they could have seen the mysteries of the heavens and the earths.”[1] Keeping this in mind the Prophet ﷺ had visions of such realities which made him sorrow, not for himself, but for others, for humankind as he was not only a mercy for Muslims, he was sent as a Mercy for entire creation (Al Quran 21:107). Such visions made him worry about the future of humanity especially their accountability in the hereafter, as majority of us waste our precious life. The Prophet ﷺ  said: “Paradise and Hell were presented to me and I have never seen the good and evil as (I did) today. If you were to know, you would have wept more and laughed less." He (the narrator) said: "There was nothing more burdensome for the Companions of Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) than this. They covered their heads and the sound of weeping was heard from them.”[2]

At other times the Prophet ﷺ said that he sees Angels all around and how they worship Allah ﷻ  while majority humans, are devoid of Allah’s remembrance due to the veils of worldly attachments that surround our hearts. The Prophet ﷺ said: “I see what you do not see and I hear what you do not hear; heaven has squeaked, and it has right to do so. By Him, in Whose Hand my soul is, there is not a space of four fingers in which there is not an angel who is prostrating his forehead before Allah, the Exalted. By Allah, if you knew what I know, you would laugh little, weep much, and you would not enjoy women (your wives) in beds, but would go out to the open space beseeching Allah.”[3] At times when reciting the verses of the Quran he would constantly cry and be sorrowful, not because he was sad or because of his sins, but because he was able to understand the depth being expressed in a few words of Quran due to his own deep realization of Allah’s ﷻ  majestic glory and benevolence in the universe. 

Ayesha (r.a) once cried and informed people who inquired about him after his passing away which made her weep and she said “all his matters were amazing. One night, he came close to me until his skin touched my skin and said, ‘Let me worship my Lord.’ I said, ‘By Allah I love your being close to me. I also love that you worship your Lord.’ He used the water-skin and performed ablution, but did not use too much water. He then stood up in prayer and cried until his beard became wet. He prostrated and cried until he made the ground wet. He then laid down on his side and cried. When Bilal came to alert the Prophet for the dawn (fajr) prayer, he said, `O Messenger of Allah! What makes you cry, while Allah has forgiven our previous and latter sins' to which the Prophet replied 'How can I prevent myself from crying after the following Verse was revealed: “Verily, in the creation of the heavens and the earth, and in the alternation of night and day, there are indeed signs for men of understanding.”[4] The Prophet (ﷺ) stood (in prayer at night) until his feet swelled up, and it was said to him: Allah has forgiven your past and future sins. He said: “Should I not be a thankful slave?'”[5]

References:
[1] Ihya Ulum id deen - Imam Ghazzali
[2] Sahih Muslim 2359 a – Sunnah.com
[3] Riyaad us Saliheen  Book 1, Hadith 406 – Sunnah.com
[4] Al Quran 3:190
[5] Kathir, Imam Ibn. 2003. Tafsir Ibn Kathir (Abridged) - Riyadh: Darussalam. Also available on www.qtafsir.com