The incident of the splitting of the chest

Our beloved Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) spent nearly five years in the open desert, surrounded by the purity of nature and raised in a wholesome environment. Shaykh Muhammad al-Ghazali observed, “Raising children in the desert, allowing them to play freely amidst nature and enjoy its open air and radiant sunlight, is especially conducive to refining the innate disposition (fitrah), developing the bodies and senses, and freeing the mind and emotions” (Fiqh al-Sirah).

It was by the Divine Will of Allah Almighty that the chest of His Messenger peace and blessings be upon him) was split open on two occasions: the first when he was a young child under the age of five in the land of Banu Sa‘d, and the second on the Night of al-Isra’ and al-Mi‘raj.This is evidenced by the report of Anas ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) who said, “The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, was visited by Jibril, peace be upon him, while he was playing with the young boys. Jibril took him, laid him down, and opened his chest. He then removed his heart, extracting a clot, and said, ‘This is the share of Satan from you.’ He then washed the heart in a golden vessel with the water of Zamzam, gathered and restored it, and returned it to its place. The boys who were playing with him ran to his mother, meaning his wet nurse, saying, ‘Muhammad has been killed!’ They found him pale in color. Anas said, “I used to see the mark of the stitching on his chest” (recorded by Muslim).

The event prompted his wet nurse to hasten to return him to his mother in Makkah, despite her deep affection for him and the blessings she had witnessed in his presence. Her fear that he might come to harm prompted her to act.

There is no doubt that this event carries profound significance. By the will of Allah Almighty, the heart of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was prepared from an early age to bear the trust of prophethood, purified from any share of Satan, so that it would remain untouched by what afflicts many during the early years of life from distractions or the deviation of innate disposition. It is well known that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) never prostrated to an idol, nor did he indulge in the idle amusements typical of other boys.

Dr. Mohammed Sa’id Ramadan al-Buti (may Allah have mercy on him) explained the wisdom behind the incident of the splitting of the chest, saying, “It appears that the wisdom behind this incident was to proclaim the affair of the Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him, and to prepare him for infallibility and revelation from his earliest years through tangible means, thereby helping to secure people’s faith in him and their recognition of his message. It was, therefore, a process of spiritual purification, but it took on this tangible, physical form so that this divine proclamation might be witnessed and heard by the people” (Fiqh al-Sirah).