What are the gospels given in handak?
The Companions complained to the Blessed Prophet -upon him blessings and peace- about a large rock they came upon while digging, which they could not break clear. So the Messenger of Allah -upon him blessings and peace- grabbed a pointy sledgehammer and, saying the name of Allah, glory unto Him, struck the rock three times, crushing it like fine sand.[1] With each strike, the Blessed Prophet -upon him blessings and peace- relieved the Believers with glad tidings. Given to him after the first strike, he said, were the keys of Damascus (Byzantine), the keys of Persia after the second strike, and the keys of Yemen after the third. The Blessed Prophet -upon him blessings and peace- told the Companions he could see the palaces of these places from where he was. Informing the Believers that all of these places were to be honored with the guidance of Islam and the word of Allah in the near future, the Blessed Prophet -upon him blessings and peace- injected in them the hope of all the victories to come.[2] He assured them that very soon the Truth would triumph over the false, and victories previously inconceivable were now looming realities.
When the Blessed Prophet -upon him blessings and peace- began describing the white palace of the Khosrau in the Sassanid stronghold of Madain, Salman -Allah be well-pleased with him-, who knew it from experience, concurred, stating, “By Allah, who has sent you with the true religion and book, that palace is exactly how you have described it! I bear witness once more that you are the Messenger of Allah!”
“Salman”, then responded the Noble Messenger, “Allah will grant you these victories after me. Damascus will surely fall! Heraclius will flee to the furthermost distant corner of his realm! You will reign over the entire region of Damascus! Nobody will be able to stand in your way! Yemen will surely fall! The Khosrau will be killed after that!”
Salman -Allah be well-pleased with him- much later testified to having seen “…each of those take place.” (Waqidi, II, 450)
As each of these regions fell one by one, Abu Hurayra -Allah be well-pleased with him- would likewise say, “These are only the beginning for you! By Allah, in whose Hand of Might the life of Abu Hurayrah resides, the Almighty has given Muhammad -upon him blessings and peace- the keys of the entire places you have taken and will take until the Final Hour!” (Ibn Hisham, III, 235)
The glad tidings the Blessed Prophet -upon him blessings and peace- heralded the Believers with provided an enormous spiritual comfort to help them endure the hardships still to come. That victory would ultimately belong to the Believers and dismay to their enemies only served to enhance the patience and endurance of the iman filled hearts of Muslims. Indeed, a colossal amount of patience and endurance would be needed; a fierce battle against fatigue and hunger on the one hand, and blistering cold on the other, Handak would indeed prove to be an almost insufferable ordeal. But above all, a prayer the Blessed Prophet -upon him blessings and peace- uttered in the trenches was an emotional reminder that all pains and sufferings undergone in the world, no matter how intense, would eventually mean nothing compared to the eternal bliss awaiting:
“O my Lord! Life is but that of the Hereafter! So help the Ansar and the Muhajir!” (Bukhari, Maghazi, 29)
[1] Bukhari, Maghazi, 29.
[2] See, Ahmad, IV, 303; Ibn Saad, IV, 83, 84.
Source: Osman Nuri Topbaş, The Prophet Muhammed Mustafa the Elect II, Erkam Publications
