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By Kamal Ghazal |
This extraordinary event is famously known as the story of "Sariya al-Jabal" meaning "Sariya of the Mountain."
The Incident
Sariya Ibn Zunaim Ibn Abdullah Al-Du'ali was a respected commander leading a Muslim army during the Islamic conquests of Persia.
One day, as Sariya’s forces were engaged in a fierce battle near the gates of Nahawand (in modern-day Iran), the Muslim army found itself at a critical disadvantage: they were trapped in low ground while the enemy forces controlled the higher ground, a tactical nightmare.
At that very moment, thousands of kilometers away in Medina, Caliph Omar Ibn Al-Khattab was delivering the Friday sermon (khutbah) from the pulpit of the Prophet Muhammad's Mosque. In the midst of his speech, Omar suddenly cried out, seemingly out of nowhere:
"O Sariya! The mountain! The mountain! Beware !"
The congregation was puzzled by his sudden outburst. Some turned to Omar and asked: "What are you saying? " Omar simply responded, "Something was placed upon my tongue," meaning he spoke involuntarily.
Later, it was revealed that Sariya and his men, during the heat of battle, had heard a mysterious voice shouting: "O Sariya! The mountain!" Acting swiftly, Sariya led his men to seize the high ground. This strategic move turned the tide of battle, leading to a swift and decisive Muslim victory.
When Sariya returned to Medina, he confirmed the astonishing event: he had indeed heard a voice warning him to take the mountain, at precisely the time Omar had uttered those words during the sermon.
Cultural Notes
Sariya is the name of the Muslim commander.
Al-Jabal means "the mountain" in Arabic.
The phrase "Sariya al-Jabal" roughly translates to "Sariya, to the mountain!", a warning or command.
This story has long been interpreted by Islamic historians and scholars as a remarkable example of spiritual telepathy — a deep, unseen connection between two souls, transcending time and space.
Telepathy and Science
While Western scientific study of telepathy did not formally begin until 1882 with the work of Frederic W. H. Myers, who coined the term telepathy, the idea of mind-to-mind communication has fascinated humanity for centuries.
Modern theories suggest that emotional bonds, such as those between lovers or close companions, may enhance telepathic sensitivity. Some researchers propose that the human brain, through its electromagnetic activity, could theoretically support such connections producing "beta waves" during wakefulness, "alpha waves" during meditation, "theta waves" during deep relaxation, and "delta waves" during deep sleep.
However, with the growing interference of artificial electromagnetic waves in our modern environment, it is believed that natural human telepathic abilities, if they ever existed strongly, have significantly weakened, making true telepathic experiences increasingly rare.
It was in mid 50s that I heard from an imam during Juma prayer khutba in a Nowshera mosque " Ya Saria, Al-jabal " when the imam was mentioning this story of 'telepathic message to a Muslim Commander Sarya leading a Muslim army in the east, caution him of a possible ambush from the mountain side. Sarya later confirmed hearing the message and took steps to avoid the trouble..
ReplyDeleteYears later I searched Google to find about the incident and I just found this reference to the story in 2023. MashaAllah