meaning; otherwise, the other wording is stronger, since two narrators agree upon it, as you have seen—especially as it is supported by his statement, peace and blessings be upon him:

“The likeness of my ummah is that of rain: it is not known whether its beginning is better or its end.”

It is an authentic hadith, as was explained in detail above under no. (2286). *

3311—(Nothing exists that does not know that I am the Messenger of Allah, except the disbelievers or the wicked among the jinn and humankind.)

Al-Tabarani recorded it in al-Muʿjam al-Kabir (22/261/672 and 25/306/54), as did al-Bayhaqi in The Proofs of Prophethood (6/22), through Sharik, from ʿUmar ibn ʿAbd Allah ibn Yaʿla ibn Murrah, from his father, from his grandfather, who said:

“I witnessed three things from the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, which no one before me had witnessed:

A—Once I was with him on the road to Mecca when he passed by a woman accompanied by her son, who was afflicted with a severe fit of madness—the like of which I had never seen. She said, ‘O Messenger of Allah, my son is as you see.’ He said, ‘If you wish, I shall supplicate for him.’ So he supplicated for him and then went on.

B—He then passed by a camel stretching out its neck and bellowing. He said, ‘Bring me this animal’s owner.’ Then he said, ‘It says: “I was born among them, and they put me to work; but when I grew old, they wanted to slaughter me.”’ He then went on.

C—He saw two trees standing apart and said to me, ‘Go and command them to come together.’”