The Prophet's Pond

The Prophet's Pond is an Islamic picture book for children aged 4 to 9 about a boy who sets off with his mother to find a special pond, where someone he loves has promised to meet him.

The boy tells his mummy that he is meeting someone by a special pond, and together they go looking for it. They walk through a park, cross a meadow, climb a mountain and follow a river, and at each pond they find, the boy explains why it cannot be the one. The special pond is sweeter than honey and whiter than milk. It would take a month to cross one side of it, its scent is finer than musk, and its cups are more than the stars in the sky. One drink from it and you will never feel thirsty again, and two streams from Paradise, one of silver and one of gold, flow into it. At last his mother understands: it is the Hawd, the Pond of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ in the Hereafter.

The book is inspired by the Prophet's ﷺ words, "Remain patient until you meet me by the Pond", reported in Sahih al-Bukhari. Told in repeating rhyme, it teaches children what the authentic hadith say about the Hawd, and that patience and trust in Allah through life's trials lead to meeting the Prophet ﷺ there.

It is the companion to The Prophet Described. It is written by Zaheer Khatri and illustrated by the Learning Roots Design Studio, and it is music-free.

Looking for a special pond

"Mummy," said the boy, "I'm meeting someone by a special pond, someone I'm very fond of. But it may be a little hard to find. Will you help me?"

"Of course," said Mummy. "Ponds shouldn't be too hard to find."

So they set off through a park and beyond, until they came to a dark green, murky pond. "That's not the one," said the boy. "Its water doesn't look nice at all. The special pond is sweeter than honey."

"Sweeter than honey!" said Mummy. "How delicious that pond must be. And who do you hope to see there?"

"He told me to be patient until I meet him," said the boy.

Pond after pond

They marched on across a meadow and found a thick, sticky pond, as dark as the night. "That can't be it," said the boy. "The special pond is whiter than milk."

They rambled into a forest and found a sparkling white pond, but the boy could jump across it in a few strides. "It would take a month's ride to cross just one side of the special pond," he said.

They trekked up a mountain to a vast, steamy pond, but the boy sniffed the air: it smelled like rotten rusks. "The scent of the special pond is finer than musk."

They roamed across a valley to a sandy, scented pond. The boy's throat felt dry, but there were no cups there. "The special pond has more cups than the stars in the sky."

They sailed down a river to a fresh-water pond, and the boy scooped some up to his lips, but he still felt thirsty. "One taste from the special pond," he said, "and I'll never feel thirsty again."

Each time, Mummy wondered how wonderful that pond must be, and asked who he hoped to see. And each time, the boy gave the same answer: "He told me to be patient until I meet him."

Silver and gold

At last they walked past a waterfall and found a crystal-clear, icy pond. "Alhamdulillah," said Mummy. "That should do."

"Not quite," said the boy. "The special pond is even colder, and two streams from Paradise flow into it: one of silver and one of gold."

Mummy laughed. "Why, that's a pond from the Hereafter! Now I know who you hope to see. But tell me anyway."

"Since we've come so far," said the boy, "I hope to meet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, the Messenger of Allah. He's the one I love most, and the one I hope to meet by the special pond."

Until we meet him

Mummy wiped the tears from her eyes. She prayed that when they all stood by the pond, the Prophet ﷺ would give them its water with his own hand. Until then, she said, hugging her son tight, they would follow his way with all their might. Trials in life were sure to come, but they would put their trust in Allah alone and answer them with patience, until they met the Prophet ﷺ by his pond.

• Sahih al-Bukhari 3792: The Prophet ﷺ told the Ansar to be patient until they met him at the Pond.
• Sahih al-Bukhari 6579: My Pond is a month's journey across; its water is whiter than milk, its scent finer than musk, its cups like the stars of the sky, and whoever drinks from it will never be thirsty.
• Sahih Muslim 2300: Abu Dharr's report that the water of the Pond is whiter than milk and sweeter than honey, and that two spouts from Paradise flow into it.
• Sahih Muslim 2301: Thawban's report that two spouts from Paradise flow into the Pond, one of gold and one of silver.