Discover the meaning of the term Al-irhaṣ (إرهاص) in Islamic vocabulary.
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Updated on 11 April 2026 at 1:05 AM
📖 2 min readWhat appears of the wonders of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) before his appearing, like the light that was upon the foreheads of the fathers of our Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him).
The bringing about of an event transcending custom, indicating the mission of a prophet before his mission.
What issues from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) before the prophethood of an event transcending custom; it is said: they are of the kind of miraculous favours, for the prophets before prophethood are not below the rank of the saints.
The bringing about of an event transcending custom, indicating the mission of a prophet (before the mission), like the shading of the cloud for the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him).
In the language (foundation, establishing). In terminology: the wonder appearing from the prophet before his mission; it is called irhas because it lays the foundation of prophethood and betokens its coming, from arhasat the wall: when she laid its foundation. In another phrasing: the irhas is what appears of the wonders of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) before his appearing, like the light upon the foreheads of the fathers of our Prophet Muhammad al-Mustafa (peace and blessings be upon him).
What appeared of the wonders of the Prophet before his appearing, like the light upon the forehead of the father of the Chosen One (peace and blessings be upon him); some mentioned it (al-Ta'rifat, p. 16), and al-Taftazani (Sa'd al-Din Umar al-Taftazani, died 781 H) abridged it, saying: the founding of prophethood by wonders before the mission.