IRRATIONAL MAN
Man, who calls himself a rational creature, is at times so irrational that he cannot distinguish between what is glaringly ugly, false, mischievous and devilish from what is honorable, just, beautiful and divine. This is not so because man lacks the quality and faculty to differentiate between the good and bad or between the ugly and beautiful, but solely because man is unwilling to labor a little to find out the real truth. At other times, when man does find the real "Truth" he does not stand up and recognize it as he should, but tries to escape from his discovery under family, community, country and other general considerations, taking refuge under these pretexts to save himself from having to face the discomfort of incurring the displeasure of his family and friends. This little awkward situation one is confronted with too is no more valid in the Western countries where nobody now cares who believes in what, since most people do not believe in anything. Thus for them God has made it easy to accept the Truth, if only they will.
By failing to recognize the truth or by not aggressively upholding the Truth, man indirectly becomes instrumental in letting "falsehood prevail and persist" despite his discovery of the Truth. Man generally tries to adopt the course of least resistance and thus lets falsehood gather momentum. On the other hand there is also no rational stand for those people who, when they find many things in their books and in practice unacceptable to their rational minds, commit even greater blunder by "abandoning": their reasoning faculty altogether by denying the very existence of God. By denying the existence of the Greater and Master of the entire cosmic Universe, one can find no solution to any problem with which one is confronted. One cannot deny for ever the "fundamental reality" and be at peace. Peace is "denied" to any one who is not at "peace with his Master". In fact the Master does not deny us anything. It is man's mind and his reasoning faculty, which denies him the peace he seeks because he is unnaturally forcing his own mind to accept what his subconscious mind knows fully well, to be wrong and "opposed to the reality of the great Truth".
If we deny God, we are then obviously denying the very "purpose and objective of life itself" which is granted to us. It means that we deny "the whole Universe around us". The atheists say, "If the universe was created by God, who created God" but you ask them if God did not create the universe who created it? They will say, "It existed from infinity". So in their stupidity, they answer their own question because if universe could exist all by itself from infinity why can't God be existing from infinity to infinity. Hence it also means that we deny all that is beautiful and orderly in life, thereby denying all authority, all laws, all moral codes, and all principles of ethics, all sense of justice, all love of fellow human beings and finally all rights of others.
FASHION TO DENY GOD
Some people, especially the young of age, carelessly deny the existence of God not because they understand anything about the process of life and the reality of the mighty Universe that surrounds us and the might and power of the creator which it reflects: nay they deny God only because it is "fashionable" to do so. They think that by denial of God they will be more "accepted in society" and considered "intellectually liberated" but on the contrary the truth is that by denying God one would be "liberated of all intelligence”. The true intellectual liberation is the "treasure of those minds" who are liberated intellectually from "accepting any concept of God" which is "irrational and is merely based on priestly authority". Neither do they believe in any dogmas which are "man-made" and are presented to mankind as emanating from human deities, considered to be the "saviors of our souls", nor do they succumb to intellectual slavery by accepting any theory which is being "imposed authoritatively" and by force on them without their right "to question it". GOD-NOT THE AUTHOR OF CONFUSION
God is not the author of confusion, it is man, who because of his hypocrisy, his ulterior motives and his vested interests, has created so much confusion in their beliefs about the "same God" and thus has, in the name of God, destroyed countless innocent human lives besides dividing mankind Into Christians, Jews, Buddhists, Hindus etc. God sent all his Prophets with one and the same message which was "Worship none but the one and only Almighty imageless God".
Thus there is only one religion since the first man set foot on earth till today.
In the HINDOUS SCRIPTURES it is said
-God is only one, without a second Chandogya Upanishad ch6 sec2 v1
-Almighty God has no parents, no mother, no father, no superiors Shavetashvatara Upanishad ch6 v9
-Of that God there is no Pratima, there is no likeness, there is no Image, there is no picture, no sculpture, and no statue. Shevetashvatara Upanishad ch4 v19/ Yajurveda ch32 v3
-No one can see the Almighty God Shevetashvatara Upanishad ch4 v20
-All those whose intelligence has been stolen by material desires, they worship Idols.Bhagvad Geeta ch7 v20
-They know me as the unborn, not begotten, the supreme God of the worlds. Bhagvad Geeta ch10 v3
-Almighty God is imageless and pure Yajurveda ch40 v8
-They are entering the darkness, those who worship assamuthi, the natural things, like fire, water, air etc. And they are entering more in darkness those who worship the sambuthi, created things, like table, chair, statues etc.Yajurveda ch40 v9
-Verily great is Almighty GodAtharvaveda bk20 hym58 v3
-God is one, truth is one, and sages call Him by various names.Rigveda bk1 hym164 v46
-Worship Him alone; praise Him alone, One GodRigveda bk8 hym1 v1
-Praise Him alone; worship that one GodRigveda bk6 hym45 v16
-Ikkam Brahmam dewta naste nehna naste kinshan, Bhagwan eik hein, dousra nahin, zara bhi nahin zara bhi nahin, There is only one God not a second one, not at all, not at all, not at the least with.(Brahma Sutra.)
But when human beings deviated from the right path and started to worship the assamuthi and sambhuti God send other messengers with the same message.
So we can see in the JEWISH SCRIPTURE
Exo 20:1 And God spoke all these words, saying,
Exo 20:2 I am the LORD thy God, which have brought thee out of the land, of Egypt, out of the house, of bondage.
Exo 20:3 Thou shalt have no other gods before, me.
Exo 20:4 Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth
Exo 20:5 Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me.
Num 23:19 God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?
Isa 44:6 Thus saith the LORD the King of Israel, and his redeemer the LORD of hosts; I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God.
Isa 44:7 And who, as I, shall call, and shall declare it, and set it in order for me, since I appointed the ancient people? And the things that are coming, and shall come, let them show unto them.
Isa 44:8 Fear ye not, neither be afraid: have not I told thee from that time, and have declared it? ye are even my witnesses. Is there a God beside, me? yea, there is no God; I know not any.
Isa 44:9 They that make a graven image are all of them vanity; and their delectable things shall not profit; and they are their own witnesses; they see not, nor know; that they may be ashamed.
Isa 44:10 Who hath formed a god, or molten a graven image that is profitable for nothing?
Isa 44:15 Then shall it be for a man to burn: for he will take thereof, and warm himself; yea, he kindleth it, and baketh bread; yea, he maketh a god, and worshipeth it; he maketh it a graven image, and falleth down thereto.
Isa 44:16 He burneth part thereof in the fire; with part thereof he eateth flesh; he roasteth roast, and is satisfied: yea, he warmeth himself, and saith, Aha, I am warm, I have seen the fire:
Isa 44:17 And the residue thereof he maketh a god, even his graven image: he falleth down unto it, and worshipeth it, and prayeth unto it, and saith, Deliver me; for thou art my god.
Isa 44:18 They have not known nor understood: for he hath shut their eyes, that they cannot see; and their hearts, that they cannot understand.
Isa 44:24 Thus saith the LORD, thy redeemer, and he that formed thee from the womb, I am the LORD that maketh all things; that stretcheth forth the heavens alone; that spreadeth abroad the earth by myself.
Isa 45:18 I am the LORD; and there is none else.
Isa 45:20 they have no knowledge that set up the wood of their graven image, and pray unto a god that cannot save.
Isa 45:21 and there is no God else beside, me; a just God and a Savior; there is none beside me.
Isa 45:22 Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else.
Isa 45:23 I have sworn by myself, the word is gone out of my mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, That unto me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear.
Jer 10:14/Jer 51:17 Every man is brutish in his knowledge: every founder is confounded by the graven image: for his molten image is falsehood, and there is no breath in them.
Jer 10:15/Jer 51:18 They are vanity, and the work of errors: in the time of their visitation they shall perish.
Nah 1:14 And the LORD hath given a commandment concerning thee, that no more of thy name be sown out; of the house of thy gods will I cut off the graven image and the molten image: I will make thy grave; for thou art vile.
Hab 2:18 What profiteth the graven image that the maker thereof hath graven it; the molten image, and a teacher of lies, that the maker of his work trusteth therein, to make dumb idols?
Hab 2:19 Woe unto him that saith to the wood, Awake; to the dumb stone, Arise, it shall teach! Behold, it is laid over with gold and silver, and there is no breath at all in the midst of it.
Here God is known as El Eloh Elohim and a four voyels word not pronounced ever.
Gen 33:20 And he erected there an altar, and called it El-elohe-Israel.
But when human beings deviated again from the right path and break the covenant, God send other messenger to confirm the same message.
So we can see in the CHRISTIANS SCRIPTURES
Matthew 5:17 “Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them, but rather to fulfill them. I tell you the truth, until Heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of the pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until all things are accomplished. Anyone who breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the Kingdom of Heaven. But whoever keeps the commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven.”
Rom 1:22 Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,
Rom 1:23 And changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.
Rom 1:24 Wherefore God also gave them up, to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonor their own bodies between themselves:
Rom 1:25 Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshiped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.
Rom 1:26 For this cause, God gave them up, unto vile affections: for even, their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature:
Rom 1:27 And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompense of their error which was meet.
Rom 1:28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over, to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient.
But unfortunately the messenger had to leave without completing the message because of a murder conspiracy, so God sent another messenger to fulfill and complete the message. Thus we can read the same kind of message in the Islamic scripture Holy Qur'aan
ALLAH: ALLAH is the proper name in Arabic for The One and Only God, The Creator and Sustainer of the universe. It is used by the Arab Christians and Jews for the God (Eloh-im in Hebrew; 'Allaha' in Aramaic, the mother tongue of Jesus, pbuh). And in Hinduism God is known as Allah in Rigveda bk2 hym1 v11, Rigveda bk3 hym30 v10, Rigveda bk9 hym67 v30. And there is a separate Upanishad named Alloh Upanishad. The word Allah does not have a plural or gender. Allah does not have any associate or partner, and He does not beget nor was He begotten.
Al Baqara: 163 And your Allah is one Allah; there is no god but He Most Gracious Most Merciful.
Al Baqara: 255 Allah! there is no Allah but He the living the Self-subsisting Eternal. No slumber can seize him nor sleep. His are all things in the heavens and on earth. Who is there can intercede in His presence except as He permitteth? He knoweth what (appeareth to his creatures as) before or after or behind them. Nor shall they compass aught of his knowledge except as He willeth. His throne doth extend over the heavens and the earth and He feeleth no fatigue in guarding and preserving them. For He is the Most High the Supreme (in glory).
Aali Imran: 6 He it is Who shapes you in the wombs as He pleases. There is no god but He the Exalted in Might the Wise.
An nisaa: 82 They have "Obedience" on their lips; but when they leave thee a section of them meditate all night on things very different from what thou tellest them but Allah records their nightly (plots): so keep clear of them and put thy trust in Allah; and enough is Allah as a Disposer of affairs.
-171 O people of the Book! commit no excesses in your religion: nor say of Allah aught but truth. Christ Jesus the son of Mary was (no more than) an Apostle of Allah and His Word which He bestowed on Mary and a Spirit proceeding from Him: so believe in Allah and His Apostles. Say not "Trinity": desist: it will be better for you: for Allah is One Allah: glory be to him: (for Exalted is He) above having a son. To Him belong all things in the heavens and on earth. And enough is Allah as a Disposer of affairs.
Al maida: 73 They do blaspheme who say: Allah is one of three in a Trinity: for there is no god except One Allah. If they desist not from their word (of blasphemy) verily a grievous penalty will befall the blasphemers among them.
Al an aam: 102 That is Allah your Lord! there is no god but He the Creator of all things: then worship ye Him: and He hath power to dispose of all affairs.
-106 Follow what thou art taught by inspiration from thy Lord: there is no god but He: and turn aside from those who join gods with Allah.
Al a’raaf:158 Say: "O men! I am sent unto you all as the apostle of Allah to Whom belongeth the dominion of the heavens and the earth: there is no god but He: it is He that giveth both life and death. So believe in Allah and His apostle the unlettered Prophet who believed in Allah and His words: follow him that (so) ye may be guided."
Al hijr: 96 Those who adopt with Allah another god: but soon will they come to know.
An nahl: 22 Your Allah is One Allah: as to those who believe not in the Hereafter their hearts refuse to know and they are arrogant.
An nahl: 51 Allah has said: "Take not (for worship) two gods: for He is just One Allah: then fear Me (and Me alone)."
Al Israa: 22 Take not with Allah another object of worship; or thou (O man!) wilt sit in disgrace and destitution.
Al Anbiyaa: 22 If there were in the heavens and the earth other gods besides Allah there would have been confusion in both! But glory to Allah the Lord of the Throne: (high is He) above what they attribute to Him!
Al mu’minoun:91 No son did Allah beget nor is there any god along with Him: (if there were many gods) behold each god would have taken away what he had created and some would have lorded it over others! Glory to Allah (He is free) from the (sort of) things they attribute to Him!
Al furqaan: 3 Yet have they taken besides Him gods that can create nothing but are themselves created; that have no control of hurt or good to themselves; nor can they control Death nor Life nor Resurrection.
Al furqaan: 43 Seest thou such a one as taketh for his god his own passion (or impulse)? Couldst thou be a disposer of affairs for him?
Ash shu araa: 213 So call not on any other god with Allah or thou wilt be among those under the Penalty.
An naml: 59Say: Praise be to Allah and Peace on His servants whom He has chosen (for his Message). (Who) is better? Allah or the false gods they associate with Him?
60Or who has created the heaven and the earth and who sends you down rain from the sky? Yea with it We cause to grow well-planted orchards full of beauty and delight: it is not in your power to cause the growth of the trees in them. (Can there be another) god besides Allah? Nay they are a people who swerve from justice.
61Or who has made the earth firm to live in; made rivers in its midst; set thereon mountains immovable; and made a separating bar between the two bodies of flowing water? (Can there be another) god besides Allah? Nay most of them know not.
62Or who listens to the (soul) distressed when it calls on Him and who relieves its suffering and makes you (mankind) inheritors of the earth? (Can there be another) god besides Allah? Little it is that ye heed!
63Or who guides you through the depths of darkness on land and sea and who sends the winds as heralds of glad tidings going before His mercy? (Can there be another) god besides Allah? high is Allah above what they associate with Him!
64Or who originates Creation then repeats it and who gives you sustenance from heaven and earth? (Can there be another) god besides Allah? Say "Bring forth your argument if ye are telling the truth!"
65Say: None in the heavens or on earth except Allah knows what is hidden: nor can they perceive when they shall be raised up (for Judgment).
Al qasas 88 And call not besides Allah on another god. There is no god but He. Everything (that exists) will perish except His own Face. To him belongs the Command and to him will ye (all) be brought back.
Fatir: 3 O men! call to mind the grace of Allah unto you! Is there a Creator other than Allah to give you Sustenance from heaven or earth? There is no god but He: how then are ye deluded away from the Truth?
Gafir: 3 Who forgiveth Sin accepteth Repentance, is strict in Punishment and hath a Long Reach (in all things). There is no god but He: to Him is the Final Goal.
Az zukruf: 84 It is He Who is Allah in heaven and Allah on earth; and He is full of Wisdom and Knowledge.
Al ahkaaf: 28 Why then was no help forthcoming to them from those whom they worshipped as gods besides Allah as a means of access (to Allah)? Nay they left them in the lurch: but that was their Falsehood and their invention.
Al hasr: 22Allah is He than whom there is no other god Who knows (all things) both secret and open; He Most Gracious Most Merciful.
23Allah is He than whom there is no other god the sovereign the Holy One the Source of Peace (and Perfection). The Guardian of Faith the Preserver of Safety the Exalted in Might the Irresistible the Supreme: Glory to Allah! (high is He) above the partners they attribute to Him.
24He is Allah the Creator the Evolver the Bestower of Forms (or colors). To Him belong the Most Beautiful Names: Whatever is in the heavens and on earth doth declare His Praises and Glory: and He is the exalted in Might the Wise.
Al muzzammil: 9 (He is) Lord of the East and the West: there is no god but He: take Him therefore for (thy) Disposer of Affairs.
Surah 112. Al-Ikhlas
1Say: He is Allah the One and Only;2Allah the Eternal Absolute; 3He begetteth not nor is He begotten;4And there is none like unto Him.
Thus we can see that it was question of the only one and only God all over the times, but peoples keep on changing towards others for their own benefits. But this time the messenger, the prophet took 11 to 12 years just to lay down the foundation of faith thus explained and rooted the faith in one God firmly, so that it will be much harder for Satan to deviate humanity from the path of one God with no image.
The Prophet's Advent Foretold in World Scriptures
The advent of the Prophet Muhammad, humanity's greatest teacher, was to be so momentous a matter that the Most High God gave the glad tidings thereof to the peaceless world through His prophets, urging their followers to receive him with open arms when he would make his appearance. The Quran refers to the covenant of the Biblical prophets with their peoples in these words :
1. "Behold! Allah made a covenant through the prophets saying: I give you the Book and wisdom — then comes to you an apostle confirming that which is with you: you must believe in him and render him help. He (God) said: Do you agree and take this My covenant as binding on you? They said: We agree. He said: Then bear witness and I too am with you among the witnesses." (3:81)
Towards the fulfillment of this covenant all the prophets of the world foretold the advent of Muhammad, the universal Messenger, and enjoined on their people to follow him when he would emerge. Though the Scriptures which are still extant in the name of some of these prophets have retained very little of their original teachings, yet the prophecies that were made about this world-teacher have miraculously remained in tact and preserved to this day from the ravages of human interpolations. We shall now quote some of these prophecies confirming what is said above.
(1) References in the Hindu Scriptures
The Kantap Sukt of Atherva Veda opens with this announcement
1. "Listen with reverence the happy news that "Narashansah"(this is the exact literal translation of the Arabic term Muhammad) shall be praised. This Refugee (referring to the Prophet's migration from Mecca to Medinah). We take into our protection against sixty thousand and ninety enemies (referring to the population of Mecca during Muhammad's time). This Divine promise of protection when the Holy Prophet Muhammad, the "Narashansah" of the Veda mantra made his appearance on the stage of the world at Mecca was repeated in the following words of the Quran :
'Surely Allah will protect thee (0 Muhammad !) from the attack of thy enemies." (5 : 67)
Besides the first mantra of the Kantap Sukt quoted above, there are altogether thirteen mantras elaborating the description of this saviour of mankind in the following terms :
2."He is a camel-riding Rishi whose chariot touches the heavens, (this refers to the Prophet's Ascension). (2)
3. "He is Mamah Rishi who is given a hundred chains of gold, ten wreaths of flowers, three hundred good steeds, and ten thousand cows.(3) (The reference in this is to 100 companions who first migrated to Abyssinia, 10 companions called the "Ashra-i-Mubashshira the intimate disciples of the Prophet who were given the assurance of Paradise in their life-time, 300 steeds refer to the 300 companions of Badr fame, and the ten thousand cows refer to the ten thousand saintly companions at the fall of Mecca. The word Mamah is standing for Mahamad of the Vyas Rishi' - see next prophecy)
4. "He and his followers are always mindful of their prayers and even in the field of battle they bow down before their Lord." (4) (This refers to the injunction of the Quran (4 : 102-103) wherein prayer is enjoined on the Faithful even on the field of battle).
5. "He shall give wisdom to the world." (this refers to the Holy Quran, as the Book of Wisdom for all ages). (5)
6. "He shall be the king of the world, the best of men, and a guide for the entire mankind." (6) (This refers to the personal traits of the Prophet ).
7. "He has procured a secure dwelling for the people of the world, gives protection to everybody, and has spread peace in the world," (7 & 8) (The secure dwelling refers to Mecca, the place of security for all referring to verse (45:3) of the Quran, and the name of the religion which he preached is Islam which means "Peace."
8. "People thrive happily and prosper under his rule and from the depth of degradation they rise to the height of glory." (9 & 10) (This refers to the reformation brought about by Muhammad in the Arab world).
9. "He is asked to wake up and warn the world." (11) (This refers to verse (74:1) wherein the Prophet is commanded to rise add warn.
10. "He is extremely bountiful and generous." (12) ( Personal Traits of the Prophet).
11. "His followers have been saved from the hostility and the robbery of the devil." (13) (This refers to the Quranic verse (9 : 100, praising the companions of the Prophet. )
In the last mantra the Rishi entreats him for the acceptance of his (the Rishi’s) prayers and seeks his protection from harm and evil. (14).
Again the Maharishi Vyasaji, a great sage and seer of the Vedic times, when he was shown in a vision the coming of a world-Guru, wrote in his well-known book Bhavishya Purana which means the 'news of the future', thus
2. "A spiritual teacher from a foreign country shall come with his companions. Mahamad shall be his name. The Raja bathing this Arab of an angelic disposition with sacred waters of the Ganges and five other purifying liquids, adored him with full faith and devotion and said: "I bow before thee. O thou pride of the human race, thou dweller of the desert, who bestows plentiful power for slaying the devil, who has been protected and preserved from thy wicked enemies. O thou, manifestation of the Supreme Being, accept me as thy slave, as one fallen at thy feet." (Bhavishya Purana - Prati Sarg, Part 111 : 3, 3, 5-8 printed in the Venkateshwar Press, Bombay).
In this eulogy of the Holy Prophet Maharishi Vyasaji has enumerated the following points:
1 The name of the Prophet is clearly stated as Mahamad.
2. He is said to be belonging to a sandy tract of land-Arabia.
3. Special mention is made of his companions. There has hardly been any prophet of the world who had such a host of companions all resembling him in piety.
4. He will be immune from sin, having an angelic disposition
5. The Raja of India will show him his heart-felt reverence.
6 The Prophet will be given protection against his enemies.
7. He will kill the devil, root out idol-worship, and will do away with all sorts of vices.
8. He will be an image of the All-Powerful God.
9. He is regarded as the pride of mankind.
10. The Maharishi is proud to lie at his feet.
This prophecy is as clear as daylight, there being no shadow of doubt as to its application to Muhammad
In continuation of the same quotation from Bhavishya Purana that is given above, a still clearer prophecy is found in Shalokas 10-27 where Maharishi Vyasaji has remarked about the Holy Prophet as follows:
"The malechas have spoiled the well-known land of the Arabs. Arya dharma is not found in that country. Before also, there appeared a misguided fiend whom I have killed. (Perhaps this refers to Abraha who invaded Mecca to destroy the Kaba) He has now again appeared being sent by powerful enemy. To show these enemies the right path and to give them guidance the well-known Mahamad (Muhammad) who has been given by me the epithet of Brahma is busy in bringing the pishachas to the right path. O Raja! You need not go to the land of the foolish Pishachas. You will be purified through my kindness where you are. At night he of the angelic disposition, the shrewd man in the guise of the Pishachas said to the Raja Bhoj ; O Raja! Your Arya dharma has been made to prevail over all religions but according to the commandment of Ishwer Permathma I shall enforce the strong creed of the meat-eaters. My follower will be a man circumcised, without a tail on his head(shindi), keeping beard, creating a revolution, announcing call to prayer (Azan) and will be eating all lawful things. He will eat all sorts of animals except swine. They will not seek purification from the holy shrubs but will be purified through warfare. On account of fighting the irreligious nations they will be known as Musalmans. I shall be the originator of this religion of the meat-eating nation."
The Sama Veda too narrates numerous prophecies about the advent of the Holy Prophet. We take up only one of these which occurs in Sama Veda II, 6-8:
"Ahmed acquired religious Law (Shari'a) from his Lord. This law is full of wisdom. I receive light from him just as from the sun."
This prophecy confirms the following truths:
1. The Prophet's name Ahmed is clearly mentioned. He is said to have been given Shari'a by his Lord (referring to the Quran).
3. He is said to have been given wisdom along with it.
4. The Rishi is being enlightened through the Shari'a of the Prophet in the same way as the light of the sun brightens various objects.
These prophecies have been considered mysteries by those who could read these books in their original language but had they studied the history of the Holy Prophet with an open and unbiased mind, they would have realized that the Holy Prophet Muhammad is the only person who fulfils all the terms of the prophecy.
II. Parsi Scriptures—The Zend Avesta.
Zoroaster was the founder of the Parso-Iranian national religion. He lived and taught some thousand years before Christ. The scriptures of this creed consist mainly of two big tomes. Zend Avesta and Dasateer. It is written in Zend Avesta Farvardin Yasht 13, "O Zoroaster! Of the people of faith the mighty souls are those who bear the law and live upto it, of those believers who are not yet born but who shall kindle new life into the world."
Further in Yasht 28 the prophecy becomes more definite and distinct. It is stated:
"Compassionate conqueror shall he be (the holy founder of that people) and Astvut Ereta shall be is name, mercy personified; a blessing unto the whole world; savior of all the nations; polytheists shall he reclaim and the failings on the faithful shall he rectify and reform."
There is one Prophet and only one who answers completely to this description Muhammad (peace be on him). The people of Mecca tyrannized over him and his companions in the most cruel manner and perpetrated inhuman atrocities to wipe them off the face of the earth. But a few years after when Mecca was conquered and all those deadly foes lay at the mercy of the Prophet, and the most humane of generals would have ordered their immediate execution, the compassionate victor not only did not utter a single word of reproach but also granted them general amnesty saying : "There is no charge against you this day. Go, you are all free," history is unable to present another example of similar large-heartedness and magnanimity. Muhammad was indeed the most compassionate conqueror as described by the Zoroaster many centuries before his birth.
His name would be Astvut Ereta. This term has been derived from the root Astv which means to praise, to extol, to applaud. 'Sitodan’ of the modern Persian also gives the same meaning. The term Astvut Ereta, therefore, means the praised one which is an exact literal rendering of the Arabic term 'Muhammad'. Thus Muhammad shall be the founder of an Ummat. He shall infuse new life into the world and establish true religion.
In the Dasateer published by Mulla Feroz with the help of several other Zoroastrian priests in the time of Nasiruddin Qachar, the Shah of Persia, in the Epistle of Sasan the first is a strikingly remarkable prophecy about the Holy Prophet in very clear words. The sum and substance of this prophecy is: 'That when the Zoroastrian people will forsake their religion and will become dissolute, a man will rise in Arabia whose followers will conquer Persia and subjugate the arrogant Persians. Instead of worshipping fire in their own temples they will turn their faces towards the Ka'ba of Abraham which will be cleared of all idols. They (the followers of the Arabian Prophet) will be a mercy unto the world. They will become masters of Persia, Madain, Tas, Bulkh. the sacred places of the Zoroastrians and the neighboring territories. This Prophet will be an eloquent man telling miraculous things."
Every word of this prophecy has been fulfilled in the person of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be on him) and in the subsequent history of Islam.
III. The Buddhist Scriptures
When Gautama Buddha about 2,500 years ago. saw that the end of his earthly life was approaching, he spoke to his bosom companion Anand saying : 'Bring me a couch O Anand ! for, I feel weakness and I want to lie down 'The Buddha lay on the couch under the cedar trees and spoke to Anand about his approaching end, with tears in his eyes Anand asked him who would, after his death teach and guide them, whereupon the Gautama Buddha replied:
"O Anand! I am not the only nor the last Buddha who appeared on this earth; in due time another Buddha will appear in this world, the Holy and enlightened one, endowed with heavenly wisdom and knowledge; he will teach you eternal truths which I have taught you; he will preach his religion, glorious in its origin, glorious at the climax, and glorious at the goal. He will proclaim a religious life wholly perfect and pure, such as I now proclaim. His disciples will number many thousand while mine number many hundred."
Anand said "How shall we know him?" The blessed one replied: "He will be known as Meitreya ....." (From the Gospel of Buddha by Carus pp. 217-218)
The term Maitreya means literally "Mercy unto the nations" which is the exact translation of the Quranic description of the Holy Prophet Muhammad as "Rahmatun-lil-Alamin." Addressing the Prophet The Most High God said in the Quran :
3. "And We have not sent thee (O Prophet ! ) but as a mercy to the nations of the world."(21: 107)
4. "Certainly a messenger has come to you from among yourselves... He is compassionate, merciful." (9: 128)
There are many other passages in the Buddhist scripture which describe the attributes of this Maitreya and all of them apply to the Prophet in every detail, an elaborate study of which can be made with advantage in A.H. Vidhyarti's book entitled "Muhammad in Parsi, Buddhist and Hindu Scriptures."
IV. The Jewish Scriptures.
(A) The Lord makes a covenant with Abraham.
"This is my covenant which ye shall keep: between me and you and thy seed after thee; every man-child among you shall be circumcised."(Genesis 17: 10)
The Lord blessed Abraham with a promise that his seed shall multiply exceedingly in numbers.
2 "And he brought him forth abroad and said: Look now towards heaven and tell the stars if thou be able to number them, and he said unto him, so shall thy seed be" (Gen : 16 : 5)
And the same promise was given to Hager his wife. (Gen 21: 18) And to Abraham the Lord further promised:
"And I will make a nation of thee and I will bless them and make thy name great and thou shalt be a blessing and I will bless them that bless thee." (Gen : 12 : 2-3)
If we read this prophecy with the promise given to Hager, the meaning becomes perfectly clear. They reveal that a nation would be raised through Hager which would be blessed by the Lord.He would make the name of this nation great and he would bless them, for, they would bless Abraham. According to Reverend Dummelow, the promise to Hager “was fulfilled
in the Arab race." (Dummelow's Commentary on the Holy Bible p. 25), for, Faran is still in possession of Bedouin Arabs, the descendents of Ishmael. (Gen : 17 : 21)
Abraham prayed for the posterity of Ismael (Gen : 17: 18) and his prayer had been answered.
"And as for Ismael, I have heard thee ; behold ! I have blessed him and will make him fruitful and will multiply him exceedingly ; twelve tribes shall he beget and I will make him a great nation."(Gen : 17 : 20)
God's promise to Abraham and Hager has three-fold meaning :-
1. A nation shall be raised from their progeny and God will bless them and make them great;
2. God will bless those that bless him ; and
3. The descendents of Ismael will be made a great nation.
Abraham is described as the progenitor of the Arabs in the Quran :
5. '' And the begetter (Abraham) and who he begot (the Arabs).(90: 3)
And the prayer of Abraham regarding the progeny of Ismael is recorded in the Quran in these words :
6. "Our Lord !.....-And raise from our offspring a nation submitting to thee." (2 : 128) (37 : 109)
The Quran sends peace on Abraham and so do all who read it.
7. "Peace be on Abrahim."
And so did the Holy Prophet Muhammad. The Holy Prophet and the Muslims following the Sunnah say "Darud" at least eleven times in their five daily prayers in which Abraham and his descendents are mentioned. And lastly the Arabs after embracing Islam did become a great nation. In this way all the three promises mentioned above got fulfilled. The Quran adds further that Abraham and Ismael while praying for the raising of a nation from their progeny, prayed for the raising of a prophet from among them in these words :
8. "Our Lord ! And raise up in them an apostle from among them who shall recite to them Thy communications and teach them the Book and wisdom and purify them ; surely Thou art the Mighty, the Wise." (2 : 129)
The birth of Muhammad and his being made a Prophet through whose work a great nation came into being was the fulfilment of the prayer of Abraham after God's acceptance of it.
(B) The Prophecy of Moses.
"I will raise them up a prophet from among their brethren like unto thee and will put my words into his mouth, and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him," (Deuteronomy 18 : 18)
Ismael and Isaac being sons of the same father (Abraham), were brothers among themselves. The descendents of the one would, therefore, be the brethren of the progeny of the other. The term "of their brethren" has been applied to the progeny of Hager and Ismael. This Prophet will be like unto Moses. The Quran bears witness of this in these words
9. "Surely We have sent to you an apostle, a witness against you, as We had sent an apostle to Pharaoh."(73 : 15)
10. "And a witness (Musa) among the children of Israel has been a witness of one like him."(46 : 10)
According to the above prophecy of Moses God will put His words into the mouth of that Prophet, and indeed the whole Quran is the word of God put into the mouth of Muhammad. The Quran says :
11. "And most surely this is a revelation from the Lord of the worlds."(26 : 192)
12. "The Holy Spirit has revealed it from your Lord in truth."(16: 107)
13. "Nor does he (Muhammad ) speak out of desire. It is naught but a revelation that is revealed. The Lord of Mighty Power has taught him "(53 : 3-5)
14. "The Beneficent Lord taught the Quran."(55 : 1-3)
15. "And thus have We revealed to thee the Quran in Arabic."(42 : 7)
16. "Say (O Muhammad!).,. It is only a delivery from Allah and His message."(62 : 22-23)
According to the same prophecy he will address all nations. The Quran says :
17. "Blessed is He who sent down the Distinction upon His servant that he may be a warner to all nations." (25 : 1)
18. "It is nothing but a Reminder to all nations." (6:91)
19. Say O Prophet! Surely I am an Apostle of Allah to you all."(7 : 158)
And God will command that Prophet to deliver His message. The Holy Quran says :
20. "O thou who are clothed ! Arise and warn." (74 : 1-2)
21. "O Apostle! Declare what has been revealed to thee from thy Lord."(5 67)
22. "Say (O Muhammad !) My prayer and my sacrifice and my life and my death are all for Allah the Lord of the worlds. No associate has He, and this I am commanded and I am the first of those who submit." (6 : 163-164)
Further it is said on in the same book of Deuteronomy ch : 33 : 2
''The Lord came from Sinai and rose up from Seir unto them. He shined forth from mount Faran and he came with ten thousand of saints and from his right hand went a fiery law for them."
History bears testimony that on the occasion of the conquest of Mecca when the Holy Prophet descended from mount Faran which stands close to Mecca, he was accompanied by ten thousand of his saintly companions. The Shari'a is the fiery law that he promulgated for the maintenance of peace and justice in the land.
There are more than a dozen prophecies in the Jewish Scriptures foretelling the advent of the great world-teacher Muhammad which requires the space of a separate book, but we shall here limit ourselves to only four of them.
(C) The Prophecy of the Prophet Isaiah.
"Behold, a woman shall conceive and bear a son and shall call his name Immanuel. Butter and honey shall he eat. Associate yourselves O ye people! (against him) and ye shall be broken into pieces, and give ear all ye of far countries, gird yourselves against him and ye shall be broken into pieces ; take counsel together against him it shall come to naught ; speak the word, and it shall not stand ; for God is with us." (Isaiah 8 : 9-10)
" (He will) bind up the testimony, seal the law among My disciples."(Isaiah 8 : 16)
In this prophecy the Hebrew word Haalma (woman) is translated as virgin to make the prophecy applicable to Jesus. But Peaks in his commentary of the Bible p. 442 says : "The rendering "virgin" is unjustifiable the word employed here means a young woman of marriagable age....It has therefore no reference to the birth of Jesus...the name Immanuel means "God is with us" and not "God with us" There is no reference in it to any incarnation of God."
The Holy Prophet was a posthumous child of Abdullah. His mother died when he was six years old. Thus in his tender years he was deprived of both of his parents. His usual and staple food consisted of barley, bread, dates and milk. Abu Daud the Traditionist records that the Holy Prophet used to take delight in eating butter, and Bukhari, another Traditionist, records a similar tradition regarding his liking for honey.
It is a fact of history that the Quraish did not only conspire against him but actually girded themselves to warfare and three times they attempted to crush the Muslims at Badr, Uhud and Madinah but were broken to pieces.
The word Immanuel means "God is with us." and applies to Muhammad only, for the Quran records his memorable words in this passage :
23. "Allah certainly aided him when those who disbelieved expelled him, he being the second of two, when they were both in the cave, when he said to his companion : "Grieve not, surely Allah is with us." (9 : 40)
The Prophet believed in the ultimate triumph of his cause and his faith that "God is with him" brought victory after victory to him. Although on each occasion the odds were against him, his enemies were 'broken into pieces'.
According to the above prophecy the Prophet will bind up the testimony and seal the law. This also applies to the Holy Prophet, for in his life-time only he took every possible measure to preserve the Quran in its pristine purity and he sealed the law. The Holy Quran bears testimony to this in these verses :
24. "He is the Apostle of Allah and the seal of the prophets."(33 : 40)
25. "This day have I perfected for you your religion and completed My favour on yon and chosen for you Islam as your religion."(5 : 3)
In the Holy Prophet Muhammad the manifestation of Divine Will was fully accomplished. The law of the Quran meets the requirements of all ages and all countries. That is why he sealed the law saying "There will be no prophet after me."
(D) The Second Prophecy of Isaiah
"Behold My servant whom I uphold, my elect in whom my soul delighteth, I have put in my spirit upon him. He shall not fail nor be discouraged till he have set judgement in earth. Let the wilderness and the cities thereof lift up their voice, the villages that Kedar doth inhabit." (Isaiah 42: 1,4 : II)
(a) According to this prophecy who is given the title of the "Servant" of God ? The Holy Quran describes the Holy Prophet in these words :
26. "Blessed is He who sent down the Distinction upon His servant that he may be a warner to the world." (25 : 1)
27. "And He revealed to His servant what He revealed." (53 : 10)
(b) He will be an elect of God with whom God will be pleased. He is reported to have said : "Verily Allah created the creation and made me among the best of them." (Bukhari)
(c) That Prophet will not fail nor will he be discouraged and he shall accomplish his mission and thus shall deliver the judgement of God on earth. The Quran says :
28. "Your companion (Muhammad) does not err nor shall he fail."(53 : 2)
History proves and even the Christian biographers of the Prophet have admitted that he was the most successful of all prophets and religious personalities. (Encyclopaedia Brittanica Art : Quran.) Because he was ordained to be successful in his earthly mission he was to have ,
29. "A favour never to be cut off." (68 : 3)
Regarding his courage of heart a critic like Muir had to admit:
"We search in vain through the pages of profane history for a parallel to the struggle in which for thirteen years the Prophet of Arabia, in the face of discouragement and threats, rejection and persecution, retained thus his faith unswerving, preached repentance and denounced God's wrath against his God-less fellow-citizens. Surrounded by a little band of faithful men and women he met insulls, menace and danger with a lofty and patient faith in the future." (Muir's Life of Mohamet]
In the preceding verse the Holy Prophet is invited to judge people "By what Allah has revealed."
That he completed the mission on earth entrusted to him no one can deny. Idolatry vanished, the doctrine of the Unity and absolute perfection of God became a living principle in the hearts and lives of his followers and submission to the Divine Will became the governing rule of their life. Nor were social virtues wanting. Universal brotherhood was inculcated and infanticide proscribed, orphans were protected, slaves emancipated, women given their status in society, usury, intoxicating drinks and gambling prohibited. Well may Muhammad and he alone say on his farewell pilgrimage : "O Lord ! I have delivered Thy message and have accomplished my work."
(d) "The inhabitants of the wilderness, the cities and villages of Kedar will sing his praises."
Kedar refers to the tribes of Arabia. The prophet Jeremiah said that Faran will be the place where Ismael shall live. (Jer : 49 : 7) and Faran according to Biblical geography is in Hijaz, It is evident therefore that this prophecy could apply in all its details only to the Holy Prophet.
(E) The Prophecy of the Apostle Malachi.
"But you are departed out of the way : you have caused many to stumble at the law : you have corrupted the covenant of Levi, saith the Lord of the hosts "(Mal. 2 : 8)
"Behold ! I will send My Messenger and he shall prepare the way for Me."(Mal. 3 : 1)
The two parts of the above prophecy taken together apply to the Holy Prophet who did not belong to the house of Jacob and was explicitly addressed as the "Messenger of God"
The above-quoted prophecies from the Jewish Scriptures, we believe, are enough to convince out readers that the Most High God gave the Jews sufficient material to recognise in the person of the Holy Prophet the promised world-teacher of their Scriptures. The Quran therefore was perfectly right when it said :
30. "Those whom we have given the Book recognise him (Muhammad) as they recognise their sons and a party of them most surely conceal the truth while they know it." (2 ; 446)
and therefore it openly admonished them in these words :
31. "Believe in what I have revealed verifying that which is with you (i.e. the prophecies in your books) and be not the first to deny it."(2 : 41)
The shrewd Jews at Madinah remonstrated with their coreligionists who carelessly talked about these prophecies with their Muslim friends, warning them that they would benefit Islam by such disclosures. But truth is truth in the sight of God whether they revealed it or concealed it. This behaviour of the Jews is exposed by the Quran in these words
32. "And when they are alone with one another they say : "Do you talk to them of what Allah has disclosed to you that they (the Muslims) may contend with you by this before your Lord ? Do you not then understand ?" Do they not know that Allah knows what they keep secret and what they make known.'"(2 : 76-77)
Before the appearance of the Prophet, the Jews of Madinah expected that when the Prophet, spoken of in their Scripture, would make his appearance, he would make them victorious over their disbelieving opponents according to Deuteronomy 28 : 1-2 which states :"And it shall come to pass, if thou shouldst hearken diligently unto the voice of thy Lord thy God, to observe and to do all his commandments which I commanded thee this day that the Lord thy God will set thee on high above all nations of the earth and all these blessings shall come on thee and overtake thee if thou hearken unto the voice of thy Lord thy God."
This fact is referred to in the Quran in these words :-
33. "And aforetime they used to pray for victory against those who disbelieved, but when there came to them that which they recognised, they rejected it. So Allah's curse is on the unbelievers. Evil is that for which they have sold their souls—that they should deny what Allah has revealed, out of spite that Allah should send down of His Grace (of Prophethood) on whomsoever of His servants He pleased."(2 : 89-90)
On the other hand, instead of believing in the Prophet they joined his enemies the idolatrous Arabs and conspired against him and his followers. This mischievous attitude of theirs is again referred to in these words :
34. "Had they believed in Allah and their Prophet (Moses) and what was revealed to him, they would not have taken them (the idolatrous Arabs) for friends but most of them are transgressors.(5:81)
V. The Christian Scriptures.
The Jews were expecting a prophet like Moses before the advent of Jesus. When John the Baptist appeared they asked him : "Art thou Elias ? And he said I am not. Art thou that prophet ? And he answered. No."(Math. 3 : 11)
St. John further tells us that the Jews further questioned John the Baptist :
"Why baptiseth thou then, if thou be not the Christ nor Elias neither that prophet."(John 1 :25),
"And he answered : I indeed baptise you with water unto repentance but he that cometh after me is mightier than I whose shoes I am not worthy to bear : he will baptise you with the Holy Ghost and with fire."(Math 3 : 11)
The Christians apply this prophecy to Jesus, but there is no record in the Bible that he baptised his disciples with the Holy Ghost and with fire, and his church does not make use of fire when initiating people in its fold. Therefore the allusion cannot refer to the son of Mary who was his (John's) own cousin and contemporary and who, according to Bible records, received baptism at the hands of John himself.
This baptism with fire and the Holy Ghost is implied in the following verse of the Quran :•
"(Receive) the baptism of Allah and who is better than Allah in baptising and Him do we serve." (2 : 138) Baptism or the colour of God is Islam which means complete surrender of our will to the Will of God. To bring complete death on our passions and desires is the baptism with fire. If we succeed in doing so, we are in the position to imbue ourselves with Divine attributes, this being baptism with the Hoty Ghost.**
After John the Baptist Jesus confirmed their belief by announcing the future advent of "That Prophet" whom he called according to the Greek translation "Paraclete". He said :
1. "And I will pray the Father and He shall give you another Paraclete that he may be with you for ever." (John 14 : 16)
2. "But the" Comforter which is the holy spirit whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things and bring all things to your remembrance what ever I have said unto you."(John 14 : 26)
3. "Nevertheless, I tell you the truth ; it is expedient for you that I go away ; if I go not away the Paraclete will not come to you...and when he is come, he will reprove under John the Baptist, the world of sin and of righteousness and of judgement." (John16 : 7-8)
4. "I have yet many things to say, but you cannot bear them now. Howbeit, when he the spirit of truth is come, he will guide you unto all truth, for he shall not speak of himself, but whatever he shall bear, that shall he speak, and he will show you the things to come. He shall glorify me." (John 16 :12-14).
In no.1 above, the Greek word Paraclete is translated as "Comforter", in no.2 Wastenfalls, a commentator of the Bible, explains that the word used by Jesus was Mauhamana (Aramaic) and in Hebrew it was Mauhammanna, both meaning "the praised.'' In the sister language Arabic the word would be Muhammad or Ahmed which are derived from the same root "Hamd" which means praising.
In the Gospel of Barnabas which was accepted and read upto the Gelasian Decree, a detail reference to which can be seen in the book "Tenets of Islam" wherein under the heading "The Story of the Bible" is recorded a saying of Jesus thus :—
"Verily I say unto you that the Messenger of God is a splendour that shall give gladness to nearly all that God has made. O Muhammad ! God be with thee and may He make me worthy to untie thy shoe latchets ; for obtaining this I shall be a great prophet and holy one of God." (Barnabas 163 : 180)
In another place in the same Gospel it is recorded : "The disciples asked : O Master ! Who shall that man be of whom thou speaketh, who shall come into the world ?
Jesus answered : He is Muhammad, the Messenger of God." (the translation is by Laura Regg)
The presence of the name Muhammad is really explained by the Aramaic equivalent Mauhamana or the Greek word Paraclete which John's translator used in his Gospel. Jesus had thus foretold in unambiguous terms the future advent of the Paraclete, i.e. Mauhamana or Muhammad, the Messenger of God.
Was the Holy Prophet Muhammad the Paraclete foretold by Jesus ? The Holy Quran says :
36. "Those who believe in the Messenger Prophet, the Unlettered whom they find mentioned in the Torah and the Gospel ...and follow the light which has been sent down with him, these shall be the successful."(7 : 157)
The Comforter foretold by Jesus was also to be the spirit of Truth who was to glorify Jesus (John 16 : 12-14). The Holy Quran refers to Muhammad as the Truth in these words :
37. "Say : Truth has come and falsehold has vanished ; surely falsehood was bound to vanish."(17 : 81)
And the Holy Prophet did glorify Jesus by denouncing as utterly false all those calumnies which were levelled by the Jews against Jesus and his mother Mary. The Quran refers to this prophecy of Jesus in these words :
38. "And when Jesus son of Mary said ; O children of Israel ! Surely I am the Apostle of Allah to you verifying that which is before me of the Torah, and giving the good news of the Messenger who will come after me, his name being Ahmed." (61 : 6)
Blessed are those who listen reverently to the precious words spoken by their sages, saints, and prophets, and rally round and repose their faith in the promised Prophet Muhammad, Ahmed, the praised, (Peace and the blessings of God be upon him).
Name, Ancestry, Birthplace, and Time of Advent of the Prophet
The Quran is not a biography of the Prophet nor his reminiscences. Neither is it arranged chronologically nor subjectwise, except for a few chapters. It is a rainbow refulgence of light in words addressed to Muhammad by the Most High God. If one seeks to study the mind of Muhammad from the Quran, he will be disappointed because the Quran has not come from the mind of Muhammad. He could not even wield the pen. No doubt it has come to us through the medium of the Prophet as we could not receive it otherwise. Muhammad himself had doubted his new experience; and what is more, this doubt of his was not kept secret but expressed in the very Quran for which he was charged of fabrication by his opponents.
39. "If thou art in doubt of that which We have sent down unto thee, ask those who read the Book before thee. Verily the truth has come to thee from thy Lord. Be not of those who are in doubt and be not of those who say the signs of Allah are lies, or thou wilt be of those who suffer loss."(10 : 94)
40. "O thou Apostle ! Preach what has been revealed to thee from thy Lord, and if thou do it not, thou hast not preached His message and Allah will protect thee from men, for, Allah guides not those who disbelieve." (5:67)
41. "Do they say : he has forged a lie? Say : If I have forged it, you cannot obtain for me aught from Allah. He Knows best what you utter concerning it. He is 'witness enough between me and you, and He is the Forgiving, the Merciful.(46:8)
42. "Be not in doubt about it : verily it is the truth from thy Lord, though most men do not believe. Who is more unjust than he who forges a lie against Allah. They shall be set before thy Lord and the witnesses shall say : there it is who lied against Allah." , (11:17-19)
Thus the Quran itself denies that it is the invention of the Prophet's mind. We will therefore take up only the incidents of the Prophet's life which are directly or indirectly conuected with him as told in the Quran.
a) NAME
The Quran calls the Prophet by the name of Muhammad in four passages of the Quran. They are as follows :
43. "Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah."(48:29)
44. "And as for those who believe and do good and believe in what has been revealed to Muhammad, and it is the very truth from their Lord."(47:2)
45. "And Muhammad is no more than a messenger." (3:143)
46. "Muhammad is not the father of any of your men but he is Messenger of Allah and the Seal of the prophets." (33:40)
He is also called Ahmed according to the prophecy of Jesus already discussed in the previous chapter:
47. "...giving the good news of the Messenger who will come after me, his name being Ahmed."(61:6)
Besides these names there are several other attributive names scattered over the pages of the Quran which indicate his functions as the Messenger of God such as Nazeer (Warner), Basheer (Given of good news), Shaheed (Witness), Siraj (light-giving lamp), An Nabi (the Prophet), Ar-Rasool (the messenger), Al-Abd (the servant), Rahmatuh-lil-Alameen (Mercy for the worlds ), Khatamun-nabi-een (the seal of the prophets) and so on, the list mounting up to ninety nine such names.
b) ANCESTRY
The Ancestry of the Holy Prophet goes upto Abraham through Ismael as is evidenced from the prayer of both father and son given in the Quran :
48. "Our Lord! And raise up in them (our progeny) an Apostle from among them."(2 : 129)
According to this verse the Holy Prophet is reported to have said that he was the answer to the prayer of his father Abraham.
c) BIRTH - PLACE
The place where Abraham settled Ismael is stated in these words of the Quran :
49. "O our Lord! Surely, I have settled a part of my offspring in a valley unproductive of fruit near Thy sacred House."(14 : 37)
And this Sacred House, the House of God, the Ka'ba, the first House of Prayer in the world was in Bakka otherwise called Mecca. The Quran calls this city "The city of safety and security,"
50. "Most surely the first House appointed for men for prayer is the one at Bakka, blessed and a guidance for the people of the world."(3:95)
The mantras in the Atherva Veda describe the Ka'ba in the words given below corroborating exactly to the history of the Ka'ba as well as to its structure. It states :
"The Ka'ba is a memorial commemorating the memory of a great sacrifice. It has always been free from subjugation. Its inhabitants get plenty to eat: its walls are not straightly built; It is a place which is full of spiritual life ; it has nine gates and eight circuits. There are three pillars and three beams in it; it is the place where Brahma (referring to Abraham) came from another land and made it his abode for sometime and built the House of God there." (Vide Atherva Veda X 2-26, 27, 28,31,32,33)
Besides the Vedas the prophet David refers to the House of God by the name of Bakka. In the Psalms we find :
"O Lord of hosts! My king, and my God! Blessed are they that dwell in Thy House; they will be still praising Thee; Saleh. Blessed is the man whose strength is in Thee, in whose hearts are the ways of them, who passing through the valley of Baca make it a well, the rain also filleth the pools. They go from strength to strength, every one of them in Zion appeareth before God." (Psalms, 84 : 4-6)
The following analysis can be made from the above Psalm :
(a) The House of God to which David refers was no other than the one at Bekka, for, the Holy temple at Jerusalem had not been built by that time, and God lived in Zion.
(b) The prophet David was awaiting the Divine commandment to invade Palestine and in order to seek blessing from the House of God that was built by the Patriarch Abraham, he came to the valley of Bakka.
(c) The name of the valley is Baca which in Hebrew is written and pronounced as Bacah.
(d) The dwellers of this valley will always praise their Lord.
(e) 'Blessed is the man whose strength is in Thee" clearly refers to the Prophet, who, though an orphan, weak and friendless, overcame his mighty foes with God's Grace and taking strength from Him.
(f) In the desert of Mecca the well of zamzam is another sign of God blessing this land.
(g) "Blessed one" and "going from strength to strength" is the translation of the Quranic words "Mubarak" occurring in verse 3:95 quoted above.
(h) Appearing before God in Zion refers to the annual pilgrimage at Mecca.
d) THE TIME OF ADVENT
The appearance of the Prophet was after the time of Moses and Jesus which is hinted at in the following verse:
51. "O people of the Book! Indeed Our Apostle has come to you after a cessation of the apostles, lest you say, there came not to us a giver of good news or a warner."(5:19)
Then in the chapter entitled "The Elephant" we find that Mecca was invaded by Abraha, the Christian viceroy of Abyssinia in Yemen and this was the year 570 A.C. according to historians, in which year the Prophet was also born.
According to a verse of the Quran :
52. "Until he attains his maturity and reaches forty years."(46:15)
The spiritual maturity of man is usually attained at the age of forty. Prophethood is the highest spiritual gift that can be vouchsafed to a human being and, therefore, we can safely infer that the Prophet must have received his call at the age of forty, and this is the age confirmed by all reports of the Prophet's Traditions and the biographers of the Prophet also give 610 A.C. as the year of his call to Prophethood.
Now at this juncture a little digression may be allowed if we indulge in picturing the situation in which the advent of the Holy Prophet took place according to his biographers. The period preceding his advent has been designated as the "Dark Age" or the time of ignorance. The Holy Quran calls it "Al- Jahiliyya" and describes the prevailing corruption in the following words:
S3. "Corruption has appeared in the land and the sea on account of what the hands of men have wrought, that He may make them taste a part of that which they have done so that they may return."(30:41)
History bears evidence to the truth of these words. Before the advent of the Holy Prophet corruption prevailed in most of the world. In almost all countries people had at the time fallen into a state of spiritual and moral bankruptcy. The empire of Rome was sunk deep in barbarism. In Asia rank immorality was the order of the day. A great part of India resented the same horrid picture of the then existing society. Persia and China, too, were in the same plight, and this was due to the fact that centuries had elapsed since the known period of reform, and whatever reformation had been previously brought about had become extinct because of the divine message having been tampered with.
A modern writer having studied the different systems of religion and the civilizations that grew up therefrom has come exactly to the same conclusion. In his Emotions on the Basis of Civilization, Denison writes:
"In the fifth and the sixth centuries, the civilized world stood on the verge of chaos. The old emotional cultures that had made civilizations possible had broken down, and nothing had been found adequate to take their place...... It seemed then that the great civilization that it had taken four thousand years to construct was on the verge of disintegration and that mankind was likely to return to that condition of barbarism where every tribe and sect was against the next, and law and order were unknown ......
The new sanctions created by Christianity were working divisions and, destructions instead of unity and order ......
Civilization like a gigantic tree whose foliage had overreached the world ...... stood" tottering ......rotted to the core......It was among these people that the man (reference is to the Holy Prophet) was born who was to unite the whole known world of east and west."
The condition of Arabia was even worse than obtained elsewhere. It was immersed in the Cimmerian darkness of religious ignorance, moral depravity and spiritual turpitude. The Arabs were wholly abandoned to the gratification of their carnal desires, knew no God, no prophet, no law, worshipping idols and images, sticks and stones. They were care-free, sceptical, materialistic. "Let us eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we die", was the epicurean tone of the majority of the pre-Islamic poems of the Arabs. They had a wreckless passion for wine, women and gambling. They committed adultery and theft and treated their women as mere chattel, oppressed the orphans, and misappropriated their properties and indulged in robbery, murder, and infanticide. Such was the condition of the Arabian society when the first appeal of the Holy Quran was made to them.
And what was the miracle that took place during a short period of twenty-three years of the Prophet's missionary work? The shakles of their ignorance were broken, and their hearts became illuminated. Their vices were replaced by virtues and their wickedness by righteousness. Their passion for wine, women and gambling was changed into the passion for prayer and fasting. Their nightly carousals were abandoned in favour of vigils and prayers and their morning bouts were changed into glorification and thanks-giving. From the lowest depths of moral and spiritual degradation they were raised to the highest pinnacle of spiritual eminence. From wandering nomads and marauding bandits they left their indelible print on the civilization of the world. From the dregs and scum of society they became the teachers and educators of mankind. Surely such a marvellous change could not be effected save by a true Messenger of God, the acknowledged last world-teacher of all the scriptures of the world.
ISLAM: ISLAM is called submitting to the WILL of GOD, who is a Imageless God, not like anything, on the earth, in the heavens, and in between and beneath or over them, who has no associates. And to accept the prophet Muhammad as a servant and a messanger of Allah.
God is not interested whether a large number of men follow or deny Him. He has given us Islam for our own good and it does not make any difference to Him whether the whole world becomes Muslim or not. If we accept Him, it is for our own benefit. But it is by nature that truth prevails and falsehood perishes.