SHAYKH AL ISLAM

Sayyiduna Rasool'Allah

The Most Beloved Final Messenger of Allah
Salla Allahu 'alayhi wa 'aalihi wa Sallam

In the name of Allah Almighty we begin,
The Most Gracious, The Most Merciful
We send countless benedictions upon His Most Beloved Prophet

Peace and blessings of Allah upon His Family & Companions
Peace and blessings upon all His true followers



Preface


Proofs of His Prophethood

Proofs of Muhammads Prophethood in the New and Old Testament
The Prophet Muhammad's life prior to His Messengership Promised His Prophethood
The Prophet Muhammad's life following His Prophethood
The Prophets Character and Morality proves His Prophethood
His achievements prove Muhammad's Prophethood
His Miracles prove His Prophethood

Examples of the Beloved Prophet's Miracles

The information He gave us in the Past
Knowledge of the Unseen
Predictions of the Beloved Prophet Muhammad
Predictions concerning scientific developments
The Ascension
Why was the Ascension necessary?
What is the reality of the Ascension?
What is the wisdom in the Ascension?
What are the fruits and benefits of the Ascension?
Why was the Ascension special to Prophet Muhammad?
The Miracle of Splitting of the Moon
Examples of other kinds of Prophet Muhammad's Miracles
The Qur'an as the Greatest and Eternal Miracle
Miracles cannot be denied

Bismillahir Rahmaanir Raheem

As Salaatu Was Salaamu Alayka Ya RasoolAllah

 

We would like to introduce the reader to the exemplary life of the blessed Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings, and his distinguished, exalted personality. The ‘water of life’ for the salvation of humankind should be made known to everyone.

The Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings, is the pride of humankind. For the past fourteen centuries, many thinkers, philosophers, scientists and scholars, each a radiant star in our intellectual world, have stood behind him in respect and admiration and taken pride in membership of his community.

It is enough to appreciate and understand his greatness that even after so many attacks, we still hear the words I bear witness that Muhammad is the Messenger of God from minarets five times a day. While his name is being proclaimed from minarets we rejoice, as do the dead and other spiritual beings. It is enough to establish his greatness that, in spite of the concerted efforts to corrupt our younger generation and lead them astray, the young in this century, although it is impossible for them to perceive the full reality of Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings, hasten to him as moths hasten to light.

Time has not been able to make us forget the truth about him. He is so fresh in my mind that if I mention his holy name, it is as if I am about to meet him a few steps later. Once, while on pilgrimage to his radiant city, Madina, I felt that he was about to appear and welcome us. As time progresses, some thoughts become obsolete, but Muhammad, upon him be peace, remains as fresh as a rosebud in the hearts of the Muslims. It is for this reason that as soon as his name is mentioned from the minaret, we immediately abandon our work and hasten to mosque in acceptance of his invitation.

If we had been allowed to describe him as others have been described, if we had used the social and educational institutions, then, most probably, all the youth of today would be following his way. Despite our shortcomings, many pick up their ‘glasses’ and run to fill them from this ‘pure spring’. In every part of the world, including the United States, England, France and Germany, an Islamic revival is being observed. The Muslims are sowing these lands with the seeds of a happy future. Islam in every corner of the world is healthy and is flourishing as it had done in the Time of Happiness, i.e. the time of Muhammad himself. The same is true of the predominantly Muslim lands. Muslims, who were unconsciously devoted to Islam without deep perception or research, have given way to a new generation who are consciously following Muhammad, upon him be peace, in the light of science and advances in knowledge. Those who were previously exploiting schools and universities on behalf of unbelief are now running to him. World famous men including Maurice Bucaille and Roger Garaudy, have seen the falsehood of their systems and are hastening to the school of Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace, which is faultless.

I wonder whether we have fully recognized the most beloved of hearts. Even I, who have been performing five daily prayers since the age of five and striving to be a slave at his door, wonder if I am able to recognize him. Have we been able to enthuse love into the hearts of the men of this century by describing the ultimate source of all love and enthusiasm?

If only mankind had known Muhammad, they would have fallen in love with him as Majnun fell in love with Layla. Whenever his name is mentioned, they would tremble with joy in anticipation of entering the ethos which surrounds him and following his way wholeheartedly.

A person can love only one he/she knows and only to the extent of his/her knowledge

Man can love only one he knows and only to the extent of his knowledge. Our enemies have tried their utmost to make us forget and ensure that his holy name should not be mentioned anywhere. Since he is supported by God, all these obstacles have been torn down and the younger generation are submitting themselves to him as joyfully as one dying of thirst in the burning desert does when he finds water. His mighty tenderness and compassion will embrace every ‘thirsty’ person who comes to him.

You must have noticed that when you come to the Friday prayers, the congregation consists mainly of young people. Have you ever asked why, despite the misguidance and rebellion prevalent in most parts of the world, young people come to mosques and sit despite cold and other difficulties? There is only one attraction - Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings. Whether we can grasp it or not, souls and hearts rush to him as moths to a candle. Even those ‘winter flies’ who have not been so fortunate will soon be turning to him. The whole world will soon be following him. Scientists and great thinkers will be studying him. Those who are currently enemies will soon be bosom friends and will take refuge in his warm welcome. In his time, even his enemies admired him.

He once related a dream that he had had. He, upon him be peace, said: They weighed me against ten people of my community and I outweighed them. Then they weighed me against a hundred and then a thousand respectively and I outweighed them all.¹ He also related: I was weighed against the whole of my community and I outweighed them.² He outweighs all the men of intellect, the men of piety and spirituality and the men of faith and knowledge. This is because all other beings were created because of him. It is reported that God said to him: But for you, I would not have created the spheres.³

Muhammad provided creation with meaning and gave the answers to vital questions of humanity

The universe is a book. If Muhammad, upon him be peace, had not been created, this book would not have been understood. To create a book that could not be understood would have been an effort in vain. God Almighty is beyond exerting Himself in vain. Therefore, He created Muhammad so that he may describe the meaning of creation. God was to be a teacher to him to whom the earth and the firmaments were subjected. The seeker of truth asks himself ‘Who am I and where am I?’ ‘For what purpose have I been created?’ ‘What is the destination of my journey?‘ ‘Who is my guide through this journey?’

Muhammad is the one who provided creation with meaning and gave man the answers to such questions. If he had been fully recognized, he would have been truly loved. Although we only know him a little, we still love him.

Let me narrate to you an incident that occurred during a visit to Muhammad‘s holy city. The atmosphere was overpowering. Something occurred to me. Every morning, I pray to God saying seven times, O my God, save me from Hellfire and make me enter Paradise among the company of the godly people. There can be no believer who does not wish to enter Paradise. However, in this environment I asked myself: ‘If they were to invite you to Paradise through any of its seven gates, which would you prefer - entering into the rawdah, the area in the mosque next to the Prophet‘s tomb, or entering Paradise?’ Believe me, I swear by God that I said to myself: ‘This place is more appealing to me. I have had the chance to rub my face against the soil of my master, at whose door I prefer to be a slave chained, than anything else in the world. I do not want to miss this chance.’

I believe this is the desire of every believer. When I was blessed with this great opportunity, I was with a member of the Turkish Parliament, Mr. Arif Hikmet. He told me that he had promised himself that he would roll in the soil like a donkey when he stepped across the border and entered the land of Madina. This great man kept his promise. When I remember this incident, I can’t prevent my eyes watering.

Since the Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings, came with a Sacred Law that will never be abrogated and a Message which embraces all men and jinn, and since he has hundreds of miracles excelling those of all other Prophets, he is the head of all the Prophets and therefore has the core of the miracles of all of them, as well as their unanimous confirmation. That is, the agreement of all the other Prophets on the same faith and the testimony of their miracles provide a support for Muhammad’s honesty and truthfulness. He is, at the same time, the master and leader of all saints and men of purity and profound knowledge, who have attained perfection through his teaching and guidance and through the light of his Sacred Law. Thus, he has also the core of their wonders, their unanimous affirmation and the strength of all their verified conclusions. Since the way they have followed to reach the truth was the one opened and left open by him, all the wonders they have worked, all the conclusions they have established through meticulous research and intuition, and their consensus on the same faith, constitute another support for his Prophethood, for his truthfulness. It is because of this that the coming of Muhammad, the perfect Prophet, upon him be peace and blessings, was promised by all the Prophets before him. God made a covenant with them that they would believe in him and support him.

And when God took a covenant with the Prophets: That I have given you of Book and Wisdom; then there shall come to you a Messenger confirming what is with you - you shall believe in him and you shall help him. He said: ‘Will you affirm this, and take My load on you in this matter?’ They answered: ‘We affirm it.’ He said: ‘Bear witness so, and I shall be with you among the witnesses.’ (Al ‘Imran, 3.81)

All the Prophets led their lives in perfect loyalty to their promise. When the Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace, was about to make his mi‘raj, Ascension, he led the prayers before the souls of all the other Prophets.⁴ All of them, including Abraham, Moses, Noah and Jesus, displayed their desire to become his muezzin, caller to prayer.

Jesus repeatedly gave his disciples the glad tidings of the coming of Muhammad. According to the Gospel of John (14. 16, 26, 30; 16.7), he said: ‘It is better for you that I go away, because if I do not go, the helper will not come. I have much more to tell you, but for now it would be too much for you to bear. When, however, the spirit of the Truth, the lord of the world, who reveals the truth about God comes, he will lead you to the truth‘.

Muhammad is the unique, universal man representing the whole of creation

I wonder if we realize how unique he was as the head of family. Do we know how he brought up his children or grandchildren, each of whom would have been a great leader if he had come in succeeding centuries? He dealt with his wives so successfully that there was no disagreement between them. He was beyond all comparison as father, husband or simply as a human being.

He had such sublime virtues in his blessed being, such exalted qualities in his messengership and such precious merits in the religion and Sacred Law that he preached, that even his most fanatical enemies could not help but admit them. Since this being combines in his personality, function and religion the most praiseworthy virtues, he is certainly the embodiment, the master and the representative of all the perfections and the high, laudable virtues found in the whole creation.

He was so perfect a commander that he challenged the whole world with only a handful of men. He repelled all who opposed his teachings. He experienced no defeat at all. He did that without being taught by any mortal or attending any military academy.

He was so informed about science that he told his followers about almost all the major events which would occur until the Last Day. It was as if he were watching a television screen or reading from an unseen tablet.⁵ Where the realm of science has just reached is where the realm of Muhammad begins.

Some time ago, a friend brought me a video cassette in which a Canadian pediatrician, Keith Moore, who had realized how the Quran describes the development of the human embryo in the mother‘s womb, declared his conversion to Islam pronouncing, I bear witness that there is no deity but God, and I also bear witness that Muhammad is His Messenger. On the same tape a Japanese psychologist, who had discovered that Islam clears many of the problems that have baffled modern scientists, was trying to get his tongue around the Arabic words to make the same declaration.

Who taught all these scientific facts to Muhammad? Certainly, he did not speak on his own, but whatever he spoke was a Revelation revealed to him. He was taught by the One who knows everything, the One who is All-Knowing and All-Aware, so that, as science advances, humankind will come to discover a new aspect of his personality and will be filled with regret at not knowing him before that.

His Companions knew him and accordingly loved him very much. Their love for him was greater than their love for themselves. They were prepared to sacrifice their lives to protect him.

He dispatched a group of teachers to the tribe of Hudayl at their request. The Hudayli unbelievers betrayed their teachers and killed most of them. Zayd ibn Dasina and Hubayb were handed to the Quraysh, then enemies of the Muslims. They were about to be executed when, while on the gallows, Hubayb was asked: ‘Do you wish that Muhammad were in your place so that you could be with your family in Madina?‘ Hubayb was startled. ‘I would rather be cut into pieces than wish Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings, were in my place. I do not wish for even a thorn to hurt his blessed foot in exchange for my being returned to my family.‘ Then Hubayb prayed that God would convey his wish of peace and greetings to His Messenger, and inform him that he had remained loyal to him until he died. Meanwhile, the Prophet, upon him be peace and blessings, informed his Companions of Hubayb‘s martyrdom and returned his greetings.⁶

Sumayra, from the tribe of Dinar, hurried to the battlefield when the news reached her that the Muslims experienced a reverse in Uhud. They showed her the dead body of her father, but she ignored it. They showed the dead bodies of her husband and sons but she did not look at them. She just kept asking what had happened to the Prophet. Eventually somebody guided her to the Prophet. She threw herself to the ground a few metres away from his feet and said: ‘All misfortunes mean next to nothing to me, provided that you are alive, O Messenger of God!’⁷

He was so loved that his Companions would have given their lives if it meant that he could live forever. But, of course, he was mortal like other created beings. The appointed hour drew near and he had to say farewell to his friends with whom he had been for twenty-three years. Mu‘adh ibn Jabal had been shuttling between Madina and the Yemen carrying the Prophet‘s Message. On the day he was about to leave, the Messenger of God said to him: O Muadh, leave now for the Yemen, but when you come back, you will probably visit my mosque and my tomb. These words were enough to bring Mu‘adh to the point of emotional collapse.⁸

The problems of the twentieth century will be solved by following the way of Muhammad, upon him be peace. This has been acknowledged by unbiased Western and Eastern intellectuals. As Bernard Shaw admitted earlier this century, mankind, in order to solve their accumulated problems, need nothing more than the Prophet Muhammad, who solved the most complicated problems as easily as one drinks coffee.

Humankind is waiting for the return of the Muhammadan spirit. They are waiting for the Message of Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings. When they turn to him to solve their problems, they will be saved from being exploited, freed from all kinds of miseries, and they will attain true peace and happiness. This second revival has already begun despite the aversion of unbelievers.

They desire to extinguish the light of God with their mouths; but God will perfect His light, even though unbelievers are averse. It is He Who has sent His Messenger with the guidance and the religion of truth, that He may uplift it above every religion, even though the polytheists are averse. (al-Saff, 61:8-9)

God will uplift His religion, and people will run to the Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings, and in him will find peace and happiness. Humankind will learn to live in security through him and it will be as if they had entered Paradise while still in this world. This will take place despite the unbelievers and wrongdoers of Europe, the hypocrites of Asia and those living heedless of him. The lord of the Prophets, whose name we proclaim from our minarets five times a day to the whole world, will sooner or later be entrusted in the hearts of humankind. And, since the Prophet Muhammad was a man of peace, mankind will attain happiness through the Message that he brought.

 

1. Qadi Iyad, Shifa’ al-Sharif, 1.173.
2. Ahmad ibn Hanbal, Musnad, 2.76.
3. al-Ajluni, Kashf al-Khafa’, 2.232.
4. I. Jarir al-Tabari, Jami‘ al-Bayan an Ta’wil Ay al-Qur’an; I. Kathir, al-Bidaya wa l-Nihaya, 3.139.
5. Muslim, Fitan, 22-5; I. Hanbal, 1.4.
6. I. Kathir, al-Bidaya, 4.76.
7. I. Kathir, ibid., 4.54; Nur al-Din Ali ibn A. Bakr al-Haythami, Majma‘ al-Zawa’id, 6.115.
8. I. Hanbal, 5.235.

---

top

 

PROOFS OF MUHAMMAD’S PROPHETHOOD IN THE NEW AND OLD TESTAMENT

Prophet Muhammad in the Old Testament

Almost all the previous Prophets predicted the Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings. Despite the changes they have undergone over time, we can still find indications to his coming in the Torah, Psalms and the Gospels.

A Prophet from among the brothers of the Israelites who resembles Moses

For example, the following verses of the Torah promise the coming of the Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings:

The Lord said to me [Moses]: ‘What they say is good. I will raise up for them a Prophet like you among their brothers; I will put My words in his mouth, and he will tell them everything I command him. If anyone does not listen to My words that the Prophet speaks in My Name, I will Myself call him to account.’ (Deuteronomy, 18.17-9)

It is clear from these verses that what is meant by ‘a Prophet like you among their brothers’ is a Prophet who will come from the line of Ishmael, since Ishmael is the brother of Isaac, who is the forefather of Moses’ people, the Children of Israel. The only Prophet who came from the line of Ishmael after Moses and resembled him in many ways, for example, in the bringing of a new law and waging of war on his enemies, is the Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings. Also, the following verse of the Bible in Deuteronomy, 34.12 (Istanbul 1885), clearly states that no Prophet like Moses did ever appear among the Israelites:

With respect to his virtues and awesome deeds, no Prophet like Moses, whom the Lord knows face to face, no longer appeared among Israel.

The Quran points to the same fact:

We have sent to you a Messenger as a witness over you, even as We sent to Pharaoh a Messenger. (al-Muzzammil, 73.15)

The sentence, I will put My words in his mouth, and he will tell them everything I command him, in the verse in question, means that the promised Prophet will be unlettered and speak whatever is revealed to him. God reiterates the same fact in the Quran:

He does not speak out of [his own] desire. It is but a Revelation revealed. (al-Najm, 53.3-4)

The Prophet who shone forth from Mount Paran

The following verse,

The Lord came from Sinai and dawned over them from Seir; He shone forth from Mount Paran. (Deuteromony, 33.2)

refers to the Prophethood of Moses, Jesus and Muhammad respectively, upon them be peace. Sinai is the place where the Prophet Moses spoke to God and received the Torah. Seir, a place in Palestine, is where the Prophet Jesus received Divine Revelation. Paran is where God manifested Himself to mankind for the last time through His Revelation to the Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings.

Paran is a mountain range in Makka. It is mentioned in the Torah (Genesis, 21.19-21) as the area in the desert where Hagar was left by her husband Abraham, upon him be peace, to live with her son, Ishmael. The well of Zamzam appeared in it. As is stated explicitly in the Qur’an (14.35-7), Abraham left Hagar and Ishmael in the valley of Makka, which was then an uninhabited place within the mountain ranges of Paran.

The verse in Deuteromony, according to the Arabic version published in London in 1944 and the Ottoman Turkish version published in Istanbul in 1885), continues:

He came with myriads of holy ones; in his right hand appeared to them the fire of the Shari‘a.

This verse refers to the promised Prophet, Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings, who would have numerous Companions of the highest degree of sainthood. The fire of the Shari‘a alludes to the fact that the promised Prophet would be allowed, and even ordered, to fight against his enemies.

Other verses in the Old Testament:

In the Psalms of David, there is the following verse:

O God, send to us after the interregnum (after the latest of the successive prophets) one who will establish (Your) way.’¹

Here, ‘one who will establish (Your) way’ refers to the Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings.

The following verse is from the Gospels:

A verse from the Torah says:

Surely God said to Abraham: ‘Hagar will certainly bear children. There will appear from her sons one whose hand will be above all, and the hands of all others will be opened to him in reverence.’²

Another verse from the Torah:

And He said, ‘O Moses, surely I will raise up for them a Prophet like you, from among their brothers (that is, from among the children of Ishmael); I will put my Word in his mouth, and he will tell them everything I command him. If anyone does not listen to my words that the prophet speaks in my name, I Myself will call him to account.’ (Deuteronomy, 18:18-19.)

A third verse from the Torah:

Moses said: ‘O my Lord, I have found in the Torah a community, as the best of the communities, that will be raised for (the benefit) of mankind; they enjoin the good and forbid the evil, and they believe in God. Let it be my community!’ (God) said: ‘That is the community of Muhammad.’³

This is a verse from the Psalms:

O David, a Prophet will come after you, named Ahmad (Muhammad), the Truthful and the Lord, and his community will be forgiven.⁴

From the Seven ‘Abdullahs, ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Amr ibn al- ‘As, who made extensive studies of earlier Divine books, ‘Abdullah ibn Salam, who was the first to embrace Islam from amongst the famous Jewish scholars, and the renowned scholar Ka‘b ibn al-Akhbar from amongst the foremost scholars of the Israelites, all pointed out the following verse in the Torah, which was not then corrupted to its present extent. The verse, after addressing Moses, addresses the Prophet to come in the following strain:

O Prophet, verily We have sent you as a witness, a bearer of good tidings, a warner and a protection for the unlettered. You are My slave; I have named you ‘the Reliant on God’, who are not harsh and stern, and not clamorous in the marketplaces; who do not repel the evil with evil, but instead pardon and forgive. God will certainly not take away his life until He straightens a crooked nation by means of him (by causing them) to proclaim ‘There is no deity but God.’⁵

Another verse from the Torah states:

Muhammad is the Messenger of God; his birthplace is Makka, he will emigrate to Tayba, the center of his rule is Damascus, and his community are unceasingly occupied with praise of God.⁶

In this verse, for the word Muhammad, a Syriac word meaning Muhammad is actually mentioned.

Another verse from the Torah:

You are My slave and Messenger; I have named you ‘the Reliant on God.’⁷

This verse is also addressed to a Prophet who will emerge after Moses from the progeny of Ishmael, the cousins of the children of Isaac.

Here is another verse from the Torah:

My slave is a ‘chosen one’, who is not harsh, nor he is stern.⁸

The meaning of ‘Mukhtar’, a chosen one, is the same as ‘Mustafa’, a name of Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings.

The Prophet who will come after Jesus is referred to as ‘the Master of the world’ in several places in the Gospels. (John, 14:30)

This verse of the Gospel, which has come to describe him,

With him is an iron staff with which he will fight, as will his community.⁹

indicates that a Prophet will come with a sword to wage Jihad. In agreement with this verse of the Gospel, the following Qur’anic verse at the end of Sura al-Fath (Victory), which refers to some other verses of the Gospel as well as the one mentioned above, also states that his community, like him, will be under the obligation of waging Jihad.

And their similitude in the Gospel is: like a seed that sends forth its blade, then makes it strong; it then becomes thick, and it stands in its own stem, filling the sowers with wonder and delight, so that it fills the unbelievers with rage at them. (48:29)

In the Torah, there is the following verse:

The flags of the holy ones are with him, on his right. (Deuteronomy, 33:2) ¹⁰

In this verse, the Companions of the Prophet are described as ‘the holy ones’, that is, his Companions are blessed, righteous, saintly friends of God.

In Chapter 42 of the Book of Isaiah, there are the following verses:

Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen one in whom I delight; I will put my spirit on him and he will bring justice to the nations. He will not shout or cry out, or raise his voice in the streets. A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out. In faithfulness he will bring forth justice; he will not falter or be discouraged till he establishes justice on earth. In his law the islands will put their hope. (Isaiah, 42:1-4)

These verses are certain to describe the Prophet Muhammad, who would come in the last phase of human history.

There are the following verses in Chapter 4 of the Book of Micah:

In the last days the mountain of the Lord’s temple will be established as chief among the mountains; it will be raised above the hills, and peoples will stream to it. Many nations will come and say, “Come, let us go up the mountain of the Lord, to the house of God. He will teach us His ways, so that we may walk in His paths.” (Micah, 4:1-2)

These verses obviously describe the Mount Arafat, the most blessed mountain of the world, and the nation of Muhammad, upon him be peace, together with the prayers and praises that would be offered by the pilgrims who would flock there from all climes.

The following verses are from Chapter 72 of Psalms:

He will rule from sea to sea and from the River to the ends of the earth.The desert tribes will bow before him and his enemies will lick the dust. The kings of Tarshish and of distant shores will bring tribute to him; the kings of the Yemen and Seba will present him gifts. All kings will bow down to him and all nations will serve him. For he will deliver the needy who cry out, the afflicted who have no-one to help. He will take pity on the weak and the needy and save the needy from death. He will rescue them from oppression and violence for precious is their blood in his sight. Long may he live! May people ever pray for him and bless him all day long.

...

May his name endure for ever; may it continue as long as the sun. All nations will be blessed through him. and they will call him blessed. (Psalms, 72:8-17)

These verses describe the Prophet Muhammad, the Pride of the World, in a very clear way. Since the Prophet David, has a prophet come other than the Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace, who has spread his religion from east to west, to whose name many rulers pay tribute, and whose way so many obey with deep adoration for him, and on whom one fifth of mankind call, every day, God’s peace and blessings? Is there anyone who fits this description other than the Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings?

Prophet Muhammad in the New Testament

More emphatically and more frequently than any other Prophet, the Prophet Jesus, upon him be peace, gave the good tidings of the Last Prophet, upon him be peace and blessings.

The Capstone in the Gospel of Matthew

Jesus said:

Have you never read in the Scriptures: ‘The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone; the Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes? Therefore I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit. He who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces, but he on whom it falls will be crushed.’ (Matthew, 21.42-4)

The ‘capstone’ mentioned in the verses cannot be the Prophet Jesus for the verses refer to the crushing victories that the followers of the ‘capstone’ will win against their enemies. No people were ever broken to pieces or crushed because they resisted Christianity. Christianity gained ground against the Roman Empire only after it had lost its original identity and been reconciled with Roman paganism. The Western dominion over the world came after scientific thought’s triumph over the medieval Christian view of nature and was realized in the form of a ruthless colonialism. Whereas, Islam ruled almost half of the ‘old’ world for many centuries as a religion in its original purity and its enemies were many times defeated before it. In its struggle with other religions, Islam has always been successful. It is, again, Islam which is on the rise as both a pure, authentic religion and as a way of life, and which is the hope of salvation for humanity more than that, the Prophet Jesus himself alludes to this fact by stating explicitly that the kingdom of God will be taken away from his followers and given to a people who will produce its fruit.

Second, in a telling detail recorded in a hadith in the Sahih of al-Bukhari and that of Muslim, the Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings, describes himself as the ‘capstone’ completing the building of Prophethood.

Paraklit, the Spirit of Truth

In the Gospel of John, Jesus promises the arrival of the Last Prophet using a variety of names:

But I tell you the truth: It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the ‘Paraklit’ will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. When he comes, he will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment. (John, 16:7-8)

In these verses, the Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings, is referred to as the Paraklit. Paraklit¹¹ is a Greek word meaning the Distinguisher between Truth and Falsehood. Although Christian interpreters have given this word different meanings such as Counselor (Gideons International) or Helper (American Bible Society) or Comforter (the Company of the Holy Bible), and claimed that it refers to the Holy Spirit, it is impossible even for Christians to establish whether the Holy Spirit has come down after Jesus and done what Jesus foretold he would do.

If, according to Christians, the Holy Spirit is the Archangel Gabriel, he came many times to the Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings, to bring Divine Revelations. Further, Jesus mentioned and predicted the Paraklit with other different names, but the same function, as is seen in the following verses:

When Paraklit comes - the Spirit of truth - who comes from the Father, he will testify about me. (John, 15.26)

I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. He will bring glory to me by taking what is mine and making it known to you. (John, 16.12-14)

I will not speak with you much longer, for the Prince of this world is coming. And I posses nothing of him. (John, 14.30)

Who has come after Jesus other than the Prophet Muhammad, as the Comforter who has comforted human beings against fear of death, against worries about the future, against spiritual ailments of all kinds? As the Helper, who has helped mankind to attain real peace and happiness in both worlds? As the Prince of the world, who has ruled almost half of the world for fourteen centuries, and who has become the beloved of billions? And as the Spirit of truth who testified to Jesus, brought glory to him by declaring his Prophethood against the denial of the Jews and false deification of him by Christians, and restoring his religion to its pristine purity through the Book he brought? What shortcomings do the Western Christians attribute to the Prophet Muhammad, in contrast to Jesus and other Prophets, that, while almost all of the Christians of the ‘Middle East’ believed in him and converted to Islam within a few decades of his death, they persist in their denial of him and offer no justification?

Mawlana Jalal al-Din al-Rumi, a great Sufi saint, expresses in the following stanza the good tidings of the Prophet Muhammad by the Gospel:

In the Gospel Mustafa is mentioned with his attributes, in him is the mystery of all the Prophets; he is the bringer of happiness. The Gospel mentions him with his external form and features, and also with his personal virtues and Prophetic qualities.

In spite of the changes they have been subjected to over time, the Old and New Testaments still contain references to the Prophet Muhammad, only some of which we have quoted. The late Hussayn Jisri found one hundred and fourteen such allusions and quoted them in his Risala al-Hamidiya.

Note

In the books of other Prophets, God’s Messenger, upon him be peace and blessings, is mentioned with such Syriac and Hebrew names as correspond to Ahmad, Muhammad and Mukhtar. In the Pages of the Prophet Shu‘ayb, upon him be peace, his name is Mushaffah, meaning Muhammad. In the Torah, he is mentioned as Munhamanna, which means Muhammad, and as Himyata, meaning ‘the Prophet of al-Haram’. In the Psalms, he is named al-Mukhtar, and again in the Torah, al-Hatam al-Khatam. Both in the Torah and the Psalms, he is referred to as Muqim al-Sunna, which means the one who establishes and enforces the Divine way for mankind. In the Pages of Abraham, upon him be peace, and in the Torah, he is mentioned as Mazmaz, and again in the Torah, as Ahyad.

God’s Messenger himself said, My name in the Qur’an is Muhammad, in the Bible Ahmad, and in the Torah Ahyad. In the Bible, he is also referred to as ‘the Possessor of the Sword and the Staff’. In-deed, among the Prophets who carried the sword, the Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings, is the greatest one, who was also commanded to perform Jihad together with his community. The Gospel refers to him also as the one who wears a crown. What is meant here by crown is turban, and it is the Arabs who have worn headcovers with a wrapper around them since ancient times. Hence, the reference is undoubtedly to the Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings.

In the tomb of Shamun al-Safa, the famous traveler Awliya’ Calabi saw the following verses in the Gospel, written on a gazelle hide: ‘I’tun (A youth) Azribun (from the progeny of Abraham) peruftun (is to be a Prophet.) Law ghýslin (He will not be a liar.) Bent afzulat (His birthplace is Makka;) ki kalushir (he will come with righteousness;) tunuminin (his blessed name) mavamid (is Ahmad Muhammad.) Isfedus (His followers) takardis (will prosper in this world,) bist bith (and also in the next.)

Certainly, Jesus frequently gave in the Gospels the glad tidings that the most significant leader of mankind would come, and mentioned him with some names in Syriac and Hebrew, which mean, as observed by meticulous experts, Ahmad, Muhammad, and Faruq (who distinguishes the truth from falsehood).

 

1.Although it does not exist word for word in the present editions of the Bible, it is recorded in Hujjat Allah ‘ala al-‘Alamin fi Mu’jizat al-Sayyid al-Mursalin by Yusuf Nahbani, p. 104.
2. Although it does not exist word for word in the present versions of the Bible, it is recorded by ‘Ali al-Qari in his Sharh al-Shifa’, 1:743. However, we read in the Torah, the following verses:

I will make the son of the maidservant (Hagar) into a nation.(Genesis, 21:13). Hagar, lift the boy up and take him by the hand, for I will make him into a great nation (21:18).

3. ‘Ali al-Qari, al-Shifa’ al-Sharif, 1:746.
4. Ali al-Qari, al-Shifa’ al-Sharif, 1:746.
5. Bukhari, Buyu’, 50; I. Hanbal, Musnad, 2:174; Darimi, 1:14-15.
6. Darimi, 1:14-15; Abu Na‘im, Dala’il al-Nubuwwa, 1:72.
7. Kastalani, al-Mawahib al-Ladunniya, 6:192.
8. ‘Ali al-Qari, ibid., 1:739.
9. Yusuf Nahbani, Hujjat Allah ‘ala al-‘Alamin fi Mu’jizat al-Sayyid al-Mursalin, 105.
10.This is almost the same in many versions of the Bible, i.e., in the one published by The Bible Company established in Istanbul, but we come across a different translation, if not an alteration, in the version published by Gideon International, which reads: ‘He came with myriads of holy ones from the south, from his mountain slopes’ (Deuteronomy, 33:2).
11. Paraclete is originally a Greek word. According to Webster’s New World Dictionary, it derives from the Greek word parakletos meaning intercessor, advocate, pleader. However, Abidin Pasha, a nineteenth-century scholar from Yanya, Greece, who knew Greek very well and whose works on Greek literature were highly praised by Greek authorities, writes that the origin of Paraclete is piriklitos, meaning Ahmad, the one who is much praised. (Hussain Jisri, Risala al-Hamidiya, 59). We also read in the Qur’an that Jesus predicted the Prophet Muhammad with the name, Ahmad, a synonym of Muhammad (61:6). Christians assert that by Paraclete Jesus means the Holy Spirit, but it is questionable what connection the Holy Spirit has with interceding, pleading or advocating, which, in fact, refer to the main attributes of the Prophet Mu-hammad, upon him be peace and blessings, even though we accept that the word drives from paracletos. Besides, it should also be noted that translators of the Gospels intentionally refrain from writing Paraclete and, instead, they prefer to translate it, but all differently. Also, Jesus gives good tidings of the being to come not only with the name of Paraclete but also with such names as ‘the Prince of this world’ and the ‘Spirit of truth’, and with many other functions, which must, of course, belong to a Prophet, not to a ‘spirit’ or angel.

The Beloved Prophet Muhammad's life prior to His Messengership Promised His Prophethood

The extraordinary events took place on the night of his birth. For example, most of the idols at the Ka‘ba toppled over; the palace of the Sassanid Emperor shook and cracked, and its fourteen pinnacles collapsed; the small lake of Sawa in Persia sank into the earth, and the fire which was worshipped by the Magians at Istakhrabad and had been lit continually for a thousand years was extinguished. Together with these events, the different character he displayed even in his childhood and the meaningful signs men of insight observed on him meant that he would undertake a great mission in future.

During the period of his life prior to his Prophethood, he opposed injustices in his community and joined organizations like the Hilf al-Fudul, which was established to defend the helpless and restore usurped rights to their owners.

Although of honorable descent, he never lived in luxuries and grew up as an orphan under the protection of first his grandfather and then his uncle. Although he may have earned some money by the trade he did before and after his marriage, he used to spend whatever he had to support the orphans, widows and the poor and therefore never lived a wealthy life and did not have powerful backing.

Despite the moral corruption in his community, he lived an extraordinarily chaste and perfectly disciplined life, without never falling into dissipated ways. During his childhood, he intended only twice to attend wedding ceremonies but on both occasions sleep overpowered him half-way. When he was 25 years old, he married Khadija, a respected widow fifteen years older than himself and never married again until her death 25 years later. Those who knew him said that he was as shy as a young girl when asked for in marriage.

Muhammad’s childhood and youth were a prelude to his Prophethood. Besides his other exalted, laudable characteristics, everyone agreed upon his truthfulness and trustworthiness

Muhammad’s childhood and youth were a prelude to his Prophethood. Besides his other exalted, laudable characteristics, everyone agreed upon his truthfulness and trustworthiness. He never lied, never cheated and never broke his word. He was called ‘the Trustworthy’ even by his bitterest enemies.

People would say of him: ‘If you go on a journey and need someone to whose safeguarding you will entrust your family and belongings, you can entrust them to Muhammad without hesitation.’ The Ka‘ba had been partly ruined by rain and resultant floods. The Quraysh restored it. The moment came when the Black Stone had to be put back in its place. It would be an honor for the individual or clan who did that since the Black Stone was revered for its sanctity. In order to prevent a clash which was about to ensue between the clans to acquire that honor, they all agreed on the arbitration of Muhammad. He asked them to fetch a piece of cloth, which he spread on the ground. Putting the Black Stone on it, he told the chiefs of the clans to take each a corner of the cloth. In this way the Stone was raised to the required height and then he took it himself and put it in its place. Thanks to his wisdom, the danger of a war between the clans was averted.

Muhammad learned from no one during his whole lifetime and was never influenced by the written culture of the time.

Muhammad was unlettered. He learned from no one during his whole lifetime and was never influenced by the written culture of the time. Towards his fortieth year, he used to retreat to the cave of Hira.’ This unlettered man came out of the cave with a new, wholly authentic message to heal all the wounds of humanity and challenged all the literary geniuses to produce a like of his message. This alone is enough to show that he is a Prophet sent by God to guide humanity to truth.

No one among his enemies dared to accuse him of lying or cheating.

No one among his enemies dared to accuse him of lying or cheating. In order to prevent the spread of his Message, they only labeled him sometimes as a poet, sometimes as a sorcerer or magician and sometimes as an insane one. There were times when, in order not to accept his Message, they put forward false pretexts, saying: ‘If only this Quran had been sent down to one of the great men of the two cities (Makka and Ta’if)?’

It is inconceivable that a man of forty who, until then, was never witnessed to tell a single lie and to cheat, and to display any moral and intellectual imperfection, would completely change, suddenly and unexpectedly, and begin to cheat everyone and continue to do so without being discovered. As prior to his Prophethood, no one, including his bitterest enemies, ever accused him of lying and cheating, so also after it, though they uttered different slanders about him, they could not help but confess his truthfulness. If they had ever witnessed any dishonest act by him, or if, to answer his challenges, they had been able to produce the like of a single chapter of the Quran, in order to discredit him or stop him preaching his message, they would not have felt obliged to wage war on him. However, after years of futile resistance caused by low and selfish motives, even his most bitterest enemies like Safwan ibn Umayya, Abu Sufyan ibn Harb, ‘Amr ibn al-‘As, Ikrima ibn Abi Jahl and others, finally accepted the truthfulness of his message.

---

top

---

The Prophet Muhammad's Life following His Prophethood

If the Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings, had cherished selfish aims and intentions, and if he had not been a Prophet chosen by God to guide people into truth, he would not have had to wait until he was forty to emerge with the claim of Prophethood.

Muhammad was unlettered. Until he was forty, no one heard him utter an eloquent speech, talk on religious and metaphysical issues, formulate any laws, and handle a sword. But, this reserved and quiet man, who had never given any indication of political interest or activity before, appeared on the stage of the world, as a greatest reformer expounding the intricate problems of metaphysics and theology, delivering speeches upon the principles of the decline and fall of nations, teaching ethical canons and formulating the laws of social culture, economic organization, group conduct and international relations, the world history has ever known. He turned suddenly into such a brave soldier that he did not even once retreat in the fiercest battles. He changed people’s modes of thought, world-views, and their beliefs, habits and morals.

The Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings, was not only an undefeatable commander, nor a most eminent statesman, nor a most influential spiritual and moral teacher. He is the only example where all the excellences in all the aspects of life have been blended into one personality.

The Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings, was not only an undefeatable commander, nor a most eminent statesman, nor a most influential spiritual and moral teacher. He is the only example where all the excellences in all the aspects of life have been blended into one personality. He is a man of wisdom and a seer and also a living embodiment of his own teachings. He is a great statesman as well as a military genius. He is a legislator and also a teacher of morals. He is a spiritual luminary as well as a religious guide. His vision penetrates every aspect of life and there is nothing which he touches and does not adorn. His orders and commandments cover a vast field from the regulation of international relations down to the habits of everyday life like eating, drinking, sleeping, and cleanliness of the body. On the foundations of his teaching he established a civilization and a culture and produced such a fine, sensitive, and perfect equilibrium in the conflicting aspects of life that there is to be found not even the slightest trace of any flaw, deficiency or incompleteness. What shortcoming and imperfection does he have when compared with other Prophets so that he is not confirmed as a Prophet and Messenger of God?

Muhammad lived as the humblest of all

Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings lived a very simple life, as the poorest of his community. He spent all the money he had earned by the trade before His Prophethood to spread his Message. In spite of his greatness, his behavior toward all people was that of the humblest person, that of an ordinary being. In the struggles and endeavors of his whole life he did not seek any reward or profit for his own person, nor did he leave any property for his heirs. He did not ask his followers to earmark anything for him or his descendants, so much so that although he and his family were the poorest of his community, he forbade not only his family but also his progeny from receiving from the benefit of zakat.

Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings, was extremely merciful toward all the creatures of God.

Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings, was extremely merciful toward all the creatures of God. In Makka, his people inflicted on him every kind of suffering, eventually forcing him to emigrate to Madina, and then waged wars on him for five years. However, when he conquered Makka without bloodshed in the twenty-first year of his Prophethood, he forgave all of his enemies. His mercy even encompassed hypocrites and unbelievers. Although he recognized the hypocrites of his time, he never disclosed them so that they could enjoy the rights of full citizenship to which their outward confession of faith and practice entitled them.

The Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings, was particularly compassionate towards children. When he saw a child crying, he sat beside him or her and shared his or her feelings. He felt the pain of a mother for her child more than the mother herself. Once he said: I stand in prayer and wish to prolong it. However, I hear the cry of a child and cut the prayer short for the anxiety which the mother praying in the congregation is feeling. He took children in arms and hugged them. Sometimes he bore them on his shoulders.

The Prophet’s compassion encompassed not only human beings, but also animals. We hear from him that a prostitute was guided to truth by God and ultimately went to Paradise because she gave water to a poor dog dying of thirst, whilst another woman was condemned to the torments of Hell because she left a cat to die of hunger.

Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings, was extremely mild in his relations with people.

The Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings, was extremely mild in his relations with people. He was never angry with anybody because of what was done to him. When his wife ‘A’isha, may God be pleased with her, was made the object of a slander, he did not think to punish the slanderers even after ‘A’isha was cleared. Bedouins often came to his presence and behaved impolitely, but he did not even frown at them.

The Prophet was also the most generous of people

The Prophet was also the most generous of people. He liked to distribute whatever he had. After Prophethood he and his wealthy wife Khadija spent everything they had in the way of God. When Khadija, may God be pleased with her, died, they had no money to buy a shroud, and God’s Messenger, upon him be peace and blessings, had to borrow money in order to bury the first person to embrace Islam and his first supporter.

According to the Prophet, the world is like a tree under which people sit to be shaded during a long journey. No one can live forever in the world, so people must make in the world the necessary preparation for the second part of the journey which will end either in Paradise or Hell. The mission of God’s Messenger, upon him be peace and blessings, was to guide people to truth, so he would spend whatever he had, his life, and his possessions, to this end. Once ‘Umar, upon him be peace and blessings, saw him lying on a rough mat and wept, saying: ‘O Messenger of God! While kings sleep in soft weather beds, you are lying on a rough mat. You are the Messenger of God and therefore deserve more than any other people an easy life.’ The Messenger answered him: Do you not agree that [the luxuries of] the world be theirs but those of the Hereafter ours?

Islam does not approve of monastic life. It came to secure justice and the well-being of mankind, but warns people against over-indulgence. It is for this reason that many Muslims have chosen an ascetic life. Although the Muslims generally became rich after the death of the Messenger, upon him be peace and blessings, some like the Caliphs Abu Bakr, ‘Umar and ‘Ali preferred an austere life. This was partly because they felt to live as the poorest of their people and partly because they chose to strictly follow the Prophet’s example.

The Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings, was the most modest of people. As he attained a higher rank each and every day, he increased in humility and servanthood to God. He preferred being a Prophet-slave to being a Prophet-king.

In the construction of the Mosque in Madina after the Hijra, he carried two sun-dried bricks while everybody else carried one. In the digging of the ditch around Madina to defend the city in the Battle of the Ditch, the Companions bound a stone around their bellies because of hunger, but the Messenger bound two, because he was more hungry than anybody else. Once, a man saw him and, due to his awe-inspiring appearance, began to tremble out of fear. The Messenger calmed him, saying: Brother! Don’t be afraid. I am a man, like you, whose mother used to eat dry bread. Again, a woman suffering from insanity pulled him by the hand and said: ‘Come with me and do my housework.’ God’s Messenger, upon him be peace and blessings, went with the woman and did the work. As reported by ‘A’isha, his wife, the Messenger patched his clothes, repaired his shoes and helped his wives with the housework.

‘Ali, the Fourth Caliph, may God be pleased with him, describes the Prophet, upon him be peace and blessings:

Whoever attempted to describe Muhammad would say: ‘I have, either before him or after him, never seen the like of him, upon him be peace and blessings.’

· God’s Messenger was the most generous of people in giving out and the mildest and foremost of them in patience and perseverance. He was the most truthful of people in speech, the most amiable and congenial in companionship and the noblest of them in family. Whoever sees him first is stricken by awe of him but whoever knows him closely is attracted to him deeply, and whoever attempts to describe him says: ‘I have, either before him or after him, never seen the like of him, upon him be peace and blessings.’

Other than conveying God’s Message to people, in other words, performing the mission of Divine Messengership, who bears such an austere life as Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings, lived, and what else other than a Prophet, can such a man as Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings, be? And what substantial argument can one put forward against his Prophethood?

---

top

---

 

The Prophet Muhammad's Character and High Morality prove His Prophethood

Muhammad was the humblest at the zenith of his achievements

If a man’s world-admired accomplishments or the wealth and fame he has gained do not change him, if he can remain as humble as he was at the beginning of his career, this shows that person’s strength of character, morality and virtue. Despite his unparalleled achievements, which force even his enemies to place him at the top of the greatest men of human history, the Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings, was poorer and more humble when he entered Makka victoriously than he was at the beginning of his mission.

Those who saw the Messenger would say: ‘One with such a face cannot lie.’

One’s face reveals one’s inner world and character. Those who saw the Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings, could not help but admire his appearance and, if they were unprejudiced, acknowledge his truthfulness. For example, ‘Adbullah ibn Salam, the most renowned Jewish scholar of the time, believed in him at his first sight of him, saying: ‘One with such a face cannot lie.’

If a fire-fly claimed that it is the sun, its lie could last only until the sun rises. Turkish people say that a liar’s candle only burns till bedtime, meaning that a lie has only a very short life. So, a deceitful one pretending Prophethood will soon be discovered and no one will accept him as a true Prophet.

Muhammad’s utmost conviction of his cause, together with his sincerity and solemnity prove his Prophethood

Even an insignificant man of small standing, in a small group in a disputed matter of little importance, cannot tell a small but shameful lie openly and comfortably without displaying such anxiety and uneasiness as will make his enemies aware of his deception. Since the Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings, challenged everybody to come until the Last Day and uttered many important speeches in a large community concerning a great cause, with great ease and freedom, without hesitation or anxiety, with pure sincerity and great solemnity, and in an intense and elevated manner that provoked his enemies, it means that he was certainly a Prophet speaking whatever God revealed to him.

Despite being unlettered, the Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings, spoke on every issue and has not been contradicted ever since.

It is impossible for an unlettered one to speak on a matter requiring expert knowledge, especially before those with specialized knowledge of that matter. However, despite being unlettered, the Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings, spoke on every issue from theology and metaphysics to medicine, history, physics and biology and has not been contradicted ever since. Besides, when he was raised up as a Prophet, the arts of literature, eloquence and oratory were at their peak and the Qur’an he received from God challenged all of its opponents to bring the like of a single chapter of its but no one has ever been able to do that. This, again, clearly shows that Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings, is a Prophet of God.

Muhammad had to confront all kinds of hardships and persecutions after Prophethood and spent for his cause whatever he had.

For the sake of a deception no one risks his life, wealth and reputation and bears great hardships and persecutions unless he has great aspirations to more wealth and great worldly positions. Before claiming Prophethood, the Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings, was well off and had a respected place among his community. However, he had to confront all kinds of hardships and persecutions after Prophethood and spent for his cause whatever he had. His enemies slandered him, mocked him, beat him, expelled him from his homeland and waged war on him. He bore all such cruel treatments and hostilities without complaint and asked God Almighty for the forgiveness of even his enemies. The only cause he pursued was to see everybody believing in and worshipping the One God exclusively and thereby prosperous in both worlds and saved from the torments of Hell.

Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings, practiced with utmost sincerity and honesty what he communicated to others.

History has witnessed many leading persons who, since they themselves did not practice what they preached or propagated, did not have a large devoted following. Their ideas did not have an enduring effect on people and the systems they established did not last long. However, the Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings, practiced with utmost sincerity and honesty what he communicated to others and was always the first and foremost in obedience to the religion he brought, in worship to the Creator and in avoidance of the religious prohibitions. This shows his full conviction of his cause and that he is a Messenger of God, Who sent him to humanity to guide them to the True Path.

For what reason other than conveying God’s Message to people must he have endured all kinds of hardships and persecutions, such as sleeping on earth, suffering hunger for several consecutive days, spending a considerable part of his life on battlefields and military campaigns, being expelled from his homeland, becoming subject to mockeries and insults, etc?

Man acquires an established character until he is thirty and especially after thirty a man’s character does not change. Particularly, it is very difficult for one to change his temper and disposition after he is forty. If-God forbid such a thought!- there had been any imperfection and blemish in the character of Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings, it would certainly have appeared before his Prophethood. Therefore, no one with a bit of intelligence and fairness, unless he is prejudiced, can accept that one who was never heard tell a lie and witnessed deceive until one was forty, would appear as the worst, meanest trickster of human history after forty.

A lying, deceitful one cannot have a large, dedicated following who are ready to sacrifice themselves for him. Despite being among the five greatest Prophets, Moses and Jesus did not have followers as devoted as Muhammad’s Companions.

A lying, deceitful one cannot have a large, dedicated following who are ready to sacrifice themselves for him. Despite being among the five greatest Prophets, Moses and Jesus did not have followers as devoted as Muhammad’s Companions. The followers of Moses, upon him be peace, betrayed him when he left them for forty days to receive the Torah on Mount Sinai, and began to worship a golden calf which Samiri made for them. Even after so many years of intellectual and spiritual training in the desert, except for two God-fearing men, they did not obey his order to fight against the Amalekites, the people of Goliath. As for Jesus, upon him be peace, one of his most devoted twelve followers betrayed him and attempted to submit him to his enemies. But the followers of Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings, known as the Companions, were so devoted to him that they sacrificed for him their lives and properties and their families and tribes. Although brought up among a primitive people and in a climate of ignorance, devoid of any positive notions of social life and administration, without a Scripture and immersed in the darkness of the uncivilized era after the Prophets, in a very short period, they became in the footsteps of their exalted leader, the Prophet Muhammad, the masters, guides and just rulers of the most civilized and socially and politically advanced peoples and states, and ruled the world from east to west in a world-admired fashion.

Also, innumerable exacting and profound scholars and world-famous scientists and pure, spiritual masters were brought up among the succeeding generations following the Companions. The civilization they established was the most magnificent one history has ever known. Is it conceivable, then, that all those most shining stars of human history followed a lying, deceitful one? God forbid such a thought!

The Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings, was the most famous of humanity for high moral conduct and virtue.

The Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings, was the most famous of humanity for high moral conduct and virtue. He appeared in the heart of a desert which was almost the most uncivilized part of the then inhabited world and where people were immersed in the worst kinds of immorality. Then, who do you think brought him up as the most virtuous one with the highest morality and best conduct? He had lost his father while he was yet in the womb of his mother. When his mother died, he was only six years old. It was impossible for his grandfather and uncle to bring him up as the most virtuous of all times, as they themselves did not have all of the good moral qualities Muhammad had and in the same degree as he had. His teacher was God, as he himself said: My Lord educated me and taught me good manners, and how well he educated me and how beautifully He taught me good manners!

No one in human history has ever been able to combine in himself all of the virtues and good qualities as perfectly as the Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings.

Human history has seen many virtuous persons. However, no one has ever been able to combine in himself all of the virtues and good qualities as perfectly as the Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings. There have been many generous people but they have not been able to show enough courage when and where necessary. Likewise, there have been many courageous people, who have not been able to be lenient and generous at the same degree. But the Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings, combined in his person all the virtues and laudable qualities at the highest level.

Virtue and good morality also require balance. For example, if generosity exceeds its limits, it changes into extravagance. Similarly, if thrift cannot be kept within moderate limits, it changes into miserliness. Courage is usually confused with rashness and dialectics or demagogy is sometimes taken for being intelligent. In addition, virtue also requires knowing how to act in certain conditions. For instance, the self-respect which a weak man should wear before a powerful one becomes, if the powerful one assumes it, self-conceit. The humility which a powerful man should wear before a weak one becomes, if assumed by a weak man, self-abasement. Forbearance and sacrifice (of one’s rights) on one’s own account is good and a virtue; but when done on behalf of others, it is bad and a treason. An individual may bear patiently with whatever is done to him personally; but it is impermissible for him to, on behalf of the nation, bear patiently what is being done to the nation. Whereas pride and indignation on behalf of the nation are commendable, on one’s own behalf they are not.

The Prophet Muhammad was perfectly balanced in his virtues and good moral qualities.

The Prophet Muhammad was perfectly balanced in his virtues and good moral qualities. He was perfectly courageous where to show courage was necessary, while he was perfectly mild, forgiving and humble among people. He was perfectly dignified but also very gracious. There was no one more generous than him but he was also thrifty and condemned extravagance. In short, all virtues and good qualities existed in him in a well-balanced combination.

Prophet Muhammad had all of the essential attributes pertaining to Prophets

According to theologians, there are six essentials of Prophethood common to all of the Prophets. They are truthfulness, trustworthiness, communication of God’s commands, intelligence, infallibility and being free from all kinds of bodily and mental defects. History is a witness that the Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings, had all of these six essential attributes in a most perfect fashion.

Muhammad’s achievements are unparalleled in history

A man encounters in his life many situations where he must make decisions with no delay and hesitation. Many decisions made in such situations may cause him great difficulties. The Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings, made so great achievements in so short a time as 23 years that they are unparalleled in human history. He never faltered and all of his decisions proved to be true.

More than that, whatever he did and whatever he said did not concern only his own time but he addressed all times and places and all peoples and levels throughout the world to come until the Last Day. As none of his sayings have not been contradicted so far, no one has ever been able to criticize him for any of his actions, sayings and decisions. Is it possible for one who is not a Prophet taught by God, the All-Knowing, to have such intelligence, foresight, sagacity, insight, sound reasoning and prudence?

---

top

---

 

His achievements prove Muhammad's Prophethood

Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings, was peerless in educating people

A man, whoever he is and whatever he does, may regard his own occupation as more important, more necessary, more beneficial to social life and more difficult than others. However, although every occupation has some difficulty of its own and is of some degree of use for social life, educating people must be much more difficult than others and more necessary for a healthy social life.

To bring up distinguished persons require distinguished educators. Only an educator who has established his aim in educating people and practices what he will teach and advise to his students, only one who knows the character, potentialities, desires, and ambitions of his students with the shortcomings and strong and weak spots and the level of learning and understanding of each, can be successful in educating people. Of course, this is not all that a good, successful educator must have. Furthermore, he must know how to treat his students in all circumstances, how to approach their problems and how to purify them of bad qualities and morals and, in place of them, inculcate laudable and good ones.

A man may have strong belief in what he must believe but he may not be practicing his belief in his daily life. He may have some good moral qualities but they might have not been an ingrained part of his character. Moreover, he may have certain weak spots such as taking bribery and insensitivity to making use of common property or hoarding up wealth. Therefore, if an educator can change his students completely and, purifying them of all bad habits and morals and all bad qualities which have long been ingrained in them and, in their place, establishing laudable ones, can form a community which will be a good example for future generations in all fields of life and good moral qualities, if an educator can transform the ‘rock, copper, iron and coal’ in his hand into ‘silver, gold, brilliant and diamond’, without doubt, you will conclude that that educator is an extraordinary one. What the Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings, achieved in educating people within so short a time as 23 years is much more than what that educator does.

Prophet Muhammad was matchless in knowing people each with his character

It is another important dimension of a good education is not to resort to force. Penal sanctions, coercion and military and police forces can have some effect on directing people but only to a slight degree and for a short time only. Therefore, convincing people of the truth of what we teach to them and making it approved by them wholeheartedly is of vital importance in a good education.

No one in world history has so far been able to know man with all the dimensions of his character as well as the Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings, and there has never appeared a second one next to him who has made pitiless, crude, war-mongering, ignorant and unyielding individuals into a community which sets a perfect example for all the future generations in all aspects of life and good moral qualities.

Prophet Muhammad guided people in every aspect of life

No one can guide people in every field of life. It is very difficult for one, however able and clever, to be both an able statesman and commander and a brilliant scientist and successful educator at the same time. However, the Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings, was the most perfect spiritual and intellectual master, the most able statesman and commander, the most efficient educator, and the greatest scholar history has ever seen.

Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings, is the foremost in practicing all the forms of worship prescribed by his religion and the most God-fearing of people.

The Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings, is the foremost in practicing all the forms of worship prescribed by his religion and the most God-fearing of people. He observed the duties of worship with the utmost care and attention down to their minutest details even in most perilous circumstances of his life which passed in constant struggle and activity. He never imitated anyone in his worship and combined in a perfect fashion the beginning and the end of spiritual evolution.

He is also unparalleled in prayer and gnosis, for in his supplications and prayers he describes his Lord with such a degree of gnosis that all the gnostics and saints since his time have never been able, although those coming after have made use of the heritage of the preceding ones, to attain a similar degree of gnosis and description of God.

Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings, was absolutely convinced of the truth of his message

He had in his faith so extraordinary a strength, so wonderful a certainty, so miraculous an evolution, and such elevated and world-enlightening conviction that none of the prevailing ideas and beliefs of that time, and none of the philosophies of the sages and teachings of the spiritual leaders, although they were all opposed and even hostile to him, was ever able to cause in him any doubt, hesitation or anxiety concerning his certainty, conviction, and assurance. Moreover, all saintly men of all times, his Companions primarily included, have all benefited from his faith which they admit to be of the highest degree. This fact proves that his faith too is matchless.

All the sacred attributes, miracles and functions that indicate the truthfulness and Messengership of the Prophets, peace be upon them all, were all to be found in Muhammad in the utmost degree.

Just as the consensus of the Prophets is a very strong proof of the existence and Oneness of God, soo, too, it is a firm testimony to the truthfulness and Messengership of Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings. For history confirms that all the sacred attributes, miracles and functions that indicate the truthfulness and Messengership of the Prophets, peace be upon them all, were all to be found in Muhammad in the utmost degree. The Prophets verbally predicted his coming, that is, they gave the good tidings of him in the Torah, the Gospels, the Psalms, and other Scriptures which are called ‘Pages’ in the Qur’an; likewise through their missions and miracles they affirmed and ‘sealed’ the mission of Muhammad, who is the foremost and most perfect in Prophethood.

Thousands of saints unanimously bear witness to the truthfulness and Messengership of Muhammad

Also, having attained the truth and perfection, and the rank of working wonders, and gained insight into the reality of things, and spiritual discovery through following the Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings, in all his deeds and principles, thousands of saints unanimously bear witness not only to the Oneness of God but also to the truthfulness and Messengership of that being, upon him be peace and blessings. It is as bright a proof as the sun for the truthfulness of Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings, that, those saints believe in and affirm all of the truths that being proclaimed through the light of faith to the degree of either certainty coming from knowledge or certainty by sight, or of certainty by experience.

Thousands of exacting scholars of purity, meticulous scholars of truthfulness and believing sages have reached the highest station of learning through the teaching contained in the sacred truths brought by the Prophet Muhammad

Again, thousands of exacting scholars of purity, meticulous scholars of truthfulness and believing sages, who have reached the highest station of learning through the teaching contained in the sacred truths brought by the Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings, despite his being unlettered, the sublime sciences to which he gave birth, and the Divine knowledge he discovered, not only prove unanimously with their strongest proofs and affirm the Oneness of God, the foundation of his mission, but also bear unanimous witness to the truthfulness of that greatest teacher and supreme master, and to the veracity of his words.

First and foremost of all, the family and the Companions of the Prophet, upon him be peace and blessings, who with their insight, wisdom and spiritual accomplishments, are the most renowned, the most respected, the most celebrated, the most pious, the most keen-sighted of mankind after the Prophets, after having examined and scrutinized all the thoughts and states of that being, whether hidden or open, with the utmost attention and exactitude, unanimously concluded that he was the most truthful, the most elevated, and the most honest being in the world.

In his preaching of the message and calling people to the truth, Muhammad displayed extraordinary steadfastness, firmness and courage

In his preaching of the message and in his calling people to the truth, he displayed such steadfastness, firmness and courage that, in spite of the antagonism of big powers and great religions, and of his own people and tribe, even of his uncle, he never showed even the slightest trace of hesitation, anxiety or fear, and he successfully challenged the world, and, as a result, made Islam superior to all other religions and systems. This proves that there is not and cannot be anyone like him also in his preaching of and calling to the message of Truth.

Muhammad solved social, political and economic problems so easily and established such perfect rules in all these fields that they left permanent and unerasable imprints on all centuries and in the corners of the world.

Let us go to the Arabian peninsula in the Time of Happiness. That unlettered man who had not attended any military academy, nor a school for civil servants or a school of law, nor a school of sciences, presented such a religion and law that they contain all the principles to secure happiness in both worlds. His speech is so effective and penetrating that human beings in all times listen to him and his voice is echoed in every century. He solves all social, political and economic problems so easily and establishes such perfect rules in all these fields that they leave permanent and unerasable imprints on all centuries and in the corners of the world. He spends a considerable part of his life on battlefields and proves to be the most able commander of all times. He also shows himself as the best of husbands, the most eminent, yet most compassionate of fathers and the most amiable and loyal of friends. He does all this in so short a time as 23 years.

Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings, is also beyond all compare in knowing his people and educating them to mould their characters in the crucible of his message

A leader must know his people very well in order to educate them and urge them to the realization of a cause. Alexis Carrel, a great French scientist and philosopher of this century, still describes man as unknown. Man is the most complex and intricate of creatures. However, the Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings, is also beyond all compare in knowing his people and educating them to mould their characters in the crucible of his message. He knew everyone to whom he would convey his message with all the details of his character, with his abilities, shortcomings, feelings, disposition and level of understanding. Besides, he also knew very well how to act in certain conditions and was able to give the best decision in all crises. To every position he appointed the one most qualified for and deserving of it and did not have to change the appointment later. He succeeded in bringing the most refined, well-mannered and civilized society out of an extremely backward, uncivilized and rough people.

Muhammad equipped and adorned the desperate, wild and unyielding peoples of the seventh-century Arabian peninsula with all the praiseworthy virtues, and made them teachers of all the world and masters, especially, to the civilized nations

Consider how, eradicating their evil and savage customs and immoral qualities to which they were so fanatically attached, he equipped and adorned the desperate, wild and unyielding peoples of the seventh-century Arabian peninsula with all the praiseworthy virtues, and made them teachers of all the world and masters, especially, to the civilized nations. His was not an outward domination; rather, he conquered their minds, spirits, hearts, and souls. He became the beloved of hearts, the teacher of minds, the trainer of souls, and the ruler of spirits.

Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings, removed numerous ingrained habits from large obsessed communities with a little effort over a very short period of time, and in their place implanted and inculcated exalted qualities in such a way that they became inherent in their being.

You know that despite all the advanced techniques and methods, modern communities are unable to remove permanently so small a vice as cigarette smoking. However, the Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings, removed numerous ingrained habits from large obsessed communities with a little effort over a very short period of time, and in their place implanted and inculcated exalted qualities in such a way that they became inherent in their being. To those who refuse to see the testimony of the blessed age of the Prophet, upon him be peace and blessings, we present as a challenge any part of today’s civilized world. Let them go there with hundreds of philosophers, sociologists, psychologists and pedagogues and educators, and strive for a hundred years, I wonder whether they will be able to achieve in that period a hundredth part of what the Prophet Muhammad achieved in a year.

When the Prophet began preaching his Message, he had to face severe opposition, but he confronted all the opposition with a smile on his lips.

When the Prophet began preaching his Message, he had to face severe opposition, but he confronted all the opposition with a smile on his lips. Once, the leaders of the Quraysh warned Abu Talib, the Prophet’s uncle, to persuade his nephew to abandon preaching his mission. The Prophet answered:

O uncle! Should they place the sun in my right hand and the moon in my left, so as to make me renounce this mission, I shall not do so. I will never give it up; either it will please God to make it triumph or I shall perish it the attempt.

The faith, perseverance and resolution, with which Prophet Muhammad carried his mission to ultimate success, is an eloquent proof of the supreme truth of his cause

On another occasion, a deputation of the leading Quraysh called on him and offered him all the worldly glory they could imagine in return for his abandoning his mission. They said:

- If you want to possess wealth, we will amass for you as much as you wish; if you aspire to win honor and power, we are prepared to swear allegiance to you as our overlord and king; if you have a fancy for beauty, you shall have the hand of the most beautiful maiden of your own choice.

The terms were extremely tempting for any ordinary mortal, but they had no significance in the eyes of the Prophet, upon him be peace and blessings. He responded:

- I want neither wealth nor power. God has commissioned me as a warner to humanity. I deliver His Message to you. Should you accept it, you shall have felicity in this life and eternal bliss in the life Hereafter. Should you reject the Word of God, surely God will decide between you and me.

The faith, perseverance and resolution, with which he carried his mission to ultimate success, is an eloquent proof of the supreme truth of his cause. Had there been the slightest doubt or uncertainty in his heart, he would never have been able to brave the storm that continued in all its fury for twenty-one long years.

None of the world leaders have been able to bring about among the members of their followers so strong a unity of belief, thought and ideal as that which the Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings, realized among the desert men of the seventh-century Arabia

Great leaders have appeared on the horizon of humanity. They have changed the course of history through either the states or empires they have established or the revolutions they have made. Nevertheless, almost none of them have been able to bring about among the members of their followers so strong a unity of belief, thought and ideal as that which the Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings, realized among the desert men of the seventh-century Arabia. Although Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings, had never given any indication of political interest or activity for full forty years until Prophethood, he appeared all of a sudden on the stage of the world as such a great political reformer and statesman that, without the aid of press or of any modern tele-communicative means, he brought together the scattered inhabitants of a desert of twelve hundred thousand square miles-a people who were warlike, ignorant, unruly, uncultured, and plunged in tribal warfare-under one banner, one law, one religion, one culture, one civilization and one form of government.

Prophet Muhammad conquered minds and hearts and promised his followers nothing other than God’s approval and Paradise

A leader must know men very well in order to urge them to the realization of a cause. In order to gain a following, most leaders make alluring promises to people, like power, wealth, position or a bright future. However, the Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings, made no such promises to his followers. Nor did he resort to any force to realize his aim. He conquered minds and hearts and promised his followers only God’s good pleasure and Paradise. His followers sacrificed themselves in his way willingly and preferred to live a poor life in return for gaining God’s good pleasure and Paradise. Especially his own family lived as the poorest of his community. He always sought to prepare them, as well as his Companions, for the eternal peace and permanent bliss while himself setting for them a good example of that peace and bliss. His daughter Fatima, the most beloved to him among his family, once came to him with a necklace around her neck or a bracelet around her wrist. The Prophet said to her:

- Do you want people-inhabitants of the earth and the inhabitants of heavens-to say that the daughter of the Prophet is wearing a chain from Hell?

These words were enough for Fatima, for they were coming from the mouth of one whose throne was established in people’s hearts and who had conquered their minds. Fatima narrates the rest of the story as follows:

- I immediately sold the necklace, bought a slave and emancipated him, and then went to the Messenger of God. When I told him what I had done, he rejoiced. He opened his hands and thanked God, saying: All thanks to God, Who protected (my daughter) Fatima from Hell.

Despite all the most pitiless cruelties, Prophet Muhammad used to pray: ‘O God! Forgive them and guide them to truth, for they do not know. ’ Through his limitless love, compassion, forgiveness and tolerance, he made extremely cruel, war-mongering people into the best community in human history.

Supposing you are a teacher at a school or a director in an institution. In order to bring up your students or the people under your command according to the ideal you pursue, you are determined to bear all hardships that may appear before you. Now, if they spit in your face when they are passing by you, if they put an animal abdomen over your head while you are in prostration before God, if they sometimes slap you in face, if they sometimes throw stones at you and scatter thorny plants along the roads you pass, if they ambush you in corners with daggers in their hands, if they mock you in front of others, if they slander your wife, if they kill your relatives and cut their bodies into pieces, if they attack you many times and injure you, and if they expel you from your native land, still can you bear all such cruelties and continue your way without the least hesitation? More than that, can you forgive them, pity them and pray to God for them, saying: O God! Forgive them and guide them to truth, for they do not know. If you are taken to a Paradise-like place and left free to choose between living there and going back to serve your cause amid hardships, do you choose to go back among the people to continue your mission?

Is it not the worst form of ‘blindness’ and ignorance to reject the Prophethood of that pride of humanity who, through his limitless love, compassion, forgiveness and tolerance, made extremely cruel, war-mongering people into the best community in human history?

In human history there has been no one as much loved as his followers from the first day up to now love the Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings.

The Prophet, upon him be peace and blessings, sent a group of envoys to the Adal and al-Qarah tribes to teach them Islam. However, a group from the Hudhayl tribe attacked the envoys half-way and, killing some of them, submitted the remaining three to the Quraysh. Zayd ibn Dasina was among the envoys. Before the Qurayshi polytheists executed Zayd, Abu Sufyan, who had not yet embraced Islam, said to him:

- I adjure you by God, Zayd, don’t you wish that Muhammad was with us now in your place so that we might cut off his head, and that you were with your family?

- ‘By God’, said Zayd, ‘let alone wishing that Muhammad were here in my place so that I were with my family, I do not wish that even a thorn should hurt his feet in Madina.’

Abu Sufyan had to remark: ‘I swear by God that I have never seen a man who was so loved as Muhammad’s Companions loved him.’

In human history there has been no one as much loved, as his followers from the first day up to now love the Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings.

Prophet Muhammad answered all of the questions asked him without faltering and he has not been contradicted ever since

The Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings, had to answer innumerable questions put to him by both the desert men of Arabia and the Jews and Christians of his time, concerning not only religion but also many other subjects such as history, metaphysics, astronomy, medicine and so on. He answered all of them without faltering and he has not been contradicted ever since.

Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings, brought into history such a law, a religion, a way of life, a code of worship, a way of prayer, a message, and faith that the like of them has never existed, nor will or could exist.

The Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings, brought into history such a law, a religion, a way of life, a code of worship, a way of prayer, a message, and faith that the like of them has never existed, nor will or could exist. For the law brought by that unlettered being is matchless in that it has administered one fifth of mankind for fourteen centuries, in a just and precise manner through its rules and injunctions. The religion of Islam, which originated in the Qur’an he received from God and his own sayings, precepts and example, is also peerless, for in each century it has been for hundreds of millions of people a guide and a competent authority or source for whatever matter is referred to it. It has also trained their minds, illumined and purified their hearts, trained and refined their souls, and perfected their spirits.

After the Companions, hundreds of thousands of saints and purified, meticulous scholars, thousands of scientists, and hundreds of thousands of literary geniuses, commanders and statesmen have been brought up in the footsteps of the Prophet Muhammad

After the Companions, who gave the lead to all mankind in all fields of life including the scientific, political, social, administrative and economic, hundreds of thousands of saints and purified, meticulous scholars such as Abu Hanifa, Shafi‘i, Bayazid al-Bistami, ‘Abd al-Qadir al-Jilani, Imam Ghazali, Imam Rabbani, Bediuzzaman Said Nursi and many others, and thousands of scientists like al-Biruni, al-Zahrawi, Ibn Sina (Avicenna), Ibn Haytham and other