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"In the name of Allah, The Most Gracious, The Most Merciful"
::The Five Pillars of Islam::
1. Submission of Allah: ["La ilaaha illa-llaah Muhammadur-Rasool ullah"];
Meaning:"there is no true God but A subhanahu wa ta'ala( High and Exalted is He) and MUhammad
Salal-layhu alayhu wasalam (Peace be upon him), is His last messenger".
[Explains: Acknowledging that there is nothing deserving of worship except the One True God, Who in
the Arabic language is called Allah; and bearing equal witness that Muhammad ibn Abdullah(SAWS)
is His Slave-servant and Messenger.]
2. Salaat (Prayer): Perform the five mandatory prayers a day (Al-Fajr, Dhuhr, Asr, Mughrib, Isha).
Allah (S.W.T.) does not need one's prayer because He is free of all needs. Prayer is for our
immeasurable benefit, and the blessings are beyond all imagination.
[Explains: Which is to make the five daily prayers required of the Believer.]
3. Zakaat (Purification): Obligatory giving to the poor.
A very important pillar of Islam, it
draws Allah's blessings and strengthens the relationship between the rich and the poor.
[Explains: Which is alms-giving or charity to people in need.]
4. Sawm (Fasting): Fasting in the month of Ramadhan.
Fasting is abstaining from eating,
drinking, intimate male/female contact and smoking from sunrise till sunset in this
blessed month. [Explains: Which is to fast in the 9th month of the Islamic lunar calender, called Ramadan.]
5. Hajj (Pilgrimage): One should perform this once in your life time.
Muslims from all over the globe assemble in Mecca before the Ka'bah in response to the call of Allah(S.W.T.).
[Explains: Which is to make the journey to the Sacred House in Makkah, Saudi Arabia.]
::All About The Quran::
The Quran is a Divine Miracle of Literature [Prophesy - Science - Warnings - Wisdom - Truths]...
and it has been Preserved 100% In the Original Language - for over 1,400 years!
Humanity has received Divine Guidance only through two channels:
* The Word of Almighty God ("Allah" [in Arabic]) [scriptures, Bible, Psalms, etc.]
* The Prophets sent by the Allah to communicate His Will to mankind
These two things have always been going together, hand in hand.
More important though, there were at that time, tens of thousands of his companions ("sahabi"
in Arabic) who memorized the complete Quran from the instruction of the prophet Muhammad
(peace be upon him). Even the prophet himself (peace be upon him) used to recite it with angel
Gabriel once a year and in the last year of his life he recited it two times just before the
month in which he died.
Next, the leader who came after the prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) (Abu Bakr) entrusted
the collection of the Quran to be written in one volume by one of the Prophet's scribe, Zaid Ibn
Thabit. He kept it till his death. Then the next leader, Umar and after him to his daughter,
Hafsa who had been one of the wives of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).
Then from the original text which now resides in Topkope Museum, in Istanbul, Turkey, the next
leader, Uthman prepared several other exact duplications and sent them to various Muslim
territories such as; Uzbekistan and Turkey and other places. These scriptures are still in
museums there and one has found its way to a museum in England as well. All of them are exactly
the same. Today many of the Muslims from these areas are still memorizing the Quran.
The Quran was so meticulously preserved because it is the Book of Guidance for all of humanity
for all times. That is why it does not address just the Arabs, in whose language it was revealed.
In fact Arabs today do not comprise more than 13% of the Today of Muslims in the world today.
::Quote from the Qur'an::
The Qur'aan, the last revealed word of God (Allah), is the primary source of every Muslim's
faith and practice. It deals with all the subjects which concern human beings: wisdom, doctrine,
worship, transactions, law, etc., but its basic theme is the relationship between Allah and His
creatures. At the same time it provides guidelines and detailed teachings for a just society,
proper human conduct, and an equitable economic system.
The Qur'aan was revealed to Muhammad (peace be upon him) in Arabic language, so any Qur'aanic
translation, either in English or any other language, is neither a Qur'aan, nor a version of
the Qur'aan. It is rather only a translation of the meaning of the Qur'aan. The Qur'aan exists
only in the Arabic in which it was revealed.
"Say: O People of the Scripture (Jews and Christians)! Come to an agreement between us and you:
that we shall worship none but One God, and that we shall ascribe no partner unto Him, and that
none of us shall take others for lords beside God. And if they turn away, then say: Bear witness
that we are they who have surrendered (unto Him)." (Quran 3:64)
"Say: we believe in God and in what has been revealed to us, and what was revealed to Abraham,
Isma'il: Isaac, Jacob and The Tribes, and in (the Books) given to Moses, Jesus and the Prophets,
from their Lord: We make no distinction between one and another, among them, and to God do we
bow our will (in Islam)."
(Qur'an, Al-Imran 3:84)
::The Quran speaks to "mankind"::
Quran speaks to all of mankind on a general basis without regard to race, tribe, color, social
position, financial condition or genealogy.
Allah the Almighty says:
"O Mankind! What has seduced you from your Lord so Generous?"[Noble Quran 82:6]
::The Practical Teachings of the Quran::
Teachings of Quran are established by the example of Muhammad (peace be upon him) and the good
Muslims throughout the ages have endeavored to emulate his teachings both in thought and conduct.
The distinctive approach of the Quran is that its instructions are aimed at the general welfare
of the mankind and are based on the possibilities within his reach.
::The Quran is Wisdom Conclusive::
It neither condemns nor tortures the flesh nor does it neglect the soul.
It does not humanize God, nor does it deify man.
Everything is carefully placed where it belongs in the total scheme of creation.
Yet it obviously is not written in human style (chronological order). Those who would claim
that the prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) was the author of the Quran are claiming
something that is humanly impossible.
How could any person of the 7th century utter such scientific truths as those found in the
Quran?
Could he describe the evolution of the embryo inside the uterus so accurately as we find it
now recorded in modern science?
[See: Dr. Keith Moore's book - on embryology]
Secondly, is it logical to believe that Muhammad (peace be upon him) who up to the age of
forty was marked only for his honesty and integrity, began all of a sudden the authorship of
a book matchless in literary merit and the equivalent of which the whole legion of the Arab
poets and orators of the highest caliber could not produce?
And lastly, is it justified to say that Muhammad (peace be upon him) who was known as
"Al-Ameen" (trustworthy) in his society and who is still admired by the non-Muslim scholars
for his honesty, would lie about receiving the Quran (which forbids lying) from the Angel
Gabriel and then still be able to establish the best human society on the face of the earth,
based on truth?
Surely, any sincere and unbiased searcher of truth must come to the conclusion that the Quran
is the revealed Book of Almighty Allah.
Readers can easily see how the modern world is coming closer to reality regarding the truth
of the Quran.
We appeal to all open minded scholars to study the Quran in the light of the aforementioned
points.
We invite all to challenge the validity and accuracy of the sciences known to man today and
keep in mind that this is the EXACT TEXT used by the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) over
one thousand four hundred years ago.
We are sure that any such attempt will convince the reader that the Quran could never have
been written by any human being ever.
::A Source of Guidance::
The ultimate manifestation of God's grace for man, the ultimate wisdom, and the ultimate beauty
of expression: in short, the word of God. If one were to ask any Muslim to depict it, most
likely they would offer similar words. The Quran, to the Muslim, is the irrefutable, inimitable
Word of God. It was revealed by God Almighty, through the instrument of Prophet Muhammad
(peace be Upon Him). The Prophet (peace be upon him) himself had no role in authoring the
Quran, he was merely a human secretary, repeating the dictates of the Divine Creator:
"He (Muhammad) does not speak of his own desire. It is no less than an Inspiration sent
down to him."[Noble Quran 53:3-4]
The Quran was revealed in Arabic, to Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) over a period of
twenty-three years. It is composed in a style so unique, that it cannot be deemed either
poetry or prose, but somehow a mixture of both. The Quran is inimitable; it cannot be simulated
or copied, and God Almighty challenges mankind to pursue such an endeavor if he thinks he can:
"Or do they say he forged it? Say: Bring then a chapter like unto it, and call (to your aid)
anyone you can, beside God, if it be you speak the truth."[Noble Quran 10:38]
The Quran's language is indeed sublime, its recitation moving, as one non-Muslim scholar noted,
it was like the cadence of my heartbeat. Due to its unique style of language, the Quran is
not only highly readable, but also relatively easy to remember. This latter aspect has played
an important role not only in the Quran's preservation, but in the spiritual life of Muslims
as well. God Himself declares,
"And We have indeed made the Quran easy to understand and remember; then is there anyone that
will receive admonition?"[Noble Quran 54:17]
One of the most important characteristics of the Quran is that it remains today, the only holy
book which has never changed; it has remained free from any and all adulterations. Sir William
Muir noted, "There is probably in the world no other book which has remained (fourteen)
centuries with so pure a text." The Quran was written down during the lifetime and under the
supervision of the Prophet, who himself was illiterate, and it was canonized shortly after his
death by a rigorous method which scrutinized both written and oral traditions. Thus its
authenticity is unblemished, and is its preservation is seen as the fulfillment of God's
promise:
"We have, without doubt, sent down the Message, and We will assuredly guard it from
corruption."[Noble Quran 15:9]
The Quran is a book which provides the human being the spiritual and intellectual
nourishment he/she craves. Its major themes include the oneness of God, the purpose of
human existence, faith and God-consciousness, the Hereafter and its significance. The Quran
also lays a heavy emphasis upon reason and understanding. In these spheres of human
understanding, the Quran goes beyond just satisfying the human intellect; it causes one to
reflect on implications. There are Quranic challenges and prophecies. One of the most exciting
fields in recent years has been the discovery that, of the significant amount of scientific
information in the Quran, including the event of the Big Bang, embryological data, and other
information concerning astronomy biology, etc., there is not a single statement that has not
been borne out by modern discoveries In short, the Quran fulfills the heart, the soul, and the
mind.
Perhaps the best description of the Quran was given by Ali, the cousin of Prophet Muhammad
(peace be upon him) when he expounded upon it as,
"The Book of God. In it is the record of what was before you, the judgment of what is among
you, and the prophecies of what will come after you. It is decisive, not a case for levity.
Whoever is a tyrant and ignores the Quran will be destroyed by God. Whoever seeks guidance
from other than it will be misguided. The Quran is the unbreakable bond of connection with
God; it is the remembrance full of wisdom and the straight path. The Quran does not become
distorted by tongues, nor can it be deviated by caprices; it never dulls from repeated study;
scholars will always want more of it. The wonders of the Quran are never ending. Whoever
speaks from it will speak the truth, whoever rules with it will be just, and whoever holds
fast to it will be guided to the straight path."
[At-Tirmidhi]
::Quran (Divine Book) ::
The Revelations of the Quran
Dr. Abu Ameenah Bilal Philips
According to Allah's statements in His Book, there were two distinct revelations of the
Quran which took place. It is important that these two revelations be understood in order
to clear up the apparent contradictions in the various terms used in the Quran and Sunnah
to describe the Quran's revelation. On one hand, the Quran is referred to as having been
revealed in its totality in Ramadan or on Laylatul-Qadr, the Night of Decree; while on the
other hand, it is referred to as having been continuously revealed in segments up until just
before the death of the Prophet (peace be upon him).
::The First Revelation::
Allah caused the Quran to descend from the Protected Tablet (al-Lawh al-Mahfuth) on which it
was written to the lowest heaven. In this revelation all of the Quran was sent down at one
time to a station in the lowest heaven referred to as "Bayt al-'Izzah" (The House of Honor
or Power). The blessed night on which this descent took place is called "Laylatul-Qadr"
(The Night of Decree), one of the odd-numbered nights in the last ten days of the month
of Ramadan. Allah referred to this initial revelation as follows:
"Haa Meem. By the Clear Book, verily, I revealed it in a blessed night."[Noble Quran 44:1-3]
"Verily, I revealed it on the Night of Decree."[Noble Quran 97:1]
"The month of Ramadan in which I revealed the Quran as guidance to mankind ...
"[Noble Quran 2:185]
These verses have to refer to the initial revelation because it is a known fact that the whole
Quran was not revealed to Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) on a single night in Ramadan.
Ibn 'Abbas stated that the Quran was first separated from its station in the upper heavens
and placed in Bayt al-'Izzah in the lowest heaven. One version states that this took place
on the Night of Decree in Ramadan. Had it been Allah's wish, the Quran could then have been
revealed as a whole to the Prophet (peace be upon him) in a single revelation.
This was the method by which all of the earlier books of revelation were sent down. But,
Allah chose to divide the revelation into two parts. The first revelation within the heavens
represented an announcement to the inhabitants of the heavens that the final book of revelation was being sent
down upon the last of the prophets.
From the lowest heaven sections of the Quran were then taken down by the angel Jibril to
Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). This process of revelation continued over the
twenty-three years of his prophethood. This revelation began with the first five verses
of Surah al-'Alaq. These verses were revealed to the Prophet (peace be upon him) while
he was on a spiritual retreat in the cave of Hira' near Makkah. However, the first
complete Surah to be revealed was Surah al-Fatihah. The revelation of this portion of
Quran marked the beginning of the final phase of prophethood. The last Surah to be revealed
was Surah an-Nasr. This Surah was brought down in Mina during the Farewell Hajj of the
Prophet (peace be upon him), which took place at the end of the tenth year after the Hijrah.
According to Ibn 'Abbas, the last verse to be revealed was verse 281 in Surah al-Baqarah,
the last of a series of verses dealing with interest. Allah has referred to the second
revelation in the following way:
"And (it is) a Quran which I have divided into parts in order that you (Muhammad) may
recite it to the people gradually, and I have revealed it by successive revelation."
[Noble Quran 17:106]
::Quran: Definition of the Term::
The word "Quran," a verbal noun, is equivalent in meaning to "qira'ah," as both come from
the verb "qara'a" which means "to read."
That is, Quran literally means "a reading or reciting." However, the term "Quran" has been
historically used specifically to refer to the book which was revealed to Prophet Muhammad
(peace be upon him). The term "Quran" is mentioned in a number of places throughout the book
in reference to itself. For example:
"Verily, this Quran guides (humanity) to that which is most just."[Noble Quran 17:9]
The name Quran is used to refer to both the Quran as a whole, as in the previously
quoted verse; as well as to each verse or group of verses, as in the following verse:
"And if the Quran is recited, you should listen to it and be silent, that you may receive
mercy."[Noble Quran 7:204]
The Book has also been referred to by other names; for example, the Furqan (The Distinction):
"Blessed is He who revealed the Furqan to His slave in order that he may be a warner to all
the worlds."[Noble Quran 25:1]
and the Dhikr, (The Reminder): "Verily, I revealed the Dhikr and verily I will preserve it."[Noble Quran 15:9]
The Quran could be defined as Allah's words which were revealed in Arabic in a rhythmical
form to Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). Its recitation is used in acts of worship and
its smallest chapter (Surah) is of a miraculous nature.
The Prophet's divinely inspired statements which were recorded by his followers are generally
referred to as hadiths. For example, the Prophet's companion (sahabi), 'Umar ibn al-Khattab,
reported that he once said, "Verily, deeds are (judged) by their intentions."
However, in some of his statements, the Prophet (peace be upon him) attributed what he said
to Allah; for example, another sahabi, Abu Hurayrah, reported that the Prophet (peace be upon
him) said, "Allah, Most High, says, 'I am as My slave thinks of Me and I am with him when he
remembers me. So if he remembers Me to himself, I will remember him to Myself and if he
remembers Me in a group, I will remember him in a better group.' "
In order to distinguish this type of hadith from the previous type, it is referred to as
hadith qudsi (sacred hadith) and the former referred to as hadith nabawi (prophetic hadith).
The Quran, however, is not the same as hadith qudsi for a number of reasons. First, the Quran
is from Allah both in its wording and in its meaning, while in the case of hadith qudsi, its
meaning is from Allah but its wording was the Prophet's (peace be upon him). Second, Allah
challenged the Arabs and mankind in general to produce even a chapter equivalent to one of
the Quran's chapters, and their inability to do so proves its miraculous nature. This is not
so in the case of hadith qudsi. Third, the recitation of the Quran is used in salah and is
itself considered a form of worship. The Prophet (Peace be upon him) said, "Whoever reads a
letter from the book of Allah, the Most High, will get a good deed (recorded for him), and
each good deed is worth ten times its value. I am not only saying that Alif Laam Meem is a
letter, but I am also saying that Alif is a letter, Laam is a letter, and Meem is a letter."
However, the recitation of hadith qudsi carries none of these properties.
::The Main Theme of the Quran ::
Not only is the Quran unique among books today in its origin and purity, but it is also
unique in the way it presents its subject matter.
It is not a book in the usual sense of the word wherein there is an introduction,
explanation of the subject, followed by a conclusion. Neither is it restricted to
only a presentation of historical events, problems of philosophy, facts of science or
social laws, though all may be found woven together in it without any apparent connection
and links. Subjects are introduced without background information, historical events are
not presented in chronological order, new topics sometimes crop up in the middle of another
for no apparent reason, and the speaker and those spoken to change direction without the
slightest forewarning.
The reader who is unaware of the Quran's uniqueness is often puzzled when he finds it
contrary to his understanding of a book in general and a "religious" book in particular.
Hence, the Quran may seem disorganized and haphazard to him. However, to those who
understand its subject matter, aim and its central theme, the Quran is exactly the opposite.
The subject matter of the Quran is essentially man: man in relation to his Lord and Creator,
Allah; man in relation to himself; and man in relation to the rest of creation. The aim and
object of the revelations is to invite man to the right way of dealing with his Lord, with
himself, and with creation. Hence, the main theme that runs throughout the Quran is that God
alone deserves worship and, thus, man should submit to God's laws in his personal life and in
his relationships with creation in general. Or, in other words, the main theme is a call to
the belief in Allah and the doing of righteous deeds as defined by Allah.
If the reader keeps these basic facts in mind, he will find that, from beginning to end,
the Quran's topics are all closely connected to its main theme and that the whole book is
a well-reasoned and cohesive argument for its theme. The Quran keeps the same object in view,
whether it is describing the creation of man and the universe or events from human history.
Since the aim of the Quran is to guide man, it states or discusses things only to the extent
relevant to this aim and leaves out unnecessary and irrelevant details. It also repeats its
main theme over and over again in the presentation of each new topic.
::Significance of the Quran's Preservation::
Allah promised in the Quran that He would take on the responsibility of protecting His final
word from loss. He said, "Verily I have revealed the Reminder (Quran), and verily I shall
preserve it." (Surah al-Hijr (15):9)
Thus, the Quran has been preserved in both the oral as well as written form in a way no
other religious book in history has.
Why did Allah preserve the Quran and allow His earlier books of divine revelation to be
changed or lost?
The answer to that question lies in the following three facts:
The earlier prophets and their books were sent to a particular people in particular
periods of history. Once the period ended, a new prophet was sent with a new book to
replace the previous book. So, it was not necessary that these books be preserved by Allah.
The preservation of the earlier books was left up to the people as a test for them. Thus,
when the people went astray, they changed what was written in the books which their prophets
brought in order to make allowable the things which were forbidden to them. In that way, all
of the earlier books of revelation became either changed or lost.
Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) was the last prophet whom Allah sent, and he was not
sent to a particular people or a particular time. He was sent to all of mankind until the
end of the world. Allah said in the Quran,
"I have only sent you (Muhammad) as a giver of glad tidings and a warner to all mankind,
but most men do not understand."[Noble Quran 34:28]
Thus, his book of revelation, the Quran, had to be specially preserved from any form of
change or loss so that it would be available to all the generations of man until the last
day of the world.
The Quran was the main miracle given to Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) to prove that
he was a true prophet of Allah and not an imposter. So, the Quran had to be saved to prove
to the later generations that Muhammad (peace be upon him) was really the last prophet of
Allah. All of the false prophets who came after Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) brought
books which they claimed to be revealed from Allah, but none of them have the miraculous
ability to be memorized by thousands, nor have they improved on the message of the Quran.
The significance of the Quran's preservation is that Islam has been kept in its original
purity because of it. Humanity can always return to the sources of Islam no matter what
people may have added or forgotten in time. All of the essential principles of Islam are
to be found in the Quran. Consequently, the preservation of the Quran meant the preservation
of Islam in its final form. The loss of the Gospel of Jesus means that Christians can never
return to the true teachings of Prophet Jesus except by accepting Islam. Similarly, the
original Torah was lost when Solomon's Temple in Jerusalem was destroyed by the Babylonians.
Thus, the Jews cannot return to the pure teachings of Prophet Moses except by following Islam.
It is only in Islam that the pure teachings of the prophets have been preserved without any
change. That is why Allah said in the Quran,
"Verily, the only acceptable religion to Allah is Islam."
[Noble Quran 3:19]
:: Some of the Magnificent Characteristics of the Quran::
Allah has described the Noble Quran with a number of magnificent characteristics of which
Ibn Qudamah mentioned eight in points 27 - 30 of Lum'atul-I'tiqad.
They are as follows:
That it is clear (mubin) and makes clear the laws and reports which it contains.
That it is Allah's firm rope (Hablullah), that is, it is the solid contract which Allah
made a reason for reaching Himself and the attainment of success by His Grace.
That it consists of distinct chapters (muhkamat), each distinct from the other, perfected
and preserved from any flaws or contradictions.
That it consists of clear verses (ayat bayyinat) which are clear and obvious signs
indicating Allah's unique unity, the perfection of His attributes, and the goodness of
His laws.
That it contains clear and obscure verses (ayat muhkamat wa mutashabihat); the clear being
that whose meaning is clear and the obscure being those whose meaning is hidden. And this
does not contradict point number three above because the clarity there refers to perfection
and protection from flaws and contradiction, while here it refers to clarity of meaning. If
the obscure is referred back to the clear, all of it will become clear.
That it is the truth (haqq) that cannot be affected by falsehood from any direction.
That it is free from its description by the disbelievers as being poetry, magic or human
speech.
That it is a miracle that no one can imitate even with the help of others.
The Hoax of the Numerical Miracle of the Quran
Rashad Khalifa, an Egyptian biochemist educated in the United States claimed to have
discovered an intricate mathematical pattern involving 19 and its multiples throughout
the Quran and especially in what he calls the Quranic initials which precede 29 chapters
(Alif, Laam, Meem, etc.). However, when critics began checking his numbers, they found
numerous discrepancies and some outright fabrications in his data
The most famous proponent of this idea was Rashad Khalifa, an Egyptian biochemist
educated in the United States. According to Dr. Khalifa, there is a miraculous
numerical code to the Quran based on its "first" verse (Bismillahir-Rahmanir-Rahim),
which consists of 19 letters. This miraculous code is supposedly referred to in verse
30 of Chapter 74 (al-Muddath-thir) which states "Over it are 19." Based on these two premises,
Dr. Rashad claims to have discovered an intricate mathematical pattern involving 19 and its
multiples throughout the Quran and especially in what he calls the Quranic initials which
precede 29 chapters (Alif, Laam, Meem, etc.). From this discovery, Dr. Khalifa concludes
that the complexity of this mathematical code's pattern in a literary work of the Quran's
size is far beyond human capabilities, and that it alone constitutes the only real miracle
of the Quran which proves its divine origin. He further concludes that 19 and its multiples
represent the key to the correct interpretation of the Quran and Islam, and the reason why
19 was chosen is that 19 means "God is One," which is the message of the Quran.
Many Muslims at first received Khalifa's theories with uncritical enthusiasm. However,
when more rigorous critics began checking his numbers, they found numerous discrepancies
and some outright fabrications in his data. His claims were based on the number of times
a given letter or word occurs in a given Surah or group of Surahs. It was discovered
that he would sometimes treat hamzahs like alifs and sometimes he wouldn't, depending
on the totals he needed in a given Surah to confirm his theory. Sometimes he counted
letters that weren't there, sometimes he failed to count existing letters, sometimes
he counted two words as one, sometimes he added to the Quranic text and sometimes he
deleted from it, all for the purpose of making the letter and word counts conform to
his theory. On top of that, his letter counts changed over time, depending on whether
he wanted to establish a pattern for a Surah by itself or as part of a group of Surahs.
When confronted with inconsistencies in his data, he began claiming that certain verses
had been inserted into the Quran that did not belong there. After this clear statement
of disbelief he went on to claim knowledge of the exact date of the Day of Judgment and
eventually claimed prophethood for himself. He attracted a group of followers in Tucson,
Arizona, but his career was cut short when he was stabbed to death by an unknown assailant
in 1990.
::Muhammed – A Brief Description::
You may be a Christian Protestant, Catholic, Jew, an atheist or an agnostic; or you may belong to any of many
different religious denominations existing in today's world. You might even be a communist or believe in man's
democracy as the rule on earth.
Whoever you are and whatever ideological or political beliefs, social habits you may hold, there is no doubt -
You Must Know This MAN - MUHAMMAD (peace be upon him).
He was by far the most remarkable man that ever set foot on this earth. He preached a religion, founded a state,
built a nation, laid down a moral code, initiated numerous social and political reforms, established a powerful and
dynamic society to practice and represent his teachings and completely revolutionized the worlds of human
thought and behavior for all times to come.
"HIS NAME IS MUHAMMAD" (peace be upon him).
He was born in Arabia in the year 570 C.E. (Common Era), started his mission of preaching the religion of Truth,
Islam (submission to One God at the age of forty and departed from this world at the age of sixty-three.
During this short period of 23 years of his prophethood, he changed the complete Arabian Peninsula from paganism
and idolatry to worship of One God, from tribal quarrels and wars to national solidarity and cohesion, from
drunkenness and debauchery to sobriety and piety, from lawlessness and anarchy to disciplined living, from
utter bankruptcy to the highest standards of moral excellence. Human history has never known such a complete
transformation of a people or a place before or since - and IMAGINE all these unbelievable wonders in JUST OVER
TWO DECADES.
The world has had its share of great personalities. But these were one sided figures who distinguished themselves
in but one or two field, such as religious thought or military leadership. The lives and teachings of these great
personalities of the world are shrouded in the mist of time. There is so much speculation about the time and place
their birth, the mode and style of their life, the nature and detail of their teachings and the degree and measure
of their success or failure that is impossible for humanity to reconstruct accurately the lives and teachings of
these men.
Not so this man. Muhammad (peace be upon him) accomplished so much in such diverse fields of human thought
and behavior in the fullest blaze of human history. Every detail of his private life and public utterances has been
accurately documented and faithfully preserved to our day. The authenticity of the records so preserved are
vouched for not only by the faithful followers but even by his prejudiced critics.
Muhammad (peace be upon him) was a religious teacher, a social reformer, a moral guide, an administrative
colossus, a faithful friend, a wonderful companion, a devoted husband, a loving father - all in one. No other
man in history ever excelled or equaled him in any of these different aspects of life - but it was only for the
selfless personality of Muhammad (peace be upon him) to achieve such incredible perfection.
Muhammad (peace be upon him) was nothing more or less than a human being. But he was a man with a noble
mission, which was to unite humanity on the worship of ONE and ONLY ONE GOD and to teach them the way to
honest and upright living based on the commands of God. He always described himself as, 'A Servant and
Messenger of God' and so indeed every action of his proclaimed to be.
Today after a lapse of fourteen centuries, the life and teachings of Muhammad (peace be upon him) have
survived without the slightest loss, alteration or interpolation. They offer the same undying hope for treating
mankind's many ills, which they did when he was alive. This is not a claim of Mohammed's (peace be upon him)
followers, but the inescapable conclusion forced upon by a critical and unbiased history.
The least YOU can do as a thinking and concerned human being is to stop for a moment and ask your self:
Could these statements sounding so extraordinary and revolutionary really be true? And supposing they really
are true and you did not know this man MUHAMMAD (peace be upon him) or hear about him, isn't it time you
responded to this tremendous challenge and put in some effort to know him?
It will cost you nothing, but it may prove to be the beginning of a completely new era in your life. By Eng.
Husain Pasha.
We invite you to make a discovery of this wonderful man, MUHAMMAD (peace be upon him), the like of whom
never walked on the face of this earth.
::Who Was He? Comparing Jesus & Muhammad::
"The Comforter, the Spirit of Truth, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring
to your remembrance all that I said unto you." [Bible - John 14:26]
Jesus, the son of Mary, said, "A messenger will come after me, named Ahmad." [Noble Quran 61:6]
The chief priests and Levites asked John the Baptist, "If you are not the Christ (Messiah), and not Elijah - are
you THAT Prophet?" [Bible - John 1:20]
When the chief priests and Levites asked John the Baptist who he was, they asked him in a very strange way.
First they questioned him as to whether or not he was the anticipated "Messiah" [Christ in Koine Greek]. He was
not the "Messiah" that had hoped for. Next they asked if he was the prophet Elijah and again he tells them,
"No." Now comes the really strange part. Finally, they asked him if he is "That Prophet?"
Are you Christ? - [No]
Are you Elijah? - [No]
Are you THAT Prophet? - [No]
What did they mean by "That Prophet?" We of course, know who the "Christ" is. After all, Christians should know
that "Christ" is merely a shortened form of the Koine Greek word "christos," intended to mean the Hebrew word
"Messiah."
The Jews of two thousand years ago were definitely looking for the Messiah, who it was foretold in their books,
would come and lead them to victory over their oppressors and thus gain for them mastery over this world. They
were much oppressed under Roman domination and even their own Jewish kings were seen as nothing more than
puppets or agents for the disbelievers. Certainly, they would have been most happy to see someone come on the
scene who would defeat their Roman masters and slave drivers.
Then the priests and Levites asked John the Baptist if he might be the prophet Elijah, returning back after
hundreds of years being away. There was the notion amongst them that Elijah would come back. But again,
John the Baptist is denying he is Elijah.
Then, who is he? They wonder at this man living out in the desert and forsaking wealth and luxury and fasting,
avoiding the material attractions of life.
Again, they ask John the Baptist who he is. "Are you THAT Prophet?" And one more time he denies being
"THAT Prophet," but then he does tell them about someone who will come after him soon, whom he claims he
is not worthy to even unlace his shoes.
However, this does not answer the question, "Who were they expecting besides the Messiah?" Could it be they
were looking for someone like Muhammad? (Could be)
Who is THAT Prophet? -
Keep reading and learn who "That Prophet" is and what other proofs can be discovered within the Holy texts to
support this idea.
For centuries Muslims have believed Jesus (peace be upon him) was "THAT Prophet" mentioned in these words of
the Gospel of John. The Quran states one of the important features of Jesus' mission was to give the "bashir" or
'glad tidings' of the coming of the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him. During his short missionary career
that lasted not more than three years, and which was overshadowed by the hostile attitude of his own people,
Jesus gave them the good news of Ahmad, (one of the forms of "Muhammad") the last messenger of God, who
would perfect the divine teaching both in theory and in practice. The Quran mentions that, Jesus says:
"O Children of Israel! I am the messenger of Allah {Almighty God} (sent) to you, confirming the Law (Torah or
Old Testament) before me, and giving glad tidings of a messenger to come after me, whose name shall be Ahmad."
[Noble Quran 61:6]
The Quran gives the name as Ahmad, one of several ways to say Muhammad's name. Just as we have in English
the name Joseph, and often use a shorter form such as "Joe" or the familiar form, "Joey," and other names like
"Jonathan" which becomes "John"; "Jack" or "Johnny", so in the same way we find Arabic has similar forms for a
name. Muhammad, Ahmad and Hamad are a few of the names originating from the root word, "hamd"
(meaning 'praise) in Arabic, and can be understood as "The one who praises (God)"; "the praised one";
"praising"; etc.
Abdullah Yusuf Ali in his translation of the meanings of the Quran to English, he states, "Ahmad or Muhammad,
the Praised One is a translation of the Koine Greek word Periclytos. In the present gospel of John 14:16, 15:26
and 16:7, the Greek word Paracletos is translated in the NIV as Comforter. Paracletos can mean an Advocate,
or "one called to the help of another", "a kind friend." Muhammad (peace be upon him) was known from birth as
one who brought comfort and reconciliation to family, friends and strangers alike, especially in bringing together
the ties of kinship and brotherly love.
Another nick name of the prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) mentioned in the Bible (or at least what is
left of it in the English language) is "The Spirit of Truth." As-Saddiq means exactly that and it is was another
name given to Muhammad (peace be upon him) by those who knew his proclivity for honesty and integrity.
The New Testament Gospel according to John, Jesus (peace be upon him) promises them the Paracletos will
come four times (John 14:16; 14:26; 15:26; 16:7). Naturally, Jesus (peace be upon him) did not return in their
lifetime nor did any other prophet for that matter, so later thinkers came up with the notion that it was not
Jesus "in person" but rather, Jesus coming back in "spirit form." This led some Christians to assert, this was to
be the Holy Spirit, who would descend upon the disciples on the Day of the Pentecost (Acts 2), to witness
Christ and lead them into the whole truth and to be with the believers forever, and they would not die
(John 3:16), but have everlasting life. Also, some added verses later (see footnotes to Revised Standard
Version of the Bible) to the very last chapter of Mark (16), wherein, they have the Spirit coming upon them
in such a way they imagined themselves going to be able to speak with new languages; pick up snakes, lay
hands on the sick to cure them and even drink poison and nothing would hurt them. [Luke 23:17-18]
Another point is, the Paracletos, comforter or the Spirit of truth, was going to dwell with us from now on.
Certainly anyone could see Muhammad's influence and his message of worshipping only One God without any
partners has prevailed long after his earthly life.
::Could he be The “Paraklytos”?::
More than fourteen centuries have passed since the prophet of Arabia made claim to being the last and final
'messenger and slave' of Allah. Yet the intensity of discussion amongst scholars from all religions seems to
have increased over the years and gained in velocity in the last few years more so than ever before.
Who was this man? What do his followers believe about him? How can others understand their undying
devotion to his mission? What do the scholars tell us about this man, Muhammad (peace be upon him)
and his 'message' to the world?
For more than fourteen centuries scholars from Judaism, Christianity and Islam have been discussing
whether or not the prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) could have indeed, been a true prophet from
Almighty God.
Was he the long awaited 'Messiah' the Jews have been waiting for so many centuries?
Was he the one prophesied in the Old Testament Book of Isaiah, calling in the wilderness?
Was he 'That Prophet' mentioned in the New Testament Gospel of John?
We would like to share some of the findings of these scholars from their own sources and invite the reader to
consider these evidences.
The most recent claim of revelation coming from the God of Abraham, Moses, David and Jesus, peace be upon
them, is the claim of Muhammad (peace be upon him) regarding the Quran. The Quran makes the claim,
Muhammad (peace be upon him) is the 'slave and messenger' of Almighty God.
But more importantly pertaining to our subject at hand, the Quran makes the claim that Muhammad
(peace be upon him) is mentioned by name in the previous revelations (meaning the Bible). Can this claim be
substantiated?
Let us begin by examining the statement in the Quran contained in the 61st chapter (As-Saff [the ranks]),
verse 6:
And when Jesus said; "O Children of Israel! I am the apostle of God (sent) to you, confirming the Law
(which came) before me, and giving glad tidings of an apostle to come after me, whose name shall be Ahmad."
[Noble Quran 61:6]
Please take notice of the name mentioned, 'Ahmad'. This is one of the most common of several names given to
the prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) by his own people.
Now let us turn to the Old Testament (Torah of the Jews) and notice the book called Songs of Solomon,
chapter 5, verse 16:
His mouth is very sweet;
he is totally desirable. 33
This is my beloved!
This is my companion, O maidens of Jerusalem!
Check the footnote (33) to discover what the word was BEFORE it was translated as "totally desirable" and in
some versions of the translations we find, "altogether lovely."
(makhmaddim, “desirable”) is the plural form of the noun (makhmad, “desire, desirable thing, precious object”;
(see below note #33)
It is asserted that this word "Makhmaddim" is in reality the word "Akhmad" or "Ahmad". The reason for the
emphasis on the "kh" sound is to pronounce the very hard "H" sound of the two types of "h" in the Semitic
languages.
There is a word used in a passage of the New Testament of the Bible, located in the Gospel of John,
chapter 14, verse 16, that many Muslim scholars refer to as pointing to the prophet Muhammad
(peace be upon him). Let us review it and then observe what non-Muslim scholars comment about it.
14:15 “If you love me, you will obey 34 my commandments. 35
14:16 Then 36 I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate 37 to be with you forever—
14:17 the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot accept, 38 because it does not see him or know him. But you know him, because he resides 39 with you and will be 40 in you.
Old Testament Song of Solomon 5:16 note 33tn
The term (makhmaddim, “desirable”) is the plural form of the noun dm^j=m^ (makhmad, “desire, desirable thing,
precious object”; HALOT 570 s.v. 1; BDB 326 s.v.). Like the plural (“sweetness”) in the preceding parallel line,
this use of the plural is probably an example of the plural of intensity: “very desirable.”
34tn Or “will keep.”
35sn Jesus’ statement, 'If you love me, you will obey my commandments', provides the transition between
the promises of answered prayer which Jesus makes to his disciples in vv. 13-14 and the promise of the Holy
Spirit which is introduced in v. 16. Obedience is the proof of genuine love.
36tn Here kaiv (kai) has been translated as “Then” to reflect the implied sequence in the discourse.
37tn Or “Helper” or “Counselor”; Grk “Paraclete,” from the Greek word paravklhto" (paraklhto"). Finding an
appropriate English translation for paravklhto" is a very difficult task. No single English word has exactly
the same range of meaning as the Greek word. “Comforter,” used by some of the older English versions,
appears to be as old as Wycliffe. But today it suggests a quilt or a sympathetic mourner at a funeral.
“Counselor” is adequate, but too broad, in contexts like “marriage counselor” or “camp counselor.”
“Helper” or “Assistant” could also be used, but could suggest a subordinate rank. “Advocate,” the word
chosen for this translation, has more forensic overtones than the Greek word does, although in John 16:5-11
a forensic context is certainly present. Because an “advocate” is someone who “advocates” or supports
a position or viewpoint and since this is what the Paraclete will do for the preaching of the disciples, it was
selected in spite of the drawbacks.
38tn Or “cannot receive.”
39tn Or “he remains.”
40tc Some early and important witnesses (Ì66* B D* W 1 565 it) have ejstin (estin, “he is”) instead of e[stai
(estai, “he will be”) here, while other weighty witnesses ({Ì66c,75vid Í A D1 L Q Y Ë13 33vid Ï as well as several
versions and fathers}), read the future tense. When one considers transcriptional evidence, ejstin is the more
difficult reading and better explains the rise of the future tense reading, but it must be noted that both Ì66
and D were corrected from the present tense to the future. If ejstin were the original reading, one would
expect a few manuscripts to be corrected to read the present when they originally read the future, but
that is not the case.
When one considers what the author would have written, the future is on much stronger ground. The immediate
context (both in 14:16 and in the chapter as a whole) points to the future, and the theology of the book regards
the advent of the Spirit as a decidedly future event (see, e.g., 7:39 and 16:7). The present tense could have
arisen from an error of sight on the part of some scribes or more likely from an error of thought as scribes
reflected upon the present role of the Spirit. Although a decision is difficult, the future tense is most likely
authentic. For further discussion on this textual problem, see James M. Hamilton, Jr., “He Is with You and
He Will Be in You” (Ph.D. diss., The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, 2003), 213-20.
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