Prevalent Environment:
During end
of 6th century after Prophet Jesus Christ (peace be upon him), Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), was born at Makkah in 571 C.E (according to research by
Dr.Hamidullah, the date is 17
June 569 C.E). He was chosen to be the last messenger of God
for the guidance of humanity till eternity. He was not from the progeny of Israel 13:18 ,
16:12 , 17:20 ). Prophet
Muhammad (peace be upon him), was chosen by
God to revive the original faith of Abraham in its true form, for the humanity,
which over the time had been distorted and corrupted by the decedents of
Prophet Israel (Jacob) and followers of Prophet Jesus (peace be upon them). Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) was sent as the
fulfillment of prayer, of Prophet Abraham and Ishmael, who while raising the
foundations of House of Lord (Kabah) around 1800 B.C, had prayed: "Our
Lord! send amongst them a Messenger of their own, who shall rehearse Thy Signs
to them and instruct them In Scripture and Wisdom, and sanctify them: for Thou
art the Exalted In Might, the Wise." (Qur’an;2:129).
Prophesied
In Bible:
The advent
of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) had been foretold to the previous
messengers. Allah says: “Behold! Allah took the Covenant of the prophets,
saying: "I give you a Book and Wisdom; then comes to you a messenger,
confirming what is with you; do ye believe In Him and render Him help."
Allah said: "Do ye agree, and take This My Covenant As binding on
you?" They said: "We agree." He said: "Then bear witness,
and I am with you among the witnesses."(Qur’an;3:81). The Old Testament as
well as New Testament still contain these prophesies . Allah says: "Those
who follow the messenger, the unlettered Prophet, whom They find mentioned In
their own (scriptures). In the law and the Gospel;- for He commands them what
is just and forbids them what is evil; He allows them As lawful what is good
(and pure) and prohibits them from what is bad (and impure); He releases them
from their heavy burdens and from the yokes that are upon them. so it is those
who believe In him, honor him, help him, and follow the light which is sent
down with him,- it is They who will prosper."(Qur’an;7:157).
According
to Old Testament,
Prophet Moses (peace be upon him) was told by God: "I will raise them up a
Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, and I will put my words in
his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him. And it
shall come to pass, that whosoever will not hearken unto my words which he
shall speak in my name, I will require it of him"(Deuteronomy;18:18,19).
Christians relate this prophesy with Prophet Jesus (peace be upon him) which is
not correct as the critical analysis reveal that this prophesy is about Prophet
Muhammad (peace be upon him): Among the prophets which followed Prophet Moses,
Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) is most like Prophet Moses (peace be upon
him) where as Prophet Jesus (peace be upon him) had nothing common with Prophet
Moses (peace be upon him) except being a Jew and prophet, (Though among the
Christians, Prophet Jesus (peace be upon him) is believed to be Son of God, one
of the three persons of the Trinity). Prophet Muhammad and Moses
(peace be upon them) had a normal birth through father and a mother, while
Prophet Jesus (peace be upon him) was miraculously born without any male
intervention.(Mathew; 1:18
and Luke; 1:35 and also
Qur’an;3:42 -47).
Prophet
Moses Muhammad (peace be upon him) were both married, had children and died
natural deaths. Muhammad (peace be upon him) is from among the brethren of
Prophet Moses (peace be upon him) being descendent of Prophet Abraham (peace be
upon him) through his son Ishmael (peace be upon him), whereas Moses was
descendent of Isaac (through his son Jacob) the younger brother of Ishmael.
Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) was unlettered, hence in verbatim repeated
the revelations conforming phrase; “Words in the mouth”. Prophet Moses & Muhammad
(peace be upon them) brought new laws and new regulations for their people,
besides, both were accepted as messengers of God by their people in their
lifetime. They ruled over their communities (as kings), they could inflict
capital punishment.
Prophet Jesus
(peace be upon him) said, "My kingdom is not of this world." (John;18:36 ). Prophet Jesus (peace be upon
him) was not accepted by most of his people in his life time: "He came
unto his own, but his own received him not."(Gospel of John;1:11 ) and he (Jesus) did not bring
any new law, Jesus said; “Think not that I have come to abolish the law and the
prophets; I have come not to abolish them but to fulfill them. . . ;”(Mathew;5:17 -18). Prophet Muhammad (peace be
upon him) is mentioned by name in the Old Testament: “His mouth is most sweet:
yea, he is altogether lovely (Muhammadim). This is my beloved, and this
is my friend, O daughters of Jerusalem 5:16 ): “Hikko Mamittakim we kullo Muhammadim
Zehdoodeh wa Zehraee Bayna Jerusalem
While
prophesizing, about Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) Prophet Jesus (peace
be upon him) said:
"I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now.
Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth (referring to Muhammad) is come, he
will guide you unto all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but
whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will show you things
to come. He shall glorify me"(John; 16:12 -14); "And I will pray
the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you
forever."(John;14:16);“But when the Counselor comes, whom I shall send to
you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he
will bear witness to me;”(John;15:26);
“Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for
if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will
send him unto you.”(John;16:7).
Ahmed"
or "Muhammad" meaning "the one who praises" or "the
praised one" is almost the translation of the Greek word ‘Periclytos’. In the Gospel of John;14:16 , 15:26 , and 16:7, Prophet Jesus (peace be upon
him) actually prophesized “Ahmed” by name, word 'Comforter' in Greek ‘Paracletos’ or ‘Periclytos’ refers to Prophet Muhammad (peace
be upon him). Allah says in Qur’an: “Those to whom We have given the Scripture
(their scholars) recognize this (Muhammad) as they know their own sons. Those
who have lost their own souls refuse therefore to believe.” (Qur’an;6:20 ); "And remember, Jesus, the
son of Mary, said, 'O Children of Israel! I am the messenger of Allah (sent) to
you, confirming the Law (which came) before me and giving glad tidings of a
messenger to come after me, whose name shall be Ahmed.' But when he came to them with clear signs, they said, 'This
is evident sorcery!”(Qur’an;61:6); “Ye People of the Book! Why do ye clothe
truth with falsehood and conceal the truth while ye have
knowledge?”(Qur’an;3:71).
Prophesied in Other
Scriptures: Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) has also been prophesized in the
Zoroaster, Buddhist and Hindu Scriptures: ‘Bhavishya Purana in the Prati Sarag
Parv III Khand 3 Adhay 3 Shloka 5 to 8’; Bhavishya Purana in the Pratisarag
Parv III Khand 3 Adhay 3 Shloka 10 to 27; Bhavishya Purana, Parv - III Khand 1
Adhay 3 Shloka 21-23; and Samveda Book II Hymn 6 verse 8.
Early life, Prophethood 10
years at Makkah:
Prophet
Muhammad, peace
be upon him (571-632 C.E) was born as orphan in the ruling
tribe (Quraysh), descendent of Prophet Ishmael (peace be upon him) at Makka
Arabia. This tribe was the custodian of Ka’ba, the house of worship of Allah,
originally rebuilt by Abraham and his son Ishmael but, during 7th
century C.E, it was packed with idols. He was initially brought up by his
grandfather and later by his uncle Abu Talib. He was illiterate but extremely
honest and trustworthy. Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) was one of few among pagan Arabs known as hanafi who, did
not worship idols and believed in only one God. At the age of forty he started
meditation in cave Hira where in 610
C.E he was visited by the angel Gabriel, to deliver the first revelation from
God. He continued to receive the Revelations during next 23 yeas (till his
death) which were promptly and accurately recorded by scribes, which is known
as Qur’an, the basis of Islam. The mission of Prophet Muhammad (peace
be upon him) was striking, Allah says: “It is He who hath
sent His Messenger with guidance and the way of life (Din) of truth, to
proclaim it over all (false) way of life (Din), however much the
idolaters may be averse. They desire to extinguish the light of God with their
mouths but God will not allow it to happen, for He seeks to perfect His light
even though the disbelievers may dislike it. (Qur’an;9:32 -33, similarly at 61:8-9 & 48:28 ).
Prophet
Muhammad (peace be upon him) began to preach publicly in 613 C.E. He
was urging the rich to give to the poor and calling to worship and obey Allah (one God, the God of their ancestors
Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob and all) instead of idols. Prophet
Muhammad (peace
be upon him) did not invent any new religion but was sent
to revive Islam (surrender to the will of One God) the original faith of Adam,
Noah, Abraham (the common ancestor of Israelites, Christians and Arabs) Moses
and all other messengers up to Prophet Jesus Christ (peace be upon them all).
The restrictions imposed upon Children of Israel due to their hardness of heart
and rebelliousness were to be relaxed, as
Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) was the last messenger
of God for all the humanity till eternity. Allah says: “We have not sent you
(O’ Muhammad) but as a universal (Messenger) to the entire mankind giving them
glad tidings and warning them (against sin) but most men understand not.”
(Qur’an;37:28). “O mankind! there hath come to you a direction from your Lord
and a healing for the (diseases) in your hearts and for those who believe a
Guidance and a Mercy.”(Qur’an;10:57 ).
Hence being a messenger of God for the mankind, Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon
him) preached to all without discriminating to any race, group or clan. Hence
among his first ‘companions’ and converts, beside the Arabs can be counted
Bilal the Abyssinian, Salman the Persian and Abdullah Bin-Salaam the Jew.
Migration to Medina &
Establishment if First Heterogeneous Multi-Religious State at Medina
He gained disciples who suffered worst oppression, from
Quraysh, his kinsmen. They planed to murder him, consequently he had to migrate
from Mecca Medina Medina Mecca Medina
Expansion of Islam in Arabia and Around:
Ultimately Mecca Arabia (estimated total area of
about three million square kilometers) at the total loss of 240 enemies, the
Muslim losses were even lesser. People started embracing Islam in large
numbers. Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) continued to stay at Medina Mecca Mecca
Mission
The
Messenger (peace be upon him) did not conceal any thing and completed his
mission, which is further confirmed, Allah says: “..This day have I perfected
your religion for you and completed My favor unto you, and have chosen for you
as religion AL- Medina Temple Jerusalem
Islam Established as a
Universal Faith:
Within few
years after Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), his devout followers brought
major parts of neighboring empires under their influence as far as up to
southern France, through Spain, central Asia, India to the Atlantic Ocean.
Islamic rule and political influence continued to expand, in the intervening
centuries, far beyond the borders of the original Muslim conquests. Renowned
scholar Michael Hart, in his famous book, placed Prophet Muhammad (peace be
upon him) at the top of the list of hundred most influential men in history of
mankind. According to him, Muhammad (peace be upon him) was the only man in
history who was supremely successful on both the religious and secular levels.
Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) preached and promulgated one of the
world’s great religion, and became an immensely effective political leader.
Even fourteen centuries after his death, his influence is still powerful and
pervasive; there are around 1.5 Billion Muslims in the world. The majority of
influential men of history had the advantage of getting born and raised in
centers of civilization, highly cultured or politically pivotal nations, while
Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) was born and raised at Mecca, the most
remote and isolated corner of the world. He single-handedly accomplished the
great mission with almost no means and resources. Prophet Muhammad (peace be
upon him) was also an ideal leader who lead from front and left the land marks
for the Muslims in all secular and spiritual spheres. He is the
legislator-jurist who defined ritual observance and Islamic law in the light of
Qur’an i.e. Allah repeatedly ask the believers to offer prayers (salah),
but how to offer the prayers? The jurists find in the traditions (Sunnah)
of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).
Role Model as Best Human
Being:
He is the
ideal seeker of spiritual perfection for the mystics. Philosophers and
statesman find a role model of both as conqueror of hearts and just ruler in
him. The ordinary Muslims can find a model of God’s grace and salvation in him.
He was an effective administrator, legislator, judge and military commander as
well as teacher, preacher and prayer leader of the Muslim community. At the end
of his last sermon during last Hajj (632 C.E) the Prophet (peace be upon him)
said: “Remember, one day you will appear before Allah and answer for your
deeds. So beware, do not astray from the path of righteousness after I am gone.
O’ People, no messengers or prophet will come after me and no new faith will be
born. Reason well, therefore, O’ People, and understand my words which I convey
to you. I leave behind me two things, the Qur’an and my example, the Sunnah and if you follow these you will
never go astray. All those who listen to me shall pass on my words to others
and those to others again; and may the last ones understand my words better
than those who listen to me directly. Be my witness oh Allah that I have
conveyed your message to your people.” History is witness to the fact that
Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) did convey the Message very effectively
and successfully.
Before his
demise Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) being universal messenger of God
for the humanity, extended the invitation of Islam to the neighboring Kings and
rulers through epistles and emissaries. The most prominent are, Hercules the
Eastern Roman Emperor (610-641 C.E), Khusro Parvaiz of Persia Abyssinia ),
rulers of Bahrain Oman Medina
Islam for
the Humanity:
All previous
messengers and scriptures were meant for the guidance of specific nations and
that period, where as Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and Qur’an is the
guide for the humanity for ever. Hence it is now mandatory for all the
humanity, including the Jews and Christians to believe and follow the teachings
of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and Qur’an, to attain salvation.
Allah says: “As for those who are bent on denying the truth and on barring
(others) from the path of God - all their (good) deeds will He let go to waste;
whereas those who have attained to faith and do righteous deeds, and have come
to believe in what has been bestowed from on high on Muhammad - for it is the truth from their
Sustainer – (shall attain to God’s grace) He will efface their (past) bad
deeds, and will set their hearts at rest”.(Qur’an;47;2-3); “If instead of this
rebellious attitude the People of the Book (Jews and Christians) had believed
and become God fearing, We would certainly have removed their iniquities and
admitted them to the gardens of Bliss”(Qur’an;5:65).
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Last Prophet for Humanity
محمد رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم
Index
Abraham to Muhammad [pbut]
The Last Prophet
Unique Character and Exemplary Life of Prophet (pbuh)
The Prophet of Peace
Views of Non Muslims
Prophesied in Bible
Prophet(pbuh)
Refuting Allegation Against Prophet Muhammad [pbuh]
Vilification
eBook – Read on line or download
Video Playlist:
- Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) & Message-Short Link-1: http://wp.me/PCgrB-Wq
- Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) & Message -Short Link-2: http://goo.gl/4n1gW
- eBook: http://goo.gl/y0mC0
INDEX:
Related: