Muhammad Was Sent after Jesus, Reviving And Restoring
Abraham’s Faith, in Islam
Say (O Muhammad): we believe in God and in what has been revealed to us,
and what was sent down to Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob and their descendants;
and what was given to Moses, Jesus and other prophets from their Lord; We make
no distinction between one another among them, and to God we do submit [in
Islam].
—Holy Quran 3:84
Reverend Franklin Graham:
You obviously have
noticed from my last two letters that God’s guidance for mankind, which He
revealed through all His messengers, including Jesus and Muhammad, had one
thing in common. It is called Tawhid
in Arabic, the meaning of which is pure and pristine monotheism, where God is
claimed to be One and Only, and none has the right to be worshipped except Him.
It is also called ‘Islamic monotheism’ since Muhammad- the last Prophet of God was
sent reviving and restoring Abraham’s faith in Islam.
According
to Merriam-Webster’s Encyclopedia of World Religions (page 747), Islamic
monotheism is more literal and uncompromising than that of any other religion.
Allah is confessed as being one, eternal, unbegotten, unequaled, and beyond
partnership of any kind.
God chose
the name “Islam” and “Muslim”
The Quran tells us God has
chosen the name “Islam” for His religion and “Muslim” for its adherents.(2:130–132;
5:3; 22:78). Both names have originated from salaam in Arabic, which ordinarily means peace or submission for
Islam, and calm or submissive for Muslim. But in a broader sense, Islam means a
complete surrender or resignation to the will and the command of God. And,
Muslim refers to a person who submits himself completely to God, while striving
for His cause and seeking for His pleasure. (3:19- 20, 83–85).
In that sense, all the messengers
of God and their true followers were Muslims, and the faith they preached and
practiced was Islam, maybe in different name. In my last two letters, I have
provided plenty of clear evidence from both our Holy Scriptures-the Quran and the
Bible in support of that. We will know about it more as we proceed.
God’s
guidance to Adam before he was sent to earth
From the description of
the Bible and the Quran, we came to know that God made this earth a dwelling
place as well as a testing ground for men. He gave them a short and uncertain
life along with a reflective mind and freedom of will to choose His path that
He showed to them through their respective messengers, or to reject it by the
instigation of the Satan. In my last
letter, I’ve described from both parts of the Holy Bible of what God revealed
to all His prophets for the guidance of their people. In this letter, I’d like
to mention of what God said in the Quran through His last Prophet Muhammad
reminding the teaching of his predecessors.
Let us begin first with
Adam, whom God made in heaven and then sent to earth as His first vicegerent,
along with his wife Eve, and the Satan, who made them eat the forbidden fruit
by disobeying the command of God. The story of Adam and Eve has been told and
retold in many places of the Quran, where we have learnt God forgave them both
when they repented for their sin and also asked for His mercy and forgiveness before they were sent to earth along with
Satan as their open enemy. We also have learnt that while sending them to
earth, God said to them clearly:
Get
down from here all of you. Henceforth, there shall come to you guidance from
Me, those who accept and follow it, shall have nothing to fear or to regret.
But those who reject and defy Our revelation, will be inmates of hellfire,
wherein they shall live forever. (Quran 2:38–39)
The Quran also tells us the
bottom line of the guidance that God revealed to Adam-the father of the mankind
has remained the same in the teaching of all His prophets including both Jesus
and Muhammad. We shall begin with Noah and
other prophets of God who were sent before Muhammad for the guidance of their
people.
Noah and
other prophets of God as reported in the Quran
We sent Noah to his people, who said, O my people, worship Allah! You
have no other god but Him. I fear for you the punishment of a dreadful day! (7:59)
Elias was surely one of our
Messengers. Behold, he said to his people: Have you no fear of Allah? Would you
invoke Bal, (the name of their invented god) and forsake the best of the
Creators-Allah Who is your Lord and the Lord of your forefathers?” (37:123–126)
To
the people of Ad We sent their brother Hud. He said: O my people! Worship
Allah, You have no other god but Him. You are not but inventors (of falsehood).
(11:50)
To
the tribe of Thamud, We sent their brother Salih, He said, O my people! Worship
Allah: You have no other god but Him. It is He Who created you from the earth
and made it a dwelling place for you. So, seek forgiveness from Him and turn to
Him in repentance. Surely, my Lord is very close and ready to answer. (11:61)
To
the people of Median We sent their brother Shu’aib who said, O my people!
Worship Allah, and look forward to the Last Day, and do not transgress in the
land wickedly. (29:36)
Abraham’s
faith has been reinstated in Islam through Muhammad
In the Quran, Abraham is frequently addressed
as Hanif, meaning the upright and the
upholder of true monotheism. Though he was born in a pagan society, where everyone
around him was an idol worshipper, he did not fail to recognize the existence
of one true eternal God, His unparalleled glory, greatness, wisdom and absolute
authority over everything in the heavens and earth. After this realization,
nothing not even the hostility of the pagan leaders including his own arrogant
father could prevent him from confessing the truth about God openly to them. We
can still feel the strength and the spirit of Abraham’s unquestioning faith in the absolute oneness and authority of
God, as he stood all alone against his hostile opponents, confessing loud and
clear:
Verily, I have turned my face,
being upright to Him, Who has created the heavens and the earth and I am not of
the Mushriks. (6:79)
When his people started arguing
with him, he [Abraham] said to them: Will you argue with me about Allah when He
has guided me Himself? I do not fear those whom you worship in association with
Allah. Nothing can happen to me unless it is so willed by my Lord. The
knowledge of my Lord encompasses all things. Will you not then admonish
yourself? (6:80)
Who would forsake the faith of
Abraham except him who befools himself? Verily, We chose him in this world, and
he will be among the righteous in the Hereafter. (2:130)
Abraham was neither a Jew nor a
Christian but was a Muslim [submitted himself to the will and the command of
God], true in faith. He was not one of them who set up partners with God. Surely,
those of mankind who have the best claim to Abraham are those who follow him, (in
submission to God) and this Prophet [Muhammad] and those who believe with him…
(3:67-68)
Say [O Muhammad]: As
for me, surely my Lord has guided me to a Straight Path, a Right Religion, the
faith of Abraham, the upright and he was not of them who were the idolaters.
Say: Surely my prayer, my sacrifice, my life and my death are all for
Allah, the Lord of the Worlds. (6:161–162)
Reverend,
I think, the message of the verses I’ve quoted above is clear and conclusive. And
I also hope, no more explanation is required to understand who among the Jews,
the Christians and the Muslims have the best claim on Abraham as their
Patriarch or as the inheritors of his faith. We shall know about it more as we proceed.
Abraham’s descendants
also followed his legacy
This was the legacy that Abraham
left to his sons. And so did Jacob, when he said: O my sons! God has chosen for
you this Deen, therefore, die not unless you are Muslims. (2:132)
[To Muhammad] Were you present when death approached Jacob? He asked his
sons: Who will you worship after me? They replied: We will worship the same One
God Who is your Lord and the Lord of your forefathers Abraham, Ishmael and
Isaac, and to Him we have surrendered [as Muslims]. (2:133)
We gave him [Abraham] Isaac and Jacob and
guided them all as we guided Noah before them, and among his descendants were
David, Solomon, Job, Joseph, Moses and Aaron; thus We reward those who do good
to others.
Other descendants include Zechariah, John,
Jesus, and Elias; all of them were righteous; and Ishmael, Elisha, Jonah and
Lot. We exalted each of them over the mankind.
And we exalted some of their forefathers,
their children and their brothers. We chose them for Our service and guided
them to the Right Path. (6:85–87)
Joseph- great-grandson
of Abraham also spoke of One God
[Joseph says to
the fellow-prisoners,] I follow the ways of my fathers Abraham, Isaac and
Jacob; and never could we attribute any partners to Allah: that (comes) of the
grace of Allah to us and to mankind: yet most men are not grateful.
O my two companions of the prison! Are many
lords differing among themselves better or Allah the One and Irresistible?
If it were not Him, you worship nothing but
names which you have named or your fathers for which Allah has sent you no
authority: the Command is for none but Allah: He has commanded that you worship
none but Him: that is the right religion but most men understand not.
(12:38–40)
Moses was
sent to proclaim the worship of none but One God
In the following verses
of the Quran, we shall check what the Almighty God conveyed to the people
through His other messengers whom He sent later from the tribes of Abraham. Let’s start with Moses, a mighty messenger and
one of the pillars of the Judeo-Christian faith.
[To
Moses] I have chosen thee: listen then to the inspiration sent to thee.
Verily,
I am Allah: there is no god but I. So serve only Me and establish regular
prayer for my remembrance.
The
final Hour is sure to come. But I will keep it hidden, so that every soul may
be rewarded according to its efforts. (20:13–14)
We gave Moses the Book [Torah] and made it
a guide to the children of Israel commanding: Take not other than Me as
Disposer of your affairs. (17:2)
Then he [Moses] addressed his people
saying, O my people! Your only God is Allah. There is no other god besides Him.
His knowledge encompasses everything. (20:97)
Certainly, We granted to Moses and
Aaron the Criterion of right and wrong, a light and a reminder for those people
who are righteous. (21:48)
David was a
self-surrendered servant of One True God
There are many verses in the Quran
where Muhammad is reminded of David’s unconditional love and longing for God and
also of his complete surrender to Him for His Cause and Pleasure.
Bear, O Prophet! with what they
(who rejected Muhammad’s call to Islam) say and remember Our servant David, the
man of strength. Verily, he was ever turning in repentance towards Allah.
We made the mountains to join him in Our
praises at evening and the sunrise.
And the birds, too, join him in flocks to sing
with him.
We strengthened his kingdom and gave him
wisdom and sound judgment. (38:17-20)
Solomon
followed the footsteps of his father
We gave [in the past] knowledge to
David and Solomon: and they both said: Praise be to Allah Who has favored us
above many of His servants who believe. (27:15)
He [Solomon] said: O my
Lord! Forgive me and grant me a kingdom similar of which does not belong to any
one after me. Surely, you are the Giver [without any measure]
So, We
subjected to him the wind which blew gently to whichever direction he wanted.
(38:35–36)
The contents of the above-quoted
verses, tell us clearly that David and his son Solomon also worshipped the same
One God of Adam, Noah, Abraham, Jacob, Joseph, Moses and other prophets of God who
were sent before them for the guidance of their people.
And so did Jesus, the son
of Mary.
Jesus also arrived
proclaiming the worship of none but One God
Reverend, for a number of
good reasons, the Quran gives an extra coverage on Mary and especially her son,
Jesus, including his miraculous birth, miracles he showed, his death on the cross,
his ascent to heaven, his Second Coming, and above all, what he taught to his
people in the name of God and what his people followed in his name after he
left. But I intend to quote here only a few of them that tells us Jesus, son of
Mary, another indispensable name related to the Judeo-Christian faith, also arrived
proclaiming the worship of none but One True
God.
Then, in the footsteps of those
prophets, We sent Jesus, the son of Mary, confirming the Law [Torah] that had
come before him: And We sent him the Gospel where there was guidance and light
and confirmation of the Torah which was sent before him; a guidance and admonition
to those who fear Allah. (5:46) [ref: Matthew 5:17-19]
Surely, they have
disbelieved who say: God is the Messiah [Jesus] son of Mary. While Christ said
himself, O children of Israel! Worship God, My Lord and your Lord. (5:72)
It is not possible for any human being
to whom God has given Book, the wisdom and the prophet hood that he would say
to the people: worship me instead of God. On the contrary [he would say], be
you devoted worshippers of your Almighty God in accordance with your Book that
you have been teaching and reading. (3:79)
[ref: Mark 12:29-30; Matthew 4:10; 19:16-17)
Muhammad
succeeded Jesus confirming the eternal truth of the First Commandment
Reverend, there are many
oft-repeated verses in the Quran where we have been told clearly that Muhammad-
the last messenger of God succeeded Jesus confirming the eternal truth of the First
Commandment. I have quoted below a few of
them from different parts of the Quran to justify my claim.
O Muhammad! We have sent revelations
to you just as We sent to Noah, and the Prophets who came after him; We also
sent revelations to Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob, his descendants, Jesus,
Job, Jonah, Aaron and Solomon, and to David We gave the Psalms.
Revelations were also sent to those
Messengers whom We have mentioned to you and to those whose names We have not
mentioned; To Moses Allah spoke directly. (4:163–164)
[To Muhammad] Say: O mankind!
Verily, I am sent to you all as the messenger of God to whom belongs the
kingdom of heavens and the earth. There is no deity but Him. It is He Who gives
life and causes death. So, believe in God and His messenger, the unlettered
prophet [Muhammad] who believes in God and in His words [what He revealed in
the Quran, the Torah and the Gospel]. And follow him so that you may be rightly
guided. (7:158)
The Messengers Were Many but the Message Was One
Reverend, the verses I have quoted
so far from our Holy Scriptures, the Bible and the Quran, tell us clearly the
Messengers of God were many but the Message He revealed through them for the
guidance of their people, was one and the same regardless to their time and
place, as the whiteness of milk has always remained the same everywhere irrespective
of the color or the type of cows. It is, as I mentioned before, called Tawhid, the true meaning of
which is “Islamic monotheism,” since the pure and pristine monotheism of Abraham’s
faith has been reinstated in Islam through Muhammad-the last Prophet of God.
Man’s
deviation from the path of God
At this point, any sensible and open-minded
person might ask in wonder, how could men deviate from that plain, simple, and
straight path of God after it was taught by all His messengers, so clearly,
categorically, and consistently, right from the beginning? Should not they have
followed the same trodden path of all His Messengers to return to Him instead
of following so many paths which are not only different from one another but
sometimes are completely reverse from others?
The Quran has an answer
for that. The following verses of the Quran show how the people deviated
gradually from one designated path of God to so many different or invented paths
of men.
Mankind
was one community and Allah sent Prophets with glad tidings and warnings, and
with them He sent the Scripture with the truth to settle the matters in between
them where they differed. And the very people to whom it [the Book] was given,
started disputes because of rivalry in between one another after the clear
proofs had come unto them. (2:213)
Surely, the true religion in the sight
of Allah is Islam [meaning submission to His will and command]. Those who
received the Scripture before differed through envy of each other, only after
true knowledge had come to them … … (3:19)
Verily this brotherhood of yours is a single
brotherhood and I am your only God, therefore worship Me Alone. But the people
have divided their religion into sects in between them-to Us they shall all
return. (21:92–93)
There are also numerous verses
in the Quran in which people’s ego, arrogance, ignorance, ingratitude,
obliviousness, pride, prejudice and above all, their love for the material
world and heedlessness have been blamed for their deviating from the plain,
simple, and straight path of God. Out of many, I have quoted below a few of
them.
[To Muhammad]Ask them: Who provides
your sustenance from the heaven and from the earth? Who has control over
hearing and sight? Who brings forth the living from the dead and the dead from
the living? They will soon reply Allah/God. Say: Why do you not then fear Him
for your going against the truth?(10:31)
If you ask them Who has created the
heavens and the earth? They will certainly say: Allah/God. Say: Praise be to
Allah! But the fact is most of them do not use their common sense to understand.
(31:25)
It is He Who gives life
and causes you die, and in His control is the alternation of the night and day:
then why don’t you understand? (23:80)
The fact is that most of them
follow nothing but mere conjecture and conjecture is no way a substitute for
the truth. Surely Allah/God is well
aware of what they do. (10:36)
… …
Those are the ones who have hearts with which
they do not understand, they have eyes with which they do not see, they have
ears with which they do not hear. They are like animals even worse than them,
because they are those who are heedless. (7:179)
Muhammad
was sent as the last Reminder and the warner for all of mankind
In many places of the Quran, we have been told Muhammad was sent as the
last reminder and the warner for all of mankind. It is through him, God
reminded them of His glad tidings that He promised to them in return to their
having faith in Him and for keeping His commands. And, it is through him, God also
reminded them of the fatal consequences that they might face for their
disbelief in Him and for defying His commands. I have quoted below a few of
them in support of that.
We have revealed the Quran in
Truth, and with the Truth it has come down: and We have sent you [Muhammad] as
a bearer of glad tidings [to the believers] and as a warner [to the
unbelievers]. (17:105)
We have sent you only as a bearer
of good news and a warner. Say: I ask of you no recompense for this work except
that he who wants, may choose the Right Way to His Lord. (25:56–57)
** [O Muhammad!] I am but a
plain warner; And there is no divinity except Allah, the One, the Irresistible,
the Lord of the heavens and the earth and all that lies in between them, the
Almighty, the Forgiver. Say: This is a supreme message: yet you pay no heed to
it. (38:65–68).
. ** [To Muhammad] Say to them [who
ascribes partnership to God]: O ignorant! Do you bid me worship someone other
than Allah? And verily, it has been revealed to you which had already been
revealed to them before you that if you ascribe a partner to Allah, all your
deeds will go in vain and you will surely be among the losers. (39:64–65)
O Muhammad, tell them: I am but a human
being like you; the revelation is sent to me to declare that your God is One
God; therefore, whoever hopes to meet his Lord, let him do good deeds and join
no partner in the worship of his Lord.(Quran 18:110)
O Prophet, ask them: Have
you ever considered if this Quran is really from Allah and you deny it, who can
be more astray than you who have gone too far defying Him. (41:52)
The
eternal truth in the guidance of God never changed
Reverend, by this time I
have provided countless evidence from both Bible and the Quran to prove
Muhammad was neither an imposter nor an inventor of a new faith or cult, as
most of your people think of him, unknowingly. Rather, he was also sent with
the same eternal truth in the guidance of God about which the Bible has said:
The grass withereth, the flower fadeth:
but the word of our God shall stand forever.(Isaiah 40:8)
And, the Quran says: This has always
been our Ways with the apostles who we sent before you. (Muhammad) You will find
no change in our Ways. (17:77)
Last of all, I’d like to mention that with the help of those unchanged and eternal words
in both Bible and Quran, I have undoubtedly proved that Muslims never worshipped
any ‘different god’ from the God of the Judeo-Christian Faith, as you have claimed.
Rather, they always have worshipped and still worship the same One God of all
His messengers including both Jesus and Muhammad. In that sense, I have
completed my arguments, and I should have stopped here thanking you most gratefully
for giving me a chance to let your people know that God of Muhammad is not different
from the God of Jesus, Moses or Abraham.
But I could not, because while reading our
Holy Scriptures-the Bible and the Quran both, I felt amazed to know that it is not
the Muslims, it is in fact, the Christians who worship ‘a different god’ from
the God of the Judeo-Christian Faith. They do so by making Jesus an object of
worship along with One True God or as one the Gods in the Trinity. I think, it is a colossal deviation from the eternal
truth of the First Commandment that Jesus preached and practiced himself all
through his life following the footsteps of all his predecessors.
Reverend, it is
absolutely for the sake of truth, I feel myself obliged to share this message with
you and also with my other prospective readers- especially the Christians. I
hope, you will give me a chance to correct my mistake, if you find me misquote or
misinterpret anything from the Bible, the Quran or any other book that I used
for information or reference to justify my claim.
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