7. THE PROPHETS AND THEIR REVELATIONS
7.1
Introduction
The
following paragraph is a brief extract of a translation from Urdu of Tazkirah
(Man's Destiny) by Allama Mashriqi. Tazkirah is a higher commentary on
the Qur'an, which the author describes as the 'last message of God to Man', and
an exhaustive exposition of the Divine Law or what he calls the 'Religion of
Nature'. Most of the material in this section is taken from the chapter of the
'Unity of Divine Message' in Tazkirah. The rest of this section deals
with some of the well-known prophets in Qur'an. It demonstrates beyond a shadow
of doubt that the fundamental message preached by all the prophets was the same
in spite of variations in customs and rituals throughout the different world
communities. I quote Mashriqi:
The last of the Revealed books (the Holy Qur'an) gave a straight
verdict on humanity's present disintegrated form, in fact, on the reality of
Religion, by declaring that customs and rituals are one thing but the
FUNDAMENTAL REALITY another. 'O ye human beings! We have appointed for each
people an outward semblance of its worship of God and obedience to His Law,
which it is following, but the Fundamental Law is the same for everybody (and
it is unity). Thus, the people should not dispute with you on the Fundamental
Law. You assemble the entire mankind on one point by inviting them to One God,
and through this Tauheed unite the whole world. Verily, in establishing
this unity between world communities you are on the Right Course'. (22:67).
This shows that creation of conflict over God's Law by disputing over rituals
means abdicating the straight path and Religion.1
Thus,
the basic message of all the prophets from Allah was to further the unity of
mankind, along with guidance on how human beings should live in this world in
order to bring peace and security, and hence ensure our survival and stability.
This was the substance of the great news which the prophets received from the
Almighty, and this is the essence of true prophethood. This, too, is the
supreme knowledge and information, the greatest of revelations and disclosures.
The
Prophets taught Man the proper way to live on the earth; they showed him the path to
collective survival and stated the principles determining the rise and fall of
nations. They demonstrated the Divine Administration's complete sense of
justice, and evaluated punishment in this world and recompense in the
Hereafter. They explained what the individual's conduct should be; they put
their people on the right path and ensured their stability and survival
for centuries to come, and they demonstrated how non-believers would meet their
end. This was the Deen they brought, and it was the Deen (course
of action) which God wanted mankind to adopt.
Thus,
it is Man's correct course of conduct in the world which, in fact, is his
'religion', and it is his bounden duty to comprehend the Immutable Law which
governs the rise and fall of nations. The knowledge of this alone constitutes
the science of religions and it is this course which is everybody's most urgent
need.
No
prophet carved out a contrary course, a new Faith or a different religion. Each came with essentially one
message. That message was the Divine Law. Humanity's failure to follow that Law
resulted in their periodic destruction. Subsequent generations mistook the
exteriors and procedures which were only devices – or method – for following
the Divine Law, as the fundamentals of
the Deen; they accepted subsidiaries as the fundamental code and ignored
the basic reality, becoming entirely concerned with the superficial and the
conventional. People unduly exaggerated in the display of personal devotion and
deference to their leaders, attaching increasing importance to the commandments
of their own liking. They considered it a slant against their traditions and
honour to give up the rituals of one prophet and enter the fold of a new one. Then,
instead of following, through the prophets, the Divine Law and taking this Law
as the true source of knowledge, they lined up on sectarian grounds behind the
various prophets, thus becoming partisan. Instead of believing and
submitting to the will of God and thereby becoming true Muslims they became
Mosesites, Buddhists, Christians and Mohammedans. They considered it
part-and-parcel of the Deen merely to heap praises on the prophets and
idolise them in their activities. In
this way, Religion came to denote only a few useless rituals and baseless
customs; its significance completely disappeared.2
7.2
Adam
The
first man created by God - according to the Scriptures - is Adam. God also
created a wife for Adam, and the whole of humanity is supposed to have
descended from them. Adam is also regarded as the first prophet as he received
guidance in the form of revelation from God after he and his wife were evicted
from Paradise for disobedience to His command. This traditional interpretation,
that humanity, as we see today, descended from Adam and his wife, is untenable
for biological and other reasons. Therefore, we have to look for an allegorical
interpretation. The one used by Parwez 3 appears to fit very well
with the story described in the Qur'an in verses 2:30-39. In this story,
Adam stands for Man and his wife for Woman, the angels (Malaika) for the
forces of nature, Iblees or Shaitan (Devil) for baser human
desires.
Man was
given autonomy and free will, unlike the forces of nature which do not have any
independent will and, therefore, have to be subservient to Allah. Although
nothing in 'nature' obeys Man, he can obviously learn to channel its workings
to his advantage. When Man was made to settle on earth at first his needs were
very limited and the means of subsistence plentiful. However, the baser
instincts of Man eventually got the better of him. Driven by selfishness, human
beings began to live according to their own self-made systems. As a result,
they lost their blissful life. Humanity was split into different races, tribes
and nations, with enmity amongst them. When man lost his blissful life, he was
told:
(7:35)
O children of Adam! If messengers of your own come unto you, who narrate unto
you My revelations, then whosoever refraineth from evil and amendeth - there
shall no fear come upon them neither shall they grieve.
(20:124) But
he who turneth away from remembrance of Me, his will be a narrow life, and I
shall bring him blind to the assembly on the Day of Resurrection.
7.3
Prophets named in the Qur'an
The
Qur'an mentions the following prophets (messengers) by name: Adam
(Adam), Nuh (Noah), Ibrahim (Abraham), Ishmael (Ishmael), Ishaq
(Isaac), Lut (Lot), Yakub (Jacob), Yusuf (Joseph), Musa
(Moses), Harun (Arron), Dawud (David), Sulaiman (Soloman),
Illyas (Elijah), Alyasa (Elisha), Yunus (Johana), Ayyub
(Job), Zakariya (Zackaray), Yahya (John), Isa (Jesus), Idris
(Enoch), Hud, Dhul Kifl (Ezekiel), Shuaib, Salih,
Luqman and Muhammad (Muhammad).
The
Qur'an also states that apart from the prophets mentioned above, Allah sent
many other prophets whose names are not mentioned in the Qur'an.
(40: 78) Verily
we sent messengers before thee, among them those of whom We have told thee, and
some of them We have not told thee; and it was not given to any messenger that
he should bring a portent save by Allah's leave, but when Allah's commandment cometh
(the cause) is judged aright, and the followers of vanity will then be lost.
7.4.
Noah
Noah
follows Adam in the line of the prophets mentioned in the Qur'an. The most
important event that took place during the time of Noah is the Flood. The
following comments on 'the Flood' are from Dr. Maurice Bucaille's book, The
Bible The Qur'an and Science.
The Qur'an gives a general version which is different from that
contained in the Bible and does not give rise to any criticisms from a
historical point of view […] It does not provide a continuous narration of the
Flood. Numerous Suras talk of the punishment inflicted upon Noah's people. The
most complete account of this is in Sura 11, verses 25 to 49. Sura 71 which
bears Noah's name, describes above all Noah's preaching, as do verses 105 to
115, Sura 26. Before going into the actual course taken by the events, we must
consider the Flood as described in the Qur'an by relating it to the general
context of punishment God inflicted on communities guilty of gravely infringing
His commandments. […] Whereas the Bible describes a universal Flood intended to
punish ungodly humanity as a whole, the Qur'an, in contrast, mentions several
punishments inflicted on certain specifically defined communities.4
7.5
Abraham
The
Qur'an contains a large number of verses on Abraham, and I start with a few:
(2:124) And
(remember) when his Sustainer tried Abraham with (His) commands, and he
fulfilled them, He said: Lo! I have appointed thee a leader for mankind.
(Abraham said): And of my offspring (will there be leaders)? He said: My
covenant includeth not wrong-doers.
(37:100-110)
O my Sustainer! Vouchsafe me of the righteous. So We gave him tidings of a
gentle son. And when (his son) was old enough to walk with him, (Abraham said)
O my dear son, I have seen a dream that I must sacrifice thee. So look, what
thinkest thou? He said: O my father! Do that which thou art commanded. Allah
willing, thou shalt find me of the steadfast. Then when they had both
surrendered (to Allah), and he had put his forehead down, We called unto him: O
Abraham! Thou hast already fulfilled the vision. Lo! thus do We reward the
good. Lo! that verily was a clear test. Then We redeemed him with a
tremendous (azim) sacrifice, and left him thus to be remembered among later
generations. Peace be unto Abraham. Thus do we reward the good.
The
word 'azim' means 'tremendous' or 'mighty'. Thus, it is highly improbable that this
sacrifice refers to the ram which Abraham found and slaughtered in place of
Isaac (Ishaq) (see Genesis 22:13; also chapter 18 below). The following
two verses state clearly the duty or the responsibility which both Abraham and Ishmael were to
undertake, in view of their total submission to the Will of Allah. The
tremendous sacrifice asked for by Allah is that both should work for the cause
of Allah. Unfortunately, Muslims believe the Biblical story, involving a ram,
and think that they will be able to redeem themselves by sacrificing millions
of animals at the end of Hajj (pilgrimage). By ignoring the Qur'an, they
fail to realise that the real sacrifice required by Allah from the believers is
to work for the cause of Allah, steadfastly.
(2:125)
And when We made the House (at Mecca) a resort for mankind and a sanctuary,
(saying): Take as your place of worship the place where Abraham stood (to
pray). And We imposed a duty upon Abraham and Ishmael, (saying): Purify My
House for those who go round and those who meditate therein and those who
bow down and prostrate themselves (in worship).
(2:127,128)
And Abraham and Ishmael were raising the foundations of the House, (Abraham
prayed): Our Sustainer! Accept from us (this duty). Lo! Thou, only Thou, art
the Hearer, the Knower. Our Sustainer! make us submissive unto Thee and our
seed a nation submissive unto Thee, and show us our ways of worship, and relent
towards us. Lo! Thou, only Thou, art the Relenting, the Merciful.
(22:27)
And proclaim unto mankind the Pilgrimage. They will come unto thee on foot and
on every lean camel; they will come from every deep ravine.
(19:54) And
make mention of Ishmael in this Scripture. Lo! he was a keeper of his promise,
and he was a messenger (of Allah), a Prophet.
To
fulfil his obligations Abraham settled some of his family near the Kaba.
(14:37) O
our Sustainer! I have made some of my offspring to dwell in a valley without
cultivation, by the Sacred House in order, O our Sustainer, that they may
establish regular prayer: So fill the hearts of some among men with love
towards them, and feed them with fruits in order that they may be thankful.
Abraham
was further blessed by another son in his old age as shown in the following
verse.
(37:112,113) And
We gave him tidings of the birth of Isaac, a prophet of the righteous. And We
blessed him and Isaac. And of their seed are some who do good, and some who
plainly wrong themselves.
We also
see from the Qur'an that with Abraham some important landmarks of 'Islam' took place. He was instructed to
build the House of Allah (Kaba) with his son Ishmael, and to introduce
the religious practices such as Prayer (Salat), Fasting, Pilgrimage (Hajj),
and Zakat. In fact all our main religious practices originated with
Abraham. The belief in Allah alone, Who has no partner, remained the primary
condition of Faith, and the code of life ('religion' in the comprehensive
sense) to be practised by mankind was given the name Islam.
The
meaning of the word Islam is 'submission' and 'peace' - 'submission' in the
positive sense of committing oneself 'to live in peace' by bringing one's likes
and dislikes and behaviour in harmony with the Divine Will. A Muslim is one who
surrenders himself to Allah. Thus, the terms Islam and Muslim both originate
from the very first contact of God with Man, and pre-date Muhammad by many centuries.
(3:19) With
Allah the Deen is Al-Islam[...]
(3:67)
Abraham was not a Jew, nor yet a Christian; but he was an upright man who had
surrendered (to Allah), and he was not of the idolaters.
(2:130,131)
And who forsaketh the religion of Abraham save him who befooleth himself?
Verily, We chose him in the world and lo! in the Hereafter he is among the
righteous. When his Sustainer said unto him: Surrender! he said I have
surrendered to the Sustainer of the Worlds.
(22:78)
And strive for Allah with the endeavour which is His right. He hath chosen you
and hath not laid upon you in religion [this code of life] any hardship; the
faith of your father Abraham (is yours). He hath named you Muslims (those who
have surrendered) of old time and in this (Scripture), that the messenger may
be a witness against you, and that ye may be a witness against Mankind. So
establish worship, and invest in Zakat, and hold fast to Allah. He is
your Protecting Friend. A blessed Patron and a blessed Helper!
It
should be borne in mind that the traditional use of the terms 'Islam' and
'Muslim' for the followers of the Prophet Muhammad is a contradiction with the
Qur'an. Both these terms are universal in connotation and are meant for the
whole of Mankind through all the ages of the history. Thus according to the
Qur'an, Allah's reward is not reserved for any particular group or
'denomination' but is open to anyone who consciously accepts the oneness of
Allah, surrenders himself to his Will, and by living righteously gives practical
effect to this attitude.
(2:62) Those
who believe (in that which is revealed unto thee Muhammad) and those who are
Jews, and Christians and Sabians -- whoever believeth in Allah and the Last Day
and do righteous deeds - their reward is with their Sustainer, and there shall
no fear come upon them and neither shall they grieve
The
Sabians are a monotheistic religious group which to this day can be found in
Iraq.
(2:111,112)
And they say: None entereth Paradise unless he be a Jew or a Christian. These
are their own desires. Say: bring your proof (of what you state) if ye are
truthful. Nay, but whosoever surrendereth his purpose to Allah while doing
good, his reward is with his Sustainer; and there shall no fear come upon them,
neither shall they grieve.
Islam, therefore, is a continuation of original code of life (deen) as established by the first prophet. All succeeding prophets preached the same code of life (deen). From Abraham came a long line of prophets through his two sons, Ishmael (Ishmael) and Isaac (Ishaq). Ishmael was the progenitor of the Arab peoples and Muhammad was among his descendants. From Isaac came a number of prophets, including his son Jacob (Yakub), his grandson Joseph (Yusuf), Moses (Musa), David (Dawud), Solomon (Sulaiman), John the Baptist (Yahya) and Jesus (Isa).
(2:132-134)
The same did Abraham enjoin upon his sons and also Jacob, (saying): O my sons!
Lo! Allah hath chosen for you the (true) religion [this code of life];
therefore die not save as men who have surrendered (unto Him). Or were ye
present when death came to Jacob, when he said to his sons: What will ye
worship after me? They said: We will worship thy God, the God of thy fathers
Abraham and Ishmael and Isaac, One God, and unto Him we have surrendered. Those
are a people who have passed away. Theirs is that which they earned, and yours
is that which ye earn. And ye will not be asked of what they used to do.
(2:136)
Say (O Muslims):
We believe in Allah and that which is revealed unto us and that which was
revealed unto Abraham and Ishmael, and Isaac, and Jacob, and the tribes, and
that which Moses and Jesus received, and that which the prophets received from
their Sustainer. We make no distinction between them, and unto Him we
have surrendered.
7.6
Moses
The
Qur'an not only goes into great details about the life story of Moses but also
about the history of the Jewish people. However, the historical content is not
so much stating history chronologically as emphasising again and again to
mankind that Allah favours only those who do not deviate from the guidance
given by Allah, through His prophets. There is no such thing as a favoured
nation, as the Israelis think of themselves even to this day. To gain Allah's
favour it is absolutely essential to follow His guidance and live accordingly.
The
real history of the Jewish people starts with Isaac, but it is from the time of
arrival of Joseph and his family in Egypt that we begin to see things more
clearly. The Qur'an is characteristically not concerned with dates but rather with
the moral side of the story of Joseph (Yusuf) which is beautifully
illustrated and occupies the whole of Sura 12.
At the
time of Moses the Jewish people were obviously well established in Egypt, and
were certainly being persecuted, but the Qur'an does not elaborate on the
period that elapses between the time of Joseph and the arrival of Moses.
Instead, it goes into great detail about the sort of persecution the Jewish
people were undergoing and how Allah - through the Prophet Moses - saved the
Jewish people by taking them out of Egypt, destroying Pharaoh and his people at
the same time. The story of Moses is a beautiful example of the way the
Almighty carries out His plan in the face of overwhelming odds. This story has
great similarity with the Biblical story of Exodus with one fundamental
difference: that the body of the drowning Pharaoh was saved by the Will of
Allah from destruction to become a sign for humanity. As stated clearly in the
Qur'an:
(10:90, 91)
And we brought the Children of Israel across the sea, and Pharaoh with his
hosts pursued them in rebellion and transgression till, when the (fate of)
drowning overtook him, he exclaimed: I believe that there is no God save Him in
Whom the Children of Israel believe, and I am of those who surrender (unto
Him). What! Now! When hitherto thou hast rebelled and been of the wrong-doers?
But this day We save thee in thy body that thou mayest be a sign for those
after thee. Lo! most mankind are heedless of Our signs.
I quote
further from Dr. Maurice Bucaille: 'It is always desirable for man to apply
himself to the preservation of relics of his history, but here we have
something which goes beyond that: it is the material presence of the mummified
body (discovered in 1898) of the man who knew Moses, resisted his pleas,
pursued him as he took flight, and lost his life in the process. His earthly
remains were saved by the Will of God from destruction to become a sign for
man, as it is written in the Qur'an. Those who seek among modern data for the
proof of the veracity of the Holy Scriptures will find a magnificent
illustration of verses of the Qur'an dealing with the Pharaoh's body by
visiting the Royal Mummies Room of the Egyptian Museum, Cairo!'5
According
to the Qur'an Moses received the Message from Allah directly. The major part of
Sura 20 is an exchange between him and Allah. The Qur'an also mentions that the
Jews were originally the chosen people of Allah, but they broke their Covenant
with Allah several times and were eventually cursed. A good example of this is
when Moses was called to the mountains for 40 days to receive the Tablets
inscribed with commandments from Allah. While Moses was away his people became
bored, making a golden calf by melting their jewellery, which they then began
to worship. They did this while ignoring all pleas from Aron (Harun),
the brother of Moses. When Moses returned and found that his people had
resorted to idolatry he became very angry. He chastised them for their lapse,
but eventually asked for forgiveness from Allah on their behalf. This time, as
well as on many other occasions, Allah forgave them.
(7:148-150)
And of the folk of Moses, after (he had left them), chose a calf (for worship),
(made) out of their ornaments, of saffron hue, which gave a lowing sound. Saw they not that it spake not unto them nor
guided them to any way? They chose it, and became wrong-doers. And when they
feared the consequences thereof and saw that they had gone astray, they said:
Unless our Sustainer have mercy on us, we verily are the lost. And when Moses
returned unto his people, angry and grieved, he said: Evil is that (course)
which ye took after I had left you. Would ye hasten on the judgement of your
Sustainer? And he cast down the tablets, and seized his brother by the head,
dragging him toward him. He said: Son of my mother! the folk did judge me weak
and almost killed me. Oh, make not mine enemies to triumph over me and place
not me among the evil doers!
(7:152-156)
Lo, those who chose the calf (for worship), terror and humiliation from their
Sustainer will come upon them in the life of the world. Thus do we requite
those who invent a lie. But those who do ill deeds and afterward repent and
believe -- lo! for them, afterward, Allah is Forgiving, Merciful. Then, when
the anger of Moses abated, he took up the tablets, and in their inscription
there was guidance and mercy for all those who fear their Sustainer. And Moses
chose of his people seventy men for Our appointed meeting place and, when the
trembling came on them, he said: O my Sustainer! If You had willed, You could
have destroyed them long before, and me with them. Will You destroy us for that
which the ignorant among us did? It is but Your trial (of us). You send astray
whom You will and guide whom You will. You are our Protecting Friend,
therefore, forgive us and have mercy on us, You are the Best of all who show
forgiveness. And ordain for us in this world that which is good, and in the
Hereafter (that which is good). We have repented to you. Allah said: My
retribution befalls whomsoever I will and, and My mercy embraces all things,
therefore I shall ordain it for those who ward off (evil) and invest in Zakat, and those who believe in Our
revelations.
Eventually
Allah withdrew all favours from the Israelis because of the constant breaking
of their Covenant with Allah. The following verses which are typical of the
many similar verses, give the reasons for withdrawal of Allah's favour from the
Jewish people.
(5:12,13)
Allah made a Covenant of old with the Children of Israel and We raised among
them twelve chieftains, and Allah said: Lo! I am with you. If ye establish
worship and invest in Zakat, and believe in My messengers and support
them, and lend unto Allah a goodly loan, surely I shall remit your sins, and
surely I shall bring you into gardens underneath which rivers flow. Whoso among
you disbelieveth after this will go astray from a plain road. And because of
their breaking their covenant, We have cursed them and made hard their hearts,
they change words from their context and forget a part of that whereof they
were admonished. Thou wilt not cease to discover treachery from all save a few
of them. But bear with them and pardon them. Lo! Allah loveth the kindly.
(4:161)
And of their taking usury when they were forbidden it, and of their devouring
people's wealth by false pretences. We have prepared for those of them who
disbelieve a painful doom.
(5:66) If
they had observed the Torah and the Gospel (Injil) and that which was
revealed unto them from their Sustainer, they would surely have been nourished
from above them and from beneath their feet. Among them are people who are
moderate, but many of them are of evil conduct.
It was
during the time of Solomon that the Jewish people attained their greatest
prosperity after which they disintegrated, and to this day they would have
remained so but for the creation of Israel with the tacit backing of the UK and
the USA. The present conflict in Palestine is unlikely to be resolved unless
there is some compromise from the Israeli side. This is unlikely to happen if
one looks at some of the Mosaic laws (see section 18.5 iii). By taking
advantage of its strong position (see also chapter 12, section 12.2.i , 4th
paragraph), Israel, with U.S. backing, is driving the Palestinians into virtual
slavery. In the long run this will bring the Israelis down, for simply going
against the laws of Allah.
7.7
Jesus
Jesus
was sent not only to reform the Jewish people from their deviation from the path
of Allah but also to bring back the universal message of the unity of mankind
and this particular feature of his preaching made the Jewish people
antagonistic to Jesus. It was their firm belief that they were the favoured
people of Allah and that their Scripture, the Torah, confirmed it.
Allah
sent the Gospel (Injil) through Jesus to put mankind back on the true path. The writings we have which appeared from 70 (C.E. Christian Era)
onwards were based on oral traditions and were written by several people at
different periods of time. Enevitably, given their distance in time from the
real Jesus, the personal bias of each writer came into their writings. Many
works with many countless contradictions between them were in circulation.
Eventually, four works from this number were arbitrarily canonised, which today
are known as the Gospels. These four
works are certainly not the same Gospel (Injil) of Jesus as mentioned in
the Qur'an.
Modern
biblical scholars are also of the opinion that Matthew, Mark, Luke and John are
not the authors of the four Gospels but rather titles attributed to
compilations of diverse materials already collected by others. Obviously, the
possibility clearly exists that in the process of compiling these doubtful
works, ideas directly repugnant to the preaching of Jesus entered the text (see
chapter 18). The so-called Gospels contain many contradictions, one prime
example being the purported ascension of Jesus. Neither 'Matthew' nor 'John'
speak of Jesus' ascension. 'Luke' mentions the ascension with reference to
time, whereas 'Mark' does not give any clue as to when this occurrence was
supposed to have happened.
Considered
literally, the birth of Jesus without his mother Mary having had any physical
relationship with a man appears to be a miracle. However, to explain further we
need to consider the circumstances in which Mary grew up. From her very
childhood she was living in a sanctuary under the guardianship of Zacharias
(3:37). Below, I quote from The Holy Qur'an by Maulana Muhammad Ali, who
in his commentary on his translation, says the following:
'Verse 3:45 clearly gives her news of the birth of a child and
therefore the particular incident referred to in 3:44 is the incident of her
marriage. The casting of lots and the contention as to who would have her in
his charge could not mean anything but her charge as a wife. Lots were
evidently cast because as a child she had been dedicated to the sanctuary
(temple), and it is now by a lot only that she could be given away in marriage.6
'Thus in verse (3:45) quoted below, when she was given the good
news of a son being born to her, she was perhaps not informed that her marriage
had been decided. Hence, she says that man had not touched her yet. And she was
told in reply, 'Even so'; i.e., the child will be born by Allah bringing about
the circumstances which result in the birth of a child. The words do not show
that she would conceive out of the ordinary course of nature. Nor do the words
that follow prove anything beyond the simple fact that Mary must give birth to
a son in accordance with the prophecy. The whole of creation is brought about,
we are told again and again, by the divine word Kun (Be), yet no one
supposes that creation is not brought about according to the laws of nature.7
(3:45-47) (And remember) when the angels said: O Mary!
Lo! Allah giveth thee glad tidings of a word from Him, whose name is the
Messiah, Jesus, son of Mary, illustrious in the world and the Hereafter, and
one of those brought near (unto Allah). He will speak unto mankind in his
cradle and in his manhood, and he is of the righteous. She said: O my
Sustainer! How can I have a son when no man has ever touched me? (The angel)
answered: Thus it is: Allah creates what He wills: when He wills a thing to be,
He but says unto it, 'Be' -- and it is.
'It is
remarkable that the Qur'an makes no mention at all of Mary's husband, and in
this respect, these circumstances bear a strong resemblance to those connected
with Moses' birth, for there, too, no mention at all is made of Moses' father.
The mere fact, therefore, that there is no mention of Jesus' father is not
sufficient to show that Jesus had no father.'8
Note: 'Speak unto mankind from cradle'
could be an allegorical way of saying that Jesus would preach from an early age
(see also 19:29-34). As far as his birth is concerned, the verses
remain allegorical as with our
present state of knowledge we cannot fully explain them. The following verses
fall into the same category:
(3:48, 49) And
He will teach him the Scripture and wisdom, and the Torah and the Gospel (Injil).
And will make him a messenger unto the children of Israel, (saying) Lo! I come
unto you with a sign from your Sustainer. Lo! I fashion for you out of clay the
likeness of a bird, and I breathe into it and it is a bird, by Allah's leave. I
heal him who was born blind, and the leper, and I raise the dead, by Allah's
leave. And I announce unto you what ye eat and what ye store up in your houses.
Lo! herein verily is a portent for you, if ye are to be believers.
Muhammad
Asad in his translation of the Qur'an gives some explanation of these from
which I quote his footnote 38.
It is
probable that the 'raising of the dead' by Jesus is a metaphorical description
of his giving new life to people who were spiritually dead; cf. (6:122) - 'Is
then he who is dead [in spirit], and whom We thereupon gave life, and for whom
We set up a light whereby he can see his way among men - [is he then] like unto
one [who is lost] in darkness deep, out of which he cannot emerge?' If this
interpretation is -- as I believe -- correct, then the 'healing of the blind
and the leper' has a similar significance: namely, an inner regeneration of
people who were spiritually diseased and blind to the truth.9
The
Qur'an contains many verses on the prophethood of Jesus.
(3:50,51) And
(I come) confirming that which was before me of the Torah, and to make lawful
some of that which was forbidden unto you. I come unto you with a sign from
your Sustainer, so keep your duty to Allah and obey me. Lo! Allah is my
Sustainer and your Sustainer, so worship Him. That is a straight path.
(61:14) O
ye who believe! Be Allah's helpers, even as Jesus, son of Mary, said unto the
disciples: Who are my helpers for Allah? They said: We are Allah's helpers. And
a party of the Children of Israel believed, while a party disbelieved. Then We
strengthened those who believed against their foe, and they became the
uppermost.
(3:52)
But when Jesus became conscious of their disbelief, he cried: Who will be my helpers
in the cause of Allah? The disciples said: We will be Allah's helpers. We
believe in Allah, and bear thou witness that we have surrendered (unto Him).
(3:54,55)
And they (the disbelievers) schemed and Allah schemed (against them): and Allah
is the best of the schemers. Lo! Allah said: O Jesus! Verily, I shall cause
thee to die, and shall exalt thee unto Me, and cleanse thee of (the presence of) those who are bent on
denying the truth, and am setting those who follow thee above those who disbelieve
until the Day of Resurrection. In the end, unto Me you all must return, and I
shall judge between you with regard to all on which you were wont to differ.
'The
disbelievers schemed' -- here referring to those among the Jews who refused to
acknowledge Jesus as a prophet and secretly plotted to crucify him. Allah on
the other hand, devised the means to protect him. He assured Jesus that he
would fulfil his mission and die a natural death. His followers were weak, but
eventually they were to overcome their enemies and become victorious. In fact,
verse 61:14 above confirms that Jesus completed his mission. In other words he
established the Deen and his followers were Muslims. But with time, the
message again became corrupted due to human interference, and the followers not
only deviated from the true path but became divided into sects.
(5:46) And
We caused Jesus, son of Mary, to follow in their footsteps, confirming that
which was (revealed) before him in the Torah, and We bestowed on him the Gospel
(Injil) wherein is guidance and a light, confirming that which was
(revealed) before it in the Torah - a guidance and an admonition unto those who
ward off (evil).
(4:171) O
People of the Scripture! Do not exaggerate in your religion nor utter aught concerning
Allah save the truth. The Messiah, Jesus son of Mary, was only a messenger of
Allah, and His word which He conveyed unto Mary, and a spirit from Him. So
believe in Allah and His messengers, and say not 'Three' - Cease! (it is)
better for you! -- Allah is only One God. Far is it removed from His
Transcendent Majesty that He should have a son. His is all that is in the
heavens and all that is in the earth. And Allah is sufficient as Defender.
(5:72)
They surely disbelieve who say: Lo! Allah is the Messiah, son of Mary. The
Messiah (himself) said: O Children of Israel, worship Allah, my Sustainer and
your Sustainer. Lo! whoso ascribeth partners unto Allah, for him Allah hath
forbidden paradise. His abode is the Fire. For evil-doers there will be no
helpers.
(5:75)
The Messiah, son of Mary, was none other than a messenger, messengers (the like
of whom) had passed away before him. And his mother was a saintly woman. And
they both used to eat (earthly) food. See how We make the revelations clear for
them, and see how they are turned away!
(5:116)
And when Allah saith: O Jesus, son of Mary! Didst thou say unto mankind: Take
me and my mother for two gods beside Allah? he saith: Be glorified! It was not
mine to utter that to which I had no right. If I used to say it, then Thou
knewest it. Thou knowest what is in my mind, and I know not what is in Thy
Mind. Lo! Thou, only Thou, art the Knower of Things Hidden.
(61:6)
And when Jesus, son of Mary, said: O Children of Israel! Lo! I am the messenger
of Allah unto you, confirming that which was (revealed) before me in the Torah,
and bringing good tidings of a messenger who cometh after me, whose name shall
be Ahmad (the Praised One). Yet when he hath come unto them with clear proofs,
they say: This is mere magic.
In the
above verse the name Ahmad refers to the coming of Prophet Muhammad. I quote:
'This prediction is supported by several references in the Gospel of St. John
to the Parakletos (usually rendered as 'Comforter') who was to come
after Jesus. This designation is almost certainly a corruption of Periklytos
(the much Praised, an exact Greek translation of the Aramaic term or name Mawhamana
[...]'10
Jesus'
ministry lasted about three years. The end of his life on earth is as much a
mystery as his birth. The Qur'an (in verse 4: 157 given below) says
categorically that Jesus was not crucified nor killed by the Jews, in spite of
certain apparent circumstances which produced that illusion. The Christian
Churches make it a cardinal point of their doctrine that Jesus died on the
Cross and was buried, but on the third day he rose in the body with his wounds
intact, and walked about and conversed, and ate with his disciples, and was
afterwards taken up bodily to heaven. Also, in the course of time a legend grew
up that Jesus had died on the cross in order to atone for the 'Original Sin'
with which mankind is allegedly burdened. The Qur'an does not agree with any of
these points.
(4:157)
And because of their (i.e. Jews') saying: We slew the Messiah Jesus son of
Mary, Allah's messenger - They slew him not nor crucified, but it appeared
so unto them; and lo! those who disagree concerning it (i.e. Christians)
are in doubt thereof; they have no knowledge save pursuit of conjecture; they
(i.e. Jews) slew him not for certain.
7.8 Muhammad
After
Jesus, there is a long gap before the arrival of Muhammad. He was sent as the
last prophet to deliver the guidance from Allah. The guidance Muhammad brought
for Mankind is given in the Qur'an. The Qur'an was written down and compiled as
a book during the lifetime of the Prophet. It was also memorised by many during
the lifetime of the Prophet. Thus it is the only Book of Revelation which has
remained totally intact, whereas the Scriptures brought by the previous
prophets were not written down during their lifetime and were manifestly
corrupted by human interference. Moreover, the Qur'an was sent as a guidance
for all mankind and not for one section of
people. The Qur'an is the last Revelation of Allah to mankind, a Book
which has remained intact, untainted by human interference, and the Prophet
Muhammad was the last messenger to receive revelation from Allah. The Qur'an
describes him as the 'seal of the prophets'.
(33:40) Muhammad
is not the father of any man among you, but he is the messenger of Allah and the
Seal of the Prophets; and Allah is aware of all things.
The
Hadith literature creates doubt about the authenticity of the Qur'an by stating
that the Qur'an, as a book, was compiled during the time of Caliph Othman by
collecting all the Qur'anic sheets which were with different people. Yet, when Allah
constantly refers to the Qur'an as a book (Al-Kitab) which was set
down in writing as it was revealed, it is impossible to believe that the
Prophet did not manage to compile the Qur'an as a book, over the time period of
23 years it took for the Qur'an to be fully revealed. Such thinking is a
reflection of the total inability of a large number of Muslims to think beyond
what is written in the Hadith literature i.e. in this instance, that the Qur'an
was compiled during the time of Othman.
Leaving
aside the claims which the Qur'an itself makes of itself as a book we can turn
to the purely historical perspective.
We know for certain that at the time of Jesus the Mediterranean world
already had great libraries, bookshops, and many professional writers
(scribes). As Arabia was a trading route, and the Arabs were a trading nation,
there is a compelling body of evidence to draw one to the view that the Arabs
had literate members of their society just like other countries in the region,
for good, sound economic reasons if nothing else, and that the Qur'an was
written down and compiled as a book (kitab) during the life time of the
Prophet just as it – the Qur'an – claims.
This argument becomes unassailable when one recalls that this Messenger,
sent as he was some 600 years after Jesus, was a man renowned for his fear of
God and faithfulness to his duty. Is it
feasible that he would have omitted to take basic measures for the preservation
of the text! How much more plausible than the hearsay assertion (through many
tellers) that it took Othman to collate the text out of a motley collection of
pages from here and there, as the Hadith literature would have it!
Another
misconception about the Prophet is that he was illiterate, that is, that he
could neither read nor write. The Qur'an refutes this concept. Please see
Appendix 6 (A6) for explanation.
To
understand how the Qur'an was transmitted to Muhammad we need to look at the
following verses:
(2: 97)
Say (O Muhammad, to mankind): Who is an enemy to Gabriel! For he it is who hath
revealed (this Scripture) to thy heart by Allah's leave, confirming that which
was (revealed) before it, and a guidance and glad tidings to believers;
(16: 2) He
sendeth down the angels with the Spirit of His command unto whom He will of His
bondsmen, (saying), Warn mankind that there is no God save Me, so keep your
duty unto Me.
(16: 102)
The Holy Spirit (i.e. Gabriel) hath revealed it from thy Sustainer with truth,
that it may confirm (the faith of) those who believe, and as guidance and good
tidings for those who have surrendered (to Allah).
(26:192-194)
And lo! It is a revelation of the Sustainer of the Universe, which the True
Spirit has brought down upon thy heart, that thou mayest be (one) of the
warners.
(12:3) We
narrate unto thee (Muhammad) the best of narratives in that We have inspired in
thee this Qur'an, though before this you were totally unaware.
From
verses 2:97; 16:2,102; 26:92-194; we are left in no doubt that the revelation
of the Qur'an to Muhammad was brought through Gabriel (Jibreel).A1
Further, in verse 12:3 above and in verses 3:44; 4:163; 6:19,50,106; 7:203;
10:2,15,109; 11:49; 12:3,102; 13:30; 16:2,123; 17:39; 73,85; 18:110; 20:13;
21:45,108; 28:86; 29:45; 33:2; 35:31; 41: 6; 42:3,7,13,52; 43:43; 46:9,53:4;
Allah states that the Qur'an was sent as an inspiration (Wahi) to
Muhammad, and inspiration (Wahi) is the way in which Allah
deals with mankind as shown by the following verses:
(4: 163) Lo! We inspire thee as We inspired Noah and
the Prophets after him, as We inspired Abraham and Ishmael and Isaac and Jacob
and the tribes, and Jesus and Job and Jonah and Aaron and Solomon, and as We
inspired unto David the Psalms.
(7: 117) And
We inspired Moses (saying): "Throw thy staff!" And lo! It swallowed
up their lying show.
(16: 68)
And thy Sustainer inspired the bee, saying: choose thou habitations in the hills
and in the trees and in that which they thatch.
Thus
Allah sends His revelation to whomsoever He chooses, and the method used by Him
is selective and instantaneous such as in verse 7:117 where Moses is inspired
to throw the staff. The angels simply carry Allah's message and obey His
command but they have no power to think on their own. According to my
understanding the angels or spirits appear similar to radio waves which carry
the messages (Wahi or revelation) which is then received by the person
or being to whom Allah sends His revelation. It is like the transmission of a
message, we can send to any person via radio telephone, the Internet or email,
provided we know the address of the recipient
As far
as the revelations to Muhammad were concerned, he had no power to change any
message. He was instructed to follow the Qur'an with the warning that he would
be punished if he deviated from the guidance given in the Qur'an. The following
verses are clear indication of this and, incidentally, constitute another point
against the Hadith literature.
(10:15)
And when Our clear revelations are recited unto them, they who look not for the
meeting with Us say: Bring a Lecture other than this, or change it. Say (O
Muhammad): It is not for me to change it on my own accord. I only follow
that which is inspired in me. Lo! If I disobey my Sustainer I fear the
retribution of an awful day.
(69:40-52)
That is indeed the speech of an illustrious messenger. It is not poet's
speech - little is it that ye believe! Nor diviner's speech - little is it that
ye remember! It is a revelation from the Sustainer of the Universe. , and not
onAnd if he had invented false sayings concerning Us, We assuredly had taken
him by the right hand and then severed his life-artery of you could have held
Us off from him. And lo! It is a warrant unto those who ward off (evil). And lo! We know that some among you
will deny (it). And lo! It is indeed an anguish for the disbelievers. And lo!
It is absolute truth. So glorify the name of thy Tremendous Sustainer.
(6: 50)
Say (O Muhammad, to the disbelievers): I say not unto you (that) I possess the
treasures of Allah, nor that I have knowledge of the Unseen. I say not unto
you: Lo! I am an angel. I follow only that which is inspired in me. Say: Are the
blind man and the seer equal? Will ye then not take thought?
All the
verses I have quoted so far show clearly that the revelation that came to
Muhammad was inspired in him by Allah, the Sustainer of the universe. The
result of those inspirations is the Qur'an over which he had no power to change
anything. Outside this (i.e. when not under Divine Inspiration) he was simply a
human being, albeit a human being with excellent qualities and conduct.
A point
is often raised that the Qur'an specifically says in a number of verses to
'obey the Prophet'. Examples of such
verses are as follows:
(3: 32)
Say: obey Allah and the messenger. But if they turn away, lo! Allah loveth not
the disbelievers (in His guidance).
(3:132)
And obey Allah and the messenger, that ye may find mercy.
(4:13) These
are the limits (imposed by) Allah. Whoso obeyeth Allah and His messenger, He
will make him enter gardens underneath which rivers flow, where such will dwell
forever. That will be the great success.
(4: 59)
O ye who believe! Obey Allah and obey the messenger and those of you who are
in authority; and if ye have a dispute concerning any matter, refer it to
Allah and the messenger if ye are (in truth) believers in Allah and the Last
Day. That is better and more seemly in the end.
Verses
similar to above, which ask people to obey the Prophet are given in: 4:69;
5:92; 8:1, 20, 24, 46; 9:71; 24: 42, 47, 51,54, 56; 33:33; 47:33; 49:7,14;
58:13; 64:12.
One
must note that all the above verses relate to the time when the Prophet was
alive and therefore was not only Allah's messenger but also the political
leader of his people. In fact verse 4:59 asks us to obey other leaders as
well. That being the case, it seems clear that 'obedience to the Prophet' must
be understood in that context i.e. in the case where he is physically
present and leading the community of believers. As far as we are concerned, the
Prophet is dead, and therefore, he cannot function as a messenger now.
The
only truthful way that we can obey or follow him is by obeying the guidance
given in the Qur'an.
This is explained clearly in sura 69 verses 40-52, as given above. In
these verses Allah explains, that the Qur'an, the Word of Allah, is the
utterance or the sayings of the Prophet. In this case, there is no difference
between the Word of Allah and the sayings of the Prophet. They are one and the
same thing. As the Qur'an is a complete code of guidance for mankind, by
following it we automatically follow the Prophet, or practise what he taught
during the 23 years of his prophetic life. Allah also warned the Prophet that
if he said or practised anything which was against the teachings of the Qur'an
he would be punished and that no one would be able to save him. We, therefore,
know for sure that the only thing he taught and practised must be what is in
the Qur'an.
One
does not have to wait very long as a Muslim before one hears the expression 'Sunnah
of the Prophet'. It is vital in this connection to understand the actual
meaning of the word sunnah in the context of the Qur'an, the Holy Book
of Islam (more details in section 10.1). The real meaning of the word Sunnah
according to the Qur'an (48:23) is '[...]Law and Practice of Allah which is
immutable or unchangeable'. In fact, in the whole of the Qur'an the word Sunnah
has not been used even once in connection with the Prophet. Also, as
already established, what the Prophet practised is in the Qur'an and so any Sunnat
attributed to the Prophet must also emanate from the Qur'an.
Unfortunately,
in a quest to obey the Prophet, people became interested in what the Prophet is
reported to have said and practised. To this end a vast amount of literature
known as the Hadiths were written, in the main, about 250 years after
the death of the Prophet. These Hadiths are taken as the reported sayings and
practices of the Prophet, collected in written form after a long existence in
the oral tradition, being handed down by word of mouth from one generation to
another. As shown in section 10.3 there are many Hadiths which contradict the
Qur'an and, as such, could not have been uttered by the Prophet, (at least, not
if one genuinely regards of the Qur'an as true) since he would have been
punished (see verses 10:15 and 69:44-47). The simple answer to the phrase
'Obey the Prophet' is to obey what came out directly from the Prophet's
mouth. The only sure document which
fits this description is the Qur'an. It
simply cannot refer to the Hadiths.
These were written nearly 250 years later, and both in spirit and in
substance greatly contradict the Qur'an – a Book which claims to be sent and
protected by Allah (15:9) and, as such, to have no internal contradiction or
fault.
One can
understand the weakness of people in idolising the Prophet, particularly as
this has happened with the prophets who came before him.
The
main function of all the prophets was to convey the Message of Allah but, in
the Qur'an alone, has the original message remained unaltered. Here, Allah has
made the Message clear for us in the form of verses which are applicable to our
day-to-day lives. They are made
absolutely clear so that there is no difficulty in following them. However, to
lead a life according to the Qur'an requires honesty and sincerity since our
natural selfishness hinders us from following the straight path it sets us. And
yet, regrettably, we get busy with our rituals, often performing them
mechanically, and without much conscious effort or sacrifice.
There
is one verse in the Qur'an which is often used wrongly by many people. Through
misinterpretation and ignorance this verse causes millions of Muslims to
glorify the Prophet against his will, instead of glorifying Allah. A few
translations of this verse together with comments are given below:
(33: 56)
God and His Angels send blessings on the Prophet: O ye who believe! Send ye
blessings on him, and salute him with all respect. (Yusuf Ali)
Comment
by Yusuf Ali: God
and His angels honour and bless the holy Prophet as the greatest of men. We are
asked to honour and bless him all the more because he took upon himself to
suffer the sorrows and afflictions of this life in order to guide us to God's
Mercy and the highest inner life.
(33: 56) Lo!
Allah and His angels shower blessings on the Prophet. O ye who believe! Ask
blessings on him and salute him with a worthy salutation. (M. Pickthall)
M.
Pickthall has no comments on this verse.
(33: 56)
Verily, God and His angels bless the Prophet: [hence] O you who have attained
to faith, bless him and give yourselves up [to his guidance] in utter self-surrender!
(M. Asad)
M. Asad
has no comments on this verse.
However
in the same sura, but 13 verses ahead of the above verse, we find that Allah
and His angels send blessings to all the believers:
(33:41-43)
O ye who believe! Celebrate the praises of Allah, and do this often; and
glorify Him morning and evening. He it is Who sends blessings on you, as do His
angels, that He may bring you out from the depths of Darkness into Light: And
He is Full of Mercy to the believers.
Thus,
Allah and his angels not only shower blessings on the Prophet but also on all
the believers. Similarly we who believe, are therefore asked to shower
blessings on the Prophet, and the Prophet, too, is asked to do the same on all
the believers:
(9:103)
[...]and pray for them: behold, thy prayer will be (a source of comfort) to
them - for Allah is All-Hearing All-Knowing.
Considering
the above verses, we become even more aware that to solicit peace for all
(Sallam) and to lead a life according to Allah's guidance with a view to
establishing peace, is one of the fundamental principles of Islam. For verse
33:56 any other explanation based on the Hadiths is not credible. Also, we
cannot salute the Prophet now as he is dead. Without question, it was possible
when he was alive. However, most Muslims ignore this simple fact and assume
that the Prophet's spirit appears during some ceremonial functions. They,
therefore, stand up and sing "O Prophet we salute you...". Their
words also include sayings such as "Allah would not have created the world
if Muhammad were not created" thereby implying all other Prophets are less
significant. Similarly, we need to consider that whenever we mention the Prophet
or utter his name we say "Sal-lallaahu-alayhe-wa-sal-lamm = The
blessings of Allah and peace be upon him", whereas in the case of other
prophets we say "Alayhe-sal-lamm = Peace be upon him". This
means that we are discriminating against the other prophets in favour of
Muhammad, a practice which is forbidden by the Qur'an. The Qur'an is very clear
on this issue as shown in verses 2:136, 285; 3: 84; 4:150-152; of which the
last three are quoted below. They
emphasise the fact that if we make a distinction between the prophets then we
become 'disbelievers' and we will be subjected to a 'shameful doom'. Thus,
Yusuf Ali's comment on verse 33: 56 that the Prophet is the greatest of men is
at variance with the Qur'an and is, therefore, unacceptable.
(4:150-152)
Those who deny Allah and His messengers, and wish to separate Allah from His
messengers, saying: 'We believe in some but reject others and wish to choose a
way in between'; Such are disbelievers in truth; and for disbelievers We have
prepared a shameful doom. But those who believe in Allah and His Messengers and
make no distinction between them, unto them Allah will give their wages;
Allah is ever Forgiving, Merciful.
Yet,
through the misinterpretation of verse (33:56) we constantly commemorate
Muhammad, instead of commemorating Allah, as enjoined in the following verses:
(33: 41,42)
O ye who believe! Remember Allah with much remembrance, and glorify Him early
and late.
The
glorification of Muhammad has reached such a high level that most Muslims
believe that Muhammad has been given the power of intercession (see section
10.3, selection no. 8). Despite the Qur'an's assertion that the Prophet
possesses no power to benefit anyone or harm anyone (7:188, 46:9), the Hadith literature succeeded in duping
many people into believing in the concept of intercession. There,
Bukhari and Muslim state categorically that the Prophet has been given
the right of intercession (section 10.3, selection no. 8). Contrary to this
spurious hearsay, the Qur'an informs us that, on the Last Day, instead of
interceding on behalf of his followers before Allah, the Prophet will disown
them for not taking the guidance of the Qur'an seriously.
(25:30) And the messenger saith: O my Sustainer! Lo! mine own
people made this Qur'an of no account.
I hope
the preceding discussion on Prophet Muhammad will clear up some of the
misconceptions that Muslims hold about him generally. They forget that the
Qur'an is Allah's Book of guidance for the whole of mankind and that the
Prophet's role as a messenger was simply to pass on this message, just as the
role of any other messenger before him was to pass on a message. The Qur'an is
self-explanatory as far as the basic rules of guidance are concerned and does
not require any other source or model in order to be understood. Muhammad was a
man entrusted with the mission of transmitting the message of Allah to mankind
and he fulfilled this mission admirably, never ascribing to himself any
importance greater than this, that is, if one takes what the Qur'an has to say
on the subject seriously:
(18:110) Say
(O Muhammad): I am only a mortal like you. My Sustainer inspireth in me that
your God is only One God. And whoever hopeth for the meeting with His
Sustainer, let him do righteous work, and make none sharer of the worship due
unto his Sustainer.
(41:9)
Say (unto them O Muhammad): I am no new thing among the messengers (of Allah),
nor know I what will be done with me or you. I do but follow that which is
inspired in me, and I am but a plain warner.
(7:188) Say:
for myself I have no power to benefit, nor power to hurt, save that which Allah
willeth. Had I knowledge of the Unseen, I should have abundance of good
fortune, and no harm would have afflicted me. I am but a warner, and bearer of
good tidings unto folk who believe.
(41:6)
Say (unto them O Muhammad): I am only a mortal like you. It is inspired in me
that your God is One God, therefore take the straight path unto Him and seek
forgiveness of Him. And woe unto the idolaters.
References:
1.
Man's Destiny (Tazkira), by Allama Inayat Ullah Khan Al-
2. God,
Man and Universe, by Inayat Ullah Khan El-Mashriqi.
3. Exposition
of the Qur'an, by Gulam Ahmed Parwez.
4. The
Bible The Qur'an and Science, by Dr. Maurice Bucaille.
5.
Ibid,. p. 256.
6. The
Holy Qur'an by Maulana Muhammad Ali.
7.
Ibid,. p. 143, note 427.
8.
Ibid,. p142-143, note 424.
9.
The Message of the Quran, by Muhammad Asad.
Published
by Dar Al-Andalus, Gibralter. p. 74. Footnote 38
10.
Ibid,. p. 861. Footnote 6.
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