Where Is Guidance? (1/3)

Muhammad al-Sayed Muhammad



Every person who has a wise mind that is full of intelligence will necessarily search for guidance. He will search for the way to please his God and Creator. You will see him trying to look into Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, because they are the Divine Messages. But soon he will be led to the religion of Islam which is the religion of Allah (Blessed & Exalted). It is the religion of truth which agrees with the human nature Allah (Mighty & Majestic) created him with. It is the religion of truth that is acceptable to the straightforward, honest, superior, and intelligent mind which Allah (Blessed & Exalted) granted him.
Without a doubt, the God Who sent Muhammad (Peace be upon him) with Islam is God the Creator of this pure human nature. He is the God Who granted him this straightforward and honest logic. Both concur with the message Islam has come with: simple, sound, clear belief, without feeble logic or murky concepts. It contains nothing difficult to comprehend or troublesome for the mind or imagination. Both human nature and sound reason agree with everything Islam has brought: the estimable rules, the noble directives, and the wise and prudent standards of behavior that are based on goodness and virtue.
We will now prove that there is no guidance except in Islam, by explaining one aspect of the evidence supporting the prophethood of the Messenger of Islam, Muhammad (Peace be upon him): the testimony of previous Divine Scriptures concerning the Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him), noting that the testimony and evidence for his (Peace be upon him) Message are numerous.[1]
Before we point to these prophecies foretelling the Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) in previous scriptures (the Torah, the Gospels, and others) we would like to explain this important heading:
It is not at all possible for a Jew to believe in the prophethood of Moses (Peace be upon him) if he does not believe in the prophethood of Muhammad (Peace be upon him), nor is it at all possible for a Christian to believe in the prophethood of the Messiah (Peace be upon him), except after acknowledging the prophethood of Muhammad (Peace be upon him).
That is because it should be said to both of those nations—the Jews and the Christians: You did not witness these two messengers, Moses and Jesus (Peace be upon them), nor did you witness their signs, their miracles, or the proof of their prophethood.
A. So we say to the Jewish nation:
How did you know about the prophethood of Moses (Peace be upon him) and his truthfulness when you did not witness his miracles or the evidence of his prophethood?
B. And we say to the Christian nation:
By what did you know the Messiah (Peace be upon him) and his truthfulness and come to believe in him when you did not even witness his miracles and signs?
Then, the response to one of these two answers is:
Answer #1: They say: Our fathers told us about it.
To which we say: And how do you know they are telling the truth in what they told you?
So they would resort to:
Answer #2: They say: Their vast numbers and the testimony of those who saw the miracles, signs, and evidence he came with and then passed it down to us—that is what proves it to us.
So we say to them: Then you must believe that Muhammad (Peace be upon him) is, truly and honestly, the Messenger of Allah because it is common knowledge that those who passed down reports of the miracles, signs, and evidence of his prophethood are many, many times more numerous, and because Allah (Mighty & Majestic) gave His Messenger, Muhammad (Peace be upon him) both kinds of miracles: tangible and intangible.
Allah Almighty did not give any prophet anything, except that He gave His Prophet, Muhammad (Peace be upon him) that which is better than it.
Among the miracles of Moses (Peace be upon him), was the parting of the Red Sea, but Allah (Glorious & Exalted) gave Muhammad (Peace be upon him) the miracle of the splitting of the moon. And this is more intense and more amazing, because it is a sign in the heavens, since no one at that time could reach the moon. As we have indicated previously, modern science has discovered the authenticity of the splitting of the moon.
Among the miracles of Jesus (peace be upon him) was the raising of the dead. But, Allah (Glorious & Exalted) gave Muhammad (Peace be upon him) the miracle of the tree trunk, which he used to deliver his sermon from, longing for him. The tree trunk was weeping and moaning as a young child does because of how much it missed the Prophet (Peace be upon him) delivering his sermon while leaning on it, after a pulpit had been constructed for him to speak from. This miracle was more intense and amazing than the miracle of Jesus (Peace be upon him) because giving life to wood (the trunk) is greater than giving life to a dead body which used to contain life before it died. The wood, on the other hand, did not originally contain a soul.
There are many, many more examples of miracles, signs, and scientific inimitability with which the Seal of the Prophets and Messengers, Muhammad (Peace be upon him) came, that prove his prophethood, the veracity of his message, and the truth of the religion he brought from his Lord (Blessed & Exalted). Behold, that religion is Islam!
We would also like to add that the books the Christians believe in are divided into two categories: the Old Testament and the New Testament, but they focus on the New Testament. The Jews, on the other hand, believe in the Old Testament and reject the New Testament. Both the Old Testament and the New Testament are made up of a number of books, letters, and poetry, by different authors, who wrote them at different times, in different places, in ********s other than the ********s of Revelation, and they did so many years after the death or ascension of the prophet.
The Old Testament in which the Jews believe is made up of a collection of writings, composed over the ages, from the twelfth century BCE (Before the Common Era) to the second century BCE.
No manuscripts exist that date back to the original date on which these books were written.
As for the New Testament which the Christians focus on, most of its books were by unknown authors in the beginning. Many of them were not written by a single author; rather, they were composed by a group of writers. Many of them were written in several stages.
Perhaps the reader has noticed the use of the word, "written." That is because the Christians do not believe that the book in their hands—the New Testament—is what was spoken by the Messiah (Peace be upon him). Rather, they claim that those who wrote it were "inspired." How does that make sense?
All of that is conjecture; there is no historical proof for it. So what is this "inspiration" they speak of? And where do these people get this "inspiration"?
If we wished, we could say: imagination, not inspiration.
How can everything they wrote be truth from Allah Almighty, when we find contradictions in what they say, and when we find that which opposes reality?
That is not possible for words spoken by God, the Creator (Glorious & Exalted). Such Words must be in good order, free of contradiction. They cannot fail to agree with the existing facts, as Allah (Glorious & Exalted) created them.
There is no doubt that the Holy Books of the Jews and the Christians have been corrupted, substituted, and compromised, which has expelled them from the sphere of Divine Guidance for mankind.
Despite this fact, we still find some clear prophecies foretelling the Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) in their books. This was support from Allah (Mighty & Majestic) for this final religion with which His Messenger, Muhammad (Peace be upon him) was sent. Behold, it is Islam!
It would be good to talk about the Holy Scripture which was sent down upon the Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him), the Holy Quran, and the protection provided for it by Allah (Blessed & Exalted), even if very briefly:
The Holy Quran is the Divine Scripture after which no other Holy Book will come. For that reason, it supersedes all previous scriptures. It is the greatest of the Prophet Muhammad's (Peace be upon him) miracles, as we have shown, in addition to many other miracles. The Holy Quran was not sent down upon the Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) all at once; rather, it continued to be brought down by the Angel Gabriel (peace be upon him) from Allah (Glorious & Exalted) and delivered to the Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) over the course of 23 years.
Our Lord (Blessed & Exalted) has taken it upon Himself to preserve His Great Book, the Holy Quran, from being tampered with by human hands, to prevent any changes or substitutions, as with the previous scriptures. That is because there will be no other Divine Scripture after it, nor will there be any other prophet after Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him).

(Continued)

[1] Please refer to the book, Muhammad Truly Is the Prophet of Allah (Muhammad, sallAllahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, Rasoul Allah, Haqqan wa Sidqan), by the author.

Where Is Guidance? (2/3)

Muhammad al-Sayed Muhammad


How Allah (Mighty & Majestic) Protects His Words (The Holy Qur’an):
The Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) used to receive the Holy Qur’an from his Lord (Noble & Sublime) by way of revelation. Then, he would memorize it by heart. Then he would dictate it to his scribes, and recite it to his companions, who would then help each other memorize it by heart as their prophet had memorized it., for they were well-known for the quickness of their memorization and the strength of their memories.
When the Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) died, the Holy Qur’an was completely memorized in the hearts of many of the companions of Allah's Messenger (Peace be upon him). It was also fully preserved in writing on whatever materials they could find: bones, leather, and tree bark. Then, the first caliph, Abu Bakr al-Siddiq collected all of these materials on which the Qur’an was written, and after him, the second caliph, Umar ibn al-Khattab took care of it. However, it was the third caliph, Uthman ibn `Affan who ordered the transcription of the Holy Qur’an in a single volume, to be distributed throughout the lands.
Every copy of the Qur’an we see now is a transcription of that first volume ordered by Uthman Ibn `Affan, who is called the "Mus-haf Imam," or the Imam of the Transcription.[1]
Thus, the Holy Qur’an is the only scripture preserved in its Divinely-revealed form, and able to guide all people. Among the proof for that is:
1. The Holy Qur’an is not self-contradictory, nor is it at odds with reality.
It is not possible that the Book protected by Allah (Mighty & Majestic) could be afflicted with difference or contradiction, because difference and contradiction are shortcomings, and Allah Almighty is exalted high above all shortcomings, and because the occurrence of differences is inevitable in any human writing. Thus, the existence of differences and contradictions indicates human craftsmanship, and the converse is also true: the absence of difference and contradiction in the Holy Qur’an proves that it is from Allah (Mighty & Majestic)
It is also impossible for the Book protected by Allah (Mighty & Majestic) to affirm anything directly contradictory to reality, for the One Who created the universe knows best about what He created, and far be it from him to lie to His slaves, by creating reality in one way and then telling them it is another. [2]
Allah Almighty spoke the truth when He said, “Do they not then consider the Qur’an carefully? Had it been from other than Allah, they would surely have found therein much contradiction.” [Surah An-Nisaa' 4: 82]
2. The Holy Qur’an calls for the highest moral values, and there is nothing in it to contradict the noble values that Allah (Mighty & Majestic) created man with.
3. The Holy Qur’an does not contain anything that contradicts the rules of logic that Allah (Mighty & Majestic) created man with. There are many, many more examples of solid proof and irrefutable evidence that the Holy Qur’an is the Word of the Lord of the Worlds, which Allah (Blessed & Exalted) has promised to protect until the Day of Judgment.
Prophecies of Allah's Messenger, Muhammad (Peace be upon him), in the Torah
1. Allah Almighty said to Moses (Peace be upon him), "I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, and will put my words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him." [Deuteronomy 18: 18]
This is one of the definitive verses of the Jews that show that this Prophet who will come at the end of time will not be from the children of Israel, but rather from the brethren of the children of Israel: the children of Ishmael (Ismail).
The brethren of the children of Israel are either the Arabs or the Romans.
The Arabs are the children of Ishmael (peace be upon him), and Ishmael (Peace be upon him) is the brother of Isaac (Is-haq), peace be upon him, the father of Jacob (Ya`coub), peace be upon him, who is also known as Israel.
The Romans are the children of al-`Eis, and only one prophet has ever come from the Romans: Job (Ayyoub), peace be upon him, who came before Allah's Prophet, Moses (Peace be upon him), so it is not correct to say that he is the one foretold in the Torah.
Therefore, the prophet foretold in the Torah must have been from the Arabs, the children of Ishmael, since he is the only one remaining and they are the brethren of the children of Israel.
If the awaited prophet was to have been from the children of Israel, it would have been possible for Allah to say to them, "I will raise them up a Prophet from among you." Rather, He (Mighty & Majestic) said, "I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren."
Should someone claim that the awaited prophet was Joshua (Yeshu`a ibn Noon), the reply would be that:
Allah Almighty said to Moses, "I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee…"
It is common knowledge that Joshua was one of the prophets of the Israelites, but the awaited prophet is from the brethren of the children of Israel, not from them.
As we have indicated, if the awaited prophet was from the children of Israel, it would have been possible for Allah to say to them, "I will raise them up a Prophet from among you." That is because the twelve tribes of Israel were present at the time of Moses (Peace be upon him), and therefore, the meaning of "their brethren" is the children of Ishmael (Peace be upon him), and this is what the straightforward, honest mind accepts.
It is stated clearly in the Torah that Isaac (Peace be upon him) and his sons, the children of Israel, are the brethren of Ishmael (Peace be upon him), as in the Book of Genesis 16: 12, "…and he shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren."
This confirms the saying of Allah Almighty to Moses, "like unto thee..."
It is known that there will not be another prophet like Moses (Peace be upon him) to come from the children of Israel, since this is stated in the Torah. In other words, another prophet like Moses (Peace be upon him) will come, but he will not be from the children of Israel, and since Joshua is from the children of Israel, he is not the awaited prophet.
This is also the case of Jesus (Peace be upon him); he is not like Moses (Peace be upon him) because Moses (Peace be upon him) came with a new law, but Jesus (Peace be upon him) did not come with a new law, as it is said in the Gospel of Matthew 5: 17, "I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill."
It is also because Allah Almighty created Jesus (Peace be upon him) without a father; so he is not like Moses (Peace be upon him).
Therefore, he is not the prophet foretold in the Torah.

(Continued)

[1] Physics and the Existence of the Creator (Al-Fisiyaa' wa Wujood al-Khaaliq), by Dr. Ja`far Shaikh Idris

[2] Ibid.

Where Is Guidance? (3/3)

Muhammad al-Sayed Muhammad


The resemblance between the Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) and Moses (Peace be upon him), on the other hand, is remarkable, since:
1. Both of them came with a new law.
2. Both the Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) and Moses (Peace be upon him) left their homelands to get away from their enemies. Muhammad (Peace be upon him) immigrated to Medina, and Moses (Peace be upon him) immigrated to Madian.
3. There is a resemblance between the names of both of the cities that Allah's Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) and Moses (Peace be upon him) fled to: Medina and Madian are remarkable similar in name.
4. Both the Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) and Moses (Peace be upon him) fought their enemies and were granted victory by Allah (Mighty & Majestic).
5. Allah (Mighty & Majestic) gave the Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) the authority to judge between people by the Book of Allah (Mighty & Majestic)—the Holy Qur’an—just as Allah (Mighty & Majestic) gave Moses (Peace be upon him) the authority to judge between the people by His Wisdom (Noble & Sublime).
That is why the rabbis (the scholars among the Jews) knew well that this awaited prophet, who would appear toward the end of time, would be from the descendents of Ishmael (Peace be upon him)—the Arabs.
Thus we are not surprised by the presence of Jews in Medina or by the fact that they moved there and were living right next door to the Arabs, since they knew of this awaited prophet who would be sent before the end of time, and the place he was expected to emerge, as referenced in their books: "He shone forth from Mount Paran," as we will explain by the Will of Allah Almighty.
This is the secret behind the inhabitants of Medina accepting Islam before the migration of the Prophet (Peace be upon him) there, from all they had heard from the Jews of Medina about the expected emergence of this awaited prophet.
Among the Jews were those who knew about the arrival of the awaited prophet, but they thought he would be sent from among the children of Israel, so when this awaited prophet was sent from the Arabs, and the people of Medina, who had been enemies of the Jews, followed him, the rage and malice of the Jews increased tremendously because this awaited prophet had emerged from the Arabs and not from them. So the people of Medina preceded the Jews in believing in him (Peace be upon him) after they had been the ones taunting them and claiming they would be victorious over the people of Medina when the prophet came, they followed him, and they fought by his side.
Salman al-Farisi (may Allah be pleased with him) was one of those who came to the Arab lands to await the coming of the Prophet (Peace be upon him) since he knew where this awaited prophet would come from. He left his livelihood in the Persian and Roman empires for that reason—to follow the truth after searching so long for it.
2. It is stated in Deuteronomy 33: 2, "And he said, The Lord came from Sinai, and rose up from Seir unto them; he shined forth from mount Paran…"
Seir in the Torah is the name of a mountain in Palestine.
Mount Paran is in the mountains of the Holy City of Mecca to which Ishmael (Peace be upon him) migrated with his mother, Hagar.
Confirming that Mount Paran is among the mountains of Mecca is this passage from the Torah, "And he (Ishmael) dwelt in the wilderness of Paran…" [Genesis 21: 21]
In translation of the Samarian Torah, punlished in 1851, it states that Ishmael lived in the wilderness of Paran in the Hijaz. This confirms that Mount Paran is in the mountains of the Holy City of Mecca.
This is further established by the full passage from their books. In Genesis 21: 14-21, it says,
And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and took bread, and a bottle of water, and gave it unto Hagar, putting it on her shoulder, and the child, and sent her away: and she departed, and wandered in the wilderness of Beersheba.
And the water was spent in the bottle, and she cast the child under one of the shrubs.
And she went, and sat her down over against him a good way off, as it were a bow shot: for she said, Let me not see the death of the child. And she sat over against him, and lift up her voice, and wept.
And God heard the voice of the lad; and the angel of God called to Hagar out of heaven, and said unto her, What aileth thee, Hagar? Fear not; for God hath heard the voice of the lad where he is.
Arise, lift up the lad, and hold him in thine hand; for I will make him a great nation.
And God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water; and she went, and filled the bottle with water, and gave the lad drink.
And God was with the lad; and he grew, and dwelt in the wilderness, and became an archer.
And he dwelt in the wilderness of Paran…
The "lad" here is Ishmael (Peace be upon him), and the "well" is the well of Zamzam.
Therefore, the wilderness of Paran is that which is at the Holy City of Mecca, and this is the undeniable truth.
To return to our first point about Deuteronomy 33: 2,
The quote from the Book of Deuteronomy resembles the prophecy of Moses (Peace be upon him) about the coming of the morning, "The Lord came from Sinai."
It also resembles the prophecy of Jesus (Peace be upon him) about the breaking of morning, "And dawned on them from Seir."
Likewise, it resembles the prophecy of Muhammad (Peace be upon him) concerning the rising of the sun and the shining of its light over the horizon, for he (Peace be upon him) is the Seal of the Prophets and Messengers, and there will be no prophet or messenger after him (Peace be upon him): "He shone forth from Mount Paran."
Similar to the passage we have quoted from Deuteronomy is a Verse from the Holy Qur’an. In the Words of Allah Almighty,
“By the fig, and the olive, * By Mount Sinai, * And by this city of security (Mecca)...” [Surah At-Tin 95: 1-3]
"The fig" and "the olive" refer to the place they grow, which is the land from which Jesus (Peace be upon him) appeared.
"Mount Sinai" refers to the place Moses (Peace be upon him) was called from.
"This city of security" refers to the place Muhammad (Peace be upon him) was called from: the Holy City of Mecca, and before him, Ishmael (Peace be upon him).
3. Amongthe descriptions of Allah's Messenger (Peace be upon him) in their books, in the words of the Torah, from Isaiah 29: 12, "And the book is delivered to him that is not learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee: and he saith, I am not learned." Who is this unlearned prophet?
Without a doubt, it is the Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him), since as we know, he was unlearned; he could neither read nor write.
Thus the illiteracy of Allah's Messenger (Peace be upon him) is proof of his prophethood and the truth of his message (Peace be upon him). He is the unlearned teacher of all of mankind: learned and unlearned.
He (Peace be upon him) is the one who taught all of humanity the true meaning of monotheism (tawhid) and the exclusive worship of Allah (Mighty & Majestic). He (Peace be upon him) is the one who brought this upstanding law and these noble directives.
4. Among the descriptions of the people to whom the Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) was sent, as in the words of the Torah, "They have moved me to jealousy with that which is not God; they have provoked me to anger with their vanities: and I will move them to jealousy with those which are not a people; I will provoke them to anger with a foolish (ignorant) nation." [Deuteronomy 23: 21]
Without a doubt, this description is definitely of the people of the Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him), for they were not a nation; rather, they were disparate, warring tribes, without king, ruler, or chief. Additionally, they were ignorant of reading and writing, except for a few.
With the coming of the Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him), however, they became brothers who loved each other and supported one another. They came to have a great nation—the Islamic nation—whose leader was the Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him). The two greatest empires of the day, Persia and Rome, were subjugated to it, and it became advanced in many different fields of knowledge for its time, while still adhering to the guidance of their prophet, Muhammad (Peace be upon him) and what he urged them to do.
Some of the scholars of the Jews attempted, falsely, maliciously, and spitefully, to attribute this unlearnedness to the Greek civilization, but they failed in doing so, because the Greeks, hundreds of years before the appearance of Jesus (Peace be upon him), were advanced in science and art and they stayed with the rules of the Torah and the other books of the Old Testament, as they claim.