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.