Ahl Al-Bayt In Judeo-Christian Literature

[Qa'im]

(salam)

 

I wanted to devote a thread to documenting and discussing possible references to the Holy Prophet (pbuh) and his Pure Household (as) in pre-Islamic literature. I will focus my attention on Jewish, Christian, Gnostic, and Ebionite texts. There are many sites and threads that deal with "Islam and the Bible", which deal with many overused and redundant arguments. This thread will look more into some of the lesser-known references, but I will also be revisiting classics like Deuteronomy 18:18, Isaiah 42, etc.

 

So for the sake of time, I will divide this series into parts.

 

Part 1: Introduction

 

(bismillah)

 

الَّذِينَ آتَيْنَاهُمُ الْكِتَابَ يَعْرِفُونَهُ كَمَا يَعْرِفُونَ أَبْنَاءهُمْ وَإِنَّ فَرِيقاً مِّنْهُمْ لَيَكْتُمُونَ الْحَقَّ وَهُمْ يَعْلَمُونَ

 

"Those unto whom We gave the Scripture recognize (this revelation) as they recognize their sons. But lo! a party of them knowingly conceal the truth". (2:146)

 

There are many references in the Qur'an and the hadith literature to there being an expectation among the Christians and the Jews for the coming of our Prophet (pbuh). Our books say that the People of the Book were expecting a prophet named Ahmad (61:6), who would be the Seal of Prophets, with a unique birthmark upon his shoulder or his back. I will start this thread off by posting Shi`i and Sunni references to the expectation of the Prophet's coming, as talked about in the Islamic oral tradition.

 

 

حدثنا أبي رضي الله عنه قال : حدثنا علي بن إبراهيم ، عن أبيه ، عن ابن أبي عمير ، عن إبراهيم بن عبد الحميد ، عن الوليد بن صبيح ، عن أبي عبد الله عليه السلام قال : إن تبعا قال للأوس والخزرج : كونوا ههنا حتى يخرج هذا النبي ، أما أنا فلو أدركته لخدمته ولخرجت معه .

 

My father رضي الله عنه narrated. He said: `Ali b. Ibrahim narrated from his father from ibn Abi `Umayr from Ibrahim b. `Abd al-Hameed from al-Walid b. Sabeeh from Abu `Abdillah عليه السلام. He said: Tub`a said to Aws and Khazraj: Remain here until this Prophet appears. As for me, if I were to meet him, I would serve him and arise with him.

 

Tub`a here is Abu Kariba Tub`a al-As`ad, who was the king of the Himyari Kingdom in Yemen. He ruled from 390-420 CE, and he was an Arab convert to Judaism. Before his conversion, he fought Byzantine influence in Hijaz and even destroyed Yathrib. The Jews of Yathrib then persuaded Tub`a and his troops to convert to Judaism. Tub`a's successors also became devout Jews, and Judaism began to flourish among the pagans of Yemen. Aws and Khazraj here are two Jewish tribes who moved from Yemen to Medina. In this narration, Tub`a is ordering these tribes to remain in Yathrib until the Prophet is forced to flee there.

 

Regarding this hadith, Shaykh as-Saduq (ra) says: "Tub`a the king [of Yemen] was among those who knew the Holy Prophet and was in anticipation of his advent because he had received information about it. He knew that in the near future a prophet would arise in Mecca and migrate to Yathrib (Medina)".

 

When reading the words "this Prophet" (هذا النبي), the following Biblical passage comes to mind:

 

Now this was John’s testimony when the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to ask him who he was. He did not fail to confess, but confessed freely, “I am not the Messiah.”

They asked him, “Then who are you? Are you Elijah?”

He said, “I am not.”

“Are you that Prophet?”

He answered, “No.” (John 1:19-21)

 

Here, the Jewish scholars come to the Prophet Yahya to ask him about his identity. The Jews had been expecting several prophetic figures, including the Saviour. They were expecting the second coming of Ilyas, the Messiah, and "that Prophet". Yahya denied being any of these awaited figures. The Jews then said, “Why then do you baptize if you are not the Messiah, nor Elijah, nor that Prophet?” (John 1:25)

 

According to this Gospel, the Jews in the first century CE were expecting the coming of three. Who is "that Prophet"? Let us look to a Christian exegesis:

 

1:19-28 John disowns himself to be the Christ, who was now expected and waited for. He came in the spirit and power of Elias, but he was not the person of Elias. John was not that Prophet whom Moses said the Lord would raise up to them of their brethren, like unto him. He was not such a prophet as they expected, who would rescue them from the Romans... (Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary)

 

To be continued ...

 

[Ali Musaaa :)]

An excellent idea!

[Qa'im]

Continued...

 

As we see from the above exegesis, and many other exegeses, the third prophetic figure that the Jews had been awaiting was the Prophet like unto Moses. After the Roman occupation of the Jewish homeland, the Jews found themselves in a similar position that they were in when they were in bondage in Egypt. They were being ruled by a foreign entity and they were serving that entity. The Jews looked into their scriptures for answers, and thus, messianism flourished among Jews. Many sects claimed their own Messiah, who was set to free the Jews from their oppressors and lead them into righteousness. In general, there was a widespread and collective expectation for the Saviour. Some Jews went to Jesus in the 1st century, in the 2nd century the majority of Jews took Bar Kochba as the Messiah, and in the 3rd century the Persian Mani claimed to be the Seal of Prophets.

 

For Pauline Christians, Jesus was declared both the Messiah and this Second Moses. In the Book of Acts, written by Luke - the student of Paul of Tarsus, the man who wrote most of the New Testament - Simon Peter says that Jesus was the Second Moses (Acts: 3:22-23) and Stephen says it in Acts 7:38. Paul also makes comparisons between Moses and Jesus throughout his letters.

 

But for Jews, the prophecy of the Second Moses still stood. The prophecy was explicitly noted in Deuteronomy 18:18

 

I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brothers, and I will put my words in his mouth. He will tell them everything I command him. I myself will call to account anyone who does not listen to my words that the prophet speaks in my name. (Deuteronomy 18:18-19)

 

So this Prophet-like-unto-Moses is a man who would be similar to Moses, who would have God's word in his mouth, and whose obedience is wajib. Some modern Jews suggest that this would refer to Joshua (Yusha) , the prophetic successor of Moses, but God says in the Torah that there was no man that has ever lived (up until that point) that was like Moses.

 

Since then, no prophet has risen in Israel like Moses, whom the LORD knew face to face. (Deuteronomy 34:10)

 

As we can see, "that Prophet" in John 1 was the Prophet like unto Moses, whom the Jews had been expecting. The Jews did not mix him up with the Messiah, rather, he was a separate figure. As for the claim that Jesus was this Prophet, Jesus never makes this claim, nor do the four Gospel authors. This claim is only found in Pauline literature, which makes Jesus the prophesied object of all worship and foretelling. We'll find in coming posts that some Jewish Christians did not agree with this notion.

 

The closest reference from the words of Jesus to the Second Moses is found in John 16. Jesus says, “I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. He will glorify me because it is from me that he will receive what he will make known to you. All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will receive from me what he will make known to you.” (John 16:12-15)

 

A few points. The Christians note that the "Spirit of Truth" is the Holy Spirit, and the verses in John 15 allude to that. But in Christianity, the Holy Spirit is God, so how can God not speak on His on behalf? When God sends down a revelation, He speaks on His behalf, not on behalf of someone greater than Him, as no such person exists. Also, "Spirit" in the Biblical language does not always refer to a ghost or an invisible person, as 1 John 4:1 uses "spirit" to refer to human people. Moreover, Jesus (as) says that he must leave for the Spirit of Truth to come. This cannot be the Holy Spirit, which was clearly present prior to Jesus - we find references to it in the Hebrew scriptures, and even in the New Testament, the Holy Spirit was with Yahya in the womb long before Jesus' sermon in John 16. And, according to the above passage, the Spirit of Truth is expected to speak, give prophecies, and guide people to all truths. The Holy Spirit has not done any of these things in 2000 years.

 

Rather, we find that (1) he will not speak for himself, but on God's behalf. This is very similar to the verse in the Torah, "I will put my words in his mouth. He will tell them everything I command them" and the Qur'anic verses, "Your companion (Muhammad) has not strayed, nor has he erred. Nor does he speak from [his own] inclination. Rather, it is not but a revealed scripture" (53:2-4) In Islamic theology, the Prophet (pbuh) was unable to speak only on his behalf - he was a mouthpiece of the Divine, and all of his words are taken as scripture. (2) he will tell you of things to come. In Deuteronomy, the Jews were given a way to test prophets: “You may say to yourselves, “How can we know when a message has not been spoken by the Lord?” If what a prophet proclaims in the name of the Lord does not take place or come true, that is a message the Lord has not spoken”. (Deuteronomy 18:21-22) Meaning, the way that we are supposed to verify someone's prophethood is if they make a prediction in the name of God that comes to pass. Again, the Prophet (pbuh) gave many predictions, while the Holy Spirit has not given any. The predictions of Muhammad (pbuh) deserve another thread.The argument that the prophecy of the Spirit of Truth was to be fulfilled by human being was taken up by the Echasaites and the Manichaeans, which I'll be covering in later posts.

 

So do the comparisons between Moses and Muhammad (pbuh) come up in our sources? They do. First it should be mentioned that Moses was by far the most mentioned prophet in the Qur'an. This is not a coincidence, as the Qur'an recounted only around 25 prophets by name out of the total 124,000. The Qur'an says, "And [We sent] messengers about whom We have related [their stories] to you before and messengers about whom We have not related to you..." (4:164) Allah recounted the stories that were relevant to the Prophet (pbuh) and his mission, and clearly, the most similar prophet to Muhammad was Moses. Below are just some of their similarities:

 

• Both were not raised in the households of their parents
• Both were raised in aristocratic homes
• Both were commissioned by God at the age of 40
• Both were forced to flee their homeland
• Both were lawgiving prophets, who brought a scripture that did not rely on previous scriptures
• Both were married men
• Both produced miracles by God's permission
• Both were statesmen and religious leaders at the same time
• Both led and took part in armed conflicts against polytheists
• Both were accepted by the majority of their people (the Israelites and the Arabs)
• Both had a helper from their family

While Muhammad (pbuh) was not an Israelite, he was an Ishmaelite and therefore a kinsman of the Jewish people. Allah chose to fulfill the prophecy of Deuteronomy 18 in an Arab instead of a Jew without breaking His original promise. It is clear from our sources that the Jews in Arabia had been hoping for a Jewish Prophet, and his Arabian ethnicity was part of the reason why some Jews had not accepted him as the fulfillment of these prophecies.

 

There are a few direct comparisons made to Moses, the most famous one is when Muhammad (pbuh) told Ali, "Are you not content that you are to me as Aaron was to Moses except that there shall be no prophet after me?" The comparison of Muhammad to Moses and Ali to Aaron was made several times throughout the Prophet's life. This final repetition of the hadith added the words "there shall be no prophet after me" because the Messenger was clarifying that he would soon die and that `Ali (as) would not be a prophet after him. Thus, `Ali was like Aaron - the representative of Moses and the divine authority in his absence - but not a prophet.

 

In the following hadith, Abu Talib (ra) makes a direct reference to the prophecy of Deuteronomy 18:18:

 

الحسين بن محمد ومحمد بن يحيى، عن أحمد بن إسحاق، عن بكر بن محمد الازدي، عن إسحاق بن جعفر، عن ابيه عليه السلام قال: قيل له: إنهم يزعمون أن أبا طالب كان كافرا؟ فقال: كذبوا كيف يكون كافرا وهو يقول: ألم تعلموا أنا وجدنا محمدا * نبيا كموسى خط في أول الكتب وفي حديث آخر كيف يكون أبو طالب كافرا وهو يقول: لقد علموا أن ابننا لا مكذب * لدينا ولا يعبأ بقيل الا باطل (1) وأبيض يستسقى الغمام بوجهه * ثمال اليتامى عصمة للارامل

 

al-Husayn b. Muhammad and Muhammad b. Yahya from Ahmad b. Is`haq from Bakr b. Muhammad al-Azdi from Is`haq b. Ja`far from his father عليه السلام.

 

He said: It was said to him: They allege that Abu Talib was a disbeliever! So he said: They have lied. How could he be a disbeliever when he said, “Do they not know that we found Muhammad as a prophet like Musa, mentioned in the first Books?” And in another hadith: How could Abu Talib be a disbeliever when he said, “They know that our son is not a liar, the false sayings do not receive our attention. The white face that prays, thus the clouds send rain, is the helper of the orphans and the protector of the widows”. (al-Kafi, Volume 1, hadith 1210) (sahih or mursal) (صحيح أو مرسل)

This reference is significant, as it is quoted by the Imam, and it notes that our Prophet could have been seen as the Second Moses even before his migration to Medina.

 

In another hadith, Imam ar-Rida (as) utters the similarity between Moses and Muhammad as well:

 

بأبي وأمي سمي جدي صلى الله عليه وآله وشبيهي وشبيه موسى بن عمران عليه السلام

 

Then he عليه السلام said: May my father and mother be sacrificed for the namesake of my grandfather صلى الله عليه وآله and the one in my likeness and the likeness of Musa b. `Imran عليه السلام

 

In Bukhari and Tabari, the Prophet (pbuh) goes to Waraqa b. Nawfal after receiving his first revelation. Waraqa was an Arab convert to Christianity, and he died at the beginning of the Prophet's message. When Waraqa heard about the revelation, he said: "Holy, holy! By Him in whose hand is Warqa's soul, if you are telling me the truth, O Khadija, (it means that) there has indeed come to him the great Namus," and by Namus he meant Gabriel, upon whom be peace, who used to come to Moses, "so he will assuredly be the prophet to his own people. Tell him so and have him stand firm."

 

Namus here is from the Greek word Numa, which means "Spirit", and Waraqa here is saying that the Prophet is receiving revelation from the same angel that came to Moses.

 

The Muslims have been making the overt comparison between the Prophet and Moses since the beginning of the revelation, and surely, the many Jews and Rabbis that accepted the Prophet in Arabia would not have accepted him unless he bore foretold characteristics.

 

To be continued.

Edited December 25, 2013 by Qa'im

[Qa'im]

Part 2: The Meek Shall Inherit the Earth

 

(bismillah)

 

وَلَقَدْ كَتَبْنَا فِي الزَّبُورِ مِن بَعْدِ الذِّكْرِ أَنَّ الْأَرْضَ يَرِثُهَا عِبَادِيَ الصَّالِحُونَ

 

"And verity We have written in the Psalms, after the Reminder: 'My Righteous Servants shall inherit the Earth'." (21:105)

 

This is the only verse where the Qur'an makes a direct reference to a quotation from the previous scriptures. It echoes the promise of Allah that He will make a group of people the inheritors of the Earth. But where could this reference be found? Who are the Righteous Servants? And what do our sources say about all of this? This verse requires further investigation, and inshaAllah I will use all of the resources available to me.

 

"The Reminder" (adh-Dhikr) here seems to refer to Torah. It is a word that Allah has used to refer to Scripture, and the Qur'an is often referred to as "the Reminder" (3:58, 6:69, 6:90, 7:2, 7:63, 7:69, 11:114, 11:120, 12:104, 15:6, 15:9, etc.)

 

So when Allah says, "We have written in the Psalms (Zabur) after the Reminder", He is referring to the Book of Psalms that was revealed to David (as). David was an Israelite King, and in Islam he is a prophet and messenger. He is not one of the ulil `azm (the possessors of constancy: Noah, Abraham, Moses, Jesus, Muhammad (as)), and so his scripture does not abrogate the Torah. Rather, it compliments it. The Psalms is a compilation of prayers and songs, praises of God and prophecies of the future. A version of it still exists today in the Old Testament.

 

In the Psalms we find the following verse, "But the meek will inherit the land and enjoy peace and prosperity." (37:11) In this chapter, God tells the believers to be patient in the face of evil and oppression, and to refrain from anger and jealousy of their wickedness. They are asked to be forbearing, as evil would soon disappear and they would inherit the Earth.

 

This promise is also echoed by Jesus (as) in the Gospel of Matthew in his beatitudes. Jesus says, "Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth" (Matthew 5:5). Jesus here is quoting the Psalms, and repeating Allah's promise to His servants. The Qur'an would again repeat this promise a third time, six centuries later.

 

The key difference between the Qur'an 21:105 and Psalms 37:11 are the words "meek" and "Righteous Servants". The word for meek in Hebrew is `anav (עָנָו), and it also means humble, poor, oppressed, forbearing, subdued. It can be compared to the Arabic word Haleem (حليم), which also means meek, patient, and forbearing. The word haleem is used in the Qur'an to describe Isma`il (as): "So We gave him tidings of a meek son." (37:101), while the word `aleem (intelligent) is used in the Qur'an to describe Is`haq (as). These qualities would remain in their descendents - the Jews would be blessed with intelligence, which they could use for good and for evil, and the descendents of Isma`il were blessed with forbearance.

 

"Righteous Servants" (`Ibadiya as-Salihun) is the plural of `Abd as-Salih - the Righteous Servant, the Veracious Slave, etc. There is not just one Righteous Servant; rather, it is a group of people, as the Qur'anic pluralizes it. Similarly, "meek" in the Psalms and the Gospel of Matthew is a plural and not a singular. Likewise, we find the title `Abd as-Salih being attributed to several people in our hadith literature:

 

Musa al-Kadhim as the Righteous Servant:

 

محمد بن يحيى العطار، عن أحمد بن محمد بن عيسى، عن أبن أبي عمير، عن الحسن بن محبوب، عن داود الرقي، عن العبد الصالح عليه السلام

Muhammad b. Yahya al-`Attar from Ahmad b. Muhammad b. `Isa from ibn Abi `Umayr from al-Hasan b. Mahbub from Dawud ar-Raqi from the Righteous Servant عليه السلام.

 

قلت: من هو - جعلت فداك -؟ فأشار إلى العبد الصالح وهو راقد

I said: Who is he, may I be your ransom? So he pointed at the Righteous Servant while he was asleep .

 

كنت عند العبد الصالح جالسا فدخل عليه ابنه علي

: I was sitting in the presence of the Righteous Servant and his son `Ali had entered upon him

 

مر العبد الصالح بامرأة بمنى

The Righteous Servant passed by a woman in Mina.

 

al-Khidr as the Righteous Servant

 

ثم تلا الصادق عليه السلام « حتى إذا استيأس الرسل وظنوا أنهم قد كذبوا جاءهم نصرنا » ^{( 2 )} . وأما العبد الصالح ـ أعني الخضر عليه السلام ـ فإن الله تبارك وتعالى ما طول عمره لنبوة قدرها له ، ولا لكتاب ينزله عليه ، ولا لشريعة ينسخ بها شريعة من كان قبله من الانبياء ، ولا لامامة يلزم عباده الاقتداء بها ، ولا لطاعة يفرضها له ، بلى إن الله تبارك وتعالى لما كان في سابق علمه أن يقدر من عمر القائم عليه السلام في أيام غيبته ما يقدر ، وعلم ما يكون من إنكار عباده بمقدار ذلك العمر في الطول ، طول عمر العبد الصالح في غير سبب يوجب ذلك إلا لعلة الاستدلال به على عمر القائم عليه السلام وليقطع بذلك حجة المعاندين لئلا يكون للناس على الله حجة .

 

Then as-Sadiq (as) ... said: “And as for the Righteous Servant, al-Khizr (a.s.); the Almighty Allah bestowed him with a long lifespan not due to the fact that He had made him a Prophet, or because a book was revealed to him, nor that he brought a new Shariat nullifying the previous one, nor that He made him an Imam and required the people to follow him, nor because his obedience was compulsory. Rather it was because it was there in the knowledge of Allah, the Blessed and the High, that during occultation the age of Qaim (a.s.) would be prolonged to an extent that people would not believe it, and they would deny a long age, He prolonged the age of the Righteous Servant, Khizr (a.s.) without any justification, except that it be a basis for proving the age of Qaim (a.s.) so that the arguments and proofs of the opponents may be invalidated and that people may not have any argument against the Almighty Allah.”

 

Dhul Qarnayn as the Righteous Servant

 

 

أبي جعفر عليه السلام قال : إن ذا القرنين لم يكن نبيا ولكنه كان عبدا صالحا

Abu Ja`far (as) said: Dhul Qarnayn was not a prophet, but he was a Righteous Servant.

 

عت رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله يقول : إن ذا القرنين كان عبدا صالحا

 

The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said:Dhul Qarnayn was a Righteous Servant.

 

Jesus as the Righteous Servant

 

ألا ترى أن العبد الصالح عيسى ابن مريم عليه السلام « وأوصاني بالصلاة والزكوة ما دمت حياً

 

Did not you hear that the Righteous Servant Jesus (a.s.) has said: “God has recommended for me prayer and charity until I remain alive.”.

 

-------

 

There are many other narrations which apply the title al-`Abd as-Salih to others, including Imam al-Baqir (as) and al-Qa'im. The point here is that this title, the Righteous Servants, is a plural and refers to a group both in the Qur'an and the hadiths. There was never a problem with applying the title to multiple people. All of the people that it has been applied to were hujjaj, or "Proofs" of Allah. These include prophets, messengers, Imams, and other siddiqeen. 

 

The "inheriting of the Earth" in the modern day is the Ahl al-Bayt. This phenomenon is also referenced in another part of the Qur'an:  “Indeed, the Earth belongs to Allah. He causes to inherit it whom He wills of His servants. And the [best] outcome is for the righteous.” (7:128)

 

The exegesis of this ayah was written in the mus`haf of Amir al-Mu'mineen:

 

محمد بن يحيى، عن أحمد بن محمد، عن ابن محبوب، عن هشام بن سالم، عن أبي خالد الكابلي، عن أبي جعفر (عليه السلام) قال: وجدنا في كتاب علي (عليه السلام): ان الارض لله يورثها من يشاء من عباده والعاقبة للمتقين، أنا وأهل بيتي الذين أورثنا الارض ونحن المتقون و الارض كلها لنا فمن أحيا أرضا من المسلمين فيعمرها وليؤد خراجها إلى الامام من أهل بيتي وله ما أكل منها فإن تركها أو أخربها فأخذها رجل من المسلمين من بعده فعمرها و أحياها فهو أحق بها من الذي تركها فليؤد خراجها إلى الامام من أهل بيتي وله ما أكل حتى يظهر القائم (عليه السلام) من أهل بيتي بالسيف فيحويها ويمنعها ويخرجهم منها كما حواها رسول الله (صلى الله عليه وآله) ومنعها إلا ما كان في أيدي شيعتنا فإنه يقاطعهم على ما في أيديهم ويترك الارض في أيديهم

 

Muhammad b. Yahya from Ahmad b. Muhammad from ibn Mahbub from Hisham b. Salim from Abu Khalid al-Kabuli from Abu Ja`far عليه السلام.

 

He said: We looked in Kitab `Ali عليه السلام: “Indeed, the Earth belongs to Allah. He causes to inherit it whom He wills of His servants. And the [best] outcome is for the righteous.” (7:128) I and my Ahl al-Bayt are the ones that inherited the Earth and we are the righteous, and the entire Earth is for us, so a Muslim that enlivens the land must build upon it and give what comes out of it to the Imam from my Ahl al-Bayt, and to him belongs that which is eaten from it. So if he (i.e. the Muslim) abandons it or harms it, and then a Muslim takes it and builds upon it and enlivens it, then he has more right to it than the one who abandoned it. So he gives what comes out of it to the Imam from my Ahl al-Bayt, and to him belongs that which is eaten from it, until the Qa'im عليه السلام appears from my Ahl al-Bayt with his sword. So he surrounds it, forbids others from it, and evicts them from it, just as the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وآله had surrounded and forbidden lands, except what is in the hands of our Shi`a, for he will divide between them what is in their hands, and leave the land in their hands.  (al-Kafi)

 

Moreover, before the death of Zayn al-`Abideen, he refers to himself as an inheritor of the Earth:

 

محمد بن أحمد، عن عمه عبد الله بن الصلت، عن الحسن بن علي بن بنت إلياس عن أبي الحسن عليه السلام قال: سمعته يقول: إن علي بن الحسين عليهما السلام لما حضرته الوفاة اغمي عليه ثم فتح عينيه وقرأ إذا وقعت الواقعة، وإنا فتحنا لك و قال: الحمد لله الذي صدقنا وعده وأورثنا الارض نتبوء من الجنة حيث نشاء، فنعم أجر العاملين، ثم قبض من ساعته ولم يقل شيئا.

 

Muhammad b. Ahmad from his uncle `Abdillah b. as-Salt from al-Hasan b. `Ali b. bint Ilays from Abu’l Hasan عليه السلام. He said:

I heard him say: When `Ali b. al-Husayn عليهما السلام was met with death, he opened his eyes and read itha waqa`at al-waqi`a and inna fatahna lak (Surah 48 and 56) and said: Praise be to Allah, who fulfilled His promise to us and made us inheritors of the Earth and allowed us to choose from paradise whatever we wish – this is the reward for those who work [toward it]. Then, he passed away and did not say a thing. (al-Kafi, Volume 1, hadith 1263)

 

 

The promise of Allah was made through David, Jesus, and Muhammad in their scriptures - and this promise is that the Ahl al-Bayt have been made the inheritors of the Earth.

 

What does it mean to "inherit the Earth"? The Imams explain:

 

محمد بن إسماعيل، عن الفضل بن شاذان، وعلي بن إبراهيم، عن أبيه جميعا عن ابن أبي عمير، عن حفص بن البختري، عن ابي عبد الله عليه السلام قال: إن جبرئيل عليه السلام كري برجله خمسة أنهار ولسان الماء يتبعه: الفرات ودجلة ونيل مصر و مهران ونهر بلخ فما سقت أو سقي منها فللامام والبحر المطيف بالدنيا [ للامام ].

 

Muhammad b. Isma`il from al-Fadl b. Shadhan and `Ali b. Ibrahim together from his father from ibn Abi `Umayr from Hafs b. al-Bakhtari from Abu `Abdillah عليه السلام.

He said: Jibra’il عليه السلام dug five rivers with his foot and the flanks of water followed: [they were] the Euphrates, Tigris, the Nile of Egypt, Mehran, and the River of Balkh. Whatever these rivers provide [water] for or whatever takes [water] from them are for the Imam. The ocean that circles the world is for the Imam.

 

محمد بن يحيى، عن أحمد بن محمد، عن ابن محبوب، عن عمر بن يزيد قال رأيت مسمعا بالمدينة وقد كان حمل إلى أبي عبدالله (عليه السلام) تلك السنة مالا فرده أبوعبدالله (عليه السلام) فقلت له: لم رد عليك أبي عبدالله المال الذي حملته إليه؟

قال: فقال لي: إني قلت له حين حملت إليه المال: إني كنت وليت البحرين الغوص فأصبت أربعمائة ألف درهم وقد جئتك بخمسها بثمانين ألف درهم وكرهت أن أحبسها عنك وأن أعرض لها وهي حقك الذي جعله الله تبارك وتعالى في أموالنا، فقال: أو ما لنا من الارض وما أخرج الله منها إلا الخمس يا أبا سيار؟ إن الارض كلها لنا فما أخرج الله منها من شئ فهو لنا، فقلت له: وأنا أحمل إليك المال: كله؟

فقال: يا أبا سيار قد طيبناه لك وأحللناك منه فضم إليك مالك، وكل ما في أيدي شيعتنا من الارض فهم فيه محللون حتى يقوم قائمنا فيجبيهم طسق ما كان في أيديهم ويترك الارض في أيديهم وأما ما كان في أيدي غيرهم فإن كسبهم من الارض حرام عليهم حتى يقوم قائمنا، فيأخذ الارض من أيديهم ويخرجهم صغرة.

قال عمر بن يزيد: فقال لي أبوسيار: ما أرى أحدا من أصحاب الضياع ولا ممن يلي الاعمال يأكل حلالا غيري إلا من طيبوا له ذلك.

 

 

Muhammad b. Yahya from Ahmad b. Muhammad from ibn Mahbub from `Umar b. Yazid. He said:

 

I saw Abu Sayyar Masma` b. `Abd al-Malik in Medina, and he was carrying money to Abu `Abdillah عليه السلام during that year. Then, he (i.e. the Imam) returned it to him; so I asked him: Why did Abu `Abdillah عليه السلام return the money that you carried to him? He said: When I carried the money to him, I said to him: While I was diving, I discovered four hundred thousand dirhams, so I came with its khums – eighty thousand dirhams – and I hated to keep it from you or take from it while it is your right that Allah has given you from our wealth. So he said: Is there nothing for us of the Earth and of what Allah brings forth from it other than the khums?! The Earth wholly is for us, so whatever Allah brings from it, it is ours. He said: I said to him: Should I bring all of the wealth to you? So he said to me: O Abu Sayyar, we have allowed it for you and made [a share] from it halal for you, so take your money for yourself. And [as for] all of that which is in the hands of our Shi`a from the Earth, they are at liberty with respect to it. That is halal for them until the rise of our Qa’im; so he will collect the tax of what is in their hands and he will leave the Earth in their hands )i.e. he will let them have possession of the land(. And as for what is in the hands of the others (i.e. non-Shi`a), their earning from the Earth is haram upon them until our Qa’im rises. Then he will take the land from their hands and leave them in a state of subjugation (or, humiliation).

 

The Ahl al-Bayt inherited the Earth - meaning, they have authority over all of the Earth. Just as Allah created Adam as the khalifa over the Earth, that authority was based done from prophet to prophet, and from hujja to hujja. The Imam is the steward of the Earth. He keeps it safe from chastisement, as Allah refrains from punishing any community when His representative is in it. The Imam protects the interests of the people and nature. And, the Imam is at liberty to the whole Earth and everything that is in it. He is not confined within borders, or territories, or ethnic groups. He has ownership over all things on the Earth, and anything that is in our possession is by the mercy and the permission of Allah.

 

The Ahl al-Bayt are the "meek", and this shows in their history. Their rights were all taken away. Each Imam was brutally killed - Ali was stabbed, Husayn was decapitated, and all of the others were poisoned. Fatima's rib was broken by her oppressor, or at the very least, he threatened to do so. The Hidden Imam is the Weak Servant (al-`Abd ad-Dha`eef); he is afraid for his life, and he is in occultation so that the allegience of oppressive rulers may not hang over his neck. The Imams were forced into taqiyya, and they revealed their doctrines only indoors and only to their closest students. They were imprisoned and put under house arrest. They wore rings that said "May Allah protect me from the people". The Mahdi's return is called "the Relief" (al-faraj), which would mark the end of this oppression. The Imams cried often, mourned often, but never lost faith in their Creator. They spent the nights praying and the days preaching. They sought Allah's mercy while reading the Qur'an.

 

اللهم صلي على محمد وآل محمد

 

The exchange of "meek" for "Servant" is interesting, and it gives an eschatological twist to the prophecy. We find references to "the Servant" all over the Book of Isaiah, which we will look at in the coming days inshaAllah.

Edited December 26, 2013 by Qa'im

[rotten_coconut]

Great work, brother. I hope Allah (swt) will give you the strength and guidance to continue this.

As you have mentioned, John 1:19-28 mentioned that the Jewish community at the time of Prophet `Isa (as) was waiting for 3 individuals:

1. The Messiah

2. Eliyah

3. The Prophet, which most probably meant the one foretold in Deuteronomy 18:18

It is also mentioned that Prophet Yahya (as) denied his being either one of these.

From both the Gospels and al-Qur'an, we know that "The Messiah" is Prophet `Isa al-Masih (as).

From characteristics mentioned in Deuteronomy 18:18, you have elaborated how it suits Prophet Muhammad (saww).

So, one thing left: showing who "Eliyah" is, which according to Shi`i books, it was a reference to Imam `Ali (as). The challenge in this explanation is the letters and the meaning of the words are completely different: `Ali (`ayn-lam-ya) means "high" while Eliyahu (alef-lamed-yod-he-waw) means "my god is yah". It's interesting if you have an explanation of this.

It would be even better if you can touch the notion of 2 Messiahs in the belief of the Dead Sea Scroll (most probably, Essenes) community. Could this second Messiah mean Imam Mahdi (as) since both Prophet `Isa (as) & Imam Mahdi (as) will return at the end of days?

[Qa'im]

2 Kings 2:11 says that Elijah the Prophet (Ilyas (as)) ascended to heaven in the chariot of fire. Malachi 3:23 predicts the return of Elijah before the End Times. Malachi was considered the last prophet of the Old Testament and so his book comes last. The Jewish belief is that Elijah is the harbinger and precursor to the Messiah, and that he would announce the coming of the Messiah. Esoteric Jewish traditions say that Elijah is currently in a state of occultation, where he is on Earth, but incognito among the people.

 

Christians recognize Yahya (as) as the symbolic "Elijah" that came before Jesus.

 

I have seen the return of Ilyas (as) come up in the Shi`i tradition, but the hadiths are few and weak. The belief in his presence was also addressed by Sunnis - Ibn `Asakir reports stories about Ilyas meeting Muslims, but these are also doubted in the Sunni tradition.

 

I don't think the "Elijah" mentioned in the Gospels is Imam `Ali (as). The names Eliyahu and `Ali do not share the same root or the same meaning, and Elijah is presented as one who would come directly before the Messiah (as), and `Ali does not really fit that description.

 

InshaAllah we'll be looking at other references in the coming posts.

[Qa'im]

Continued...

 

Last time, we looked at Ahl al-Bayt (as) as the meek, righteous servants who would inherit the Earth, mentioned in the Qur'an 21:105 and 7:128, Psalms 37:11, and Matthew 5:5. They were forbearing, saintly, oppressed, faithful, humble, patient, in taqiyya, imprisoned, and in occultation.

 

We left off discussing the exchange of "meek" for "Servants" and "Righteous Servants" in the Qur'an.

 

Servitude is a reoccurring theme our tradition, and it is often applied in relation to the hujaj, Holy Prophet (pbuh) and the Ahl al-Bayt (as). We say in our salat, wa ash hadu anna Muhammadan `abduhu wa rasuluh ("And I bear witness that Muhammad is His Servant and His Messenger"). The Qur'an says, "Glorified be He who carried His Servant by night from the Consecrated Mosque to the Furtherst Mosque..." (17:1), "And if you are in doubt concerning that which We reveal unto Our Slave, then produce a sura or the like thereof" (2:23), and other prophets such as al-Khidr, Dhul Qarnayn, Zakariyya, and `Isa were also called Servants.

 

The best a human can wish to be is a Servant of Allah, because a servant is one that fully submits to God, has faith in Him, is satisfied with His decree, and puts Him before everything. Allah favours His Servants over all of His creation. The title is also a clarification that the hujaj are not divine, but rather, they are slaves of the Divine. Jesus is worshiped as God by most Christians, when he was simply His Servant. As the Prophet and the Ahl al-Bayt repeated again and again, they were the servants and representatives of God.

 

The term Servant is all over the Book of Isaiah. This book was believed to be authored by the Prophet Isaiah in the 7th century BCE. Isaiah was a prophet under several Jewish Kings - back then, there was a dualistic power structure: political leadership was given to a King, and spiritual leadership belonged to the prophet. Moses was back-projected as the political and legal authority, while Aaron was the spiritual authority. We find in the Qur'an that Talut, the first King of the Israelites, was selected by a prophet to rule over all of Israel. Eventually, according to Rabbinical literature, the Prophet Isaiah was killed by his own people, the Jews.

 

The Book of Isaiah was written in a time of political upheaval and wars in the Holy Land. Most academics agree that Isaiah is probably three separate works combined together - one was presumably written by Isaiah, the second was written during the Babylonian exile, and the third was written after the exile. The Babylonian exile was a 70-year period in the 6th century BCE where the Jews were taken captive into Babylon. The Jews were removed from their land until the Babylonians were defeated by Cyrus the Great. During times of oppression, people yearn for a leader to deliver them - and that person is a messiah. So during the Babylonian exile, Jewish messianism was elaborated upon, discussed, written, and contributed to.

 

Isaiah discusses a Suffering Servant who would be oppressed, but in the end, find glory and success, leading to everlasting peace and mastery over the Earth. The Suffering Servant is found in Isaiah 53:

 

He was hated and men would have nothing to do with Him, a man of sorrows and suffering, knowing sadness well. We hid, as it were, our faces from Him. He was hated, and we did not think well of Him. For sure He took on Himself our troubles and carried our sorrows. Yet we thought of Him as being punished and hurt by God, and made to suffer. But He was hurt for our wrong-doing. He was crushed for our sins. He was punished so we would have peace. He was beaten so we would be healed. All of us like sheep have gone the wrong way. Each of us has turned to his own way. And the Lord has put on Him the sin of us all. Men made it very hard for Him and caused Him to suffer, yet He did not open His mouth. He was taken like a lamb to be put to death. A sheep does not make a sound while its wool is cut and He did not open His mouth. He was taken away as a prisoner and then judged. Who among the people of that day cared that His life was taken away from the earth? He was hurt because of the sin of the people who should have been punished. They gave Him a grave with the sinful, but with the rich at His death, for He had done no wrong, and there was nothing false in His mouth. But it was the will of the Lord to crush Him, causing Him to suffer. Because He gives His life as a gift on the altar for sin, He will see His children. Days will be added to His life, and the will of the Lord will do well in His hand. He will see what the suffering of His soul brings, and will be pleased. By what He knows, the One Who is right and good, My Servant, will carry the punishment of many and He will carry their sins. I will give Him a share among the great. He will divide the riches with the strong, because He gave up His life. They thought of Him as One Who broke the Law. Yet He Himself carried the sin of many, and prayed for the sinners. (Isaiah 53)

 

We also find references to the Servant in the following passages,

 

“See! My servant, My chosen one! My much Loved, in Whom My soul is well pleased! I will put My Spirit on Him. He will say to the nations what is right from wrong. He will not cry out or speak with a loud voice. His voice will not be heard in the streets. He will not break a broken branch or put out a little fire. He will be faithful to make everything fair. He will not lose hope or be crushed, until He has made things right on the earth. And the islands will wait with hope in His Law.” (Isaiah 42:1-4)

 

From the exile to the rise of Christianity, several interpretations of the identity of the Servant were developed. The Christians identified the Servant as Jesus (as), who was the Suffering Servant in his first coming, and would become the King in his second coming. The Jews however had written about the Servant prior to the coming of Jesus.

 

The Dead Sea Scrolls, which were written between the 4th century BCE and the 4th century CE, are a collection of documents that were recovered in the 1940s and eventually sold to the Catholic Church. The Church did not allow scholars to read these documents for decades, until academics began putting pressure on the Church to be able to examine them. While modern Christians and Jews await a single Messiah, mystical Jewish sects identified two messianic figures in Isaiah. The first would be called the "Messiah son of Joseph" (Moshiakha ben Yosef) and the second would be called the "Messiah son of David" (Moshiakha ben David). The first Messiah was priestly, and the second Messiah was kingly. This also fit the dualistic dynamic of Jewish leadership - that there would be one king and one prophet-like figure.

 

In reaction to Christian missionaries, many modern Jews have tried to distance themselves from mystical notions of messianism, and try to re-interpret the verses that seem to refer to the Servant and the messianic age. For example, many Jews consider the Servant to be a title that represented the Children of Israel altogether. The idea here was, the notions of a suffering and kingly Servant were metaphors for an Israel that suffered oppression, but later succeeded and ruled the world.

 

My belief is that the Servant being discussed is referring to a group of hujaj. In Part 2, we noted that according to the Qur'an and hadiths, all of the prophets and Ahl al-Bayt were collectively the Righteous Servants (`ibadiya as-salihoon) who were promised to inherit the Earth. They were meek because they remained humble during their suffering under the oppressive hand. In the Qur'an, all of the hujaj struggled with their communities, were ridiculed by the elite (mala'), and sometimes even cast out of their communities. This was the case with Hud, Salih, Shu`ayb, Nuh, Ibrahim, Musa, `Isa, and Muhammad (pbuh). In the end, all of these hujaj were delivered by Allah, and their enemies were defeated in shame. They suffered, but for their sincerity and forbearance, Allah saved them and rewarded them. This motif is repeated in the Qur'an, as the stories of the past prophets were all reflections of the life of the Seal of Prophets.

 

Likewise, the Ahl al-Bayt suffered, but Allah still caused them to be the Inheritors of the Earth, and He will give them the final victory through their Mahdi.

 

In the next post, I will inshaAllah discuss Isaiah 42 & 53, and the Book of Enoch, and their application the the Prophet (pbuh) and his Pure Household (as).

[Ya `Ali Madad]

السلام عليكم

Barakullah feek. I have sent a link to this thread to a Christian that I have been discussing with.

في أمان الله

[IbnSohan]

waiting...

[Sumerian]

Brother this is an excellent that. May Allah help you even more to show us more and more if your knowledge into this site.

Alhamdulillah!

[Qa'im]

Part 3: Muhammad - A Light to the Gentiles

 

The word goy (singular) and goyim (plural) means "people, peoples, nations”. The word is translated as "Gentiles". In the Jewish context, it is used to refer to the non-Jewish races and nations of the world. The word itself however can refer to peoples of the Earth in general.

 

In the previous posts, we explored the place of God's Servant in Islamic and pre-Islamic literature. I'd like to dedicate part 3 to the vision in Isaiah 42. As we mentioned earlier, Isaiah was a Jewish prophet, and chapter 42 falls in the 2nd part of Isaiah out of 3. This means that the section we will be discussing today was probably produced during the Babylonian Exile, a low point for Jews in their history. In this chapter, God first speaks of His Servant, and then prophesies an event that will soon shake the world –  particularly, the Gentiles of Arabia.

 

Here is My Servant, whom I uphold, My Chosen One in whom I delight; I will put My Spirit on him, and he will bring justice to the nations. (Isaiah 42:1)

 

We have already discussed the Servant mentioned in the Hebrew Bible, and the various Jewish interpretations that identify multiple “servants”. The Qur’an and the ahadith seem to imply that the Servant is the archetypal representative of God, who is made to patiently suffer at the hands of his enemies, but ultimately receive the final victory. In the verses of Isaiah 42, we see a clear and vivid prophecy; one that would eerily soon come to pass.

The first world that stands out here is “My Chosen One”. The Hebrew word here is bakhiyr (בָּחִיר), which is sometimes translated as “elect”. It comes from the root word bakhar, which means “to choose, to appoint, to be chosen, to be selected”. Interestingly, this word bakhiyr is used in a previous part of the Hebrew Bible as well. In David’s Psalms, it is written, “So He said that He would destroy them – had not Moses, His Chosen One, stood in the breach before Him to keep His wrath from destroying them” (Psalm 106:23). Here, Moses is being referred to as His Chosen One, and this is because the messengers of the Divine are appointed by God and made superior to his people. It is interesting that Isaiah 42:1 quickly identifies this Servant with the same title that was given to Moses – this verse is perhaps an allusion to the prophecy of the Second Moses of Deuteronomy 18:18 that we discussed in previous posts. The word bakhiyr is also used in Psalm 89:3, where it is written, “I have made my covenant with My Chosen One, I have sworn to David My Servant”. Despite David’s status as a king, a messenger, and a prophet, he was ultimately called the Servant of God – this humble title is of the highest honour, because submission and servitude to Allah is the only way to receive His pleasure and His reward. The best human is one who recognizes his Lord and submits to His will (a Muslim). Interestingly, this verse ties the concepts of a Chosen One and a Servant together in the same way that Isaiah 42 does. This means that the Servant of Isaiah 42 would be one that is similar to Moses and David, who were both messengers, prophets, political leaders, recipients of a celestial Book, recipients of God’s covenant, warriors, successful in this world and accepted by their people. The only person who shares all of these qualities is the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), who was the final messenger to mankind, the Seal of Prophets, the head of the Islamic state, the recipient of the Qur’an, the one whose Nation received the new covenant of God, the one who fought the idolaters, and the one who was auspicious in this world and accepted by those in Arabia. Moreover, one of the notable titles of the Holy Prophet (pbuh) is al-Mustafa, which is best translated as the Chosen One.

 

Furthermore, Abraham is referred to as His Servant and his Israelite descendants are referred to as “Chosen Ones” earlier in Psalm 105, “O offspring of Abraham, his Servant, you descendants of Jacob, his Chosen Ones” (Psalm 105:6). Here, Allah asks both the Israelite and Ishmaelite offspring of Abraham (as) to be thankful. Again, Abraham, as a prophet and messenger, is referred to as God’s Servant. He too is a recipient of God’s covenant, which went to the “Chosen Ones” (the Israelite hujaj) after him. A Qur’anic passage comes to mind: Allah says to Abraham, “I have appointed you as an Imam for mankind. Abraham said: And of my offspring? Allah said: My covenant does not include the wrongdoers” (2:124). This ayah recounts the promotion of Abraham to the rank of an Imam over mankind – here, he becomes the Proof of Allah (hujja) and receives the covenant of Allah over His creation. When Abraham asks if this honour would be given to [all] of his descendants, Allah replies by emphasizing that His covenant will never include those who do iniquity. Therefore, in Islam, the covenant of Allah is a trust that moves from one Righteous Servant to another. No people are entitled to the covenant, not even the Children of Israel, and after their repeated betrayal of God, Jesus says, “Therefore I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit” (Matthew 21:43), thus, God’s covenant would go to another nation after the nation of Israel. Another Qur’anic cross-reference is the following: “Allah has chosen (istafa) Adam, Noah, the Family of Abraham and the Family of `Imran over all people” (3:33). Here, the word istafa is explicitly used, which comes from the same root as al-Mustafa, the title of the Prophet. Interestingly, those mentioned in this verse were not only Servants of God, but they were all recipients of covenants. Adam received the khilafa (stewardship, divine representation), Noah received the Noahide covenant, the Family of Abraham received the Imamate, and the Family of `Imran received a covenant (mithaq) in the Qur’an. In the oral hermeneutic (ta’weel) of this verse, Ibn `Abbas and the Ahl al-Bayt related the words “and the Family of Muhammad” near the end of the verse – emphasizing that the Prophet and his Household were chosen and preferred over the worlds.

 

Both Psalm 106:23 and 89:3 give their Servants (Abraham, Moses, and David) a covenant with God. A covenant is a pact between God and His creation, where God gives His respite and His mercy to a community and appoints an intercessor between Him and the community. Evidently, this intercessor is a divinely-appointed Servant of Allah, who is the recipient of the covenant and one who can seek God’s favours on behalf of the community. In Psalm 106:23, Moses “stood” between God and the community to prevent its destruction; so Allah gave the community another chance.

 

This is a major theme in Shi`i Islam – a hujja is a witness over his community, and as long as the hujja remains associated with that community, Allah delays their punishment and gives them respite. We find in the Qur’an that the communities of Eber, Noah, Salih, Jethro, and Lot were not destroyed until those prophets were told to leave their communities. Even in modern conflicts, a state first removes its ambassador from an opposing state before any declarations of war. Similarly, Allah does not punish His allies and His Servants, and thus, He does not chastise a group until His Chosen One has departed therefrom.

Likewise, Allah says, “But Allah would not punish them while you are among them, nor will He punish them while they seek forgiveness”.(8:33) It is the hujja that keeps the world afloat and protects it from Allah’s chastisement. Allah loves His representatives, so much so that He answers their pleas more readily, and refuses to destroy a nation while His Servant is still therein.

 

حدثنا أبي رضي الله عنه قال حدثنا سعد بن عبد الله قال حدثنا أحمد بن محمد بن عيسى وإبراهيم بن مهزيار عن علي بن مهزيار عن الحسين بن سعيد عن أبي علي البجلي عن أبان بن عثمان عن زرارة بن أعين عن أبي عبد الله عليه السلام في حديث له في الحسين بن علي عليه السلام أنه قال في آخره ولو لا من على الأرض من حجج الله لنفضت الأرض ما فيها وألقت ما عليها إن الأرض لا تخلو ساعة من الحجة.

 

al-Husayn b. `Ali عليه السلام said: “If the Earth were devoid from the Proofs of Allah, the Earth would quiver what is in it and heave what is upon it. The Earth does not remain for one hour without a Proof”.

 

In another narration, Imam Ja`far (as) says that the Earth would be accelerated into chastisement if an Imam dies without leaving behind a successor. Imam ar-Rida (as) also says that the Earth would cave into itself if it were empty of an Imam,

 

Not only does the hujja have a covenant in this world, but he also has a role in the hereafter as a witness over his nation and their intercessor.

 

Thus, it would be most reasonable to accept that the Servant of Isaiah 42 would be a Chosen One similar to those selected before him – namely, Abraham, Moses and David, who received their respective Books and covenants from God.

 

To be continued…

Edited January 8, 2014 by Qa'im

[IbnSohan]

The concept of "election" or "istifaa" in bible:

 

 

¹¹ (For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth;)

 

The Orthodox Jewish bible mentions the word Bekhirah

 

¹¹ For when they were not yet born nor had they done anything tov or rah, in order that the etzah (wisdom) of the tochnit Hashem (purposeful and willed plan of G-d Ro 8:28) should stand in terms of bechirah (divine election, selection, choosing),

 

This reminds me of the Zeyara line "كنت نورا في الاصلاب الشامخة و الارحام المطهرة لم تنجسك الجاهلية بانجاسها و لم تلبسك من مدلهمات ثيابها" 

[Qa'im]

Continued...

 

Going back to Isaiah 42:1, we see the words “I will put My Spirit on him”. Meaning, Allah will put His Spirit upon this Chosen Servant. The Spirit of God is the Holy Spirit (Ruh al-Quddus in Arabic, Rokh ha-Kodesh in Hebrew), who is a spiritual and non-angelic creature. While the Sunnis have popularly said that the Archangel Gabriel and the Holy Spirit are one and the same, the Ahl al-Bayt taught that the Spirit was a distinct creation – this is why Allah separates it from the angels when He says, “The angels and the Spirit descend therein” (al-Qadr).

 

The narrations below solidify the distinction between the angels and the Spirit:

 

علي بن إبراهيم، عن محمد بن عيسى، عن يونس، عن ابن مسكان، عن أبي بصير قال: سألت أبا عبد الله عليه السلام عن قول الله عزوجل: " يسألونك عن الروح قل الروح من أمر ربي " قال: خلق أعظم من جبرئيل وميكائيل، كان مع رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله وهو مع الائمة، وهو من الملكوت.

 
`Ali b. Ibrahim from Muhammad b. `Isa from Yunus from ibn Muskan from Abu Baseer.

He said: I asked Abu `Abdillah عليه السلام about the saying of Allah عزوجل, “They ask you about the Spirit. Say: The Spirit is by the command of my Lord.” (17:85) He said: It is a creature greater than Jibra’il and Mika’il, and it was with the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وآله and it is with the Imams. And it is from the Kingdom (al-malakut). (al-Kafi, Volume 1, hadith 713)

 

 

عدة من أصحابنا، عن أحمد بن محمد، عن الحسين بن سعيد، عن النضر بن سويد، عن يحيى الحلبي، عن أبي الصباح الكناني، عن أبي بصير قال: سألت أبا عبد الله عليه السلام عن قول الله تبارك وتعالى: " وكذلك أوحينا إليك روحا من أمرنا ما كنت تدرى ما الكتاب ولا الايمان " قال: خلق من خلق الله عزوجل أعظم من جبرئيل وميكائيل، كان مع رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله يخبره ويسدده وهو مع الائمة من بعده.

 
Several of our companions from Ahmad b. Muhammad from al-Husayn b. Sa`eed from an-Nadr b. Suwayd from Yahya al-Halabi from Abu Sabah al-Kinani from Abu Baseer.

He said: I asked Abu `Abdillah عليه السلام about the saying of Allah تبارك وتعالى, “And thus we have inspired in you a Spirit from Our command. Before, you did not even know the Book nor the belief,” (42:52). He said: It (i.e. the Spirit) is a creature of the creatures of Allah عزوجل; greater than Jibra’il and Mika’il, and it was with the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وآله to give him news and protect him. And it is with the Imams after him. (al-Kafi, Volume 1, hadith 56)

 

Furthermore, we find more verses in the Qur'an on the topic. Allah says, "And We gave Jesus, the son of Mary, clear proofs and supported him with the Holy Spirit." (2:87) To the Prophet, Allah says, "Say, [O Muhammad], 'The Pure Spirit has brought it down from your Lord in truth to make firm those who believe and as guidance and good tidings to the Muslims.'" (16:102)

 

So the Holy Spirit is a creature that Allah gives to His hujja, and it is transferred from hujja to hujja in every age. It protects the Servant, gives news to him supernaturally, and supports him with miracles. In a word, the Spirit is the means by which a human can access the metaphysical world. Once a hujja is empowered with the Holy Spirit, he is capable of interacting with the angels and performing miracles.

 

The successor of Moses was Joshua (Yusha` b. Nun), about whom God said, "So the Lord said to Moses, “Take Joshua the son of Nun, in whom is the Spirit, and lay your hand on him." (Numbers 27:17-19). In Numbers 11, we see that the Spirit that was upon Moses was also given to seventy elders, who then were able to prophesy as long as it was upon them. King David was also led by the Holy Spirit (Matthew 22:43). We see many examples in the Old Testament where the Spirit gave divine power and authority to individuals.

 

In the New Testament, the concept of the Holy Spirit is expounded upon further. In Matthew 1, Mary (as) is mentioned to have been made pregnant through the power of the Spirit. In Matthew 3 and Luke 1, Jesus is baptized by John the Baptist, and the Spirit descends upon him in the form of a dove. Jesus performs miracles "by the Spirit of God". In Luke 1:15, John the Baptist (Prophet Yahya) is given the Holy Spirit whilst in the womb of his mother!

 

So it's safe to say that the Holy Spirit is given to those special, chosen Servants of God, which we refer to as the hujaj. There is a verse in Joel that implies that someday the Spirit will be given to all people, but this would have to be in the messianic age in the final kingdom, for God's covenant is not put upon the doers of evil.

 

Going back to Isaiah 42, the Servant that God speaks of is one who is chosen by Him, who will have His Spirit. It is clear from the rest of this chapter that the only one who can fit all of these descriptions is Muhammad (pbuh), who was empowered by the Holy Spirit. Through it, he received the Noble Qur'an and performed miracles.

 

Imam as-Sadiq said: And verily, the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وآله was supported, thriven, and assisted by the Holy Spirit. He did not err nor blunder in his managing of the [affairs of the] creation. (al-Kafi, Volume 1, hadith 689)

 

 

Imam as-Sadiq said: O Jabir, Allah تبارك وتعالى created the creatures in three categories – and that is the saying of Allah عزوجل, “And you will be of three categories. [First] those on the right hand; what of those on the right hand? And [then] those on the left hand; what of those on the left hand? And the foremost in the race, the foremost in the race: Those are they who will be bright nigh”. (56:7) The foremost group are the messengers of Allah عليهم السلام and the elite of Allah from His creation. He has placed in them five spirits and He supported them with the Holy Spirit, by which they recognize things. And He supported them with the Spirit of Belief, by which they fear Allah عزوجل; and He supported them with the Spirit of Strength, by which they have ability over the obedience of Allah; and He supported them with the Spirit of Desire, by which they desire the obedience of Allah عزوجل and despise disobedience to Him. And He placed in them the Spirit of Movement [and activity] by which the people go and come. And He has placed in the believers and those on the right hand the Spirit of Belief, by which they fear Allah; and He placed in them the Spirit of Strength, by which they have ability over the obedience of Allah; and He placed in them the Spirit of Desire, by which they desire the obedience of Allah; and He placed in them the Spirit of Movement [and activity] by which the people go and come. (al-Kafi, Volume 1, hadith 708)

 

Imam as-Sadiq said: If a thing unfolds before us to which there is no solution with us, the Holy Spirit provides it to us. (al-Kafi, Volume 1, hadith 1032)

 

There were many examples of miracles unfolding in the lives of the Prophet and the Imams. The Noble Qur'an itself is a miracle, with scientific, mathematical, and historical proofs. Beyond that, the Prophet knew things and said things about the past, his present, and future that he would have not otherwise known. He split the moon, he made fatal invocations, the stones made salutations to him, he had dreams of future events (example: the liberation of Mecca), he made water come out of his hands to satiate the needs of 1400 people in the desert, he disappeared during several assassination attempts, he cured the eye of Ali, and he spoke of many things that came to pass in his lifetime and in ours. Hundreds of thousands of people accepted Muhammad (pbuh) as a prophet during his lifetime, which means that thousands of people were attesting that he had a supernatural status among humans. This is a following that even Jesus did not have, despite his very overt and spectacular miracles.

 

Furthermore, the Imams, who received the Holy Spirit after the Prophet, also performed miracles.

 

عدة من أصحابنا، عن أحمد بن محمد، عن علي بن الحكم، عن مثنى الحناط عن أبي بصير قال: دخلت على أبي جعفر عليه السلام فقلت له: أنتم ورثة رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله؟ قال: نعم، قلت: رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله وارث الانبياء، علم كما علموا؟ قال لي: نعم، قلت: فأنتم تقدرون على أن تحيوا الموتى وتبرؤا الاكمه والابرص؟ قال: نعم بإذن الله، ثم قال لي: ادن مني يا أبا محمد فدنوت منه فمسح على وجهي وعلى عيني فابصرت الشمس والسماء والارض والبيوت وكل شئ في البلد ثم قال لي: أتحب أن تكون هكذا ولك ما للناس وعليك ما عليهم يوم القيامة أو تعود كما كنت ولك الجنة خالصا؟ قالت: أعود كما كنت، فمسح على عيني فعدت كما كنت، قال: فحدثت ابن أبي عمير بهذا، فقال أشهد أن هذا حق كما أن النهار حق.
 

Several of our companions from Ahmad b. Muhammad from `Ali b. al-Hakam from Muthanna al-Hannat from Abu Baseer.

He said: I entered upon Abu Ja`far عليه السلام and I said to him: Are you the heirs of the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وآله? He said: Yes. I said: Was the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وآله the heir of the prophets, and did he know what they knew? He said to me: Yes. I said: Do you have the power to bring life to the dead, and cure the lepers and the blind? He said: Yes, by the permission of Allah. Then he said to me: Come closer to me, O Abu Muhammad. So I went closer to him and he wiped my face and my eye. I then saw the sun, the sky, the Earth, the houses, and everything in the city. Then he said to me: Would you prefer to remain like this; you will have what the people have, and upon you is what is upon them on the Day of Judgment – or would you like to return to how you were and have paradise purely? I said: [i would like] to return to how I was. So he wiped my eye, and I returned to how I was. He said: So I narrated this to ibn Abi `Umayr, and he said: I testify that this is truth just as daytime is true. (al-Kafi, Volume 1, hadith 1267)

 

عدة من أصحابنا، عن أحمد بن محمد، عن علي بن الحكم، عن عبد الله بن المغيرة قال: مر العبد الصالح بامرأة بمنى وهي تبكي وصبيانها حولها يبكون، وقد ماتت لها بقرة، فدنا منها ثم قال لها: ما يبكيك يا أمة الله؟ قالت: يا عبد الله إن لنا صبيانا يتامى وكانت لي بقرة معيشتي ومعيشة صبياني كان منها وقد ماتت و بقيت منقطعا بي وبولدي لا حيلة لنا فقال: يا أمة الله هل لك أن أحييها لك، فالهمت أن قالت نعم يا عبد الله، فتنحى وصلى ركعتين، ثم رفع يده هنيئة وحرك شفتيه، ثم قام فصوت بالبقرة فنخسها نخسة أو ضربها برجله، فاستوت على الارض قائمة، فلما نظرت المرأة إلى البقرة صاحت وقالت: عيسى ابن مريم ورب الكعبة، فخالط الناس وصار بينهم ومضى عليه السلام.


Several of our companions from Ahmad b. Muhammad from `Ali b. al-Hakam from `Abdillah b. al-Mughira.

He said: The Righteous Servant passed by a woman in Mina. She was crying and her children around her were also crying because her cow had died. So he went close to her and said to her: What has caused you to cry, O person of Allah? She said: O servant of Allah, we have orphaned children, and I had a cow that was the means of living for me and the children. It has died and we are left without any means of living. So he said: O person of Allah, would you like me to resurrect it for you? She was to say: Yes, O servant of Allah. He stepped aside and prayed two rak`aat. Then he raised his hand gently and moved his lips. Then he stood up and called the cow to stand. He pushed the cow with his foot or with his staff, and it had risen, standing. When the woman looked at the cow she screamed, and said: [He is] `Isa b. Maryam, by the Lord of the Ka`ba! The people gathered and he عليه السلام disappeared amongst them. (al-Kafi, Volume 1, hadith 1284)

 

To be continued.

Edited January 25, 2014 by Qa'im

[Qa'im]

I will be continuing with this series soon inshaAllah. I wanted to create a concise summary of points thus far before moving forward:

 

• The Jews of the Arabian Peninsula, including those from Medina and Yathrib, were expecting the rise of a Prophet.
• According to the John 1:19-21, at the time of Prophet Yahya, the Jewish theologians had been expecting three figures: Elijah, the Messiah, and "that Prophet".
• The Prophet expected was "the Prophet like unto Moses", who would arise from the brethren of the Jews. God would put His words on the mouth of that prophet, and make his obedience mandatory.
• Moses' successor does not fulfill this prophecy, because the Torah says that God had not [yet] raised anyone like Moses (Deuteronomy 34:10).
• Christian works allude that Jesus is the fulfillment of this prophecy, but Jesus never made this claim.
• Jesus' prophecy on the forthcoming "Spirit of Truth" cannot refer to the Holy Spirit, because the Holy Spirit does not fulfill those characteristics (John 16).
• Muhammad (pbuh) is the one most similar to Moses (as) in history: both had a similar upbringing, both were commissioned at the age of forty, both fled their homelands, both were lawgiving prophets, both were religious and political leaders, both engaged in combat, both were accepted by their people, and both had a helper from their family (Aaron, Ali).
• Muhammad is also the one who seems to be the Spirit of Truth - more on that later.
• "The meek shall inherit the Earth" - this is a reference found in Psalms 37:11, Matthew, the Book of Enoch, and the Qur'an.
• The Ahl al-Bayt made the claim to be the inheritors of the Earth and the meek. They inherited the Earth in the sense that God created them to be the stewards of the Earth, and that the final utopia is theirs. They have authority over the whole Earth.
• The Ahl al-Bayt were the meek due to their forbearance during oppression, imprisonment, and martyrdom. Every Imam was martyred. Their rights were stolen and their backs were mounted. Regardless, they remained patient, and faithful to Allah.
• The Prophet and the Imams are all the "Righteous Servants" (`Ibadiya 's-Salihoon). A Righteous Servant is a title for the Proof of Allah (hujja) on Earth. The Qur'an and hadiths repeatedly refers to the prophets and Imams are "Servants" and slaves of Allah.
• In Isaiah, the term "Servant" has a spiritual, eschatological, and messianic context. The Servant is the archetype for a suffering and oppressed group, who would eventually be triumphant with the help of God and establish His kingdom. This can be tied back to the "meek" of Psalms, and the "righteous servants" of the Qur'an - all of which are referring to the same forbearing individuals who receive the assistance of God.
• The Jews expected two types of Messiahs: the suffering servant (Moshiache ben Yosef) and the king (Moshiache ben David). Mystical Judaism holds that the Suffering Servant is a whole line of individuals, and a title referring to a group of people. Likewise, the Prophet and his family were all meek servants who suffered greatly for the sake of God. They are also all eschatological figures, as the hadiths referred to them all as "Mahdis".
• Isaiah 42 opens up with God expressing His love and joy for His "Chosen One", whom He upholds and He will send. The Hebrew word for "Chosen One" here, coupled with the word "Servant", is also used to refer to Abraham, David, and Moses throughout the Old Testament. Therefore, the coming Servant must be one who is similar to these selected messengers.
• Not only was the Holy Prophet called "al-Mustafa" (the Chosen One), but he was a messenger like Abraham, David, and Moses; he and his family was preferred by God like their families, they are all recipients of covenants and books, they were all triumphant in this world, etc.
• The "Chosen One" is the hujja with whom God makes a covenant - he is the one standing in between the people and God. His presence prevents Allah from chastising the community. This is identical to the Shi`i belief in a hujja. Mecca and Ta'if were not destroyed because of the Prophet's request. And now, the Earth is intact due to the Mahdi's presence in it.
• This Chosen Servant of Isaiah 42 has possession of the Holy Spirit, which our hadiths indicate is always with the hujja of the time. Through the Holy Spirit, the Prophet was able to receive the inimitable Qur'an, and perform miracles. The Imams also performed marvels. All of Allah's representatives received information supernaturally by their possession of the Spirit.

[shiamehdi14]

I thought that after a Prophet's name should be (pbuh) (peace be upon him) and the Imams recieve (as) . Does it not matter? Can someone answer please. :blush:

[Qa'im]

I thought that after a Prophet's name should be (pbuh) (peace be upon him) and the Imams recieve (as) . Does it not matter? Can someone answer please. :blush:

 

This forum doesn't allow you to put more than ten (pbuh) and (as) per post.

[shiamehdi14]

(as) 

This forum doesn't allow you to put more than ten (pbuh) and (as) per post.

So the OP used (as) as a substitute when it really should have been (pbuh) ?

[Qa'im]

So the OP used (as) as a substitute when it really should have been (pbuh) ?

 

I try to say (pbuh) for Muhammad (pbuh). I said "(as)" once, when naming a bunch of prophets in a row including the Holy Prophet. What do you want me to do? There is no need to derail the thread when I have sent blessings to the Prophet in all my posts. This entire thread is a blessing to the Prophet...

[shiamehdi14]

I try to say (pbuh) for Muhammad (pbuh). I said "(as)" once, when naming a bunch of prophets in a row including the Holy Prophet. What do you want me to do? There is no need to derail the thread when I have sent blessings to the Prophet in all my posts. This entire thread is a blessing to the Prophet...

No that was not my intention at all, my apologies for the inconvinience. I was just a little confused because I have seen that happen in other posts as well.

[Qa'im]

Continued.

 

InshaAllah, we'll finish up with the prophecy of Isaiah 42. If you haven't read my summary of points discussed so far, please go to post #15.

 

So in Isaiah 42, Allah is prophesying events to come. We'll look at the remainder of the chapter verse-by-verse, so insure that nothing is taken out of context, and that the full prophecy is comprehended. The chapter undoubtedly foretells the events that would occur in the 7th century in Arabia.

 

"He will not shout or cry out, or raise his voice in the streets. A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out. In faithfulness he will bring forth justice." (Isaiah 42:2-3)

 

In this earlier part of the prophecy, God describes the Servant He is about to send: His Chosen Servant; the one that he He will make a covenant with, similar to the messengers of the past; the one who will possess the Holy Spirit. In the earlier half of the chapter, the Servant is painted as a meek, forbearing, withholding messenger. "He will not shout shout or cry out, or raise his voice in the streets", meaning he will be peaceful, quiet, and calculative in his call to Allah. "A bruised reed he will not break" - meaning, he will not even break that which is damaged. He will be so gentle in this period, whilst having the Spirit and a covenant with the Creator. As we mentioned earlier, the Jews believed in a Suffering Servant, and this is a continuation of that thought. Moreover, this is also an echo of the verse, "the meek shall inherit the Earth", as these verses clearly describe a patient, oppressed, forebearing, God-fearing prophet.

 

When the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) began his message in the Meccan years, he preached in fear and in secrecy. He called only his wife, Ali, and companions to Islam initially. Then, when he began calling the wider Meccan society to his religion, he did so with tranquility. He sustained oppression. Umm Jamila would put sharp objects on his path so that he may step on them. The Jewess would put garbage at his door, and when she became ill, he visited her. The polytheists threw the innards of a camel at his new clothes at the Ka`ba. They ridiculed him, called him a possessed poet and a lunatic, but he did not raise a finger against them. Rather, he called the people to his Lord with goodly exhortations and in the best manner. The people boycotted the Muslims and even killed Yasir and Sumaya, but our Beloved Prophet (pbuh) still did not shout or cry out, or break a bruised reed. He never unsheathed a sword in Mecca, and he only demanded that the people return to accountability.

 

حدثنا أبي ، ومحمد بن الحسن رضي الله عنهما قالا : حدثنا سعد بن عبد الله قال : حدثنا محمد بن الحسين بن أبي الخطاب ، ومحمد بن عيسى ، عن محمد بن أبي عمير ،عن جميل بن دراج ، عن محمد بن مسلم قال : قال أبو جعفر عليه السلام : ما أجاب رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله أحد قبل علي بن أبي طالب وخديجة عليهما السلام ولقد مكث رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله بمكة ثلاث سنين مختفيا خائفا يترقب ، ويخاف قومه والناس.

 

My father and Muhammad b. al-Hasan رضي الله عنهما narrated. They said: Sa`d b. `Abdillah narrated. He said: Muhammad b. al-Husayn b. Abu’l Khattab and Muhammad b. `Isa narrated from Muhammad b. Abi `Umayr from Jameel b. Darraj from Muhammad b. Muslim.

He said: Abu Ja`far عليه السلام said: No one answered [the call of] the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وآله before `Ali b. Abi Talib and Khadija عليهما السلام. The Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وآله remained in hiding in Mecca for three years, afraid and waiting. He was afraid of his community and the people.

 

حدثنا أبي ، ومحمد بن الحسن رضي الله عنهما قالا : حدثنا سعد بن -عبد الله ، وعبد الله بن جعفر الحميري ، ومحمد بن يحيى العطار ، وأحمد بن إدريس جميعا ،عن أحمد بن محمد بن عيسى ، ومحمد بن الحسين بن أبي الخطاب ، وإبراهيم بن هاشم جميعا ، عن الحسن بن محبوب ، عن علي بن رئاب ، عن عبيد الله بن علي الحلبي قال :سمعت أبا عبد الله عليه السلام يقول : مكث رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله بمكة بعد ما جاءه الوحي عن الله تبارك وتعالى ثلاث عشرة سنة منها ثلاث سنين مختفيا خائفا لا يظهر حتى أمره الله عز وجل أن يصدع بما أمره به ، فأظهر حينئذ الدعوة .

 

My father and Muhammad b. al-Hasan رضي الله عنهما narrated. They said: Sa`d b. `Abdillah and `Abdillah b. Ja`far al-Himyari and Muhammad b. Yahya al-`Attar and Ahmad b. Idris narrated together from Ahmad b. Muhammad b. `Isa and Muhammad b. al-Husayn b. Abu’l Khattab and Ibrahim b. Hashim together from al-Hasan b. Mahbub from `Ali b. Ri’aab from `Abdillah b. `Ali al-Halabi.

He said: I heard Abu `Abdillah عليه السلام say: The Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وآله remained in Mecca after he received revelation from Allah تبارك وتعالى for thirteen years, out of which were three years of hiding and fear – he did not appear until Allah ordered him to do what He had commanded. So he appeared and began the propagation (al-da`wa).

 

علي بن إبراهيم، عن أبيه، عن ابن أبي عمير، عن هشام بن الحكم، عن أبي عبد الله عليه السلام قال: بينا النبي صلى الله عليه وآله في المسجد الحرام وعليه ثياب له جدد فألقى المشركون عليه سلا ناقة فملؤوا ثيابه بها، فدخله من ذلك ما شاء الله فذهب إلى أبي طالب فقال له: يا عم كيف ترى حسبي فيكم؟ فقال له: وما ذا يا ابن أخي؟ فأخبره الخبر، فدعا أبو طالب حمزة وأخذ السيف وقال لحمزة: خذ السلا ثم توجه إلى القوم والنبي معه فأتى قريشا وهم حول الكعبة، فلما رأوه عرفوا الشر في وجهه، ثم قال لحمزة: أمر السلا على سبالهم ففعل ذلك حتى أتى على آخرهم، ثم التفت أبو طالب إلى النبي صلى الله عليه وآله فقال: يا ابن أخي هذا حسبك فينا.

 

`Ali b. Ibrahim from his father from ibn Abi `Umayr from Hisham b. al-Hakam from Abu `Abdillah عليه السلام.

He said: The Prophet صلى الله عليه وآله was in the Sacred Mosque wearing new clothes, then the polytheists hurled the contents of the stomach of a camel onto him and soaked his clothes with it, and that which Allah willed entered from it. So he went to Abu Talib and said to him: O uncle, what is my honour worth to you? So he said to him: What is the matter, O son of my brother? Then he told him the story, and Abu Talib called Hamza and took a sword, and said to Hamza: Take away the contents of the stomach of the camel. Then, he faced the community and the Prophet was with him. So he met with Quraysh while they were around the Ka`ba; and when they saw him, they saw the dishevelment in his face. Then he ordered Hamza to smear the contents of the stomach onto their moustaches, and he did so until he reached the last of them. Then, Abu Talib turned to the Prophet صلى الله عليه وآله and said: O son of my brother, this is what your honour is worth to us. (al-Kafi, Volume 1, hadith 1211)

 

الحسين بن محمد ومحمد بن يحيى، عن أحمد بن إسحاق، عن بكر بن محمد الازدي، عن إسحاق بن جعفر، عن ابيه عليه السلام قال: قيل له: إنهم يزعمون أن أبا طالب كان كافرا؟ فقال: كذبوا كيف يكون كافرا وهو يقول:

ألم تعلموا أنا وجدنا محمدا * نبيا كموسى خط في أول الكتب وفي حديث آخر كيف يكون أبو طالب كافرا وهو يقول: لقد علموا أن ابننا لا مكذب * لدينا ولا يعبأ بقيل الا باطل (1) وأبيض يستسقى الغمام بوجهه * ثمال اليتامى عصمة للارامل

 

al-Husayn b. Muhammad and Muhammad b. Yahya from Ahmad b. Is`haq from Bakr b. Muhammad al-Azdi from Is`haq b. Ja`far from his father عليه السلام. He said: It was said to him: They allege that Abu Talib was a disbeliever! So he said: They have lied. How could he be a disbeliever when he said, “Do they not know that we found Muhammad as a prophet like Musa, mentioned in the first Books?”

And in another hadith: How could Abu Talib be a disbeliever when he said, “They know that our son is not a liar, the false sayings do not receive our attention. The white face that prays, thus the clouds send rain, is the helper of the orphans and the protector of the widows”. (al-Kafi, Volume 1, hadith 1210)

 

 

"He will not falter or be discouraged till he establishes justice on earth, and the coastlands shall await his Law.” (Isaiah 42:4-5)

 

Not only was the Prophet persistent in his message, despite the oppression against him and his followers, but he was offered all worldly pleasures to give up his message. The polytheists had offered to make him the richest man, to marry him to the most beautiful woman, and to make him a king, so long that he gives up monotheism. But the Prophet said that even if you put the Sun on his right hand and the moon on his left hand, he would not give up his call.

 

What's interesting about this verse is that the word "Law" in Hebrew is "Torah". The Torah means Law. The coastlands - meaning, the islands that make up the continents and the world - will await "his" Torah. This possessive noun is important, because it emphasizes that the world will await the Law that he will bring with him. This may be distinct from the Law ("Torah") that belonged to Moses. In fact, I would argue that this verse cannot refer to the Mosaic Torah, because the Jews believe that their Torah is for them and not for the gentiles. Meaning, the Mosaic covenant - according to Rabbinical and modern Judaism, at least - was one that was limited to ethnic Jews, and non-Jews were not expected to follow their laws. They did not widely expect non-Jews to convert to Judaism and obey the Mosaic Law. They only called the gentiles to monotheism and basic morals - not the rigorous and specific laws of Moses. While the Jews did take in converts, they did not expect the entire world to become law-abiding Jews.

 

So in this verse, we see a "global Torah", or a universal Torah that all people will "await" as soon as this Servant comes. This must be the Qur'an and the shari`a of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), which is a book for all of humanity. The Qur'an is like the Torah in that it is a Law, a Scripture, and a celestial Book from the One God. It includes laws - many of which are similar to the ones Moses brought - and it abrogates and replaces every scripture that came before it, like the Torah. It is recited with intonation, like the Torah, it has apparent and esoteric meanings, like the Torah, and it represents God's covenant, like the Torah. It was brought by the Prophet Muhammad, who is "the prophet like unto Moses" (Deuteronomy 18), and the coastlands await it to be given to them so that they may follow it.

 

"See, the former things have taken place, and new things I declare; before they spring into being I announce them to you.” (Isaiah 42:9)

 

Here, God is about to make prophecies of events that are to come. Just as Allah has told the future before, He promises to do so again right here. Here's where things get exciting.

 

"Sing to the Lord a new song, his praise from the ends of the earth, you who go down to the sea, and all that is in it, you islands, and all who live in them." (Isaiah 42:10)

 

God is now describing a new song of praise, that He will expect all humans to sing. Not just the Jews, but those who "go down to the sea", and "you islands", and "all who live in them". This is a new, universal song of glorification of Allah - the Qur'an. Qur'an is hymned when recited properly, thus making it both a new "Torah" and a new "song". It makes sense that, since the earlier part of the chapter describes the Chosen Servant and his ministry, that this discussion of a new Torah and a new song of praise would be related to him.

 

"Let the desert and its towns raise their voices; let the settlements where Kedar lives rejoice. Let the people of Sela sing for joy; let them shout from the mountaintops." (Isaiah 42:11)

 

We finally reach the direct reference to Arabia, tying this prophecy together. The term "desert" is interchangeable with the term "wilderness" in Bible translations, because the Arabian desert was associated with Ishmael, the Ishmaelites, disorder, chaos, and nothingness all at once. In this period, when Isaiah was written, the Ishmaelite Arabs were worshiping idols. Yet, God is prophesying their guidance in the near future. "let the desert and its towns raise their voices" - meaning, let them sing this song of praise of the One God. "Let the settlements where Kedar lives rejoice". Kedar is "Haydar" in Arabic. The Jews would refer to the Arabs as "B'nei Kedar", meaning, the Children of Haydar. Kedar in Hebrew means "dark", and Kedar was a man who was the son of the Prophet Isma`il (as). Kedar's descendents became the Arabs. "The settlements where Kedar lives" refers to the towns, cities, villages, and tribal settlements where the Arabs reside. God here is saying that they will "rejoice" out of guidance.

 

The verse then says, "Let the people of Sela sing for joy; let them shout from the mountaintops". This is a direct reference to the city of Medina, or Yathrib. "Sela" is a mountain in Medina. The word means "rock" in Hebrew, and in Arabic, it means "sliced", because Mount Sela looks like it has been sliced.

 

This is the mountain:

 

 

Sela is where the Battle of the Trench (Khandaq) had taken place, and it is the place that the Prophet (pbuh) would climb to ask for victory, ask for rain, and ask for forgiveness on behalf of the Muslims. When God says let the people of Sela sing for joy, it is saying, let them sing the praise of God and shout it from the top of their mountain.

 

This is why the Jews had waited for the Holy Prophet in Medina. After the failure of the Jewish Bar Kochba revolt against the Romans in 132 CE, many Jews left Palestine for the Arabian peninsula. As we covered in post #1, there were Jews living in Yathrib since the time of King Tubba'. The king himself converted to Judaism through the calling of the Jews of Medina. Many Yemeni Arabs became Jews too, and before the coming of the Prophet, the Jews had been calling the local pagans of Medina to their religion. Early Muslim historians note that the reason why Medina readily accepted the Prophet was because of the Jewish expectation of a Prophet. The people of Medina invited the Prophet to establish his state there, and as the Qur'an and the hadiths indicate, many Jews and many rabbis became Muslim followers of the Prophet.

 

"Let them give glory to the Lord and proclaim his praise in the islands. The Lord will march out like a champion, like a warrior he will stir up his zeal; with a shout he will raise the battle cry and will triumph over his enemies." (Isaiah 42:12-13)

 

Whenever the Old Testament describes God in human terms, it is saying that someone sent by God will do those things. So it is not that God will "march forth like a man of war", rather, it is saying that God will empower one who will march on His behalf. This literal device is used all over the Bible and even in the Qur'an. In Shiism, we hold that Allah has no body.

 

So this verse is saying that this Servant, by the power of God, will march out like a warrior; that God will stir up his enthusiasm, and he will lay his enemies to waste and cry out loud in the battlefield. Notice the contrast from the earlier verses in this chapter, 2-3, which say that the Servant will not break a bruised reed. This signifies that the Servant would have two phases in his struggle: one where he is oppressed and forbearing, and another where he is warlike and triumphant. The Suffering Servant, and the King. This applies directly to the Prophet's life, who was the peaceful and meek in Mecca, and then a triumphant warrior in Medina. Where he was silent and oppressed in the former, he became victorious and defeated his oppressors by Allah's permission. So this Servant of Isaiah 42 cannot be one who is defeated and martyred - rather, it is one who achieves success in this world's life by the help of God.

 

After the Battle of Banu Quraytha in Khaybar, the Prophet (pbuh) reminded the Jews of a Syrian Jewish rabbi who came to Medina and said,

 

أ ما نفعك وصية ابن حواش الحبر الذي أقبل من الشام فقال تركت الخمر والخمير وجئت إلى الموس والتمور لنبي يبعث هذا أوان خروجه يكون مخرجه بمكة وهذه دار هجرته وهو الضحوك القتال يجتزي بالكسيرات والتمرات ويركب الحمار العاري في عينيه حمرة وبين كتفيه خاتم النبوة يضع سيفه على عاتقه ولا يبالي بمن لاقى يبلغ سلطانه منقطع الخف والحافر قال كعب قد كان ذلك يا محمد ولو لا أن اليهود تعيرني أني جبنت عند القتل لآمنت بك وصدقتك

 

The Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم said "Did the advice (wasiyya) of ibn Hawash not benefit you, who proceeded from Sham and said, “I have abandoned wine and luxury, and I have adopted sharp [conditions] and dates for a prophet who will rise at this time. He will appear in Mecca, and this is the abode that he will migrate to. And he is the cheerful fighter. He will eat dry bread and dates, and he will ride bare mules. In his eyes there is ruddiness, and between his shoulders is the Seal of Prophethood. He will set his sword upon his shoulder, and he will not care for those who meet him [in battle]. His dominion will extend successively over [all areas accessible to] the camels and the hooves”. Ka`b said: That is so, O Muhammad. If the Jews would not have mocked me for cowardice during the fighting, I would have believed in you and trusted you.

 

This hadith recounts a Jewish oral tradition going back to a sage who warned the people of Yathrib of the coming of a "Seal of Prophets", who would be the "cheerful fighter" (ad-dahuq al-qattal, a reference to the Prophet's calm attitude while at war), who would set his sword upon his shoulder and fight successfully. The theme of the Prophet of the Sword will be explored in later sections inshaAllah.

 

"For a long time I have kept silent, I have been quiet and held myself back. But now, like a woman in childbirth, I cry out, I gasp and pant." (Isaiah 42:14)

 

For a long time, God allowed misguidance, oppression, and polytheism to prevail. But now, God says He will cry out - again, this is metaphorical language, saying that God will disrupt the status quo to prepare for the birth of a era and a new world.

 

"I will lay waste the mountains and hills and dry up all their vegetation; I will turn rivers into islands and dry up the pools." (Isaiah 42:15)

 

Rashi, who is a medieval Jewish scholar, authored one of the most prominent Jewish exegeses of the Old Testament. Rashi's interpretation of this verse is the following:

 

"I will destroy mountains and hills": I will slay kings and rulers.     "and all their grass": All their followers.

 

Rashi interprets the "mountains" and "vegetation" metaphorically, saying that these represent the rulers of the Arabs and their subjects. This is an interesting extension of the "warrior" theme, as God is expected to guide the Arabs and the people of Medina, start a war, be victorious, and destroy the kings of polytheism. The Prophet did just that - he met many of the leaders of the polytheists in battle, and he finally cleared the Ka`ba of idols. The traditional powerstructure was set down, with the help of God, to make way for righteousness.

 

"I will lead the blind by ways they have not known, along unfamiliar paths I will guide them; I will turn the darkness into light before them and make the rough places smooth. These are the things I will do; I will not forsake them. But those who trust in idols, who say to images, ‘You are our gods,’ will be turned back in utter shame. (Isaiah 42:16-17)

 

This section finishes its prophecy with the guidance of the polytheists. God promises to "lead the blind by ways they have not known, along unfamiliar paths" He will guide them. In the Qur'an, it is said that Muhammad (pbuh) was the first prophet sent to the Arabs, making his message of monotheism and resurrection "not known" and "unfamiliar" to them. The Qur'an refers to the Arabs are ummi, which can mean "unlettered ones" - meaning, they were illiterate in Scripture, as they were never sent a celestial Book. The polytheists were worshiping many gods, and they had no concept of a resurrection until Islam came about. "I will turn darkness into light before them and make the rough places smooth". This is echoed in the Qur'an, where Allah says, "Allah is the Protecting Friend of those who believe. He bringeth them out of darkness into light. As for those who disbelieve, their patrons are false deities. They bring them out of light into darkness. Such are rightful owners of the Fire. They will abide therein." (2:257) "Light" in the Qur'an is a representation of guidance, and the Prophet and the Book are both described as "light". InshaAllah, in future versions, we'll discuss the primordial light of Ahl al-Bayt. "Make the rough places smooth" is a reference to making things easy and organized for the newly-guided people.

 

"I will not forsake them" - this is important. Isaiah 42 describes the guidance of Arabs to monotheism through a trying process, and it promises that God would not forsake them. There were times where God forsook other communities and destroyed them. Throughout the Bible, including books like Isaiah, God even forsakes the Jews. So this new nation and new covenant would not receive God's anger and chastisement - rather, He will bless them and give them Paradise.

 

"Those who trust in idols, who say to images, 'You are our gods,' will be turned back in utter shame". This is a clear reference to the polytheists of Kedar, who would not only be turned away from their polytheism, but would even be ashamed of it. The Muslims called their previous state jahiliyya, which means "Ignorance". They saw themselves as living in a time of heedlessness and ignorance until they were guided. The poison of polytheism was removed the hearts of all Muslims, and as Rabbi Maimonides noted, the Muslims have no inclination towards polytheism.

 

So as we can see, Isaiah 42 was an accurate prophecy of future events. No matter who you think the Servant is, it is clear that in verses 10-17, God is describing a cataclysmic string of events that would lead to the guidance of the desert Arabs to a "new song" that they would sing from "Sela"; that they would go from polytheism to monotheism; that God would set empower a warrior to take down the rulers; that the Arabs would be ashamed of their aforementioned polytheism after guidance; that God would not forsake them; and that He would send out a universal message. Therefore, there is no denial that, historically, it was Muhammad (pbuh) that brought about this change and this guidance. All of the prophecies in Isaiah 42 were fulfilled through his coming, and through Allah's support of him.

 

:)

[Abu Nur]

Brother, i was wondering about this Qur'an verse:
 

 

 

"Say, [O Muhammad], 'The Pure Spirit has brought it down from your Lord in truth to make firm those who believe and as guidance and good tidings to the Muslims.'" (16:102)

Here the word "It" does it not mean Qur'an?

[Ethics]

Brother, i was wondering about this Qur'an verse:

 

Here the word "It" does it not mean Qur'an?

 

Yes,. This verse refers to the changes the Quran introduced in the teachings of the previous scriptures because of which the infidels thought that it was a forgery, and asserts that the same holy spirit (Jibra-il) has brought the revelation to the Holy Prophet. - Aqa Mahdi Puya

[Ali Musaaa :)]

Yes,. This verse refers to the changes the Quran introduced in the teachings of the previous scriptures because of which the infidels thought that it was a forgery, and asserts that the same holy spirit (Jibra-il) has brought the revelation to the Holy Prophet. - Aqa Mahdi Puya

 

The Holy Spirit is not Jibreil [as]. It is a creation greater than the Angels and it supports the Hujja of the Time. Refer to the Ahadeeth in post #14.

[Ethics]

The Holy Spirit is not Jibreil [as]. It is a creation greater than the Angels and it supports the Hujja of the Time. Refer to the Ahadeeth in post #14.

 

So your saying Jibreil didnt bring the revelations to Muhammad A.S?

[Ali Musaaa :)]

So your saying Jibreil didnt bring the revelations to Muhammad A.S?

 

No, I am not. Jibreil [as] is the Angel of Revelation. The Holy Spirit is an entirely different creation. Again, refer to the Ahadeeth on post #14.

Edited February 8, 2014 by Ali Musaaa :)

[Ethics]

No, I am not. Jibreil [as] is the Angel of Revelation. The Holy Spirit is an entirely different creation. Again, refer to the Ahadeeth on post #14.

 

Okay, and Im saying thats fine but clearly the verses in the quran use Holy Spirit in regards to giving revelations to Muhammad A.S Which has to mean, this is not to be taken in context with the hadith because we know Jibreil gave revelations to Muhammad A.S. Therefore, the quranic verse is referring to the angel.

 

Shakir 16:102] Say: The Holy spirit has revealed it from your Lord with the truth, that it may establish those who believe and as a guidance and good news for those who submit.

[Pickthal 16:102] Say: The holy Spirit hath delivered it from thy Lord 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).

[Yusufali 16:102] Say, the Holy Spirit has brought the revelation from thy Lord in Truth, in order to strengthen those who believe, and as a Guide and Glad Tidings to Muslims.

Edited February 8, 2014 by PureEthics

[Qa'im]

Jibra'il recited the verses to the Prophet (pbuh), but the Holy Spirit made it possible for the Prophet to receive the angel.

[Ibn-Ahmed Aliyy Herz]

What does the talmud say about the coming of rasulallah (saw) ? I know you mentioned some of the oral tradition, however I have a feeling that it contains a great many verses that points to the messenger (saw). 

 

What were some of the biggest reasons why the jews were in arabia waiting for an arab prophet (as) ? Where in their books can we find their jusification for coming to arabia?

[Qa'im]

Getting there soon inshaAllah. For now, read my big posts on this thread - particularly posts #1, 3, 11, .and 21. You'll get an idea of what the Jews were expecting.

In the near future I'll be making some final Old Testament references, then finally getting into Jewish oral tradition and non-canonical works.

[IbnSohan]

Just thought to share the link to this book (Arabic) but good one

http://alhawzaonline.com/almaktaba-almakroaa/book/238-aqa'ed/0192-ahlul%20baeet%20fi%20kitab%20muqadas/index.htm

 

May Allah reward you and count this thread among your good deeds. Maybe after you finish it, you can post a clean version in the christianity forum, you might get more criticism from them.

[Qa'im]

Continued...

 

Post #21 is the crux of my argument, because it vividly and explicitly describes events that had later come to pass in 7th century Arabia. The references to Banu Haydar, Mount Sela in Medina, the conversion of the polytheists to the belief in One God, the military defeat of the rulers of Arabia, the sending of a Chosen Servant and the revelation of a New Law and a New Song, are incredible. How would the Jews of Arabia received all of this? Let's look at historical Muslim sources on this phenomenon. Since we've been looking at mostly Shi`i materials in this thread, I'll dedicate this post to Sunni and historical literature.

 

Remember the attachment that the Jews had to their scripture. The Jews used to recite the Torah in Hebrew to the companions of the Prophet (pbuh) and explain it to them in Arabic.

 

Abu Hurairah said: The people of the Scripture (Jews) used to recite the Torah in Hebrew and they used to explain it in Arabic to the Muslims. On that Allah's Apostle said, "Do not believe the people of the Scripture or disbelieve them, but say:-- "We believe in Allah and what is revealed to us." (2.136)  (Bukhari, Book #60, Hadith #12)

 

The Jews had been calling Arabs to their religion for centuries, and in Yemen, they successfully converted the royalty and large pockets of the population. According to Shi`i sources, King Tubba expected this Prophet to rise and flee to Yathrib, where Israelite Jewish and Arab Jewish tribes were residing and expecting the Prophet. It would be natural that this expectation came from the Scripture. It is clear from the Gospel of John that the Jewish pharisees were expecting "the Prophet" like unto Moses as early as the 1st century; the Prophet described in Deuteronomy 18, who would be the mouthpiece of God and be a lawgiver like Moses.

 

`Abdullah b. `Amr b. al-`As was instructed by the Prophet (pbuh) to study the Jewish scripture. Zayd b. Thabit was also expected to learn oral and written Hebrew and Syriac, and he became the Prophet's official interpreter between himself and the Jews. For a while, `Umar b. al-Khattab ventured to study the Torah under the rabbis, until the Prophet (pbuh) forbade him from doing so.

 

Below, `Abdullah b. `Amr was asked to give a reference to Muhammad (pbuh) from the Hebrew Bible.

 

Narrated Ata bin Yasar: I met Abdullah bin 'Amr bin Al-'As and asked him, "Tell me about the description of Allah's Apostle which is mentioned in Torah (i.e. Old Testament.") He replied, 'Yes. By Allah, he is described in Torah with some of the qualities attributed to him in the Quran as follows: "O Prophet ! We have sent you as a witness (for Allah's True religion) And a giver of glad tidings (to the faithful believers), And a warner (to the unbelievers) And guardian of the illiterates. You are My slave and My messenger (i.e. Apostle). I have named you "Al-Mutawakkil" (who depends upon Allah). You are neither discourteous, harsh Nor a noise-maker in the markets And you do not do evil to those Who do evil to you, but you deal With them with forgiveness and kindness. Allah will not let him (the Prophet) Die till he makes straight the crooked people by making them say: "None has the right to be worshipped but Allah," With which will be opened blind eyes And deaf ears and enveloped hearts." (Bukhari, Book #34, Hadith #335)

 

In this narration, `Abdullah b. `Amr b. al-`As is summarizing the qualities of the Prophet that he found in the Hebrew Scriptures. The word used is "Torah", but Torah is also used to refer to the entire Hebrew corpus, called the "Tanakh". We see a reference to what appears to be Isaiah 42. The text here is different, and that could be for several reasons - either `Abdullah b. `Amr was paraphrasing the verses in Arabic, or the version he was quoting was different from the version available to us today, or words were added and subtracted during oral transmission. Either way, we see distinct references to the verses.

 

Bukhari: "You are neither discourteous, harsh, nor a noise-maker in the markets."

Isaiah: "He shall not cry, nor lift up, nor cause his voice to be heard in the street."

 

Note: the word for "street" in Hebrew is chuwts (חוּץ), which has been also translated as "markets".

 

Bukhari: "And you do not do evil to those who do evil to you, but you deal with them with forgiveness and kindness"

Isaiah: "A bruised reed shall he not break, and the smoking flax shall he not quench: he shall bring forth judgment unto truth."

 

Bukhari: "... till he makes straight the crooked people"

Isaiah: "I will make darkness light before them, and crooked things straight"

 

Bukhari: "... by making them say: 'None has the right to be worshiped but Allah"

Isaiah: "They shall be turned back, they shall be greatly ashamed, that trust in graven images, that say to the molten images, 'Ye are our gods'."

 

Bukhari: "With which will be opened blind eyes and deaf ears and enveloped hearts"

Isaiah: "Hear, ye deaf; and look, ye blind, that ye may see.", "And I will bring the blind by a way that they knew not"

 

So as we have demonstrated, those who knew Hebrew and read the Jewish Scriptures recognized Muhammad (pbuh) as the fulfillment of the prophecies in Isaiah 42.

 

The same verses from Isaiah were also quoted by Ka`b al-Ahbar, the Jewish rabbi, when asked where Muhammad (pbuh) was found in the Scriptures.

 

Furthermore, it is worth mentioning that many of the initial converts of the Prophet (pbuh) were of Jewish background. The most famous Jewish rabbi that converted to Islam was `Abdullah b. Salam of Banu Qaynuqaa', who was a leading Levite Rabbi of Yathrib. His conversion story is described in Ibn Is`haq on the authority of `Abdullah b. Salam himself:

 

Abdullah Bin Salam said to his aunt Khaledah, "My aunt, I swear by Allah that he is –pointing to the Prophet- the brother of Moses Bin Imran and carrying the same belief". Then she said, "O my nephew, is he the same prophet that we had told he would be sent nearly at the end of the world?  He replayed, yes  (Bin Ishaq in Bin Hesham autobiography 3/50).

 

The interesting thing to note here is that Abdullah b. Salam is describing the Holy Prophet as "the brother of Musa". This is the exact language that is used in Deuteronomy 18, where God says, "I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brothers. And I will put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I command him." (Deuteronomy 18:18). `Abdullah b. Salam is making a reference to this prophecy, saying that this Muhammad is the one in the likeness of Moses, from among the "brothers" of the Jews.

 

In the same reference, it is said that `Abdullah b. Salam had been studying the Prophet's characteristics and comparing them to the descriptions in the Scriptures even before his emigration from Mecca. When the Prophet arrived to Medina, he called out Allahu akbar from the treetop and went to see him immediately. Before his conversion, `Abdullah's name was "Husayn". The Prophet gave him his new name `Abdullah. I found this request interesting. After this, `Abdullah went home and converted his family to Islam.

 

`Abdullah b. Salam is mentioned in the Qur'an, where Allah says, "Say, 'Have you considered: if the Qur'an was from Allah , and you disbelieved in it while a witness from the Children of Israel has testified to something similar and believed while you were arrogant?' Indeed, Allah does not guide the wrongdoing people" (Qur'an, 46:10)

 

Another note is the Second Pledge at al-Aqabah. When the Prophet and the Muslims were being persecuted in Mecca, the people of Yathrib invited the Prophet to establish a government there and put an end to a civil dispute there. One must consider the implications of this invitation. Yathrib was not a city that the Prophet had visited during his da`wa. He visited Ta'if, and they violently rejected him. So, why would the Jewish and pagan tribes of Yathrib seek a Meccan self-styled prophet with an apocalyptic message? Why would they pledge allegiance and give ultimate authority to one they do not know? Why would Medina readily accept him and not Mecca? The Muslim historians have said that this was because Mecca was mostly pagan, while Medina was mostly Jewish or Jewish-influenced pagans. The Medinans had been expecting a Prophet for centuries, and so when our Holy Prophet arose, their ambassadors threw themselves at his feet.

 

At the Second Pledge, 14 representatives from Medina met the Prophet and agreed to amr bil ma`roof wa nahi `an al-munkar, and to taking up arms when necessary. Of the 14 representatives, 13 came from Aws, Khazraj, and Najjar - all of which were Jewish tribes. Many of the famous Ansar were of Jewish background, and others were pagans that had been going to the rabbis.

 

These Jews would not have converted to Islam en masse unless there was an expectation that our Holy Prophet seemed to fulfill.

 

To be continued..

[Qa'im]

Just a short note. The following is the conversion story of `Abdullah b. Salam, the Jewish rabbi, to Islam, as noted in Ibn Is`haq's biography of the Prophet (pbuh).

 

"When I heard of the appearance of the Messenger of God (peace be upon him) I began to make enquiries about his name, his genealogy, his characteristics, his time and place and I began to compare this information with what is contained in our books. From these enquiries, I became convinced about the authenticity of his prophethood and I affirmed the truth of his mission. However, I concealed my conclusions from the Jews. I held my tongue.

 

Then came the day when the Prophet, peace be upon him, left Makkah and headed for Yathrib. When he reached Yathrib and stopped at Quba, a man came rushing into the city, calling out to people and announcing the arrival of the Prophet.

 

At that moment, I was at the top of a palm tree doing some work. My aunt, Khalidah bint Al-Harith, was sitting under the tree. On hearing the news, I shouted: “Allahu Akbar! Allahu Akbar!” (God is Great! God is Great!)

 

When my aunt heard me, she remonstrated with me: “May God frustrate you... By God, if you had heard that Moses was coming you would not have been more enthusiastic.”

 

“Auntie, he is really, by God, the ‘brother’ of Moses and follows his religion. He was sent with the same mission as Moses.” She was silent for a while and then said: “Is he the Prophet about whom you spoke to us who would be sent to confirm the truth preached by previous (Prophets) and complete the message of his Lord?”

 

“Yes,” I replied. Without any delay or hesitation, Abdullah went out to meet the Prophet. He saw crowds of people at his door. I moved about in the crowds until I reached close to him. The first words I heard him say were: 'O people! Spread peace...Share food...Pray during the night while people sleep... and you will enter Paradise in peace...' I looked at him closely. I scrutinized him and was convinced that his face was not that of an imposter. I went closer to him and made the declaration of faith that there is no god but God and that Muhammad is the Messenger of God. The Prophet turned to me and asked: 'What is your name?' 'Al-Husayn ibn Salam,' I replied. 'Instead, it is (now) Abdullah ibn Salam,' he said (giving me a new name). 'Yes,' I agreed. 'Abdullah ibn Salam (it shall be). By Him who has sent you with the Truth, I do not wish to have another name after this day.' I returned home and introduced Islam to my wife, my children and the rest of my household.

[Sajjad_786]

I thought that no one had the name of Hussain before imam Hussain(as) same for prophet Yahya(as)

Edited February 15, 2014 by Sajjad_786

[Qa'im]

Part 4: Till Shiloh comes

 

The first book of the Torah is Genesis, which describes the creation of the Earth, and the history of the prophets and of humanity up to the time of Moses (as). In Genesis, an interesting and much-debated reference is made to a man named Shiloh.

 

The reference appears in Genesis 49, where Ya`qub (as) calls his family and his children whilst on his deathbed. He gives his final pieces of advice (wasiyya) to his children, and tells them "that which shall befall you in the last days" (Genesis 49:1).

 

The verse in question is 10, where Ya`qub turns to his son Judah, and says, "The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be". (Genesis 49:10)

 

Bible scholars are uncertain on the meaning of "Shiloh" due to differing manuscripts and meanings. This post is not meant to give a certain answer on the meaning of the word. But, inshaAllah I'll be looking into the possibility that it refers to the Holy Prophet (pbuh).

 

The following are the etymological meanings of the word Shiloh (שִׁילֹה) in Hebrew:

 

• According to the Latin Vulgate, Shiloh means: "he that is to be sent"; the messenger
• If the above is true, then the original rendition of the name would be shaluach, which means "messenger". This would be rendered as shalaH (شلح) in Arabic, which means, “to throw, to project, to hurl”. We can see the parallels between the Hebrew and Arabic meanings.
• The Syriac Peshiitta translation says: "the one to whom it belongs".
• The Greek Septuagint translation says: "the things stored up for him".
• Modern English translations render the sentence as "until he whom it belongs to comes", in reference to the sceptre.
• The Hebrew word comes from a root which means "the peaceable one, tranquility".

The passage starts off with "the sceptre shall not pass from Judah". "Sceptre" here is a reference to dominion, authority, and government. This means that kingship would transfer through the descendants of Judah. This is notable because prominent Jewish kings came from his offspring, including David, Solomon, and Hezekiah. Jesus is also a descendant of Judah, and he was anointed by Allah to be the Messiah and the hujja of his time. So it can be said that the sceptre – which is a symbol for divine rule – passed through the thuriyya of Judah.

 

The area of disagreement is in the line, “Till Shiloh comes”. The verse says that divine rule would remain within Judah’s family until the coming of a certain individual. The Jews and Christians elaborated on the messianic implications of this verse. In their understanding, Ya`qub is saying that the sceptre would remain in the family of Judah forever – Shiloh would be the eschatological ruler and descendant of Judah that would bring on the Kingdom of God and everlasting peace.

 

For Christians, Jesus is Shiloh, and the “sceptre” is his upon his return. This is an interpretation that came about in the 2^nd century, when the Church Fathers were identifying possible allusions to Jesus in the Old Testament. However, Jesus never claims to be Shiloh. The apostles did not make this claim, nor did Paul of Tarsus, and neither does the New Testament. The belief that Jesus is Shiloh is therefore a part of the theology about Jesus rather than a teaching of Jesus and the authors of the New Testament. This identification is made with the assumption that Jesus is the fulfillment of all Old Testament prophecies (including the “Second Moses” idea) and that no one was to come after him. I find no reason to find certainty in the guesswork of the Church Fathers.

 

For Jews, the identity of Shiloh is debated. The Talmud is text that is central to Rabbinical Judaism, and it is a collection of the oral discourses of Rabbis and Rabbinical schools on the topics of law, jurisprudence, history, and lore. In the Talmud, Sanhedrin 98b, the different Rabbis debate the reason for the creation of the world. One school says that the world was created for Moses’ sake, and another says that it was created for David’s sake. The final opinion presented is Johanan’s, which says that the world was created for the Messiah’s sake:

 

"Rabbi Johanan said, ‘The world was created for the sake of the Messiah, what is this Messiah’s name?’ The school of Rabbi Shila said, ‘his name is Shiloh, for it is written, until Shiloh comes. (Genesis 49:10)’" (Babylonian Talmud, Sanhedrin 98b)

 

Here, not only is it said that the world was created for the Messiah, but one school argues that his name would be Shiloh in order to fulfill the prophecy of Genesis 49. However, this too is guesswork, as we can see from the following sentences:

 

“The School of R. Haninah maintained: His name is Haninah, as it is written, Where I will not give you Haninah (Jeremiah 16:13). Others say: His name is Menahem the son of Hezekiah, for it is written, Because Menahem [‘the comforter’], that would relieve my soul, is far. (Lamentations 1:16) The Rabbis said: His name is ‘the leper scholar,’ as it is written, Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him a leper, smitten of God, and afflicted.” (Isaiah) (Babylonian Talmud, Sanhedrin 98b).

 

In short, the Jewish Rabbis had no consensus on what the name of the forthcoming Messiah would be. Basing their arguments on their interpretations of the Scripture, some argued it would be Shiloh, but others argued it would be Haninah, Menahem, the “Leper Scholar”, and other names. Again, this is mere scholarly guesswork, and Jewish scholars had no means of ascertaining the real name of the Messiah, or even the meaning of “Shiloh”.

 

Does Genesis 49:10 have an alternative interpretation? Possibly – if we can establish a reasonable explanation of the words “till Shiloh comes”. “The sceptre shall not depart from Judah” – meaning, divine kingship would belong to his descendants, such as David, Solomon, Hezekiah, and Jesus – “till Shiloh comes” – meaning, until the coming of Shiloh, who would not be from the descendants of Judah. Shiloh’s coming would represent the transfer of the covenant and the kingdom from one family to another.

Jesus said, “Therefore I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit” (Matthew 21:43). Jesus was the final “Messiah” (anointed king) of the Jews and the descendants of Judah. In this verse, Jesus announces that Allah has now taken the kingdom from the Jews (the covenant, the final victory, and the eschatological rule) and given it to another people. This verse would support our understanding of Genesis 49:10. The sceptre belonged to Judah’s descendants, and Allah empowered them and made them hujaj, but that favour would last only until the coming of Shiloh. When Shiloh comes, authority would move to another person and another group.

 

That person is Muhammad (pbuh) and that group is the Ahl al-Bayt. The covenant was lifted from the Israelites and was given to their Ishmaelite successors. The Jews were expecting “the Prophet”, known as the Second Moses, who would bring a new Law that the world was awaiting and receive a new covenant, and Muhammad is the most similar man to Moses in history. The Jews were expecting the liberation of Arabia and the guidance of the Arabs onto the straight path. Jesus spoke of the coming of the “Spirit of Truth”, who would be one who would speak on God’s behalf and lead the people into all truths. The Psalms talk about the “meek” who shall inherit the Earth, who are the Prophet and the Ahl al-Bayt. The Prophet and his family forbearingly suffered, but remained steadfast upon their religion.

 

Let’s look at the word “Shiloh” etymologically again. The Latin Vulgate renders it as “the messenger”. The word “messenger” (رسول) is mentioned over 400 times in the Qur’an, mostly in reference to Muhammad (pbuh), whose primary title in Islam is “the Messenger” or “the Messenger of Allah”. The Prophet’s companions would never call him by his first name; rather, they would mostly refer to him as “Messenger of Allah”. While the word “messenger” has been used to describe other prophets in the Qur’an, when “ar-rasul” is said in the Qur’an and hadiths, it is almost always in reference to Muhammad (pbuh).

 

The Syriac and Greek translations refer to Shiloh as the one to whom the sceptre belongs. This does not give us much information on the identity of Shiloh, except perhaps that he has more right to the sceptre than previous possessors. In Islam, the Prophet is the best of all of creation – he is the one for whose sake the world was created – and therefore, more authority belongs to him than any other hujja.

 

The final meaning is the Hebrew root, which means “peaceable”. Consider what the Prophet was called in jahiliyya. Before he received revelation and announced his prophethood, Muhammad (pbuh) was known by two titles: as-Sadiq and al-Amin. The significance of as-Sadiq will be discussed in a later post. The word Amin means “trustworthy” and “honest”, but it comes from the root word أمن which means “safety, peace, security”. This is a clear connection to the word Shiloh. al-Amin was the title given to the Prophet for his good character. Most notably, during jahiliyya, the Prophet gained this trust after finding a peaceful solution to a dispute between the Meccan tribes. The tribes had been arguing over who would have the honour of restoring the Black Stone into its rightful place. The Prophet then proposed that the stone is placed on a cloth, and the tribal chiefs would then hold the corners of the cloth and carry the stone to its place together.

 

Furthermore, the following verses in Genesis 49 describe Shiloh:

 

“The obedience of the nations shall be his… His eyes shall be red with wine, and his teeth white with milk”. (Genesis 49:10, 49:12)

 

There is some confusion as to whether verses 10-12 refer to Judah or to Shiloh, but if it refers to Shiloh, there are more parallels to our Prophet. The first is the colour of his eyes. According to Ibn Hawash, the Syrian Jewish rabbi who described the forthcoming Prophet to the people of Yathrib, “In his eyes there is redness” (في عينيه حمرة). This seems to be a reference to the prophecy of Genesis 49, which is being applied to the awaited Prophet.

 

Jabir b. Samura described the Holy Prophet’s eyes in Jami` Tirmidhi, where he says, “In his eyes there was a touch of redness” (كانَ فِي عَينَيْهِ تَمَزُّجٌ من حُمْرَة).

Furthermore, the Prophet’s teeth were described as notably white. In a narration of Imam al-Hasan in `Uyoon Akhbar ar-Rida, he says that “his teeth were a bright white” (أَشْنَبَ مُفَلَّجَ الأَسْنَانِ) and “he looked splendid when he laughed and also his white teeth could be seen”.

 

The mentioning of milk is also interesting, as it was the beverage of choice in the ascension (mi`raj) of the Prophet. In Bukhari, the Prophet narrates, “I came out and Gabriel brought me a vessel of wine and a vessel of milk. I chose the milk, and Gabriel said, 'You have chosen al-fitra, the natural way'.”

 

Remember, there were many Jews that had accepted the Prophet prior to his migration to Medina. Many from the Aws, Khazraj, and the Nadhir tribes accepted him and pleaded him to establish a government in Medina. `Abdullah b. Salam, the Jewish rabbi, also narrated that he had been studying the name, genealogy, and characteristics of the Prophet, and comparing it to what he had seen in the Scriptures. `Abdullah privately concluded that Muhammad was the Prophet. It’s possible that he made the Shiloh-Muhammad connection, studying his titles and his features. `Abdullah even said that he confirmed the veracity of the Prophet after looking at his face. More allusions to the Prophet’s appearance in Jewish scripture will be coming in future posts.

 

This interpretation to the identity of Shiloh fits Genesis 49 perfectly, as Muhammad (pbuh) was the peaceable messenger, to whom the obedience of all people is due, whose divine rule would mark the end of Judah’s family and the beginning of a new age of divine authority – the rule of Ahl al-Bayt.

Edited March 7, 2014 by Qa'im

[Qa'im]

Part 5: The Time of Restoration

 

In Part 1 and other posts, we covered the Jewish expectations for "the Prophet" - a prophet like Moses that was expected to rise and speak the word of God. We believe that prophecy was echoed again explicitly in Isaiah 42, where God prophesies the salvation of the Arabs from idolatry. When Yahya (as) came, the Jews asked if he was this Prophet, to which he said no. One objection to the point that Muhammad (pbuh) was the fulfillment of Deuteronomy 18:18 (the Second Moses prophecy) is that this Prophet was to come out from among the "brethren" of the Israelites. Meaning, the Jews expected an Israelite Prophet and not an Arab Prophet.

 

Firstly, Judaism does not reject the possibility that a prophet may arise from the Gentiles. After all, Rabbinical literature calls Ayyub (as) "one of the prophets of the Gentiles" (ib. 15b; Seder 'Olam R. xxi.). Secondly, we know that the Ishmaelites are the Abrahamic brothers of the Israelites. But many Jews still insisted that the Prophet must be Jewish, as the Ishmaelites are not really the "brothers" of the Israelites in the Biblical language. Christians and Jews have argued that the Ishmaelites are never referred to as the "brothers of the Jews" in the Bible. But this argument is defeated by Deuteronomy 23:7, where God tells the Jews, “You shall not abhor an Edomite, for he is your brother. You shall not abhor an Egyptian, because you were a sojourner in his land." Who are the Edomites? The Edomites are the descendants of Esau, the son of Isaac. The Israelites were the descendents of Ya`qub, the son of Isaac. This verse establishes the principle that the son of your uncle is still your brother. Therefore, it would also be appropriate to say that the Ishmaelites were the brothers of the Israelites.

 

Still, according to our hadith literature, the Prophet's very race endangered him. In the story of Bahira the Monk, Abu Talib (ra) took a young Muhammad (pbuh) to Syria. On the way there, a Christian monk named Bahira noticed a cloud following their caravan. He immediately stopped the caravan and invited the people to dinner. The Prophet, who was only a child as the time, was left to watch over the cattle. Bahira then specifically invited the Prophet inside, where he noticed that possessed the physical qualities of the expected Prophet. We'll be discussing those qualities in a future post iA. Bahira then tells Abu Talib to turn back to Arabia, for if the Jews were to find out that this Prophet was an Ishmaelite, they would kill him.

 

The above story is in Sunni lore, but we have a hadith from Imam al-Baqir (as) that relates a similar story involving a Kitabi scholar. After the birth of the Prophet, a man from the People of the Book examined his body and fell unconscious. Then:

 

فَلَمَّا خَرَجُوا أَفَاقَ فَقَالُوا لَهُ مَا لَكَ وَيْلَكَ قَالَ ذَهَبَتْ نُبُوَّةُ بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ إِلَى يَوْمِ الْقِيَامَةِ هَذَا وَ اللَّهِ مَنْ يُبِيرُهُمْ فَفَرِحَتْ قُرَيْشٌ بِذَلِكَ فَلَمَّا رَآهُمْ قَدْ فَرِحُوا قَالَ قَدْ فَرِحْتُمْ أَمَا وَ اللَّهِ لَيَسْطُوَنَّ بِكُمْ سَطْوَةً يَتَحَدَّثُ بِهَا أَهْلُ الْمَشْرِقِ وَ الْمَغْرِبِ

 

When the man woke up, and they said to him: "Woe unto you, what happened to you?" He said: "Prophethood has left the Children of Israel until the Day of Resurrection. This [boy], by Allāh, will destroy them." The Quraysh were happy by this, when he saw them happy he (the man) said: "You are happy, by Allāh, he will rule over you and he will speak to the people of the east and the west."

 

The thought that "Prophethood has left the Children of Israel until the Day of Resurrection" is perhaps an echo of the verse on Shiloh - that the scepter remained in the family of Judah until the coming of the Messenger.

 

So is this "Prophet" mentioned elsewhere in the Scriptures? Yes, and it seems that few people have caught onto the references. InshaAllah I'll be sharing them in this post.

 

John 7

 

In the Gospel of John, chapter 7, Jesus goes to the Festival of Tabernacles. This is a day called Sukut, after Yom Kippur, where the Jews are encouraged to make pilgrimage to the Temple in Jerusalem. Jesus goes there to preach, express his dissatisfaction with his community, and announce his mission from God. Upon hearing his words, the onlookers then asked: who is this man? "On hearing his words, some of the people said, “Surely this man is the Prophet.” Others said, “He is the Messiah.” (John 7:40-41) Here, we see that the people disagreed on the identity of Jesus, applying two separate and distinct prophecies to him. As the beginning of this Gospel establishes, the Jews were awaiting the Prophet and the Messiah. According to Christian commentaries, the Prophet here is the Prophet like unto Moses of Deuteronomy 18:18. It's important to mention that the onlookers did not try to reconcile these two expectations - for the Prophet and for the Messiah - into one person. Jesus was either the Messiah or the Prophet, and not both. We continue:

 

Still others asked, “How can the Messiah come from Galilee? Does not Scripture say that the Messiah will come from David’s descendants and from Bethlehem, the town where David lived?” Thus the people were divided because of Jesus. Some wanted to seize him, but no one laid a hand on him. (John 7:41-44)

 

The people then say that Jesus cannot be the Messiah, because he comes from Galilee. However the response to this is, Jesus was born in Bethlehem, and therefore he can be the Messiah that the Jews expected. But can Jesus be "the Prophet"?

 

They replied, "Are you from Galilee, too? Search the Scriptures and see for yourself--no prophet ever comes from Galilee!" (John 7:52)

 

So regardless of where the Prophet is born, he cannot be one who comes from Galilee, which is where Jesus is coming from. So in John 7, the onlookers conclude that Jesus cannot be the Prophet, but the possibility that he is the Messiah is left open. Therefore, we can argue that the Jews expected two distinct figures, and Jesus was not the awaited Prophet like unto Moses.

 

Acts 3

 

This expectation of the Prophet did not just remain among the Jews, but it shifted over to the apostles of Jesus. The clearest indication of this is in the Book of Acts. Simon Peter, who is one of the top apostles of Jesus, performs a miracle. Afterwards, he tells the onlookers the following:

 

Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord, and that he may send the Messiah, who has been appointed for you—even Jesus. Heaven must receive him until the time comes for God to restore everything, as he promised long ago through his holy prophets. For Moses said, ‘The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own people; you must listen to everything he tells you. Anyone who does not listen to him will be completely cut off from their people. (Acts 3:19-23)

 

In this chapter, Peter argues that the Jews caused Jesus to be persecuted and handed over for crucifixion, and so God took Jesus up to heaven. The Messiah would only be sent back if the Jews turn to God, repent, and cleanse themselves of sin. Peter then makes an interesting point - that Jesus must remain in heaven until God brings about His promised "Restoration". The verse Peter references in elaboration of this Restoration is none other than Deuteronomy 18:18, which echoes this prophecy in the coming of a Prophet like Moses.

 

Christian Church Fathers of the second century argued that Jesus was this Second Moses, but we can see that this was not the earliest opinion. The Jews were expecting the Messiah to be distinct from the Prophet, and that Prophet was not expected to come from Galilee. In Acts, Peter suggests that this Restoration must occur before the Messiah is sent. The Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), being the most similar man to Moses in history, has clearly "beat" Jesus to this prophecy.

 

Community Rule

 

The Dead Sea Scrolls are a collection of hundreds of texts and fragments written between the 5th century BCE and 4th century CE. The texts were written by mystical Jewish Essenes, Zadokites, and sectarian Jews. The significance of the texts is that they shed light on the Hebrew and Aramaic communities that Jesus would rise in.

 

One important document in the Dead Sea Scrolls is surviving text called "Community Rule". Community Rule was probably written in the 2nd century BCE, and it contains a set of regulations ordering the life of the members of the group within the Judean Desert sect who chose to live communally and whose members accepted strict rules of conduct. This fragment cites the admonitions and punishments to be imposed on violators of the rules, the method of joining the group, the relations between the members, their way of life, and their beliefs. The sect divided humanity between the righteous and the wicked and asserted that human nature and everything that happens in the world are irrevocably predestined. The scroll ends with songs of praise to God.

 

The entire document can be found here: http://www.ericlevy.com/Revel/DeadSeaScrolls/Vermes%20-%20CDDSE%20p97-117%20Community%20Rule.PDF

 

One part of Community Rule is especially relevant:

 

The sons of Aaron alone shall command in matters of justice and property, and every rule concerning the men of the Community shall be determined according to their word. As for the property of the men of holiness who walk in perfection, it shall not be merged with that of the men of injustice who have not purified their life by separating themselves from iniquity and walking in the way of perfection. They shall depart from none of the counsels of the Law to walk in all the stubbornness of their hearts, but shal be ruled by the primitive precepts in which the men of the Community were first instructed until there shall come the Prophet, and the Messiahs of Aaron and Israel. (Dead Sea Scrolls, Community Rule)

 

Here, the text says that the children of Aaron (i.e. the Cohens) are to rule according to the Torah in jurisprudential issues. The counsels of the Law would be referred to with respect to the sinners, until the coming of the Prophet and the Messiahs. The explicit mentioning of "the Prophet" is striking, especially in relation to the Law. Most academics agree that this Prophet is the one mentioned in Deuteronomy, the Prophet like unto Moses. The second point is that "Messiah" is pluralized, which again, supports the idea of multiple messianic figures. Earlier in this series, we noted that mystical Jews expected multiple eschatological figures. The Dead Sea Scrolls are full of references to dual Messianism, because Jewish kingdoms had two leaders: One statesman or king, and one prophet. Here, Community Rule seems to mention the expectation for the return of this dual leadership. This fits Islamic eschatology, which puts al-Mahdi (as) at the top of the final kingdom, while Jesus' role is more priestly.

 

In conclusion, the prophecy of Deuteronomy 18:18 was not one that was hidden away and unnoticed. The Jews and the Christians actively expected the fulfillment of this prophecy. And rightfully so - a Prophet like Moses would restore Allah's religion and usher in the end times.