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PART FIVE
The Truth About The Final Prophet
Muhammad (may Allah's blessings and peace be upon him) the son of Abdullah, was born in Makkah around the year 570 C.E. He was known by his people as AI-Amin (the trustworthy one).
When Muhammad reached the age of 40, the angel Gabriel came to him with revelation. Muhammad was first ordered to instruct his immediate family to Islam, including his wife Khadija, and eventually it was revealed to him that he should begin delivering the message to all mankind. In the next years of his life, he communicated the message of Allah (God) to others, set an excellent example and was a perfect role model for humanity. In the year 632, Prophet Muhammad departed from this world at the age of sixty-three.
The Prophet's mosque in Madinah
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Prophet Muhammad (may God's blessings and peace be upon him) is called "the Seal of the Prophets". He was the final prophet and was sent to confirm all the truth that was revealed before him, including the origi na I Gospel of Jesus.
The Glorious Qur'an does testify that IIMuhammad is the Messenger of Allah, and Seal of the prophets" (33:40).
Confirming the link between him and Jesus, Prophet Muhammad mentioned, "If a man believes in Jesus and then believes in me [Muhammad], he will get a double reward. "
Also, Prophet Muhammad stated, III am the nearest of all the people to Jesus, the son of Mary; for there was no prophet between me and him [Jesus]. "
These Prophetic sayings show us how Muhammad honored Jesus (may God's blessings and peace be upon them). This was a prophecy which Jesus made in the Bible. I will present it after a while.
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PROPHET MUHAMMAD'S GREAT PERSONALITY
Muhammad, from his childhood, through his youth, through his prophethood until his death, has been seen by fair people, throughout history, as a special and great personality in his unique character and morals. He was merciful, honest, sincere, kind, and humble. Every detail of his private life and public utterances has been accurately and authentically documented and faithfully preserved up to the present day.
He was a prophet, a messenger, a religious teacher, a social reformer, a moral guide, a leader, a statesman, a faithful friend, a wonderful companion, a devoted husband, a loving father.
In this regard, Ramakrishna Rao, an Indian Professor of Philosophy, in his booklet, Muhammad: The Prophet of Islam, calls him the jjperfect model for human life". Prof. Rao clarifies:
The personality of Muhammad, it is most difficult to get into the whole truth of it. Only a glimpse of it I can catch. What a dramatic succession of picturesque scenes! There is Muhammad, the Prophet. There is Muhammad, the Warrior; Muhammad, the Business man; Muhammad, the Statesman; Muhammad, the Orator; Muhammad, the Reformer; Muhammad, the Refuge of Orphans; Muhammad, the Protector of Slaves;
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Muhammad, the Emancipator of Women; Muhammad, the Judge; Muhammad, the Saint. All in all these mag nificent roles, in all these departments of human activities, he is alike a hero.
Historically, during a short period of about twenty three years of his Prophethood, he changed the complete Arabian peninsula ...
| • From tribal quarrels and wars to solidarity and cohesion | . |
| $ From drunkenness and debauchery to sobriety and piety | . |
f!) From lawlessness and anarchy to disciplined living ...
~ From utter moral bankruptcy to the highest standards of moral excellence.
Human history has never known such a complete transformation of a society or a place before or since and imagine ... all these unbelievable wonders in just
over two decades.
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PROPHET MUHAMMAD
IN THE WORLD'S SCRIPTURES
While it is not the main theme of this book to detail all the prophecies in other religious scriptures foretelling the coming of Prophet Muhammad, I should mention that Muslim scholars have noted such in the Parsi, Hindu, Buddhist, Jewish, and Christian scriptures.
Indeed, Muhammad in other scriptures is a very interesting topic which has been thoroughly discussed in many books and articles, as well as on the internet. (To get more information about this topic, you may go
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to Dr. Zakir Naik's website, www.irf.net. or just search the Internet typing these words: "Prophet Muhammad", IIMuhammad in the Hindu scripturesll, IIMuhammad in the Biblell, etc.).
Among the books, for example, A. H. Vidyarthi and U.
Ali have written a book entitled Muhammad in Parsi, Hindu, and Buddhist Scriptures.
In his wonderful book, Muhammad in the Bible, Professor Abdul-Ahad Dawud (formerly the Reverend David Benjamin) comments on the Bible foretelling the
advent of the prophet who
is "like unto thee Moses", explaining:
We read the following words in the Book of Deuteronomy, chapter 18, verse 18: "I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee; and I will put my words in his mouth." If these words do not apply to Muhammad, they
still remain unfulfilled. Jesus himself never claimed to be the Prophet alluded to ... Jesus, as is believed by his Church, will appear as a Judge and not as a law-giver; but the promised one has to come with a "fiery law" in "his right hand': Deut. 33:2
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Muslim scholars assert that this prophecy applies to none other than Muhammad. Moses and Muhammad are alike in many ways. They both have the same first letter of their names. They are alike in their natural births, marriages, missions, and natural deaths. Both were prophets, rulers, leaders, and statesmen. Both brought a IIfiery lawll. On the other hand, Jesus is unlike Moses in several matters. His birth, mission, and end are unlike those of Moses. Jesus did not get married; nor did he; rule his people or fight in wars like Moses.
It is worth mentioning that "a prophet from among their brethren" refers to a prophet from the brothers of the Israelites (Le., the Ishmaelites).
In the New Testament of the Bible, Jesus also prophesied the coming of another Comforter. Jesus declared, "and He shall give you another Comforter" (John 14:16).
In addition, Jesus said:
Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is for your good that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you. And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment. .. I have yet many things
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to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. How be it when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, [that] shall he speak: and he will show you things to come. He shall glorify me ... (John 16:7-14)
Indeed, Muslim scholars state that it is only Muhammad who completely fulfilled Jesus' prophecy for many reasons. To mention some:
& Jesus' reference to "another Comforter" cannot apply to the Holy Spirit since the Holy Spirit (part of the Holy Trinity - God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit, according to the Christians who believe in it) was there before and during the mission of Jesus, according to the Bible, while the Comforter was to come after.
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$ He showed us things to come through many prophecies and miracles given to him by the one who sent him, Allah.
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e Muhammad and the Glorious Qur'an indeed glorified Jesus highly. In honor of him, Muslims like to name their children Esa (Arabic for Jesus).
Furthermore, when the Jews asked John the Baptist who he was, he denied being the Christ or Elijah or that Prophet. " ... Who are you? And he (John) confessed, I am not the Christ. And then they asked him, What then? Are you Elijah? And he said, I am not. Are you that Prophet? And he answered, No." (John 1:19-21)
Again, Muslim scholars argue that Muhammad is the one referred to in this Biblical text:
"Are you that Prophet? And he answered, No". So, who is that Prophet? Clearly "that Prophet" does not apply to John the Baptist nor to Jesus the Christ, as John testified himself.
Therefore, a wise, honest, and sincere seeker of the truth should objectively ask:
If) Who is that Prophet?
e> Who is the true Prophet that came after John and Jesus conveying their original message about the one true God alone?
He is Muhammad!
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EXCERPTS OF WHAT THEY SAID ABOUT PROPHET MUHAMMAD
A great deal has been written about the Prophet Muhammad (may Allah's blessings and peace be upon him). Below are just some statements said by well-known figu res:
Lamartine (the famous historian) mentioned, "If greatness of purpose, smallness of means and outstanding results are the three criteria of human genius, who could dare to compare any great man in modern history with Muhammad?"
He concluded, "As regards all the standards by which Human Greatness may be measured, we may well ask, Is there any man greater than he?"
(Histoire De La Turqvie, Paris 1854 - Vol. II, pp. 276 - 277)
In his book, The 100: A Ranking Of The Most Influential Persons In History, Michael H. Hart stated:
My choice of Muhammad to lead the list of the world's most influential persons may surprise some readers and may be questioned by others, but he was the only man in history who was supremely successful on both the religious and secular levels.
Hart concluded that, "it is this unparalleled combination of secular and religious influence which I feel entitles Muhammad to be considered the most influential single figure in human history." 10
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In his book, The Genuine Islam, Sir George Bernard Shaw said:
I believe that if a man like him were to assume the leadership of the modern world he would succeed in solving its problems in a way that would bring to this world much needed peace and happiness.
Shaw added that, "He was by far the most remarkable man that ever set foot on this earth. He preached a religion, founded a state, built a nation, laid down a moral code, initiated numerous social and political reforms, established a powerful and dynamic society to practice
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and represent his teachings and completely revolutionized the worlds of human thought and behavior for aI/ times to come."
(The Genuine Islam, Vol. 1, 1936)
Mahatma Gandhi pointed out:
I became more than convinced that it was not the sword
that won a place for Islam in those days in the scheme of life. It was the rigid simplicity, the utter self effacement of the Prophet, the scrupulous regard for
| his pledges, his intense | , |
| devotion to his friends and | I |
| fa I/o wers, his intrepidity, his | " |
fearlessness, his absolute
trust in God and in his own mission. (Young India Newspaper)
Wolfgang Goethe (the most famous European poet) believed that:
He is a prophet and not a poet and therefore his Koran is to be seen as a divine law and not as a book of a human being, made for education or entertainment.
(Noten und Abhandlungen zum Weststlichen Dvan, WA I, 7, 32)
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The Encyclopedia Britannica (Vol. 12) cited:
... A mass of detail in the early sources show that he was an honest and upright man who had gained the respect and loyalty of others who were like-wise honest and upright men. ~~ ••• Mohammad is the most successful of all Prophets and religious personalities. "
Thomas Carlyle, in his book, Heroes and Hero worship! stated:
How one man single-handedly, could weld warring tribes and wandering Bedouins into a most powerful and civilized nation in less than two decades." ... 'The lies (Western slander) which well-meaning zeal has heaped round this man (Muhammad) are disgraceful to ourselves only.
In a more recent work, John Esposito (who is a university professor of religion and international affairs, Director of the Center for International Studies at the College of the Holy Cross, and Founding Director of PAST Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding, Georgetown University, USA) pointed out in his book, Islam: The Straight Path, that: "Muhammad was among those great religious figures, prophets and founders of religions, whose remarkable character and personality inspired
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uncommon confidence and commitment. His pheno menal success in attracting followers and creating a community-state that dominated Arabia could be attri buted not only to the fact that he was a shrewd military strategist but also to the fact that he was an unusual man ... Muhammad's followers found him righteous, trustworthy, pious, honest and compassionate." (Esposito, 2004)
He clarified that "Muhammad was not the founder of Islam; he did not start a new religion."
Professor Esposito stressed this fact:
Islam brought a reformation; it was the call once again to total submission (Islam) to Allah and the implementation of His will as revealed in its complete form one final time to Muhammad, the last, or 'seal,' of the prophets. Thus, for Muhammad, Islam was not a new faith but the restoration of the true faith ... 11
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BEAUTIFUL PROPHETIC SAYINGS
Do you still remember what was mentioned in Part One (Just the Tip of the Iceberg) of this book? The concepts mentioned there are based on the guidance of the Qur1an and the sayings of Prophet Muhammad. Below are just some examples of the Prophetic sayings, to give you a taste of their beauty and sweetness:
e A good word is charity.
$ A sincere smile is charity.
<9 The best of you are the best in character.
& Removing a harmful thing from the path (road) is charity. ~ The best [aspect] of faith is patience and tolerance.
~ A man asked the Messenger of Allah: "Which aspect of Islam is best?" He replied, "Feed and greet both those you know and those you do not know."
Moreover, the Prophet Muhammad (may Allah's blessings and peace be upon him) said:
~ None of you truly believes until he wishes for his brother what he wishes for himself.
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" The powerful is not he who knocks the other down, indeed the powerful is he who controls himself in a fit of anger.
~ God does not judge you according to your bodies and appearances but he scans your hearts and looks into your deeds.
~ The best of you [is he] who is best to his family, and I am the best among you to my family .
• The best of you are those who are best to their women. e The best of Islam is to behave with gentleness and tolerance.
e The best people are those most beneficial to [other] people. 12
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These are just some examples of the Prophetic wise, wonderful, and golden sayings.
Practicing what he said and taught, Prophet Muhammad's dealings and actions with others reflected his special and unique personality in his morals, mercy, honesty, sincerity, kindness, truthfulness, humbleness, generosity, forgiveness, patience, and tolerance, as well as many other great qualities. The stories, examples and proofs of these magnificent personal attributes of the final Prophet are too numerous to mention in detail here. Let us take just one example.
~ After his Makkan opponents rejected him and disbelieved in his message, Islam ...
What was the reaction of Muhammad towards his Makkan enemies when he entered Makkah and liberated it from idolatry and paganism?
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In the wake of the Muhammad's and the Muslims' great victory and in the climax of their joy, rapture and happiness at coming back home to the Sacred City of Makkah - Prophet Muhammad gathered together the Makkans, who were afraid that he would harm or kill them in revenge for their past abuse and killing of Muslims.13
Muhammad asked them, "What do you think I am going to do with you?" They answered, IIYou are a generous brother and the son of an honorable brother of ours.1I Then, the kind, tolerant, generous and merciful Prophet forgave them, announcing: "No harm will come to you. You may go. You are free."
~ Have you ever seen such a scene? & Have you ever heard such a story?
~ Can you sense the Prophet's mercy?
Describing this unprecedented historical event, Professor John Esposito stated:
Eschewing vengeance and the plunder of conquest, the Prophet instead accepted a settlement, granting amnesty rather than wielding the sword toward his former enemies. For their part, the Meccans converted to Islam, accepted Muhammad's leadership, and were incorporated within the umma (Muslim community).
~
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In contrast, are you aware of what atrocities various IIsuper-powerll nations committed when they have unjustly attacked, invaded, and tortured others, through out human history?
Actually, the more we discover about Muhammad's life, the more we come to realize his excellent conduct and character, and that he is, indeed, "sent as a mercy to all peoples" (the Glorious Qur'an, 21:107).
Prophet Muhammad said, "I have been sent to perfect the noble traits of character. "
Confirming this fact, the Glorious Qur'an reported, "Indeed, you are of a great moral character." (68:4)
