It is simply amazing when one thinks about it. How great and wonderful Jesus (pbh) is and yet he will be standing and waiting for Muhammad (pbh) to come and get the Gates of Paradise to open or else he can’t get in!
The truth of the matter is that according to correct hadith material there is a special Angel who stands guard over the entrance gate to Paradise and who has been given orders NOT TO OPEN THE GATE UNTIL MUHAMMAD COMES AND KNOCKS ON THE GATE. In other words, Paradise will remain closed until the order is given to open those Gates AND THE ONLY ONE APPOINTED FOR THIS TASK IS THE MESSEANGER OF ALLAH – MUHAMMAD (pbh).
This of course is the Paradise of Forever that exists not on Earth but in the heavens or the ‘Real’ Paradise. And see with wisdom what he (pbh) says about himself in that he declares correctly that he (Muhammad) is no more than a man Q (18: 110).
Anas b. Malik reported: The Messenger of Allah (pbh) said, “I will come to the gate of Paradise on the Day of Resurrection and would seek its opening. The {one appointed by ALLAh as} keeper of these gates would say, ‘Who are you’? I would say, “Muhammad.” He {the Angel in charge of this special Gate} would then say, ‘It is for {only} you that I have been ordered {to open the Gate}, and NOT to open it for anyone before you. (Muslim)
This is only fitting due to the office of ‘lead prophet’ which has been shown in various guises from the Dead Sea Scrolls (he who is the king sitting at the head of the table with the ‘priest of GOD’ (the Christ) sitting at his right hand; the one who on his night journey to the heavens stopped in Jerusalem and all the other prophets prayed behind him; the command of GOD to the other prophets to support The Prophet to come as the last prophet thus signifying the ‘oneness of faith’ Q (3: 81) and the stamp of unity on that belief system collectively called the faith or now completed in form and described as ISLAM; the ‘two’ who journeyed together in some format as expressed by Isaiah (pbh) as the man on the donkey having discourse with the man on the camel and the Prophet’s saying that ‘there is no prophet that comes between himself and Jesus’ to name just a few examples.
And (remember) when ALLAH took the Covenant of the {collective} prophets saying; “Take whatever I gave you from the Book and the Hikmah (understanding of the Laws of ALLAH), and afterwards there will come to you a Messenger {Muhammad} confirming what is with you; you must then believe in him and help him.” ALLAH said; “Do you agree {to observe this Command} and will you take up MY Covenant?” They {the prophets among whom was the Christ-soul} said; “We agree.” HE said; “Then bear witness; and I am with you among the witnesses (for this). Q (3: 81)
Nay, he (Muhammad) has come with the truth {concerning the religion} and he confirms the rightful and truthful Prophets who came before him {who brought ALLAH’s religion to the various peoples.} Q (37: 37)
Verily, those who give (their pledge) to you (Muhammad) {concerning your faith and your way} they are giving {no less} their plight to ALLAH {the ONLY GOD}. The Hand of ALLAH is over their hands. Then whosoever breaks his pledge, breaks it only to his own harm; and whoever fulfils what he has covenanted with ALLAH, HE will bestow on HIM a great reward.* Q (48: 10)
It is HE (ALLAH) Who has sent HIS Messenger (Muhammad) with guidance and the religion of truth (ISLAM) that HE may make it {this religion} superior to all religions. And all Sufficient is ALLAH as a WITNESS {to this}. Q (48: 28)
ALLAH sends HIS Salat (Grace, Honor, Blessings and Mercy) on the Prophet (Muhammad) and also HIS angels {do this}. O you who {claim} to believe! Send your prayers and greetings on him by asking ALLAH to bless him (Muhammad) and salute him with the Islamic way of greeting. Q (33: 56)
Say (O Muhammad): “I am only a man like you. It has been revealed to me that your GOD is ONE GOD. So whoever hopes for the meeting with his LORD, let him work righteousness and associate none as a partner in the worship of his LORD.” Q (18: 110)
*This verse has a temporal meaning and an overall meaning. As the Quran is for all times to come, the meaning is also for all times to come. The person thus swears his allegiance to the ONE GOD that he/she will follow the guidelines of Islam. To do this, one must believe earnestly in following the practices of the Prophet (pbh) as best as their mental and physical conditions will allow. This includes believing in ONE GOD in the purest form and believing and following the Sunnah as much as possible while depending on the ONE GOD to elevate his/her soul, forgive their sins and admit them to the Gardens of the Righteous!
That gives us a good reason to use proper caution when attempting to ponder on the excellence of Jesus (pbh), or anyone else for that matter for there are many wonderful and splendid things, but while doing so keep things in a proper perspective.**
**Putting this thought into the proper perspective is very difficult for many people who have become ‘mesmerized’ by the priest class and doctrine makers who have taken the Christ’s pathway to salvation – first for himself and then as a proper Guide for others (Epistle of the Hebrews) – as something of a ‘beyond supernatural act’. And part of his guidance is to believe in and follow the Spirit of truth!
Expressing these views to the ‘uninitiated’, however, would make them incredulous to any other idea except their own. The real ‘enlightenment’ happens when the soul awakens to a ‘proper reality’ concerning GOD and their fellow man.
The truth of the matter which has been expressed by the CREATOR HIMSELF is that HIS WORD will be victorious in the end. Therefore, a ‘tuning in’ on what makes a person worthy to be just considered for salvation or eternal happiness is worth the struggle of trying to understand the relationship between man and GOD in respect to the human existence.
This WORD is the Quran which is the chosen Message for the paradise on Earth (the so-called one-thousand year reign of the Christ kingdom followed by an x number of years before the sweet wind is sent) and which is guaranteed to be 100% accurate by those who do not cover up the truth.
So many people have been known to cover up the truth for their own personal glory or for riches that will guarantee a so-called ‘life’ in this world. All what is needed is honesty and courage to combat this but that is a hard ‘beast’ to win as doubts about ‘survival’ always seem to creep in.
The main purpose of these articles was to present what is called ‘Tawheed’ to the readers especially those who call themselves Jews or Christians. Tawheed is the most essential element in the belief system man calls religion.
The notion that GOD is ONE as a message that has been given to humanity may seem simple if not obtuse in many cases. However, one can see how that message has been abused by different individuals who try to make a ‘job’ of being divisive. The idea that GOD is ONE is a simple one but what the people have done with it appears complicated.
Hence, my offering on tackling some of the so-called great barriers that act as ‘blinders’ to the truth. For example, an offering up of certain connective points that tend to show the connectivity between ideas and concepts could be shown from the declaration of the Prophet (pbh) to pray for Jinnatal Firdous. The logic goes something like this:
For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept, line upon line, line upon line, here a little, there a little. Isaiah (28: 10).
This gives us a sense of piece by piece and step by step activity in the march towards building up to the crescendo of the purpose or goal of life. In other words, we as humans cannot arrive to the ‘great heights’ above in one great leap! It takes a commitment of some kind.
Following this, one gets a picture of living life to be rewarded by the ‘next step’ in being born into the paradise on earth as featured in many hadiths describing this event. Theoretically, the life ‘lived’ under these conditions in this Earthly paradise allows one to bask in the ‘blessedness’ of this Earth as some type of exalted believer ‘earning’ great rewards such as increased blessings (Baraka) to present to ALLAH on the Final Day to be weighed on the scale.
In knowing the ‘transient’ nature of this Earthly paradise, the closer to the time of Jesus’ presence on Earth in his second coming, the better the soul will be in achieving the greater rewards. This is only logical when one considers other hadiths declaring that this time will not last forever but there will come a ‘time’ when souls will degenerate piece by piece until a ‘sweet wind’ will come and take out any human being with the seed of faith in his heart as small as a mustard seed.
The ‘next’ step is the Last Day of Judgment or the collection of all souls together in their nakedness with the first of souls to be dressed that day will be father Abraham. Anyway, the Scales are used and the records are handed out. The greatest of people will have the heaviest of scales on the positive side and those are they who shall have the ‘highest’ places in Paradise.
So, while living in this world, the believer is hopefully praying on the belief that the saying of Prophet Muhammad (pbh) concerning asking ALLAH for Jinnatal Firdous will be granted not as something magical or voodooist but something practical, believable and logical. Hence, the use of this Old Testament verse:
For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept, line upon line, line upon line, here a little, there a little. Isaiah (28: 10).
As was said before, the Prophet (pbh) did not need to go into any logical, philosophical or comparative religious discourse about anything he said or about any ‘scientific verse’ in the Quran. His word was in the purest sense ‘Law’ and that’s the way it was.
Of course, later generations ‘stepped up to bat’ in finding things ‘out’ about certain statements either in the Quran or hadith material bringing a sense and a logical reality to not so righteous generations – basically for clarification and to infuse a sense of sensibility and reason into the mix we call life.
So, according to the last article the reasoning behind the saying of Muhammad’s request for his followers to say: “O! ALLAH grant me Jinnatal Firdous” has been explained – as ALLAH Wills. Once again, if mankind would have it, the true religion is one!
On the other hand, it was necessary to enter ‘dangerous waters’ in trying to explain the fabulous and fantastic phrases often quoted by Christians who wish to maintain the unbelievable, unobtainable, indefensible and untruthful position that GOD has begotten any partner or an equal to HIMSELF or that there are 3 gods operating as one!
These people seem to be stuck on the ‘philosophical’ words that seem to make the Christ-soul as something other than human. Therefore, in many of these articles on Comparative Religion, I relished the challenge, GOD WILLING, of taking on what some of these expressions actually mean. Basically, as the reader has found out, they mean quite something else.
Notice that there was no ‘attack’ leveled against the Books of Faith of the other peoples except to tell the truth. As far as the New Testament is concerned it is a book made up of mainly discussions (Epistles) of the Presbyters to the ‘initiates’ (their followers) into the ‘realities of the new faith’ meaning the proofs and wonders of a man (Jesus) who overcame the world to become that ‘Christ’ in the EYES of his LORD.
Some of these so-called initiates went on the truthful pathway and some went forward (or backward) in inventing their own religious brand. Hence, more and more nonsense was allowed to be spread by those ‘who were with us BUT WENT OUT FROM US’ as the letters of John declared.
They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us. 1 John (2: 19)
In these letters John also refers to these ‘people’ as anti-christs meaning ‘turncoats’ against the truth.
And as was declared before, the Gospels are not perfect either but they do show a real solid tendency of truth. About the crucifixion, which is my favorite topic, these Gospels tell it from the standpoint of what the ‘eyewitnesses’ would have seen which agrees with the Quran. However, in bringing them up to date with the prerogative of the early ‘church thinking,’ certain editing’s took place which tried to clarify, quite wrongly, that Jesus (pbh) was the one hanging on the cross.
This type of editing occurred in earnest after the flamboyant church father Justin Martyr’s attempt at getting at the truth of what happened to Jesus (pbh) during those times of great trouble leading to a crucifixion of some man who actually took the place of Jesus (pbh). This occurred around the amazing date of about 148 AC. Complete and Pure Gospel records do not go back even that far and that says a lot about possible tampering of records due to what school of thought one belonged to.
So, the non-crucifixion was my main thrust into the topic of comparative religion. In order to do this, I had to find out about some of the ‘dramatic expressions’ that Christians used to declare their Christ Crucified. From Isaiah (pbh) in the Old Testament to Paul and others in the New Testament needed to be looked at.
Basically, the illiterate Peter who depended upon his good secretary Glaucus gave the answer into the so-called mysteries surrounding this event. That is to know that certain high-falooten expressions are not always what they seem to be at first glance.
In fact, this has been borne out by the Epistle to the Hebrews and Paul’s fantastic logic which I would declare is not ‘meat for everyone’ – only for the so-called initiates and only for that time.
Well, it served a grand purpose as readers of the Quran should know. WOW! Such a well-planned out strategy from the very beginning is so mind boggling that man can hardly conceive of it! This speaks volumes and volumes about the DOMINANCE, VAST KNOWLEDGE and POWER of the ONE GOD. It also brings forth the great ignorance, foolishness and mental-spiritual rot of those who rejoice in trying to make partners (of the fleshy or non-fleshy kind) with THE MAGNONIMUS and ALL-GLORIOUS CREATOR LORD.
As far as some other things like the saying, ‘a man must be born again of water and the Spirit’, I use this in the ‘comparative sense’ found by comparing and contrasting certain thoughts from hadith literature and parts of the ‘Book of Revelations’.
As to using this so-called topic about ‘other events or happenings’ in general to mankind, I have gone on record as to state that I would not touch this topic even with a ten foot pole! The only other individual concerned with this ‘topic’ is the Christ-soul and his nomination to be the CHRIST AND RETURNEE TO THAT KINGDOM GIVEN TO HIM ON EARTH.
In doing this, that is, concerning him or the Christ-soul, the words expressed about him (pbh) in Isaiah and other Old Testament writings, the Dead Sea Scrolls, the Gospels (mainly the Gospel of John) Paul’s dangerous writings, the Epistle to the Hebrews and Islamic content all go to show what I call the ‘Christ-soul’s influence’ here and there in history. That does not make him any more than a man!!!
One can say that jobs are jobs and fruits are fruits. There are many kinds of jobs and many kinds of fruits. Apples are not grapes so why pretend that they are. They are fruits, however, so that is that.
Anyway, a consistency of meaning is important to establish the true belief in THE ONE GOD ACROSS ALL TIME AND ALL BARRIERS INCLUDING MAN’S DISFRANCHISEMENT IN HIS BEING FORCED TO REAKON WITH HIS OWN CREATOR. FOR IT IS TRUE THAT IN THE END ALL WILL KNOW ABOUT THEIR CREATOR AND HIS PROMISES – SOME TO EVERLASTING JOY AND OTHERS TO EVERLASTING SORROW.
In the current political environment of today, we find that America’s star is setting, the Russian and Chinese stars are rising, the Middle East is being fractured into client states and Europe is starting to grow muscles. Therefore, the world is headed for a very unsettling future. America is like a stone thrown into a pond creating ripples felt all around the world.
As America is economically selfish and more so under their strange, arrogant president, the world may be headed for an economic growth*** with a lot of deregulations very similar to that which caused, among other things, the stock market crash leading to a world-wide Great Depression and world-wide suffering.
***The Quran suggests that a peoples will undergo some hardships to test their willingness to believe but if they adamantly refuse to change their ways, they will be infused with ‘good times’ and in this ‘joyful expectation’ the proverbial dam will burst.
So, we are entering a time of uncertainty which will eventually be followed by earth-calamities by which lands will sink and oceans will rise and chaos will mount. This will lead to the greatest of evil since the time of adam (pbh) or the entrance of the Anti-christ. There is nothing new about that.
Yet caution is needed to define the barriers of real religion versus falsehoods. Falsehoods are like traps that ensnare and hold its victim. Hold to the 4 schools of thought in Islam to be on a more stable and safer ground.
Remember that ‘normal’ is picturing a six foot tall human with a two inch thumb rather than fantasizing about a two inch man with a six foot thumb. The meaning here is logical.
For example, some people might try to sell one on a strange notion of the number four and try to make out of thin air without references what is not there. To do this, one would take a ‘dash’ of reality and create fantastic imaginations of falsehoods to trap the unwary people out of truth.
For example, in one hadith the Companion Abu Hurairah mentioned something with a 4 in it; there is the fact that adam (pbh) gave his beloved descendent David (pbh) a gift of 40 years off from his life which he later denied doing by the way; there is the notion of Moses (pbh) walking around the desert for 40 years; Jesus (pbh) fasting for 40 days and ascending into heaven after 40 days from his passion; Noah’s (pbh) floating about during the 40 days and nights of rain and Prophet Muhammad (pbh) becoming the Prophet at the age of 40 and the notion from this author that we are in the 4th Age.
Well, that is all true but because we see ants build little mounds in the grass does not lead up to the notion that they are college graduates who have earned higher degrees in the science of architecture. It often depends on where one is going with the so-called facts. Therefore, it is important NOT to be bedazzled by foolishness and outright trickery which leads man to believe and envision a two inch man with a six foot thumb.
Satan is a wizard at causing confusion and having people turn on each other. The best thing for him is to cause one to lose faith and once off the pathway of truth, people can be more easily manipulated to honor their basal desires and act like those of the ignorant people of old!
So, let there be no innovation in religion. Theories might be acceptable with proofs stretching across cultures and religious Books (without forgetting that the Prophet (pbh) stated that one could relate these things but that they necessarily might not be true) but statements without evidence taken from any source can be dangerous.**** Statements from the Quran and correct hadith material and hopefully backed up by the Old and New Testaments when talking about comparative religion, IF NEEDED TO PROVE A POINT, can either be right or wrong based on reality and the strength of evidence given.
****Twisting Quranic not to mention Biblical verses have been done by various groups of individuals usually on a mission to destabilize the truth (knowingly or unknowingly). Some Christian authors have used the Quran to prove that Jesus (pbh) was really crucified as well as Muslims being bloodthirsty in character. Also, the well- known ISIS attack on reason by using certain Quranic verses out of context and giving these verses twisted meanings.
Most of the world showed that they were kind of neutral to things by not standing up for the ‘DIVINE NATURE’ of the Quran. That was to be expected due to a lack of awareness concerning truth and ‘religious matters’.
And putting things in a proper perspective is very important. While Abu Hurairah has been quoted in my works many times, I would definitely not go to him to be my dentist. Translation: put things into the proper perspective and remember to give ALL-PRAISE AND GLORY TO THE ONE WHO IS WITHOUT PARTNERS – THE UNIQUIE AND ONLY ONE WHO IS CALLED ALLAH!
Being nearly 70 years old at the time of this writing, this is probably ‘my Swan Song’. Happy is the man or woman who dies without attributing any partner to his LORD and who accepts in his heart of hearts that Prophet Muhammad (pbh) is his LORD’S MESSENGER.
