We as Muslims believe in all the prophets sent by GOD and we do not make suggestions that some prophets (in their respective and varied categories) are better than others. It is GOD that hands out distinctive features according to HIS PLAN and not for man to plan for GOD!
With that being said there is a special honor given to ‘our adam’ in this particular cycle at least of being a ‘figurehead’ for the human race or one can say a SIGN to the human race. And if this world were to be populated by Angels and not men, then ALLAH would send Angels as prophets – like to like!
Say, “If there were settled, on earth, Angels walking about in peace and quiet, WE should certainly have sent them down from the heavens an Angel for a Messenger.” Quran (17:95)
The world is populated by fragile, clay-bodied men and every prophet who ever came to mankind was a man because we learn from our own kind. Jesus (pbh), being a total and complete human being in every sense of the word, has been elevated to a special section of mankind or those who are nearest to GOD in affection.
O Mary! ALLAH gives you glad tidings of a Word from HIM: his name will be Christ Jesus, the son of Mary, held in honor in this world and the Hereafter and of (the company of) those nearest to ALLAH. Quran (3:45)
This group that we call human beings are the only group that we know of with any surety. Other adams, other times, other cycles are just interesting fodder that doesn’t really get us anywhere. So, we won’t even speculate without evidence about what is definitely not our business. For if we did and went too far, we should put our souls in jeopardy and that is foolhardiness and not wisdom.
Besides, people have to bring forth their evidence, not spotty evidence, personal beliefs or hankerings but scriptural facts. The best road is the safest road and that is dealing with our own perceptions guided by our Prophet Muhammad (pbh) and the Quran. It’s true that knowledge varies between people but real Scripture should speak to us about ourselves and how best to avoid pitfalls and how best to endure the stresses of this world.
We might want to consider this SIGN, Jesus the son of Mary, like our elder brother who, with ALLAH’s Permission and Guidance, took on the world for basically three reasons:
- To subdue his inner self and bring into harmony his soul and his physical being as a perfected slave of ALLAH (born without sin and kept free of sin or stumbling as can be found in Psalm 91 (10-15) or in the New Testament and in the Quran as yet another definition of being a SIGN or ‘pathfinder’ showing the way as ‘First Born’ among many according to Paul and others.
- To be that one who has a kingdom on Earth and a ‘job’ in heaven where he has declared that he was going to prepare a place for us – John (14:3).
- To be that one who would, with ALLAH’s Permission, be allowed to unlock the ‘chains of circumstance’ keeping ALLAH’s special envoy/Prophet Muhammad (pbh) from entering Earth’s environment (Nevertheless I {Jesus} tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper {Spirit of truth} will not come to you; but if I depart, I {GOD} will send him to you. John (16:7)*. Only when his job was ‘finished’ (according to the satisfaction of his LORD) would Prophet Muhammad (pbh) be allowed to enter this domain called planet Earth and set his ‘SEAL’ on the chosen religion (ISLAM).
{*However, John (7:39 and John 14:16 of the New Testament) declare that it is GOD HIMSELF, not Jesus, that will send this ‘special envoy’ who has, unlike the Holy Spirit(Archangel Gabriel) not yet been given to the ‘world community or the community of believers’. Such minor alterations of the records, when carefully and systematically checked, will show how some of mankind preferred, for their nefarious reasons, to ‘twist’ or (prevaricate) the records.
Once again we have the very important key from the Quran telling us about the beginnings of the twisting of the records by tampering hands. This is followed by the idea that there are two kinds of verses found in scripture and that devious people will according to their ‘corrupt values’ make falsehoods in their interpretations.
HE {ALLAH} it is WHO has sent down to you the Book: In it are verses basic or fundamental (of established meaning); they are the foundation of the Book: others are allegorical (Mutashabihat verses or verses of possible supernatural meanings). But those in whose hearts is perversity follow the part thereof that is allegorical, SEEKING DISCORD, and searching for its hidden meanings, but no one knows its hidden meanings except ALLAH. And those who are firmly grounded in knowledge say: “We believe in the Book; the whole of it is from our LORD:” and NO ONE will grasp the Message EXCEPT men of understanding. Quran (3:7)
BEFORE YOU {Oh Muslims} a {religious} community asked {harped over exceedingly much on} such {type of dangerous} questions, then on that account {because of this morbid fascination} they became disbelievers {as they strayed far, far from the truth by manufacturing details of fiction and falsehoods} Quran (5:102)
As the Quran says: Say: “Everyone acts according to his own disposition {whispering secret agenda found in the depth of his own soul} but your LORD (WHO is the Real GOD) knows best who it is that is best on the WAY {correct pathway}.” Q (17: 84)
The blame, therefore, rests in two areas: the spreader of lies and the ‘lazy individual’ who doesn’t take the time or care for the study of these records. However, a house is not built in a day and the MOST MERCIFUL LORD gives man various opportunities to eventually acknowledge the truth!
And your LORD is Most Forgiving, Owner of Mercy. Were HE to call them to account for what they have earned, then surely, HE would have hastened their punishment. But they have their appointed time, beyond which they will find no escape. Quran (18:58)
So, we have the ‘high priest’ according to Scripture (blessing this Dominion), the Spirit of Truth according to Scripture (bringing the WAY) and the other prophets who acted as guides to their perspective peoples. And we have our hearts and minds (to the best of our abilities) attuned to our ONE AND ONLY LORD – ALLAH! And that so happens to be a ONE by ONE by ONE scenario of bowing down to HIS ACCORD in HIS ESTATE of ONENESS.
How can he (Jesus) bless this Dominion? Well, that we don’t know but because of his labors, he does have certain rights like Muhammad (pbh) has certain rights/position as found in hadith literature and in the Quran as to the FOUNT of ABUNDANCE.
Now, we can’t fully explain these things and we don’t have to!!!
Among the ‘bricklayers’ the master bricklayer is the chief one to follow the plan design of the architect or at least a rough sketch of this idea can be followed. What good is the architect without the master bricklayer and what good is the master bricklayer without the work of the other bricklayers? All must contribute to the building of this monument for the worship of ALLAH!
The architect and the master bricklayer must work together for the success of the building. And they cannot really do much of anything without the hard work of all the bricklayers helping to build this structure.
And the mighty and fine and perfect sanctity of this structure is awesome and so beautiful to behold and blessed are those who get a chance to reside in this multilayered structure whose continuance is guaranteed to last forever and ever without end!
So the people who study religion with care actually will be able to understand the above symbolic gesture (story).
Abu Huraira reported: The Messenger of ALLAH (pbh), said, “Verily, the parable of myself and the Prophets before me is that of a man who built a house, perfected it, and beautified it, except for the place of one brick at its cornerstone. The people walk around it and are amazed by it, and they say: Why is this brick not placed? Thus, I am the brick and I am the seal {end of and embodiment} of the Prophets.” (Bukhari and Muslim)
So Muhammad (pbh) asked the believers (back then and the remaining ones to come in the ‘new kingdom of Christ as yet to be established’ as one of his Sunna’s which is to pray for the ‘special place in Paradise’ to be given to Muhammad (pbh) that only one of ALLAH’s creations can inherit of which Jesus (pbh) joyfully will undertake to do)!
I {ALLAH} will indeed appoint him {the Christ-soul} as MY Firstborn, the highest of the kings of the Earth. Psalm (89:27)
Jesus declared to his Jewish audience: “Your father Abraham rejoiced that he would see my day. He saw it and was glad.”
Then the Jews said to him, “You are not yet fifty years old and you have seen Abraham?”
“Truly, truly, I tell you,” Jesus declared, “before Abraham was born, I am {I lived}.” John (8:56-58)
And he {this Christ – according to Paul} is the head of the body, the church {MEANING THE COMMUNITY OF BELIEVERS – NOT a church or structure}, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things he, {WITH ALLAH’s PERMISSION}, may have the preeminence {AMONGST EQUALS – THE BROTHERHOOD OF PROPHETS)}. Colossians (1:18)
And as Paul stated:
For those GOD Foreknew {FOR HE KNOWS WHAT IS BEFORE, BEHIND AND IN FRONT OF MAN – Ayatal-Kursi}, HE also predestined to be conformed to the image of HIS Son{chief, chosen servant for this world – The similitude of Jesus before ALLAH is as that of Adam; HE created him from dust, then said to him: “Be”. And he was. Quran (3:59)}, so that he {the Christ-soul} would be the firstborn among many {of his} brothers {the prophets}. Romans (8:29)
Abu Huraira narrated that ALLAH’s Messenger said, “Both in this world and in the Hereafter, I am the nearest of all the people to Jesus, the son of Mary. The prophets are paternal brothers; their mothers are different, but their religion is one.” (Bukhari)
And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to myself; that where I am, there you may be also. John (14:3)
Apparently, the job of this ‘high priest’ as discussed in the writings of Barnabas (Epistle to the Hebrews in the New Testament) and the Dead Sea Scrolls discusses this holy priest of GOD as a high priest forever and ever who does not make or create these blessed levels in Paradise but who sanctifies these levels.
So, it is suggested that through passing with flying and acceptable colors, the 46 parts of prophecy and being refined to human perfection, he, the Christ-soul, who was born and lived without sin, becomes that SIGN in this world as to unlocking the door for the ‘Spirit of truth’ (Muhammad) to enter into the flesh, for only one man was appointed for that job, and that he, through his efforts, which were guided by ALLAH, will act as a sanctifier in some fashion for the various levels of excellence in Paradise.
The result and the only possible result for these things is:
‘THERE IS NO god EXCEPT ALLAH AND THAT MUHAMMAD IS HIS PROPHET!!!
Therefore, we need not concern ourselves about such things but rather turn to Prophet Muhammad (pbh) whose clarion call to worship the CREATOR LORD is clear, vibrant and transparent while putting no barrier between the CREATOR and the created.
Ibn Abbas narrated that the Messenger of ALLAH (pbh) said that verily ALLAH records the good and the evil and then makes it clear that he who intended good but did not do it, ALLAH records one complete good in his favor but if he intended it and also did it, the Glorious and Great ALLAH records ten to seven hundred virtues and even more to his credit. But if he intended evil, but did not commit it, ALLAH writes down one full good in his favor. If he intended that {evil deed} and also committed it, ALLAH makes an entry of one evil against him. (Muslim)
Abu Huraira reported: The Messenger of ALLAH, (pbh) said to some of his Companions: “Do you know who is bankrupt?” They said, “The one without money or goods is bankrupt.” The Prophet said: “Verily, the bankrupt of my nation are those who come on the Day of Resurrection with prayers, fasting and charity but also with insults, slander, consuming wealth, shedding blood, and beating others {with the hand or tongue}. The oppressed will each be given from his deeds. If his good deeds run out before justice is fulfilled, then their sins will be cast upon him and he will be thrown into the Hellfire.” (Muslim)
And so it goes!
