WE do relate unto you the most beautiful of stories, in that WE reveal to you this (portion of the) Qur’an: before this, you too were among those who knew it not. Quran (12:1-3).
What is the ‘you’ in this verse? The ‘you’ can be covered in three instances: Pagan Arabs, any human being and Prophet Muhammad (pbh). While pagan Arabs had some qualities, it can be said that intelligent religion was not one of them and so they could care less about religious truth! For example, the Old Testament declares that the headman during Yusef’s time was Pharaoh. The truth, however, was that he was a king from the Hittite peoples.
People of other monotheistic religions in general could know something of Yusef but not with 100% accuracy! These people, if they could read and if they could own a copy of the Old Testament or Bible could read something of the story of Yusef but would not get the crystal clarity that is given in the Quran. So, that takes care of them.
Prophet Muhammad (pbh) is just a servant of GOD and though he asked the people to follow him in religious matters, he is not the AL-KHABIR (The ALL-AWARE)! That is only for ALLAH!!! And so that takes care of the ‘you’ in verse number 3.
Of course, that verse (12:3) has a deep meaning when one thinks about it. Prophet Muhammad (pbh) was not born a prophet and of course he had to learn and be guided as to correctness in this domain called Earth. The verse above though implies that he had knowledge and plenty of it but in this case one can safely say ‘even you didn’t know this’ though you are ALLAH’s special representative!
A special representative but being human, a characteristic which all men have, had a beingness or an existence in some form of reality before he came to Earth according to the hadith of when the fetus gets its soul. Also, we have hadiths from ‘Aisha, Abu Hurairah and Ubayy bin Ka’b verifying our pre-existence. That, however, is not our business except to note these things in a general way.
Prophet Muhammad’s (pbh) standing further implies that he has a most exalted station amongst us human beings which also implies a certain ‘station’ he is given in front of his LORD:
To you {O Muhammad} have WE granted the Fount (of Abundance)!
Therefore to your LORD turn in Prayer and Sacrifice.
For he who hates you, he will be cut off (from Future Hope). Quran (108:1-3)
So, when Jesus (pbh) comes back and establishes his ‘domain’ given to him by his LORD for a job well done, he, along with all the believing peoples, will say the following after the adhan:
Narrated Jabir bin ‘Abdullah: ALLAH’s Apostle said: “Whoever after listening to the adhan says, “O ALLAH! LORD of this perfect call and of the regular prayer which is going to be established, give Muhammad the right of intercession and illustriousness, and resurrect him to the best and the highest place in Paradise that YOU promised him. Then {the power of}intercession {given} for me will be permitted for him on the Day of Resurrection”). (Bukhari)
Narrated By Anas: The Prophet (pbh) said, “On the Day of Resurrection the Believers will assemble and say, ‘Let us ask somebody to intercede for us with our LORD.’ So they will go to Adam and say, ‘You are the father of all the people, and ALLAH created you with HIS Own Hands, and ordered the angels to prostrate to you, and taught you the names of all things; so please intercede for us with your LORD, so that HE may relieve us from this place of ours.’ Adam will say, ‘I am not fit for this (i.e. intercession for you).’ Then Adam will remember his sin and feel ashamed thereof. He will say, ‘Go to Noah, for he was the first Apostle that ALLAH sent to the inhabitants of the earth.’ They will go to him and Noah will say: ‘I am not fit for this undertaking.’ He will remember his appeal to his LORD to do what he had no knowledge of, then he will feel ashamed thereof and will say, ‘Go to the Khalil-r-Rahman (i.e. Abraham).’ They will go to him and he will say, ‘I am not fit for this undertaking. Go to Moses, the slave to whom ALLAH spoke (directly) and gave him the Torah.’ So they will go to him and he will say, ‘I am not fit for this undertaking.’ and he will mention (his) killing a person who was not a killer, and so he will feel ashamed thereof before his LORD, and he will say, ‘Go to Jesus, ALLAH’s Slave, HIS Apostle and ALLAH’s Word and a Spirit coming from HIM. Jesus will say, ‘I am not fit for this undertaking, go to Muhammad the Slave of ALLAH whose past and future sins were forgiven by ALLAH.’ So they will come to me and I will proceed till I will ask my LORD’s Permission and I will be given permission. When I see my LORD, I will fall down in Prostration and HE will let me remain in that state as long as HE wishes and then I will be addressed.’ (Muhammad!) Raise your head. Ask, and your request will be granted; say, and your saying will be listened to; intercede, and your intercession will be accepted.’ I will raise my head and praise ALLAH with a saying (i.e. invocation) that HE will teach me, and then I will intercede. HE will fix a limit for me (to intercede for) whom I will admit into Paradise. Then I will come back again to ALLAH, and when I see my LORD, the same thing will happen to me. And then I will intercede and ALLAH will fix a limit for me to intercede whom I will let into Paradise, then I will come back for the third time; and then I will come back for the fourth time, and will say, ‘None remains in Hell but those whom the Quran has imprisoned (in Hell) and who have been destined to an eternal stay in Hell.’ ” (The compiler) Abu ‘Abdullah said: ‘But those whom the Qur’an has imprisoned in Hell,’ refers to the Statement of ALLAH: “They will dwell therein forever {meaning as long as the time elementwill last as ‘forever’ is an element of time and not eternal for only ALLAH is THE ETERNAL ONE WHO CREATED THE CONCEPT OF TIME}.” (Bukhari)
Good Muslims are not geared up to make a big splash when it comes to the Prophet (pbh) for one of the believers’ characteristics is to worship ONE GOD and not join any partners with HIM or even make broad sweeping statements that have no basis in truth or that could open the door for ‘illegitimate thoughts’ due to carelessness. True Islam is ‘pure monotheism’ without the braggadocio of religious fanaticism.
Yet this is the world we live in and there are other minor so-called Islamic sects that have gone way overboard in celebrating someone or other beyond rhyme or reason or raising someone’s lineage up to be seemingly greater than a ‘son of Adam’. That, as a behavior, is no less than a sickness amongst men.
Joining partners with the ONE GOD, however, is the most grievous of sins. Men do this in two basic ways. Either they take an object for worship as their ‘god’ or they take themselves (like Pharaoh did) as being ‘above the natural human law’ given as a state of Fitra to be obedient and humble worshipers of THE ONE called GOD!
So, it is appropriate for someone to suggest that when discussing these types of subjects that one should bring forth their evidence and not just their thoughts. For the evidence I would bring would come from celebrated materials as in records deemed ‘holy writ’ and not just from my head!
What is in a person’s head is his/her problem and not necessarily the truth! Therefore, it is imperative to demand the evidence rather than spout philosophical mumbo-jumbo.
And the more proof, the merrier things get! So, it does make sense ‘not to judge a book just by its cover’! The integrity of true Monotheism must be maintained!
Say: “I am but a man like yourselves, (but) the inspiration has come to me, that your ALLAH is ONE ALLAH: whoever expects to meet his LORD, let him work righteousness, and, in the worship of his LORD, admit no one as partner. Quran (18:110)
Abdullah ibn Umar I narrated that Prophet (pbh) said: Jesus will descend to the Earth. He will marry and have children. He will spend 45 years in this way and he will finally die and be buried with me. On the Day of Judgement, I, Jesus, Abu Bakr and Umar will rise from the same site {place – meaning “the Enlightened City: Medina al-Munarah}.
This hadith has been classified as weak but it contains a lot of material which can be verified from other sources. Basically, the problem is in the time spent on Earth before he dies not where he will be buried.
Abdullah ibn Salam narrated: The characteristics of Prophet Muhammad are described in the Old Testament and it is also mentioned that Jesus will be buried with him. This hadith can be verified from the Old Testament Book called Isaiah especially in Chapter 42 and 53 and the Song of Solomon as has been reported in my works.
Narrated Abu Hurairah that the Prophet (pbh) said: There is no prophet between me and him, that is, Jesus (pbh). He will descend (to the earth). When you see him, recognize him as a man of medium height, reddish hair, wearing two light yellow garments, looking as if drops {like pearls} were falling down from his head though it will not be wet. He will fight the people for the cause of Islam. He will break the cross, kill swine, and abolish Jiziah. ALLAH will perish all religions except Islam. He {Jesus} will destroy the Antichrist and will live on the earth for forty years and then he will die. The Muslims will pray over him. (Sunan Abu Dawud)
As in the beginning (somehow) so shall it be at the end with no intervening prophet. So, this would close the circle but that is my idea and not recorded anywhere except the idea from start to finish that ‘there is NO prophet between me and him’, stating a factual, well-balanced piece of evidence.
It is narrated on the authority of Abu Huraira that the Messenger of ALLAH (pbh) observed: What would you do when the son of Mary would descend amongst you and would lead you as one amongst you {be your Imam}? Ibn Abi Dhi’b on the authority of Abu Huraira narrated: As your leader amongst you. Ibn Abi Dhi’b said: Do you know what the words: “He would lead as one amongst you” mean? I said: Explain these to me. He said: He {Jesus} would lead you according to the Book of your LORD {Al-Quran} (hallowed and most exalted be HIM) and the Sunnah of your Apostle (pbh). (Muslim)
Abu Huraira reported that ALLAH’s Messenger (pbh) said: I am {the one that is} most close to Jesus, son of Mary, among the whole of mankind in this worldly life and the next life. They said: ALLAH’s Messenger how is it? Thereupon he said: Prophets are brothers in faith, having different mothers. Their religion is, however, one and there is no Apostle {prophet} between us (between me and Jesus Christ). (Muslim)
We can also find the above symbolism in the Book of Isaiah (21:7) where it mentions the ‘two riders’ travelling along together – one on a foal or donkey and the other on a camel. Some people try and muddy the waters with a different definition but of course, ALLAH KNOWS BEST!
How can one reconcile the verse found in the Epistle of Barnabas 5: (7-9) as to this ever being about Adam? To be precise, our adam and not THE ADAM! The only way one can understand this concept of which we do not need to know is by taking what ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abbas said concerning Quran (65:12) and see a kind of cyclic pattern emerging.
Naturally, these things are not fully described ‘openly’ in any Holy Book because they are not essential to understand! What does seem to ring true about this type of knowledge is that it provides a basis for some answers that clarifies some verses in the Holy Books and also importantly these answers tend to demystify certain things that others have abused!
In common, everyday knowledge, some people have attributed son-ship to GOD to an entirely human entity or even to non-living objects – pagan style. This, because some buffoon was able to change the word servant to Son, for example.
A small stroke of the pen but a great deal of damage is done! That would attract, however, a certain type of clientele and hence, they get a dose of what they used to do or a fitting recompense for what one used to practice!
They will swear to you by ALLAH, when ye return to them, that you may leave them alone. So leave them alone: For they are an abomination, and Hell is their dwelling-place, a fitting recompense for the (evil) that they did. Quran (9:95)
Others have actually taken the time to actually read the idea of ‘sons of GOD’ as it appears in the Old Testament and know that the word ‘sons’ implies a plurality and not meaning any offspring of GOD. And of course others felt somehow that this term was problematical to start with or that it somehow smelled fishy to say the least!
Mostly, however, people are like sheep and follow the pack such that if the head sheep walked over a cliff, then they would also! In other words, in this hectic world we live in, who has time to think about the really important things of life?
But as for the Christ-soul (or our particular adam) according to Barnabas:
who, in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications, with vehement cries and tears to HIM {ALLAH} who was able to save him from {spiritual} death, and was heard because of his godly fear.
Though he was a son {those of the chosen set sent to right certain things that others made wrong}, yet he learned obedience by the things which he suffered {had to endure}.
And having been {finally} perfected {being made perfect by his LORD WHO GUIDED him in all things and caused him to be born without sin}, he became the author of eternal salvation {as an adam} to all who obey HIM – {the ONE WHOM he served faithfully – ALLAH}. Hebrews (5:7-9)
And this would be correct if one thinks of the Creation as being cyclic in nature. We already know through science that just like the water cycle, nature is cyclical – life – death – and life again in some form or other. Whether it is the birth and death of stars or the ocean area (like Arabia of long ago) becoming desert and then in the future being watery again; things are cyclic in some fashion or other.
That is just plain science and not voodoo!
So, ALLAH expects us to ‘think about things’ but to be responsible in our thought processes. In doing these things, one practices a form of worship by opening up eyes that were closed to the MAGNIFICANT GREATNESS THAT WE CALL ALLAH! And that is part of worship also!
Know you (all) that ALLAH gives life to the earth after its death! Already have WE shown the Signs plainly to you, that you may learn wisdom. Quran (57:17)
Know you (all), that the life of this world is but play and amusement, pomp and mutual boasting and multiplying, (in rivalry) among yourselves, riches and children. Here is a similitude: How rain and the growth which it brings forth, delight (the hearts of) the tillers; soon it withers; you will see it grow yellow; then it becomes dry and crumbles away. But in the Hereafter is a Penalty severe (for the devotees of wrong). And Forgiveness from ALLAH and (HIS) Good Pleasure (for the devotees of ALLAH). And what is the life of this world, but goods and chattels of deception? Quran (57:20)
Someone asked once, “How many verses are there in Sura Yusef”? The answer generally speaking is ONE, ONE, ONE or 111 (without Bismillah) in our third dimensional notion! And that ties us to what was spoken about above or as I stated before: It is literally beyond the comprehension of the minds of men to have such infinite variety based on a type of singularity. That idea actually carries the concept of ‘Oneness’ beyond the realms of human thought! After all, one of ALLAH’s Names is AL-WITER!
And when one considers that Quranic knowledge was around before the Earth came into being, one cannot help but be in awe of the TOTAL DOMINANCE, POWER AND WISDOM OF ALLAH FOR WHICH ALL GLORY, HONOR AND PRAISE ARE DUE TO HIM!
And that BOOK which is part and parcel of the HOLY RECORD kept from the beginning has declared of itself as in a PURE RECORD kept guarded:
“Say: if the entire humans and jinns join together to produce anything like this Quran, they will not (be able to) come up with anything like it, even if they assist one another.” Quran (17:88)
“And if you are in doubt about what WE have revealed to OUR servant, (Muhammad) then bring a Surah similar to this, and do call your supporters other than ALLAH, if you are truthful.
But if you do not-and you will never be able to-then guard yourselves against the Fire, the fuel of which will be men and stones. It has been prepared for those who reject faith.” Quran (2:23-24)
And one, if he/she truly believes, cannot but feel appreciative for ALLAH sending HIS chosen servant Muhammad (pbh) who rose up to the highest level in the heavens on his ‘Night Journey’ that even Archangel Gabriel (ALLAH be pleased with him) could not go without his essence (his wings) being disintegrated.
That is our ALLAH and that is our religion!
