BELIEF
IN PROPHETS
In order to teach man how to live this life, how to
behave with each other, with friends, enemies, parent and children and how to
give each man his right and dues, God sent a number of Prophets. To every
nation God had sent a messenger, in order to take them out of darkness to
light, to teach them how to live a happy life. But, each Prophet was opposed
and ill treated by those people of his own nation who had wealth and power, and
who did not like to change their evil ways and who did not like to give up
their injustices and cruelties to the poor people. The Prophets were abused, beaten, killed or
driven out by their people. But these Prophets went on doing their work and
suffered everything patiently until they succeeded in getting a large number of
followers around them. They gave the message of God to their followers, taught
them how to live and treat other justly. They further asked them to obey God
and fear His punishment for evil doing.
All these Prophets were born in different times and among
different people. Therefore, they could not adopt the same methods because
their people had different customs, habits, languages and manners. But they have
one thing in common; that is all of them asked people to believe in God and in
the life after death and to lead a life of virtue, truth, and honesty. The
number of these apostles of God is said to be 313; but 25 of them are more
important than the others and these are distinctly mentioned in the Qur’an.
(See 6:84-87; 21:76-95; 69:105, 124, 142, 161, 177; 37:75, 83, 112, 114, 123,
133, 139). The following are the named mentioned in the Qur’an: these in the
brackets are the bible version of those in the Qur’an.
Adam-(Adam) Musa-
(Moses)
Nuha-
(Noah) Dawud-
(David)
Hud-
(Heber) Sulayman-
(Solomon)
Salih-
(Saleh or Methuselah) Yunus-
(Jonah)
Lut-
(Lot) Ayyub-
(Job)
Idris-
(Enoch) Dhulkifi-
(Isaiah or Ezekiel)
Ibrahim-
(Abraham) Ilyas-
(Elias)
Ismail-
(Ishmael) Zakariyya-
(Zachariah)
Ishaq-
(Isaac) Yahya-
(John the Baptist)
Yusuf-
(Joseph) Harun-
(Aaron)
Ya’qub-
(Jacob) Isa-
(Jesus)
Shu’ab-
(Jethro)
Muhammad-
(X)
A muslim must believe in all the
prophets of God. To believe in some prophets and reject others is regarded as
disbelief. Qur’an 4:150, 151 read, “those who disbelieve in Allah and His
Messengers and desire to make a distinction between Allah and His Messengers
say; we believe in some and disbelieve in others and desire to take a course between
(this and) that those are truly disbelievers”.
Muhammad (alahi-salam) is Habib-Allah (Allah’s most
Beloved). Ibrahim (alahi-salam) is Khalil-Allah (the Beloved of Allah). Musa
(alaihi-salam)is Kalim-Allah (one with whom Allah spoke). Isa (alaihi-salam) is
Ruh-Allah (one whom Allah created without a father). Adam (alaihi-salam) is
Saffi-Allah (one whose fault was forgiven by Allah). Nuh (alaihi-salam) is
Naji-Allah (one whom Allah saved from danger) those six prophets are superior
to other prophets. They are called Ulul-Azmi. The most superior of all is
Muhammad (alaihi salam).
BELIEF
IN HOLY BOOKS
Islam also requires belief in all revealed books contain
the message of the apostles of God at the different time. A belief in the
prophets also carries along with it a belief in the messages which are revealed
to them. The number of these revealed books is said to be 104. In other word,
Allah tala sent one hundred suhuf (Pl of sahifa, booklet) and four books down
to earth. All of them were brought by Jibril (Gabriel). Ten Suhuf descended to
Adam (alaihi salim), fifty suhuf to shis (alaihi-salam), thirty suhuf to Idris
(AS) and ten Suhuf to Ibrahim (AS). Sahifa (in this context), means a small
book. But, four of these books are said to be more important than the other
are:
(1)
Al-Tawra- (The Torah or the Pentateuch)
which is given to Moses (Musa)
(2)
Al-Zabur- (The Psalms) given to David
(Dauda)
(3)
Al-Injil- (The Gospel) given to
Isa(Jesus).
(4)
Al-Qur’an (The Koran) given to Mohammad,
(AS) the last Prophet.
History
of the selected Prophets
In narrating the histories are giving fact about the
prophets the Qur’an does not concern itself with the details of these
histories, not even the details of what messages a prophet delivered to his
people or how he was received. It content itself with the broad facts that
every prophet delivered the message of unity, invited people to obey God and to
do good to fellow men and aimed at the moral betterment of the people to whom
he was sent. It shows by mentioning Prophet of Israelite and non-Israelite
nationality, that this cardinal principle of the religion of all prophets are
one and the same. Whatever details there are in the Qur’an belong to a period
when opposition to the prophet was at its height, and the object is to tell the
opponents, when they were at the height of the power that they could not escape
their ultimate overthrow, a subsidiary object is also to let the prophet know
that such opposition was not parculiar to him, other prophets before him had
encountered such opposition.
1.
PROPHET ADAM
Adam was the great ancestor of mankind. He was created
from clay; and God breathed His spirit into him and he became Man (Q3.50). He
lived in the garden of Eden (paradise). God created his wife, Hawa (Eve) to
keep his company in that garden (Q2.35). Then God gave him knowledge of all
things, a knowledge which is not given even to angels (Q2.31,32). This
knowledge gave him power and superiority over all other creatures. Hence,
today, in the physical world, it is the acquirement of knowledge which opens
before the sons of Adam various fields of advancement. When Adam settled in the
garden of Eden with the knowledge of all things him, God ordered the angels to
submit to him. All of them did so except Iblis (Satan) which refused to do so, he
became accursed as a result of his disobedience to God’s order (Q38, 71-85). Thus Adam became the master of all things in
the garden. He and his wife however were forbidden to approach one particular
tree in the garden (Q2.35, 7.19).
Not long after, they let themselves deceived the order of
God. They were therefore ordered out of the garden of Eden. Adam repented and
asked for God’s forgiveness (Q7.23). Then God said unto them, “Go forth, some of you are the enemies of
other. And there is for you on earth an abode and a provision for a time. Go
forth from this state; surely there will come to you a guidance from me, then
whoever follows my guidance no fear shall come upon them nor shall they grieve”
(Q2.36, 38).
Noah was descendant of Adam, Abraham was descendant of
Noah. The descendants of Abraham are divided into two branches, the Israelites
and Ishmaelite. The former are spoken of as descendants of Imran. Imran of the
Qur’an is the same Amran of the Bible. The descendants of Amran are Moses and Aaron;
Moses became the founder of the Israelite Law and Aaron the head of the
Israelite Priesthood. The last of the race were John the Baptist (Yahya) and
Jesus (Isa). Their parents are Zakariya (Zachariah) and Maryam (Mary). The
descendants of the Ishmaelite are the Arabs from among whom Prophet Muhammad
rose.
2.
PROPHET IBRAHIM (ABRAHAM)
Abraham’s father was named Azar, a doll carver, and a
staunch idol worshipper. He did all he could to force Abraham follow his
worship of idols, but Abraham persistently refused and disagreed with his
father on this issue. Abraham hated the idea of worshipping the handicraft of
man, carvings which neither see nor speak or even hear. He considered this to
be silly. He wished he could destroy all the idols before the people could get
to know, then he would see what the people would do or worship. The opportunity
came to him one day when all the people in the town had to travel out of the
town for a ceremony. Abraham pretended that he was sick and refused to go with
his father. When everyone else had gone away, Abraham took an axe and broke
down all the idols in the sanctuary leaving only one (the chief idol) on which
he hung the axe, as if it was it which broken down the other smaller ones (Q37.91-96).
When the people came back and found that all their idols
had been broken down, they became worried and wished to know who did the havoc.
They at once suspected Abraham who had consistently spoken against their idols
and their worship. He was brought before the King who questioned him about it.
Abraham directed the King to ask the chief idol on whose next the axe, with
which the havoc was done, was hanging. But the King said that the idol could
neither hear nor speak. Abraham retorted and wandered why the people should
worship that could neither hear their prayers nor speak to them. There and then
the people concluded that it was Abraham who did the havoc. So they decided
that he should be burnt alive. The King ordered a big furnace to be prepared.
Abraham was thrown alive into this furnace and everyone was pleased and
relieved that the “bad boy” in the town had been got rid of. Abraham’s father
was pleased too, for he had considered the action of his son as a disgrace to
him and his family.
This was not the end of Abraham, underneath the big
furnace there was cool air for Abraham, he was not affected in any way by the
fire. When the fuel of the furnace had burned out, Abraham came out unhurt and
the people were amazed. So, they decided that he must be banished from the town
to a barren land far away from their town. There Abraham lived with his wife
Sarah for a long time. Both lived for about a century without an issue. Upon
the advice of his wife, Abraham married a second wife. Hajar, who very soon
gave birth to a son, the first son for Abraham Ismail (Ishmael). Sarah soon
after gave birth to a son, the second for Abraham, Ishaq (Isaac) he is the
father of Ya’qub (Jacob) the father of the tribe.
It is reported that when Ismail was born and in the
desert where there was no water, Abraham sought about for water, but before he
came back from the search God had provided a small spring from which water
gushed out for the small body. Abraham decided to build a small hut around this
place and the child and his mother and Abraham all lived there. This small hut
or house came to be the House of God in Mecca to which he has invited every
Muslim from all the corners of the world.
As stated earlier, Abraham remained for a longtime without
an issue, and he became worried that he might not have someone to succeed him
in his works. He prayed to God for a righteous son. He even went promising that
he would sacrifice the son to God if he were given one. When he had got one God
wishes to his sincerity. God reminded him of his promise to sacrifice his son.
To prove his sincerity Abraham took his only son (then Ismail out of town to
sacrifice him to God). When God was satisfied that Abraham had proved his
sincerity, God caused Angel Gabriel to take a big ram to Abraham to replace his
son. So Abraham killed the ram instead of his son. Since then, the sacrifice of
an animal in commemoration of this occasion has become an important festival in
Islam, this is the occasion of Id-al-Adha.
Abraham lived at the sametime as Lot, and they were in
fact cousins. Abraham was however the spiritual leader of the world of his
time. The Israelites are the descendant of Ishaq while the Arabs are the
descendants of Ismail, see Qur’an 19.42-48; 21.57-71; 24.24-26;
26.69-104,37.83-113.
3.
PROPHET NUH (NOAH)
Prophet Noah was sent to his people to warn them to stop
the worship of idols. He preached among them for about nine hundred and fifty
years. The people were very stubborn, and went to the extent of beating him in
public and calling him all sort of names. When Noah could no longer bear it he
called on God to punish the people since they were growing worse instead of
better in their belief and behavior. God instructed Noah to build an Arc (a big
boat) he did so. He was also asked to put into it all his followers (that is
those who believed in him) and also a pair of every species of animal. Noah did
so.
When the day of punishment came, God caused a flood of
water to overtake the whole town and only those who remained in the Noah’s arc
were saved, all other were perished in the flood. Kana, the son of Noah who had
persistently with the unbelievers perished with them see Qur’an 71.1-28, 37.75-113;
26.105-122).
4.
PROPHET MUSA (MOSES)
Prophet Musa was born among the Israelites had been in
bondage in Egypt under the King Pharaoh. Because the King had been foretold by
astrologers that a male child would be born in his Kingdom who would cause his
destruction, he ordered that every male child born that day should be killed.
Moses was born at that time. When he born, his mother was divinely guided to
put him into a small box and to throw the box into the river. She did so. The
box was carried by the current of the river to a stream at the back of the
palace of King Pharaoh. It was found by the King’s wife. The King’s wife had no
issue, she decided to take this child and make him a son of hers, especially,
since no one would know how she got it. In this why, Moses was taken, nursed
and later named by the King’s wife as Moses which means “the water has given me
this (Q20.38, 39; 28.7,8).
When Moses grew up he began to perform many wonderful
things that made the King to suspect at one time that he might probably be the
child he had been warned of, but since his wife had adopted Moses as her son,
the King could not do anything. When Moses had grown up, he found one day, an
Israelite being oppressed by an Egyptian and he found and decided to support
the Israelite to fight the Egyptian. He therefore struck the Egyptian with his
fist in order to save the Israelite, the Egyptian accidentally fell and died.
Since Moses was informed that he could not expect justice from the authorities
who were Egyptians, he ran away from the town to Madian (Q28.14-21). At Madian
he met Prophet Shu’ayb (Jethro) whose daughter he later married. After ten
years he went back to Egypt.
On his way back to Egypt, he received the call to office
as a Prophet (Q19.52); 20.11-14), and he was given two signs: (a) a staff which
he used to drive his sheep would turn into a snake if he dropped it on the
ground but would never revert the staff when he picked it up; and (b) his right
hand would turn white as snow if he dipped it under his armpit and would revert
to normal state when he dipped it a second time (Q20:17-23; 27:10-12). He was
therefore charged with the duty of carrying the message of Pharaoh and his
people that the Israelites shall be freed from the suffering in the hands of
the Egyptians (Q7.103-105). When he approached Pharaoh, the king asked of him
the signs to confirm that he was a prophet and Moses indicated the two signs of
God had given him. But the king Pharaoh refused to recognize them saying that
the two signs were a piece of magic. So both he and Moses agreed to fix a day for
Moses and the Kings enchanters to display their magic, in a public place and
before the people of the town so that the people would see who of the two
groups had a better claim of the genuine magic. The day came, and the king’s
enchanters displayed their magic, but the staff of Musa (Moses) turned into a
big snake and swallowed all the magic displayed by them. They recognized the
superiority of Moses and surrendered to him. The king was greatly disappointed
and became annoyed. Instead of him recognizing Moses as divinely sent and
supported, he decided to punish the enchanters by hanging for submitting to
Moses without his permission.
Later, God ordered Moses and his followers, including the
new converts to leave the town across the Red Sea fleeing from the wrath of the
King. When the king learnt of this he gathered his forces and chased Moses and
his men. When moses and his followers reached the Red Sea he did not know what
to do, but he was divinely guided to strike the sea with his staff, and having
done this, there was path through the sea and he and his followers took to the
path. Pharaoh and his troops followed also on the path. As soon as Moses and
his group had crossed to the other side of the sea, the path closed up on both
sides so that Pharaoh and his troops all perished in the sea.
Moses was given the Torah (Tawrah) as the book revealed
to him as a book were revealed to other prophets (Q7.142-145; 2.53;6.92). Moses
was both a law giver and a nation builder.
5.
DAWUD (DAVID)
David was the youngest of his father’s eight children. He
was a shepherd from his youth. The King of Israel at that time was Saul
(Talut). David later joined the bodyguards of King Saul and gained famed as a
warrior. At that time, the Philistines had been oppressing the Israelites. One
day a big army of Philistines came to fight against King Saul and the
Israelites. Among the army of the Philistines was a big giant called Goliath
(Jalut). He came out on the hillside every morning and evening and shouted to the
Israelites to send someone to fight him. He wore a shining armour and carried a
great spear. No one dared go near to fight him. But David decided to fight the
cause of his people and volunteered to fight Goliath (Jalut). He had no arms or
armour, all he had were his shepherd sling, and staff. Goliath mocked at him.
When King Saul offered him his own arms and armour, David decline as he had not tried them. He
picked up five smooth stones from the stream. He knew that God would be with
him and give him the strength to fight Goliath. David use his sling to fling
the stones and one of them hit Goliath on the forehead and he fell, then David
used Goliath’s sword to slay him. The Philistines seeing that Goliath had been
slain by David became disordered and fled. The Israelites became proud of David
so much that so that when King Saul died David became King.
Of this fight the Qur’an says “How often, by God’s will, has a small force defeated a big one? God is
with those who are steadfast. When they advanced to meet Goliath and his force
they (that is the Israelites) prayed: Our Lord, make us steadfast, make our
step firm, help us against those who reject faith. By God’s will they routed
them (the Palestines) and David slew Goliath and God gave him the power and wisdom
and taught him whatever He willed” (Q2.249-251).
The lessons form the story of David’s fight with Goliath
are: (a) in fighting for a just cause, number do not count, but faith, determination
and the blessing of God, (b) Size and strength are of no avail against truth,
courage and careful planning.
David was a great, wise and just king, he was also a wise
and just judge among his people. God also appointed him a prophet. He was one
of these holy men of old moved by the Holy spirit; in fact the general trend of
his life was spiritual.
God gave him the gift of song and sacred music; this is
shown in Psalms which to the Muslims is known as Zabur, one of his children was
Solomon (Sulaiman) who succeeded him as King of Israel; he was also a prophet.
For more about David read Qur’an 6.84; 21.78-80,
37.17-26.
6.
JESUS (ISA)
Jesus was the son of Mary (Maryam) the daughter of Anata
wife of Imran. The Qur’an does not tell us much about the early life of Jesus.
At the age of thirty he received the call to carry God’s message. He was given
the power to cure the blind, to heal the sick, to cure the insane and the
leaper, and to cause the dead to rise. Among other miracles he performed, he
created birds from clay, he performed all these miracles in the name of God and
with powers which God gave him (Q3.48-49).
He preached that people should believe in the Oneness of
God and that God alone should be worshipped. He also taught his followers to
love one another and to do good to everyone. He also taught his followers to
keep fast to show that divine blessing are associated with fasting.
Jesus is mentioned by three different chapters in the
Qur’an: Isa (Jesus) Ibn Maryam (Son of Mary), and al Masih (The Messiah). Isa
is the proper name, he is called the son of Mary to show that like every human
child, he was born of a woman and one born of a woman could not be God. He is
called Messiah because he held the office of a prophet among the Israelites.
Greater stress is laid the on doctrine connected with the
name of Jesus than upon the detail of his life, even though the circumstances
relating to his life are meant to be a denial of his divinity. We are told how
his mother conceived him in quite a superfluous detail. (Q19.17-27). This is meant
to show us that he could not be God or the son of God, for the idea of
conception in the mother’s womb is incompatible with divinity. The severe pains
of labour which Maryam (Mary) experienced shows that she gave birth to Jesus is
the ordinary circumstances which women experience in giving birth to children.
Islam rejects the idea that Jesus was the son of God. God
has no son, everyone is created by God. The Qur’an says “And they say, the Beneficent God has taken to Himself a son: Nay, they
are honoured servants”. This show that Jesus was a messenger of God as other
prophets are; and all of them are honoured servants of God. The Qur’an say
again; “ He was but a servant on whom life was bestowed favour and we made him
an example of the children of Israel” (Q43.59). Jesus.
The doctrine of Holy Trinity is also rejected very
strongly in Islam. The idea is that Jesus, (the son), God (the father) and the
Holy Ghost are one and the same persons which means that the three are equal.
Everyone including Jesus is created by God and the created and the creator cannot
be equal which much less to share essence and power. From the Islamic point of
view, the doctrine contradicts the onenesss of God for which Jesus (Isa)
preached. The Qur’an say: “certainly they disbelieved who say God, He is the Messiah,
Son of Mary. The Messiah said “ One children of Israel, serve God, my Lord and your
Lord, surely whoever associates anyone with God , God has forbidden paradise
for him, and his abode is the fire, and there shall be no helpers for the wrong
doers”. (Q5.72). Another verse say “certainly they disbelieved who say: God is
the third of the three. There is only one God. The Messiah, son of Mary was only
a messenger; messengers before him had indeed passed away. His mother was a
truthful woman. They both used to eat food. See how we have made the message
clear, and yet they are turned away (Q5.73-75).
Islam rejects the doctrine of collective guilt and the
idea of atonement for which the Christian say that Jesus has died on the cross.
If Jesus has been crucified so that sins of all may be carried away, then there
should remain no more sin on earth. It is a well known fact there are many sin
and sinners on earth today and the Bishops and Priests all always preach that
the sinner shall be punished for their sins in the world to come . According to
Islam everyone shall be responsible for his sins and everyone shall atone for
his sins. No one shall carry the sins of another. Further, the crucification is
denied by Islam, hence the doctrine of atonement becomes an impossible belief
to the Muslims. The Qur’an say; “and for
their saying: we have killed the Messiah, Jesus son of mary, the messenger of
God, they killed him not, nor did they crucify him, but it was made to appear
to them as such. And certainly those who differ therein are in doubt. They have
no knowledge of it but only few argues, that they killed him not is certain.
(Q4.157).
Jesus is a messenger of God, he hold in Islam a place
unique among the prophets of God. He is a faithful servant of God. His message
are recorded in what is known as the Gospels (Injil) but according to the
Qur’an and also known historical fact, the Gospel as they are today have been falsified
by the Christians with exception of Gospel of Barnabas.
7.
MUHAMMAD (PBUH)
Muhammad was an Arab of the Quraysh tribe, he appeared in
Mecca in the 610 as a public preacher ( a prophet) he was then forty years of
age. He lived among a people who were predominantly idol worshippers. So in his
teaching, pointed out to them folly in worshipping idols. He invited the people
of Mecca to believe in the worship of One God to the exclusion of the idols. He
also warned them of life after death and the judgement of the next world. He
also condemned their practice of burying their daughters alive. The Meccans
were indeed a people who practiced many other awful social customs. Muhammad
attacked these bad practice and spoke very strongly against their worship of
idols. When he persisted in speaking against them, they became very hostile and
planned to kill him after they had persecuted him mercilessly, his followers
most of whom came from the poor low classes.
Muhammad and his followers moved to Medina in the year
622 AD, this is the famous Hijirah and the muslim year began from this day. At
Medina, many of the people accepted Islam. These muslims who emigrated with
Muhammad from Mecca to Medina are known as Muhajiran
(emigrants) and these muslims in Medina are known as Ansar (Helpers). In Medina, Muhammad made a brotherhood of all
muslims, he established a Ummah
(community) in which faith bond replaced blood ties and arbitration replaced
bold feud. He became the head of the ummah in Medina, he was a prophet, a
stateman, a judge, a religious leader, a commander, all combined.
Muhammad as a prophet was sent not only to the Arabs but
to the whole of mankind. The Qur’an says “we have sent to you as a mercy to the
whole of mankind” (Q21.107). His message was therefore meant for the whole of
mankind. He carried his message to mankind successfully, the universal scope of
his mission had demolished all barriers of blood, colour and indeed, geography between
one man and another. He has welded mankind into one family children of same
father, Adam. In his teaching an Arab has no superiority over non-arab, and he
that is not Arab has no superiority over him who is an Arab, the Qur’an says:
“the best of you in the sight of God is he who is most conscious of his duties
to mankind” (Q49.13).
As a leader, he stands supreme, his sayings and deeds are
worth of imitation by his followers and these have become a subject of study by
all muslims, so much so that a vast of literature grew in the name of Hadith.
He led a very simple life in his food, his clothing and his belongings. He
visited the sick and honoured every bier that passed by him; he accepted
invitation of a slave to dinner, he mended his own clothes and milked the
goats, he waited on himself and he was very affectionate to his family, one of
his sons died on his chest in the smoky room of a nurse, a blacksmith wife. He
was very fond of his children, he never struck any in his life. We have many
things to learn from the ways of the life of the prophet, and that is why the
Qur’an has summed up very nicely when it
says” there is for you an excellent pattern in the Apostle of God” (Q.33.21).
In conclusion, to summarise the research work from another source, during the time of
prophet Nuh (alaihi-salam), the flood took place and water covered the entire
world. All people and animals on the earth were drowned. But the believers who
were on board with were rescued. Nuh (alaihi salam) when boarding the ship, had
his three sons on board the ship, Sam (Shem), Vafas (Japheth) and Hum (Ham).
People on the earth today are their descendants. For this reason he is called
the second father.
Ibrahim (alaihi-salam)was Ismail’s and Ishaq’s
(alaihi-salam) father. Ishaq (alaihi-salam) was Yaqub’s father. Yaqub
(alaihi-salam) was Yusuf’s (alaihi-salam) father, and his sons and grandson
were called “Bani Israil” (the children of Israil). Bani Israil increased in
number and many of them became prophets. Musa, Harun, dawud, Sulaiman,
Zakariyya, yahaya and Isa (alaihi-salam) are among them. Sulaiman (alaihi-salam)
was the son of Dawud (alaihi-salam). Yahya (alaihi-salam) was the son of
Zakarriya (alaihi-salam). Haruna (alaihi-salam) was the Musa (alaihi-salam)
brother. The Arabs are the descendants of Ismail (alaihi-salam), and Muhammad
(alaihi-salam) was an Arab.
Hud (alaihi-salam) was sent to the Ad tribe, Salih (alaihi-salam)
to the Thamud tribe and Musa (alaihi-salam) was sent to Bani Israil. Also
Harun, Dawud, Sulaiman, Zakariya, and Yahya (alaihi-salam) were sent to Bani
Israil. Yet none of them brought a new religion, they invited Bani Israil to
Musa’s (alaihi-salam) religion. Though the Zabur was sent down to dawud
(alaihi-salam), it did not have commandments, rules or Ibadat. It was full of
sermons and advice. Therefore, it did not abrogate or invalidate the Torah but
emphasized it and this is why the religion of Musa (alaihi-salam) lasted up to
the time of Isa (alaihi-salam). When Isa (alaihi-salam) came, his religion
abrogated that of Musa (alaihi-salam); that is the Torah became invalid. So it
was no longer permissible to follow Musa’s (alaihi-salam) religion. From then
on it was necessary to follow Isa’s (alaihi-salam) religion until Muhammad’s
(alaihi-salam) dispensation. However, the majority of Bani Israil did not
believe Isa (alaihi-salam)and persisted in following the Torah. Thus Jews and
Nasara separated. Those who believed Isa (alaihi-salam) were called Nasara, who
are today’s Christians. Those who disbelieved Isa (alaihi-salam) are remained
in disbelief and heresy were called Yahud (Jews). Jew still claim that they
follow Musa’s (alaihi-salam) religion and read the Torah and not the Zabur; the
Nasara christians claim that they follow Isa’s (alaihi-salam) religion and read
the Injil (Gospel). However, our Master Muhammad (alaihi-salam), the master of
both world and the prophet of all human beings and genies was sent as the
prophet for all alems (worlds of beings) and his religion, Islam invalidated
all previous religions. Since this religion will remain valid till the end of
the world. It is not permissible in any part of the world to be in any religion
other than his religion. No prophet will succeed him.
Baba Ali Mustapha is of Ngarannam Ward, Bolori II, near
7up Junction, Maiduguri, Borno State, Nigeria.
For further knowledge on the prophets of Allah, look to
these books:
1.
Islam as a religion (Faith and Duties)
by Musa O.A Abdul, published by Islamic Publication Bureau 136A Isola Road,
Mushin Lagos, Nigeria
2.
The cardinal principles of Islam by A.
Rahman I. Doi, published by Hudahuda publishing company, Zaria, Kaduna State,
Nigeria
3.
The Sunni Path, by ahmed cevdet pasa,
published by Hakikat Kitabevil, Istanbul, Turkey
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