Alhassanain(p) Network for Heritage and Islamic Thought

THE TIDINGS OF THE PROPHETS REGARDING

MUHAMMAD

In the previouschapters we discussed that the grand messages of the prophets invited mankind towards the Universal Religion called Islam; which means submission and surrender to the commands of the Creator, Allah.

Islam, which guided humanity in its stages of development and promises salvation in the hereafter. Islam which was preached by such great prophets as Abraham, Moses, Jesus (peace be upon them) and several others, scattered across the face of the earth, reached its climax with its final and most scientific message, the Holy Qur'an, which was revealed to its greatest Prophet, Muhammad (s.a.w .). This last final call or set of legislations was to supersede all previous messages, since it is the most advanced version, equipped toserve mankind and its scientific and technological progress till Doomsday. In otherwords the previous messages were preparatory steps and paving measures to groom mankind intellectually for the great task of shouldering this perfect message, and believing sincerely in it.

Therefore it was natural for the carriers of previous messages, Moses and Jesus (a.s .), to direct their followers to await this great revelation, and whole-heartedly accept its invitation by believing in the Seal Of the prophets, Muhammad (s.a.w ).as after him neither there will be a messenger nor a message. The sacredscriptures which contained many passages, indicating the coming of this great Prophet, exhorted their followers to await the auspicious event and gather under Muhammad's (s.a.w .) banner when he appears. Despite the havoc wrought on the Torah and the Gospel by the rabbis and the priests, fragments remained in these very books, heralding the great Reformer. The Jews eagerly awaited the coming of a prophet promised by God to deliver and guidemankind.

They even wrote books describing the signs of his appearance. Jews living in 'Yathreb ' and other parts of Arabia and constantly embroiled with the idol worshipping pagan Arab tribes ofAws and theKhazraj ,[ 3] used to declare that as soon as the promised one will appear in this very land, he will put an end to the evil practices of these Arabs.

The following verses of the holy Qur'an beautifully describe these facts:

"And certainlyWe gave Moses the Book (Torah) and after him We sent (many) apostles one after another, and We gave Jesus, son of Mary, clear proofs (of Allah's sovereignty) and we strengthened him with the holy spirit (angel Gabriel).What! whenever then an apostle came to you with that (teachings) which your souls did not desire, you were insolent, so you called some (apostles) liars and some (apostles) you slew.And they (Jews) say: Our hearts are covered. Nay, Allah has cursed themon account of their unbelief; so little it is that they believe. And when there came to them a Book (Qur'an) from Allah, verifying that which they have (Torah), although before that they used to pray for victory over those who disbelieved, but when there came to them that (Prophet) which they did recognize, (to be the truth) they disbelieved in him; so Allah's curse is on the unbelievers."

Sura Baqara (2:87-89)

The events which were foretold to the Jews in their books and which they were awaiting as manifest signs of the great Reformer's appearance did take place before the coming of Muhammad (s.a.w .), a fact towards which the Qur'an points:

".... although before that they used to pray for victory over those who disbelieved, but when there came to them that (Prophet) which they did recognize (to be the truth) they disbelieved in him...".

Sura Baqara (2:89)

Commenting on the revelation of the above verse, the Prophet's cousin, AbdullahIbn Abbas who was a renowned exegete says: The Jews used to invoke Allah, in the name of the awaited Prophet (before declaration of Muhammad's (s.a.w .)prophethood ) against the Arab tribes ofAws andKhazraj . But when Allah commanded Muhammad (s.a.w .) to publicly announce hisprophethood they disbelieved in him and went back on their words; on the pretext that he was not from the Israelites but was an Arab and thus they shamelessly denied what they used to say in his praise.

Upon this, three of the Arabs;Muadh ibn Jubail ,Bishr ibn Bara andDawud ibn Salamah , who had renouncedidolatory and accepted Islam, reminded them in the following words: "O Jews; Fear Allah and accept Islam; because you yourself used to pray for victory over us by the right of Muhammad (s.a.w .), while we wereidolators , remember you used to praise him and foretell hisprophethood and describe his attributes to us" To this Salamibn Mushkim ; the Jew, replied that Muhammad (s.a.w ) brought nothing to them they knew and he is not the prophet, which they were telling about. To refute these Jewish denials the above verse was revealed.[ 4]

Al-Aiyashi , in his famous exegesis on the holy Qur'an has recorded ImamJa'afar As-Sadeq's (a.s .) narration to AbuBasir . The Imam says that the Jews had been informed in their books, that the migration (Hejira ) route of the last Prophet would pass through somewhere between the places called 'Ayr ' and 'Ohud '.in the Hejaz.[5] Keen to locate the place the Jews migrated to the Hejaz to await the eventual coming of the last Reformer.

Passing along MountHadad , they thought it rhymed perfectly with the predictedOhud and they dispersed along the valley, making settlements in 'Taima ', 'Fadak ' and 'Khaiber '. After some time a group ofTaima Jews longing to see their brethren, hired the services of a Bedouin and his camels, who promised to show them the predicted lands, calledAyr andOhud . When the party reached the city ofYathreb (Medina) the Bedouin told them that this isAyr and that isOhud . Immediately the Jews dismounted and informed the Bedouinthat they no longer required either his services or his camels, because they had reached their avowed goal and intend to settle there . They wrote to their brethren inFadak andKhaiber about their discovery of the promised place and invited them to join them inYathreb . TheKhaiber andFadak Jews, as they had grown roots in those places showed reluctance in deserting their settlements,but however assured theYathreb Jews, that since it is in close proximity to their places, when it happens (the appearance of the awaited Prophet), they will rush toYathreb .

Gradually as time passed the Jews, profiting in trade and commerce amassed considerable wealth and bought large properties in and aroundYathreb . Theirnew found wealth and prosperity attracted the covetous eyes of 'Tubba ', King of Yemen, who raided them. The Jews fortified themselves and after a long siege, the conflicting parties came to terms. KingTubba revealed his intentions of permanently settling inYathreb , to which the Jews objected, saying thatYathreb being the future migration place of the expected Prophet, it is sacred to them and no one else may reside there until then. The King of Yemen persuaded them that in that case hewill leave two of his near relatives from theAws andKhazraj tribes inYathreb , so that they may also support the promised Reformer when he appears.

In course oftime the numbers of theAws andKhazraj who were Arabs greatly increased and soon they started vying with the Jews for supremacy and laid their hands on Jewish lands and properties. It was during these conflicts against the idol-worshipping Arabs (theAws andKhazraj tribes) that the Jews who were expecting the last Prophet and had migrated to Arabia solely for this purpose, used to rebuke the pagan Arabs by saying:

"When Muhammad (s.a.w ) finally appears, we shall drive you from our lands and properties."

But when Muhammad (s.a.w .) did finally appear and declared hisprophethood , it were these very same Jews who generations ago had come in his search - who rejected him saying that he was an Arab and not of the Israelites.

Whereas the pagan Arabs of the tribes ofAws andKhazraj renouncedidolatory , accepted Islam and rallied to his cause, for which ironically the Jews had waited so long, only to deviate at the last moment. Thus it is towards this fact that the Holy Qur'an draws attention."

"...although before that they used to pray for victory over those who disbelieved..."

Sura Baqara (2:89)

It will not be out of context to cite the following passages from the Old Testament, which to any discernible and rational mind are a pointer to theprophethood of Muhammad (s.a.w .)

"I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, and will put my words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him."

"And it shall come to pass, that whosoever will not hearken unto my words which he shall speak in my name, I willrequite it of him."

Deuteronomy (18:18,19 )

"And as for Ishmael I have heard thee: Behold, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly; twelve princes shall bebeget and I will make him a great nation."

Genesis (17:20)

"Here isMy servant, whom I uphold, My chosen one in whom I delight, I have bestowed My spirit upon him, and he will make justice shine on the nations. He will not call out or lift his mice high, or make himself heard in the open market. He will not break a bruised reed, or snuff out asmouldering wick; he will make justice shine on every race, never faltering, never breaking down, he will plant justice on earth, while coasts and islands wait for his teaching.Thus speaks the Lord Who is God, He Who created the skies and stretched them out, Who fashioned the earth and all that grows in it, Who gave breath to its people, the breath of life to all who walk upon it: I, the Lord, have called you with righteous purpose and taken you by the hand; I have formed You and appointed you to be a light to all peoples, a beacon for the nations... Let the wilderness and its towns rejoice, and the villages of the tribe ofKedar (Qaydar )[ 6] .

Isaiah (42:1-6,11 )

These prophesies could apply to none of the Hebrew prophets. Even Jesus (a.s .) made it plain that his mission was far from being universal, saying: "I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel".

(Mathew 15:24)

His calling was limited and it was the laternon Jewish converts, not Jesus (a.s .) who gave Christianity its inclusive nature. Nor was Jesus (a.s ) or any of the Hebrew prophets related in any way toKedar (Qaydar ). In promising a great prophet from the Arabs, Isaiah (a.s .) was merely amplifying the prophecy made previously by Moses (a.s .).

God revealed to Moses (Deuteronomy 18:18,19 ) that a prophet would arise from the brothers of the Hebrews the Arabs, who were children of the brother of Isaac, Ishmael (peace be upon them)- who would commandworld wide attention and obedience.

Ishmael's (a.s .) descendants came to be known as Arabs, a term which in Hebrew, meant those who inhabited the 'Arabah ' (desert). Further, of all the sons of Ishmael (a.s .) the one mentioned most prominently in the Old Testament isKedar . In some versesKedar is synonymous with the Arabs in general.' This is an important indication that the line ofKedar was marked by God for a unique purpose for it was fromthis line Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w .) sprang.

JESUS' PROPHECY ABOUT MUHAMMAD

"And when Jesus son of Mary said: O Children of Israel! Surely I am the apostle of Allah to you, verifying that which was (revealed) before me of the Torah, and giving the good tidings of an Apostle who will come after me, whose name is Ahmad..."

Sura Saff (61:6)

"Those who follow the Apostle - Prophet theUmmi whom they find ordained for them in the Torah and the Gospel, he enjoins them good and forbids them evil..."

Sura A'raf (7:157)

The Gospel of Jesus (a.s .) brought into sharper focus the identity of the one who wouldfulfil the promise to make the line of Ishmael (a.s .) a great nation.In the Gospel of John - a New Testament book which is not the Gospel of Jesus (a.s .) and which may be considered as representing only in general terms portions of Jesus' teaching - Jesus (a.s .) informs his close companions that his work among them was drawing to conclusion, but God would send someone else after a time to carry forward the prophetic movement. This someone, however, would be the last of the prophets.

The following passages of the New Testament lend further proof to theProphethood of Muhammad (s.a.w ):

"And this is the record of John (the Baptist) when the Jews sent priests andlevites from Jerusalem to ask him, who art thou?

And he confessed, and denied not; but confessed I am not the Christ.

And they asked him, what then?Artthow Elias?

And hesaith I am not. Art thou THAT PROPHET?And he answered, No.

And they asked him, and said unto him, whybaptizest thou then, if thou be not that Christ, nor Elias, neither THAT PROPHET."

John (1:19-21,25 )

"If ye love me, keep my commandments.

And I will pray the Father and He shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you forever.

But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to yourrememberance , whatsoever I have said unto you.

Hereafter I will not talk much with you: fur the prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in me."

John (14:15, 16,26,30 )

"But when the Comforter is come, whom I shall send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, whichproceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me."

John (15:26)

"Nevertheless I tell you the truth; it is expedient fur you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you.

And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and ofjudgement :

Of sin, because they believe not on me;

Ofrighteouseness , because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more;

Ofjudgement because the prince of this world is judged.

I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now.

Howbeit 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 willshew you things to come.

He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shallshew it unto you."

John (16:7-14)

A careful study of these passages brings to light the following facts:

1) Jesus Christ (a. s.) prophesies the corning of a Comforter after him.

2) The coming of the Comforter depends on Christ's departure.

3) He is sent by Almighty Allah .

4) He will teach everything.

5) He will draw attention towards what the Christ had foretold.

6) He will testify and glorify Christ.

7) He will not speak byhimself but what he divinely hears .

8) He will foretell future events.

9) The world will follow his religion.

10) He will stay forever.

In view of these glaring facts if we cast a glimpse at the life of Prophet Muhammad(s.a.w .) we will discover the amazing truth that these points perfectly tally with his mission and hence without doubt he is the .Comforter' whose tidings Jesus (a.s .) gave. Because the holy Qur'an revealed to ProphetMuhammad( s.a.w .)not only confirms and glorifies Jesus (a.s .) and hisProphethood but reminds people of Christ's prophecy. Besides, the Qur'an is a final revelationfor mankind and an eternal message. It is an inexhaustible mine of information, foretells futureevents and promises that Islam will eventually spread all over the world uniting humanity in peace and harmony.

A closer look at the word 'Comforter' as mentioned in the Bible will help us uncover some more startling facts.

Comforter here stands for the word 'Parakletos ' mentioned in the Greek version of the New Testament from which the English translationis made .And more precisely the meaning of 'Parakletos ' is an advocate, one who counsels or advises another from deep concern for the other's welfare.Or to say it more clearly 'Parakletos ' would designate one who would be considered "Mercy for all creatures" (Rahmatun lil Alameen ), the term the holy Qur'an uses in chapter 21 verse 107 to describe Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w .).

Moreover scholars have pointed out that what Jesus' said in his native language of Aramaic represents another similar Greek word 'Periklytos ', which means the Admirable or the Glorified One and corresponds exactly to the Arabic word 'Ahmad'.

Hence the Qur'an's quotation of Jesus' good tidings to the Jews: "An Apostle will comealter me whose name is Ahmad".

When Jesus declares of this coming ProphetCounsellor that he would "abide with you forever',' he shows that there would be no need for additional prophets to succeed him. He would be the last one. He wouldlead mankind "to every aspect of the truth." So truthful and trustworthy would he be that he will be called Al-Arnin (The Truthful) or as the text of John 16:13 says, "the spirit of truth", one of whom it could be said: "He has brought them the Truth." (Qur'an 23:70)

The term 'spirit' here does not mean that the corning Prophet would be other than human. In New Testament Greek, this word has also been applied to an inspired person, "the possessor of a spiritual communication" or revelation. This is why the next sentence of the verse containing this expression says: "He will guide you unto all truth; for he shall not speak of himself, but whatsoever he shall hear (from God), that shall he speak." (John 16:13).

This person would receive the revelation of truth from God and these words alone would constitute the message, not his ownopinions or the writings of his companions. His message or revelation would befirst and foremost and literally the Word of God. Note that this corresponds exactly to what God revealed to Moses (a.s .) about the Prophet who would come from among the "brothers" of the Hebrews: "I.... will put My words in his mouth, and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him." (Deuteronomy 18:18).

Now compare these to the following verse of the holyQur'an which drives home the ultimate truth:

"Your companion (Muhammed ) does not err, nor does he go astray;Nor does he speak out of desire. It is naught but revelation that is revealed, The Lord of Mighty Power has taught him."

Sura Najm (53:25)

It cannot be overlooked that Jesus (a.s .) gives a unique requirement that would help to identify the last Prophet: "He shall glorify me" (John 16:14). If anyone had come claiming to be this Prophet, but did not give due honor to Jesus (a.s .) as Prophet and Messiah, he would be the wrong one. At the same time, this Prophet to come would not be a follower of Jesus (a.s .), that is, a Christian, because Jesus (a.s .) said that this Prophet would reveal things of which Jesus (a.s .) himself was unaware. If Jesus (a.s .) had brought "all the truth," there would have been no need for him to single out someone else who would come with all the truth. Likewise, since this Prophet would bring all the truth he would have to be the last one, the seal of the Prophets. Therefore, we would have to look for someone who, like Abraham (a.s .) in whose line he would come, would be neither Jew nor Christian but would believe in God. He would "glorify" Jesus (a.s .) by insisting that Jesus (a.s .) was a true Messenger of God and by acknowledging that Jesus (a.s .) was the true Messiah.But the teaching of this Prophet would come from God Himself. As a revelation from God, the message of this last Prophet would confirm what God revealed previously by means of the original Torah and the original Gospel, but his message would be no mere plagiarized copy, no condensed edition of either the Torah or the Gospel. God Almighty had said, "I... will put My words in his mouth:' and it is proper that these words agree with previously revealed words of the One and Same God."Whatsoever he shall hear (from God), that shall he speak."

History has recorded that Christians during the first few centuries after Christ, not only believed in these above-mentioned facts but eagerly awaited the coming of the last Prophet, as foretold by Jesus (a.s .) It was only during the 3rd century, when hordes of Roman pagans began converting to Christianity, the pure monotheistic message of Prophet Jesus (a.s .) showed signs of pollution, with weird heathen ideas such as 'God Father', 'God Son', 'Holy Ghost' and 'Trinity' creeping in.

This strange Holy Ghost interpretation gained currency only after Christians began to look upon God as a Trinity with the Holy Ghost being an aspect of it. Neither the word Trinity nor its concepts can be found anywhere in the Bible. TheParaclete would be a man, not a ghost, because the same word is applied to Jesus (a.s .) himself, in John (2:1).

The annals of history prove that faithful Christians from time to time stood up against these heretical ideas.

But when Constantine assumed the reins of the Roman Empire, not only did he espouse the cause of the heretics, but also launched a mass persecution against the true believers, forcing them to flee to deserts and inaccessible mountains to live as hermits.

Finally the following passage from the FrenchEncyclopaedia , 'Larousse,[ 7] , is a sufficient admittance to the truth of Islam: "Muhammad' is a derivative of the word 'Mahmood ', whose root-word is 'Hamd ', which means glorifying.Strangely another word is derived from the same origin and that is 'Ahmad'. It is widely believed, Christians in the Arabian Peninsula used the word 'Ahmad' for the Greek word 'Paraclete ' mentioned in the Bible, which means 'the Glorified or Promised one'. Muslims subsequently made great efforts saying this refers to Prophet Muhammad, as described by the Qur'an (in Chapter 61)."

Thus it is clear that despite centuries of disastrous human interference in the Torah and the Bible, portions remain indicating the eternal truth of Islam.

TheEncyclopaedia Brittanica has the following comments on the Gospels:

"They resemble oil paintings rather than photographs. Legendary and apologetic motifs, and the various preoccupations of the communities for which they were first produced, can readily be discerned as influences upon their narratives." [8]

The coming of Muhammad (s.a.w .) was heralded, not only by Moses (a.s .) and Jesus (a.s .), but by all the prophets.

Even Abraham (a.s .), the father of the prophets, foretold his coming, and prayed God for a guide and rescuer. This is explicitly referred to by theQur'an which quotes Abraham's prayer:

"Our Lord! and raise up in them an Apostle from among them who shall recite to them Your revelations, and teach them the Book and the Wisdom and cleanse them (of false beliefs); surely You are the Mighty, the Wise."

Sura Baqara (2:129)

The verse given below declaring theprophethood of Muhammad (s.a.w .) is a clear answer to Abraham's (a.s .) prayer mentioned above; for Muhammad (s.a.w .), was a direct descendent of Abraham (a.s .) through his eldest son Ishmael (a.s .):

"He it isWho raised among the unlettered, an Apostle from among themselves, who recites to them His revelations and cleanses them (of false beliefs), and teaches them the Book and the Wisdom, although they were before certainly in clear error."

Sura Jum'a (62:2)

These facts arequite obvious to a rational thinker and any seeker of truth interested in finding the path of guidance, like Negus, the Christian king of Abyssinia, who positively responded to the call of truth. When the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w .) wrote to Negus citing proofs of hisprophethood , foretold in the Torah and the Gospel and invited him to accept Islam, Negus immediately surrendered (became Muslim) to the message of Islam. History has preserved his eternal words as a fair testimony of a just man, free from the effects of the environment, or the pressures of obstinacy and bigotry; "I call Allah as witness that he (Muhammads.a.w .) is the prophet awaited for by the followers of the Scriptures..."[9]

Thus, anyone pursuing truth can clearly discern thatMuhammad (s.a.w .) had been heralded by the previous prophets , and that he was the awaited one to reform mankind and deliver them, from darkness and going astray. Yes, it was he whom all the prophets had heralded and prayed Allah to send.

THE HISTORIC STRUGGLE OF THE PROPHETS

"Thus haveWe made for every prophet an opponent from among the sinners..."

Sura Furqan (25:31)

An observer following humanity's historical march and the process of its long and bitterstruggle, discerns two directly opposite currents, two conflicting forces. On one hand, there is the power of evil, transgression, perversion, deviation,blasphemy and tyranny, personified through a number oftyrannic despots and dictators, such as Pharaoh, Nimrod, AbuJahl and the unjust dominating classes in every era and nation.

On the other hand, there is the power of faith, piety, truth, peace and the call to justice, mercy and equality, personified through such great prophets as Abraham (a.s .), Moses (a.s .), Jesus (a.s .) and Muhammad (s.a.w .) and their sincere followers who spread the message of monotheism and proclaimed the call of faith, to save humanity from slipping in the darkness of disbelief andidolatory .

That faithful group always appears, on the stage of history to wage a sacred struggle against the forces of perversion and deviation. There was not a single prophet who did not suffer, together with his followers, from tyranny, oppression,torture and persecution, because of his invitation towards truth and righteousness, and opposition to injustice, disbelief and tyranny.And there were no advocates of truth who did not suffer the same fate as the prophets did. In the way ofAllah they endured imprisonment, terror, torture, banishment and martyrdom at the hands of the tyrants and dictators, the enemies of Allah and mankind. The glorious Qur'an illustrates this epic struggle between the prophets and their followers on one side, and the enemies of Allah and truth on the other:

"And how many a prophet has fought with whom were devoted men (beside him), so they did not become weak-hearted on account of what befell them in the way of Allah, nor did they weaken (in their faith) nor did they abase themselves; and Allah loves the patient.And their saying was none other than what they said: "Our Lord!forgive us our faults and our extravagance in our affair, and make firm our feet (on the right path) and help us against the unbelieving people."

Sura Aal Imran (3:146,147)

"Thus hamWe made for every prophet an opponent from among the sinners and sufficient is your Lord as a Guide and Helper."

Sura Furqan (25:31)

The Seal of the prophets, Muhammad (s.a.w .) along with his brave cousin Imam Ali (a.s .) and his sincere companions, was always in the forefront of the struggle for the sake of truth and for making this earth a place of peace and happiness. The glorious Qur'an testifies to the role played by the great Prophet and his faithful followers in defending justice and faith, with the spirit of self-sacrifice and redemption, in harmony with the teachings of Allah, and in pursuit of the logic of reform and divine examination:

"Therefore bear up patiently as did the apostles endowed with constancy had patience, and do not seek to hasten for them (their doom). On the day that they shall see what theyare promised they shall be as if they had not tarried save an hour of the day.A clear message! Shall then any be destroyed save the transgressing people?"

Sura Ahqaf (46:35)

Thus through this long and bitter historical struggle, the prophets and their followers resisted disbelief, injustice and corruption and inspired the oppressed people with the spirit of heroism and self-sacrifice and guided them in raising the banner of protest for the realization of their deprived rights, in the face of the despots and the dictators, who had enslaved mankind , and had considered themselves god-heads on this earth. Allah, the Strong and Mighty, helps and guides the faithful who struggle in His way and will surely punish those who are disbelievers.

"And (as for) those who strive hard for us,We will most certainly guide them in Our ways; and Allah is most surely with the doers of good."

Sura Ankabut (29:69)

"... thenWe gave the punishment to those who were guilty and helping the believers is ever incumbent upon Us."

Sura Rum (30:47)

EVALUATION OF THE DIVINE MESSAGES

WHERE DO THE MESSAGES MEET

".... and it is not in (the power of) an apostle to bring a portent save by Allah's leave; for everything there is a time prescribed. Allah effaces and establishes what He pleases, and with Him is the source of the Book."

Sura Ra'd (13:38&39)

It is quite clear from the above verses of the Qur'an that Allah has the power and authority to efface,abrogate and change the divine laws according to what He thinks is best suited for a particular period and era as also the stage of human development.However these changes are only legislative in nature, and are firmly based on the unwavering fundamental principles, which are quite remarkably the same in all messages preached by all the prophets.

In other words the messages and laws advocated by the prophets and apostles throughout the course of history were based on the same principles, foundations and aims, though they differed in certain secondary points concerning certain legislations and duties, which were time-bound, depending upon the particular period of human history.

In order to clearly distinguish between the points where these messages and laws part and meet along the line of this unified religion - Islam - whose principles and foundations never change and are constant, it is necessary to trace back the aims of the divine messages, and to recognize the core of their call and the content of their structure, as related in the glorious Qur'an, andexamplified by the lives and teachings of the prophets.

Principles Common in All Messages

1. All the messages have a commonbelief which is the major basis on which the entire structure of religion, as well as man's concepts and general thoughts about the universe and life are built. The concept of the Oneness of Allah - monotheism - and the belief in His messengers, angels, scriptures, and the hereafter, is the meeting point around which the messages preached by the prophets gather - there was no prophet who had not called for believing in Allah, in worshipping Him and accepting His Oneness; and who had not announced reward and forewarned punishment.

The glorious Qur'an confirms this fact and relates several examples of the actual words and calls of the prophets addressed to their peoples, some of whichare cited below:

".... and the Messiah said: O Children of Israel!serve Allah, my Lord and your Lord...."

Sura Mai'da (5:72)

"And to (the tribe of) 'Aad (We sent) their brotherHud (the prophet). Hesaid: O my people!serve Allah, you have no god other than Him...."

Sura A'raf (7:65)

"CertainlyWe sent Noah to his people, so he said: O my people!serve Allah, you have no god other than Him."

Sura A'raf (7:59)

"And to (the tribe of)Thamood (We sent) theirSalih (the prophet). Hesaid: O my people!serve brother you have no god other than Him; clear proof indeed Allah, has come to you from your Lord...."

Sura A'raf (7:73)

"And to Midi an (We sent) their brotherShu'aib (the prophet). Hesaid: O my people! serve Allah, you have no god other than Him; clear proof indeed has come to you from your Lord; so give full measure and weight, and do not diminish to people their things, and do not make mischief in the land after its reform; this is better for you, if you are believers."

Sura A'raf (7:85)

"And (We sent) Abraham when he said to his people: Serve Allah, and be careful of (your duty to) Him; this is best for you, if you did but know."

Sura Ankabut (29:16)

"And certainlyWe raised in every nation an apostle, (proclaiming): Serve Allah and shun false gods. So there were some of them (nations) whom Allah guided, and there were others upon whom error had justhold ."

Sura Nahl (16:36)

"AndWe did not send before you any apostle but We revealed to him, that there is no god but Me (Allah), therefore serve Me."

Sura Anbiya (21:25)

2. All the messages have a single aim and advocate good conduct andbehaviour , and call people to be righteous, to purify their souls, organize life on the basis of truth and justice, and to fight againstinjustice , transgression and corruption. The Prophets themselves embodied the highest ideals and the noblest manners and were worthy models of emulation as Allah the Exalted says:

"And we made them Imams (leaders) who guided (people) by Our command, and We revealed to them the doing of good and the keeping up of prayer and the giving of the alms, and Us (alone) did they serve."

Sura Anbiya (21:73)

While discussing the elements common in all the divine invitations and messages, we should not forget to refer to anambiguity which has been talked about a lot within the circles of theOrientalists and their followers whose skepticism is the result of their hostile attitude towards Islam.They allege that the Qur'an was authored by Muhammad (s.a.w .)'himself, and that he was influenced by the Torah and the Gospel, and they point out a number of common concepts present in the Qur'an as a proof according to their ambiguity - that it has borrowed its ideals from these two Scriptures, due to Muhammad's (s.a.w .) contacts with Jews and Christians. The advocates of this absurd theory thought that they had discovered a gravedefect which according to them questions the very authenticity of the Qur'an and its being a divine revelation.

But surely any one endowed with rational thinking needs no proof to refute this ambiguity about the Qur'an being influenced by the Jewish and Christian thought. It suffices just to remember that all the messages have actually sprung from the same common source - Almighty Allah - the aims of all messages are the same, and therefore the principle elements in the divine proclamations should be common. This amity of principles,concepts and aims is the result of their single origin, i.e. the unbroken chain of Divine Inspiration which strived to guide man to serve Allah alone, and to liberate humanity from diverse superstitious servitudes todemi -gods and idols.Thus it is clear that these are neither the result of borrowing nor of personal affection, as the skeptics allege, but the proof of the continuation of the Divine Guidance.

Therefore, by recognizing these facts we reach the conclusion that the common similarities between the divine messages are a divine reality that gives unquestionable evidence to the truthfulness of Muhammad's (s.a.w .)prophethood , since it proves that the proclamations of Islam advocate the same goals and aims thathad been advocated by the preceding prophets.

WHERE DO THE MESSAGES DIFFER

In the previous chapters, we explained the basic concepts common in all the divine messages, since they originated from a single source. As to the points of difference among the divine messages proclaimed by the prophets these were necessitated due to the changing times and circumstances and concerned only certain secondary principles such as legislation, ways of worship and methods of organizing life. Each message had its particular legislative form through which the teachings of Islam and its major goals in lifewere suitably expressed . It similarly had its particular way of organizing the society and style of worship, depending upon the period of revelation, the place, the comprehension of the people and the distortion done by the deviators to the previous message and scripture. The Qur'an explains and asserts this by saying:

"And We have revealed to you the Book (Qur'an) with the truth confirming whatever of the Book(s) was before it and a guardian over it, so judge between them by what Allah has revealed, and follow not their low desires (to turn away) from the truth which has come to you, for everyone of you We have appointed a divine law and a (traced out) way, and if Allah had willed, He would have made you (all) a single nation, but that He might try you in what He gave you, so vie one with another to hasten to virtuous deeds..."

Sura Mai'da (5:48)

ThisQur'anic explanation is enough to make us realize that the differences of the messages merely concern points of legislation, ways of life, and methods of ruling according to a particular time,era or circumstances.

Here, the Qur'an stresses that it is a divine book confirming the previous divine messages, and at the same time 'guarding' their goals.The word .guardian used by the Qur'an is a clear reference to the havoc wrought on the previous scriptures, especially on the Torah and the Gospel, by Jews and Christians, who deviating from the messages proclaimed by Moses and Jesus (a.s . ), changed, altered, added and revised these scriptures so frequently, that practically nothing divine is left in these books, except those points which are common to the Qur'an.

Hence the Qur'an's emphasis on its laws, regulations and teachings which are to be dominant and observed by all mankind, because these are the ones suitable for humanity in its final march, and these are the most perfect legislative forms ever devised, and are in perfect harmony with human progress and cultural growth.

Therefore, the differences between one message and the other regarding certain secondary principles was the result of the changing circumstances and situations and the stages of human cultural, mental, physical and psychological development, though basically all messages advocated the same common concepts and goals. Thus, the duties, the worshipping precepts, and the laws brought by the previous prophets were in conformity with, and in accordance to, the prevailing situation and conditions.

WHY SO MANY MESSAGES

From the illustrative examples presented by the Qur'an of the lives of the prophets, the nature of their messages and their struggles against the disbelievers, it is possible to understand the reasons for the many messages and more exactly the reason for the coming of so many messengers and prophets.

Beforepersuing this subject further, we should know that not all the prophets brought messages or laws to the people they were sent to. Actually, a greater number of prophets had no particular message and were in fact sent only to preach and promote the message ofthe , Reformer - Prophet' who preceded them, because people had deviated from the original concept of the message or falsified it.

So , these prophets were not 'Law - givers' but mere 'Reminders' calling people to return to the true message and laws of the 'Reformer - Prophet'.

The questions may arise: Why so many messages?

Why had Allah the Exalted, sent so many messengers, and why wasn't He contented with just a single prophet to be followedby mankind generation after generation?

To answer these questions we have to study thereasons which caused so many envoys, with as many messages to be sent. We must scrutinize the history of the nations,analyse the lives of the peoples, as well as the contents of these divine messages. By doing so we come to infer the following points:

1. The foremost cause of so many messages and messengers was human nature itself and particularly of those people to whom the messages were addressed. The intellectual,physical and psychological abilities of people are not equal and may differ due to such factors as the period of history, development of civilization and etc.

Therefore, religion had to pace along the stagesof mankind's gradual progress and development, in harmony with its mental comprehension. The more mature man gets in his needs and understanding, the more perfect is the religion he isin need of . This is in fact, an aspect of divine wisdom and equity, because Allah the Exalted is Just and Wise, His Will never contradictory, His Aim never conflicting, and HisJudgement never partial.

For thisreason the laws and the duties had to be in accordance with man's abilities and capacities, infullfilment of his interest and good:

"Allah does not impose upon any soul a duty but to the extent of its ability ...."

Sura Baqara (2:286)

On this basis, coordinationhas been made strong between the progress of man's existence and the rules of religious legislation, away from any sort of conflict or contradiction.

It is clear from theabove cited reasons that the many messages are in proportional harmony with the progress of humanity and that each new message on the ladder of divine proclamations is on a higher rung, more progressive and more perfect than the preceding one.

2. The second cause explaining the number of messages was the ignorance and superstitions prevalent among the people, due to their particular living conditions and social and natural environments, plus the existence of imposters and hypocrites, who never missed an opportunity to twist the original meanings and exploit the peoples' ignorance for their own selfish interests, thus leading them astray.So in these circumstances a new message was necessary to cure and exterminate the prevalent moral disease. It was an act directed to uproot deviation,and to restore the natural balance to the movement of the soul and the society, and to lead life towards its sound and humanistic direction.

The Qur'an tells us about the symptoms of these diseases of ignorance andsuperstitions which appeared in diverse forms along the course of history and across the space of human life, and presents them as selected examples of warnings and deterrent lessons. It tells us about the greed and corruption of theNabateans ; the decadence of sexual ethics in the people of Prophet Lot (a.s .) - Sodom and Gomorrah - and the covetousness ofBani Israel (Jews), etc.Hence, the sending of the prophets to uproot and exterminate these moral diseases.

3. Sending numerous prophets also implies a continual reminder and warning, and the unceasing reformative and social interaction with the new message.It also confirms the divine guidance of man and leading him along the right path, so that Allah may complete His blessings and kindness on all peoples, and the evidence of His benevolence may be nurtured among them, so that no one on theJudgement Day may offer an excuse for one's sins and disobediences, on the pretext of being kept ignorant of the truth and left unguided.

Allah, the Exalted says:

"(We sent) apostles as bearers of good tidings and aswarners (of Allah's punishment), so that people should not have any excuse (on the Day ofJudgement ) against Allah after the (coming of) apostles; and Allah is ever Mighty, Wise."

Sura Nisa (4:165)

4. Having reached mental maturity and psychological development, mankind was in need of a perfect and everlasting message, covering all aspects of the growth and progress of civilization, and possessing the ability to guide and direct its developing intellectual faculties and power; a message that would go in parallel direction with time and space and in perfect harmony with human life and nature.

Humanity at this stage, needs a message that addresses the mind, and takes into consideration its maturity and development.

In this stage the mind will be the observer and its role an argument against man, because it is the duty of the mind to rationally cope with the divine law and realize the importance ofprophethood so as to understand and accept the invitations and in turn call the people to believe in them, to act according to their teachings and to uplift their mission.

Man, in this final stage of mental and scientific progress is qualified for comprehending this religion and its value, and strengthening his belief, by means of reason and conscience.

It is in this respect, the Prophet's traditions uphold the role of the intellect, its power of reasoning and hence its responsibility. A 'Hadith ' (the Prophet's saying)says: "Allah has two arguments against man; visible and hidden. The visibleargument are the Messengers, the Prophets and the Imams (the Prophet's infallible successors). The hidden argument is reason"[1]

Thus, a sound and rational mind acts as an inner messenger of religion, perceiving and manifesting its greatness and value. It is the greatest justification for the continuation of the message, and during the absence ofmessengers it is an argument against man. Another proof justifying the argument of Islam are those people who propagate and spread the message of the Prophet, enjoining right and forbidding wrong; and enlightening people and delivering them from darkness towards the right path ordained by Allah the Exalted.

Consequently, Islam imposes "enjoining right and forbidding wrong" on its followers, especially on the learned men and women who enjoy intellectualsuperiority which enables them to assume the missionary role of guides in society and convey the call of Islam; to lead and reform.

Allah the Exalted says:

"And from among you (O Believers) there should be a party who invite to good, and enjoin what is right and forbid the wrong, and these it is that shall be successful."

Sura Aal Imran (3:104)

Therefore it is clear from the reasons cited above, as to why the messages were many, and how they finally culminated in the message of Muhammad (s.a.w .); the message which brought religion-Islam-to its highest degree of perfection and in complete uniformity with human progress and scientific development.

AMENDMENTS IN DIVINE MESSAGES

"Say (O Muslims): We believe in Allah and (in) that which has been revealed to us, and in that which was revealed to Abraham and Ishmael and Isaac and Jacob and the tribes, and (in) that which was given to Moses and Jesus, and (in) that which was given to the prophets from their Lord, we make no distinction between any of them, and to Him we submit (become Muslims):

Sura Baqara (2:136)

All the divine messages meet along the same line and march towards the same goal; to deliver man from the darkness of unbelief and guide him towards belief in Allah, the Exalted Creator, by means of the same supreme principles of faith. As we have already explained, the laws, legislations,ethics and ritual worship preached by the prophets, throughout the course of history, and across the expanse of human life were in stages and forms parallel with mankind's religious and cultural development, and its intellectual perfection.

Every prophet paved the way for the next, andendeavoured to guide the human mind, spirit and conduct towards maturity so that it may be prepared to receive the next divine message, and be on guard against deviation.

The successive divine messages adhered to the same course, destroying the corrupt beliefs, the deviated ideas, the distorted laws and the bad morals, which frequently cropped up in every time and place. They undertook the task of building a civilized community, by enlightening the mind and spirit of the individual and the society as a whole,on the basis of the sublime religious principles which guarantee goodness for mankind both in this world and in the hereafter.

They actualized the process of development and perfection by means of wise amendments concerning laws, legislations, rituals, etc.

Divine amendment means the cancellation of a certain law and its replacement by a more suitable one, according to the stage of human development, because the Creator best knows what better suits His creatures.

".... and it is not in (the power of) an apostle to bring a portent save by Allah's leave; for everything there is a time prescribed. Allah effaces and establishes what He pleases and with Him is the source of the Book."

Sura Ra'd (13:38,39 )

The divine messages passed through the gradual process of change and amendments, not by any mortal priest or rabbi who distorted scriptures for their own selfish ends, but by divine revelation, through 'Reformer Prophets' (Moses for example), according to the needs of the times - "for everything there is a time" - and in harmony with the developments, taking place.

The Qur'an refers to this by saying:

"Whatever of the versesWe abrogate or cause to be forgotten, We bring (in place) one better than it or like it.

Do you not know that Allah has power over all things?"

Sura Baqara (2:106)

This was in order to devise better rules and legislations and lay a perfect legal foundation, precisely covering all aspects of human activities and defining individual and social ethics and relations.

As we already explained earlier, each new message addressedto mankind surpassed the previous one in all its aspects, was of a wider horizon, and more exact in handling the growing human faculties.

Thus, the legislating process continuedtill it reached full perfection in the message of Muhammad (s.a.w .). The Qur'an profoundly expresses the unity of relations among the elementary principles of all divine messages as follows:

"And We have revealed to you the Book (Qur'an) with the truth confirming whatever of the Book(s) was before it, and a guardian over it, so, judge between them by what Allah has revealed, and follow not their low desires (to turn away) from the truth which has come to you, for everyone of you We have appointed a divine law and a (traced out) way, and if Allah had willed He would have made you (all) a single nation, but that He might try you in what He gave you, so vie one with another to hasten to virtuous deeds; to Allah is your return of all (of you), so He will let you know that in which you differed"

Sura Mai'da (5:48)

In this way the evolutionary process of the divine messages continued, reaching its perfection in the last divine message revealed to the Seal of the Prophets, Muhammad (s.a.w .). Humanity had come of age, both spiritually and mentally and the message preached by the last great Prophet of Islam was themost perfect scientific version of Divine Laws and Legislations, that would flawlessly cater to the needs of all the future generations, till Doomsday.

".... This day have I perfected for you your religion and completed Myfavour on you, and chosen for you Islam as a religion;... "

Sura Mai'da (5:3)

"Surely the religion with Allah is Islam….."

Sura Aal Imran (3:19)

"And whoever follows a religion other than Islam (submission to Allah) it will not be accepted from him, and he will be one of the losers in the hereafter."

Sura Aal Imran (3:85)

THE ORIGINALITY OF THE MESSAGES

AND LATER DISTORTIONS

The course of the divine messages from the very beginning had to encounter arrogant attempts by ignorant elements, bent upon effacing them or at least distorting their true message and principles. No efforts were spared by the infidels in creating obstacles to hinder the progress of religion, stop itsspread and empty it of its reformative contents. The prophetswere persecuted by these tyrants and even martyred . The tyrants vainly thought that they would be able to blot the call of delivery and redemption and keep humanity in bonds.

But the most serious danger faced by the divine calls, was from the hypocrites and counterfeits. These pretended to accept the divine messages, but no sooner had a prophet died, they distorted and fabricated his teachings and scripture, in order to exploit the masses for their own selfish interests.

An outstanding example of this forgery are the Jewish rabbis and Christian priests, who so frequently changed, altered, added and deleted to the divine messages revealed through the Prophets Moses (a.s .) and Jesus (a.s .), that these were turned into semi-pagan religions having obscure rituals, with virtually nothing divine remaining therein. The pure monotheistic religion - Islam - preached by Moses (a.s .) and Jesus (a.s .) was polluted in the course of time by the sediments of the rabbis' and priests' devious thoughts, and assumed deformed and legendary mythical shapes, far removed from intellect and reason and mocked at by correct learning. Falsification and deviation of messages gradually made the one single faith, into different distorted religions. The religion so defined by the imaginations of the priests, had nothing but legends and fables, stagnancy andpetrification , andmade mankind prostrate before tyrants and despots - a state which caused people to dislike belief, and encouraged the waging of a war of hostility against the very idea of religion.Mankind was absolutely justified in taking such a hostile attitude towards these forged and distorted illusions, and in recoiling from such fossil understandings which were neo-paganism in disguise. In stark contrast to the monotheistic creed, prophetswere worshipped as sons of God - a clear influence of pagan Roman beliefs on Christianity.

The Qur'an highlights these forgeries and falsifications in several verses concerning the Jews and the Christians:

"Certainly they have disbelieved who say: The Messiah, son of Mary is Allah; and the Messiah (himself) said: O Children ofIsrael, serve Allah, my Lord and your Lord. Surely whoever associates (partners) with Allah, then Allah has forbidden to him the Paradise and his abode is the Fire; and there shall be no helpers for the unjust. Certainly they have disbelieved who say: Allah is the third (person) of three (trinity); when there is no god but the One God and if they (the Christians) desist not from what they say, a painful doom shall befall those among them who disbelieve."

Sura Mai'da (5:72,73 )

"And the Jews say: Ezra is the son of Allah; and the Christians say: De Messiah is the son of Allah; these are the words of their mouths; they imitate thesaying of those who disbelieved before; may Allah destroy them; how perverse are they! They have taken their rabbis and priests as Lords besides Allah and (also) the Messiah son of Mary and they were enjoined that they should serve one God only, there is no god but He; Exalted is He above all what they ascribe as partners (to Him)?"

Sura Tawba (9:30,31 )

"Woe to those who write the book with their hands and then say: This is from Allah, so that they may make a small gain; therefore woe to them for what their hands have written (fabricated) and woe to them for what they earn thereby."

Sura Baqara (2:79)

The glorious Qur'an draws a clear picture of the perversion done by the Jewish rabbis and the Christian priests to the original creed, laws and concepts of the divinely revealed scriptures; the Torah and the Gospel. By enacting laws and propagatingteachings violating the divine message of the original scriptures the Jews and the Christians not only served their own vested interests but in the process gave birth to superficial religions, bearing the clear stamps of their superstitious conscience and poor imagination.Distorting the very contents of these two divine messages, they led astray the greater part of several generations, until that deviation gradually took the form of a special creed and replaced whatever belief was there in the hearts of the few remaining followers of the true path preached by Jesus (a.s .); most of whom due to persecution by Roman Christianity took to the deserts and remote mountains to finally await the coming of the promised Reformer. The majority, either dictated by personal desires or fear of Imperial Rome - which had cleverly put on the mask of Christianity, preserving intact most of its pagan beliefs - drove the last nail into the coffin of the divine message, preached by theuncrucified prophet; Jesus (a.s .), by blindly and without reasoning accepting the creed which we know as Christianity today .

Byanalysing the so-called Torah and the Gospel now in the hands of their followers, we discover a disfigured and legendary picture, without the least resemblance to the spirit of both the divine scriptures revealed to Moses (a.s .), and Jesus (a.s .). Following are some evidences proving the point, that these books are in fact mere fabrications:

1. Several Gospels are now in circulation among the Christians, each one different from the otherto a great extent , and even obviously self-contradicting.

When Allah had revealed only a single Book to Jesus (a.s .), not many; from where did the so many Gospels come from, and how dothe learned priests explain the phenomena of these conflicting versions?

The only answer, that not even thehighest ranking Christian authorities can refute is, these divine scriptures were subjected to so frequent revisions that eventually they lost the greater part of their originality and true contents, and led to so many conflicting versions of the Gospel.

2. True the source of all divine messages is Allah the Almighty and they all stress on the concept of monotheism and consider Himto be above all human attributes; whereas a glance at the present Torah of the Jews reveals that it is far removed from the very principles of monotheism. Actually it so disfigures this fundamental principle of the divine message, that the Prophet Ezra (a.s .) is presented as the son of God, in close resemblance to the forged Gospel's view of the Messiah. An interesting point indeed, leaving so many questions unanswered; as to whether the Jews tried to outdo the Christians orwas it vice versa?Moreover the Gospel itself betrays its pagan Roman influences when it says that Jesus (a.s .) was an incarnation of God and had a dual nature, both human and divine.

It isquite obvious to a sound rational mind that these are all deviated thoughts and heathen beliefs, which proves without doubt that the hypocrites coined absurd ideas in contrast to the basic principles of the religion brought by Moses (a.s .) and Jesus (a.s .).

3. Another glaring example of the distortion, which even alayman can detect, is the self-contradictions in these so-called holy books of the Jews and Christians. On onehand they sanctify the prophets and present them as lofty models of excellent character, but on the other hand these same books degrade them to the ranks of lecherous criminals, capable of committing every known sin.

Chapter XIX of the Book ofGenesis, attributes a horrible crime to Prophet Lot (a.s .) and his two daughters, whom all good believers regard as a spotless person. The shameless storyis reproduced below from the Old Testament for our readers, to judge themselves:

"And the firstborn said unto the younger, our father is old,ad there is not a man in the earth to come in unto us .fur the manner of all the earth: Come let us make our father drink wine, and we will lie with him, that we may preserve seed of our father.And they made their father drink wine that night: and the firstborn went in, and lay with her father, and he perceived not when she lay down, nor when she arose. And it came to pass on the morrow, that the firstborn said unto the younger, &hold, I lay yester night with my father: let us make him drink wine this night also, and go thou in, and lie with him, that we may preserve seed of our father.And they made their father drink wine that night also: and the younger arose, and lay with him, and he perceived not when she lay down, nor when she arose.Thus we (…..) the daughters of Lot with child by their father. And the first born bare a son, and called his name Moab: the same is the father of Moabites unto this day. And the younger, she alsobare a son, and called his name Ben-ammi : the same is the father of the children ofAmmon unto this day."

Genesis (19:31-38)

This passage props up a number of questions, which the learned rabbis and priests, try to evade and insist on their followers to ignore the facts and accept blind obedience.

This same chapter of the Book ofGenesis, starts with the destruction of the licentious cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to which the Prophet Lot (a.s .) had been sent by God as a Reformer.And it says that while escaping toZoar , Lot's wife disregarding God's command turned back to see the destruction of these cities and was instantly turned into a pillar of salt. In otherwords it means that Lot (a.s .) was a pious, God-fearing man and the cities were destroyed for the sole reason that they did not heed his guidance and continued their lecherous deeds. And moreover even his wife could not escape God's wrath due to herdisobedience .

Now taking another look at verses 31-38, quoted above, we find that Lot - God forbid - was a weak character and hisdaughters wicked persons. The question arises if the prophets were fools,lechers or simpletons, what missionary roles were they capable of performing?And did the Creator who easily created the whole universe erred in selecting prophets?And lastly , if His messengers themselves were lecherous why did He destroy the promiscuous cities which were only emulating their Prophet?

The only answer is that this very passage like so many other ones in these books betrays its origin. It is a clear case of distortion and later addition by some prejudiced racist Jew, whose only intention was to slander other races, because of some deep personal bias. His distorted mind found the Torah to be the best medium to express his hatred, regardless of the sacrilege he was committing towards God, a Prophet and his family.

Another example of a distortion is Chapter XI of book II of Samuel, which blasphemes the Prophet David (a.s .) and accuses him of committing adultery with the wife of Uriah the Hittite, his faithful companion and a true believer. It alleges that having made Uriah's wife Bathsheba pregnant; David to achieve his sinister designs sent Uriah to the war fronts where hewas killed and thus got rid of him.

Now coming to the New Testament, we find in Chapter XI of the Gospel, according to St. John, that Jesus (a.s .) attended a wedding, where they were short of wine and he performed a miracle by converting six stoups of water into the forbidden drink. The Gospel, also says that Jesus Christ used to drink wine, and he was a heavydrinker .

Thus it is quite clear to every believer in God that such allegations are but crafty inventions and cleverly disguised lies against the prophets by those hypocrites, who wanted to distort religion from within, in order to disrepute these pure personalities and at the same time promote a Christ-worshipping cult, appealing to the minds of the pagan Greeks and Romans. Even a casual look at these books reveals their forgery and the real aim of their authors, who by mischievously innovating prophet-worship belittled the doctrine of monotheism and the spotless characters of such great prophets as Moses (a.s .) and Jesus (a.s .).

4. Another evidence proving the forgery of these Books is that they are diffused with polytheism and pagan thoughts, such as the idea of incarnation; the concept of trinity and the belief that the Messiah is god in the shape of man.

The authors of the Gospels had long been under the influence of pagan thoughts and beliefs, then prevailing in Roman society. In order to conform to the pagan Roman mind they disfigured the pure monotheistic spirit of the original Gospel, revealed to Prophet Jesus (a.s .). It is an irrefutable fact of history, confessed even by the Christian priests, that the versions of Gospel now common among the Christians were composed by different authors over a two hundred year period after Jesus (a.s .).

In other words they were forged by the priests according to their own thinking and greedy desires, conforming on one hand with the pagan Roman culture, and on the other, the already polluted Jewish thought, which alienated from the creed of Moses (a.s .) and other prophets had not only rejected Jesus (a.s .), but was also involved in the far-reaching conspiracy of distorting the divinely revealed word of Jesus (a.s .).

The Christian Church, in line with the era of moral and spiritual decadence and ignorance continued to falsify, deface and deform the true spirit of Jesus' (a.s ) message, so that in course of time such weird and absurd beliefs were added; as the forgiving of sins by the priests; promise of Paradise to the wrong-doer despite evil deeds, and the sale of 'Indulgence Papers' from the Church, in which the Pope guarantees forgiveness, for the money the customer pays.

On studying the Church's way of life, and scrutinizing the Christian clerical hierarchy, one is apt to uncover the major motives behind these disastrous interferences with the divine values preached by the Messiah (a.s .).

The major motive of the Christian Church was to fill its coffers and accumulate wealth. By pretending to posses the authority to forgive sins, it not only blasphemed God; but also deliberately misled simple people by sanctioning the enjoyment of the forbidden things, in the very name of religion and under the pretext of a deferred purification'.It even issued those so-called 'Indulgence Papers' in which it is written; "May our Lord Jesus bless you, and deliver you by the rewards of his all-sacred pains....I, according to my Apostolic power bestowed upon me, relieve you from all your punishments, sentences and clerical consequences that you had deserved; and from all extravagances, evils and sins which you committed however grave and horrible and whatever their causes might have been, though they are kept for our father, His Holiness the Pope and the Apostolic Seat. I shall erase all the filths of sin and all the signs of blame, which you might have brought upon yourself in this life, and I shall lift the punishments from which you should have suffered in the purgatory.I shall turn you anew to participate in the secrets of the Church, and in the company of the saints. I shall turn you again to chastity and goodness which you got when baptized, so that will be closed before you, at death time, the door through which the wrongdoers enter to the place of torture and punishment, while will be opened to you the door leading to the paradise of joy, even if you lived for long years." [2]

In other words by issuing such absurd papers, the Church has given its followers the free rein to commit whatever crimes they like however capital they may be. Thus the present moral and spiritual decadence of the Christian world like atheism, usurping others' properties, violence, transgression, fraud, adultery, sodomy and other sorts of crimes, including the oppression on Third World countries and political and moral bankruptcy, directly rest on these Papal Papers. It actually inspires them to commit every known sin, crime and aggression, because after all the 'Pope is there to forgive these offences and throw open the doors of paradise to his flock'. No wonder Christian missionaries are spreading across oppressed Africa and other Third World countries, to seek new converts; which in reality means lulling the unsuspecting people toloose their rationality by accepting this dangerous slow poison called Christianity, and ultimately paving the way for the Imperialist countries to plunder the rich natural resources of Africa and the Third World.

This proves that the Pope substitutes himself for God, Who is the only One to forgive sins and the only One to admit into paradise. The Pope very well knows that he has neither the right nor the power to forgive, since he is but a mere mortal like other human beings, and himself cannot avail any benefit nor ward off any harm. In fact all he and his group of atheists want is to accumulate wealth to satisfy their secret desires and pleasures, and run the fabulous theatrical show under his control called the Church , by making fools of millions around the world.

The Qur'an attacks this greed and avarice of the priests and the pontiffs who exploit religious responsibility by taking advantage of peoples'simplicity and suck their blood and lead them astray. It exposes the true nature of this so-called religious establishment, and uncovers its selfishaims which contradict reason and the very essence of religion and its universal reformative call to enlighten mankind and deliver them from darkness.

The Qur'an says:

"O you who believe! Indeed many of the (Jewish) rabbis and the (Christian) priests falsely consume the wealth of the people (their followers) and prevent (them) from the way of Allah; and (as for) those who hoard up gold and silver and do not spend it in the way of Allah, announce to them (O Muhammad) a painful doom."

Sura Tawba (9:34)