Dear Doug Couper of Canada Dearest Susan I did not write any book but thank you so much for your encouragement
encouragement seems the order of this Great Day *** O ye who invoke His Name, turn ye and hold fast unto Him! O ye who lift up your hearts and implore His aid, cling to Him and walk in His ways! It is incumbent upon every one of us to encourage each other, to exert our utmost endeavour to diffuse His divine fragrances and engage in exalting His Word. We must, at all times, be stirred by the breeze that bloweth from the rose-garden of His loving-kindness, and be perfumed with the fragrances of the mystic flowers of His grace.' (Shoghi Effendi: Bahiyyih Khanum, Pages: 163-164) *** by every manner of encouragement which their sympathies may suggest, or their means permit, or their consciences dictate, to succor the outcast and the impoverished (Shoghi Effendi: Messages to America, Page: 27) The tradition that the Prophet said no Prophet will rise against me is just that a tradition [a hadith]. In this regard the text of the Qur'an takes precedence. Secondly even if He said no Prophet [ie no more Prophetic announcement needed ere the Day of the Exalted Bab and Baha'u'llah] He did not say no more Messengers. As well as http://bahai-library.org/articles/jbs.5-3.fazel.html please read: THE MEANING OF THE SEAL OF THE PROPHETS The verse designating Muhammad as the "Seal of the Prophets" is as follows: "Muhammad is not the father of any man among you, but He is the Apostle of God, and the Seal of the Prophets: and God knoweth all things. (Ahzab-33:40) This has been interpreted by Muslims to mean that the doors of Prophethood have been closed for ever. Let us now consider the following points to see whether such an understanding is correct: 1. The Jews were required by Exodus 31:16-17 to keep the Sabbath as an eternal covenant: "Wherefore the children of Israel shall keep the Sabbath, to observe the Sabbath throughout their generations, for a perpetual Covenant. It is a sign between me and the Children of Israel for ever." Both Jesus and Muhammad broke the Sabbath. Does it mean that they were wrong? 2. Jesus has been referred to in Revelation (21:6 and 22:13) as Alpha and Omega, the First and the Last. Likewise He said in Luke 21:33 "Heaven and earth shall pass away, but My words shall not pass away". If Jesus was to be the Last, why did Muhammad appear after Him? If the words of Jesus were not to be changed, why did Muhammad reveal the Qur'�n? 3. The reason why such verses are found in the Holy Books is that all the Prophets of God are one in their reality. What applies to one applies to all. The following verses demonstrate this point: a. "Say ye: 'We believe in God, and that which hath been sent down to us, and that which hath been sent down to Abraham and Ishmael and Isaac and Jacob and the tribes: and that which hath been given to Moses and to Jesus, and that which was given to the Prophets from their Lord. No difference do we make between any of them.'" (Baqarah-2:130) b. "We make no distinction between any of His Apostles." (Baqarah-2:285) c. "Verily We have revealed to Thee as We revealed to Noah and the Prophets after Him, and as We revealed to Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob and the tribes, and Jesus and Job, and Jonah and Aaron and Solomon, and to David gave We Psalms." (Nisa-4:161) 4. The Qur'�n teaches that God's Revelation is endless; its source is inexhaustible: a. "Should the sea become ink, to write the words of my Lord, the sea would surely fail ere the words of My Lord would fail, though we brought its like in aid." (Kahf-18:109) b. "If all the trees that are upon the earth were to become pens, and if God should after that swell the sea into seven seas of ink, His words would not be exhausted: for God is Mighty, Wise." (Luqman-51:26) c. Referring to the Jews, the Qur'�n criticises them in the words: "'The hand of God', say the Jews, 'is chained up.' Their own hands shall be chained up - and for that which they have said will they be cursed. Nay! Outstretched are both His hands! At His own pleasure does He bestow gifts." (Ma'idah-5:69) 5. Muhammad assures us that God by His behest is free to send His Chosen One to men: a. "By His own behest will He cause the angels to descend with the Spirit on whom He pleaseth among His servants, bidding them, 'Warn that there is no God but Me; therefore fear Me.'" (Nahl-16:8) b. "God chooseth Messengers from among the angels and from among men; verily God Heareth, Seeth." (Hajj-22:75) 6. Another interesting point we find in the Qur'�n is the setting forth of a universal principle governing the appearance of the Messengers of God. This principle which has no exceptions and therefore does not exclude Islam, provides that any people who receive the messenger of God are given a fixed term or appointed time. At such an appointed time, a Divine Book is revealed by God through His Messenger, which seals the past term and starts the new one. Here are the verses: a. "Every people hath its set term. And when their time is come, they shall not retard it an hour; and they shall not advance it." (A'raf-7:33) b. "To each term its Book. What He pleaseth will God abrogate or confirm; for with Him is the Source of Revelation." (Ra'd-13:38) c. "Neither too soon, nor too late, shall a people reach its appointed time." (Mu'minum-23:43) 7. From the verses we have so far quoted under this section, two points emerge which prove that the expression "Seal of the Prophets" cannot mean the end of Divine Revelation. The two points are: a. In view of the oneness of the Prophets of God, a title which applies to one of them could apply to all of them. b. God's Revelation is endless, His freedom to send His Chosen Ones to us is unrestricted, and He has fixed for each religion its appointed times. Why, then, was Muhammad designated as "Seal of the Prophets"? This is what we shall consider in our next point. 8. A distinction is made in the Qur'�n between two words: "nabi" (prophet) and "rasool" (apostle or messenger). Note this verse: "We have not sent any Apostle, nor any Prophet before Thee ... " (Hajj-22:51). Also note in the following two verses how Moses is referred to as an Apostle as well as a Prophet, but Aaron, the brother of Moses, is referred to merely as a Prophet: "And commemorate Moses in the Book; for He was a Man of purity: moreover He was an Apostle and a Prophet." (Maryam-19:52) "And We bestowed on Him (Moses) in Our mercy His brother, Aaron, a Prophet." (Maryam-19:54) The word "nabi" (prophet) means "he who foretells" a future event; whereas "rasool" means "he who is sent with a message" from God. All the Chosen Ones of God were "nabi"s or prophets because they warned their people and foretold the advent of the most great event in religious history, the Day of Judgement, which, it is interesting to note, is referred to in the Qur'�n (Sura 78) as the "Naba" (The News) - a word from the same root as "nabi". A "nabi", therefore, according to the usage of the Qur'�n, becomes more specific and acquires the meaning of "he who foretells the Day of Judgement" . The Qur'�nic verse quoted above designating Muhammad as the "Seal", does not state that He is the Seal of the "rasool"s (Apostles or Messengers), but only the Seal of the "nabi"s (Prophets prophesying about the Day of Judgement). The verse does not imply, therefore, that there will be no more Apostles or Messengers to be sent by God, but merely states that Muhammad (also called a "Warner" - see Al-Ahzab 33:44-45) is the last of God's Chosen Ones to warn and prepare the world for the advent of the Day of Judgement, as immediately upon the termination of His Dispensation, the Day of Judgement itself shall come. This is precisely what the Bab and Baha'u'llah have announced: that their Day, which immediately followed Muhammad's Dispensation, is the completion and fulfilment of the prophecies of all past religions, the advent of the promised Day of Judgement. 9. In the light of the above explanation of the difference between "nabi" and "rasool", how reassuring, then, become these heart-warming words of the Qur'�n: "O Children of Adam! There shall come to you Apostles (rasools) from among yourselves, rehearsing My signs to you; and whoso shall fear God and do good works, no fear shall be upon them, neither shall they be put to grief. (A' raf-7:35) The Baha'is believe that Muhammad was indeed the Seal of the Prophets, that the Day of Judgement has come, that two of God's Apostles, the Bab and Baha' u'llah, have already appeared, and have taught in their Writings how God's revelations are continuous and progressive, and will continue to be sent to man in ages to come. "Such is God's method carried into effect of old; no change canst thou find in God's mode of dealing." (Fat'h-48:23) IV. HAS THE DAY OF JUDGEMENT COME? 1. The Qur'�n teaches that the meaning of the Day of Judgement is a mystery which will be revealed by God on the Day of Judgement itself. "They will ask you of the Hour --- for what time is its coming fixed? Say: The knowledge of it is only with my Lord: none shall manifest it in its time but He." (A'raf-7:187) What the mind of man has thought or thinks about the Day of Judgement is mere imagination. How can the leaders of Islam say that the Day of Judgement has not come, and still try to explain its nature and signs literally? 2. It is further pointed out in the Qur'�n that the contents of the Holy Book are divided into two parts: the part that is easily understood (called the "perspicuous") and that part which is in picture or story form (called the "figurative"). The first part is clear and straight-forward, whilst the second part is revealed in a style that is full of figures of speech and therefore cannot be properly understood. The second part needs interpretation. That interpretation, according to the Qur'�n, is not man's function but God's and God shall reveal at a later age its interpretation. Here are the verses: "He it is who hath sent down to thee the Book (the Qur'�n). Some of its verses are of themselves perspicuous; --- these are the basis of the Book --- and others are figurative. But they whose hearts are given to err, follow its figures, craving discord, craving an interpretation; yet none knoweth its interpretation but God." (Al-Imran-3:5) "And now have We brought them the Book; with knowledge have we explained it; a guidance and a mercy to them that believe. What have they to wait for now but its interpretation? When its interpretation shall come, those who aforetime were oblivious of it shall say, 'The Prophet of our Lord did indeed bring the truth.'" (A'raf-7:51-52) The Baha'is point out that most of the verses in the Qur'�n which are "figurative" are those describing the Day of Judgement. As the meaning of the Day of Judgement is to be disclosed by God only when that Day actually comes, the advent of that Day and the promised interpretation of the Qur'�n must necessarily come together. The Bab and Baha'u'llah not only proclaimed that the Day of Judgement has come, but have given us clearly in their writings the true meanings of all the symbols of that Holy Book. 3. The description set forth in the Qur'�n of the phenomena to take place in the world on the Day of Judgement is most arresting. For example the earth is to change into another earth (see Zumar-39:67; Ibrahim-14:48; Inshiqaq-84:3; Qaf-50:44; Rum-30:50; Hadid-50:17) and the heaven is to be cleft and split asunder (Inshiqaq-84:1; Infitar-82:1; Naba'-78:19; Anbiya-21:104; Rahman-55:37; Dukhan-44:10; Furqan-25:25; Zumar-39:67). In the Sura of Tawkir-81 we even read: "When the heaven shall be stripped away" . And in the Sura of Ma'arij-70: "When the heavens shall become as molten brass." Furthermore, the earth is to quake and the mountains are to pass away (Naml-27:88; Waqi'ah-56:5; Qari'ah-101:5; Muzammil-73:14; Mursalat-77:10; Naba'-78:22; Takwir-81:3; TaHa-20:105). Likewise, the sun is to be folded up and lose its light (Takwir-81) and the stars are to disperse and be blotted out (Infitar-82; Mursalat-77). Now let us compare other verses with the above description. Here are four verses. Notice the words underlined: "What! Are they sure that the overwhelming chastisement of God shall not come upon them, suddenly, while they are unaware?" (Yusuf-12:107) "Warn them of the day of sighing, when the decree shall be accomplished, while they are sunk in heedlessness and while they believe not." (Maryam-19:39) "But on the day of resurrection some of you shall deny the others, and some of you shall curse the others." (Ankabut-29:35) Let us now ask ourselves this question: If the overwhelming description of the changes in the physical world to take place on the Day of Judgement is to be interpreted literally, would it be reasonable to expect that the unbelievers would still be unaware of it, would not know its occurrence, and particularly, after the "decree would be accomplished" for them still to be sunk in "heedlessness" and not to believe, and above all for men to "deny" and "curse" one another? Wouldn't the physical signs and portents be so drastic that there could be no room for unbelief, heedlessness and cursing to continue? Surely the answer is that the signs of the Day of Judgement must be interpreted symbolically, not literally. Then we would understand why unbelief and heedlessness would still prevail at such a time. 4. From the above we note that the events of the Day of Judgement are to be taken symbolically. We shall now see how these spiritual developments are to take place gradually: a. "And they will bid Thee to hasten the Chastisement (Day of Judgement). But God cannot fail His threat. And verily, a day with Thy Lord is as a thousand years, as ye reckon them." (Hajj-22:46) This verse shows us that the "Day" of Judgement is not an ordinary day of 24 hours, but 1000 years. b. "He bringeth forth the living out of the dead, and he bringeth forth the dead out of the living: and He quickeneth the earth when dead. Thus is it that ye too shall be brought forth." The "bringing forth", mentioned in this verse, is generally accepted by commentators to be a reference to the Day of Judgement. Thus we see how the resurrection of the dead, or the new creation, as it is sometimes called in the Qur'�n, on the Day of Judgement is likened to the growth of vegetation from the earth in the physical world; and vegetable growth is a gradual process. 5. We are further told in the Qur'�n that on the Day of Judgement, God shall reveal a new "Book", that there will be a "call", and that the "new creation" is none other than the "Faith of God". a. "And on the Day of Resurrection will We bring forth to him (man) a Book which shall be proffered to him wide open." (Bani-Isra'il-17:14) b. "On the day shall God call you forth." (Bani-Isra'il-17:54) c. "And list the day whereon the crier shall call from a near place: the day on which men shall in truth hear that shout will be the day of their coming forth from the grave." (Qaf-50:41) d. "Set thou thy face then, as a true convert, towards the Faith (the religion of God), this creation of God, with which He hath made men. No change is there in God's creation, for, lo, it is the right Faith." (Rum-30:30) So we see how the Day of Judgement is to witness the revelation of a new Book, which is none other than the Holy Writings of Baha'u'llah. The "Crier" referred to is also Baha'u'llah, and the "near place" from where He "called" the people is Baghdad, which is near Arabia. It was in Baghdad that Baha'u'llah announced His mission. Finally, according to the last verse, God's "making" and "creation" of man, is through the revelation of His "Faith", and life in His sight is acceptance of His Faith. 6. We shall now see how the Qur'�n, itself explains some of the terms and expressions used in the description of the Day of Judgement: a. Life: One of the important events on the Last Day is that the dead will find life. As we have already seen, this means a spiritual life, the life of faith. The following verse was revealed when Hamzih, the uncle of Muhammad, joined Islam. Hamzih, who was a pagan before becoming a Muslim, is referred to as "dead". His subsequent acceptance of Islam is referred to as "being quickened", and receiving "light": "Shall the dead, whom we have quickened, and for whom we have ordained a light whereby he may walk among men, be like him, whose likeness is in the darkness, whence he will not come forth?" (An'am-6:122) (This verse is of particular interest, because it shows that "life" and "light" are both to be taken spiritually, not physically.) "While the gods whom they call on beside God, create nothing, but are themselves created. Dead are they (the unbelievers), lifeless! and they know not when they shall be raised." (Nahl-16:20-22) "O ye faithful! Make answer to the appeal of God and His Apostle when He calleth you to that which giveth life." (Anfal-8:24) b. Light: On the Day of Judgement, the sun is to be folded up and lose its light, thereby casting confusion in the heavens, the stars, the clouds, etc., as well as the earth. When the sun, the centre of the solar system is disturbed, naturally all the units of that system are also to suffer. The Baha'i interpretation is, of course, that light is spiritual light, not physical; therefore, the centre of light in our system, the sun, symbolises the Manifestation or Apostle of God in each Day of Dispensation. Darkness, or the loss of light, represents the unbelief, the heedlessness and wickedness of the people. The heaven symbolises God's religion, from where the Manifestation shines. The sun is always shining but often we cannot see its light because of clouds. Clouds are moisture coming from the earth. In the spiritual meaning the Light of God is always pouring forth, but men cannot always see it because of the clouds of human fancies and imaginings which rise from the hearts and minds of men (the earth) and obstruct this light. Stars represent spiritual leaders, who appear in the heaven of religion, after the sun has set, that is after the Manifestation of God has left this world. The fall of the stars symbolises their spiritual downfall in the eyes of men. > Dear Doug, > > I'm forwarding your question on to Khazeh because he's the one who literally > 'wrote the book' on this topic. (Well, maybe the article.) But you have no > idea how many versions of Muhammad's last sermon there are. ;-}Without more > references I can't be sure what hadith they are quoting. However, there are > Quranic verses similiar to this. Aside from "Muhammad is the Seal of the > Prophets" we have the verse "This day I have completed my religion" which > Muslims understand to mean that Islam is now perfect and incorruptible. A > verse which states "No religion will ever be accepted from you but Islam" is > used similiarly. But keep in mind that Islam is said to be the religion of > Abraham so He could not have been speaking specifically of his revelation > alone. Anyhow, take a look at Khazeh's article on this topic: > http://bahai-library.org/articles/jbs.5-3.fazel.html > > But maybe he can answer your question about this particular hadith directly. > > warmest, Susan > > Hi Susan, I find myself unable to keep up with the number of postings on > Discuss, except once in a while. This is probably the kind of question > that could go there, but I thought I'd ask you first, if you'd be so > kind, to comment about a quote re Muhammad's last sermon in an article > on Saudi Arabia on page 10 in the current October, 2003 issue of > National Geographic. It reads that Muhammad said: "No ... apostle will > come after me, and no new faith will be born." The article characterizes > this idea as revelation, but if it's not Qur'anic, do you know if this > is a strong hadith with a good chain of authority? I'm wondering if > there's a better English translation available online? > Any comment appreciated. Yours in the Faith, Doug Couper, Milton ON > ---------- You are subscribed to Baha'i Studies as: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] To unsubscribe send a blank email to mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Baha'i Studies is available through the following: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] http://list.jccc.net/cgi-bin/lyris.pl?enter=bahai-st news://list.jccc.net/bahai-st http://www.escribe.com/religion/bahaist (public) http://www.mail-archive.com/[EMAIL PROTECTED] (public)
