NOTICES FROM THE INSPIRED BOOKS, AND PREDICTIONS CON­CERNING THE BLESSED OF BOTH WORLDS ABOUT THE EPITHETS AND PROPERTIES OF THE SEAL OF PROPHETS AND PRINCE OF APOSTLES—U. W. B.

In the second part of the fifth book of the Torathah,* on the correctness whereof seventy Jewish priests have agreed, there is an authentic prediction about the advent of a prophet distinguished by two characteristics, both of which refer to the lord of apostleship—u. w. b. The one is that he will be of the sons of Esrâil; and the second that this prophet will be like Mûsa [Moses], meaning that he will found a religion, and that he will be endued with power. No one pos­sessing these qualities received a mission except the prince of prophets. The objection of the Christians that this prophet might be I’sa is refuted by the words of the latter in the Evangel: ‘I have not come to change the law of Mûsa.”* This objection may also be raised in another manner, which, however, is not worth recording in this place. In the Torathah it is also mentioned that the sun of prophecy will rise in the east of Qârân, which is a mountain near Mekkah belonging to the destitute among the descendants of Esma’il. The inhabitants of the world believe that the descendant of Esma’il who was, according to the revelation in the Torathah, invested with the robe of prophecy and ennobled with the honour of apostleship was our prophet.

Ka’b-ullâkhbâr* says: ‘I have read in the Torathah that Muhammad, the apostle of Allah, will be neither ill-humoured nor hard-hearted, that he will not raise his voice in public places, nor requite evil with evil; but that he will forgive those [who offend him]. That those who adhere to his religion will praise Allah and will shout the Takbir* on the tops of houses; will wear loin-cloths down to their legs; will perform the religious ablutions on four limbs, i.e., the head, face, hands, and feet; that their herald, i.e., Muezzin, will exclaim in the air, i.e., on roofs; that their position in prayer and battle will be the same, and that the voice of their prayer during the night will resemble the buzzing of bees; that the prophet will be born in Mekkah and will flee to Madinah, and that the length and breadth of his king­dom will extend to Syria.’

A’bdullah, the son of Sullâm, says: ‘I have found him described in the Torathah as follows: “I have sent thee as a witness, a bearer of glad tidings, and as an admonisher. Muhammad is my servant and my apostle; I have named him Motawakkal.* He will not depart from the world until he has straightened the crooked religion, and invited the people to monotheism. By his blessing blind eyes, deaf ears, and closed hearts will be opened.”’ The same indi­vidual says: ‘I have read in the Torathah that the Most High has sent the Torathah to Mûsa on Mount Sina, and the Evangel to I’sa in Nassrah, which is a village, where­from Christians are called Nassari, and the Qurân will be brought to Muhammad at Mekkah.’ When the son of Sullâm had seen the verses of the Torathah, and had beheld the characteristics of truth on the august forehead of prophecy, he attained the nobility of Islâm. The confirmation of his case occurs in the blessed verse: ‘And those to whom We gave the book know, etc.’ Farûq [i.e., Omar] asked him about the seal [i.e., about Muhammad], and received the following answer: ‘The prophetship of Muhammad is more certain than my descent or that of my son.’ O’mar—u. w. b. —replied: ‘How could that be?’ The son of Sullâm con­tinued: ‘Suspicions arise in pedigrees on account of the possibility of fraud in the mother and her offspring, but about the veracity of Muhammad’s claim there is not the least doubt.’ Farûq then kissed the hand of the son of Sullâm, and approved of what he had said.

It is written in the Evangel [Gospel] that I’sa had said to his people: ‘If you love me you will keep my command­ments, until the arrival of the prophet who will separate the true from the false religion; for his religion will endure for ever.’ This points to the mission of the prophet of the latter times, whose religion abrogates all others. It is like­wise written in the Evangel: ‘When the Bâraqlittâ [Paraclete], namely, Muhammad, is sent, he will bear witness of the truth of my mission.’ The ancient nations always accused the adherents of I’sa of falsehood, espe­cially the Jews, who uttered calumnies about them; but when his lordship the prophet—u. w. b.—was sent, he testified that what I’sa had spoken, and his followers had preserved, is nothing but the truth, and that the stories of the Jews current about them are only falsehoods and slanders.

It is said that Allah the Most High and Glorious sent a revelation to I’sa to consider the prophetship of Muhammad as true, and to believe therein. Allah the Most High has said: ‘An apostle who shall come after me, and whose name shall be Ahmed.??*

Distich:

I’sa gave tidings of the approach of my friend, And by the blessing of thy advent his breath gave life to corpses.

It is written in the Zubûr of Dâud*: ‘Our mercy has been shed upon thee with every prosperity, namely, our favour has been commingled with thy words. Therefore, I, who am the Lord, have caused success and blessings to accompany thee for ever. Therefore, gird the sword, and attack the enemies, for thou wilt conquer them. Make the word of Allah thy vehicle; for we have started the glory of the law by thy hand and arm. Other nations will humbly place their foreheads on the ground before thee.’ And there is no doubt that all people must follow him except his lordship the elect—u. w. b.

In the book of the prophet Shoa’ib* the Most High has said: ‘I have a servant with whom I am well pleased, and to whom I shall send a revelation to establish justice among all people. By his blessing blind eyes, deaf ears, and closed hearts will be opened, and through My praise he will become the praised of the world. From the four quarters of the world fresh and renewed laudation will accrue to him, because the Takbir will be shouted on the housetops; Allah will be remembered and the light of truth will shine among the people, and will not be quench­able by anyone; and the seal of prophecy will be between his two shoulders.’ All these are characteristics of his lordship, the refuge of prophecy.

A’bd-ur-rahman Zaid, the Anssâri [auxiliary], relates that Adam said: ‘In the resurrection I shall be the chief of all mankind, except one individual, a prophet of the name of Muhammad, who will excel me in two things. Firstly, that his spouse Khodaijah will aid him in repelling Satan; secondly, that Allah will allow him to make a Musalmân of Satan, whilst my Satan remained an unbeliever and a sinner.’ Wuhub, the son of Muniah, narrates that Allah the Most High sent a revelation of the following purport to Adam: ‘I am the God who is the pro­prietor of Mekkah; its inhabitants are My neighbours, and the pilgrims to the Ka’bah are My guests. I shall exalt this house by a prophet of thy progeny of the name of Ebrâhim, who will build it, and all succeeding generations will keep it in a state of repair until the time of the prophecy of one of thy children, Muhammad by name, who is the seal of the prophets, and whom I shall make one of the inhabitants of the sanctuary, of the governors of the Ka’bah, and of the purveyors for the pilgrims.’ The U’lâma have related that Ka’b, the son of Lowa, had found a description of the prophet in the pages of Ebrâhim, and had therefore on a Friday, which was at that time called A’runah, assembled his people, and had, after offering praises and laudations to the Most High, spoken to them as follows: ‘Know ye that the day is bright, and dark the night, that the earth is a bed, and the sky a roof, and the mountains the nails of the earth, and that the stars direct the wayfarer? The former and the latter command­ment is the same—that males should couple with females. Therefore cherish each other, and educate your children, because after all no one who has died came back, and no one who went away has retraced his steps. You have the house of the Ka’bah; keep it, adorn it, and devote yourselves to this noble country, because a day will arrive when the sanctuary will become very celebrated and a prophet of the name of Muhammad will be sent, who will bring veracious informations;’ and he concluded by saying: ‘Alas! If I could live then, that I might assist him.’ Wuhub, the son of Muniah, also says: ‘In the celestial books which have come down to some of the inspired prophets, I have read that the Most High had said: “I have chosen the children of Esrâil in My bounty, and have cherished them with miracles. They were like sheep without a shepherd; I have brought them back, and I have gathered their scattered ones, until they became puffed up by the insolence of prosperity, and the rams among those sheep have knocked their heads against each other. Woe to this rebellious and disobedient nation. I am the Lord, and have, on the day when I created heaven and earth, determined to establish a religion which shall vanquish all others, and have appointed a time thereto. If the children of Esrâil possess any knowledge of futurity, let them say when this will take place? My prophet will be an illiterate Arab of meek and gentle character, who will not raise his voice in market-places, and will not speak on trifles. I shall aid him in every good thing, and bestow on him noble manners, grave elocution, and make piety his motto. Truth, justice, and patience will be his chief qualities; his religion will be sublime and blessed. For his sake I shall cause various opinions to unite in one, and will make his people the best, who will constantly obey and praise Me, will for My sake abandon their families and riches, and will wage religious wars against infidels. Their ranks will be the same in prayer as in battle; they will turn night into day by vigils and orisons, and will fight their enemies like lions. These are favours and benefits which I vouchsafe to whomsoever I please, for I am the Lord of great excellence.”’ Such is the favour of Allah, who bestoweth it upon whom He listeth, for He is Almighty.

All the properties of his lordship are recorded in the celestial books. Some of his names are written in Divine books, and his epithets are recorded by the tongues of prophets, as well as in the chronicles composed by the worthies of former and of latter times. These pages can­not, however, embrace all the traditions, and therefore here the reins of the pleasantly ambling pen are turned towards the descriptions of other histories concerning the glad tidings originating from those who were connoisseurs of arcana and seers. But protection and favour come from Allah!