The Praised One ﷺ in World Scriptures

The Praised One ملسو هيلع هللا بلص in World Scriptures

Opening Greeting and Introduction

Bismillah ar-Rahman ar-Rahim. Wa salamu ala Sayyidina Muhammad wa ala alihi wa sahbihi wa salam tasliman kathira. Alhamdulillah. Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuhu. I hope everybody is well. May Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala preserve all of you in this time of tribulation, these days of plague.

May Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala inshaAllah restore health and well-being to our globe, to our community, to humanity at large. Our Prophet ملسو هيلع هللا بلص Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala described him وَمَا أَرْسَلْنَاكَ إِلَّا رَحْمَةً لِلْعَالَمِينَ "We only sent you as a mercy to all the worlds" (Quran 21:107). So our Prophet ملسو هيلع هللا بلص was a mercy to all of the different kingdoms, to the animal kingdom, the plant kingdom, and certainly the mineral kingdom.

Gratitude for the Mawlid Celebration

Even the rocks rejoiced. Mountains of Paran rejoiced with his coming. So alhamdulillah, first of all, we had a wonderful event on the 12th of Rabi' al-Awwal. We actually had 12,000 people online according to our numbers, which was pretty remarkable given that we were hoping to promote the 12,000 campaign. But I would like to really, really thank the over 300 people that joined us in that campaign. So may Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala bless you, increase you, elevate you.

The Blessing of Charity

May Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala inshallah multiply all of your gifts and charities manifold in this world and in the next inshallah. The Prophet ملسو هيلع هللا بلص said that charity does not diminish wealth. So when you give out, it doesn't diminish wealth. So thank all of you. And as you know, we're living in times of inflation. Our wealth just diminishes by holding on to it. The inflation now is estimated to be over 5%, but it's probably higher than many things that we can see out there. And for those of you who know about the economics, the consumer price index is one thing, but what they call the producer's price index is another, and it's very, very high in many, many areas. So it's a good time to give charity while the money has more value than it will have next week or the week after.

The Blessing of the Mawlid Night

So may Allah bless all of you. We're going to re-air this program. I don't think I could do it again. There was a lot of blessing that night. We all felt it in the room. So I would not try to replicate what we all experienced. I really felt just... I actually had some insights during the actual broadcast. So I saw some things that I hadn't seen before. And you might notice in a kind of flash in my eyes at certain points.

A Request to Viewers

But there's a few things that I would like to say, and I'm deliberating about making this available. Part of the problem that I have is that I give talks that are talks that each part is a part of a whole. And there's a lot of people that take talks and segment them and then put titles that I would never use. Some of it's clickbait, what they call clickbait. But some of it just doesn't apply to the talk at all. And unfortunately, some people are doing that, I think, with good intentions. Other people are monetizing, and this is part of the time we're living in with the Internet as it is. But I would really appreciate that people not record this, that they not segment it and put clips up on the Internet. It's a long talk. There are a lot of slides in it. It's an argument, and I believe it's clear and convincing evidence. And there is a segment on evidence and the nature of evidence.

Respecting All World Religions

But I really do feel like people that are open-minded and fair-minded do this. And I just want, again, to reiterate that all of these world religions are great gifts to humanity. They give our species great solace, but they also are double-edged swords. They often, unfortunately, are misused, abused, and end up creating a lot of suffering. And so the best of religion is something that should be honored in every religion. And the worst, irrespective of the people practicing it, it should be condemned for what it is, just bad and abusive religion.

The Universal Compassion of Religious Ideals

And I'll just conclude by, I was once on a panel with Jonathan Haidt, who is a very highly regarded psychologist. And he wrote a book called The Righteous Mind about just the nature of the way our intellects work. And he has quite a bit on religion in the book. But one of the things he talked about while living in India was seeing how he could really see the best aspects of religion and the worst aspects of religion. And afterwards, I had a private conversation with him, and I just mentioned to him that every religious tradition has an ideal. And what is really, I think, quite stunning about all of these religious traditions is that their ideal is a human being that really has a type of universal compassion.

So you have, in Hinduism, you have the sunyasi. In Judaism, you have the tzaddik. In Buddhism, you have the bodhisattva. In Christianity, you have the saint. And in Islam, you have the salih, or the wali. And the hallmark of all of these individuals from these different religions is that they have a compassion for humanity.

Islam: The Religion of Mercy

And so whenever religion, whenever compassion is absent from a religion, I don't believe it's from God. And that's why I think we should all be, as Muslims, really rejoice in the fact that our book begins, In the name of God, the most merciful, the most compassionate. And that he sent, as his final messenger to our species, the mercy to all the worlds. So I hope you benefit from this, and I hope you support the 12,000K. May Allah reward all of you. Assalamualaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh.

Second Opening and Du'a

In the name of God, the most merciful, the most compassionate. And peace and blessings be upon our master and beloved Muhammad. And upon my family and companions. And peace and blessings be upon you all. Alhamdulillah. Assalamualaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh. May Allah open for us the doors of knowledge, and grant us the success of the righteous. May Allah open for us, O merciful, the most compassionate. And bless our master and beloved Muhammad. O Lord of the worlds. Alhamdulillah. Assalamualaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh.

A Day of Celebration Despite Tribulation

I hope everyone is well in these trying times, on many, many fronts. Alhamdulillah. But today is a day of celebration. We can't ever forget that while the world is filled with suffering, it's also filled with the overcoming of suffering. And so it's really important for us to celebrate, despite the fact that there's so many people in tribulation and trials. But there are things to celebrate in this world. And certainly for us as Muslims, the thing that we should celebrate more than any other is guidance. And that guidance comes from one source, which is our Lord. But our Lord chose to use as a means for that guidance, His beloved Prophet Muhammad ملسو هيلع هللا بلص. So we're here to celebrate this Prophet ملسو هيلع هللا بلص. And so I'd like to talk inshallah about the praised one in world scriptures.

The Prophet Mentioned in Previous Scriptures

I think a lot of Muslims are unaware that one of the unique aspects of our Prophet ملسو هيلع هللا بلص is that he was actually mentioned according to the Qur'an in the previous dispensations. We also are unique, I think, amongst the world religions in that we acknowledge all the previous prophets, the ones we know and the ones we don't know. So this is something that Allah جل جلاله has given this ummah. Allah جل جلاله commanded his prophet to say, So this is an extraordinary verse. Saying that the Prophet ملسو هيلع هللا بلص said he mentions all those prophets, but then he says that we're told to believe also in these nabi'un, these other prophets. And then not to differentiate between them, even though there are degrees amongst them, all of them are from the same source.

Honoring All Prophets Equally

And so they're honored in the same way. So for instance, you have your father and your uncle. Your father is obviously privileged over your uncle, but you still honor your uncle. You don't separate between them in that sense of honor towards them. So these are all prophets from God. And so this is where we're going to, inshallah, begin and look at.

The Prophet as Mercy to All Worlds

So I want to talk about the fact that this aspect of the Prophet ملسو هيلع هللا بلص is extraordinary. وَمَا أَرْسَلْنَاكَ إِلَّا

رَحْمَةً لِلْعَالَمِينَ "We only sent you, we sent you only as a mercy to all the worlds" (Quran 21:107). So this is in Surat al-Anbiya. It's in the chapter of the prophets. And this is what is unique about our Prophet ملسو هيلع هللا بلص. He said I was given five things that no one was given before me. Every prophet before me was sent to his people specifically. And I was sent to, he says, إِلَى كُلِّ أَحْمَرَ وَأَسْوَدَ "To every red and black person." So some say, Imam Nawawi said the blacks are the Arabs and the red are the non-Arabs. And some say it's the other way around.

The Earth as a Place of Worship

But the important thing is, it's I was sent to all peoples, the Arabs and the non-Arabs. And then he said ملسو هيلع هللا لص that the whole earth is a place of worship. So the entire earth is sacred in that he's been given the earth as a place of worship and its soil as a source of purification. This is extraordinary, especially in light of the environmental age. And then he said ملسو هيلع هللا بلص that he was also given the shafa'ah. So this is the intercession which we'll get into later.

The Covenant with All Prophets

Now, in another verse Allah جل جلاله says, وَإِذْ أَخَذَ اللَّهُ مِيثَاقَ النَّبِيِّينَ لَمَا آتَيْتُكُم مِّن كِتَابٍ وَحِكْمَةٍ "That we took a covenant, Allah took a covenant with all the prophets. This is all the prophets given a book and wisdom" (Quran 3:81). So there's always the book and then the wisdom with it. ثُمَّ جَاءَكُمْ رَسُولٌ مُّصَدِّقٌ لِّمَا مَعَكُمْ "And then a messenger comes to you." مُّصَدِّقٌ لِّمَا مَعَكُمْ "That he is affirming what went before." So our prophet affirmed all of the previous dispensations. لَتُؤْمِنُنَّ بِهِ "That you will believe in him." وَلَتَنصُرُنَّهُ "And you will give victory to him, you will help him." قَالَ أَأَقْرَرْتُمْ "And then Allah asks, do you accept this?" وَأَخَذْتُمْ عَلَى ذَلِكُمْ إِصْرِي "And are you bound to this?" So this is the covenant. And they said, we confirm it. And God said, then bear witness and I am with you among the witnesses. So any who turn backs after that are deviants. So this is in the Ali Imran. Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala mentions this.

The Interpretation of the Covenant

And then Ali ibn Abi Talib. So there is difference of opinion about what that covenant is. But Ibn Abbas and Ali ibn Abi Talib said مَا مِنْ نَبِيّ بَعَثَهُ اللهُ مِنْ آدَمَ فَمَنْ بَعْدَهُ إِلَّا أَخَذَ عَلَيْهِمُ الْعَهْدَ لَئِنْ بُعِثَ مُحَمَّدٌ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ وَهُوَ حَيٌّ لَيُؤْمِنُنَّ بِهِ ,وَلَيَنْصُرُنَّهُ "There is no prophet sent from Adam until all the prophets that if Muhammad is sent while they are alive, they have to believe in him." So this was a covenant. But it was also a covenant that they were told to tell their peoples that there will be a final prophet.

Every Prophet Told About the Final Prophet

So every group was told that there will be a final prophet. There is no prophet that came to this planet that did not tell them about the last prophet. So the prophet is the only prophet who was mentioned in all previous dispensations both written and oral. This is unique to our prophet. This is our belief. And so it's really important because I want to say that we shouldn't in any arrogant sense. We should actually be humbled by this. And in no

way should we look at these other traditions with any denigration and I'll get to that later. But it's really important.

A Note on Respectful Approach

So I'm going to if there are people from other religions watching this. I am in no way advocating that Muslims see this as some kind of triumphalist supremacist approach. No, this is in order for us to understand what we have been given as believers. Like we believe this. And I'll get into this deeper.

The Religion of Submission

So Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala says, أَفَغَيْرَ دِينِ اللَّهِ يَبْغُونَ وَلَهُ أَسْلَمَ مَن فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ طَوْعًا وَكَرْهًا وَإِلَيْهِ يُرْجَعُونَ "Do you want a religion other than the religion when everything in the heavens and the earth has submitted to God willingly or unwillingly" (Quran 3:83). We're all in submission. Like Goethe said, if living and dying in submission is Islam then we all in Islam live and die. The fact that the way we breathe, we have to breathe the way we breathe, the way we walk. There are so many things that we are in submission to and we don't think about these things. So these are the signs that Allah has given.

Every Nation Has Been Given a Warner

And then Allah tells us إِنَّا أَرْسَلْنَاكَ بِالْحَقِّ بَشِيرًا وَنَذِيرًا "We sent you as a herald, a giver of good news and a warner" (Quran 2:119). Because every prophet has to give good news but they also have to warn what happens if you don't follow the good news. وَإِن مِّنْ أُمَّةٍ إِلَّا خَلَا فِيهَا نَذِيرٌ "And there's no ummah that has not been given a warner, a prophet" (Quran 35:24). Every ummah, every people has been given a prophet. And then those who disbelieved, they said to the prophet لَسْتَ مُرْسَلًا "You weren't sent." قُلْ كَفَى بِاللَّهِ شَهِيدًا بَيْنِي وَبَيْنَكُمْ وَمَنْ عِندَهُ عِلْمُ الْكِتَابِ They scoffed, they say, You are not an envoy, you're not a messenger, you're not sent. "God is sufficient witness between me and you and those who have knowledge of the book" (Quran 13:43). So, here are the shawahid. These are called testimonies.

Evidence in the Previous Books

So Allah is saying in this verse that he testifies. The prophet is told to say to them, God is my evidence and the previous book. So here's the evidence. So, just a quick summary of the types of evidence. So, you have what's called a preponderance of evidence. That's like a civil suit. So, some of the legal jurors say it is like 51%. So, these are in civil cases. And then you have evidence beyond a reasonable doubt. Those are in criminal cases. So, for instance, just give me a quick example. O.J. Simpson was found not guilty in the murder of his wife and the other person that was with her. That was in the criminal case. Because his trial lawyers, who were very good, they put reasonable doubt into their minds. But in the civil case, O.J. Simpson lost for wrongful death. So, the family sued him for wrongful death. So, they had the preponderance of evidence in the civil case. So, he actually had to pay damages to the family for the murder. So, it's basically saying, we think you murdered, but there is a little bit of doubt. So, that's the example of the difference.

Clear and Convincing Evidence

But there's a really interesting third type of evidence, which is clear and convincing evidence. And this is the evidence that is often in cases that involve wills and testimonies. So, this is a higher standard than preponderance of evidence, but a lower standard than beyond a reasonable doubt. And I am convinced that this is the evidence that God has given people for belief in Him and for belief in His messengers and His books. It's not beyond a reasonable doubt, because then there would be no meaning to faith. And it's not a preponderance of evidence, because it's just too... But it's clear and convincing evidence. It should convince you. And that's where you get that feeling, I believe this and I believe it's true. But you just have to wait till the afterlife. So,

"Worship your Lord until beyond a reasonable doubt comes to you, which is your death"

Overview of World Religions

So, now just to look at the world religions. The oldest religion is that we have... And there are ancient religions. Recently, there was this amazing temple discovered in Turkey. So, humans are homo religiosus. We are religious creatures by nature. But the oldest religion that we have is Hinduism. And it's more than 2,500 years old. It is an ancient religion. Judaism is another ancient religion. Then there's Zoroastrianism. Buddhism is... Some say it was actually a Hindu reformist movement. So, Buddha was, in essence, came out of Hinduism and tried to reform Hinduism. He opposed the caste system and tried to make changes within Hinduism. And then you have Christianity. And the last and the youngest of the world's religions.

All Previous Dispensations Were Forms of Islam

Although, Muslims would argue all of these previous dispensations were forms of Islam. Because the religion with God is submission to Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. So, the difference between these previous religions... So, if you look at Hinduism... Hinduism, it's actually... You're born into Hinduism. So, you have the Brahman and the Kshatriya and the Vaishya. And then you have the Shudra. And then you have the Dalit people that are the untouchables. So, you're actually born into this. There are converts to Hinduism, but it's really a religion. This is unfortunately what some fanatical people believe. That India, which is Hind, is only for the Hindus. But Muslims are also... They're from India.

Judaism as a Tribal Religion

And then you have Judaism, which is essentially a tribal religion. It's a religion of Bani Israel. And even though Bani Israel was also taught the Noahidic laws, they don't proselytize to other people. And in fact, the rabbis traditionally were encouraged to discourage people to become a Jew. And then Zoroastrianism is the religion that was found in what is now Iran. And then Buddhism arguably becomes a proselytizing religion, like the last three religions are more universal proselytizing religions. Although it's arguable that Christianity, that Christ

Hinduism as a Revealed Religion

So, the first religion I want to look at is Hinduism. And Hinduism, I believe, and many of our scholars believe this, that Hinduism is a revealed religion. There are no great world religions that could not have come from God. Because it's just not possible that by their fruits ye shall know them. It's not possible to see these incredible civilizations without seeing that God is behind them. Sorry, sorry. I'm just thinking about these problems in India right now. Kashmir.

The Revealed Books of Hinduism

So, these are the revealed books, the Shruti in their tradition, the Rig Veda, the Sama Veda, the Yajur Veda, and the Atharva Veda. These are the four great revealed books. Al-Biruni, the great Muslim scholar, he was a great Shafi'i scholar, he was a great historian. He actually learned Sanskrit. He sat with the Hindu pandits. He studied them. And then he wrote one of the most extraordinary books on comparative religion. One of the things that he said in that book, which is so stunning, is he said, I shall not produce the arguments of our antagonists in order to refute them of such, as I believe to be in the wrong. My book is nothing but a simple historical record of facts. I shall place before the reader the theories of the Hindus exactly as they are, and I shall mention in connection with them similar theories of the Greeks in order to show the relation existing between them.

Al-Biruni's Objective Approach

So he actually was saying, I want to be completely objective. But what he sees, he differentiated between educated Hindus and uneducated Hindus. He said the educated Hindus were clearly monotheists. So this is really important for, I think, Muslims to understand. The Yajur Veda says, God is imageless and pure. The Rig Veda, the Brahma Sutra says, There's only one God. Truth is one.

The Prophet Mentioned in the Vedas

So is the problem mentioned in the Vedas? There's something in Hinduism called the Avatar, which is one sent down. Now, currently, most Hindus believe the Avatar is really an incarnation of Vishnu. But they have a concept of the Antim Avatar, which is the last one to come, the last one that will be sent. And they come when things are going wrong. So the last messenger is known, actually in the Vedas, as Narasamsa, which is not as human. So it means that he's not a deva. He's not this demigod. And then Ashans is praised. So it's the praised human.

The Kalki Avatar

And then is the Prophet mentioned in the Puranas? Many Muslim scholars actually who studied Hinduism thought he was. Some of them argued that he was the Kalki Avatar, who comes in the Kali Yuga period, which

is the last cycle. It's the age of darkness and strife, even though in Hinduism they believe that these recur. But this age of darkness and strife is the age of Fitna. And in the Mahabharata it says the rulers become unreasonable, taxes levied unfairly. They no longer promote spirituality. God will not be discussed. Greed will be everywhere. Animosity will be amongst people. Religion will diminish with each passing day. People will have thoughts of murder with no justification. Lust will be seen as socially acceptable. People will be addicted to intoxicants. Spiritual teachers will abuse their students. People will no longer get married. Earthquakes will be common. The rich will dominate the poor. Sound familiar?

Prince Mohammed Dara Shikoh

Now this man is one of the most extraordinary people, I think. Prince Mohammed Dara Shikoh. He was the son of Shah Jahan who built the Taj Mahal. This man learned Hebrew. He learned Greek. He learned Sanskrit. He knew Arabic and Persian. He wrote some extraordinary books. He wrote one book on all of the Awliya. And then he translated the Bhagavad Gita into Persian. Really, really stunning person. But one of the most amazing books he wrote is called Majma' al-Bahrain.

Dara Shikoh's Discovery of Tawheed in the Upanishads

When he studied the Old Testament and the New Testament, he didn't feel there was Tawheed in them. He thought it was a lot of anthropomorphism and then the Trinity and these things. But when he studied the Upanishads, he said this is pure Tawheed. And so he actually said they have the same teaching that we have. One of the most extraordinary things is he actually said in the verse in the Qur'an that says, and he knew the Qur'an very well. He said, He said that that verse referred to the Upanishads. That the Upanishads are the secret book. Because the Brahmans did not teach the Upanishads. They kept it secret and you had to go through great purification rituals to actually be taught the Upanishads.

The Secrecy of the Upanishads

In fact, the person that brought them to the world was an Englishman who became a judge in the 18th century who was living in India. So he's actually the one that brought them out. But the pandit that taught him, he had to give up eating meat. He became a vegetarian. He had to do all this ritual purification before he could be taught the Upanishads. So this was the view. But Dara Shikoh, Prince Muhammad was actually the student of the famous Sufi Sheikh Mian Mir. And for people from Pakistan, Mian Mir is buried near Lahore. And still to this day, he's venerated by people from Pakistan. He was a Qadiri Sheikh. He was also a Faqih, a scholar. And so Dara Shikoh took his suluk with him. And then some say also with a student of Mulla Sadra, the great metaphysician. So this man is really, really quite extraordinary. But his father built the Taj Mahal based on Mulla Sadra's view of the world. And that's why this is understood to be the most beautiful building in the world.

Zoroastrianism

So moving along, Zoroastrianism. Zoroastrianism is around 600 BC. Some people feel that Zoroastrianism actually precedes him, that he was one of the prophets of Zoroastrianism. Again, if you look at the early texts, they had a belief in one god, Ahura Mazda. Ahriman is more like the devil, but it becomes a dualistic religion. So they have the scriptures, the Zend Avesta and the Dasatir al-Asmani. So Allah mentions the Magians in the Quran. So after the Magus, it's al-ladheena ashraku. So the Jews, the Sabi'een, the Christians and the Magus are all mentioned. And then wal-ladheena ashraku.

The Sabi'een

The Sabi'een, it's very interesting. Some say they're the Sabians. One of the meanings of that root word is like distant light. And so Dr. Cleary actually thought they were the religions that were very distant from the Arabian Peninsula, the eastern religions. Allah will distinguish between them. He will decide among them on the day of resurrection. God is witness over all things.

Zoroastrian Teachings

But in the Dasatir, Zarathustra said about God, He is one, not in number. He said He has none like Him. Neither I can behold Him, nor can the power of thinking conceive Him. And He is above all that you can imagine. And then do not despair of His favors. And then I'm nearer to you than your own self. These are all replicated in the Qur'an. In fact, some people tried to argue that some of the Qur'an is taken from Zoroastrianism, like Firdaus. Firdaus in Persian is actually from the Zoroastrian tradition. And so we would see it as no. The Prophet said, I'm not an innovator from the messengers. I'm in a long line of prophets.

Parallels Between Zoroastrianism and Islam

So Zarathustra said the angels are countless. The Qur'an says no one knows the number of angels except God. Regarding heaven, in Firdaus they will abide therein forever in a joyful abode. Regarding hell, He said they will live therein forever and will be tortured therein with intense heat and intense cold. We have certainly sent messengers before you. Some of them we told you about, and some of them we have not told you of. So the Qur'an is clearly stating that every people had messengers. Some of them we mentioned in the Qur'an, and others we didn't.

Historical Recognition of Zoroastrians

This is from a historian and the translator of the Zend Avesta, James Darmesteter, who said, when Islam assimilated the Zoroastrians to the people of the book, it evinced a rare historical sense and solved the problem of the origin of the Avesta. In other words, they saw the Avesta, Zend Avesta, as something from God. And that's why there's some weak traditions about treat them like the people of the book, but don't marry from them, and don't eat their zabiha. But the early Muslims really did see Zoroastrianism as being originally something.

Zoroastrian Prophecy

In Zoroastrianism, it says that the universe was created in six periods of time. Humanity was born of a male and female. Zarathustra prophesied the coming of a prophet. This last person who's called Saoshyant, which means rahmatan lil'alameen. He's also called the Astvat-ereta, the gatherer of all nations. And this is one of the qualities of our Prophet. The Prophet said, I am the gatherer of the nations. I am the gatherer of the nations. All of humanity will be gathered before my feet.

The Magians in the Gospel

So it's very interesting that Matthew 1-12 talks about the birth of Christ. And in it, he mentions the Magians. It's the only gospel that mentions them. But they were these wise men from the east who were magi. They were, in other words, majus. And the reason that he puts them in there, I believe, is because he knew about their prophecy of this last prophet. And so he put them in there to confirm this.

Buddhism

When we move next to Buddhism, Buddhism is a vast tradition. And my mother practiced Buddhism most of my life. So I actually grew up with a lot of just Buddhism in my life. Even though she was born into Orthodox family, Christian family. And she said her shahadah right before she passed away. But she prayed with us for five years while she lived with us.

Imam Shah Rastani on Buddha and Al-Khidr

But Imam Shah Rastani, and I actually wrote when I read this in Kitab al-Milal wal-Nihal. When I read this, I actually ended up doing a lot of research about this and pretty much became convinced that he was right. So he says in his book, Imam Shah Rastani, one of the great Shafi'i scholars and a heresiologist. He says, among their scholars, they do not differ as to the eternity of the cosmos. And their belief in karma, as previously mentioned. They emerged in India due to the special qualities of that land and its topography, as well as the fact that among its people are those who excel in spiritual exercises and self-mastery. He also said Pythagoras stole all his ideas from India. That he actually went to India and then went back to Greece with all the mathematics and everything. Because the Indians were the great mathematicians. So it's very interesting.

Buddha as Al-Khidr

So he says, based on their description of the Buddha, Shakyamuni. He calls him Shakyamuni and Al-Buddha. If they are accurate, it would seem that he is none other than Al-Khidr, whom Muslims acknowledge. Upon him be peace. Now remember, Buddha had what was called the ilm ladunni. He had enlightenment. It was not like the traditional revelation of prophets. And that's exactly what happened to Al-Khidr. Now the interesting thing is, Buddha is often the green man. So he's put in green motifs. So they have the green jade Buddhas. And when

The Dhammapada and the Praised One

The Dhammapada is the earliest. It's a Pali teaching. Possibly a revelation. And it was translated by Thomas Cleary. Thomas Cleary is probably one of the greatest Buddhist scholars of this age. Unfortunately, he passed away a few months ago. And he taught at Zaytuna. But he has translated over 100 works in Buddhism. Really a stunning Buddhist scholar. But he was also a scholar of Islam. And a lover of the Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam. And of Imam Ali. Particularly enamored of the sayings of Imam Ali. Which he translated into English.

A Passage from the Dhammapada

But in the Dhammapada, there is a passage. It said, who is capable of praising one like a coin of finest gold? In other words, impeccable. One whom the knowing prays, after finding him impeccable. Controlled, intelligent, insightful, ethical. And composed day in and day out. Composed, like never getting upset. Even the gods, the Deva, which is not gods like Alihat. Praise such a one. Even the creator. So this is in the Dhammapada. One of the earliest, if not the earliest, Buddhist scripture. Saying that the creator praises this one.

Thomas Cleary's Observation

He wrote, and remember this is a scholar. One of the greatest scholars of the 20th and 21st century of Buddhism. He wrote, the name of the last prophet. Of the Abrahamic tradition. Who embodied these qualities. Literally means praised one. And then he says, a similar description is given in a hymn. So he also predicted the Maitreya. Which means the compassionate one. Or the merciful. Maitreya is the one who comes at the end. Allah knows if this is the final coming. But many Muslim scholars saw the Maitreya. As being an indication of our prophet.

The Abrahamic Faiths

Now we come to the Abrahamic faith. Judaism and Christianity. Now it is very interesting. The site that the Jewish tradition holds dear. We have the site of our prophets. Isra and Mi'raj. The Mi'raj comes there. And then this great Hagia Sophia. Which is the great church that was built in Turkey. And now is a mosque.

Following the Unlettered Prophet

Allah says in the Quran. (الَّذِينَ يَتَّبِعُونَ الرَّسُولَ النَّبِيَّ الْأُمِّيَّ - Those who follow the messenger. The unlettered prophet) (Quran 7:157). Or the gentile prophet. (الَّذِي يَجِدُونَهُ مَكْتُوبًا عِندَهُمْ فِي التَّوْرَاةِ وَالْإِنجِيل - The one they find written. In the Torah and the Injil) (Quran 7:157). In the Torah, the Tanakh, the Jewish Bible. And in the Gospel. What they now call the Gospel of Q. The original source Gospel. So they follow the unlettered prophet. Whom they find written in their sources. The Torah and the Gospel.

The Prophet Sent to All Humanity

So the prophet Isa was told to say. All of humanity. I am a messenger to all of you. Believe. It's an act of will. To believe in Allah and his messenger. Who believes in God and his words. All of his words. All of the dispensations. Follow him and you will be guided.

The Covenant with Abraham

So in Genesis we find. So this means that the prophet had to have been mentioned. In the Torah and the Injil because that's what the Quran says. Now we have to recognize that the Jewish tradition. Have their interpretations for these things. And one of our beliefs is they're entitled to that. The Quran gives each of these religious dispensations. Their right to either accept this message. Or to reject it. So we're not passing judgment on anybody. Other than looking for the evidence. That our book tells us is in their books. And so God said to Abraham. As for you, you must keep my covenant. You and your descendants after you for the generations to come. So the covenant one of the signs of the covenant. Was that the male men should be circumcised. So you undergo circumcision and it will be a sign of the covenant. Between me and you for the generations to come. Every male among you who is eight days old must be circumcised. Including those born in your household.

Circumcision as a Fitrah Quality

So circumcision is one of the five. And in a riwayah ten fitrah qualities. So circumcision is actually something that all fitrah people do. A lot of people don't know this. But tribes all over the world circumcise. If you read Nelson Mandela's Long Walk to Freedom. His autobiography. He tells about his tribes ritual circumcision that he went through. Which is not as a Jew. It was actually something his tribe did as a coming of age. For the young man. So this is something that's done all over the world. Male circumcision. They're trying to eliminate it now. But believe it or not. There are countries that actually began to have that had high AIDS rates. They began to circumcise the infant. The male infants. Because the rates amongst circumcised males is much lower. Than the rates amongst non-circumcised males. And so circumcision is a fitrah thing. But it's also a sign of this covenant. So the Arabs circumcised. Even before Islam. Because this was from the covenant. So they were part of the covenant. So this is really important to remember. The Arabs are part of the Abrahamic covenant.

The Promise to Ishmael

Then God said yes. But your wife Sarah. She laughed. Means to be happy or joyful. When she was given the good news of Isaac. So you will call him Isaac. And I will establish my covenant with him. As an everlasting covenant for his descendants after him. So here's the bond between. That Bani Israel has with God. And as for Ishmael. I have heard you because Abraham made this prayer. Oh God please bless my son Ishmael. Because he's his firstborn. And he's a legitimate son. Because even some of the sons of Jacob were from concubines. So a concubine was seen as a source of legitimacy. In that tradition. He said I will surely bless him. In the Arabic

translation says. I will bless him. And I will make him fruitful. He will be the father of 12 rulers. And I will make him into a great nation.

A Great Nation Must Worship God

How can a nation be great with God. If it's not a worshipping nation. How could it be called great with God. How can it be called blessed with God. How could Ishmael be blessed if he's not worshipping God. So the 12 rulers. The Shia interpret this as the 12 Imams. But traditionally it's seen in Genesis. Their actual names are there. And our prophets one of his ancestors is there. As for Ishmael I have heard thee. Behold I have blessed him and I will make him fruitful. And we will multiply him greatly. So this is very interesting. It's repeated twice.

The Gematria of Muhammad

One of the Imams who was a rabbi. Who became Muslim in Morocco. In the 9th century. He actually said that in the Gematria. Which is something in Kabbalistic tradition. Which means greatly, greatly. That the Gematria of it equals 92. Now what's interesting is in our tafsirs. They say. Which is the Hebrew greatly, greatly. Is actually. So with. We will increase you with. And they say that this is actually a name. Of the prophet. So it equals 92. Now in the Gematria Muhammad in Hebrew. Equals 92. So those two have the same Gematria. This is something that is mentioned in the tafsirs. So I'm not a numerologist. And I don't encourage numerology. But our scholars did delve into this from time to time. It's interesting to note. It's like salt on the knowledge. So you don't take too much of it. You get sick.

Jacob's Prophecy About Shiloh

So now Genesis 49. This is when Jacob calls his sons together. This is mentioned in the Quran. That when Jacob death was coming to him. He gathers his sons around him. And he tells him what will happen in the latter days. So it's translated as days to come. But it means the latter days. And so he looks at each of his sons. And some of them he calls cruel. Because they threw his brother Joseph into a well. It was Yehudah or Judah who actually said. Don't kill him. Throw him in the well. So he, because the lineage of Joseph. Actually will end. He gives the scepter. In other words the Nubuwwa and the ruling to Judah. But then he tells them. The scepter will not depart from Judah. Nor the ruler's staff. Or in Arabic it says Musharri'. Like the one who brings the Sharia. Until he to whom it belongs shall come. And the obedience of the nation shall be his. So that's one translation.

What Will You Worship After Me?

So this is in the Quran. What are you going to worship after me? So this is what they say. We will worship your God, the God of your fathers. Abraham, Ishmael and Isaac. So these are the covenant is with Ishmael and Isaac. Remember Isaac was circumcised. So he has the covenant. Then at the end after he says this. So our belief is the abrogation. We believe that our Sharia has abrogated the previous dispensation. This is our belief. But we acknowledge the right of peoples to maintain their dispensations. But this is our belief. So this is a really

important distinction. And this is the beauty of Islam. Is it will allow for universal brotherhood and peace amongst people. Because there can be no peace if there's not peace amongst the religions.

Islam's Multi-Faith Civilizations

And it is Islam uniquely historically. That had multi-faith civilizations. That really we have our horror stories. We have our bad periods. We have our persecution. The Hindus are well aware of that. One of the reasons why so many Hindus hate the Muslims. Is because so many Muslims mistreated them. So we have to acknowledge these historical wrongs. But it's not from our religion. It's from people not following our religion that these things happen.

The Religion of Abraham

"And who is averse to the religion of Abraham? Except those who make fools of themselves" (Quran 2:130). Then it says right after that. We chose him in this world and he will be among the perfect in the hereafter. When his Lord said to him surrender. He said I surrender to the Lord of the world. So Abraham enjoined his sons to do so. As did Jacob. They all say this. All my sons God has chosen religion for you. So do not die except you're in submission to God. You're Muslims. Because Islam is all the previous dispensations are forms of Islam.

The Meaning of Shiloh

So in this thing. That where he tells him. The scepter will not depart from Judah. The prophet said. That I am. That all the nations will be gathered at my feet. And I am the final. So this in Hebrew it's called. It says. There's a lot of debate about what Shiloh means. But what Shiloh means until he who's right. It is comes. So Rashi one of the great. Commentators from the rabbinical tradition. Says that Shiloh is both she praise. And lo to him praise to him. The praise until the praised one comes. Even Ezra quotes Ibn Qalus rendered Shiloh as simply his. In the Arabic translation of the Torah Shiloh is written. Shiloh and translated as. The one to whom it belongs. So what is it that belongs to him? Strong's concordance says. That the word that's used. For obey and translated as obey. It's actually translated in the King James version as unto him. Shall be the gathering of all people. In other words. So this is in. The Genesis the prophets. We believe that this is speak that Shiloh. Is our prophet. And that the scepter will go from Judah. When Shiloh comes so that Jesus was from. Judah David was from Judah. All of them the Abrahamic lineage they're all from Judah. And so it will go after Jesus. It will go to our prophets.

The Hadith of the Shafa'ah

But why does it say. What is it? That's for him. Well one of the most amazing Hadith in our tradition. Is the Hadith of the Shafa'ah. On the day of judgment it says. The people are like waves going into one another. They're so confused they go to Adam and they say. Make intercession. Be a paraclete. Be an advocate. It's not mine. I'm not the Shiloh. They go to Ibrahim. And he says. It's not mine. They go to Moses. It's not mine. Then

they go to Jesus. These are all the sons of Judah. They go to Jesus. He says it's not mine. He's the Ruh of God. And his logos. It's not mine. He prophesied the paraclete. Which means the intercessor. And he's the one that tells them to go to Muhammad. They come to me. This is my maqam. I take permission. In the heaven. He's called Ahmad. So he praises him. He's not able to do it now. It's given to him through inspiration on that moment. And it's said to me. Raise your head. Say and you will be heard. Ask and you will be given. Intercede and you will be given the intercession. And then he says.

Deuteronomy 18: A Prophet Like Moses

In Deuteronomy 18 through 17 through 22. This is Moses. I will raise up for them a prophet like you. Like unto thee from among their fellow. See Israelites. It doesn't say Israelites in the original. It says from amongst their brethren. And I will put my words in his mouth. He will tell them everything I command him. It's only revelation revealed to him. I myself will call to account anyone who does not listen to my words. That the prophet speaks in my name. But a prophet who presumes to speak in my name. Anything I have not commanded or a prophet who speaks in my name. I will put him to death. That's what the Quran says. If you try to say anything that I didn't tell you to say. I'll sever your carotid artery. You may say to yourselves. How can we know when a message has not been spoken by the Lord? If a prophet proclaims in the name of the Lord. And it doesn't happen. Then it's not a prophet. But if it happens, it's a prophet. Clear and convincing evidence.

Moses's Blessing and the Light from Paran

And this is the blessing wherewith Moses. The man of God blessed the children of Israel before his death. And he said the Lord came from Sinai. In other words he revealed to me. And the Lord here is a motif that's used meaning revelation comes. Rose up from Seir. In our tradition this is Jesus. So he was given a revelation in Sinai. And then he shined forth from Mount Paran. And the word in Hebrew it's like it's a light. Mount Paran. Paran is Faran. Faran according to Wahb ibn Munabbih is between Safa and Marwa. The two places of running back and forth. Faran is also according to Yaqut al-Hamawi the great geographer. It is the mountains of Mecca. He also says it's a name of Mecca. So Faran and then he comes with 10,000 saints. When he entered into Mecca he entered in with 10,000 saints. From his right hand went a fiery law for them. He brought the Sharia. Yea he loved the people. All his saints are in the hands and they sat down at thy feet. Everyone shall receive thy words.

Hagar and Ishmael in the Desert of Paran

In Genesis 21, 12-17. When Sarah was worried about the boy. This is in the Bible. Do not be so distressed about the boy and your slave woman. The concubine. In our tradition some say that she was a wife. I mean this is a Khilaf issue but I'm quoting the Bible. Listen to what Sarah says. Because there was difficulty in the household. Because it was through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned. I will make the son of the slave into a nation. Because he is your offspring. Early the next morning Abraham took some food and a skin of water. And gave them to Hagar. He set them on her shoulder and sent them off with the boy. She went on her way and wandered in the desert of Beersheba. When the water in the skin was gone. He put the boy under one of the bushes. Then

God Speaks to Hagar

God heard the boy crying. And the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven. I mean how can you not say that this woman is not blessed. When God is calling and speaking to her from heaven. And said to her what is the matter Hagar. Do not be afraid God has heard the boy crying. God hears him. Lift the boy up and take him by the hand. For I will make him a great nation. This is Bushra. I will make him into a great nation. Then God opened her eyes. And she saw a well of water. She went and filled the skin with the water and gave the boy a drink. God was with the boy as he grew up. He lived in the desert and became an archer. While he was living in the desert of Paran around Mecca. His mother got a wife for him from Egypt.

Scholarly Interpretations of Paran

This is Al-Muqaddasi. The extermination of the Hijaz at a place called Faran. Faran an Arabized Hebrew word. One of the names of Mecca. Mentioned in the Torah according to Yaqut al-Hamawi. Faran is also said to be the son of one of the kings of the Amalekah. That is why Mecca was named after him. Because the Amalekah who they say was in Sinai. So the scholars of the Bible from the other dispensations say. Faran is in Sinai. But we know Hagar and Ismail were in Mecca. So it must be Mecca. So this is and then the desert of Paran. Is it also in terms of the Hijaz. In old Arabic translation of commentary in Pentateuch. The Torah. According to Wahb ibn Munabbih. He lived on the outskirts of Mecca. He mentioned the book Kitab al-Tijan. A pre-Islamic compilation. So he says that it's the two runways. A place where the Jurhum tribe found Hagar and Ismail. So here is Jabal Nur. And this is Faran. The light that comes out of Faran.

Isaiah 42: The Servant of God

So Isaiah 42. When they were told that the prophet was in the Torah. They went to Ka'b. Who knew the book the previous books. He knew the Torah. And also Abdullah ibn Amr ibn al-As. Was asked about this. And he says that. What he quotes from that. Is that the prophet. Was my servant. And then he says. He quotes this from Isaiah 42. So just realize that. All of our Tafsirs use this. When you look up in any Tafsir of the ayah. That they find him written in the Torah. These are the verses they bring. In whom my soul delighted. I have put my spirit upon him. He shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles. The Christians say this is Jesus. But judgment to the Gentiles. He shall not cry nor lift up. Nor cause his voice to be heard. This is in our Hadith about our prophet. A bruised reed. In other words he will be persecuted. He shall not break. And the smoking flax shall he not quench. He shall bring forth judgment unto truth. He shall not fail nor be discouraged. Till he has set judgment in the earth. And the isles shall wait for his law.

The Isles Waiting for His Law

The isles is interpreted to be the Mediterranean. These are all the countries that become Muslim. Remember

Spain was Muslim. Sicily and lower Italy was Muslim. Greece was ruled by the Muslims. Turkey was Muslim. Cyprus was Muslim. Lebanon was Muslim. Palestine was Muslim. Egypt became Muslim. Libya. Algeria. Morocco. That's how they interpret it. They interpret it as the Mediterranean. So they are waiting for his law. He that created the heavens and the earth. He that spread forth the earth. And that which cometh out of it. He that giveth breath unto the people upon it. And spirit to them that walk in. The Lord have called thee in righteousness. And will hold thine hand and will keep thee. And give thee for a covenant of the people. For a light of the Gentiles. This is the one who takes the light of the Jewish prophets. And brings it to the Gentiles. To open the blind eyes. To bring out the prisoners from the prison. And them that sit in darkness out of the prison house. I am the Lord. That is my name. And my glory will I not give to another. Neither my praise to graven images.

A New Song from the Wilderness

Behold the former things are come to pass. And new things do I declare. Before they spring forth I tell you of them. So new things. It's a new Sharia. Sing unto the Lord a new song. And his praise from the end of the earth. Ye that go down to the sea and all that is therein. The isles and the inhabitants thereof. Let the wilderness and the cities thereof lift up their voice. The villages of Kedar doth inhabit. Let the inhabitants of the rock sing. Let them shout for joy from the tops of the mountains. So in one of the Bible commentaries. What is Kedar? Let the cities of Kedar rejoice. It's the Arabian desert. The mountains namely of Paran. Mecca. Let Mecca rejoice. The wilderness. Those parts of the world which are now like a wilderness. Not literally. For he speaks of their cities. This is in Matthew Poole's commentary. Kedar. The Arabians. Let the Arabians rejoice. Let the Arabians rejoice. Why are they rejoicing? Because this prophet who is going to come. This was the kingdom of the Kedarites. In Arabia.

The Lord as a Man of War

Let them give glory unto the Lord and declare his praise in the islands. The Lord shall go forth as a mighty man. In other words this revelation. He shall stir up jealousy. Like a man of war. So people may envy him. He shall cry yea. Roar. He shall prevail against his enemies. Jesus did not prevail against his enemies. Unless you interpret it like Christians do. Figuratively. But this is saying he was a man of war. And he prevailed against his enemies. Jesus was not a man of war. He was a man of peace. The Christians say this is Jesus. But I don't see it there. Unless you say I haven't come to bring peace but to bring war. But it's a spiritual warfare that Christ was talking about.

Taking Them Out of Darkness into Light

I have a long time holding my peace. I have been still and refrained myself. Now I will cry like a travailing woman. I will destroy and devour. I will bring the blind by way that they knew not. I will lead them in the paths that they have not known. The Arabs. I will make darkness light before them. To take them out of darkness into light. And the crooked things make straight. They were on a crooked path. He made it straight for them. And

then they shall be turned back from their idolatry. They shall be greatly ashamed that they trusted in idols. And that they said to the idol images you are our gods. Jesus came to Monotheists. When he came they were already believing in one God. But here it says that this man will turn them back from their idolatry.

Who Is Blind But My Servant?

Hear ye deaf and look ye blind that ye may see. Who is blind but my servant? Like are you going to call my servant blind? Like all these people that deny our prophet. Or deaf as my messenger that I sent. Who is blind is he that is perfect. And blind is the Lord's servant. Could the Lord's servant be blind? Seeing many things but thou observest not. They have eyes but they don't see with them. Opening the ears but they hear not. The Lord is well pleased for his righteousness. He will magnify the law and make it honorable. Who among you will hearken?

Abraham: The Blessing to All Families

So now in Genesis 12:1 to 3. Now the Lord has said to Abram. That was his name Abram before it was Abraham. We also call him Abraham. In one of the seven Qira'at. Get thee out of thy country and from thy kindred and from thy father's house. Unto a land that I will show thee. And I will make of thee a great nation. Which is the great nation? And I will bless thee and make thy name great. And thou shalt be a blessing. And I will bless them that bless thee. And curse them that curse thee. And in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.

Who Blesses Abraham?

So then he says he's going to make a great nation. And then he's going to bless those who bless you. So I called one of the leading. Evangelical ministers. In the United States. And I said to him. Minister have you ever blessed Abraham? I'm just curious. And he said I can't say that I have. And I said well. Doesn't Genesis 12 say that God will bless those that bless Abraham? And he said that's true maybe I should start doing it. And then I called one of the major rabbis. Who I know and I asked him. Do you have a prayer that blesses Abraham? He said I can't recall one but there's probably one somewhere in the Talmud. So my question is. Who is that blessed nation that blesses Abraham? Every single day 17 times a day. We say. We call it. It's the Ibrahimiyyah. We don't call it. It's amazing.

The Christian Mention of Our Prophet

Now in terms of the Christian. Mentioning of our prophet. John 14:15 through 16. This is Ibn Ishaq and Ibn Hisham both mentioned this. This is the verse that they give. And they say that. In Surah As-Saff when Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala says. That Jesus said that he's going to give good news. Of a prophet. That he says this. If you love me keep my commands. And I will ask the father and he will give you another advocate. So in the Greek. So my. My New Testament Greek's rusty. It clearly says. Allon means another helper. The Christians

interpret this as. The Holy Ghost. The Holy Spirit. But John says that. Christ will baptize with the Holy Spirit. The Quran says the Holy Spirit was with Christ. This says another parakleton.

The Paraclete: The Intercessor

Thilo says that parakleton is an intercessor. Or an advocate. The name of our prophet. His most prominent names. Shafi'. Shafi' is literally parakleton. That's what it means. It means the intercessor. And this is why Jesus on the day of judgment is the one that says. He's the one that knows who the intercessor is. The other prophets don't meant they say go to the next prophet. So they have to go through all the prophets. But then when they get to Jesus he says go to the intercessor. I'm not the paraclete. It's he's coming after me. Paraclete. Advocate. Shafi'. There it is. It's in Hans Wehr. Shafi'. Intercessor. Advocate. That's our prophet. And he's also called Ahmad Shafi'. Ahmad is the name that goes with Shafi'. Because his name on the day of judgment is Ahmad. That's who he's called on the day of judgment. Muhammad is his earthly name. Ahmad is his name on the day of judgment.

The Spirit of Truth

And then also when the advocate comes. Who will I send to you from the father of the spirit of truth? He will testify about me. So the prophets told us to believe in Jesus. So we believe in Jesus because he told us about him. In Luke it says that the Holy Ghost descended. Already in the shape of a dove. And a voice came from heaven and said, Thou art my beloved son. We don't have a problem with that. When you look at David was called a son of God. In the Old Testament other Jewish prophets were called sons of God. The prophet said, All of you are children of God. So he's his beloved son. And I'm well pleased. I mean that sounds like somebody who's over. Or to somebody who's under. And then Allah says, We supported him with the Holy Spirit. We believe in the Holy Spirit. The prophet said when Hassan Ibn Thabit was saying his poetry. The prophet said, Oh Allah, give him support from the Holy Spirit. So we believe in the Holy Spirit. We just don't believe it's part of God.

Who Is The Prophet?

And then he says, John says that I will baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire. Now here's the most interesting one of all of them to me. When they came to John the Baptist. The Jews asked if he was the Messiah. He said, I'm not the Christ. I'm not the Messiah. And then they said, Are you Elias or Elijah? Because the Jews believe that Elijah comes and explains everything. And he said, I'm not Elijah. And then they said, Are you the prophet? Are you the prophet? And he answered no. So there's the Messiah, there's Elias, but then there's the prophet. So who's the prophet? Well, if we look it up in the dictionary, this is Merriam-Webster. Definition of prophet. One who utters divinely inspired revelations such as. Often capitalize the writer of one of the prophetic books. Be capitalized, one regarded by a group of followers. As the final authoritative revealer of God's will. Muhammad, the prophet of Allah. And it's very interesting that it's right there in the dictionary. If somebody wants to look up the prophet. Are you the prophet? So I mean that again, it's just salt. It is interesting and I find that fascinating. That's there.

The Cornerstone Parable

And then Jesus said to the Jewish people. The stone builders rejected the stone. The Lord has done this. It's marvelous. Therefore, I tell you the kingdom of God will be taken away from you. And be given to a people who will produce its fruit. Anyone who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces. Anyone on whom it falls will be crushed. And when the chief priests and Pharisees heard Jesus' parable. They knew he was talking about them. They looked for a way to arrest him. But they were afraid of the crowd. Because the people held that he was a prophet. So he's talking about the cornerstone. They rejected the cornerstone. Now obviously that could refer to their rejection of Christ. But it's very interesting that the prophet said. In a hadith in Sahih Bukhari. That the likeness of me and the previous prophets before you. Is the likeness of a man who built a beautiful house. All these religions are beautiful. They're all beautiful. And there was only one cornerstone missing. And the people walked around. They're amazed at this amazing house. Of all these truths that came to humanity. If only the cornerstone was there. Then the prophet said. I am that cornerstone. I am the seal of the prophets.

The Beginning of Muhammad's Prophethood

The prophet said. I am the seal of the messengers. This was done when Adam was between water and earth. Let me tell you how this begins. This is began with the call. The prayer of my father Abraham. One he prayed to. To God that Ishmael would be blessed. And made into a great nation. And then he also said. And bring them a messenger from themselves. From the Arabs. And the good news of Jesus.

The Light from the Mother of the Prophet

She saw a vision when she gave birth to me. This is the day that she gave birth to him. She saw a vision. This light came out of her. This hadith struck me as so strange. That it said. Because of that light from her. The palaces of the Levant. Of Sham, Palestine, Syria, Jordan. And Lebanon. Will give light. I thought that was just. What does that mean? And then it just. This purely happened serendipitously. I opened a book when I was thinking about this. And this is what I opened to.

Michael the Elder's Testimony

Michael the elder Jacobite patriarch of Antioch. Writing in the latter half of the 12th century. Could approve the decision of his co-religionist. And see the hand of God, the finger of God. In the Arab conquest. Even after the Eastern churches had experienced. Five centuries of Mohammedan rule. This was written by a Christian. After recounting the persecutions of Heraclius. He writes. This is why God. The God of vengeance who alone is all powerful. And changes the empire of mortals as he will. You give dominion to whom you please. Giving it to him so ever he will. And uplifting the humble. Beholding the wickedness of the Romans. The Byzantines, the Christians. Who throughout their dominions cruelly plundered our churches. And our monasteries. And condemned us without pity. These were Orthodox Christians. What they were doing to the minority Christians of the Levant.

Justice Restored by the Muslims

Brought from the region of the south the sons of Ishmael. To deliver us through them from the hands of the Romans. And if in truth we have suffered some loss. Because the Catholic churches that have been taken away from us. And given to the Chalcedonians remained in their possession. For when the city is submitted to the Arabs. They assigned to each domination the churches which they found it to be in possession of. So they restored the stolen property to the churches. They didn't take them as mosques. This is a Christian testifying. And at that time the great church of Emesa and that of Harran had been taken away from us. Nevertheless it was no slight advantage for us to be delivered. From the cruelty of the Romans. Their wickedness, their wrath and cruel zeal against us. And to find ourselves at peace. The palaces, the rulers of Syria. Because of the light of Muhammad. Restored justice to these poor persecuted Christians.

Conclusion: Respecting All Religions

In conclusion. I really want to emphasize. That we have to respect. Just all of these. Amazing religions. Because our prophets. He came to teach us tolerance. And respect. When the Jewish man. And they were at odds at that time. When the Jewish man was being led to the graveyard. And the prophet saw it. He stood up. And they said to him. It's a Jew. Oh messenger of God. And he said. (أَلَيْسَتْ نَفْسًا - Alaysat nafsan) "Isn't it a soul?" Going back to its Lord. This place is confusing. And all of these religions. Have given this incredible solace to people.

Our Belief in the Final Religion

And even though. We believe our religion is a final religion. That it abrogates. This is our conviction. But we also recognize. That not everybody. Sees the clear and convincing proof. That you or I might see. And so we have to respect people where they're at. We have to wish good for them.

Honoring All Religious Traditions

The Jewish people are children of prophets. Do you think their fathers would like to see them? They have an incredible religion. They have an amazing tradition. The Hindus have an amazing religion. They have an amazing tradition. It fulfills their intellectuals. The Buddhists have an incredible religion. They're all amazing. And Allah says. We have revealed you this book. That says the previous books. Were also true. And as a guardian. For those previous dispensations. So judge with what God has given you. And don't follow their ways. From what God has given you. From the truth. Each we have given a shariah. And a minhaj. A law and a way. And had God wanted. He would have made you all one nation. But. To test each of you. In what he has given you. So vie with one another in virtue. It's amazing. No other book that I know of has this teaching. Be virtuous. Compete in virtue.

Don't Curse the Idols

Don't even curse idols of the idol worshipers. And if I've ever done that. May Allah forgive me. Don't ever curse idols of the idol worshipers. And then Allah says. We have made every community. Appear what they're doing to be good. Allah says that. And he intended for all these peoples to be on this earth. And we have to live together.

We Are a Dignified Nation

We have good news. Oh people of submission of Islam. We have the providence. We have a rukn and a pillar that can never be destroyed. When our Lord called our caller. To his obedience. By calling him. We became this dignified nation. Amongst the nations. Only if we follow what he taught us. If we don't. Here's the conditions to be the best ummah. You enjoin good. You forbid vice. You believe in God. And had the other dispensations believed it. It would have been better for them. Amongst them are believers. It sounds like the human condition. Amongst them are believers but many of them are. Our ummah is like that now too.

Follow the Prophet to Gain God's Love

"If you love God. Follow me. God will love you" (Quran 3:31). He will forgive you your sins. He is the forgiving. The merciful. One of the things that people don't know. Is that in the tomb of our beloved. Over it. It says. This is written in calligraphy. And whoever put this. It's amazing that they put this ayah. (كُلٌّ يَعْمَلُ عَلَى شَاكِلَتِهِ - Kullun ya'malu 'ala shakilatihi) "Each of you. Will act according to your way" (Quran 17:84). And your Lord knows who is the most guided. And that if you look in the commentaries. They say. These other religions. Are following their shakilah. We have our shakilah. Let's leave it. Defer it to the day of judgment. When Allah says. He will clarify about that which you were differing.

Rejoice in Our Prophet

Let's rejoice in our prophet. Rejoice in all of these other amazing traditions. Respect them. And treat them genuinely. With respect. With care. With concern. This is our way. This is the way of our prophet. He cared about humanity. All of humanity. You were brought forth for all of humanity. We shouldn't be selfish. We should be like our prophet. He had no selfishness in him.

Supporting Zaytuna College

We've been blessed with Zaytuna College. Alhamdulillah. This is your college. We're building it for the Muslims. All of us are transitioning through. I'm the age that the prophet. Left this world. I know that I'm not going to be around here. For much longer. This is the sunnah of God. But we're building it. So that others don't have to build it after us. So help us build a really strong institution. The prophet said 12,000 Muslims. Will not be defeated for lack of numbers. So we're hoping to get to 12,000. We've got close moving towards 3,000 now. We have 70 full-time students. We have a beautiful faculty. We have a beautiful campus. We're back on site. Amazing things are being done. All the women now are Niqabis. Alhamdulillah. State-of-the-art studio. So this is really exciting. We're literally building an incredible studio. So we're going to be doing really, really broadcast quality things.

Zaytuna's Programs

We also have a permaculture program. Sustainable garden for the community. To actually grow our own food. Teach people how to grow food. The victory garden. People are going to need to know how to grow food. We have bees. We just got our first batch of honey. We're hoping to get more. So eventually we're going to be selling Zaytuna honey. Beautiful salads and fruits that we're eating from. This is the de gratis from God. This is the beauty of the earth. If you do the effort, plant the seeds. God gives you this both spiritually and materially. You have to plant the seeds. You have to water them and harvest them. And you get the rewards of it.

Read and Rise Book Club

We're hoping to start this book club soon. Read and Rise. The Hadith 12,000 Strong book club. We're going to begin with how to read a book. You'll all say count me in to help us. We're really hoping for this.

Gratitude and Acknowledgments

I want to thank... I was visiting Sheikh Abdullah Bin Bayyah. He wrote a beautiful poem. I'll do that another time because I haven't gotten it into the English that I'm happy with. He wrote a beautiful poem for the Mawlid. But it was amazing to be with him. The time needed to do this thing that Sidi Ismail Nass stayed up all night last night helping me. And Dr. Asad Tarsin between treating patients also was helping this. And I also want to thank Dr. Ali Ataie who really should have given this talk. Because he's a much greater scholar of this material than I am. He also helped me with some of the Hebrew.

Being a Muslim and Loving Our Prophet

It's a very beautiful thing to just be a Muslim. And to love our Prophet. And to know about him. We hope that our Ummah wakes up and just starts behaving closer to the behavior of our Prophet. He was the mercy to all the worlds. To animals. To the environment. There was a rock in Mecca that he said every time he passed by it said, As-salamu alaykum to him. And he said, I know where it is right now. Even the rocks loved our Prophet. People can laugh at these things. That's fine. It says that those who disbelieve, They'll mock, scoff and mock at those who believe. Jesus said, you know, the people of the world are going to hate you because you're not of the world. So it's part of being a believer. Is that you just have to deal with the fact that people are going to think it's ridiculous.

The Message of All Prophets

But I don't know. It seems pretty powerful that all these Prophets came. They gave the same message. You're going to be accountable. You're going to be raised up on the Day of Judgment. It's all over the world. It's all over the world. And I'll conclude with just one of my favorite poems. The world is not conclusion. A species stands beyond. Invisible as music, but positive as sound. It beckons and it baffles. Philosophy don't know. And through a riddle at the last, sagacity must go. To guess it puzzles scholars, to gain it men have borne. Contempt

of generations and crucifixion shown. Faith slips and laughs and rallies. Blushes if any see. Plucks at a twig of evidence and asks a vane to weigh. Much gesture from the pulpits, strong hallelujahs roll. Narcotics cannot still the tooth that nibbles at the soul.

Wait Until the Day of Judgment

There's a beautiful poem about just belief. That we're always going to have that thing nibbling at our soul until we have faith and belief and understanding. And many people will pluck at twigs of evidence. Maybe even some people will say that's what I'm doing here. I don't feel like it. But we should be humble and just recognize that Allah is telling us, wait until the Day of Judgment. I'm going to explain all these differences.

Gratitude for Being Part of This Ummah

So alhamdulillah that we're of this ummah. We were once amazing. The whole world wanted to be like us. Even the Europeans wanted to be like us. The Indians, they wear turbans because they saw our turbans. The Chinese were amazed by us. The whole world was amazed by the Muslims. But we've fallen on hard times. But despite that the Prophet when he was in the khandaq and the munafiqun said, he's talking about the palaces of Persia. Because when they struck the rock, he saw the palaces of Syria and Persia given to him. And they were in the khandaq about to be annihilated by 30,000 of the Quraysh and their allies. And he said, he's talking about the palaces of Syria. So we're in the khandaq right now. So we should just recognize that this is the ups and downs of dunya. If it was all good, everybody would want to be a Muslim. But alhamdulillah, we grow and people come and people embrace this faith despite ourselves very often, despite the Muslims.

Closing Du'a

So Allah bless all of you on this blessed day. As-salamu alaykum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuhu. Alhamdulillah, salatu wa salamu ala Sayyidina Muhammad wa ala alihi wa sahbihi wa man wala. Alhamdulillah, I want to thank everybody who joined us tonight for participating in this celebration of our Prophet as we close out the month of Rabi'ul Awwal, the month that he was born in, sallallahu alayhi wa sallam.

Question and Answer Session

And there were a few questions that were sent, so I wanted to answer a couple of these questions. InshaAllah one of them, in the Qur'an Allah says to follow the religion of Abraham who is neither Jew nor Christian. What was his religion and how is it connected to the Prophet Muhammad's and the other Prophet's religion?

The Religion of All Prophets Is Islam

So all of the Prophets are Muslims. (إِنَّ الدِّينَ عِندَ اللَّهِ الْإِسْلَامُ - 'inna al-deena 'inda Allahi al-Islam) "Islam is the religion, that the religion with God is al-Islam" (Quran 3:19). So every religion that came, came as a form of Islam. And so on the one hand it's a state of

being, which means submitted to God. But on the other hand it's a shari'ah of the time and the place. So the tawheed is always the same, the basic truths of the religion are always the same. But the shari'ah differ, the shari'ah and the minhaj, the actual shari'ah or the law that's given and then the minhaj of the people, the way that they're meant to follow that law.

Ibrahim Was a Muslim

So Ibrahim alayhi salam, مَا كَانَ إِبْرَاهِيمُ يَهُودِيًّا وَلَا نَصْرَانِيًّا وَلَكِن كَانَ حَنِيفًا مُّسْلِمًا وَمَا كَانَ مِنَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ "So this verse in Ali Imran says that Ibrahim was not a Jew, nor yet a Christian, but he was a Hanif, a Muslim" (Quran 3:67). The Hanif is the one that is on this submission to Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. And that's why the hunafa, there were people like Quss ibn Sa'idah was somebody that the Prophet said would be raised up an ummah. He died before the Prophet could deliver the message to him. But Quss ibn Sa'idah, who some say is the first person to ever say أَمَّا بَعْدُ in Arabic. He was from the Iyadi tribe, and he used to give khutbah, sermons at the suq, and the Prophet actually saw him give a sermon.

The Hunafa on the Arabian Peninsula

So Quss ibn Sa'idah was a Hanif. Also the Prophet's cousin Waraqah, who Khadijah took him to, and told him this is the namus, which is meaning nomos, the Greek nomos, the law. This is the namus, this is the wahi that's come. So he was also a Hanif. So there were these hunafa that were on the peninsula, and they followed the way of Ibrahim, the millah Ibrahimiyyah. So that's the Prophet said بُعِثْتُ بِالْحَنِيفِيَّةِ السَّمْحَةِ "I was sent with this Hanifi way, this tolerant, generous Hanif way."

Al-Islam: The Religion of Submission

And it's called Al-Islam, the religion of submission to God. And so we believe that our Prophet abrogated the previous dispensations, but they were forms of Islam. Their enemies tended to call them by these names, like Christianity, the original Christians were called Nazarenes. They were people from Nazareth. So in the Quran, they're called Nasara. Judaism is from Judah. So the founder is not Judah. He was the son of Jacob. He's one of the 12 sons. He was a brother of Joseph, and he was given the scepter because Joseph did not have, his children didn't live. The line passed through Judah, from Jacob to Judah. So Isaac, and then Jacob, and then Judah, and then on. But the religion of Jacob is the religion of Isaac, which is the religion of Abraham, which is Islam, Al-Islam.

Respecting Previous Dispensations

And so all of the previous true world religions, the ones we know and the ones we don't know, and many of our scholars did think that these previous dispensations were true religions. And I think there's compelling evidence to make that case. But if the Quran doesn't mention them, we can't make it an article of faith. But nonetheless, we have to respect them and honor them. So that's the way of our Prophet is the way of Abraham and this Hanif religion.

Did the Pagan Arabs Expect the Final Prophet?

Did the pagan Arabs know and expect that the final prophet was coming? Some of them did because the Jewish community was in Yathrib. So they actually were expecting a prophet, the one that's mentioned as that prophet, the old prophet in the New Testament. That prophet, when they asked John the Baptist, are you the Messiah? He said no. Are you Elijah? He said no. And then he said, are you that prophet? So they were waiting for this prophet to come. So there were Jews in Medina, and it was at the time called Yathrib, and they were expecting the Prophet ملسو هيلع هللا بلص to come, but they did not think he would be an Arab. So when he came, some of them accepted him, but the majority rejected him because the rabbis couldn't accept that it was from the Arabs. But this is the promise that Ismail would be made into a great nation.

Using Predictions to Improve Relations

And then somebody asked also, how can we use the predictions of the Prophet ملسو هيلع هللا بلص and other religious scriptures to improve how we relate to the people of those faiths? Well, I think the most important thing is that we see that these faiths are beautiful faiths that should definitely not be denigrated by Muslims, that they should be respected by Muslims. And I think if Muslims were more respectful to other faiths, I think people would be more respectful to our faith. There's always going to be fanatics in every religion, unfortunately. This is just the nature of human beings. But the vast majority of Muslims historically understood this, that we don't denigrate other people's faiths. The Qur'an clearly says not to even denigrate the idols of the people, even though we don't believe in idols and we would not want to see the proliferation of idols in the world.

Tolerance in Malaysia

Nonetheless, people have a right to... I was just with a professor from Malaysia, and he was talking about how the Hindus and the Buddhists live in Malaysia and they're respected and treated well in Malaysia. People will go and they'll say, why is there a Hindu temple in Malaysia? Well, because that's our religion. It's a tolerant religion. It's al-Hanafiyyat al-Samhah. It's a tolerant religion. I mean, obviously, the Prophet ملسو هيلع هللا بلص purified the Arabian Peninsula of idols and there shouldn't be idols on them. But the majority of scholars, they differ on what the actual peninsula is. Most actually say it's the Hejaz itself. It's Tihamah and Mecca and Medina and that whole area. The other parts of the peninsula, there's difference of opinion about that. But we should nonetheless just respect the governments that we live under. This is part of our tradition and our religion. In America, we have the luxury of being able to criticize our government. In some places, that luxury is not afforded for whatever reasons, sometimes oppressive, sometimes to maintain public order. But nonetheless, we're told to respect the people in authority unless they compel us to do something that's haram.

Sharing Our Religion

And then, just I think finally, there's ample opportunity to share our religion with others. I think it would be

unhelpful to be antagonistic with people or to try to beat them in some kind of debate or prove that we're the right religion. I think sharing the religion with others is a much healthier way. Not so much trying to point out the flaws in their books because then they'll try to find things in our books. And you can find many things in the Islamic tradition that are problematic. I wouldn't say in the Quran or in the sound Hadith and things like that, but there are problems in the tradition and people will focus on those things. If you take Ibn Ishaq, the seerah of Ibn Ishaq, there are many, many problems with the seerah of Ibn Ishaq. But he was not a muhaddith. He was collecting all the stories. And so there are stories that are clearly fabricated. There are stories that are completely incongruous with the nature of the Prophet ملسو هيلع هللا بلص that we know. But people use those stories and they'll point out, oh, they poked out the eyes of these people and things like that. And we know the Prophet ملسو هيلع هللا بلص did not torture people and he prohibited torture. But those stories, you will find them in our tradition and people try to pull them out and extrapolate them and say, oh, this is Islam. It's not Islam. So that's very important.

Final Words from Sheikh Abdullah Bin Bayyah

I wanted two things to conclude. One was I spoke with my teacher Sheikh Abdullah bin Bayyah earlier today and he wanted me to share this with people. And I've mentioned it before because I first heard it from him. But in these latter days that we're in and I think all of us can understand the meaning of that. Nobody knows the hour except Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. Even the Prophet ملسو هيلع هللا بلص deferred it to God when Jibreel asked him, when is the hour? But in our tradition, there's something called balaghatu Malik. Imam Malik related certain things without isnad. But he only took from thiqah. So Imam Malik is noted for only taking from people that he absolutely trusted. So there are certain things that are related that have what's called hukum al-rafa' in the mustalah of the hadith. It means that they have the legal judgment of being from the Prophet ملسو هيلع هللا بلص even though the sanad has some kind of inqita'. There's some kind of break in the chain.

Signs of the Latter Days

So Imam Malik relates that مِنْ عَلَامَةِ السَّاعَةِ اشْتِدَادُ حَرِّ الْأَرْضِ "So he said one of the signs of the end of time or the latter days or the nearing of the last hour is that the globe warms." And in another riwayah which Ibn Kathir relates in his tafsir, Imam Malik said, I heard سَمِعْتُ أَنَّ السَّاعَةَ إِذَا دَنَتِ اشْتَدَّ الْبَلَاءُ عَلَى النَّاسِ وَاشْتَدَّ حَرُّ الشَّمْسِ "That when the hour is drawing near, afflictions will intensify upon humanity and the heat of the sun will increase." So we have to understand that whatever time Allah chooses to put us in we have to embrace it. We hope that we're not the last people that the Prophet ملسو هيلع هللا بلص said how will you be when you're amongst the leftovers of humanity. May Allah not make us from huthala, from the leftovers. After the banquet's over there's always leftovers that the beggars come to eat.

Hold Strong in Faith

So as people as we near this closing of the human project we have to understand that things will get difficult and one of the reasons why the Prophet ملسو هيلع هللا بلص left us with all this wisdom one of the reasons why all the

Prophets mentioned our Prophet ملسو هيلع هللا بلص is so that our faith would be maintained. So we all have to just hold strong recognize that we have a providential Lord and he will always make a way out for the people of taqwa. If we adhere to taqwa inshaAllah Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala وَمَن يَتَّقِ اللهَ يَجْعَل لَّهُ مَخْرَجًا "like he will always give you an exit strategy he will always give you a way out of whatever difficulties you find yourselves in" (Quran 65:2).

Du'a for the Ummah

So there's a lot of tribulation a lot of difficulties many families going through really difficult times. I had a call from a lady the other day who was so distraught about a situation she was in and I just felt a lot of compassion for her because she was dealing with one of these issues that many people are dealing with in these trying times. So you have to stay strong you have a pillar in the Prophet ملسو هيلع هللا بلص that is رُكْنٌ غَيْرُ مُنْهَدِمٍ "it will never be destroyed" as long as you cling to the sunnah of our Prophet ملسو هيلع هللا بلص and then God is always there God is always there and his door is always open to the one who knocks it will be open so it's just important to maintain that connection with Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala and just call on your Lord because Allah is real these things are all real الْجَنَّةُ حَقٌّ وَالنَّارُ حَقٌّ "Paradise is real and the Fire is real."

Du'a for the Sick and Refugees

The Prophet ملسو هيلع هللا بلص used to say all these things they're real Allah is real Allah is there and then I also would request duas for any sick Muslims may Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala give them healing I had my dear brother Dr. Tayyib Rana just went through a really really difficult surgery but it was amazing the facilitation that the doctors had and may Allah give him a complete healing I hope everybody says ameen may Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala bless his family he's one of the people that really support the Muslims and he's done so much good and he's a surgeon himself so he's done just countless giving people back their eyes through his ophthalmology but dear brothers may Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala just increase him we have many brothers and sisters around the world that are going through really grave tribulations our refugee crises may Allah make it easy for all of them.

The Prophet Chose to Live as a Poor Person

Our Prophet ملسو هيلع هللا بلص cared about people he chose to live as a poor person in order to console the poverty in his ummah that he knew would be in his ummah he chose to live that way he lived like a poor person and he was the richest of men in every way he was the richest of men and he could if he wanted he would have had mountains of gold but the gold he chose was the gold of the knowledge of God and of revelation and all of these things that are the birthrights of every human being that accepts their Lord then they will get all of these gifts that come with the prophetic teachings that our Prophets left us and our beloved Prophet Muhammad ملسو هيلع هللا بلص

Final Thanks and Du'a

So may Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala inshallah increase all of you elevate you I want to again thank the supporters

of Zaytuna College I want to thank especially my brother Sidi Haroon Sallars he was up late last night and early in the morning preparing this again doing the editing and things and also Sidi Ismail Nass another just really really tireless worker for the sake of Allah and his Messenger may Allah bless them and Naeem, Baya and all the people at Zaytuna that have helped do the work that we're doing may Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala increase all of you elevate you elevate this beautiful religion may we restore ihsan to this religion may we restore the beauty of Islam that others might see the light that shines forth and may the mountains of Faran rejoice until the end of time until they're obliterated with all the mountains of the dunya may they rejoice in the fact that the beloved walked amongst their byways and pathways inshallah.

May We Be People of Sunnah

And may the Darb al-Anbiya that Shaykh Abdullah Al-Qadi showed to all of us through his incredible work on the Seerah may Darb al-Anbiya be restored that beautiful path that all the Prophets took to visit Mecca every Prophet set out from Mecca either physically or in some other way but they all visited Mecca so Alhamdulillah and many of the Prophets rode the Buraq but none rode it like our Prophet ملسو هيلع هللا بلص so may Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala inshallah make us people of Sunnah, of the Qur'an and of the beauty of this faith Ameen Jazakumullah Khayran Wassalamualaikum Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuhu