Prophet Muhammad

The first verses of God revelation of Quran to Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) through Angel Gabriel are (meaning English translation):

"Read! In the Name of your Lord, Who has created (all that exists), (1) Has created man from a clot (a piece of thick coagulated blood). (2) Read! And your Lord is the Most Generous, (3) Who has taught (the writing) by the pen [the first person to write was Prophet Idrees (Enoch)]. (4) Has taught man that which he knew not. (5)"

[Quran, chapter 96, verses 1-5]

Islam was the first righteous religion in the world. The first prophet created: Hazrat Adam (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) was a Muslim. The prophet Muhammad was also a Muslim before prophethood. He never lied, was known as the trustworthy and the truthful.

To ask what prophet Muhammad's religion was before Islam is wrong. Islam was the first religion in the world and prophets are always in the protection of Allah from false beliefs in wrong religions.

To add a different opinion, as I see the above very opinionated, calling Islam the first righteous religion would label Judaism and then Christianity unrighteous religions. The Arabic people were mainly pagans with over 300 gods with some Jews and Christians as well. Islam discounts Jesus as the Son of God who was sacrificed for the sins of all mankind and instead believes that Muhammad was the last "prophet" more than 500 years later. In the Curran it says to affirm some books of the old and new testament bible so how can you say Judaism and Christianity are not righteous. but enough of my opinion...

Origin of Islam: According to Secular History

The origin of Islam can be traced back to 7th century Saudi Arabia. Islam is thus the youngest of the great world religions. The prophet Muhammad (circa 570-632 A.D.) introduced Islam in 610 A.D. after experiencing what he claimed to be an angelic visitation. Muhammad dictated the Qur'an, the holy book of Islam, which Muslims believe to be the preexistent, perfect words of Allah.

Origin of Islam: According to Islam

The origin of Islam is generally accredited to the prophet Muhammad but to the devout Muslim, Islam began long before Muhammad ever walked the earth. The Qur'an was dictated by Muhammad but, according to the Qur'an, it did not originate with Muhammad. The Qur'an testifies of itself that it was given by God through the angel Gabriel to the prophet Muhammad. "This is a revelation from the Lord of the universe. The Honest Spirit (Gabriel) came down with it, to reveal it into your heart that you may be one of the warners, in a perfect Arabic tongue" (Sura 26:192-195). "Say, 'Anyone who opposes Gabriel should know that he has brought down this (the Qur'an) into your heart, in accordance with God's will, confirming previous scriptures, and providing guidance and good news for the believers'" (Sura 2:97).

The Origin of Islam: The "Previous Scriptures"

The origin of Islam is controversial. The "previous scriptures" mentioned above are the Hebrew Torah, the Psalms of David, and the Gospels of Jesus Christ (Sura 4:163; 5:44-48). The Qur'an accepts these books as divinely inspired and even encourages us to test its claims by these "previous scriptures." "If you have any doubt regarding what is revealed to you from your Lord, then ask those who read the previous scripture" (Sura 10:94). But this is where we run into a problem. The problem is that the Qur'an thoroughly contradicts the Torah, the Psalms, and the Gospels. For example, the Qur'an explicitly denies Jesus Christ's crucifixion (Sura 4:157-158) while all four Gospel accounts clearly portray Jesus Christ as crucified and resurrected.

One contradiction in particular has caused a great deal of conflict between Muslims and ethnic Jews and is thought to have been and continues to be the cause of much bloodshed in the Middle East. According to the Hebrew Torah, God made a covenant with a man named Abraham. God promised Abraham a child through whom He would fulfill this covenant ("the child of promise," Genesis 15). Abraham was at that time childless. His wife, Sarah, was barren. This of course made the promise very special to Abraham. But it would require nothing less than a miracle. Sarah, conscious of her condition, decided to help God out. She offered her maidservant Hagar to Abraham with the hope that Hagar might conceive and bear the child of promise. Abraham agreed to take Hagar as his concubine. She conceived and bore Ishmael (Genesis 16). God allowed Ishmael to be born but Ishmael was not the child of promise God had in mind (Genesis 17). God promised a child through Sarah, not Hagar (Genesis 17-18), and in due time God fulfilled His promise. "And the Lord visited Sarah as He had said, and the Lord did for Sarah as He had spoken. For Sarah conceived and bore Abraham a son in his old age, at the set time of which God had spoken to him. And Abraham called the name of his son who was born to him-whom Sarah bore to him-isaac." (Genesis 21:1-3) Isaac was the child of promise. Isaac later begot Jacob, the father of the twelve tribes of Israel, and the Messiah, Jesus Christ, eventually came into the world through the nation of Israel, fulfilling the covenant which God had made with Abraham. God also promised to give the land of Canaan (Palestine) to Isaac's descendants, the land which Israel possesses today (Genesis 12:4-7; 13:12-18; 15:1-21; 17:1-22; 21:1-14; 25:19-26; 26:1-6; 35:9-12).

The problem is that the Qur'an teaches that Ishmael was the child of promise (Sura 19:54; compare Sura 37:83-109 with Genesis 22:1-19) and so Muslims believe that God's covenant promises were meant for Ishmael's descendants, not Isaac's. Muhammad descended from Ishmael and so Muslims seek to lay claim to these covenant promises, namely the land of Palestine. Since Israel's U.N.-sanctioned return to Palestine in 1948 there has been unceasing hostility between Israel and her Arab neighbors, with major armed conflicts in 1948-49, 1956, 1967, 1973-74, and 1982. That Israel remains today is a miracle in-and-of itself.

The name Muhammad is not mentioned explicitly in the Bible. He was born centuries after the Bible was completed. However, Muslims believe that he was mentioned indirectly in the Bible as the next and final prophet. Answer

Some say that the word Muhammad is Never Mentioned in the Bible- Old or New Testament.

Christians believe that the Bible does not saying anything about Muhammad. For example, some argue that because Christianity predates Islam by about 500 years all theories about Muhammad in the Christian Bible are mere conjectures.

Muslims believe differently. The following is an explanation from an Islamic perspective.

According to the Bible God said to Moses: "I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brothers; I will put my words in his mouth, and he will tell them everything I command him." (The Holy Bible, New International Version, Deuteronomy chapter 18, verse 18).

The prophet described in the above verse must have the following three characteristics: 1.) He will be like Moses. 2.) He will come from among the Israelis (be an Israelite). 3.) God will put His words in the mouth of that prophet and he will declare what God commanded him.

Here is the Islamic explanation of why this verse describes Muhammad:

1. The prophet like Moses

Christians feel that this prophecy refers to the Jesus. Muslims believe that although Jesus was truly a prophet of God, he is not the prophet spoken of here. He was born miraculously, and, finally, God raised him up miraculously. Jesus was like Moses in many ways - Moses brought the law and Jesus fulfilled the law. Contrast this to Muhammad who brought a law contradicting both. The lack of harmony is questionable.

2. From among the Israelis

Muhammad was not from among the Israelis so he is directly excluded from this prophesy.

3. God will put His words in his mouth

Muslims believe that God sent the angel Gabriel to teach Muhammad the exact words that he should repeat to the people. The words are therefore not his own; they did not come from his own thoughts, but were put into his mouth by the angel. However, the Bible clearly warns about messages delivered by Angels and that they are not necessarily from God. The criteria, which the Quran fails, is as follows:

But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed.

Galatians 1:8 (ESV)

As the Quran was contradictory to the Gospel, by the Biblical standard appealed to above, Muhammad is not a prophet of God.

Muhammad in Solomon, Song of Songs 5: 16"His mouth is most sweet: yea, he is altogether lovely. This is my beloved, and this is my friend, O daughters of Jerusalem."The underlined word was translated from the original Hebrew Bible that was in the Hebrew language, it is mentioned/pronounced Makhmaddim. This word is not a reference to Muhammad for two reasons,

1. The word Makhmad (singular of Makhmaddim) is not Muhammad.
2. The word Makhmad is an adjective meaning lovely in Hebrew. This does not correlate to Muhammad's name.

Therefore, it is illogical to assume that Muhammad is mentioned in this verse.

Islamic Opinion:

Deuteronomy 18:18 is linked to Deuteronomy 17:15

Let's see what both verses say about Mohammad pbuh.

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

ok, now let's see the other verse.

Deuteronomy chapter 17 verse 15 has to say:

He must be from among your own brothers. Do not place a foreigner over you, one who is not a brother Israelite.

So it must be a prophet from among the Israelites. Muhammad was NOT an Israelite, so this is not referring to him.

Proof that Muhammad pbuh was not the prophet of deuteronomy 18:18?

God sent the angel Gabriel the exact words that he should repeat to the people. This fact contradicts Deuteronomy 18:18 as Muhammad received his revelation through the angel Gabriel (Jibreel) and not directly from God as the prophecy tells.

Christians want to say that this other 'Paraclete' that has been sent was different from Jesus. It was not a man, it was a spirit. What Jesus said was: God will send you another one like me, another man." Muslims believe that Muhammad is the fulfilment of this prophecy by Jesus. The Qur'an says that this man is mentioned in the scriptures of the Jews and the Christians (7: 157).

John 14:26 is probably the greatest response to use to the claim that the paraclete was Muhammad:

But the Helper (Parakletos), the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you. John 14:26 (ESV)

1. The Comforter is identified as the Holy Spirit. "But the Helper, the Holy Spirit..." (John 14:26)
2. The Comforter is sent by the Father in Jesus' name, "whom the Father will send in my name". (John 14:26) If the Comforter is Muhammad, then he was sent in Jesus' nam which would make Jesus God.
3. The Comforter will teach all things and help the disciples remember all that Jesus taught, "he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you."

   (John 14:26). Did Muhammad help the disciples remember what Jesus taught them?

To further this - examine the nature of the Comforter

1. The Comforter cannot be seen by the world "The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him" John 14:17
2. The Comforter will abide in the disciples, "He abides with you and will be in you." John 14:17
3. The Comforter will convict the world for not believing in Jesus, "because they do not believe in M" (John 16:8-9)
4. The Comforter will be with the people forever, "that He may be with you forever" (John 14:16).

As is evident, the Comforter cannot be Muhammad as:

• It is identified as the Holy Spirit (John 14:26)
• Muhammad doesn't fit any of the attributes of the Comforter (John 14:16/17/14:16/etc)

Muslims believe that Prophet Muhammad, indirectly, is mentioned in the Bible as the coming prophet after Jesus. However, Christians deny this claim. Muslims base their belief, primarily, on the Quran saying that Prophet Muhammad is mentioned in the Bible. This Quran saying is considered by Muslims to be true since the Quran holy book as God revelation to prophet Muhammad is well proven (See the related question on who wrote the Quran) and the Quran authenticity and Quran remaining without single letter change, by God will, is also proven.

However, the conclusion of the debates below, whatsoever, has neither negative nor positive impact on Muslim belief in Islam, Quran, and the prophecy of Muhammad.

Some say that Yes Muhammad is mentioned in the holy Bible even by name and refers to the link of the video mentioned below. Answer

According to the Islamic research scholars and several Christian scholars who accepted Islam :

The word Muhammad is mentioned in the old testament of Bible that is preserved in the Hebrew language, in the song of Solomon.

In the English Bible, the Hebrew word מחמד (Mahamaddim/Mahmad , means "Muhammad the great" & in some new Hebrew dictionaries of today מוחמד) has been translated to "Altogether Lovely" .

No body has the right to translate the names. Right?

But the name Mahmad/Muhammad/מחמד/محمد is there.

Song of Solomon - 5:16

Hebrew version of old testament :

חכו ממתקים וכלו מחמדים זה דודי וזה רעי בנות ירושלם׃

Roman script :

Hikko Mamittaqim vikullo Mahamaddim Zeh Dudi vezeh Raai Benute Yarushalam

English version :

His mouth is sweetness itself

He is "altogether lovely" (or "wholly desirable")

This is my lover, this my friend, O daughters of Jerusalem

Results :

מחמד = Muhammad

Basic alphabetical composition of word Muhammad in Hebrew & Arabic is exactly the same :

מ = mem = م = meem

×— = het = Ø­ = haa

מ = mem = م = meem

ד = dalet = د = dal

מחמד = محمد

Arabic : محمد

Hebrew : מחמד

Book of Deuteronomy chapter 18 verse 18:

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

Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) is the one who is like Moses (Peace be upon him) :

i) Both had a father and a mother, while Jesus (Peace be upon him) was born miraculously without any male intervention.

[Mathew 1:18 and Luke 1:35 and also Al-Qur'an 3:42-47]

ii) Both were married and had children. Jesus (Peace be upon him) according to the Bible did not marry nor had children.

iii) Both died natural deaths. Jesus (Peace be upon him) has been raised up alive. (4:157-158)

Muhammad(Peace be upon him) is from among the brethren of Moses (Peace be upon him). Arabs are brethren of Jews. Abraham (Peace be upon him) had two sons: Ishmail and Isaac (Peace be upon them). The Arabs are the descendants of Ishmail (Peace be upon him) and the Jews are the descendants of Isaac (Peace be upon him).

Words in the mouth:

Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) was unlettered and whatever revelations he received from Almighty God he repeated them verbatim.

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

[Deuteronomy 18:18]

iv) Both besides being Prophets were also kings i.e. they could inflict capital punishment. Jesus (Peace be upon him) said, "My kingdom is not of this world." (John 18:36).

v) Both were accepted as Prophets by their people in their lifetime but Jesus (Peace be upon him) was rejected by his people.

John chapter 1 verse 11 states, "He came unto his own, but his own received him not."

iv) Both brought new laws and new regulations for their people. Jesus (Peace be upon him) according to the Bible did not bring any new laws.

(Mathew 5:17-18).

So,

Muslims believe in one and only one God, Allah. There is no partner in His Oneness.

Muslims believe in all the Prophets and believe Muhammad (Peace be upon him) as the last, final messenger of Allah.

The question that most of us ask now had also arose before during the time of Muhammad s.a.w; preaching the words of God onto Arabia. Was Muhammad mentioned? This was the question by inhabitants of Arabia towards Jews that embraced Islam. And if we refer to the claim by past Jewish converts, they had quote verses from Isaiah 42.

In the passages of Isaiah. God address His chosen servants with their names, and in the prophesied verse we see God mention clearly the prophet's name. Some examples of God mentioning His servant by name.

(My Servant Isaiah, My Servant Eliakim, David My Servant, Jacob My Servant, My Servant Israel, and so in Isaiah 42:1 , God specifically mention My Servant Ahmad)

~

The prophecy tells about Ahmad; 'Servant of God' whom will war to correct the wrongs and bringing judgement based on the law of God. He will liberate act of worshiping molten images and thus Arabia (wilderness desert, villages and cities) will glorify God since then. As can be seen today, Arabia are worshiping,praising God and singing words of God daily. Inhabitants from all around the world gather there and voice out loud their praise to God.

And we continue reading Isaiah 42:18 - 25; God remind the 'blind and deaf' about the wrath of God towards Children of Israel, who neglect the message brought by past Servant of God.

And not to repeat; the same mistake upon the coming of the new Servant of God,

~

In Isaiah 42:1, it is deemed not a coincidence upon seeing the writing of both אתמך (Atmc) אחמד (Ahmd). And the word before אתמך (Atmc), is עבדי (Abedi~My Servant). For indeed, it is indicating Ahmad; Abedallah (Ahmad; Servant of God).

Not to mention אתמך (Atmc) happen to be a special term foretelling the coming of a righteous man and is used only ONCE throughout the entire Book. [could this be a copying error or an intended error?]

Children of Israel have been foretold upon the coming of Ahmad but sadly, only a few accepts.

His mission was to spread Islam all over the world, and to tell people that there is only one god(Allah), and they should only follow him, and his rules.

Also it was the mission of prophet Muhammad (PBUH) is to convey Quran(Kor'an) to his followers and to rest of the whole world as well.

Refer to question below for more information,

Askia Muhammad was an imp ruler because of the achievements he made

ex: the spread of Islam

Yes ---Parents of Muhammad (saww) and Ali (as) were Muslims. It is written in Quran

Quran Yusufali 2:128] "Our Lord! make of us Muslims, bowing to Thy (Will), and of our progeny a people Muslim, bowing to Thy (will); and show us our place for the celebration of (due) rites; and turn unto us (in Mercy); for Thou art the Oft-Returning, Most Merciful.Quran Yusufali 2:129] "Our Lord! send amongst them a Messenger of their own, who shall rehearse Thy Signs to them and instruct them in scripture and wisdom, and sanctify them: For Thou art the Exalted in Might, the wise."This means that parents of Muhammad(saww) and Ali (as) were Muslims.I checked that all tribes of Mecca had Idols in Khana Kabba before accepting Islam but Bani Hashim DID NOT have any idol.

Here Allah confirms the above Dua of Abraham (as)

Quran 62:2] It is He Who has sent amongst an UMI messenger from among themselves, to rehearse to them His Signs, to sanctify them, and to instruct them in Scripture and Wisdom,- although they had been, before, in manifest error;-

Prophet Muhammad's father died before birth of prophet Muhammad (PBUH). Accordingly, Prophet Muhammad's father died before the prophesy of prophet Muhammad and before God revelation of Quran to Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). However, his father was believing in God (Allah). His father name is Abdullah which is an Arabic name that means 'slave of Allah (God)'.

The mother of prophet Muhammad died before revelation of Quran by God to prophet Muhammad and, accordingly, before Prophet Muhammad started calling people for Islam religion. However, she was believing in Allah (God name in Arabic)

Preserving Religious Plurality: Abu Sufyan and the Meccan Leaders opposed Mohammed because the religious plurality permitted in Mecca was critical for maintaining Mecca's important position along the Arabian trade routes. It was on account of the fact that Mecca was holy site for all Arabian faiths that spared it from internal conflict and allowed the flourishing of commerce in the city. Mohammed made clear that he intended to purge the idols from the Kaaba which would cause mass uproar and ended Mecca's position as a holy site for all Arabians.

Of course, what Abu Sufyan and the Meccan Leaders did not take into account is that nearly all Arabians would convert to Islam after the fall of Mecca.

Keeping His Own Power: Abu Sufyan was one of the Chief Leaders of the Qoreish Tribe and one of the most powerful men in all of Arabia. Should Mecca fall to the Muslims, he would certainly lose substantial power. Many Muslims hold that he was corrupt as well, meaning that he stood to face criminal acts if he were subject to Mohammed's authority.

Protecting Commerce: During Mohammed's Medinan Period, Mohammed organized and executed numerous raids on caravans heading to and leaving from Mecca, causing disruption to Arabian trade routes. Since Abu Sufyan and the Meccan Leaders were in charge of Mecca, this was something they would be expected to ameliorate.

Polytheism: It was likely that Abu Sufyan and the Meccan Leaders were fighting in defense of Arabian henotheist religions to which they ascribed against Mohammed who would demand that he abandon all gods but Allah.

Muslims Believe that the soul is a mystery. God is the one who created it and he knows everything about it and can control it.

The question of life after death has always agitated the minds of people belonging to all religions and all ages alike. There is also the atheistic view which totally denies the possibility of life after death. The religions which believe in life after death can be divided into two categories.

1. Those which believe in the reincarnation of the soul of a dead person into a new human or animal form of existence.
2. Those which believe in an otherworldly state of existence after death.

The atheistic view is outside the domain of this discussion. As far as Islamic doctrine is concerned, Islam belongs to that category of religions which totally rejects all possibilities of reincarnation in any form. But those who believe in some otherworldly form of spiritual or carnal existence are divided among themselves on so many planes. Within each religion the understanding differs. Hence, with reference to the views held by the followers of various religions, no belief can be attributed to them without fear of contradiction.

In Islam itself there are different views held by different sects or Muslim scholars. The general understanding tends to perceive the otherworldly form as very similar to the carnal one here on earth. The concept of heaven and hell consequently present a material image rather than a spiritual image of things to be. Heaven is presented, according to their concept, as an immeasurably large garden literally abounding in beautiful trees casting eternal shadows under which rivers will flow. The rivers would be of milk and honey. The garden will be fruit bearing and all man may desire of fruits would be his at his command. The meat would be that of birds of all sorts; it is only for one to wish which meat he particularly craves. Female companions of exceeding beauty and refinement would be provided to the pious men, with no limit imposed on the number, which will be decided according to their capacity. As many as they can cope with will be theirs. What would they do? How would they relate with each other? Will they bear children or lead a barren life of enjoyment? These are all the moot questions. The enjoyment, as it is conceived, is intensely sensual. No work to be performed, no labour to be wasted, no effort to be made. A perfect life (if such life can be called perfect) of complete and total indolence, with the option of overeating and over-drinking, because also wine will be flowing close to the rivers of milk and honey. No fear of dyspepsia or intoxication! Reclining on heavenly cushions of silk and brocade, they will while their time away in eternal bliss -- but what an eternal bliss!

In Islam, there are others who categorically reject this naive understanding of the Quranic references to heaven, and prove with many a reference to verses of the Holy Quran that what it describes is just metaphorical imagery which has no carnality about it. In fact the Holy Quran makes it amply clear that the form of existence of the life to come will be so different from all known forms of life here on earth, that it is beyond human imagination even to have the slightest glimpse of the otherworldly realities.

We will raise you into a form of which you have not the slightest knowledge. Surah Al-Waqiah (Ch. 56: V.62)

This is the categorical statement of the Quran on the subject. In recent times, the founder of the Ahmadiyya Community, Hadrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (as) of Qadian, presented this view of spiritual existence as against carnal existence in his unique and outstanding treatise entitled 'The Philosophy of the Teachings of Islam". All views propounded in the book are well documented with Quranic references and traditions of the Holy Founder of Islam. A brief account is reproduced here.

According to his profound study, the life in the hereafter would not be material. Instead, it would be of a spiritual nature of which we can only visualise certain aspects. We cannot determine precisely how things will take shape. One of the salient features of his vision of the hereafter concerns the soul giving birth to another rarer entity, which would occupy the same position in relation to the soul as the soul occupies in relation to our carnal existence here on earth. This birth of a soul from within the soul will be related to the sort of life that we have lived here on earth. If our lives here are spent in submission to the will of God and in accordance with His commands, our tastes gradually become cultured and attuned to enjoying spiritual pleasures as against carnal pleasures. Within the soul a sort of embryonic soul begins to take shape. New faculties are born and new tastes are acquired, in which those accustomed to carnal pleasures find no enjoyment. These new types of refined human beings can find the content of their heart. Sacrifice instead of the usurpation of others' rights becomes enjoyable. Forgiveness takes the upper hand of revenge, and love with no selfish motive is born like a second nature, replacing all relationships that have ulterior motives. Thus, one can say a new soul within the soul is in the offing.

All these projections regarding the development of the soul are inferences drawn from various verses of the Holy Quran, yet the exact nature of future events cannot be precisely determined. One can only say that something along these lines would take place, the details of which lie beyond the reach of human understanding. There are certain aspects of the new life which need to be discussed. The concept of hell and heaven in Islam is completely different from the normally held view. Hell and heaven are not two different places occupying separate time and space. According to the Holy Quran, the heaven covers the entire universe. 'Where would be hell then?' enquired some of the companions of the Holy Prophet. 'At the same place', was the answer, 'but you do not have the faculty to understand their coexistence.' That is to say in ordinary human terms, they may seem to occupy the same time-space, but in reality because they belong to different dimensions, so they will coexist without interfering and inter-relating with each other.

But what is the meaning of heavenly bliss, the tortures of the fire of hell? In answer to this question, the Promised Messiah (as) has illustrated the issue in the following terms: If a man is almost dying of thirst, and is otherwise healthy, cool water can provide him such deeply satisfying pleasure as cannot be derived from the ordinary experience of drinking water, or even the most delicious drink of his choice. If a man is thirsty and hungry as well, and he needs an immediate source of energy, a chilled bunch of grapes can provide him with such deep satisfaction as is not experienced by the same in ordinary circumstances. But the pre-requisite for these pleasures is good health. Now visualise a very sick man, who is nauseating and trying to vomit whatever liquid is left in him, and is at the verge of death through dehydration. Offer him a glass of cool water, or a chilled bunch of grapes, then not to mention his accepting them, a mere glance of them would create a state of revulsion and absolute abhorrence in him.

In illustrations like these, the Promised Messiah (as) made it clear that hell and heaven are only issues of relativity. A healthy soul which has acquired the taste for good things, when brought into close proximity of the objects of its choice, will draw even greater pleasure than before. All that a healthy spiritual man was craving was nearness to God and His attributes and to imitate divine virtues. In heaven, such a healthy soul would begin to see and conceive and feel the nearness of the attributes of God like never before. They, according to the Promised Messiah, would not remain merely spiritual values, but would acquire ethereal forms and shapes, which the newly born heavenly spirit would enjoy with the help of the erstwhile soul, which would function as the body. That again would be a matter of relativity. The converse will be true of hell, in the sense that an unhealthy soul would create an unhealthy body for the new soul of the hereafter. And the same factors which provide pleasure to the healthy soul would provide torture and deep suffering for this unhealthy entity.

When we refer to mind or soul in comparison to our carnal body, there is a vast difference in the nature of their existence, which is almost inconceivable. Every part of the body is alive and is throbbing with life, not only in material terms but also in awareness. Every particle of the human body is gifted with some sort of awareness. Scientists try to express that awareness in terms of electronic pulses, but that is a very crude way of describing the overall awareness of the conscious and subconscious mind and the immune system and other independent functions of the human body, which still lie far beyond our power of comprehension.

So what is that awareness? How can it be defined and explained -- that Ultimate 'I' in every living thing. Can we refer to it as ego in psychological terms? But never has a psychologist succeeded in defining the ego. It is that something which in religious terms is described as the soul. There is no way we can measure the distance between the soul and the carnal body. In terms of rarity, the soul even in our crudest perception, is so rare and ultra-refined that in no way can it be likened to the body that it occupies. Now try to conceive the scenario of the birth of a soul within the soul over a period of billions of years. At the end of a long day, we find a soul within a soul, which would have the same comparison in terms of rarity as a human soul here on earth has with the human body. Something similar to this will take place, and in relative terms, the future existence of life would also have two states combined into one entity. In relative terms, one state would be like body and the other like soul. In comparison to our bodies, our soul would appear like a body to the newly evolved essence of existence.

For further details, readers are advised to read the full treatise, which deals not only with this subject, but also discusses some other very interesting topics which agitate the minds of people the world over.

In short, each individual creates his own hell or his own heaven, and in accordance with his own state each heaven differs from the other person's heaven, and each hell differs from the other person's hell, though apparently they occupy the same space and time in otherworldly dimensions.

What happens to man's soul between the time of his carnal death and his resurrection on the Day of Judgement? The Holy Prophet (sa) is reported to have said that after our death windows will open up in the grave; for the pious people, windows open from heaven, and for the wicked people they open towards hell. However, if we were to open up a grave, we would not find any windows! So literal acceptance of these words will not convey the true meaning of this subject. It is impossible that the Holy Prophet (sa) should ever misinform us, hence here he had to be speaking metaphorically. Had it not been so, then every time we dig up a grave, we should find windows, either opening into hell, or letting in the fragrant and pleasant air of paradise. But we witness neither of these. So what do the Holy Prophet's words mean?

The grave is actually an intermediary phase of existence between this life and the life to come. Here, spiritual life will progress gradually through many stages until it reaches its ultimate destiny. Then by the Command of Allah, a trumpet will be blown, and the final spiritual form will come into being. In this interim period, different souls would pass through a semblance of heaven or hell before reaching their final stage of perfection, fit and ready to be raised into a completely transformed entity. The Quran illustrates this concept beautifully:

Your first creation and your second creation will be identical. Surah Luqman (Ch. 31: V.29)

Pondering over the birth of a child from a single cell, one finds the following Quranic statement:

See how God gives you various shapes in the womb. Surah Al-Imran (Ch. 3: V.7)

Now this subject is related to the subject of the two identical creations mentioned above. Take for example the case of such children as are congenitally ill. They do not suddenly contract illness at the time of delivery, rather they gradually develop into a state of morbidity which is progressive and which starts from the time of their early embryonic stage. Similarly, the soul of a person who is spiritually diseased, in that embryonic stage before its final resurrection on the Day of Judgement, will suffer through a semblance of hell and will remain uneasy in that period of the grave as does an unhealthy child in the womb of its mother. The ways of a healthy child are totally different, even his kicking is appreciated by the mother.

The question that now arises is: Will the soul also progress as does the child in the mother's womb, and will it pass through all these stages? The answer to this can be found in the very same verse of the Quran: 'Ma khalakakum WA ma basukum illa ka nafsin wahidin' -- your first creation and your second creation will be identical.

To understand the second creation, we need to understand the way a baby takes shape in a mother's womb. These forms apparently only take nine months to develop, while in reality the creation of life is spread over billions of years. Going back to the beginning of zoological life, the baby passes through almost all the stages of the evolution of life. From the beginning of the pregnancy, through to its culmination nine months later, the development of the child reflects all the stages of creation. In other words, all the phases of evolution are being repeated in those nine months, one after the other, and at such great speed that it is beyond our imagination. It keeps alive the stages of the system of evolution, and presents a picture of it.

The creation of life underwent a long period of development to reach the form that we witness in nine months. This sheds light on the fact that the period of our first creation was very long, and our second creation will also span a long period. By studying these nine months we can learn something of the billions of years of the history of life, and also about the evolution of souls in the next world. It is perhaps safe to infer that the time from the early origin of life to the ultimate creation of man, would perhaps be needed once again for the development of the soul after the death.

In support of this reasoning, the Quran categorically declares that when the souls are resurrected they will talk to one another, trying to determine how long they tarried on the earth. Some will say, 'We tarried for a day' while others will say 'for even less than a day.' Allah will then say: 'No even that is not correct.' In other words, Allah will say that 'You tarried on earth for much less than what you estimate.' In reality, the relationship of one life-span to a small part of the day is more or less the same ratio that the time of the soul's resurrection will have to its previous entire life. The further away something is, the smaller it appears. Our childhood seems like an experience of just a few seconds. The greater the distance of the stars, the smaller they appear. What Allah is trying to tell us is that we won't find ourselves being judged the very next day after we die. Instead, judgment will take place in such a distant future that our previous lives will seem like a matter of a few seconds to us, like a small point a long way away.

In short, man's resurrection is described as a transformation that he cannot envisage and an event that is as certain as his existence here on earth. All these subjects have been explained in detail in the Holy Quran.