GOOD NEWS FROM THE HOLLY BOOKS
QUESTION: Was Jesus a “Muslim”? Did he practice “Islam”? If yes, how can we corroborate that with the Holy Qur’an or with sound, intelligent reasoning and/or definition(s)? If not, was he a “Kafir”? Explain.
ANSWER:
First of all, let’s say this: Of course, Prophet Jesus was both Islam and the herald of the prophet Muhammad. For very striking and brilliant explanations, please review and read all of the following articles and resources!
The following text is from the chapter “Good News from the Holly Books” of the book “It is Completely Different Word! (The Truth of Revelation and the Proof of the Coming of Qur’an from Allah)”.
Note: Please pay attention to the very important sources given at the end of the article!
GOOD NEWS FROM THE HOLLY BOOKS
Quran is not the single representative of an unprecedented claim and a case for which there is no supporter other than itself, which is thrown to the square of the truth on its own and then left all alone.
When it was sent to the world, it affirmed all righteous and true prophets sent to the nations of old times and all of the holly books, retold the news and events in these books in their most sensitive, and it corrected the aspects which were falsely believed and on over which there were disagreements and informed us about how these events had taken place in reality. And its style while giving this news was that of a self-confident person, who could rotate and spin the world at the tip of his finger and who, in this way, could see and know all about its every part.
What would you say about how and to what extend the Christian and Jewish scholars/pundits were affected by this posture shown by Quran? The history is full of striking examples of the sincere members of the divine religions who accepted, with great astonishment, the message of Quran as a divine revelation.
Here you are: a well-known example from the history.
The Meccan polytheist who came to take the Muslims who had taken refuge in the country of Najashi, the king of Abyssinia told him the following:
“Some of our youngsters has come and taken refuge in the Sovereign’s country. They left the religion of their tribes but they have not embraced your religion either. They brought out a new religion neither you nor us know nothing about”
Upon this, the impartial King gave the floor to the Muslims. Jafar (RA) first talked about the bad habits existing before Islam and the evil deeds committed during jahiliyyah (pre-Islamic age of ignorance) and then said:
“We had been in this situation until the time when Almighty Allah sent us a Prophet among us, whose family and ancestors, whose trustworthiness, honesty, modesty and decency we all know” and he spelled out, one by one, all the things he had learned from the Prophet (PBUH). When he mentioned Quran, Najashi asked him to read it. He read Surah Maryam verses from 1 to 35. Najashi and the religious scholars accompanying him bursted into tears in the face of these verses from Quran. (The meaning of Surah Maryam’s 35th Verse, which is about the birth and Prophethood of Jesus is as follows: “It is not befitting to (the majesty of) Allah that He should beget a son. Glory be to Him! when He determines a matter, He only says to it, “Be”, and it is.”)
Can you visualize this scene? What an amazing happening! After having listened to Jafar, Najashi, by swearing to Allah, told that Moses and Jesus had also been enlightened by the same candle. He sent the Meccans empty handed and he returned their gifts back to them. He told Muslims that they would be safe in his country, that they can perform their worship as they like. Najashi, who later received the invitation to Islam from out Prophet (PBUH) became a Muslim.
He voiced his admiration for our Prophet (PBUH) with the following words: “I wish instead of this Sultanate, I would be the servant of the Arabian Muhammad (PBUH)! This servitude is much higher than this Sultanate” (Risale-i Nur, Letters, 19th Letter p 174. (The Source: Ibn Kathir, Al-Bidāya wa-n-Nihāya (Beginning and the End) 2:355-369; Al-Bayhaki, Dala’il al-Nubuwwah (The Signs of Prophethood)
For sure, it cannot be imaginable that holly books and their prophets; could remain indifferent to a religion, which changes and repeals their own religion and whose influence is as wide as entire humanity, to the book and the prophet of that religion.
Since these books are divine, and their possessors/supporters are prophets, then they will either give the good news about Quran and Muhammad (PBUH) or deny and refute them.
If they do not want their religion to disappear and their books remain void, they would surely deny them. In other case, they would affirm it so that their religion could get rid of the religious superstitions and escape from decay and the people could obtain the real truths of the religion once again with this prophet. In this situation, we see that there is no denial or dementi. Everybody, whether for or against Islam, agrees on that. Therefore, we deduce that there is affirmation and approval.
True, the news of Muhammad’s Prophethood, and harbingers indicating Him (hence signs of the acceptance of trueness of Quran) were existing, both numerously and diversely, in those divine books. Similar to the challenge made by Quran (in terms of bringing an alike book), Resul-i Ekrem (Propeth Muhammad) (PBUH) also made a similar claim fearlessly and self-assuredly:
“In your books there are verses affirming my characteristics and my Prophethood. In terms of things that I notify, your books are attesting me.”
Besides, although a daring claim is made in some verses in the following meaning: “Bring your Torah, read it and come with it, we, with our families and children will go to the court of Allah, open our hands to Him and pray and invoke the curse of Allah against the liars”, none of the Christian or Jewish Scholars were able to show Muhammad’s (PBUH) mistakes. (Surah Al-i Imran (Family of Imran) 61st and 93rd verses.) Although he said: “Either find any false things I say / a mistake of mine, or I will struggle with you until ruined” they chose to fight against him, hence they declared that Resul-i Ekrem (PBUH) did not have my false/mistake and they were not able to find it.
This was the case, because, if they had been able to find s single mistake/fault of him, the numerous unbelievers, hypocrites and Jews, who were not accepting His Prophethood due to obstinacy and envy, would have certainly announced this everywhere.
On the other hand, we also would like to talk here about two persons that are mentioned in Risale-i Nur. One of them is Rahmat Allah al-Hindi, the famous scholar who proved, to the Cristian and Jewish Scholars, the existence of distortions, that is the changes made in their holly books and who silenced them. The other name is Hüseyin-i Cisrî’, who wrote “Risale-i Hamidiye”. This is the Treatise which is sugegsted as a reference book, in which He outlines one hundred and fourteen signs, news or harbingers that had been found out in holly books, in relation to the Propethood of Muhammad (PBUH). This treatise was translated by Ismail Hakkı of Bitola (Manastır). Master Bediüzzzaman said about it : “Whoever would like, he could refer to it and see”. We also say the same thing.
We personally obtained this book and also al-Shifa’ al-Sharif of Qadi Iyad, which is also suggested by Bediüzzaman as a reference book. If you would like, you can also obtain and read them.
Besides, we think that the work called “Mucizât-ı Ahmediye (PBUH.)”, which is 19th Letter of the Book of Letters of Risale-i Nur Collection, has priority over these books and we suggest you to read that book primarily.
This book describes 300 and more miracles of Resûl-i Ekrem (PBUH) within the context of logical principles that have not seen before and it proves them with a different approach.
Besides, this book, in its part which is called “Sixteenth Sign” gives examples from the verses of Torah, Bible and Psalms and shows how these divine books give news and harbingers about Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).
Here, we will confine ourselves to expressing that many of the Christian and Jewish Scholars accepted and admitted that the characteristics of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) had been written in Torah and Bible.
Although some of them remained non-muslim, they admitted these facts, while some others became muslims and by showing to other scholars the signs and news in their holly books, they silenced them in such a way that these scholars were not able to respond to them at all.
Another example is the Byzantine Empire Heraclius. He admitted and said that “Yes, Jesus announced You (in response to Prophet Muhammad, PBUH)”
Many and various events, as numerous as they are not possible to mention them all here, show that Quran is not alone, and the Person, who is holding it, claiming his Prophecy and challenging the whole universe, is not alone, on his own.
All previous prophets and divine books accept and affirm the case of Quan and of this Grand Prophet. They support the case of the Righteousness with all their power and they are giving the good news about them.
Moreover, Quran has never been a book that has remained, since the period where it appeared in the world of humanity, without supporters and helpers for its great case that claims the whole world. Its influence has not remained limited to the place and the time where it appeared. It has transcended these limits and it has never been a book that did not have any influence other than this place where it was revealed.
Just as the quality, taste and the vitality of the fruits of a tree are the most apparent signs of whether that tree is healthy or not; whether it is productive or not and whether it is alive or dead.
In the same manner, there are millions of exemplary men, famous saints and high scholars that could be considered as the productive fruits raised by Quran. The fact that these people see Quran as the greatest and permanent guide and that they are inspired by it; and see it at the highest level brings about such an surprising Picture before us that it would make any person who has even a little fairness say:
“There is no other book in the world of humanity,
Which has such a wide influence,
And such a broad scope and impact,
Which contains all of the basic and vital truths,
Which could inspire all kinds of people at all times and guide them;
And this can never be imagined at all.
This could be done only by the book which is called Quran and it is a real miracle due to this wonderful characteristics and it is properly worth being called the Word of Allah.”
In conclusion, the fact, that the case of Quran and the news given by it were also told by other divine books and hundreds of thousands of prophets, who never lied during their lifetimes and who became the guides for humanity and that these truth is also affirmed by millions of saints who based this truth on the discoveries which they made in the realm of spiruality and what they see with the eyes of the heart the declaration of the righteousness and the perfectness of the same truth by billions of human beings who reach this truth by logic and evidences and who accept the trueness of the faith and Islam by the detailed examinations and queries they make and who believe consciously, illustrates that:
Quran and the case which it declares are not claims that hang in the air, an empty assertion that was left alone.
It is like an great, magnificent and unshakably strong tree that took root in the previous centuries and that will give brilliant fruits in the future following itself.
SOURCES:
1- It is Completely Different Word – Proof of Reality of Revelation
2- Spiritual Sun of the Universe – Proof of Reality of Prophethood
3- “Mucizât-ı Ahmediye (PBUH.)” (19th Letter of the Book of Letters of Risale-i Nur Collection)
http://www.erisale.com/index.jsp?locale=en#content.en.202.112
(This book describes 300 and more miracles of Resûl-i Ekrem (PBUH) within the context of logical principles that have not seen before and it proves them with a different approach.)
4- Source address that you can reach all our english articles and books in metin and visual / interactive format:
https://atomic-temporary-101453453.wpcomstaging.com/english-books/
KEŞİF YOLCULUKLARI: Farklı Mana Açılımlarıyla, İzahlı ve Görsel Destekli Risale-i Nur Eğitim Programı 