Claims and Teachings - Ahmad The Promised Messiah and Mahdi — Page 63
63 prayer taught by Almighty God in these words is in fa. ct a prophecy foretelling the appearance of a Messiah among the Muslims of the consequences of whose denial they are forewarned. Moreover when it is admitted that these verses foretell of a time when the Muslim priests would acquire a strong resemblance with the Jewish priests, it is absurd to assert that for their correction the Israelite Messiah would come down from heaven. Not only is such a supposition against the letter of. the Quran which calls the Holy Prophet the seal of prophets, and, therefore, forbids the coming of an alien prophet after him, but. it also contradicts the spirit of the holy word, for the Muslims, would not be the best of people as described by it, but the worst , of them if they are destined to inherit all the vices of the corrupt Jews, but are totally unfit for receiving the blessings of Messiah- ship for which office a foreigner would be needed in that case If it is true that the Muslims must become Jews, i. e. , must inherit the chief Jewish evil characteristics, it follows as a necessary con- sequence that the Messiah needed for their correction cannot be a foreigner. The fact is that as some Muslim individuals have been called Jews, on account of their close resemblance with that people, so one individual has" been called Jesus on account of his ; complete resemblance with that prophet and his having his characteristics. As the Muslims are not literally Jews or descen- dants of Israel, so the Messiah is not literally Jesus Ghristj the Israelite prophet. It should be borne in mind that the words recorded in the Sura Fatiha which teach the Muslims to pray that they may not become of those with whom God is angered (i. e. , the Jews), would not have been needed if certain individuals from. among them had not been in danger of becoming Jews. Whenever there is a Divine injunction to a people to refrain from a certain course,