Claims and Teachings - Ahmad The Promised Messiah and Mahdi — Page 249
249 Why are the Muslims called the best of all people and their Holy Prophet Mahomad peace and blessings pi: God be on him called the Seal of prophets and the only Living Prophet? >; ; - The Muslims are called the. best of all people in the Holy Quran. < If it were true that the gift 'of Divine revelation was never to be granted to' them, they should have been called the worst of all people; There were many recipients of Divine re- velation among the Israelites, but Israel lost favour in the sight of God on account of its repeated transgressions. The Muslims came as successors, and as their Holy Prophet was the most excellent of all prophets^ so they were the most excellent of all people. This meant that while other people to whom Divine revelation was granted deprived themselves of this boon by their own misdeeds, the Muslims were never to be deprived of this Divine favour. Islam was a living religion and spiritual death '. *. . ' , i. i. - was never to overtake it. Its blessings had to continue to the day of judgment. ; Hence the Holy Prophet was called ^1^',^ the seal of prophets, which meant, not that the gift of Divine revelation was with his advent witheld from men for ever, but that the door -to this blessing was everlastingly opened by him, and his imitation was sure to bring this gift to every people in all ages to the day of judgment. The prophets that passed before him had their blessings discontinued after some time, but not so were the blessings of the Holy Prophet because these were to continue for ever. The door had been shut to the Israelites, but if it remains closed even to the Muslims, in what did they excel the former. How can a blind man claim an excellence over a blind man ? If revelation inspiration and the manifestation of heavenly signs, the highest Divine blessings, had been discontinued so far as the Jews were concerned, did the door remain closed for