Elucidation of Objectives — Page 15
Tau di h-e-Mar a m 15 Messiah as being of light brown complexion the colour of wheat, and having, not curly, but straight hair reach- ing down to his ears 23. Let us pause for a moment and consider. Surely the distinguishing marks of the two Messiahs, as stated by the Holy Prophet sa , adequately assure us that the first and second Messiah are two entirely different persons. As for addressing each of them as ‘the son of Mary’, this is a metaphor which is as subtle as it is fine: it has been employed on account of the temperamental and spiritual affinity between the two Messiahs. Is it not true that because of such resemblance in disposition and character, two different persons, known for their piety, may well be addressed by the same name, just as two bad characters, who equally share evil, may be called counterparts? Muslims often name their children after the names of Prophets such as A hm ad, M u s a , ‘ I s a , Sulaim a n, Daw u d, and so on. They do so as an augury, hoping that, as a good omen, the children thus named might acquire the spiritual qualities and character of these archetypal ideals to the extent of becoming their true copies. However, if the objection is raised that since the first Messiah was a Prophet of God, the second Messiah too 23 Ibid H adith No. 3440. [Translator] Note: The page number of Bukh a r i given in the text is that of the conven- tional Indian edition, published in large format. [Translator]