Malfuzat - Volume VII — Page 455
26 September 1905 455 Prophethood of the Promised Messiah Then they also debate regarding the word nab i [‘prophet’] and say that the claim is that of prophethood. I say this is merely a dispute over semantics. One who conveys news is called a nab i. Now, what would be the name appointed for an individual with whom Almighty Allah has discourses and conversations? And this prophethood is the fruit of following and obeying the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him. I consider it kufr [disbelief ] and a curse if someone says that now, without benefiting from the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, a person partakes of the foun- tain of prophethood and claims an independent prophethood. These are pure deceptions that these people are suffering from and although some of them understand this matter well, they say such things to incite the ignorant and the masses so that they become averse to my books and remain deprived of the benefit of reading them. Distinctions Appointed for Jesus the Messiah, Peace be on Him If only these people understand the consequence of the distinc- tions that they have allowed for [ Jesus] the Messiah! For exam- ple, they say that he alone is pure from the touch of Satan and is born out of the shadow of the Holy Spirit, and no one else partakes of this with him. He alone has ascended to heaven with an earthly body and no one else has a share in this. Thereafter, he alone will descend from heaven and he alone will be the final judge near Doomsday. And yet another distinction is that 2,000 years have elapsed and he is still in heaven without any need of food and drink and other human necessities. The Holy Prophet,