Reply to a Mockery — Page 16
16 Muhammad s as. But as for a Prophet who is subordinate and com- pletely dedicated to Muhammad s as , all are agreed that there is no obstacle to his coming. Further, the Quran and the Hadith not only allow for such a Prophet, they clearly predict his advent. As far as the opinions of Muslim saints are concerned, some examples are presented to the reader. The eminent divine of the first century, Imam of the Shias, Hadrat Imam B a qir ra (died 765 CE, 148 AH) discusses the subject of prophethood and leadership as follows: َ ْم َ الْكِتٰب ي ِ ه ِ عَز َّ وَجَل َّ فَقَد ْ اٰتَیْنَا اٰل َ اِبْرَا هللا ِ ْہ ِ السَّلَم ُ فِی ْ قَوْل ي ِ عَن ْ اَبِی ْ جَعْفَر ٍ عَلَ َقِرُّوْن َ فِی ْ اٰل ي َ َئِمَّة َ فَكَيْف ْمًا. جَعَل َ مِنْھُم ُ الرُّسُل َ وَالَْنْبِيَاء َ وَالْأ ي ِ ُم ْ مُلْكًا عَظ ه وَاٰتَیْنَا هللا ُ عَلَيْه ِ وَاٰلِہٖ. ی َّ ُنْكِرُوْنَہ ٗ فِي ْ اٰل ِ مُحَمَّد ٍ صَل ي َ ْہ ِ السَّلَم ُ و ي ْم َ عَلَ ي ِ ه اِبْرَا Hadrat Ab u Ja‘far [i. e. Im a m B a qir ra], in one of his com- mentaries, explains these words of the Glorious God: ْمًا ي ِ ُم ْ مُلْكًا عَظ ه ْم َ الْكِتٰب َ وَاٰتَیْنَا ي ِ ه فَقَد ْ اٰتَیْنَا اٰل َ اِبْرَا He says that Allah made Prophets, Messengers, and Imams from the progeny of Hadrat Ibrahim as. Surprisingly, peo- ple accept the idea of Prophets and Im a ms from among the people of Ibrahim as, yet reject the same idea for the followers of Muhammad s as. ( A s - Sa f i Shar h u Us u lil-K a f i , Mull a Khal i l, vol. 3, pt. 1, p. 119, Ma t ba‘ Fai d Manba‘ Munshi Nuwalkishor, Lucknow) The eminent divine of the sixth century, Sufi Hadrat Mu h yudd i n Ibn ‘Arab i (died 1240 CE, 638 AH) says: