The Essence of Islam – Volume IV — Page 205
Propagation, Establishment of a Holy Jama'at, and Instructions 205 the Jews had announced and formulated in their books concerning the advent of Jesus as were not fulfilled. Then the same wretched people formulated a number of signs for the Holy Prophet Muhammadsa, and only a few of them were fulfilled. For instance, they had imagined that this last Prophet would be from among the Israelites. . . but the Holy Prophetsa appeared from among the Ishmaelites. Had God Almighty so willed, He could have recorded in the. Torah that the name of that Prophet would be Muḥammad and that the name of his father would be 'Abdullāh and that the name of his grandfather would be 'Abdul Muttalib and that he would be born in. Mecca and would migrate to Medina. But God did not record all this, because such prophecies have to be the test of faith. It has been specified for the Promised. Messiah in advance that he would be an Arbiter between the different sects of Islam. Now, when each sect has a collection of its own Aḥādīth and how can it be possible for him to conform to the ideas of everyone? If he confirms the Ahl-e-Ḥadīth, the Ḥanafis would be disgruntled, and if he confirms the Hanafis, the Shafi'is would be annoyed, and the Shi'ās would insist that he should have appeared in accordance with their doctrine. How could he please everyone?. The very word 'Arbiter' indicates that he would arrive at a time when all sects would have departed from the truth to some degree. In these circumstances, it would be a great folly for each sect to test him on the touchstone of its own Aḥādīth. The right course