Islam - The Summit of Religious Evolution — Page 47
47 "O Messenger! convey to the people what has been revealed to thee from thy Lord". The verse seems to say, O Prophet, there is an ancient prophecy about you which said that when you come into the world you would give to it all the truths you received from your God. Therefore preach to the world whatever is revealed to you, whether it likes it or not. Similarly, the verse revealed on the completion of the revelation of the Quran says: 25 This day have I perfected your religion for you and completed My favor upon you and have chosen for you Islam as religion. That is to say: Through the revelation of the Quran the faith has been made perfect and the gift of guidance made complete for you, and peace and tranquility have been appointed for you as your religion. It was the Holy Prophet of Islam, therefore, who taught everything and kept back nothing. In the time of Jesus, people were not ready to receive and to believe in everything that was worthwhile. But in the time of the Holy Prophet of Islam humans had traversed many stages of spiritual evolution and the time had come for all the truths to be revealed to the world. (vi) The prophecy speaks of words which he shall speak in My name. This part of the prophecy also was fulfilled in the Holy Prophet of Islam. He is the only one who spoke in the name of God, because every Chapter of the revealed Book brought by him begins with the words: In the name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful. This great sign, duly incorporated in the Quran, also proves that the last stride in the spiritual advance of humanity, foretold by Moses, was registered with the advent of the Holy Prophet of Islam. (vii) The prophecy also lays down an important criterion: 26 But the prophet, which shall presume to speak a word in my name, which I have not commanded him to speak, or that shall speak in the name of other odds, even that prophet shall die. In this verse, a method of differentiation between a true claimant and an imposter to the post of the Promised One of this prophecy has been outlined. It was necessary that a clear criterion be established for this purpose to help righteous followers to recognize the true claimant. The Promised One had to be charged with the important mission of initiating the last stage of human spiritual advancement. If pretenders to this office should arise, the world would run a great risk. To ward off these risks, God laid down the criterion that a pretender would incur divine punishment and die a cursed death. The Holy Prophet of Islam laid claim to this office very early in his career, and in the clearest terms. When he announced his claim, he was friendless and weak. His enemies far out numbered him, were much stronger and left no stone unturned to prevent the spread of Islam and in that context, tried their utmost to end the Holy Prophet’s life. Mighty rulers also set themselves up against him but it was they, not the Prophet who suffered discomfiture and disgrace. The Holy Prophet led a full and successful life. When he died, the whole of Arabia had declared faith in him. Within a few years after his death, his successors spread Islam throughout the whole of the then known world.