A Response to Three Questions of a Christian — Page 46
46 Arabia; see Galatians 4:25. 1 Thus, the meaning would be from the descendants of Hagar, and Faran is what they themselves call the Valley of Hejaz. The Holy Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, went to Seir twice as a trader, and an army of angels was a most powerful helper of the Islamic army in the Battle of Badr as well. See S u rah A l-e-‘Imr a n of the Holy Quran. The fifth miracle was that your house should be of great adorn- ment. This was taken from the Holy Books: …I will lay thy stones with fair colours ( surmah in Urdu, collyrium), and lay thy foundations with sapphires. And I will make thy windows of agates, and thy gates of car- buncles, and all thy borders of pleasant stones. And all thy children shall be taught of the Lord… (Isaiah 54:11–13) Now, if it is to be taken literally here, then you can observe the use of local stones in [preparing] collyrium, which is made there and used by the pilgrims; from this one truth, it is to be believed that the remaining will also be fulfilled, as is clear from the revelations of John; see Revelation 21:11. Do not be hasty. And if the mean- ing is taken to be just ordinary adornment, as is evident from the word زخرف — zukhruf [gilded] of the Quran and from chapters 16 and 23 of Ezekiel, then you can see for yourself how the great city of Makkah is adorned. If it is to be taken to refer to the house of our Holy Prophet 1. ‘For this Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children. ’ [Publisher]