Malfuzat - Volume VII — Page 396
396 MALFUZAT - ENGLISH TRANSLATION OF URDU VOLUME 7 قُل سُبْحَانَ رَبِّي هَلْ كُنْتُ إِلَّا بَشَرًا رَّسُولًا Meaning that, say to them, My Lord is free from doing any- thing that goes against His promises that He has made before. I am merely a man, a Messenger. The word سُبْحَانَ ]subhāna] is because He does not violate the promises that have been made in the past. What is that promise? وَلَكُمْ فِي الْأَرْضِ مُسْتَقَرٌّ وَ مَتَاعُ إِلَى حِينٍ 2 And He has similarly stated: And then stated: أَلَمْ نَجْعَلِ الْأَرْضَ كِفَاتًا فِيهَا تَحْيَوْنَ وَ فِيهَا تَمُوتُونَ If all these verses are considered together, it is clearly under- stood that the body which is in need of food and drink does not ascend to heaven. Then how can we accept this unique distinc- tion in [Jesus] the Messiah, surpassing [all] the other Prophets? The disbelievers mischievously made this very demand to the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, that he ascend to the heavens. The reason for this was that 1. Sūrah Bani Isrā'īl, 17:94 [Publisher] 2. And for you there is an abode in the earth and a provision for a time (Sūrah al-Baqarah, 2:37). [Publisher] 3. Have We not made the earth so as to hold (Sūrah al-Mursalāt, 77:26). [Publisher] 4. Therein shall you live, and therein shall you die (Sūrah al-A'raf, 7:26). [Publisher]