The rejection of Muhammad: learning to recognize the light

When the Lights of prophethood shone forth from Mohammed, those who loved the Light believed in Mohammed, but those who loved the lantern of Jesus Christ refused to accept Mohammed. If we have a lamp lighted in the room tonight, and tomorrow we have another lamp, would we not be foolish not to accept the light, though the lamps are changed?

Then consider when Muhammad, the Apostle of God, came: the noble ones of the people and their divines turned away from Him, while he who sold dates believed in Him.

Were ye to be fair, by what proof did ye believe in Muhammad, the Apostle of God, and by what evidence did ye turn away from Him Who came to you with that which is with the All-Knowing?

The clear proof is this: For thirteen years both He and His companions endured in Mecca the most intense persecutions and were the constant target of the darts of hatred. Some of His companions were killed and their possessions pillaged; others forsook their native country and fled to foreign lands. Muhammad Himself was subjected to the severest persecutions and was obliged, when His enemies resolved to kill Him, to flee Mecca in the middle of the night and emigrate to Medina.

His opponents persecuted Him, murdered and plundered His companions - some fled and some were taken captive. They sought to kill the Messenger Himself, and so He emigrated.

"So also in the time of Muhammad, for thirteen years they killed, pillaged, destroyed houses. Then He left for Medina. All the tribes and sects were against Him, and they went to Medina to destroy Him. God sent discord among them so that they could not do this. Ultimately it was uplifted. It dominated all sects and races.

This Friend called the people to the word of unity, yet they visited upon Him that which caused all the atoms of Batha and all things therein, such as stones and trees, pebbles and date-stones, to lament the tribulations of that Manifestation of God's command. No friend remained save a few numbered souls, until the decree of migration was revealed, the details of which that honored one has surely heard.

Yet in that time, all those people rose up to harm Him - they broke His blessed tooth and threw so many stones at His blessed heel that blood flowed, and they mocked and ridiculed Him in the streets and bazaars. In the blessed verse He relates: "When they see you, they treat you only with ridicule (saying): 'Is this the one whom God has sent as a Messenger?'" They threw dirt on His blessed head and scattered thorns in His path, and at night they would plot to shed His pure blood. … Things became so difficult for His Holiness in Mecca that He fled to Medina in the middle of the night from the hands of the enemies.

Their enmity became so virulent that they enacted a law banishing any one who should become a convert to the strange religion of the 'sorcerer.' Finally realizing that the lives of all his new disciples were threatened with destruction and his opponents were assailing him even in the Caaba, he advised them to leave Mecca as soon as possible and take refuge in Abyssinia.

Consider the Seal of the Prophets - may our souls be a sacrifice for His sake. He slept in a corner of the mosque. Abu Jahl sent men who placed a rope around His blessed neck and brought Him to the assembly. Abu Jahl - who was Abu'l-Hakam - and Abu Sufyan and Abdullah ibn Ubayy and Huyayy ibn Akhtab and Ka'b ibn al-Ashraf and other hypocrites were all wealthier and more prominent than His Holiness and His companions. This is not the first flask that has been broken in Islam. This matter is not new - it existed before, and that honored brother knows the details well.

No one from the beginning of the world until now hath been afflicted with such tribulations. Consider thou the Messenger of God: despite His manifest power, during the Battle of the Trench some of His companions who outwardly showed the utmost devotion and self-sacrifice, whispered secretly saying "Muhammad promiseth us the treasures of Chosroes and Caesar, yet none of us can even go to relieve himself in safety."

Say: O Siyyid, reflect upon Muhammad - may the spirit of all else be sacrificed for Him - and His manifestation in Yathrib and Batha. The humiliation that befell Him was first from the opposition of His relatives and kin, second from the opposition of the divines and mystics, third from the neglect of the people of the city and surroundings, and fourth - which was greatest of all - from the seven scholars who later ascribed many partners to Him, even while they considered themselves believers and the most excellent of all people.

"In the days of His Holiness Muhammad, Salman came from Persia and believed in Him, but His own relatives rose against Him.

In the time of Mohammed, Abu Jahl, who was entitled " The Father of Wisdom" by the people and Abu Amir, who were two great learned ones among the Arabs, were excluded, while Suhaib, the basket maker, and Abdul Rahman, another humble one, attained the Gift.

After His appearance from the horizon of Hijaz, all the divines of that age from among the Jews and Christians, despite their anticipation of His appearance, after His manifestation raised the standards of discord and arose in utter opposition. One who was among the most learned of divines remained deprived of the Sun of Truth, while one who was but a shepherd attained the knowledge of the Manifestation of the All-Merciful, and drank from the water of life.

Consider the time of the Apostle of God, that is, His Holiness the Seal - the divines were shut out while the shepherd attained.

The learned ones turned away from Him and the scholars objected, until the earth became strait for Him by Whom the horizons were illumined.

In the early years, all the divines, men of letters and nobles united in complete opposition to shed His pure blood, yet after His Cause was exalted, a great multitude turned toward the divine horizon of revelation and the dawning-place of celestial light.

Then remember when Muhammad, the Apostle of God, came, and how every heedless and doubtful one rose up against Him.

We call to mind the Day whereon the Sun of Batha rose above that conspicuous horizon, and the servants opposed Him through their idle fancies and vain imaginings.

Remember when Muhammad, the Apostle of God, came, the people turned away from Him and those who violated God's Covenant and His Testament opposed Him, following every rebellious satan.

Consider when Muhammad, the Apostle of God, appeared - the divines turned away from Him and every wicked reprobate opposed Him.

O Radi! The Seal of the Prophets - may the spirit of all else be sacrificed for Him - came with divine proof and heavenly evidence from the Dayspring of power with boundless favors, having no purpose save to exalt the blessed Word of Divine Unity and guide the servants to that which would benefit and preserve them. Yet the ungodly denied Him and called Him a sorcerer, even though He was the Bearer of Glad Tidings from God - glorified be His majesty - and gave all people the glad tidings of the Days of God. All turned away and issued verdicts for the shedding of His most pure blood.

Consider and call to mind the day on which Muhammad the Messenger of God appeared with the signs of God, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting: some among the people denied Him, others turned away from Him, yet others mocked Him, and still others rose up against him in such grievous fashion as to sentence Him to death without any clear proof from God, the Lord of all being.

… The more strenuously He admonished them, the greater waxed their enmity and hatred.

The wrongdoers denied Him - among them were those who turned away from Him, those who opposed Him, those who declared Him an infidel, and those who issued death sentences against Him.

Look and remember what befell Muhammad, the Apostle of God, aforetime when He arose and called the people to God, the Lord of Lords.

In those days this Wronged One lamented the wrongs done to the Seal of the Prophets. I truthfully say that such wrong was done to Him by the former people that the Tablet wept and the Pen cried out - a crying that caused the Concourse on High to weep and the companions of the Most Exalted Paradise to cry out.

By the life of God! Such was the wrong inflicted by that group upon the Seal of the Prophets that tablet, pen, banner and standard weep and lament. For those souls who were made manifest by His Word became occupied with these people and were barred from the true Sovereign.

But his people denied him and believed not in him, saying: "Thou art but a madman."

O Muhammad! When the Sun of Truth dawned from the horizon of Hijaz, the people of metaphors objected to it. Among them were those who said "He hath spoken falsely" and among them were those who said "He is a lying sorcerer."

And in the day of the appearance of the Great Luminary of Guidance, Muhammad the Chosen One - may my spirit be a sacrifice unto Him - they cried out "This is but a man like ourselves - he eateth food and walketh in the streets. Unless an angel be sent down with him to be a warner!"

Among the people are those who have turned away from the truth, and among them are those who have denied God's proof and His signs, and among them are those who have said "This is naught but a man who desires to lead you astray from the path that was straight." Thus did they speak when Muhammad, the Messenger of God, appeared, and before Him when the Spirit came with a Cause that encompassed all the worlds.

When in the Arabian peninsula the light of prophethood shone forth and His Holiness Mohammed (Upon Him be peace) engaged His time in the guidance of those barbarous people, everyone reviled and calumniated Him. Their answer was given by divine revelation in the following Koranic verse:

"Woe unto the servants! No prophet cometh unto them, but they laugh him to scorn!"

Rather, strange fabricated tales and stories were spread among people, all mentioned mockingly.

Much that is written or said about Moham[ad] is pure fabrication. The reality is not stated, because it is misunderstood. The origin of the current opinion held about his mission and character in the West is based upon false assumptions and prejudiced statements propagated by Christian authors and missionaries.

Among these, yesterday there was a question about the truth of Muhammad, peace be upon him, for in these parts He has been mentioned with utmost contempt and there were many false accusations - He was the subject of jokes and mockery. The priests of this land have so denounced that pure Light that nothing but the power of the Holy Spirit can remove these delusions.

As for what European and American historians have written regarding Muhammad, the Messenger of God, most of it is slander. … Observe that that noble Person was born among ignorant nomads in the Arabian desert, associated and lived with them, and outwardly received no education and was devoid of reading and writing. Yet despite this, He established such a nation and laid down such a law, and made statements on scientific matters with supreme eloquence, and raised such a people from the depths of ignorance and savagery to the highest degree of civilization and prosperity, such that in Andalusia and Baghdad sciences, knowledge, arts and innovations made extraordinary progress in that age.

What are the objections of the Christian missionaries to the prophetic mission of Mohamad and with what evidences should they be contradicted? Why the eyes of other nations were veiled of the Mohamadic Beauty? Why did they not receive a portion and a share of the inexhaustible Bounties? Why were they deprived of the Celestial Bestowals?

Verily, a thousand books were written by the sages and philosophers in rejection of Christ--may my spirit be a sacrifice unto Him--and even more were written against the Prophet, for there exist thousands of works by Christian and Jewish divines, all of which reject the Prophet--peace be upon Him--and still they are not content but continue to write.

The Jewish scholars do not acknowledge the miracles of Christ, and likewise the Christian scholars do not acknowledge the miracles of the Prophet [Muhammad], and similarly the European philosophers and natural historians deny the miracles of Moses, and each raise various objections, especially the European philosophers who have published many works on this subject.

When the prophetic light of Mohamed dawned from the horizon of Hijaz the Persians and the Greeks were engaged in a severe battle. The Persian government defeated the Greek[s] probably in Palestine in the 6th year before the Hijira under Khosro[w] Parviz. The Khoreish tribe to which Mohamad belonged and who[se] leaders were inimical to the Cause of Islam rejoiced over this defe[at] of the Christians. They argued: 'The Greeks were the "people of the Book," the Persians fire-worshippers and not classed amongst the "people of the Book"; nevertheless the Christians were defeated by the idolatrous fire-worshipping Persians. In the same manner, Mohama[d] consider[ed] himself and his followers the people of the Book and the members of the Khoreish tribe idolaters and infid[els.] we who are idolaters shall in the long [run] overcome Mohamed and crush his religion of One God.'

For this reason the following prophecy was uttered by Mohamad in the chapter of the Koran called the Greeks:- "The Greeks have been defeated in a land hard by. But after their defeat they shall defeat their foes in a few years. First and last is the affair with God. And on that day shall the faithful rejoice." Then in the year 625 the Persians were defeated by Heraclius.

The truth of the matter is, both of these Power[s] were defeated and the Cause of God was the Conqueror; the Cause of Truth triumphed over all the people. Similarly, all these nation[s] who are fighting each other and forming red rivers of the blood of their fellowmen - are defeated - one and all. For all of them are captives in the claws of lust and passion, are prompted by greed and cupidity and are imbued with the spirit of jealousy and hatred. The Army of the oneness of the world of humanity conquers over all, the Flag of Universal Peace shall wave over all; the power of the Divine Graces shall defeat all and the truths of human solidarity will vanquish all. Who can dam the irresistible torrent of the Destiny of God? who is able to stand before the march of the Army of the Kingdom of brotherhood? Who is omnipotent to withhold the descent of the Outpourings of the Merciful?

God has predestined that humanity may become ultimately as one family! He has decreed that these scattered parts may be cemented into one whole, these walls of divisions may be brought down, these turbulent rivers join the Most Great Sea, these different sections of mankind may be joined into one commonwealth, these multi-colored flowers be gathered into one bouquet, these seeds be sown in one field[,] these crops be garnered up by one harvester and these various pages be collected into one great book. This is God's decree and it will come to pass notwithstanding all the present conflicts.

The Christians have never praised so highly the Mohamadan religion nor a Jew has had a good word to say about Christ.

The Christians say we believe in Christ and He is sufficient why therefore should we accept Mahomet?

The Christians committed the same mistake when Mohamed appeared. They thought that God perfected His Will and Purpose in the religion founded by Jesus Christ, that Mohamad was simply an imposter and to substantiate these arguments they quoted verses from the Bible.

Likewise, when the breezes of the Revelation of Muhammad perfumed the regions of Mecca and Medina, and the reviving breaths of the divine Teachings made the Arabian Peninsula the scene of the celestial springtide, the Christian divines also clung unto the literal interpretation of God's perspicuous Book, and remained deprived of the splendours of the Day-Star of the realms above. For according to the outward meaning of the text of the Holy Gospel, there will be no other advent after Christ.

Mohammed came according to the Gospels. As the Christians looked only to the literal meaning, they did not believe in Him. The believers of Christ were veiled from knowing Mohammed by the misunderstanding of the prophecies, just as the Jews were veiled from knowing Christ.

Moreover, the ancient communities of Jews and Christians were not veiled on the day of the appearance of Muhammad, the Messenger of God (peace be upon him), except that when they compared the Qur'an with the outward meanings of the Gospel and Torah, they did not find them in agreement but saw them as contradictory, as is recorded in the books of those who denied the Qur'an and opposed their All-Merciful Lord and were veiled from the evident truth and knew not the reality of the exposition. Therefore they denied the Messenger and rebelled against acceptance, nay, they disputed and warred and shed the blood of the pure ones.

The splitting of the moon has multiple meanings and is not limited to its outward meaning. Among these meanings is the dissolution of those souls who, before the rising of the Sun of Oneness from the Muhammadan horizon, had illumined people with the lights of their sciences, wisdom and knowledge - like those souls who, in the Christian dispensation before the appearance of the Beauty of Ahmad, called people to the straight path and the mighty way, and from whose tongues shone forth the lights of knowledge and wisdom they had borrowed from the lamp of Jesus and the niche of Christ, and by whose guidance and direction and light of wisdom and knowledge people walked the path of guidance.

When the Most Great Light and the Ancient Sun appeared from the dawning-place of Yathrib and Batha, these souls did not succeed in believing and were not illumined by that Sun of the horizon of unity. Therefore these stars fell and the moon was split, as expressed in "When the sun arose, the moon was cleft."

In the New testament John 1:25 : Why baptizes thou then if thou be not that Christ nor Elias nor that Prophet. "That Prophet" signifies Mahomet - but Christians have not understood these references in their own Bible.

Then did Jesus counsel those who were given the Gospel to fear God and await the appearance of Muhammad, the Messenger of God, for verily He shall come unto you from God, there is no doubt in it, so aid Him as ye are able. But when Muhammad, the Messenger of God, came unto them, none believed among them save seventy of their learned ones, as they were among the believers in what God revealed unto Muhammad, until God made manifest the religion of His Messenger and aided Him as He willed from His presence, whereupon all could see.

Do you not consider those who were given the Gospel, how they veiled themselves from Muhammad, the Messenger of God, after having been promised His coming? And their divines until now weep for the appearance of Muhammad after one thousand two hundred and seventy years have passed, yet they still do not see.

Naught is beheld, among those who have heard and pondered, but the like of the adversaries' verses that were heard and pondered in the dawn of Islam. How many of the community of Jesus awaited the advent of Ahmad -- blessings and peace be upon Him and His kindred! -- and when He appeared, it became clear how many were guided.

Behold then remember when the Spirit came, the Jewish divines turned away from Him, and likewise when Muhammad, the Messenger of God, came, the divines of the Gospel denied Him, having followed vain imaginings and idle fancies.

Remember when Muhammad, the Apostle of God, came with clear signs, He was opposed by those possessed of learning, and before Him, when the Spirit came, the doctors of the Torah turned away from Him and the people followed them until God raised Him to an exalted station. Thus was the matter decreed aforetime. He, verily, is the All-Knowing, the All-Informed.

When the Pharisees said of Christ that He had broken the Sabbath Day, that He had defied the Law of Moses, that He had threatened to destroy the Temple and the Holy City of Jerusalem, and that He deserved to be crucified -- We know that all these slanderous attacks had no result in hindering the spread of the Gospel!

Your other letter dated the 9th of Dhi'l-Hijjih al-Haram arrived. Consider what the Jewish clergy, Christian clergy, and the clergy of the idolaters did and said when its ordinance was revealed from the heaven of divine favor. With all their power, might and utmost hatred and malice they arose to extinguish the Muhammadan Light (peace be upon him and his family) and mocked his fasting, prayer, pilgrimage and deeds. But God made His Cause victorious though the ungodly detested it.

Glorified be His grandeur, His power, His might and His sovereignty, that He made such a place the point of adoration for all who dwell on earth and in heaven, and likewise the Kaaba of the believers and those near unto God. Were one to truly reflect, he would spend his entire life uttering "Power belongeth unto God!" How many unbelievers strove and labored to extinguish the Muhammadan Light, yet the Hand of Power preserved the lamp of His knowledge and wisdom within the glass of grace and bounty, despite the ungodly and the proud ones.

O God, unto Thee I complain of what hath befallen Islam, aforetime and hereafter. "Our Lord! Pour out patience upon us, and grant us victory over the company of the idolaters."

Say to the learned: Fear God and turn not away from Our Cause, for the decree hath been revealed concerning those who turn away just as it was revealed concerning Abu Lahab and his wife.

In the Dispensation of the Qur'an, conflict and contention arose over names - in the name of Imam, successor, chief, noble one, fourth pillar and the like - they engaged in battle, cursing, reviling and rejection. Yet on the Day of Reckoning not a single pure deed appeared from the divines and mystics of that group.

In these days it hath become clear and evident what manner of calumnies were spread in the past. The one who reported the existence of the Qa'im was a woman. When they asked the revered Ja'far whether the honored 'Askari had any male offspring, that wronged one refused and said that there had been a child two years before who had died.

Reflect upon the deeds of the people of the Furqan (Muslims). They considered themselves supreme over all the world. For twelve hundred years they enthroned an imaginary being that had no external existence upon the seat of Jabulqa and Jabulsa which they had constructed with the hands of idle fancies. Then they strove to lead the helpless masses astray. The ultimate fruit of their deeds, beliefs and words was that they martyred the Lord of the world with the most grievous torture.

The former people denied the verses and showed ingratitude for the special bounty. They kindled the fire of tyranny and burnt the pavilion of the glory and grandeur of God's Cause and rent the veil of sanctity. Glory be to God! Night and day they would beseech and implore to attain the presence of the Self-Sufficient, the Most High. Yet when the dawn of grace broke and the world was illumined by the effulgences of the Daystar of Revelation, they all drew swords and spears against the Goal of the worlds. They were unbelievers yet counted themselves among the believers.

Say: The Day hath come and He Who conversed on Sinai speaketh: Verily there is no God but Him, the Truth, the Knower of the unseen. Behold, then mention what the people of the Furqan committed when the All-Merciful came with manifest sovereignty. The divines and doctors of the earth turned away from Him and pronounced judgment against Him with such injustice as caused the denizens of the Kingdom and the dwellers of the Realm of Might to lament.

From the earliest days, this Wronged One addressed the faces of princes and divines with the most exalted call, and summoned all, without any veil or concealment, to the supreme horizon, the most exalted summit and the ultimate goal. In those days the limbs of the world trembled and were disturbed by the oppression of the transgressors. Surely that honor hath heard that a special Tablet was sent to each of the kings, including the Sovereign of Iran, and there befell this Wronged One that which caused the people of the cities of justice and fairness to weep.