The reason for this lies in his essential perfection and the nature of hisProphethood. First of all, Prophet Muhammad was expected for a longtime, and his coming was promised through many signs. Given this,there are numerous proofs of his Prophethood. Although elaborated inprevious chapters, we briefly list the signs showing his perfection andthe proofs of his Prophethood to show that he was the most worthy tomake the Ascension.
First:
Despite the great corruption in the Torah, Gospels, and
Psalms,Husain al-Jisri's
Risala al-Hamidiya
presents 110 signs found in them thatindicate
Muhammad's Prophethood.
Second:
History also records the words of many pre-Islamic
soothsay-ers, such Shiq and Satih, who foretold his Prophethood and that he
wasthe Last Prophet.
Third:
Many extraordinary events (
irhasat
) before his Prophethoodforetold the coming of a Prophet. For
example, on the night he was born,the Ka'ba's idols toppled over and the
pinnacles of the famous palace of the Persian ruler Chosroes broke.
Fourth:
Muhammad was distinguished with approximately 1,000
mir-acles, all of which have been related by historians and biographers. Tocite
only a few examples, he satisfied an army's thirst with water flowingfrom his
fingers and split the moon (54:1), and the dry wooden poleagainst which he
leaned while preaching in the mosque moaned like acamel in front of many people
when it was separated from him.
Fifth:
Friend and foe agree that all good qualities were found
in him tothe highest degree, and that, as shown by his conduct, all attributes
andcharacter of the highest excellence were apparent in the way he per-formed
his mission. In accordance with Islam's moral principles, praise-worthy virtues
of the highest order are found in the law that he brought.
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Sixth:
Wisdom requires that Divinity be shown because of Its
perfec-tions. Prophet Muhammad manifested God's Divinity at the highestlevel
and in the most brilliant fashion through the most perfect and com-prehensive
way of worship contained in the religion that he brought.Due to the wisdom in
the universe's creation, the Creator of the worldwills to display His most
perfect Beauty and Grace through the most ap-propriate means. Clearly, Prophet
Muhammad showed and describedHis Beauty and Grace in the most perfect fashion.The
Maker of the world wills to exhibit and draw attentive gazes to-ward His
perfect art of infinite Beauty; Muhammad proclaimed that artwith the clearest
voice. In response to the Lord of the worlds' will to pro-claim His Oneness in
the realms of multiplicity, Muhammad announcedHis Unity with all of Its aspects
most perfectly.Due to His Wisdom, the Owner of the world wills to see and
show Hisinfinite essential Beauty and Grace, with all of their
manifestations, in themirrors of all beings; Muhammad reflected them in the
most brilliantfashion and made others love them. In response to the will of the
Builderof the palace of the world to describe His perfections by showing
His un-seen treasuries of priceless gems, Muhammad displayed and describedthem
most perfectly.The Maker of the universe has decorated the universe with the
most beautiful and exquisite embellishments, and has included therein Hisconscious
creatures so that they may travel to receive enjoyment and re-flect. Due to His
Wisdom, He wills to communicate the meaning andvalue expressed by the works of
His art to people who observe and re-flect. Muhammad guided humanity, jinn, and
angels in the most com-prehensive way, in this respect, through the Qur'an.The
All-Wise Ruler of the universe wills to use an envoy to reveal
thepurpose of the changes and transformations in existence, as well as toanswer
three perplexing questions asked by all conscious beings: Wheredo we come from?
Where are we going? What are we? By means of theQur'an's truths, Muhammad
revealed this purpose and the answers inthe clearest and most perfect way.The
Maker of this world wills to make Himself known to conscious be-ings through
His exquisite works and to be loved by them through theprecious bounties He
bestows on them. Thus He wills to communicate tothem, by means of an envoy,
what He wants them to do and how theymay obtain His approval in return for
those bounties. By means of the
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Qur'an, Muhammad communicated the things that please God in
themost exalted and perfect way.The Lord of the worlds has endowed humanity,
the fruit of the Tree of Creation, with a comprehensive disposition that
can encompass the uni-verse, and with a corresponding ability—and even need—to
perform auniversal worship. But humanity, due to its feelings, inclines to
theworld and its attractions. So God wills, by means of a guide, to
turnhumanity's attention from worldly multiplicity to Divine Unity, fromtransience
to eternity. In response to this will and by means of theQur'an, Muhammad
guided humanity to this goal in the most desirablefashion and
performed the duty of Messengership in the most perfectway.Thus creation's most
superior members are living beings, the most su-perior living beings are
conscious beings, the most superior
conscious beings are true human beings, and that true human being who carriedout
all duties mentioned, in the most perfect and comprehensive way,would rise
through an all-embracing Ascension to
the nearness of two bow-strings
(the station nearest to God), knock at the door of
eternal happi-ness, and open the treasury of Mercy.Thus the most superior
members of creation are living beings, themost superior living beings are
conscious beings, the most superior con-scious beings are true human beings,
and the true human being who car-ried out all of the duties mentioned in the
most perfect and comprehens-ive way naturally would rise through an
all-embracing Ascension to thenearness of
two bows' length
, the station nearest to God, to knock at thedoor of eternal
happiness, open Mercy's treasury, and witness belief'sunseen truths directly.
Seventh:
Moreover, everything displays the most pleasing
instances of beauty and utmost degree of adornment, thereby demonstrating thattheir
Maker wills to make things beautiful and adorn them. In turn, thisshows that
the Maker has a strong inclination and sacred love towardHis art. Therefore the
person with the most comprehensive disposition todisplay this art's wonders in
himself; one who knows them, makes themknown, and thus makes himself lovable; and
who deeply appreciates
the beauties manifested in other beings in full appreciation of their comingfrom
the Maker will be the most beloved in the Maker's sight, as Hegreatly loves His
art.This same being, in full awareness of the exquisite qualities adorningall
beings and of the perfections illuminating them, makes the heavens
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echo: "Glory be to God! What wonders God has
willed" and "All theseare from God! God is the
greatest!" This same being causes the universeto reverberate with the
sounds of the Qur'an, and enraptures the landand the sea with his appreciative
reflections and glorification as well aswith his proclamation and demonstration
of Divine Unity.Such a being, according to the principle of "The cause is
like the doer,"receives a reward equivalent to his community's good deeds.
His spiritu-al perfections draw strength from the blessings invoked upon him by
hiscommunity, and the duties he performed during his Messengershipcause
him to receive an immaterial recompense and infinite emanationsof Divine Mercy
and Love. Given this, the result of pure truth and abso-lute wisdom is that
this being should advance by means of Ascension asfar as Paradise,
Sidrat al-Muntaha
—the lote tree, contingency's farthestlimit—the Divine
Throne, and to the
nearness of two bows' length
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