The Najran Pact,

Mobaahelah (Mubahilah)

Part 15

Reply of Haritha and the Absurd Discourse of Aqib 

When Aqib reached this point Haritha said, I testify, for the God Who has created all the things, O respectable and learned gentleman, truth has become clear from your discourse and the world has become illuminated by your true statements. The truth is same as you have mentioned. Whatever Allah has revealed in the books that He sent down for the guidance of His servants. Not a letter of it is against divine scriptures. But what was it that you wanted to mention?

Aqib said, “What you believe respecting the Quraishi, is only error. Haritha said, “Have you not acknowledged that people have testified to his apostleship, prophethood and miracles?” “Yes”, replied Aqib, “But between Isa (a.s.) and judgment, two Prophets are to appear, the name of one of which is derived from that of the other; one is Muhammad and the other Ahmad. Musa has announced the advent of the first, and Isa (a.s.) has proclaimed the coming of the second. This Quraishi is raised up for his own people, but after him a Prophet will appear, whose empire will be great and his reign long.  

Allah, the Most High will send him to complete faith, and will be the proofs for all people. After Muhammad, Fatrat [a period without a Messenger] will arise, in which the foundations of all religion will be destroyed. Then the Almighty Allah will send one who would strengthen the foundations of religion, and subdue all opposing religions to his faith. After him, righteous kings will reign all over the world, like the earth and mountains and every dry and wet thing. They will inherit the earth like Adam and Nuh had inherited. These kings of such exalted rank will wear the dress of the poor and will be majestic and great. Therefore they are the best of all creatures.

Through that Prophet his townsmen and all the servants of the Lord will achieve guidance. After a long period, Isa (a.s.) will descend to the last of them. After them there shall be no great kingdom or any good in life, for there will be various companies of fools in whose period the Judgment Day will occur in the age of the worst of creatures. It is the promise that Allah will give many miracles to him. Like He had sent for Ibrahim the Khalil as mentioned in divine scriptures.  

Haritha now inquired of Aqib if he was sure that there was no doubt the two names he had mentioned belonged to different individuals in different time periods? He replied in the positive. Haritha asked him if he had any proof about it? He replied that the truth of this was more evident to him than the sun; on which Haritha looked at his toes and began to draw lines on the ground.  

Then he said: Destruction lies in the fact that person should possess wealth but does not spend it. Or that he possesses a sword but that he keeps it as an ornament without using it to fight battles or that he has the reasoning capacity but does not act on it.

Haritha’s arguments bewilder Sayyid and Aqib 

Aqib said that Haritha has mentioned a very rough matter. What is it? Haritha swore by the truth of the Lord, by whom the heavens and earth are supported, that the two names under discussion belong to one and the same person and the same Prophet and messenger; about whom informed Musa bin Imran and whose advent Isa bin Maryam announced, and about whom before them, Ibrahim in his book foretold. 

[Let us pay attention that in Arabic, Mohammad and Ahmad both mean the "Praised One" which is the translation of “Paraclete”, and are from the same root of "حمد". For detailed information in this regard we cordially invite our friends to refer to the article “Mohammad, the Promise of Enjil (Gospel)” in this site, kindfather.com

Here we are going to mention two beautiful Hadiths from the Prophet Muhammad (SBUH&HA):

… Allah from the top of His "’Arsh" of His Grandeur and Magnificence, has named me with ten names, and has expressed my descriptions, and in the language of each Prophet, Allah has given the glad tidings about me, and in Tawrah (Torah) and Enjil (Gospel), He has frequently mentioned me; Allah has taught me His Words, and ascended me to Heavens; Allah has derived my names from His Names, one of His Names is "Mahmood", and I was named "Mohammad", and He manifested me in the best centuries and in the best nations; in Torah, He has named me "Aheed", because of the fact that due to Tawheed (Monotheism), the bodies of my nation will be Haraam to the Fire of Hell; and in Enjil, He has named me "Ahmad", because I am "Praised" in Heavens, and my nation are "praisers"; and in Zaboor "Psalms", He has named me "Maahee" (the obliterator), because by me, He obliterates the worship of idols on earth; in Qur'an, He has named me "Mohammad", due to the fact that in Qiyaamat, all nations shall "Praise" me; (every one shall "Praise" me) because in Qiyaamat, no one will "Intercede" but with my permission; and in Qiyaamat, I shall be called "Haasher", because the time of my nation, shall be connected to "Hashr" …; and my Lord blessed me and said: O' Mohammad! I have sent every Prophet with the language of his nation, upon the adherents to one language, and I have sent you to every red and black, and I have assisted you through the fear which I have placed in your enemies, and I did this for no other Prophet; … .

(Elal-O-Shsharaaye', Khesaal of Sheikh Sadooq, Ma'aani-Ol-Akhbaar, …)

When a group of Yahood (jews) asked Prophet Mohammad (SBUH&HA) of the reason why he was named Mohammad and Ahmad and Ab-Ol-Qaasem and …, the Prophet (SBUH&HA) responded:

I have been named "Mohammad", because I am "Praised" on earth, and I have been named "Ahmad", because I am "Praised" in heavens, and I have been named "Ab-Ol-Qaasem", because Allah in Qiyaamat (Judgment Day) shall divide (Qaasem means divider) Heaven and Hell based on me, so any one, from the past and the future, who has not believed in me, Allah shall send to Hell, and any one who has believed in me and my Prophethood, Allah shall send to Heavens, and … .

(Elal-O-Shsharaaye', Amaali of Sheikh Sadooq, Ma'aani-Ol-Akhbaar, …)]

This amused Sayyid and he laughed so that people may think that he was ridiculing Haritha and was astonished at what he had said. After that Aqib said to Haritha in a critical manner that Sayyid is laughing for no reason on your absurd things. Haritha said that if he was laughing, it was a matter of shame and a calamity that he has brought upon himself. It is an evil deed committed by him. Have you not seen in the wisdom of the divine inheritance in which it is mentioned that it does not befit a wise man to make faces or to laugh at something that is not amusing.  

Have you not received information from your chief and master, Christ, that he said: The vain laughing of a learned is that carelessness that becomes apparent from his heart? Or it is ecstasy that had made him oblivious of the worry about Judgment Day. Sayyid said: O Haritha, no one is proud of his intellect except one who thinks bad of others. If I am needy of your reports in my knowledge, I am not a scholar.  

Have you not received the information from our leader, the Christ, that there are some servants of the Almighty who laugh only apparently because of divine mercy, whereas their hearts weep in secret? Haritha said: If it is thus, it is nice. He said: What else can it be? Therefore you must not think ill of others. Let us conclude our discussion as the discord between us has prolonged. 

The Third Day of Debate 

Narrators say that it was the third day of the debate between them and it was the third meeting of their conference. Sayyid said: O Haritha, did Abu Wasila not inform you in the most eloquent words that which all have heard and did he not remind you? But it had no effect on you and your companions. Now let me explain this in a different way. I adjure you in the name of God and what He has revealed on Isa (a.s.), have you not seen in the book of Zajerah translated from the Syriac language into Arabic? That is the book of Shamun bin Hamun al-Safa, who was the successor of Isa (a.s.). His book has been transmitted from hand to hand, till it reached to the people of Najran. After mentioning many other things, it declares that when a certain period shall elapse, men will wander in error and cut asunder the ties of mercy and kindred, and the precepts of the prophets will be obliterated.  

Then Allah, the Most High will raise the Parcelete [Paraclete (Mohammad, Ahmad); refer to “Mohammad, the Promise of Enjil (Gospel)” in this site kindfather.com] and send him in mercy and justice to the people, to separate between truth and falsehood. They inquired from Isa (a.s.), O Christ of the time, who is Parcelete? He replied: Parcelete is Ahmad, the seal of the prophets, and heir of all their wisdom. By him the most High will send mercy on him during his life, and show him mercy after his death, on account of his pure and sacred descendants, that Prophet will be raised up in the end of time, when all the cords of religion and guidance are broken, and the light of the Prophets extinguished, and in a short period he will restore the faith of Islam in a short time, as it was at first. 

Sayyid again confesses to the Qualities of Prophet Muhammad (S) 

Allah, the Most High will establish His empire, and send other righteous people after him so that His kingdom is established throughout the earth. Haritha said, “What all you have said is true, and in truth there is nothing to fear: and the heart is not satisfied except with truth. But who is that personage you have described? The fact is that he would not be without offspring said Sayyid. True, rejoined Haritha, and he is no other than Muhammad.  

That is the point in dispute, returned Sayyid: Have not our own messengers and other than that travelers informed us that the sons that Muhammad had, namely, Qasim, from the Quraishi lady, Khadija, and Ibrahim, the son of Mariya, the Copt, are both dead, and he [Mohammad (SBUH&HA)] is now left childless, like a sheep with a broken horn about to die? Therefore if Muhammad had a son, your reasoning would have been acceptable; for in the book of Shamun it is mentioned that the son of the Prophet [Mahdi (SBUH)] shall conquer the world. But since Muhammad has no son, he cannot be the one Isa (a.s.) foretold. 

[Let us remember, as mentioned in part 14 of this writing, Aqib had told Haritha that there was one sign missing in Mohammad (SBUH&HA): “you … stated that he [Muhammad (SBUH&HA)] has brought miracles. You were right. We also agree and have faith in his messengership. And we testify that he has in his possession miracles and signs of the previous prophets, except for one which is the greatest and clearest and it is like a head. And these signs possessed by him are like the body. And what is the value of headless body? … If the most important sign is verified, we would join his religion before you and obey him before you do.”

Now here they were revealing what that important sign was; as mentioned above Sayyid told Haritha: “…he [Mohammad (SBUH&HA)] is now left childless … Therefore if Muhammad had a son, your reasoning would have been acceptable; for in the book of Shamun [Allah Chosen Successor of Prophet Jesus] it is mentioned that the son of the Prophet shall conquer the world. But since Muhammad has no son, he cannot be the one Isa (a.s.) foretold.”

Let us pay attention that they were using this excuse that Mohammad (SAWA) had no sons so that they might be able to deny that Mohammad (SBUH&HA) was the very last Promised Prophet. Is it any wonder that Allah in the Verse of Mubahilah instructed both sides to bring their sons …? ALL PRAISE BELONG TO ALLAH …

In the Verse of Mubahilah (Qur’an 3:61) Allah (SWT) told His most beloved Prophet Mohammad (SBUH&HA):

“But whoever disputes with you in this matter after what has come to you of The Knowledge, then say: Come let us call our sons and your sons and our women and your women and our selves and your selves, then we will pray earnestly, so that we shall bring about the La’n (curse, total withholding of Mercy and Compassion) of Allah upon the liars.”

And Allah, in this manner, has informed every one in every place and time that Imams Hasan and Hosain- ‘Ali and Fatimah’s descendants- (SBUT) were considered as Hadrat Muhammad’s (SAWA) sons. And the son conquering the world will be Mahdi of ‘Ali and Fatimah (SBUT) …]

Haritha said: By Allah, admonitions are many but those who heed are few, and proofs are obvious, if only eyes see them. As those who have enflamed eyes cannot look at the sun, on account of the agony it would give them, so those who have weak understanding cannot comprehend weighty arguments. Then turning to Sayyid and Aqib, he continued: If Muhammad has no child, will you not follow him? Proof has been established by Allah, by the knowledge He has given you and by the evidences that you possess. In spite of that Allah has given you honor over the common people as well as the kings and made all follow you so that they refer to you in all matters of faith and you are not in need of them. They act on whatever you order, therefore, whoever is given nobility and position by the Almighty Allah he should thank for the divine bounties by humility for the pleasure of Allah, because the Almighty Allah has exalted him and he should be advisor of Allah and must not distort the divine message.  

You have yourself mentioned Muhammad and about the prophecies mentioned about him in the divine scriptures and for your information he had already arrived. But you say that he is sent only for his people and not for all the world? Then you say that he is not the same prophet who is the “seal of the prophets” [خاتم الانبیا Qur’an 33:40] and is the one who will preside over Judgment Day and all creatures will be judged through him. And that he is the heir of all the prophets and would have come after all of them. But you say that he is childless. Did you not say this? Sayyid and Aqib said: “Yes, it is so.” 

Haritha defeats Sayyid and Aqib through his arguments 

Haritha said: If it is known that he has sons, would you still doubt that he is the heir of all the prophets and that his religion will subdue all the faiths and he is the seal of the prophets and the messenger for all the people? The two said: No, after that there will be no doubt. Haritha said: In spite of this debate you still have faith in it? Yes, replied Sayyid and Aqib. Haritha exclaimed: Allah Akbar! Truth is manifest.  

They said: Why have you exclaimed thus? Perhaps you have ridiculed and blamed us. Haritha said: The truth has become manifest and falsehood is destroyed. And the self becomes restless to hear it. Verily it is easier to change the direction of the ocean and to break up the mountains is easier than to remove one who is appointed by the Almighty Allah, because he is the living truth of God. And it is impossible to enliven the one made dead by Allah, because he is falsehood.  

And know that Muhammad is not without offspring, and he is the seal of the prophets, in the period of whose faith the judgment will come. There is no Prophet after him. It is during his tenure that the Judgment Day will be established. And only God will be the inheritor of the earth and all that are in it will be destroyed. From his posterity will arise that righteous king you described, and who will be the king of the East and the West and the Almighty Allah will make him conquer through Ibrahimic faith, all idolatrous religions. 

The two opponents now said: If Muhammad had offspring, Haritha you have won the debate, but told him that his mode was fox-like and he does not give up his claim. 

To be continued …