At the same times as Hazrat Musa (A.S.) was born, two large groups, the Copts and the Israelites, were living in Egypt.

The Pharaohs, who were the rulers in Egypt, were Copts, but the Israelites were from the lineage of Ya`qub(A.S) (Jacob), and had the name of Bani Isra'il. The original birtheplace of the Bani Isra'il was Canaan, but after Yusuf(A.S) (Joseph), from among these people, reached great rank in Egypt, they also came to Egypt and remained there. In the begining, their number was not very great, but gradually they became more and more numerous until they became a social group in their own right, and they held great esteem.

But with the death of Yusuf, and also because of their inadmissible disobedience, they forfeited their esteem and glory, and it happened that the Copts became their rulers and exploited them, and assigned arduous and difficult work to them, and did not hold themselves back from any kind of oppression and The monarch of Egypt, who was named `Pharaoh'and was a Copt, had dipped his fingers in theviolence.

blood of the Israelites, and had so much power that fighting with him was out of the question. From an excess of egotim, he called himself 'god', and pulled the people towards worship of him and to polytheism and idolatry.

Pharaoh was heedless of the fact that Allah was looking after the people with His distant light of guidnce, and he did not understand that it was the inveterate practice of Allah that whenever he set up a prophet, he delivered the people from ignorance, oppression and cruelty.

A soothsayer told Pharaoph that a child from the Bani Isra'il would soon come into the world who would be a danger for his sovereignty. Pharaoh flew into a rage and gave an order without delay to cut off the head of every boy in the Bani Isra'il, and to see that no children remained to them.

In the middle of all this, Hazrat Musa (A.S.) was born.

When the fear of danger had gone, his mother, with all the love she had for him, put her dear new-born baby into a box, according to Divine revelation, and committed him to the waves of the river Nile, till the water took the box away with itself.

Pharaoh and his wife, at their residence on the banks of the Nile, were gazing into the river when they caught sight of the box with the infant, who was sleeping peacefully atop the troubled waves. When Pharaoh's wife saw that child's pure face, her heart was uneasy about casting him back into the river. She looked at him and liked him; her heart was seized with love for him, and she pleaded with Pharaoh to allow them to look after him in the palace and to consider him as their child. Pharaoh also became glad and hoped that this adopted child would one day be useful for him, and bring him some benefit.

The suckling infant would not accept to be breast-fed from any wet-nurse and this became a problem. In the end the mother of Hazrat Musa (A.S.), whose breasts were full of milk, and who was looking for Musa, came into the court of Pharaoh as a wet-nurse, took Musa to her bosom and suckled him.1

How amazing it seems incomparable enemy in his own lap! And thus Hazrat Muas - Pharaoh brought up his (A.S.) grew up and came to maturity, and God made him acquire his share of knowledge and wisdom. It happened that he saw all the oppression and injustice in Pharaoh's cruel administration; but, not only did he not participate in it, but he suffered from seeing the injustice, and began to look for a remedy.

One day, as he was walking along, he saw one of Pharaoh's men struggling with one of the Bani Isra'il and tormenting him. As soon as the Isra'ili saw Hazrat Musa (A.S.), he called him to help him. Musa rushed forward and struck the man of Pharaoh hard with his fist, and accidentally, as a result of his blow, the man died.

Hazrat Musa (A.S.) went far from that place, but the next day he again saw the same person from the previous day fighting with another of Pharaoh's men. Again this man called for Hazrat Musa's help, but Musa said to him angrily that he was a deluded person, i.e. that he was making a mistake by fighting with one of Pharaoh's men everyday, which was dangerous for everyone. Then he went forward and pushed him aside. The Isr'ili, thinking that Musa wanted to hit him, shouted at him:

"Do you want to kill me, like the man yesterday?"

After these events, Hazrat Musa (A.S.) was anxiously on his guard, but it became clear to Pharaoh's people that the killer of that man was none other than Musa, and therefore Pharaoh gave an order for the death of Hazrat Musa (A.S.).

The officials began to hunt for Hazrat Musa (A.S.), and he lived in fear and apprehension. A benevolent God-worshipper advised him that the sooner he left the town the better it would be, because the men of Pharaoh were seeking to kill him.

Unhappily, Hazrat Musa (A.S.) came out of Egypt and went towards Midian, thus saving himself from the oppressors and seeking the friends of Allah.* (XXVIII;21)

Lard, deliver me from the unjust people.

At long last, Hazrat Musa (A.S.) entered Midian, and, in order to rest, he stopped beside a well. Around the well he saw many men who were watering their animals. A little further away from the crowd of men, he saw two women who were standing waiting with their sheep. Hazrat Musa (A.S.) went forward to help them, and enquired the reason for their waiting. They said:

"Our father is an old man of many years, and we have to give water to the sheep ourselves. Now we are waiting till the crowd goes away from around the well and we can quench the thirst of our sheep."

Hazrat Musa (A.S.) went forward and watered the sheep, and the women returned home. Musa (A.S.), who was dead tired and hungry and had no provisions with him, sat down in the shade and asked God to take away his hunger.* (XXVIII;24)

... O my Lord, truly I stand in need of any good which Thou dost send to me.

It was not long before one of these two girls returned, walking very shyly, and said to Hazrat Musa (A.S.):

"My father calls you so that he may give you remuneration for the work you did."

The father of the girls was Shu`aib (A.S.), the true propet of Allah.

Hazrat Musa (A.S.) got up and went with the girl. On the way he asked to go ahead of her, and told her to direct him from behind, because he was from a family (the family of the prophets) who did not cast their eyes on the body of a woman from behind.

And in this way he came to Hazrat Shu`aib and related his story to him. Shu`aib consoled him and said:

"Do not fear again, you have been saved from the talons of the oppressors."

The same daughter who had followed Hazrat Musa (A.S.) said to Hazrat Shu`aib (A.S.): "O Father, engage this man in your service, for he is robust, strong, trustworthy and honest."

Hazrat Shu`aib (A.S.), who was aware of Hazrat Musa's honesty and virtuousness, gave one of his two daughters as a wife to him, and Musa made an arrangement with him that he would take sanctuary with Shu`aib for ten years, and that in that time he would carry out Shu`aib's work, especially being a shepherd and tending his flocks.2

At the end of the ten years, Hazrat Musa(A.S.) set out with his family towards Egypt. On the way, one cold and dark night, they lost themselves. Every where was dark, the road was indistinguishable from the wilderness, and Hazrat Musa (A.S.) and his family remained wandering about. His eyes caught sight of a fire. Without hesitation, he said to his wife:

"Stay here, and I will go towards that fire, perhaps I will come across someone to guide us, or I can take an ember from the fire and bring it here."

He hastened towards the fire, and when he reached it, this voice called him from the direction of a tree.** (XXVIII;30)*O Musa! Verily I am Allah, the Lord of the worlds!

I have chosen you as a prophet, so listen to what is revealed to you. I am the Unique God, and there is no god apart from I. Worship me alone, and establish prayer so that you may remember Me. The resurrection is (XX; 14-15)**sure to come... so that every soul may be recompensed as he strives.

Hazrat Musa (A.S.) had a staff in his hand which he used as a crook and also to help him shake and pull off leaves from branches for his sheep. In this revelation, he was given the command to cast down his staff on the ground, and his staff immediately turned into a roaring serpent. Hazrat Musa (A.S.) was afraid and started to run away. Because of his fear he did not even look back. But a call came to return: ``Don't be afraid, be calm.'' His heart quietened and he turned back, and according to God's command he stretched out his hand and took the serpent. Following the will of Allah, it changed back into a staff. He was then told to put his hand into his breast and then to pull it out again. When he had done this, he saw his hand shining bright, and a white-coloured light radiated from his hand, but in a way that did not hurt the eyes. These were the miracles of Hazrat Musa (A.S.); God had equipped him with these signs so that Pharaoh and his people would not doubt his prophethood. These powers were granted to him so that they would not think that he was pretending on his own to the prophethood.

Then Allah commanded him to declare to Pharaoh that his messengership had commenced.

At first, Hazrat Musa (A.S.) informed Pharaoh of his prophethood with sweet words, and invited him to the worship of Allah, and asked him if he wished to have a meritorious and clean spirit, if he wanted Musa to guide him towards his God.

Pharaoh asked, "Who is your God?"

Hazrat Musa (A.S.) replied, "My God is He Who created the heaven and the earth. He it is Who created all things."

Pharaoh became incensed at this, and turned towards Hazrat Musa (A.S.) and said, "I have no sign from you of another god apart from myself, and as for you, Musa, if you do not worship me, there will be a punishment for you!"

Hazrat Musa (A.S.) replied, "If I bring you signs from God himself, what will you say?"

Pharaoh asked, "What are they? Where are the signs? Bring them if you speak the truth!"

Hazrat Musa (A.S.) threw down his staff, his crook, and it became a serpent. He put his hand into his breast and took it out, and it shone into Pharaoh's eyes with a pure white light. Pharaoh was amazed. On one side was Hazart Musa and the God of Hazrat Musa and His signs; on the other side was his sovereignty and kingship, and his monopolistic command over Egypt and the Egyptians. Pharaoh's egotism kept him back from submitting to Hazrat Musa (A.S.), but there remained the difficulty of the signs. He said to himself, "How will it be if I call him a magician and a sorcerer?", and it was with this fiction that he spoke to his bewildered votaries:

"Behold! here is a magician who wishes to turn you from your lands and to usurp your place! What do you say?"

They said that he should invite observers and magicians so that they might prevail over him, expose his sorcery and disgrace him.

Pharaoh agreed, and at his command all the old sorcerers who excelled at that time gathered together. In this huge assembly, Pharaoh promised that if they prevailed over Musa, they could have anything they wanted from him.

So with this juvenile idea that they could degrade Hazrat Musa and make him seem wretched, and thereby increase their standing with Pharaoh, they cast down their sticks and ropes on the ground. With the magic that they performed, these sticks and ropes became snakes as if they were slithering about in front of people who were witnesses to this day of trial. Their mouths fell open in amazement. But Hazrat Musa (A.S.) was with God, or rather, better still, God was with Hazrat Musa (A.S.), and his turn came. He cast his simple staff down beside the multitude of spells and wizardry of Pharaoh's magicians, and everyone saw that staff turn into a ferocious serpent which circled round and swallowed all the fabrications of the sorcerers, as if you would have said there had never been anything there.

First and foremost, then, were the magicians who came to believe in Hazrat Musa (A.S.). All of them, with one heart and one voice, said, "We believe in the Lord of the worlds Who is the God of Hazrat Musa and Harun."

They fell down and prostrated themselves, and begged forgiveness for what they had done.

Pharaoh's rage increased. He threatened them. But they, who knew the difference between magic and miracle better than anyone else, thoroughly understood that Hazrat Musa (A.S.) was not a magician, and that his power was the power of God, and for this reason they were not afraid of Pharaoh's threat. Pharaoh shouted at them, "How dare you believe in the God of Musa without my permission! I will tear off your arms and legs; I will hang you from the branches of the date-palm!"

The wretched creature imagined that in their own beliefs people were also obliged to get his permission! The magicians replied, "We will not choose you over and above a God Who created us; we wil return to our God; we are the first group who believed in Musa; we hope for God's forgiveness. Whatever you want to do, do it; for we know perfectly well that this world does not last."

But this heated speech went without effect on the cold hearts of Pharaoh and his followers. They were deceived by their own status and manifestation of power.

They captured Bani Isra'il; those women from whom there was no danger were left alive and were put to work. The boys and youths of that people were killed. Many times God demonstrated the weakness of Pharaoh's people, and made them despicable so that they would learn their lesson. Every time a calamity came, they sent a message to Hazrat Musa (A.S.) that if God would take the calamity away, they would believe in Him; but when the calamity was romoved, they forgot their message, and committed another iniquity.

Pharaoh said to his own people, "Don't fear! Let me kill Musa. I worry lest he take your religion away from you, and I am afraid that he will create a revolution in this country and bring about a disaster."

Hazrat Musa (A.S.) said, "I seek refuge with God from every rebel who does not believe in the resurrection."

In the middle of all this, a man appeared who, until then, had kept his faith hidden; heedless of the people, he raised his voice and said, "Do you want to kill a man who says God is his Lord? Do you not see the signs of God which he has brought with him?"

Pharaoh announced, ``It is as I have spoken!''

Again this solitary believer warned people, saying that he was frightened that their fate would be the same as the fate of the people of Nuh, or `Ad and Thamud, that he was afraid they would end up in Hell and the Fire, and that no one would be able to save them from the punishment of their God.

Paying no attention to this man's warning, Pharaoh thought about his own plans and said in mockery to Haman, who was his minister. "Build a large tower for me so that I may get to know the ways of heaven from the top of it. Maybe there I will capture the God of Musa!"

But the man who had a strong faith in God went on repeating his same warnings. He said, "Follow me! I will lead you to the right path, O my people! The life of this world is ephemeral, do not be proud of it. The next world is eternal, the next world is everlasting. All the deeds of man will be investigated. The bad deeds will be punished, and the good deeds will receive a reward. The reward for good is eternal Paradise. O people! I call you to salvation, why do you invite me to the Fire?

"You want me to become an unbeliever in God, and further to ascribe partners to him, but I call you towards God, Who in truth is the master of power and the most forgiving. It is God Who will return all of us towards Himself.

"All of those who see the truth and understand it but do not obey it will be in the Fire. There will be no tardiness; what I say will be seen!"

Pharaoh and his worshippers did not turn back from their way after this speech. God took the fearless believer under his own protection and increased the difficulties for Pharaoh's own men.

In the end it happened that God gave the command to Musa (A.S.) to take the oppressed masses out of Egypt by night. Hazrat Musa(A.S.) led Bani Isra'il out in the darkness. They set off in the direction of the Red Sea. In their hearts they feared lest Pharaoh should pursue them with his might, and in fact that is what happened. Pharaoh set out in pursuit of Hazrat Musa with his army. Bani Isra'il saw that mighty force and became very uneasy. No solution could be found. On the one side was the sea, coast to coast there was water; on the other side was Pharaoh with his immense army. Musa (A.S.) sought refuge with God and He revealed to him that he should strike his staff on the water and take it off. This staff became the manifestation of the power of Allah. Hazrat Musa (A.S.) struck his stick on the water. In an instant, a dry, smooth way was opened up. Bani Isra'il followed Musa(A.S.) on this way. The water on the two sides of the way was piled up like two walls, mound upon mound, and did not spill over. Bani Isra'il came out of the water, and Pharaoh came up to it with his forces. He was wondering what he should do: should he turn back or entrust his soul to the sea. In front of him he saw Hazrat Musa (A.S.) and his people; how had they set foot in the sea and passed through it in safety? But he did not have faith in the manifest sign of Allah. He commanded his forces to pass through the sea in the same way as had Musa's people. All of them obeyed him and entered the sea. They rushed in so that they might capture Hazrat Musa (A.S.) and his people. They were drunk with the wine of pride. All at once the walls closed in on them. The way became a well, water enveloped them on all sides. Pharaoh, seeing himself without hope, became a believer, but it was too late. All were drowned in the sea, all were annihilated, and their memory was obliterated. The Qur'an relates the situation of the last moments of Pharaoh's life with exactitude. It says:* When he (Pharaoh) was overwhelmed with the flood, he said: `I believe that there is no god except Him Whom Bani Isra'il believe in. I am of those who submit.' (It was said to him) Ah now! But a little while before wast thou in rebellion and thou didst mischief! This day shall We save thee in thy body 3, that thou mayest be a sign to those who come after thee! But verily, many among mankind are heedless of Our (X;90-92)**signs!' Thus was Bani Isra'il saved from the sea.

If Hazrat Musa (A.S.) had become free from the spectre of Pharaoh and his oppression, there was now a grave concern for him, and that was the ignorance and propensity for dispute among the Bani Isra'il itself. On the other side of the sea they reached a people who worshipped idols, and Bani Isra'il begged Hazrat Musa (A.S.) to build an idol for them so that they might not be in any way, even in idol-worship, inferior to them. Hazrat Musa (A.S.) was very grieved by this and said, "How ignorant and unknowing you are! Do you expect me to look for another god apart from He who delivered you from the grip of Pharaoh?"

God summoned Hazrat Musa (A.S.) to spend thirty nights far from people in prayer. Hazrat Musa (A.S.)appointed Hazrat Harun (A.S.), his own brother, in his place for Bani Isra'il, and recommended him to the people. After thirty nights, following the command of Allah, he added to them another ten nights. After the completion of these forty nights, the Torah was revealed to him, that it should be a guide at that time for the Jewish people.

`However, as for Bani Isra'il, after they had been a few days without Hazrat Musa (A.S.), the excuse of the idol seized them again. An impostor called Samiri took their gold and jewellery from them and built a golden calf, in such a way that in special conditions, by its own contrivance, it emitted the sound of the calf. Then he said to the people, whose wisdom was only in their eyes, "This calf is the God of Musa, it is your god, you must worship it."

The people had forgotten that God could not be in the form of a body, could not be in space and time, had forgotten that God must be their guide. Contrary to the teachings of Hazrat Musa (A.S.), they accepted as god the golden calf which had been built at the hands of Samiri, and which had no benefit or loss for anyone. They did not pay attention to the fact that it was an idol built by Samiri for them which merely made a cow-like lowing, and did not realise that if it were possible that God should manifest himself among them, he would proceed to guide them and lead them, and it is clear that there is an enormous difference between guidance and leading and the braying of a calf.

Thus the Jews went astray and heeded not the advice of Hazrat Harun (A.S.).

When Hazrat Musa (A.S.) came back and saw their great aberration, he became completely dejected and rebuked the ignorant people.

He told Samiri, "Now, you idol-builder, what shall I do with the god which you have made? That idol, I shall have it burnt and its ashes flung into the sea, and your Ture God is the only God, Who sees and knows everything, and there is no god apart from him."

And with these words he broke the idol into pieces and no trace of it remained.

The Divine words of Hazrat Musa (A.S.) had failed to have their effect; the people still looked for excuses, and renegaded on their pledges. After Hazrat Musa (A.S.), they became less obedient to the Truth and to the words of God's prophets and His chosen ones. They remained heedless. They oppressed or even killed a group of the prophets. They even got to work on their own Divine Book, and altered it, and thus they created the

The Messiah, the Messenger, and Slave of Allah

The wife of `Imran was a barren and sterile woman, but she heard from her husband that God had promised her a boy who would be able to bring people to life and to cure the sick as well through the power and command of God.4

She believed that Almighty God could do this, and prayed to Him that it would be to her that He gave the child.

God granted her prayer and she became pregnant. As a sign of thankfulness for this great blessing and gift, she vowed that she would give her child to the service of the House of God (in Jerusalem).

The child which was born was a girl, and when her mother saw her she said, "This is a girl, but anyway I will be faithful to my vow; I will call her Maryam. She and her children, I commend to Your protection from the mischief of Satan." (see III; 33-36).

The wife of `Imran took Maryam to the House of God and entrusted her to the custodians of that place. Since the infant was the daughter of their leader, `Imran, everyone wanted to pay for her upbringing and guardianship so that the honour of having looked after the daughter of `Imran would fall on him. In the end a dispute arose between them, and to resolve their differences they drew lots. Among the custodians of the House of God the draw came out in favour of Hazrat Zakariyya(A.S.). So Maryam came under the tutelage and supervision of Hazrat Zakariyya, and she gradually grew up engaged in nothing but worship and serving the House of God.5

Her purity and devotion reached such a stage that whenever Hazrat Zakariyya (A.S.) went into Maryam's sanctuary, he found food - heavenly food - beside her. He would ask in surprise, "Where does this food come from?"

Maryam would reply, "From Allah; truly Allah gives to everyone whom He wants without reckoning."(III;*37)

The wife of Zakariyya (A.S.) was also, like the mother of Maryam, barren, and for this reason Zakariyya had been without children till his old age. At that time, when Zakariyya (A.S.) was looking after the spiritual advancement of Maryam in her sanctuary and saw the infinite mercy of God towards her, he was taken with the desire to have a pious child like Maryam, so he raised his hands in supplication towards God and said, "O God! I wish you to grant me a pure and pious child, a child who will be a source of satisfaction to me, the inheritor of me and the House of Ya`qub." (see III;39 & XIX;1-6)

Hazrat Zakariyya (A.S.) was engaged in prayer in the sanctuary when angels said to him, "God gives you glad tidings of a child called Yahya who is of the righteous and devout prophets."

Hazrat Zakariyya (A.S.) who was himself old and weary and saw the barrenness and sterility of his wife (and to become pregnant in such conditions was a gift which could not be expected), said with delight and surprise, "O God, in the stste I and my wife are in, how can you grant me the favour of a child?"

In answer to this it was said, "This work is easy for God. Did God, the Almighty, not bring you forth from non-existence into being?"

Thus Hazrat Zakariyya (A.S.) became one of the Divine prophets, and throughout the whole of his life he called people to faith and salvation. In the end he was martyred by one of the kings of Bani Isra'il who wanted to marry the daughter of his own brother against the law of God, and to whom Hazrat Yahya(A.S) had forbidden this.

One day, Maryam, the girl who had grown up from infancy in the House of God and whose upbringing a prophet of the stature of Zakariyya had undertaken, was engaged in worship when an angel appeared to her in the form of a man.

Maryam thought that he was a man, and in fear sought protection from God, but the angel gave her glad tidings: "I have come from your God to give you a pure and perfect son."

Maryam said, "How? Since no man has had contact with me, and I am not a fornicator."

"Your God," said the angel, "says that this work is easy for Him; that he may be appointed as a sign and an indication of His Mercy."

So Maryam(A.S) became pregnant, and, since she had no husband, some gossipers began to make obscene comments about her, and she became grieved. So as to be free from these afflictions, she took herself far from people, and had to go to a remote place. There she counted the days until the birth of her child.

At last, when the time of delivery arrived, she took refuge from her pain under a dry date-palm in the desert, and in that very place she delivered her baby into the world without any midwife or nurse.

Loneliness, fear of disgrace and the thought of how she would prove her chastity to people filled Maryam(A.S) with so much anxiety that she said to herself, "Would that I had died before this and had been lost from people's memories!"

Then she heard a voice which consoled her, "Do not grieve, your God has set under your feet a stream, refreshing to the soul. And shake the trunk of the withered date-palm, that fresh dates may tumble down for you. Eat, drink and calm your mind, and if you see any man point and say, "I have vowed a silent fast, and today I will not speak to any man."

Miracles and unseen help, one after the other made Maryam courageous. So, because of this tranquility, she took her child back with her to the place where she had been living. When the people saw Maryam with the child clutched to her bosom, they began to chide her, and said, "Your father was not a bad man, nor was your mother unchaste."

Without speaking, Maryam pointed to her child. That meant: ask from him what has happened, and you will get your answer.

"How shall we speak to a child of that age!" they said in derision.

But Maryam's child spoke through the power of God, and in clear, distinct speech said, "I am God's servant. He has given me the Book and has appointed me to be a prophet, and wherever I may be He has put me as the bearer of good news and with His blessing; and He has commanded me that as long as I live I should pray and give zakat, and he has made me loving towards my mother." (XIX; 16-32)

The clear mind of this child dumbfounded them and this great sign dispelled their incrimination of and suspicion towards Hazrat Maryam (A.S.), and they knew that this infant was brought into existence by the Will of God without a father, and that in the future he would have great rank and responsibility.

Before the birth of the Messiah, Palestine was in the hands of the Romans. But the people of Palestine, although they had no support to help them to eventual emancipation, were engaged in a struggle with the alien Romans. This continuous fight worsened the condition of Palestine and its people.

The economy was in a shambles and heavy oppressive taxes added to the evil. Free people were either anxious and in chains, or were engaged in a life-long struggle. Prosperous places came to a stand-still, and everything fell into ruin and became weakened, even the faith of the Jews themselves, so that they no longer abided by the commands of their religion. Perhaps this weakness of faith was a present for Roman colonialisation from the people.

Colonialism always has and always will use this gift, because in this kind of struggle the enemy has no need of arms. People who neglect and give up their faith, without their knowing, will be gradually annihilated.

Anyhow, under these circumstances, in that time full of disturbance and agitation, the need was thoroughly felt for a Divine leader to come and save the deviated people from their misfortunes and aberrations.

And thus it was that, with the expediency of the love and mercy of Allah, the Compassionate, Hazrat `Isa (A.S.) came into this world. The birth of this beloved one was accompanied by wonders, all of which witnessed to his exalted and magnificent rank. These were Divine signs that he was God's leader and that the strong hand of God had brought him into Theexistence to establish the great revolution.

The Injil descended to the person of Hazrat `Isa (A.S.) to be a plan for the liberation of those who were lost.7

Hazrat `Isa (A.S.) announced his prophetic message and started his activities on a large scale. He took great pains to save the Jews and to exterminate the roots of their deviations.

But the leaders of the Jews, who clung to their position and rank, and who thought that these would be destroyed by the coming of Hazrat `Isa and feared his prophetic mission, plotted together to find ways to create a disturbance to check his progress.

Hazrat `Isa (A.S.) was aware of their designs, but he was as steady as a rock, and thus dispensed his guidance and leadership, and informed the people of the superstitions and distortions that had crept into the religion of Hazrat Musa (A.S.).

Sometimes, while he was doing this, he would cure a sick person by the leave of God, or, similarly by His leave, bring to life a dead person, so that they would understand that he had come from God and had been sent by the Unique and Incomparable God.

Day by day, Hazrat `Isa's friends and followers increased, and the more they increased, the more the opposition of the leaders of the Jews increased, to such an extent that they decided to do away with him.

But God concealed him from their eyes, and they crucified another by mistake who resembled Hazrat `Isa (A.S.), and thus they believed in their error that they had crucified Hazrat `Isa (A.S.). This fact has been explicitly stated in the Holy Qur'an:* But they killed him not, nor curcified him, but so it was made to appear to them; and those who differ therein are full of doubts, with no certain knowledge but only conjecture to follow. For a surety they killed him not. (IV; 157-8)**Nay, Allah raised him up unto Himself; and Allah is Eaxalted in Power and Wise. Therefore, the matter of the cross and the illogical embellishings which were added to this matter are all without any foundation, as, for example, when the Christians today say that every man is, in his essence, a sinner, although he may not have committed any sin during the whole of his life, and that Hazrat `Isa (A.S.) was crucified in the place of these men so that they might be spared the torment of Hell and its Fire.

What is clear from the Holy Qur'an, and even from some of the New Testament which is at present in the possession of the Christians8 is that the Messiah always considered himself as God's slave, worshipped God, and called people to the worship of the One. Hazrat `Isa (A.S.) said:

"It is Allah, Who is my Lord and your Lord; then worship Him. This is a way that is straight." (III;51)

Hazrat `Isa (A.S.) never claimed to be a god, and if Christians consider him as God, then it is their own imagining.

Nehru, in his book Glimpses of World History, wrote that the Messiah was never a claimant to divinity or to being a god, but that people like to turn their heroes into a kind of god.

Hazrat `Isa (A.S.) was, like other prophets, a man to whom revelation came from God and who was moved to lead and guide society. If he had miracles, other prophets also had them. If he was born without a father, Hazrat Adam (A.S.) was also created without a father or a mother, but no Christian thinks that he was God.

The Qur'an says:The Messiah, son of Maryam, was no more than a messenger; many were the messengers who passed away (V; 75)**before him. His mother was a woman of truth. They had both to eat their daily food. It means that like all other human beings, they were in need of the necessities of life.

This truth, which has come in the clear word of Allah - the Qur'an - agrees with both wisdom and the intellect, because a man, who, like other individuals, has no power from himself, and thus like other men and prophets is in need of the necessities of life like food and sleep, by the judgement of wisdom, he does not deserve to be worshipped.

So, according to the intellect, and with the confirmation of the Holy Qur'an, according to the existing New Testament, and on the evidence of great historians: Hazrat `Isa (A.S.) was the servant and messenger of God, and never laid claim to divinity.

But after Hazrat `Isa (A.S.), his pure religion lost its genuineness, and polytheism and idolatry found its way into it, so that Will Durant in his Story of Civilisation has written that Christianity did not eradicate polytheism, but has rather adopted it.

Everyone who has studied Christian dogma will confirm that the historian has proved a historical fact. For even now such beliefs as the following are found among the Christians.** 1) `Isa became separated from the essence of God and he was therefore not created, but was begotten of God;* 2) The Messiah was a man, but a man in whom God was incarnate;* 3) The Messiah was himself God who showed himself in the form of man.

But we all know that God is not material as a result of which he could exist in space, or separate from himself parts and call himself the Son of God. And we also understand with our wisdom that God has no dimensions as a result of which he could be contained in something or incarnate himself or come forth in the likeness of man.

Moreover, how can it be possible that a God without any need should become in need of food and clothing?

Therefore, if the Christians ponder carefully, they will confess that the Messiah, like all other prophets, is the servant of Allah and has absolutely no claim to divinity.

The Qur'an says:* They are unbelievers who say, `Allah is the Messiah, Maryam's son.' Say: `Who then shall overrule Allah in any way if He desires to destroy the Messiah, Maryam's son, and his mother, and all those who are on the earth?' For to Allah belongs the kingdom of the heavens and of the earth, and all that is between them, creating (V; 17)**what He will. And Allah is Powerful over everything.

The Prophet of Islam, the great Messenger (S.A.) said: The disciples asked Hazrat `Isa (A.S), "With whom should we associate?" He replied, "With those whose countenance recalls Allah, and whose speech adds to your knowledge, and whose actions make your eagerness for the concerns of the next world greater."9*

The Prophet (S.A.) also said: The disciples asked Hazrat `Isa (A.S.) for guidance for them and he replied: "Musa said to you, `Do not swear in the name of Allah what is a lie.' But I say, `Do not swear in the name of Allah, even what is true.' The disciples asked for greater guidance, and he said, "The prophet of Allah, Musa said to you, `Do not commit adultery.' But I say to you, `Do not even think of it, because everyone into whose head the thought of adultery enters is like the person who kindles a fire in a painted room, which even if it doesn't burn the room, at least blackens the paint.'''10

Amir al-mu'minin, Hazrat `Ali(A.S.) said: "The Messiah, the son of Maryam said, `Fortunate is he whose silence is thoughtinspiring and whose look gives advice; whose house gives him rest and comfort. He repents of his improper actions, and people obtain tranquility from his hand and tongue.'''11

Imam Ja`far as-Sadiq (A.S.) said: "Hazrat `Isa (A.S.) said to his companions, `O sons of Adam! Turn away from this world towards Allah, and do not enslave your heart to it, for you were not created for this world alone. It has not merit for you. You will not stay in it, and it will not remain for you. What a great many people are deceived and ruined! Whoever is attracted by it, and places his confidence in it will be lost. Whoever likes it and goes after it will perish!'''12

He also said: "The Messiah (A.S.) told his followers, `Refrain from regarding others' wives for it plants the bitter seed of passion in the heart of man and that is enough for your perdition. Alas for he whose aim is the pleasure of this world, and whose actions are sin! None of you know tomorrow and at the time of resurrection he will be ashamed before Allah.'''13* 1*. Majlisi, Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 13, p. 38 - 40. 2*. Nur ath-Thaqalayn, vol. 4, p. 117. 3. Pharaoh was the general name for the rulers of ancient Egypt. The Pharaoh contemporary with Musa was called `Ramses II' and his ody was mumified. It was discovered in 1881 and is now in Cairo Museum. * 4* . Majma`al-Bayan, vol 2, p.435. 5* . Ibid, p. 436. 6* . Tafsir al-Mizan, vol. 14, p. 26-27. 7 . The revealed Evangel (gospel) has disappeared and the `Gospels'which are now in the possession of the Christians are not revealed ooks. * 8* . The Gospel according to St. Mark. ch. 12, v.29. 9* . Usul al-Kafi, vol. 1, p. 39. 10* . Bihar al-anwar, vol. 14, p.331. 11* . Bihar al-anwar, vol. 14, p.320. 12* . Bihar al-anwar, vol. 14, p.289. 13* . Bihar al-anwar, vol. 14, p.323. ےے