Verses 7:157-158 of the Noble Quran talk about: 1) Allah's mercy subsumes all things and the loser is…, 2) In the Afterlife, Allah's mercy is only for those who…, 3) Is Muhammad inscribed in Torah and Gospel? 4) Who is the top Priest who believed in Allah and Muhammad? 5) Who is the illiterate man of Isaiah's Prophecy? 6) What is the first revealed word of the Quran? 7) How come that an illiterate man becomes the most famous teacher? 8) In the Bible: Isaiah prophesizes that the last Prophet is an illiterate man, 9) Allah gives life and makes to die and 10) What if you Believe in Allah?
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In the previous article (73)
Moses prayed to Allah and said: prescribe for us, grant us, in this world good and in the Hereafter, good. We have turned, repented, to You’. He, Allah, says: ‘My chastisement, I smite with it whom I will, to chastise, and My mercy embraces, subsumes, all things, in this world, and so I shall prescribe it, in the Hereafter, for those who are God-fearing and pay the alms, and those who believe in Our signs;
One of the important issue is that Satan seized this opportunity and said: " I am of the things and Allah's mercy embraces all things " ,
But Allah excluded him from this by saying: therefore I shall ordain it (My Mercy) for those who ward off evil disbelief, idolatry and indecencies and pay the poor-due and give from their wealth what is due to the poor, and those who believe Our revelations, believe in Our Scripture and Messenger. The people of the Book seized this opportunity and said: " we are the people of God-fearing ness and Scripture " , but Allah excluded them from this and explained to whom this mercy is ordained, saying: (see the next article).
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The meaning of verse 7:157
Allah's mercy subsumes all things, but…
To whom Allah's mercy is ordained?
The verse states to whom Allah's mercy is ordained:
Those who follow the messenger, the religion of the Messenger, the Prophet who can neither read nor write i.e. Muhammad (whom they will find with his traits and description; described in the Torah and the Gospel which are with them.
He will enjoin on them that which is right, Allah's divine Oneness and moral excellence and forbid them that which is wrong, disbelief and hurting others.
He will make lawful for them all good things; he explains to them the lawfulness of that which is in the Scripture such as the meat and milk of camels, sheep and others; and prohibit for them only the foul; he explains to them the unlawfulness of what is in the Scripture such as carrion, the meat of swine and other things; and he will relieve them of their burden, their pledges the breaking of which made good things unlawful for them and the fetters, the hardships that they used to wear such as tearing up their clothes and other things.
Then those who believe in him, in Muhammad i.e. 'Abdullah Ibn Salam (the top Jewish Priest at the time of Muhammad) and his followers, and honor him and assist him and help him and follow the light, the Quran which is sent down with him, which was sent with the Angel Gabriel: that which is lawful, they declared lawful, and that which unlawful, they declared unlawful: they are the successful, who are saved from Allah's wrath and torment.
N.B.:
Abdullah Ibn Salam was the top Jewish Priest at the time of Muhammad. He went to Muhammad and said unto him:
I know that you are the last Prophet which Allah has promised to send. I believe in Allah and in you. Muhammad was glad to hear that and he said to Ibn Salam: Do you mind if your folk heard what you said?... the rest of the story is very interesting and you can find it by searching the net.
In other words, the verse says: those who follow the Prophet who is uninstructed, illiterate, i.e. unable to read and write,
the Messenger Muhammad whom they will find inscribed in their Torah and Gospel, in name and description, enjoining them to decency and forbidding them indecency, making lawful for them the good things, which were forbidden to them by their Law, and making unlawful for them the vile things, such as carrion and the like, and relieving them of their burden, their onus, and the shackles, the hardships, that they used to bear, such as [the requirement] to kill oneself as a repentance and the severing of that part that had come into contact with any impurity.
Then those who believe in him, from among them (the people of the Book, the Jews and the Christians), and honor him, revere him, and help him, and follow the light that has been revealed with him, namely, the Quran, they are the ones who will prosper’.
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An example of how Muhammad is inscribed in the Bible:
The story of the first revealed verse of the Quran:
The Angel Gabriel came to Muhammad holding a paper, He gave the paper to Muhammad and said: "Read this"
Muhammad said: "I cannot read".
Then, the first verse of the Quran revealed:
This story is mentioned in the Bible in Isaiah 29:12
Isaiah 29:12 (New American Standard Bible)
Then the book will be given to the one who is illiterate, saying, "Please read this." And he will say, "I cannot read."
In this Biblical verse, Isaiah prophesizes that the last Prophet is illiterate (I cannot read).
Back to the story, the Angel Gabriel repeated for three times, "Read this" and Muhammad answered for three times: "I cannot read".
Then, the first verse of the Quran revealed:
"Read in the name of your lord who created" (verse 96:1).
And this was the first revelation that Gabriel brought down from Allah unto Muhammad.
It is interested that the first revealed word of the Quran is:" Read".
The first verse of the Noble Quran says:
Read (O Muhammad) in the name of your Who created, all creatures.
It is very interesting that, since then the illiterate Arabic man, Muhammad, became the teacher and the advisor of mankind; how? Because he was taught by the Creator of the Worlds!
As a matter of fact, there are many Biblical prophecies about the Prophet Muhammad; the interested reader can search for "Muhammad in the Bible", he could find a lot of Biblical prophecies about the last Prophet Muhammad.
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Back to Allah's mercy subsumes all things
Allah's mercy subsumes all things
In the life of this world, Allah's mercy subsumes every human being either he is a believer or disbeliever. Allah bestows the disbelievers as well as the believers by the brain, heart, eyes, hearing, hands, feet etc. But, in the hereafter, Allah's mercy is only for those who believe in Him, in the Angels, in the Scriptures (including the Quran), in the Messengers (including Muhammad) and in the Day of Judgment.
It is a fruitful question: who is the loser?
The loser is the one who fails to attain Allah's mercy that subsumes all things; and we are things!
The meaning of verse 7:158
Say, addressing the Prophet here: O Muhammad: O mankind! Lo! I am the Messenger of Allah to you all; (the Messenger of) Him unto whom belonged the Sovereignty, the Kingdom of the heavens and the earth. There is no God save Allah; there is no Provider save Him. He quickens for the resurrection and He gives death in the life of this world.
So believe in Allah and His messenger, the Prophet who can neither read nor write, who believes in Allah and in His words; in the Quran; or, according to another commentary: who believes in Jesus, who became a created being with a word, Be, and he was. And follow him; follow the religion of Muhammad that haply you may be led aright; in order that you be guided from error to faith.
In other words, the verse says:
Say, O Muhammad: ‘O mankind, I am the Allah's Messenger of to you all, [the Messenger] of Him to Whom belongs the kingdom of the heavens and of the earth. There is no god but Him. He gives life and makes to die.
Believe, then, in Allah and His Messenger, the illiterate Prophet, who believes in Allah and His words, the Quran, and follow him, so that you might be guided, led aright.
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Verses 7:157-158 in different English translations of the meanings of Arabic Quran:
Verse 7:157
QARIB: and to those who shall follow the messenger the unlettered prophet (muhammad) whom they shall find written with them in the torah and the gospel. he will order kindness upon them and forbid them to do evil. he will make good things lawful to them and prohibit all that is foul. he will relieve them of their burdens and of the shackles that weigh upon them. those who believe in him and honor him, those who aid him and follow the light sent forth with him, shall surely prosper. '
SHAKIR: those who follow the messenger-prophet, the ummi, whom they find written down with them in the taurat and the injeel (who) enjoins them good and forbids them evil, and makes lawful to them the good things and makes unlawful to them impure things, and removes from them their burden and the shackles which were upon them; so (as for) those who believe in him and honor him and help him, and follow the light which has been sent down with him, these it is that are the successful
PICKTHAL: those who follow the messenger, the prophet who can neither read nor write, whom they will find described in the torah and the gospel (which are) with them. he will enjoin on them that which is right and forbid them that which is wrong. he will make lawful for them all good things and prohibit for them only the foul; and he will relieve them of their burden and the fetters that they used to wear. then those who believe in him, and honour him, and help him, and follow the light which is sent down with him: they are the successful.
YUSUFALI: "those who follow the messenger, the unlettered prophet, whom they find mentioned in their own (scriptures),- in the law and the gospel;- for he commands them what is just and forbids them what is evil; he allows them as lawful what is good (and pure) and prohibits them from what is bad (and impure); he releases them from their heavy burdens and from the yokes that are upon them. so it is those who believe in him, honour him, help him, and follow the light which is sent down with him,- it is they who will prosper."
Verse 7:158
QARIB: say: 'o mankind, i am the messenger of Allah to you all. his is the kingdom in the heavens and the earth. there is no god except he. he revives and causes to die. therefore, believe in Allah and his messenger, the unlettered prophet, who believes in Allah and his words. follow him in order that you are guided.'
SHAKIR: say: o people! surely i am the messenger of Allah to you all, of him whose is the kingdom of the heavens and the earth there is no god but he; he brings to life and causes to die therefore believe in Allah and his messenger, the ummi prophet who believes in Allah and his words, and follow him so that you may walk in the right way
PICKTHAL: say (o muhammad): o mankind! lo! i am the messenger of Allah to you all - (the messenger of) him unto whom belongeth the sovereignty of the heavens and the earth. there is no Allah save him. he quickeneth and he giveth death. so believe in Allah and his messenger, the prophet who can neither read nor write, who believeth in Allah and in his words, and follow him that haply ye may be led aright.
YUSUFALI: say: "o men! i am sent unto you all, as the messenger of Allah, to whom belongeth the dominion of the heavens and the earth: there is no god but he: it is he that giveth both life and death. so believe in Allah and his messenger, the unlettered prophet, who believeth in Allah and his words: follow him that (so) ye may be guided."
author by Safaa Abdel-Aziz
