format_quote Originally Posted by
NextElement
Hello all! I'm new to these forums,
Welcome to the forum. :welcome:
format_quote Originally Posted by
NextElement
How are you so sure Muhammad was an actual prophet of God? I know for many Christians, the miracles Jesus performed and that his disciples literally said he was the Messiah certainly help them believe. How can you logically reason that God wanted to send his message through Muhammad, and that he wasn't "making it up"?
Here are some universal testimonies:
The First is a proof of prophethood proceeding from eleven of his attributes and states. Yes, his appearing —despite being unlettered— suddenly and without experience with a religion which has left in amazement the learned men and philosophers of fourteen centuries and has won first place among the revealed religions is an attribute without equal.
Also unequalled is the fact that Islam, which emerged from his words, actions, and conduct, has at all times educated and trained the spirits, souls, and minds of three hundred and fifty million people, taking them to spiritual advancement.
Moreover, he appeared with such a Shari‘a that for fourteen centuries it has ruled with its just laws one fifth of mankind, leading it to material and spiritual progress.
So too that Being (PBUH) appeared with such a faith and creed, and such strength of belief that all the people of reality have unanimously affirmed that, since they receive perpetual effulgence from it, his belief was at the highest and strongest degree. The opposition of his innumerable opponents at that time not causing him the slightest anxiety, doubt, or scruple, shows too that the strength of his belief was without equal or like.
He also displayed such worship of Allah and servitude to Him that bringing together the beginning and end of worship, imitating no one, he saw and conformed to the subtlest mysteries of worship, and fulfilled them even in times of greatest disturbance. This was an incomparable attribute, as was his offering such prayers, supplications and entreaties to his Creator that up to the present his degree has not been reached, even with the meeting of many minds. Thus, no one has attained to his knowledge of Allah.
He called people to religion with such steadfastness and announced his prophethood with such boldness that although his people, his uncle, the great powers of the world, and the followers of the former religions were all opposed and hostile to him, he did not fear or hold back even a jot, but challenged them all and successfully accomplished his task. This too was an unparalleled attribute.
Thus, these eight wondrous, matchless attributes form a truly powerful testimony to his veracity and prophethood. They show too that there is complete certainty concerning his utter seriousness, trustworthiness, veracity, and truthfulness. Every day in the tashahhudwith millions of tongues the World of Islam declares: “Peace be upon you, O Prophet! And may God’s mercy and blessings be upon you.” It submits to the function with which he was charged, and affirming the good news of the eternal happiness which he brought, it gratefully says: “Peace be upon you, O Prophet!” in the face of the sure way leading to eternal life which mankind seeks and yearns for with an innate, profound longing, thus meeting with him in spirit and congratulating him in the name of three hundred million, indeed, thousands of millions.
The Second Testimony, which comprises twenty universal testimonies, as well as many others: Through the testimony to his veracity of all truths of the pillars of belief.
That is, the truths, realities, and veracity of the six pillars of belief testify decisively to Muhammad’s (PBUH) messengership and veracity. For the collective personality of his life as Messenger and the basis of all he claimed and the essence of his prophethood were those six pillars. In which case, all the evidences verifying the pillars of belief proved the truth of Muhammad’s (PBUH) messengership, and his veracity.
The Third Universal Testimony, which comprises thousands of testimonies: Through the testimony of his self (Peace and blessings be upon him), through his thousands of miracles, perfections, and fine morality.
That is: he was a proof of himself as brilliant as the sun, through the powerful testimony to his messengership and veracity of his thousands of miracles, attainments and perfections, and his elevated character and fine morality. Yes, as is proved in the wondrous treatise of The Miracles of Muhammad (PBUH) through more than three hundred sound narrations, in accordance with the explicit verses
And the moon split,
(1)
and
And when you threw, it was not you who threw; it was rather Allah that threw,(
2)
the moon splitting in two at the sign of a single finger of his hand; and water flowing forth in five springs from the five fingers of the same hand, and an entire thirsty army drinking from these and testifying to it; and his casting a handful of dust with the same hand at an attacking enemy army, and their turning tail and fleeing when the dust entered the eyes of all of them; and small pebbles uttering glorifications in the same hand, as though they were human, saying: “Glory be to Allah!” —hundreds of incidents such as these, which are related in ‘sound’ narrations; and some about which there are unanimous reports described in the histories, and miracles, which according to exacting scholars numbered around a thousand, appearing at his hand; and according to friend and foe alike his fine attributes and good character being of the very highest degree;
3 and the unanimous agreement —at the degree of ‘absolute certainty’— of all the people of reality, who have attained to spiritual perfection through following him and reached ‘the vision of certainty’ in the realities, that Muhammad’s (PBUH) perfections and attainments were of the very highest level; and the spiritual achievements of the World of Islam, which proceeds from his religion; as well as the truths of mighty Islam — all these furnish evidence for his wondrous perfections. This surely means that this Being (PBUH) testified in most brilliant and universal fashion to his own messengership.
The Fourth Testimony, which comprises numerous powerful testimonies:
Through the testimony of the Qur’an, with all its truths and proofs. That is, the Qur’an of Miraculous Exposition testifies to his messengership and veracity with its innumerable truths and proofs.
Yes, with all its veracious truths, the Qur’an of Mighty Stature,... Click
here to continue.
Dipnot-1 Qur’an, 54:1.
Dipnot-2 Qur’an, 8:17.
Dipnot-3 The hero ‘Ali (May God be pleased with him), whose courage was of the very highest order, said: “When we were frightened when fighting in battle, we used to hide behind God’s Messenger (PBUH).” The histories relate how even his enemies of that time corroborated that all his virtues were superior, the same as his courage.
format_quote Originally Posted by
NextElement
How can I pray about this? Do Muslims believe that one can simply lay in bed and pray to Allah for guidance? Or do you have to do the whole wash feet and face East thing?
Yes, you can lay in bed and pray to Allah for guidance. [Formal] prayers come later after you bring your shadah (testimony) and become Muslim. However, besides verbal supplication, do some active supplication, too, which in this case would be to search about Islam and Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.).
Peace,