The fact that the last Prophet (alaihissalatu wa-sallam) will come after Hadrat Jesus is written in the Bible. According to the Bible Hadrat Jesus said:

John 14:16: "...He shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you forever." And John 14:26: "The comforter, shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you." (39) And John 16:13: "Howbeit when he is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come."

Apart from this, the fact that a prophet from the Arab race would come is written in the Old Testament. For example Deuteronomy 18:15-18: the Prophet Moses told the Israelities: "The Lord thy God will raise up unto thee a prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me, unto him ye shall hearken." In this verse, the "brethren" of the Israelities are the Ismahelities (Arabs). Thus, this last Prophet who is written of in the Bible and who was foretold to be of the Arabian race is the Prophet Muhammad (sall-Allahu 'alaihi wa sallam). The religion he conveyed is "Islam." Those who believe in this religion are called "Muslims." The holy book of the Muslims is the "Qur'an al-karim." The Qur'an al-karim was revealed to the Prophet Hadrat Muhammad (sall-Allahu 'alaihi wa sallam) in the Arabic language. Although 1400 years have passed, not a single word, nor even a single letter of it has been changed. Anyone who knows the Arabic language enough to understand the Qur'an al-karim a little admires its greatness and majesty when he reads it no matter which religion he belongs to. Even those who do not know Arabic have admitted the greatness of its expression while they were reading its interpretation in other languages.

There is information concerning the three main holy books in Mirat-i Qainat by Nishanji-zada (40) Muhammad Effendi. It states: "After serving Shuaib ('alaihi 's-salam) for ten years in the city of Madain, on his way back to Egypt to visit his mother and brother, Hadrat Moses was granted prophethood on the Mountain of Tur. He went to Egypt. He invited the then Pharaoh and his nation to accept the true religion. Again, on his way back to Madain, he visited Tur Mountain and this time talked with Allahu ta'ala, and, as a result, the ten commandments and forty volumes of the Torah were revealed to him. Each volume contained one thousand chapters and each chapter contained one thousand verses. One volume used to be read in one year. Nobody, except Hadrat Moses, Harun, Joshua, 'Uzair and Hadrat Jesus ('alaihi 's-salam) had memorized the Torah. Some copies of the Torah were written after Moses ('alaihi 's-salam). Hadrat Musa, with the order of Allahu ta'ala, made a box from gold and silver and put the Torah that had been revealed to him in it. He died in a place near Jerusalem when he was one hundred and twenty years old. In the year 668 (1269), Baybars, the Sultan of Egypt, had a tomb built over his grave. After Hadrat Moses, Joshua captured Jerusalem from the Amaliqa. After a very long time had passed, the religion and the morals of the Israelites degenerated. Later on, Buhtunnasar, from Babylon (Babel), captured Jerusalem. He razed Masjid al-Aqsa which was built by Solomon (Sulaiman, 'alaihi 's-salam). He burned the Torahs. He killed two hundred thousand people. He enslaved seventy thousand men of religious authority. He took them to Babel. When Bahman became emperor he released the prisoners of war. Uzair (Ezra 'alaihi 's-salam) recited the Torah. Those who heard it wrote it down. However, the Jews lost their moral standing again after 'Uzair. The Israelites killed one thousand Prophets. They lived under the rule of Iran until Alexander the Great came. After Alexander, they were ruled by Jewish governors who were appointed by the Greeks.

As for the Bible, none of the authentic Torah, which is called the Old Testament, nor any other part could be maintained in its original form. Besides, there was no one who knew the Bible by heart. There is also no evidence that even the apostles knew the Bible by heart. A lot of information has already been given about the Bible in the beginning of our book. In contrast, the Qur'an al-karim was revealed in separate parts over a twenty-three-year period. As it was revealed, the Muslims immediately memorized it. However, when seventy people, called hafiz, those who had completely memorized the Qur'an al-karim, were martyred in the battle of 'Yemame,' (41) Hadrat Omar (radi-Allahu 'anh) addressed the Khalifa, Hadrat Abu Bakr (radi-Allahu 'anh), stating that 'the number of those who know the Qur'an al-karim by heart is continuously decreasing.' Hence, he requested and advised the Khalifa to have the Qur'an al-karim gathered and written. Thereupon, Hadrat Abu Bakr ordered Zaid Ibn Thabit ('radi-Allahu 'anh), who was the secretary of Muhammad ('alaihi 's-salam), to write each chapter on separate sheets of paper. The Qur'an al-karim had been revealed in seven dialects, including the Quraish dialect. Sometimes, those who could not pronounce a word in the Qur'an al-karim perfectly were permitted to use another word with the same meaning. For instance, Abdullah Ibn Masud (radi-Allahu ta'ala 'anh) had told a peasant who was continuously reading the word 'tamuleseem' as 'tamulyeteem,' "if you cannot pronounce this word, use the word 'tamulfajir' instead of it, which gives the same meaning.' But, reading the Qur'an al-karim in such different dialects and using different words caused arguing among the Muslims about which dialect was the best, even to the point of fighting. In view of this, Hadrat Uthman (radi-Allahu ta'ala 'anh), the Khalifa at that time ordered, again, Zaid Ibni Thabit (radi-Allahu ta'ala 'anh) to form a committee under Zaid's authority to arrange and re-write the Qur'an al-karim in the Quraish dialect only. All the chapters were selected from the pages which were written in the Quraish dialect . Seven copies of this Qur'an al-karim were sent to different provinces. Thus, the Qur'an al-karim, which was read two times by our Prophet (sall-Allahu 'alaihi wasallam) together with the angel Gabriel ('alaihi 's-salam) during the year he passed away, was written down. The other copies which were not identical to that one were destroyed. Today, the form and the arrangement of the Qur'an al-Karims in all the Islamic countries are completely identical with the Qur'an of Uthman. Since those days, it has not been changed, not even a single letter."

It is said in the book Riyadunnasihin, which was written in Persian: "When Hadrat Uthman (radi-Allahu ta'ala 'anh) was the Khalifa, he gathered the Ashab-i Kiram (radi-Allahu ta'ala anhum ajmain). They unanimously decided that the Qur'an al-karim they had was the one which Rasul-Allah (sall-Allahu ta'ala 'alaihi wa sallam) had read in the year he passed away. It was not wajib (necessary) for the Muslims to prefer one of the seven dialects, but it was permissible." The sources for the Islamic religion are four: Qur'an al-karim, Hadith ash-Sharif, Ijma-i Ummat and Qiy'as-i Fuqaha. Ijma means an unanimous decision. The unanimous decision of the Ashab-i Kiram (radi-Allahu ta'ala anhum ajmain) and the unanimous decision of the imams of the four madhabs is a proof and a guide for Muslims. Rasul-Allah (sall-Allahu 'alahi wa sallam) declared: "My ummat will not agree with each other on an error." This Hadith ash-Sharif informs us that the knowledge to be gained by way of ijma will be correct. For this reason, the Qur'an al-karim, upon which the Ashab-i Kiram (radi-Allahu ta'ala anhum ajmain) had a unanimous decision, is authentic. It is haram (prohibited) to read any other Qur'an except this Qur'an al-Karim. In fact. Today there are no other Qur'an al-Karims written except in the Quraish dialect. All of the seven dialects have been changed, forgotten and lost over time. Today, in order to understand the Qur'an al-karim, it is necessary to learn the meanings of the words which were used by the Quraish tribe during that time, and this is done by reading commentary books.

Famous Western scholars and men of letters have continually expressed their admiration for the Qur'an al-karim. Goethe (42), a German poet and a well-known literary men, could not prevent himself from saying: "I was bored with its repetition. But I must admire its majestic and grand expression." All of this was said after reading a German translation which indeed was a bad one.

Beoworth-Smith, an English priest, said in his book Muhammad and Muhammadians: "The Qur'an al-karim has a purity of style, and a miracle of knowledge, philosophy and truth."

Arberry, who translated the Qur'an al-karim into English says: "Whenever I listen to the adhan, it deeply affects me. Underneath the flowing melody, I hear a sound as if someone is drumming. It sounds like the beating of my heart."

Marmaduke Pickthall used these expressions for the Qur'an al-karim: "The most unimitable symphony, the best expression, and a mystical influence which moves men to tears and ecstasy." In addition to these, various Western philosophers, scholars and politicians have been describing the Qur'an al-karim with great respect, great admiration and great appreciation. Nevertheless, these people have deemed the Qur'an al-karim to be a great and valuable book written by Hadrat Muhammad (sall-Allahu 'alaihi wa sallam) and not a book from Allahu ta'ala. If it were not for this point of view, they would all of necessity become Muslim.

Let us even look at the words of Lamartin (43): "Muhammad is not a false prophet. He himself believed that he had been selected by Allahu ta'ala to spread the new religion." This shows that Western scholars believe Hadrat Muhammad (sall-Allahu 'alaihi wa sallam) was not a false prophet, but that he himself thought that the Qur'an, which came through his mind, was divine revelation. That is, Muhammad did not lie at all; he really believed that he was a prophet and that the words he uttered were being revealed to him by Allahu ta'ala.

The Qur'an al-karim is a great mujiza which has no equivalent. As we shall explain in detail below, in the Qur'an al-karim there are very important scientific facts and juridical fundamentals, which have been examples for contemporary laws that have been legislated the world over. The Qur'an al-karim contains previously unknown historical information, the greatest rules of morality ever given to humanity, and the most logical and religious explanations about this world and the hereafter. Likewise, there are the facts that no one could have known or thought of until then .All of this was conveyed in a lofty expression no one could duplicate.

We should not forget that Hadrat Muhammad (sall-Allahu 'alaihi wa sallam) was ummi. That is, he was not taught by anyone; he did not learn anything from any body; and he was unable to write. This fact is declared in the forty-eighth verse of chapter Ankabut in the Qur'an al-karim: "[O Muhammad! ('alaihi 's-salam). Before you were given this Qur'an al-karim] Never before have you read a book, nor did you ever transcribe one with your hand. Had you done either of these the unbelievers might have justly doubted. [They might have said that you had learned it from someone else, or quoted it from other holy books. The Jews might have doubted, too, saying that the Torah says the final Prophet will be ummi, but he is not ummi.] At the age of forty, when the first revelation was brought to him by the angel Gabriel, while he was in a cave worshipping, he became bewildered with fear and did not know what to do. Then he ran back to his home and asked his wife to put him into bed and to wrap him up tightly. He did not recover for a long time. Do you think a man who had accepted himself as superior, possessed of great spiritual influence and who wanted to convey a new book of religion to mankind could act like this? First of all, was is not necessary for him to study in order to gain great knowledge so as to be able to write such a great book. The travels of Hadrat Muhammad (sall-Allahu 'alaihi wa sallam) only consisted of going to the Damascus region with merchants twice as a child. During those journeys, he was only responsible for maintaining the safety of the trade goods. He also directed the caravans and camel herds. He fulfilled these duties with the utmost trustworthiness and with an incredible memory. The first experience of divine revelation, which he never expected or imagined before, did not sit well with him. On the contrary, it provoked within him great fear. However, as the revelations repeated themselves, he understood that Allahu ta'ala had given him an extremely important and heavy responsibility. Therefore, with all his might, he obeyed what Allahu ta'ala had ordered him to do.

He began to spread the religion of "Islam," which is founded on the basis of "One Allah." Spreading the religion of Islam did not give Hadrat Muhammad (alaihis-salam) any worldly advantages; on the contrary, nearly all of the Meccans became his enemies. The Hadith ash-Sharif: "No Prophet suffered as much ill- treatment as I did," is written in hadith books. This also indicates that Hadrat Muhammad (sall-Allahu 'alaihi wa sallam) had no previous interest or wish in spreading the new religion. In fact, as we have said above, his educational background and his circumstances were insufficient for the success of such a great task.

Thus, it is impossible to believe that Hadrat Muhammad (sall-Allahu 'alaihi wa sallam) wrote the Qur'an al-karim by himself. But, is the Qur'an al-karim really a great book revealed only by Allahu ta'ala? Let us examine this matter.

When a new Prophet appears, the people around him expect miracles to be performed by him. Both Hadrat Moses and Hadrat Jesus Christ had to perform miracles in order to prove their prophethood. In fact, those miracles happened only with the order, permission and creation of Allahu ta'ala. But, historians wrote them down from the point of view of "Moses' miracles, or Jesus' miracles." However, Prophets, who were human like us, could not perform miracles by themselves. Miracles are only created by Allahu ta'ala. The Prophets show people only those miracles created by Allahu ta'ala.

The greatest mujiza (miracle), revealed by Allahu ta'ala to the Prophet Muhammad (sall-Allahu 'alaihi wa sallam) was the Qur'an al-karim. The Qur'an al-karim is really a great book which is undoubtedly a mujiza. The Arabs wanted Muhammad ('alaihi 's-salam) to bring down a book from heaven or to change a mountain into gold. Many appropriate expressions concerning this take place in the Qur'an al-karim (Chapter Ankabut, 50 and 51): "They ask: 'Why has no miracle (mujiza) been given [Like the dinner party given by Isa (Jesus, 'alaihis 's-salam), or the walking-stick of Moses ('alaihi 's-salam)] him by his Lord?' [O My beloved Messenger!] Answer them: 'Mujizas are in the hands of Allah. [He creates it whenever and however He wants.] My mission is only to give plain warning.' Is it not enough for them [as a mujiza] that we have revealed to you the Book for their instruction? Surely, in this, there is a blessing and an admonition for true believers." Then, the greatest mujiza of Muhammad (alaihissalam) is the Qur'an al-karim. Contradicting those who could say "This is not the book of Allahu ta'ala, Muhammad wrote it," Allahu ta'ala answers through the 48 th ayat of Chapter Ankabut which has been mentioned above. With this, Allahu ta'ala confirms that the Qur'an al-karim has been revealed by Him and that Hadrat Muhammad (sall-Allahu 'alaihi wa sallam) does not have the ability to write such a book. In fact, while He was selecting Hadrat Muhammad (alaihissalam) as a prophet, He deliberately wanted him to be uneducated, that is, not knowing how to read or write, in order for it to be clearly understood that the Qur'an al-karim could only have been revealed by Allahu ta'ala. In the tafsir books, a very great deal of information is given about this matter while interpreting this verse.

The great qualifications of Hadrat Muhammad ('alaihi 's-salam) that indicated his prophethood was his extraordinary accuracy, faithfulness, courage, patience, efficiency, and not just his profound knowledge. Allahu ta'ala declares in the 82 nd verse of Chapter Nisa: "Will they not ponder on the Qur'an? If it had not come from Allah, they could have surely found in it many contradictions." What a true word this is. We have already learned of how many contradictions there are in today's Holy Bible, and this fact alone proves that it was written by man.

After understanding that the Qur'an al-karim was not written by Hadrat Muhammad (sall-Allahu 'alaihi wa sallam), let us now examine the Qur'an al-karim with great patience and impartiality in order to see whether it is a great mujiza (miracle) or not. To prove that this book is a mujiza, it must be written in an eloquent language, it must report the facts and events that no one knew of or heard of until then, and it must be arranged in a way that is beyond human capability.

We have already given a lot of examples concerning the eloquence of the language of the Qur'an al-karim. In fact, this has been admitted by the entire world. There is not even a single man who can deny the eloquence of the Qur'an al-karim.

Now, let us examine whether the Qur'an al-karim reported facts that were unknown until then.

The means by which our world was formed is written in large encyclopedias and in the books of scientists as follows:

"Millions of years ago, the entire universe was composed of only one particle. Suddenly a blast occurred in the core of this particle and this single particle was divided into many particles. Each particle went in a different direction. Finally some of these particles, by uniting with each other, formed into many different kinds of galaxies, suns, planets, and satellites. Since there had been no resistance against the first blast in space, these galaxies and their planets and satellites started to float around in orbits. [Our earth and sun are within the same galaxy.] There are uncountable galaxies in the universe. The universe is a system which is getting wider and wider. Galaxies are gradually moving farther away from our earth because the universe is widening. If their speed reaches the speed of light, it will be impossible for us to see other galaxies. From now on, we shall have to make more powerful telescopes. We fear that after some years to come, we shall not be able to see them."

When we asked those scientists: "How long have you had this conclusion?" they answered, "For about fifty or sixty years, all of the scientists in the world have agreed with this conclusion." Fifty to sixty years is a very short time in this world.

Now, let us refer to the Qur'an al-karim and see what Allahu ta'ala says about this:

A brief explanation of the meaning of the thirtieth verse of Chapter Anbiyya: "Have not those who disbelieve seen how the Heaven and the Earth were once one solid mass which we ripped apart?" And the exalted meaning of the thirty-seventh and thirty-eighth verses in Chapter Yasin: "And a sign to them is the night: We draw forth from it the day, then lo! they are in the dark. And the sun runs on to a term appointed for it." In other words, Allahu ta'ala has informed mankind of the fundamental principles of the earth's existence fourteen hundred years ago, while modern scholars managed to find this out only fifty to sixty years ago. Now let us consider again the scientists' point of view.

Modern biologists explain the origin of life this way: "Today, we explain how life occurred, as follows: The first type of air in the world consisted of ammonia, oxygen, and carbon acid. From this, ammonia acid was formed as a result of electrical storms. Billions of years ago, for the first time, protoplasm developed in water. The first amiboids evolved from these. Life, therefore, began in water. Living creatures came out of water to live on the land and, obtaining ammonia acid in the air, developed structures with proteins. Hence, all living creatures came from water and the first living creatures were formed in water."

The Qur'an al-karim revealed this secret fourteen hundred years ago, something modern biologists have discovered only recently.

The exalted meaning of the thirtieth verse in Chapter Anbiyya: "We have made every living thing out of water. Will they still not believe?" And the exalted meaning of the fifty-forth verse in Chapter Furqan: "He is the One Who created humanity out of water; and He has granted them blood ties as well as in-laws." And the exalted meaning of the thirty-sixth verse in Chapter Yasin: "Glory be to the One Who has created every kind of species, in pairs, such as what the earth grows, their own kind, and even somethings they do not know." There are hints here for those who are specialists on plants and animals and also for scientists in the words"even somethings they do not know." Those who have been studying new scientific matters, which will eventually be understood, such as atomic energy, can understand this. In fact, the exalted meaning of the twenty-second verse in Chapter room: "Among His signs are the creation of the Heaven and the Earth, as well as the diversity in your tongues and colors. In these are signs for the worlds [of human beings, angels, and jinns]." That is to say, there are some secrets in the fact that people are different colors and speak different languages, which we have not yet discovered. The answers will come to light in time.

Now let us study on the projection of today's scholars about the end of the world. They currently say: "The life of the world will certainly come to an end. As a matter of fact, in the universe, from time to time, a planet disappears by breaking into pieces. According to our examinations, our earth, by losing its balance, will be completely broken into pieces after an unknown period, which we cannot exactly calculate." On the other hand, this fact was revealed by the Qur'an al-karim fourteen hundred years ago within the exalted meanings of the first and second verses of Chapter Zilzal: "When the Earth is shaken in her [final] quaking, and the Earth throws forth her burdens [treasures and the dead]." And the exalted meaning of the thirteenth verse of Chapter Mumin: "He is the One Who shows you His signs [which signify His existence and oneness] and sends you down sustenance from the sky. Yet only someone who repents will bear this in mind."

It is said that the expression, "He sends you down sustenance from the sky," could be a reference to the sweet food called "qudrat halwa," which was sent down from the sky to Hadrat Moses when he lost his way in the desert or that sweet food called "manna," which grows in barren lands even in our time. But this interpretation is wrong. The tafsir books interpret the expression "He is the One Who sends you down sustenance from the sky" with the meaning "He is Allahu ta'ala Who sends down rain and other [snow, moisture], which are the means for your sustenance. It is a fact that Allahu ta'ala sends our food down from heaven. Let us explain this fact a bit more. Today, the greatest scientist are explaining the formation of albumens and proteins in the world in the following way: "On rainy days, with the effect of thunder and lightning, oxygen and nitrogen combine forming colorless nitrogen monoxide gas. This gas, having recombined with oxygen, forms orange colored nitrogen dioxide gas. Then again with the effect of thunder and lightning, ammonia forms from the moisture and nitrogen in the air. Nitrogen dioxide gets converted into nitric acid with the effect of moisture. This time nitric acid and ammonia combine with carbonic acid, which is present in the air, forming ammonium nitrate and ammonium carbonate. This salt is dropped on the earth with rain. On the crust of the earth, these salts combine with calcium salts present in the soil. This leads to the formation of calcium nitrate. This salt which is absorbed by plants causes them to grow. In the bodies of animals that eat these plants, those materials are transformed into different proteins (including albumens), and they nourish human beings, who eat the meat and eggs and drink the milk of these animals. Therefore, mankind's food is dropped from heaven as it is reported in the Qur'an al-karim."

We have written the information above as an answer to those who say: "The things which are reported in the Qur'an al-karim do not agree with scientific findings." Islamic scholars (rahima-humullahu ta'ala), the experts on interpreting the Qur'an al-karim, have interpreted the Ayat (verses) al-Karim as according to the scientific findings of their own time. Here we want to show that the Qur'an al-karim is not suitable only to the scientific knowledge of previous centuries, but it is also in agreement with recent discoveries. Each Ayat al-Karim a (verse) has many meanings, even never-ending meanings. This is because the Kalam Sifat (Speech, Word) of Allahu ta'ala is everlasting, just as all of His other sifats (attributes) are. Only Allahu ta'ala, who is the owner of the Qur'an al-karim, knows all of these meanings. He revealed most of these to His Messenger (sall-Allahu 'alaihi wa sallam). This blessed Prophet (sall-Allahu ta'ala 'alaihi wa sallam) revealed the ones he deemed appropriate to his Sahabas (companions, [radi-Allahu ta'ala anhum ajmain]). We think that the explanations given above are only a few drops from those oceans of meanings.

Now, if we asked all of these scientists a question like this: "Do you think a man who did not know how to read or write could think about these facts fourteen hundred years ago?" They would answer saying "How could it be? Today, mankind has already read innumerable books and has done numerous experiments to attain these facts, and after centuries, they have just now been able to reach these conclusions. To perform experiments, it is necessary to study for many years, to build huge laboratories, and to develope a lot of sensitive equipment."

Then, how is it possible to think that a man who did not learn how to read or write, and who grew up completely uneducated, could find out these extraordinary scientific facts and reported them? Of course, it is not possible. Therefore, it is quite unreasonable to believe the idea that the Qur'an al-karim was written by Hadrat Muhammad (sall,Allahu ta'ala 'alaihi wa sallam). A book which fourteen hundred years ago gave us today's scientific facts which were obtained through years of study can only be the book of Allahu ta'ala. Mankind does not have such great power. Only Allahu ta'ala has it. We believe that everybody who carefully reads the material above will agree with us. It would be extreme fanaticism, inflexibility, and ignorance not to believe in this fact. While Hadrat Muhammad (sall-Allahu 'alaihi wa sallam) was conveying the chapters of the Qur'an al-karim, he was communicating only the words revealed to him by Allahu ta'ala, and he, too, was learning them together with his followers.

Now, we are going to explain the second point, that is, the way of its arrangement, which again proves that the Qur'an al-karim is the greatest mujiza (miracle). Today in this most civilized century, if we use computers to examine the Qur'an al-karim, it will be understood that the Qur'an al-Karim is set up on a very sound mathematical formula which is really amazing. The result is considerable enough to be bewildering. You cannot help but to say to yourself, "This must be a mujiza of Allahu ta'ala." But before doing this examination, let us explain how the Qur'an al-karim was revealed and what Allahu ta'ala told His Prophet (sall-Allahu ta'ala alaihi wa sallam) while revealing it. This is necessary because it has a relationship with the arrangement of the Qur'an al-karim. The Qur'an al-karim was not revealed in the order of today's arrangement. The first revealed surah (chapter) was Iqra. The first five verses of Chapter Iqra were revealed first to Rasul-Allah (sall-Allahu ta'ala 'alaihi wa sallam). Their exalted meaning is: "O! Muhammad read in the name of your Lord Who creates. He creates man from a clot! Read, your Lord is most Generous. He teaches by means of the pen. He teaches man what he does not know."

As we have already mentioned, when this first revelation was brought to Rasul-Allah (sall-Allahu ta'ala 'alaihi wa sallam), he was afraid and excited. The thought had never occurred to him that Allahu ta'ala would give him the great and difficult task of spreading a new religion.

It is reported through the first to fifth verses of Chapter Muzzammil that he did not claim himself to be a prophet -Christians mostly make this claim- and he did not know what a great task he would be given nor what kind of heavy burdens he would have to bear. In those verses Allahu ta'ala declares: "You who are bundled up! Stay up for some time during the night. It may be at midnight-or a little less, or a little more; and with a measured tone recite the Qur'an. We shall cast a weighty statement on you!"

The difficulties of this task is understood through the fact that when Hadrat Muhammad (sall-Allahu 'alaihi wa sallam) began to spread the Islamic religion, countless people became his enemies. In spite of his great effort, in the sixth year of Islam, on the day when Hadrat Omar became Muslim, the number of Muslims (as reported in the books Medarij and Zarqani) was only fifty six. Forty-five were men and eleven were women. But, since he was very honest, very sincere, a perfect man, and deeply felt the greatness of his task given by Allahu ta'ala, he never fainted; he fulfilled this holy task successfully, bearing all the dangers and difficulties.

Let us state once again that the entire world has respected Hadrat Muhammad (sall-Allahu 'alaihi wa sallam), and no one has spoken badly of him, except for a few fanatical priests. Let us read together the paragraph written below about Hadrat Muhammad (sall-Allahu 'alaihi wa sallam) and the Islamic religion in the Kurschner Encyclopedia published in Stuttgart, Germany, in the year 1305 (1888). The reason we are using this paragraph from this encyclopedia is because these types of books must write the information contained within them as precisely as possible. The chapter which interests us concerns the morality and virtues of Muhammad (sall-Allahu ta'ala 'alaihi wa sallam). And since it also reports what the Christian scholars thought about the Islamic religion, only one hundred years ago, we are presenting that part to you also:

"Muhammad or Mohammad, his real name is Abulkasim Ibn Abdullah. He was the founder of the Islamic religion. He was born in Mecca on the 20th of April, 571. From the time he was a young boy, he was busy with the trade business. He made numerous journeys and came in contact with various people. He was fond of learning everything. When he was still a young man, he married Khadija, who was the widow of a rich tradesman. She had taken him into her service to manage her business. In 610, he himself believed that he was a prophet who had been heavenly ordained by Allah. He did his best to make the Arabs worship the 'One Allah' concept. Up until that time they had been worshipping various idols. Muhammad sincerely believed that this task was given to him by Allah. Although most of the people in Mecca were against him and rejected his ideas vehemently, and even planned to kill him, he did not stop his activities.

"Finally, because of heavy oppression from those who rejected him, he left Mecca in the year 622. From there, he went to the city of Yathrib (Madina). The Muslims call this event the 'Hegira' and they begin their calendar according to this date. Muhammad ('alaihi 's-salam) had a large number of supporters in Medina. He wanted to purge the old Arab religion, which had become an idolatrous religion. He wanted to prove to them that 'Allah is one.' According to a report by Muhammad ('alaihi 's-salam), the fundamentals in the true religion of the Prophet Ibrahim (Abraham) and the fundamentals in the religions brought by the Prophets Moses and Jesus ('alaihimussalam) were the same. But, they had been transformed into Judaism and then into Christianity over time and that it had been corrupted with foreign dogmas. Muhammad asserted that all the religions were a continuation of each other and that the purest one amongst them was Islam.

" 'Islam' means 'to give oneself up completely.' The book of Islam is the Qur'an al-karim. While only spiritual subjects were mentioned in the books of other religions, there exist spiritual and social, economical and juridical topics in the Qur'an al-karim. There are subjects instructing people what they must do in the world, and there are even articles enveloping a civil code. In the Qur'an there are instructions on how to worship, how to fast, how to wash the body, as well as the knowledge of how to treat other people and members of other religions politely. The Qur'an orders Muslims to struggle against those governments that are not Islamic. All of its fundamentals consist of worshipping 'One Allah.' It bans religious pictures and statues. It forbids the consumption of pork and wine. It accepts Moses and Jesus Christ ('alaimassalam) as prophets. But it claims that the rank of the two of them is lower than Muhammad's, who is the last of the Prophets. [This fact is quite true. It is due to his qualifications and superiorities that have been mentioned in the Torah and in the Bible that were revealed to Moses and Jesus ('alaihimassalam) respectively. They prayed to Allahu ta'ala and wanted to be the followers [ummat] of Muhammad ('alaihi 's-salam) after seeing those descriptions in their holy books. Allahu ta'ala accepted Isa's (Jesus's) prayer. He bodily ascended to heaven by Allah ta'ala's command. He will descend to the earth just before the era of the Resurrection. He will follow and spread the Sharia of Muhammad ('alaihi 's-salam).] It announces the good news that those who convert to Islam will go to paradise wherein there are worldly pleasures, rivers, fruits, silken sofas and where every man will be given young and beautiful huries (maidens).

"Muhammad ('alaihi 's-salam) was a very good-natured, cheerful, gentle and honest personality. He always stayed away from violence and anger, and they never oppressed anyone. He always wanted the Muslims to be good-natured, cheerful, and he said they could go to Paradise only by being patient and good-natured. He declared that mercy, telling the truth, helping the poor, giving hospitality to visitors, and compassion are the fundamentals of the Islamic religion. He was always satisfied with little, and abstained from luxury and exhibitionism. He never accepted class differences among Muslims. He respected poor Muslims, too. He never used force unless he had to. He tried to solve all problems by peaceful methods; by agreement, by explaining, and by advising, he usually succeeded. [Throughout his entire lifetime, no one was ever offended or treated harshly by him. He never became angry with someone for his own self. When he was asked for something, he never said that he did not have it. He used to give it if he had; otherwise, he used to remain silent. He was the beloved of Allahu ta'ala. He was the best of all humanity either in the past or in the future.] In the year 630, he easily captured Mecca, and in a very short time he made the Arabs, who were half-wild, the most civilized people.

"The Islamic religion permits a man to marry more than one wife but on the condition of equally addressing each wife's rights. Muhammad ('alaihi 's-salam) also had a harem with the women he had selected. He left 9 widows when he died, on the 8th of June in 632."

When we read this article in the encyclopedia, we reach the conclusion that the historian who prepared this article concluded that this religion is a perfect religion. He believes it caused people to believe in one Allah, made the wild Arabs civilized, and, above all, he has mentioned the Prophet with praise even though he did not totally believe that the Islamic religion was the real religion of Allahu ta'ala. As you see, Hadrat Muhammad (sall Allahu 'alaihi wa sallam), whom all the world confirmed as a perfect man, was customarily called, even by his most severe enemies or extreme disbelievers, "Muhammad-ul amin," which means "reliable Muhammad," because of his honesty and reliability. He carried on this heavenly task, regardless of the difficulties he encountered. After some time, the angel Gabriel ('alaihi 's-salam) brought him fourteen words of Chapter Iqra (Surat-ul Alaq). And although the Meccans continued to oppose him vehemently, Hadrat Muhammad (sall-Allahu 'alaihi wa sallam) read them the chapters of the Qur'an al-Karimas they were revealed to him and continued to invite them to the true religion. The Meccans laughed at him and said "You are crazy" as he performed salat and worshipped an invisible Creator. Then Allahu ta'ala revealed the first to fourth ayats (verses) of Chapter Qalam:

"Nun, By the pen and whatever they record, you are no madman but a man who has attained your Lord's favor. You will receive payment which will never be withheld. No doubt, you have been [formed] with a tremendous character."

The verses below were revealed to repudiate those who claimed that the Qur'an al-karim was not the word of Allahu ta'ala, but instead, the words of Muhammad ('alaihi's-salam):

Chapter Isra 88 th verse: "Say: Even if men and spirits organized to produce something like this Book, they could never produce anything like it, no matter how much assistance they give one another." [Referring to its eloquence, versification and perfection].

Chapter Najm third and fourth verses: "He [Muhammad 'alaihi' s-salam] does not speak out of his own mind. [Because he was ordered to declare tawhid (Oneness of Allahu ta'ala) to destroy shirk (polytheism), and to promulgate the Shariat (Islamic religion)]. This is an inspired revelation. He is taught by one who is powerful and mighty.

Chapter Qaf, the 110 th verse: "Say: I am only a human being like yourselves; it has been revealed to me that my Lord is Allah who is one only. [Nothing is similar to Him, and His attributes, are not shared with anybody.] Anyone who is expecting to meet his Lord should act honorably and not associate anyone [partner] in the worship due his Lord."

And finally, the chapter below was revealed for those who still had doubts as to whether the Qur'an al-karim was the word of Allahu ta'ala.

Chapter Muddaththir, first to tenth verses: "You [Muhammad] who are wrapped in a cloak! Stand up and warn! [The disbelievers by telling them about Allahu ta'ala's torment.] Magnify your Lord, and show Him reverence. Cleanse your garments! Keep away from all harams. Bestow no favors where you expect in return more than you have given. Be patient, for your Lord's sake! The day when the Trumpet sounds shall be a day of woe and anguish for the unbelievers. No help for them at all."

And beginning from the twenty-fourth verse of Chapter Muddaththir: "And they said about the Qur'an: This is just some magic, the words of a mere mortal. I will surely cast him into the severe fire of Hell. Would that you knew what the fire of Hell is like! It spares nothing [those in it] nor leaves anything left over. It burns the skins of men. Over it there are Nineteen [Angels who apply torture]. We have appointed none but angels as guardians of the Fire. We have placed such a number merely as a test for those who disbelieve, to convince the ones who have been given the Book, [The Jews and Christians believe in the prophethood of Muhammad ('alaihi 's-salam) after seeing that this number is the same as the number in their holy book.] while those who believe may be increased in [their] faith; and so the ones who have been given the Book as well as the believers may not doubt, while the ones in whose hearts there lurks malice, as well as the disbelievers will say: What could Allah mean by this? Thus Allah lets anyone He wishes go astray while He guides whomever He wishes. No one knows the number of Your Lord's angels [who were created to torment those in Hell.] except He Himself." [This number nineteen is said to be the number of their chiefs.]

The number nineteen in this surah (chapter), which is an answer to those who doubt whether the Qur'an al-karim is the word of Allahu ta'ala, was written in the Torah, too.

To be considered canonical in the Islamic religion, it is necessary for something to be communicated by one of the four fundamental sources of Islam, called "Adilla-i Shar'i" (canonical proofs). Nobody communicated that the numbers nineteen or 786 is sacred. Therefore, these numbers are not deemed to be sacred.

The number nineteen was deemed to be sacred in the "Bahai" religion, which was established late in the nineteenth century and which spread all over the world in a short time. Baha'ists fast for nineteen days. It is necessary for every member of the Baha'i faith to invite nineteen Baha'ists to his own house one time every nineteen days. There are nineteen members in their leadership assemble, which guides their religion. They are close to declaring that the number of fundamental conditions in their faith is nineteen, instead of six. They call themselves "Muslims." Even though they use the words "Allah" and "Qur'an al-karim," they have no real relationship with Islam. Their group is one of the insidious enemies of Islam.

The followers of the religion called "Qadiyani" and "Ahmadi" established in India by the British in the year 1296 (1880), claim that they are "Muslims," too. But, the man, Ahmad Qadiyani (44), who established this religion, is said to be a prophet by their followers. Furthermore, he is deemed to be more exalted than the Prophet Muhammad (sall-Allahu 'alaihi wa sallam). They insult Hadrat Jesus Christ to a great extent. All the Islamic countries have unanimously agreed that the Qadiyanis are not Muslims. This agreement was written in Islamic books and those books were sent all over the world. In 1979 a Qadiyani named Abdussalam from Pakistan was given the Nobel prize as a physicist. As a result, some Muslims became happy, thinking that it was an Islamic achievement. But, in fact, giving a prize to a communist Russian for going to the moon would be a similar achievement. However, since the disbelievers study by means of the methods ordered in the Qur'an al-karim, Allahu ta'ala enables them to attain their worldly aims. Yes, though the achievements of such people bring happiness to humanity, they bring shame upon the Muslims. Muslims, too, who following the orders of the Qur'an al-karim, just like the non-Muslims, should discover useful things for humanity, and they, too, should be a model in science as well as in their faith and morals. Only then shall we have the right to be happy and proud.

The Qur'an al-karim has a third miraculous aspect. Now let us examine it.

Before Islam, Arabia was a desert and its inhabitants were half-wild bedouins. They were idolaters; they used to worship idols. They derived their idolatry from the Christians. They worshipped many idols. They led a primitive life. They had horrible habits, such as, burying unwanted little girls alive. Since this peninsula was out of the way, neither Alexander the Great, the Persians, nor the Romans fought the Arabs. Although they fought many nations, they did not approach the Arabs. For this reason, the immorality, the cruelty and the trickery of the Iranians and the Romans did not soil the Arabs. They remained innocent and honest. Hence, such a nation which was weak, poor but pure and clean, with the help of the Qur'an al-karim, which was conveyed by Muhammad (sall-Allahu 'alaihi wa sallam) who led them, suddenly changed and became completely civilized. Plus with an extraordinary effort, they formed an unbelievable and powerful Islamic state within thirty years, which stretched as far as Turkistan and India in the East, to Spain in the West. With their hands, science, knowledge and civilization progressed immensely. They discovered many things which were unknown until then. They attained the highest degrees in knowledge, science, medicine and literature. As we have already said above, they were so advanced in knowledge that even the popes studied in their Andalusian Universities. People from every part of the world studied science and medicine in these universities. John W. Drapper, an impartial historian, who describes the Europe of that time, says in his work called The Spiritual Development of Europe: "The Europeans who lived during those days were completely barbaric. Christianity could not rescue them from this barbarism. It was the Islamic religion which succeeded in the things Christianity could not. The Arabs who came to Spain first taught them how to take a bath. Then, they wanted them to throw away their clothes which were patched, lousy, and made of animal skins. They made them wear clean and nice clothes. They built houses, inns and palaces. They established universities and educated them. But, because of their hatred for Islam, Christian historians have been striving to conceal this reality and they will not reveal how much Europe is indebted to the Muslims for their present civilization."

Thomas Carlyle, who completely admits the facts written above, says: "A hero-prophet had led the Arabs with a book which was clearly understood by them. In those days the religion of Islam shone just like a spark. It set fire to a very large part of the world from Granada to India. Our dark world has been enlightened by the haloes of Islam."

Lamartine describes Hadrat Muhammad (sall Allahu 'alaihi wa sallam) as: "A man who was a philosopher, speaker, prophet, commander, who charmed the human thoughts, brought new dogmas, and founded an extraordinary Islamic state. Here is Muhammad ('alaihi 's-salam). Let them measure him with all the scales that are used to measure the greatness of any person: I wonder if there could be a man greater than him. There cannot be." Lamartine could not prevent himself from saying these words.,

Gibbon, in his work called Rise and Fall of the Roman Empire says: "The greatest work, proving that Allahu ta'ala is one, is the Qur'an al-karim."

Michael H.Hart, who is an American expert on Astronomy, examined all the great men from Hadrat Adam to our time one by one. Distinguishing only one hundred from among them, he demonstrated how Muhammad (alaihissalam) was the greatest of them all. He did not omit saying that, "His might comes from the Qur'an al-karim, which he believes was revealed to him by Allah."

The well-known Psychoanalyst Jewish Prof. Jules Masserman, a professor at Chicago University in America, examines in a special copy of Time magazine, which was published July 15, 1974, all the great leaders in history up to now under the title "Where are the great leaders." He analyzed their lives, and said, "The greatest among them is Muhammad ('alaihi 's-salam). And, he finally concludes that: "Moses ('alaihi 's-salam) is second after Muhammad ('alaihi 's-salam). Jesus Christ ('alaihi 's-salam) and Buddha were not worth being considered leaders." But, since Prof. Jules Massermann is a Jewish man, he was expected to prefer Moses over Hadrat Muhammad, but he did not. He stated the truth.

In America, in a competition to determine "the Greatest Man," the individual who got the most votes was Muhammad (sall Allahu 'alahi wa sallam).

No person, leader, or commander could transform a wild people, even a small group of people, into the greatest, the most civilized, the most moral, the most heroic, and the most educated nation of the world in just thirty years. This was only a miracle created by Allahu ta'ala. And, in order to get the Arabs to do this, He sent the Qur'an al-karim to them by means of Hadrat Muhammad (sall-Allahu 'alaihi wa sallam).

Under the leadership of Muhammad ('alaihi 's-salam) they accomplished this unbelievable success by following the Qur'an al-karim, that is, by obeying the orders of Allahu ta'ala.

Do not all of these points which we have discussed, including its divine arrangement, confirm that the Qur'an al-karim is the greatest miracle in the world? Therefore, the third miracle of the Qur'an al-karim is its civilizing effect on the world in such a short time.

The great historian Ahmad Jevdet Pasha (rahima-humullahu ta'ala), who died in Istanbul in 1312 (1894), says in his book called Qisas-i Anbiya: "The Romans attacked Jerusalem forty years after Hadrat Jesus' ascension. The Jews in the city were killed, or enslaved by the Romans. They plundered Jerusalem. They knocked down and burned everything. They burned all the books, including the Torahs. They pulled down Masjid al-Aqsa, the Bayt-ul-Muqaddes. The city of Jerusalem looked like a desert. The Jews could not re-establish a state after that event. In other words, they could not form a government. They led a contemptible and despicable life in the places where they had been scattered.

"Hadrat Jesus ('alaihi 's-salam) became a prophet during his thirtieth year. Twelve people believed in him. These were called 'havariyyun,' that is, 'Apostles,' After Jesus ascended, they tried to spread his new religion. Different books called the Bible were written. These were history books about Hadrat Isa ('alaihi 's-salam). No one had a copy of the real Bible. People were disbelievers and polytheists in every part of the world. The religion of Hadrat Isa (Jesus, 'alaihi 's-salam) was hidden for three hundred years. Those who converted to Christianity were being tortured. The Roman Emperor Constantine gave permission for this religion's acceptance in 310 A.D. He also became a Christian. He built the city of Istanbul. He moved to Istanbul from Rome. But, since the fundamentals of this religion were forgotten and corrupted, he was a toy in the hands of the priests. The Roman Empire was divided into two independent states in the year 395 A.D. Those who followed the pope in Rome were called 'Catholics' and those who followed the patriarch in Istanbul were called 'Orthodox.' Pictures and statues were put into the churches. The rest of the nations were also disbelievers and polytheists. The Romans captured Europe, Egypt, Syria and Iraq. Although they were developed in science and in the arts, their morals were degenerate. They began to torture without any reason. They perpetrated their bad morals in the countries they captured. Thanks to Allahu ta'ala, they did not attack the Arabian Peninsula.

"The Arabs were ignorant. Some of them were Christians, others were Jews, but the majority of them were idolaters. The remaining ones were dependent upon the remnant customs they inherited from the Prophets Ismail and Abraham (alaihimussalawatu vetteslimat). The majority of Meccans, being pagans, were worshipping idols. The Ka'aba was filled with idols and statues. People all over the world were leading a dark and confused life. Although the Arabs did not develop in science, they were fond of literature. There were superior speakers and poets among them. They were proud of their ability to compose poems. The development of the Arabic language was a sign that a book was going to be revealed by Allahu ta'ala." The quotation from Ahmad Jawdat Pasha's book ends here.

After we have proven with so many clear proofs that the Qur'an al-karim is really a book from Allahu ta'ala, if there remain people who still do not believe in it, it should, therefore, not be surprising for us to see that they will be punished with the greatest torment in the next world by Allahu ta'ala. To those Christians who say: "There are many cruel punishments in the Qur'an al-karim," we must answer by saying: "No, never! In many parts of the Qur'an al-karim, it is often mentioned that Allahu ta'ala is very merciful and forgiving. A sinner who regrets his sins will be forgiven by Allahu ta'ala. It cannot be considered a cruel judgement to torment, in the next world, those who refused to believe in the Qur'an al-karim in spite of all these clear evidences."

Being a real Muslim does not mean worshipping according to customs only. It means purifying ourselves spiritually by being responsible towards humanity and by maintaining those high moral standards commanded by Islam. He who worships but deems deceit to be an act of intelligence, who even sometimes kills, burns and demolishes everything as a result of being misled by negative propaganda is not a real Muslim, no matter how much he claims to be one. Allahu ta'ala has declared how a Muslim must behave in Chapter Furqan of the Qur'an al-karim. Ahl as-Sunnat scholars (rahima humullahu ta'ala) have written many books in order to explain this behavior. But, we still cannot rid ourselves of these bad habits. We do not study according to the Qur'an al-karim; we do not obey Allahu ta'ala's orders; we are not so honest; we make our streets dirty; we are not clean physically and spiritually. Ironically, we have in our hands the Qur'an al-karim, the orders of our Prophet (sall-Allahu 'alaihi wa sallam) and the books of the Ahl as-Sunnat scholars (rahima humullahu ta'ala), all of which instructs us towards what is good, and teaches us clearly what we must do. Allahu ta'ala declares in the twenty-eighth verse of Chapter Fath: "He is the One Who has sent His messenger with guidance and the True Religion so that He may have it prevail over all (other) religions. Allah suffices as a Witness! [To prove that Muhammad ('alaihi's-salam) is the true Prophet.]

Ninth verse of Chapter Saff: "He is the One who has sent His messenger with guidance [The Qur'an al-karim is a means to attain His blessings.] and the True Religion, so He may have it prevail over every other religion no matter how those who associate [others with God] may hate it."

And Allahu ta'ala promises:

"Allah will reward those who thank Him."

The meaning of thanking Him here is to be perfect Muslims, just as the Qur'an al-karim wants us to be. Also, it means to use the blessings He grants us in conformity with His law. Today, there are more than one billion Muslims on the earth. That is, every fourth person in the world is a Muslim. If these Muslims become clean both physically and spiritually, as Allahu ta'ala has commanded; cooperate with each other; make efforts to develop in every field, and work diligently, Allahu ta'ala will reward them. The Muslims will then be the pioneers of civilization as they were in the Middle Ages. This is promised to us by Allahu ta'ala. Allahu ta'ala never breaks His promise."

FOOTNOTES

(39) Christians insist on translating the word "Comforter" as "Holy Ghost."

(40) Nishanji-zada, passed away in Edirne in 1031 (1622 A.D.)

(41) The battle of 'Yemame' occurred in 11 A.H against Musaylama al-kazzab.

(42) Goethe, died in 1248 (1749 A.D.).

(43) Lamartine, a French poet, died in 1286 (1869 A.D.).

(44) Ahmad Qadiyani, died in 1326 (1908 A.D.)