Click2Religion - Muhammad - Chapter 5

<body link="0000ff" alink="ff0000" vlink="000000" bgcolor=000033> <table width="100%" bgcolor=000033> <tr> <td align=center valign=top> <table width=90% bgcolor=ffffff> <tr> <td align=center valign=top> <tr> <td> <div align=center><p><b><font face="arial, helvetica" size=5 color=000000><b>MUHAMMAD</p> <p><font size="4">CHAPTER 5 - MUHAMMAD'S VISITATIONS</b></font></p> </div>  </font> <center> <table width="90%"> <tr> <td align="left" valign="top"> <div align="justify"> <p><font face="arial, helvetica" color="000000" size="3">To learn the story of what Muslims believe happened in the cave, let’s use a respected English translation of <a href="http://images.amazon.com/images/P/0940368315.01.LZZZZZZZ.gif" target="_blank"><b>the <i>Koran</i></b></a> (the 1975 edition of the translation by A. Yusuf Ali). In the <i>Introductory Commentary</i>, at pages 8-9 (C. 29), we read:</p> <center><font face="Times New Roman"><b><i>The Chosen One was in the Cave of Hiraa.<br> For two years and more he had prayed there and adored<br> His Creator and wondered at the mystery<br> Of man with his corruptible flesh, just growing<br> Out of a clot, and the soul in him<br> Reaching out to knowledge sublime, new<br> And ever new, taught by the bounty<br> Of God, and leading to that which man himself<br> Knoweth not. And now, behold! A dazzling<br> Vision of beauty and light overpowered his senses,<br> And he heard the word "Iqraa!"</center></b></i> <p align="justify"><font face="arial, helvetica">What does that Arabic word mean? The <i>Commentary</i>, at C. 30, continues:</p> <center><font face="Times New Roman"><b><i>"Iqraa!" - which being interpreted may mean<br> "Read!" or "Proclaim!" or "Recite!"<br> The unlettered Apostle was puzzled;<br> He could not read. The Angel seemed<br> To press him to his breast in a close embrace,<br> And the cry rang clear "Iqraa!"<br> And so it happened three times until<br> The first overpowering sensation yielded<br> To a collected grasp of the words which made clear<br> His Mission; its Author, God the Creator,<br> Its subject, Man, God’s wondrous handiwork,<br> Capable, by Grace, of rising to heights sublime;<br> And the instrument of that mission, the sanctified Pen,<br> And the sanctified Book, the Gift of God,<br> Which men might read, or wrote, or study, or treasure in their souls.</center></b></i> <p align="justify"><font face="arial, helvetica">Ubu’l Kassim thought he must be dreaming. He told his wife, Khadija, what had happened. Later, he told his wife’s cousin, a Christian. The <i>Commentary</i>, at page 10:</p> <center><font face="Times New Roman"><b><i>...She</font></b></i><font face="arial, helvetica"> [Khadija]</font><font face="Times New Roman"><b><i> knew it was no dream or delusion.<br> She went and consulted her cousin Waraqa,<br> A devout worshipper of God in the Faith of Christ,<br> Learned in spiritual lore. He listened<br> And with her rejoiced that he, Muhammad,<br> Was God’s Chosen One to renew the Faith.</center></b></i></font> <p align="justify"><font face="arial, helvetica">The first words of the <i>Koran</i> are called the <i>Al-Fatiha</i>. Translated into English (which, to a devout Muslim is never as good as Arabic), they give praise to God and ask for His guidance.</p> <blockquote><font face="Times New Roman"><b><i>In the name of God, Most Gracious, Most Merciful. Praise be to God, the Cherisher and Sustainer of the Worlds; Most Gracious, Most Merciful; Master of the Day of Judgment. Thee do we worship, and Thine aid we seek. Show us the straight way, the way of those on whom Thou hast bestowed They Grace, Those whose (portion) is not wrath, and who go not astray.</blockquote></b></i></font> <p align="justify"><font face="arial, helvetica">To <a href="http://www.islamicity.org/audio/RA170/RA170_1A.ram" target="_blank"><b>hear</b></a> the <a href="http://islam.org/mosque/arabicscript/1/1.htm" target="_blank"><b><i>Al-Fatiha</i></b></a> in the original Arabic, follow this link. </p> </div> <p align="center"><font size="2"><a href="muhammad_story_ch4.htm">GO TO LAST CHAPTER</a>     <a href="muhammad_story_ch1.htm">BACK TO FIRST CHAPTER  </a>   <a href="muhammad_story_ch6.htm">GO TO NEXT CHAPTER</a></p><br> </td> </tr> </table>  </td> </tr> </table>  </td> </tr> </table> </body>