The Torah (Taurat) and The Qur'an (Koran), a comparison

Subject : The POWER of Questions!

Posted Date: : 03 Nov 2007, 13:53 (1st posted MySpace)

The Power of Questions

Some Questions?
There is one thing that all three of the great monotheistic religions can agree upon. And that is that the Children of Israel rejected and denied Jesus (as). But there the agreement both begins and ends.

The Jews denied him, the Christians believed in him and deified him, and the Muslims coming some 600years later affirmed the truth of his Prophethood.

However, his denial by the Children of Israel should be a source of confusion for both us and the Christians. 

That confusion bears of the fact that both of us believe the Children of Israel to be the possessors of the Taurat (Torah), a book full of knowledge which we call "A book that contains an exposition on all things!".

Given this how could they not fail to recognize him?
How could they not fail to serve and aid him?
And if they did not, as they did not, how could they not fail to recognise that they ran the risk of angering God?
(*1 SEE BELOW)

A ClarificationFor clarification I had better add that I am not asking these questions in order to heighten religious tensions, or to demonise a faith. By no means. I ask only to better understand.

Why?
Of course their denial of Muhammad (saw), can be understood in the light of their racial arrogance and pride. But such an argument cannot hold for Jesus (as), who was himself a Jew.

At the time of the coming of Jesus (as), there was a resurgence in the faith of the Jews. They eagerly awaited the coming of their foretold King-Liberator. And when it came to pass that a Messenger of God came to them, they failed to recognize him and denied him.

But Why?
Why, when they awaited a Messenger from God?
Why, when they possessed a Book that was an exposition of all things?

We know from the mission of Jesus (as), and the parables that he articulated to his Jewish audience, that he was sent to a people who had ossified their religion.

For them the religion was all law and no spirit,
all about hierarchies of authority and not about the people,
all pride and arrogance and no humility,
all Jewish superiority and no humanity. 

It's Relevance!These attributes could quite easily apply to any and all of the Worlds religions, from Islam as it is practiced today to the Christianity that was an answer to that ossification. And that is what makes these questions pertinent to all faiths.

The POWER of Questions!
Part of the answer lies in the Power of Questions to stop such an ossification.
For the Torah had answer to all questions, but there was no-one there who would ask the pertinent question! 

The HEIFER. (S. Baqara v67 onward)
In fact, even whilst Musa (Moses) (as) their foremost Prophet lived, the Children of Israel were apt to only ask impertinant questions regarding the nature of the cow they were commanded to sacrifice.

This is the kernel of the first chapter of the Qur'an (al Baqara- the Heifer).

The command was simple, and the execution for the pious was obvious, so obvious that it was a return to the story of Cain and Abel.

That when you intend a sacrifice for GOD, you give the best you can give and do not withhold your hand, for GOD is the most generous of those who give.

But for the Children of Israel the possessors of knowledge, such a command brought for them only complexity where there should have been both simplicity and piety. And so they questioned and questioned.

The Qur'an:
The First Revelation
In contrast the revelation of Quran began with a question!

Angel Gabriel appeared to Muhammad (saw) in cave Hira, whilst he was sojourned there in contemplation. He embraced and pressed him (saw) and said "Read!" a command! And Muhammad (saw) replied "I cannot read", for he could not read nor write. The angel Gabriel once again pressed him hard and held him and commanded him "read!", and once again Muhammad (saw) said "I cannot read!". Once again this happened, and Muhammad (saw) was gripped so tightly that he relented and said in question "What shall I read?".

A most pertinent question given that there was no book!
And the revelation came in response to that question!

And later Muhammad (saw) said that it was as if the revelation had been written on his heart.

Was he (saw) then reading what Allah t'ala (GOD, Most High) had written on his heart?
Is this part of the enigma of the first revelation, whose second sentence is "Read, for your Lord is most gracious, Who taught by the pen?"

That Allah tala had written with a pen on Muhammad (saw) heart and thus taught him directly?

Or is it in reference to the first written languages to have appeared amongst humanitys long history?

Were the first books...revelations, like the scripture of Abraham (as), now lost?

The Qur'an's first verse
The first sentence of the Quran, a vocalisation that we repeat a minimum of 17 times a day, begs a question.

"All praise belongs to Allah the Sustainer/ Provider of the Worlds".

What Worlds?
The Worlds of Men, Djinn and Angels?
This World and other Worlds in this Universe?

The Qur'an's structure
The very structure of the Quran begs questions.

We know that Muhammad (saw) informed us of the ordering of the Quran, which comprises a series of revelations over 23 years.

Every time we read it, the seasoned man of the Seerah is forced to ask the questions of when, where and why.

The Quran is not ordered in chronological order, and there are reasons for that.

One of those reasons is that every verse is a question of when, where and why!

Replete with Questions!
At every turn the Quran is a book replete with questions, and it calls itself a book of guidance for the pious!

Not a book of answers, nor a book that claims to be an exposition of all things.
Quite unlike the Torah!

However within it is contained a reference or guidance upon all things however brief.

And it is our job to fathom it depths.

Every book requires to be internalised before it can hold meaning for the reader.

The Quran goes further than any other book because it requires indeed demands, by its constant questioning, to be made relevant!

The Living Qur'an
It is a living Quran that belongs to us all.

It is for this reason that Muhammad (saw) so ordered it so that when it was eventually written down we would know the beginning from the end. So that it would remain for as long as possible a living Quran!


And Muhammad (saw) although he fathomed it better than all of us combined could do so, left much of it unexplained. And left it for us to seek it's explanation.


May be that was part his reason for forbiding us to ask too many questions.
A means of keep the Qur'an both living and relevant.

Tafseer al-Qur'an.. the Science of seeking to Understand the Qur'an
And it is for this reason that throughout every age the Muslims have sought to understand the Quran in the light of their experiences.

But today the Muslims see the only fluidity in the religion as being with regards to Fiqh (jurispudence and the law) and tend to forget the mother of all sciences, Tafsir al-Quran.

The understanding and the making relevant of the Quran is the most important of all Religious Sciences, that requires an understanding both of language and most importantly the Seerah of our Prophet Muhammad (saw).

May Allah t'ala reward him exceptionally, generously and without measure!

I could go on about the miracles of the Quran, but this blog has gone on long enough!

PEACE Shafi

*1: In fact it is an article of faith expounded in the Quran that Muslims are to believe in all of the Prophets (as). From Adam to Noah to Abraham to all of the Prophets sent to the Children of Israel, including Moses, David and Jesus (as), Muslims believe in them all. And furthermore Muslims believe in all of the books sent down to Mankind, including the scriptures given to Abraham, the Torah to Moses, the Psalms given to David and the Gospel (which we call Injeel) given to Jesus. The Muslims go even further than that and believe that the Torah contained an exposition upon all things!

The Quran testifies that they knew Muhammad (saw) better than their own sons. That he (saw) was mentioned in detail in their books.

Shia or Sunni ?

(originally posted on MySpace)

My good friend Josh asked me this question. But what does it mean to be either?

Purists will say they are neither, but they then eschew the reality that some people do call themselves Sunni, and some Shia. Is sunnism the alter-ego of shiaism, is it everything that shiaism is not? Or is it something in it's own right, I think not!

Shia's say that they are the Party (lit: shia) of Ali (ra). And yet if I were alive at that time I would be the first to stand shoulder to shoulder with Ali (ra) against Muwaiyyah (ra). And yet I would not call myself Shia.

The Shia would scorn me for suffixing the name of Muwaiyyah with the honorific ra= may God be pleased with him. But I do, and I can do so whilst believing that he was wrong and fighting against him. And I can do so whilst also believing that Ali (ra) was one of the ashara mubashara (the blessed 10, who were given the good news of certain paradise even whilst they lived!).That is the essential difference between Sunni and Shia.

Personailites v/s Community
Until very recently I thought of the difference between them was one of emphasis and not necessarily substance. The Shia focus on individuals and personalities, being the family and descendants of the Messenger of God. Whereas the Sunni focus on the community or nation (ummah) of the Messenger of God.

It all comes down to not just history, the history of 1400 years ago, but the interpretation of history. And it is that, that is of vital importance.

The Importance of History ... and it's interpretation.
That is why with practically every important event that occurred to Muhammad (saw) and his family (as) and his companions (as), Allah t'ala revealed after the event the correct intrepretation of those events.

When the Muslims were shaken to the core by the shouts of Quraish on the battleground of Uhud; "Muhammed is dead!"; Allah t'ala revealed afterwards the famous passage that Abu Bakr (as) used so effectively when he did die. So that the Muslims could feel it in their bones, for indeed experience is the dearest teacher. The most costly, but most definitely the best.

And by fatah Mecca (the conquest of Mecca) they were well versed in that lesson. That to win is nothing, but to fight is everything.

Yet another reminder of the power of intrepretation is the treaty of Huddabiyah. Only after they returned did the revelation come announcing that it was a clear and manifest victory. And with it Allah t'ala declared that HE was pleased with the oath they had taken, even after they had disputed with Muhammad (saw) with respect to it.

How you interpret history manifestly affects both your world-view and your behaviour. And the difference between shia and sunni... is in the interpretation of our history.

God's right to TRY us.Muhammad (saw) declared that if his blessed daughter Fatima (ra) were to steal, then her hand would be forfeit. So then if his family (as) were subject to the same earthly laws that bind us all together in this mundane sphere of life, would they not be subject to the cosmological laws that God has over His slaves.

That God gives without measure and retains the right to try us, to see which of us will remain true.
In short the Shia withdraw that right of GOD, and substitute in it's place privilege.

Whereas for the Sunni the right remains with GOD, the Creator, Sustainer and ever Giver.

This is the story of Islam's first family, the story of our Hajj.
Abraham's family, that we might be like Ismail when he (ra) said :"God willing, you will me patient and persevering"...and like Bibi Hagar(ra) whom we honour both in the Sai and in the stoning of the Jamraat Kabeer.

But this does not mean that we are push-overs, and take all that life thows at us! By no means no! We submit to Gods way, and stone the devil. And never relent in asking from Him who gives without measure.

So it was with Muhammad (saw).
The son (of so many generations) of Qusai who united the Quraish and brought them into Mecca. The great-grandson of Hashim who broke the bread in the broth of the pilgrims (an act of generosity unheard of), who made Quraish rich by organizing both the Winter and Summer Caravans. The grandson of Abdul-Muttalib who found zam-zam, the blessed water, and the Chief who dealt with Abraha of the Elephant. The son of Abdullah, worth a hundred camel.. slaughtered for charity and left so that any man could partake. The most kingliest geneology and heritage of his people! For each of his ancestors, fathers and fathers, were Kings (unspoken) in their own rights.

To be hunted, sought to be murdered, run out of his town for saying that God is One. To be hated, reviled, abused... Muhammad (saw) the one who loved hospitality, kinship and friendship. To have no son... whilst he, himself, loved children. Trials by the dozen...And then God rewarded him with a home-coming like no other, a nation that loves him dearly to this very day, and two grandsons whom he loved dearly. May Allah t'ala reward him like no other, abundantly, for that he (saw) taught us belief and how to live!


So it will be with his family (as).
God will try them as He tries us all! And the greatest of trials for them was the succession to leadership after Muhammad (saw).The Shia do not understand this simple fact.

That even if you live in the most desolate land, in a cell 4x4 and devote yourself to His service... even then God will find a way to try you. If you spend without regard on the poor, God will try you not with money but with something dearer than money to your heart.

Then what of the 10,000 saints foretold in the scriptures of old (bible) who took Mecca, the blessed city, with Muhammad (saw)?

Khalid (ra), saif ullah, sought death a thousand times in the thick of battle. When he died, a peaceful death, there was not an inch of him without a scar or wound. And his trial was not death on a sword but disgrace before Umar (ra). With 10,000 saints would not God try them one with another?

With the family of the Messenger of God (saw) would not God try them with the Ummah (nation) of the Messenger of God (saw)?

Imam Ali (ra).
And for me I am happy that Ali (ra) did not succumb to his trail of what he thought was his right and later did give bayah to Abu Bakr as-Sadiq (ra).

And during his own time was when the Ummah needed him most.
The greatness of a person is often shown when GOD chooses to raise them, and each of the Khulafah Rashidun GOD blessed with phenomenal energy, strength, patience and the ability to negotiate.

And yet we pray for them all and the ahl ul-bait (the family of Muhammad (saw)), daily!

May God bless them and give them understanding of His ways, and the ways to HIM.

Shafi

PS.. I do not write to spoon-feed, any that wants to know what I say, let him study.

a Celebration of the Prophet Muhammad's Life.

Milad un-Nabi, a Celebration of the Prophet’s Life. (SAW)

(a blog that leads into a poem)

Last month I was invited to a Milad celebration, and whilst they recited from first part of the Barzanjee I read it just a little.

Afterwards, I could not help but speak my mind. The wrong footedness of it all irked me, way more than some.

For, not only did I notice that the Barzanjee had got it wrong, but that even at one time dishonoured the one it sought to honour.

But that the celebration did no justice to the one it claimed to praise,

forgot his achievements and his faith.

That he was chosen,

and he did not shirk God's command.

That when warned of hardship's persistence,

kept faith with  a quiet insistence.

He, who was offered the sun and the moon,

knew not the greatness which lay in store.

Whom God chose for blessed Miraj,

And gifted with five daily Salat.

He who exemplified goodness in every respect,

Did not fail his trust, even when he wasn't there.

When they sought to kill him by a poisoned plot,

They unfurled the cloth and gaped in shock.

For they forced him by their inequity from the ancient City, he loved.

Refuge he found in a people of maternal patronage.

There forged a community from their splintered city.

That forged a Nation that would change the course of history.

Quraysh would not let up,

three battles they fought.

They wished to kill him outright,

so they gathered their hosts.

The whole of Arabia laid siege.

At that time of strife and hunger,

whilst some of the believers thought,

"What has God in store for us?"

In that time three promises were struck.

Three horizons were lit up.

A storm coursed through,

And the hosts were vanquished.

The Quraysh were subdued,

Medina was safe.

"How difficult could it be to kill just one man?"

And the Prophets heart ventured homeward.

Mecca, Mecca, Mecca.

The hallowed sanctuary.

That houses bayt ul atiq.

The place of Ibrahim and Ismail.

In a dream he saw the honour of shaven heads.

And resolved to make the lesser of twain,

that would in favour turn the eyes

 of Arabia,

to the honoured one.

Who honoured the sacred places and rites.

At Hudabiyyah his greatest triumph lay in store,

For in that contradictory moment his sincerity would shine through.

The unlettered Prophet would show himself to be true, forever true.

And because of that the doors of Arabia swung wide,

Persian and Rome noticed a turning of the tide.

A people unlooked for, stirred in their South.

Some trembled, some laughed before the emissaries of God.

All felt his presence far and wide,

But if they but ventured to Medina they would find,

A man who would not suffer any to stand for him,

A Messenger of God, who cared deeply for his people.

Quraysh betrayed their trust,

Broke armistice, and knew that their time had come.

He marched on Mecca and took it peacefully.

Riding on Qaswa, with bowed head did he enter.

The sacred city,

And demolished all three sixty.

There idolatry fled,

and taqwa was bred.

His generosity knew no bounds,

He restored and confirmed ancient privilege,

He forgave those who sought forgiveness,

No matter how many atrocities afore time they had purchased.

And he borrowed,

Where a king would have taken as his own.

Thence to the third of the three,

Thaqif of Taif.

At the battle of Hunayn,

Where arrows in droves did fly,

 None could scathe,

And he called all the hosts to bear witness.

Whilst his army fled,

He stood,

Brave.

And called them back one by one.

Whilst Thaqif looked on,

Unable to fathom,

That the Messenger of God had come.

That none could touch him until his time was done.

Even whilst they were but a stone’s throw away,

And he stood there on the dividing line.

They were struck dumb and could not divine,

That it was that their time had come.

At the farewell Pilgrimmage,

Did he teach us the rites.

And there it was that he espoused the rights,

That men hold over men.

That none, not even an Arab,

Could claim superiority,

That each should be governed by a universality,

Of spirit

That dictated,

An open society of a type, unprecedented.

Where all men are free by virtue of the true religion.

Peace reigned in Arabia.

But not for long.

For Rome feared the Arabian throng,

And their illustrious armies threatened from the North.

In that precarious moment,

The Lord of all extended an invitation,

And the one most beloved of Him,

chose to accept it.

And that above all shows the truth of his faith.

Because he loved his people dearly,

And did not wish that what he brought,

To be but a flutter on the echoes of time.

And his faith proved true, won through.

For, the greatest proof of God is Muhammad,

And the greatest proof of Muhammad is his life.

To celebrate it is to celebrate him, and to celebrate him is to do justice to God's ultimate goodness.

the END

Indeed ALL Glory and Praise belongs to ALLAH alone, and I bear witness that Muhammad (saw) has indeed fulfilled his trust and delivered the message in truth.

O ALLAH, the most gracious, the abundant giver, reward Muhammad (saw) with the most excellent of rewards for never would we have believed but that You sent him to teach us the way. Ameen.

As I explained in the last stanza, the best way to celebrate Muhammad (saw) is to recall his achievement and his wonderful life. For never was there such a life that changed the whole course of history other than his.

I have taken artistic licence in the poem, and many of the verses will only resonate with the people who have read the biography of Muhammad (saw). I have not touched on the many proofs of his prophethood, which are proofs from an historico-analytic formulae and not with reference to that which he brought (the holy Qur’an).

Probably the greatest of this is his success in transforming a tribal- warrior nation.

And this a people who at several points in his life tried unsuccessfully to kill him, mock him, insult him, deride and even ignore him. Anyone who has any intelligence would realise that with him being off them, then they would have been the best to deal with him. But they could not.

For thirteen years of his mission he was persecuted in Mecca and his followers were killed, and for 10 years he fought to keep his political community safe first from Quraysh and the Arabs and then Rome. And yet he passed from us being blessed with happiness, and this is but a single of his many great achievements.

As the greek sage Solon said once, fortunate is he who dies happy.

I sincerely hope that whoever reads this taking instruction from it will eventually read the biography of an outstanding life.

PEACE,

The Coming Comforter. (A physical proof of a messenger to come)

The Coming Comforter.

Jesus once advised his disciples to be patient and constant "for unless I go, the comforter shall not come".  With these words he implied that someone greater than himself (the comforter) would come only once Jesus had departed.

[Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you. http://bible.cc/john/16-7.htm]

That he said this cannot be doubted because it contradicts the very canon of the Church. For here he does not say "I must be sacrificed or die that you may be saved", but "I must go that he may come".

Whilst Christians may scramble to accommodate those words, by interpreting them as referring to either the Holy Ghost or to the Church, as is their want. But even they cannot deny the emphasis that these words place on departure as opposed to blood sacrifice, and upon somebody greater than himself as opposed to the culmination of all belief in one final moment of "passion".

Contradiction as a gateway to Truth.

Indeed to find the truth of any matter, and to scratch beneath the surface of all that seems true, the starting point in every discipline is supposed "contradiction".

For the greatest truths will always be found at the most contradictory of events.

Sometimes these are within the events themselves, at others with what is considered true (as in this case), and lastly when the event contradicts with human nature as we know it.

But it is not the contradiction that lays bare the truth, for of themselves many can and do ignore such things. Rather it is the contemplation of possible explanations that sheds bare falsehoods and un-shades hidden light.

And when several contradictions taken together verify a sole potential explanation, then the result is incontestable.

It is understandable that the Christian explanation for the above words rests upon a supernatural Spirit, or a humanistic psychological agency (conscience), or a millennia-old institution (the Church), or a community of believers.

The Greatest Contradiction.

But that is not the greatest contradiction in the life of Jesus, nor is it the sole contradiction in his life. For words can and always will be explained away, or more often than not just plainly ignored.

But not so, for acts and events.

Acts which are contradictory cannot be so easily explained away, and cannot be hidden. And these are of the first order of contradiction.

The act and event that I speak off started at the beginning of the dramatic three days of Jesus's life.

3 DAYS

After preaching in Galilee, and by general consensus being forced from there, instead of going further into the dessert, Jesus (as) makes his way to Jerusalem. This was a very bold act considering that he knew that his opposition would only grow at the centre of the Jewish faith. For, he preached a message that the Jewish people needed to hear, but that their priests were averse to. A universal message of hope for all.

And then he does something quite extraordinary and if you think about it a bit, completely contradictory.

On the outskirts of Jerusalem, at the start of the Passover feast, he asks his disciples to bring to him a colt, the son of a colt. He enters Jerusalem riding on it, whilst a multitude of Jewish people come to homage him. Three days later that very same crowd becomes a mob and bays for his death and choose a thief and robbers life over his. And that too on the most religious day of their calendar and in their holiest of cities.

Therein lie all of the greatest of contradictions of Jesus's (as) life.

And I for one do not presume to know all of their answers.

But that they happened cannot be doubted.

Listed they are:-

1- That he choose to Jerusalem.

2- That he choose to enter Jerusalem, at the start of the passover, in a manner as part fulfilment of the Prophesy of Zechariah that signalled the coming of the King of the Jews. And thence their undoubted return to power, authority and victory over the Romans.

3- That the Jewish multitude that welcomed him into Jerusalem and, then subdued (recognising one who had the right, a Prophet from God), allowed him to cleanse the temple, on the third day morphed into the mob that bayed for his death.

And then on that, their holiest of days in their holiest of cities, when Pontius Pilot allowed for them to choose to free any one prisoner as a show of his clemency. The Jews choose a thief over a Messenger of God.

THE CONTRADICTION.

Put simply the contradiction is "why did Jesus (as) start to enact a prophesy that he knew would excite both the fervent nationalistic and religious tendencies of his people, knowing full well that he did not intend to bring those aspirations to fruition?"

For the Prophesy of Zechariah, with absolutely no ambiguity, suggests the coming of a Prophet-King-Conqueror who would vanquish the Jewish enemies and bring about lasting Peace. The clarity of that Prophesy is so evident even to this day, so much so that the Jews still await it's fulfilment.

[[http://bible.cc/zechariah/9-9.htm, http://bible.cc/zechariah/9-10.htm] see also for my interpretation http://shafeesthoughts.blogspot.com/2011_08_01_archive.html]

A possible explanation?

Given the Christian mantra we might explain the anomaly by supposing that that was God's plan.

But then the reality of such an argument would lead us to believe that Jesus (as) was sent to bait his own people. For whilst some of them may have become Christian and hence earned forgiveness from his supposed crucifixion, the majority bayed for his death and remained Jewish ever afterwards. Condemned by he who was of them.

Jesus (as) was after all from the Jewish Nation and loved his people, and that is why he sought to preach to them foremost, to bring them out of the depths of their hypocrisy. It was a hypocrisy that saw them label their God as being a God for them alone, to the exclusion of the rest of humanity. At each point of his message you can still feel his sincerity, in trying to stir them to remember that God's mercy and care is universal. From "Anyone who makes himself somebody, will become  nobody", to his denial in such a cryptic manner of his Lordship over David. So much so that he excluded all other Jews from that honour. 

[for an explanation of this see http://shafeesthoughts.blogspot.com/2011/12/yahwah-said-to-my-adon-king-of-jews.html]  

The examples are numerous and even include the parable of the good Samaritan, a people with whom he was not really concerned about.

Another explanation.

And then if we discount the baiting of a whole people, what have we other than that he did so to remind the people of "he who would come".

But Jesus (as) was not the one they eagerly waited for, for he said "Give to Caesar what is his, and give to God what is His". And with those words demolished all of their hopes and expectations. And they being a volatile and proud people could not wait, and their humility in real terms only increased them in arrogance and pride. So they bayed for the life of one who sought only to open their eyes to God's universal mercy.

His was an act that could not be washed from the annals of history, nor be explained away. But that would stand as a testament to all those who believed in him, that he might instruct them in a "Messenger from God who would be greater than he", and who would fulfil that age old prophesy.

And he backed up this act with words that can be overlooked. But when you look at them in the light of that act, then that is convincing proof.

That another Messenger from God would come out of the wilderness, and that he would be no Jew but from another line descended from Abraham of old.

And he would speak words in God's name, and he would be a comforter for any that believed in Jesus (as).

For with him would come the confirmation that is so often disputed to this day, of Jesus's miraculous birth and his mission. And with the revelation of the Qur’an came more than a mere reflection of what is known from the bible of Jesus’s (as) life. Indeed the Qur’an answers questions on his life that Christianity has never even asked before. 

But for those who awaited the comforter he did not come as they expected. 

For they expected him around the corner of time and not half a centuary later.

But for any that have listened to the words of a true Prophet of God, will know that for them the "day of reckoning" is upon us already. Even whilst we have tarried an age. For all things are small in God's eyes.

Ad-Duha, the Morning Light (a Comfort from the Darkness of no revelation).

And maybe their wait was summed up in one of the first Surah's (Chapters), of the revealed Qur'an, that Muhammad (saw) loved most:

"In the of God, most gracious, abundantly merciful.

I  call (God calls) to witness the breaking dawn, and the night when it is stillest.

Indeed your Lord has not forsaken you, nor is He displeased with you."

A message to Muhammad (saw) after a period of silence in the revelation.

Mirrored by the centuries of silence that the believers in Jesus had to endure before the comforter came.

And indeed the night is stillest when you have almost given up hope.

And then God brings a fresh day, and a light to show you the way.

The Chapter then consoles Muhammad (saw) with what he had to endure on his path to his destined station.

And then ends by confirming him in what he had already been doing, and that for him was the first command from God upon him,

"but as for him in need, repulse him not.

And instead tell him of God's mercies (upon himself, and comfort him through that)."

Surah Ad-Duha. (the Morning Light, Chapter:93 http://quran.com/93]

The first vested mission of Muhammad (saw) to provide comfort to those in need.

A mission that was fulfilled in every act that he did.

May GOD reward him who taught us true belief and enlightened our lives with knowledge, Ameen.

Mohamed Shafi Bachelani

PS There are other textual references to a Prophet that would come after, but the greatest of them all is the act on enactment of that Prophesy.

I