I
remember reading with great enthusiasm during my pre-university teenage
years, of the Old Testament (“Kitab Taurat”) upon abandoning my
ancestral belief (Taoism). I decided to pursue my new faith at that time
after meeting several new friends who had shown me exemplary character
at school while being active with the Christian Youth Fellowship. This
to me was God's initial revelation to open up my heart to seek Him. Some
of these friends have become very fine people to this day and are very
successful in their careers as well. One compelling reason for pursuing
my new faith was because all of my family members and relatives were
unable to differentiate between Taoism and Buddhism. They succumbed to
both and I was confused about it. So I joined the Christian Youth
Fellowship. The rest is history.
I was particularly intrigued with Moses (PBUH) from the Old Testament. Moses was able to perform so many miracles and provided codes of conduct to the people in the form of commandments and laws. I was excited to read some of these laws e.g. the ceremonial laws, civil laws, and social laws. This enthusiasm came to me from the Fifth Book of Moses called Deuteronomy in the Old Testament. This Book was originally established at Mount Sinai which is significant to us as Muslims because Mount Sinai has a special reference in the Quran (Surah 95 – Al Tin) which I will share later on in another entry, God Willing. The Book of Deuteronomy dates as far back as 1405 BC at the end of the forty-year period in the wilderness in which Moses led his followers. This means that Moses had a hand in the Book of Deuteronomy.
I came across a verse in Deuteronomy 18:15: “The Lord your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from your midst, from your brethren. Him you shall hear.” At that time with my newly found faith, I knew that Moses could not have been the last Prophet although he was a significant Prophet from the Revealed Books. I kept on searching quietly, to find that some 1400 years later, Jesus Christ (PBUH) came and was recognized as a Prophet and Messiah. This gave rise to the New Testament. While Jesus' ministry remained short, spanning only a period of several years, the profound effect in the spiritual development of the believers at that time was most needed judging from the events which had happened some 1400 years earlier.
In the New Testament, I read about a scenario in which Jesus was preparing his disciples for the future to come. One of the disciples, Philip, had asked Jesus to show them the Lord God. In one of the verses in the Book of John 14:16, Jesus said “And I will pray to the Lord, and He will give you another Comforter, that He may abide with you forever,” which foretold the coming of a significant individual. At that time, the ministry of Jesus was not completed yet. The Book of John was revealed during the time of Emperor Trajan (around 98 AD). Several hundred years after the time of Jesus, many Christians were seen scattered all over Persia and the Arabian region. Some were running away from the persecution of Christians by the Roman empire. Many were waiting for the forthcoming of a Messenger from God as evidenced from some of the historical writings.
When Prophet Muhammad PBUH received his first message from God, his beloved wife, Khadeejah took him to meet with her cousin, Waraqah ibn Naufal - who was a Christian. Waraqah mentioned to them that this was the moment he had been waiting for: the emergence of a last Prophet to be sent to mankind. Waraqah explained that he had learnt from the Christian scholars that the awaited Prophet was soon due to appear. Waraqah also mentioned that the being who spoke to the Prophet was indeed Angel Gabriel who was the messenger between Allah SWT and His Prophets. The Prophet later announced that Waraqah was one of the dwellers of Paradise. All this took place more than 1400 years ago. We know that there will not be anymore Prophets forthcoming as mentioned by our Prophet Muhammad PBUH in his last sermon (this is scary in view of the situation of the world today - no more saviours sent down for mankind!).
We know now that the coming of all the Prophets had been revealed by the previous Prophets before them and not by just any individual. This is how much I appreciate God's choosing me to journey through the Books and into the “final journey” to meet Him one day, God Willing. I therefore invite you to see the truth and read as well - just like Gabriel's first words to Muhammad PBUH: Read! In the name of thy Lord... (96:1). Amen.
I was particularly intrigued with Moses (PBUH) from the Old Testament. Moses was able to perform so many miracles and provided codes of conduct to the people in the form of commandments and laws. I was excited to read some of these laws e.g. the ceremonial laws, civil laws, and social laws. This enthusiasm came to me from the Fifth Book of Moses called Deuteronomy in the Old Testament. This Book was originally established at Mount Sinai which is significant to us as Muslims because Mount Sinai has a special reference in the Quran (Surah 95 – Al Tin) which I will share later on in another entry, God Willing. The Book of Deuteronomy dates as far back as 1405 BC at the end of the forty-year period in the wilderness in which Moses led his followers. This means that Moses had a hand in the Book of Deuteronomy.
I came across a verse in Deuteronomy 18:15: “The Lord your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from your midst, from your brethren. Him you shall hear.” At that time with my newly found faith, I knew that Moses could not have been the last Prophet although he was a significant Prophet from the Revealed Books. I kept on searching quietly, to find that some 1400 years later, Jesus Christ (PBUH) came and was recognized as a Prophet and Messiah. This gave rise to the New Testament. While Jesus' ministry remained short, spanning only a period of several years, the profound effect in the spiritual development of the believers at that time was most needed judging from the events which had happened some 1400 years earlier.
In the New Testament, I read about a scenario in which Jesus was preparing his disciples for the future to come. One of the disciples, Philip, had asked Jesus to show them the Lord God. In one of the verses in the Book of John 14:16, Jesus said “And I will pray to the Lord, and He will give you another Comforter, that He may abide with you forever,” which foretold the coming of a significant individual. At that time, the ministry of Jesus was not completed yet. The Book of John was revealed during the time of Emperor Trajan (around 98 AD). Several hundred years after the time of Jesus, many Christians were seen scattered all over Persia and the Arabian region. Some were running away from the persecution of Christians by the Roman empire. Many were waiting for the forthcoming of a Messenger from God as evidenced from some of the historical writings.
When Prophet Muhammad PBUH received his first message from God, his beloved wife, Khadeejah took him to meet with her cousin, Waraqah ibn Naufal - who was a Christian. Waraqah mentioned to them that this was the moment he had been waiting for: the emergence of a last Prophet to be sent to mankind. Waraqah explained that he had learnt from the Christian scholars that the awaited Prophet was soon due to appear. Waraqah also mentioned that the being who spoke to the Prophet was indeed Angel Gabriel who was the messenger between Allah SWT and His Prophets. The Prophet later announced that Waraqah was one of the dwellers of Paradise. All this took place more than 1400 years ago. We know that there will not be anymore Prophets forthcoming as mentioned by our Prophet Muhammad PBUH in his last sermon (this is scary in view of the situation of the world today - no more saviours sent down for mankind!).
We know now that the coming of all the Prophets had been revealed by the previous Prophets before them and not by just any individual. This is how much I appreciate God's choosing me to journey through the Books and into the “final journey” to meet Him one day, God Willing. I therefore invite you to see the truth and read as well - just like Gabriel's first words to Muhammad PBUH: Read! In the name of thy Lord... (96:1). Amen.
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