al-Nur-al-Muhammadi (The Muhammadan Light) & al-Insan-al-Kamil (The Perfect Man)

[SalamKhan]

This is just a follow up to my infallibility of Prophets thread. One point I didn’t mention in that thread which is important to mention now, is that we believe there are degrees to infallibility. Hence, why the Prophet Muhammad (S) & Imam Ali (A) are considered to be at the highest degree of infallibility and thus, each considered al-Insan-al Kamil (The Perfect Man).

It is stated in many Hadiths that the first thing God created was the light of Prophet Muhammad (S), from His light. What is meant by this?

“God is the Light of the heavens and the earth…”- Qur’an 24:35

This of course doesn’t refer to photons or material light. The easiest way to define light for us, is “that by which one sees”. By seeing, it could mean with the organ of our eyes, or seeing could mean guidance, or seeing could mean understanding. By the sources of light, for example the sun, we see and navigate throughout the day, the stars at night for example in the past helped people navigate the seas, etc.

We see through the organ of our eyes, yet it has defects, such as seeing the sun as small when it is actually large, or seeing the sun as still when it is actually moving, etc. but our rational faculty helps us to overcome the defects of our organs, and therefore deserves to be referred to as light. The Angels are referred to as light, because they guide individual things throughout the universe follow their specific laws of nature, or they help human beings to understand, i.e. the Angel of death makes the human being understand that his/her appointed term has arrived, the Angel Gabriel makes the Prophets understand their mission, etc. So light, as we can see above, has degrees, such as when we compare the light of the sun to a lightbulb. In this way, it is fitting to refer to God as the light of the heavens and earth, because He is the source of all lights. By Him, everyone sees, everyone understands, everything is guided, everything exists.

The light of Prophet Muhammad (S), is the light of Prophecy itself, it is referred to as the “Pen”, which wrote the “Book” or “Preserved Tablet”, which contains the entirety of divine guidance. The intellects of the Prophets become united with the Pen or light of Prophet Muhammad (S). It is referred to as the “light of Prophet Muhammad (S)”, because the Prophet Muhammad (S) was a perfect manifestation of this light, his soul was like that of a mirror that perfectly reflected this light. Hence the Hadith which states that that if it wasn’t for Prophet Muhammad (S), God would not have created the world, and in a variation if it wasn’t for Imam Ali (A), God would not have created the light of Prophet Muhammad (S). The purpose of God creating the world was to manifest His light, and so Prophet Muhammad (S), and then subsequently Imam Ali (A) as his perfect follower, fulfilled this purpose.

 

[Salibi]

Interesting. Isn’t the insan al kamil a Sufi concept?

Where do you stand on Sufism?

 

[SalamKhan]

Isn’t the insan al kamil a Sufi concept?

As far as I’m aware, it was the great Sufi sage, Ibn Arabi, who heavily contributed to the development of the concept. Twelver Shiahs and Sunnis (who accept Sufism) believe in the concept.

Where do you stand on Sufism?

I fully accept it. However, I believe that although it can be described, it cannot be defined. The souls of human beings, with regards to being receptive to God’s grace, are not equal. Very few human beings are destined to become Prophets, but the window to become saints is larger (even if slightly) for those who seek God by means of superagatory worship, mortifying their appetites, drowning themselves in the ecstasy of spiritual gatherings, etc.

 

[Melbourne]

For there will rise up false Christs and false prophets, and they shall shew signs and wonders, to seduce even the elect. [Mark 13:22]

 

[SalamKhan]

“They say, 'We will not believe thee till thou makest a spring to gush forth from the earth for us, or till thou possessest a garden of plants and vines, and thou makest rivers to gush forth abundantly all amongst it, or till thou makest heaven to fall, as thou assertest, on us in fragments, or thou bringest God and the angels as a surety, or till thou possessest a house of gold ornament, or till thou goest up into heaven; and we will not believe thy going up till thou bringest down on us a book that we may read. Say: 'Glory be to my Lord. Am I aught but a mortal, a Messenger?’”- Qur’an 17:90-93

 

[Melbourne]

The Qur’an was written by one man so people would follow him, the Bible was written by many so people would have Faith. There is only one true prophet.

You can repent. God bless.

 

[ontheway1]

Technically, it was not written by one man, but was compiled only after his death, by any number of individuals.

 

[Niblo]

Technically, it was not written by one man, but was compiled only after his death, by any number of individuals.

Proof?..

 

[ontheway1]

I wasn’t there, of course, but here is what wikipedia says about it;

According to tradition, several of Muhammad’s companions served as scribes and recorded the revelations.[13] Shortly after his death, the Quran was compiled by the companions, who had written down or memorized parts of it.[14] The codices showed differences that motivated Caliph Uthmanto establish a standard version, now known as Uthman’s codex, which is generally considered the archetype of the Quran known today. There are, however, variant readings, with mostly minor differences in meaning.[13]

 

[Niblo]

I wasn’t there, of course…

Me neither!

Melbourne stated that the Qur’an was ‘written by one man’. You replied that it was compiled ‘only after (the Prophet’s) death’; implying (so it seemed to me) that the Book does not have a single author, but is the product of ‘any number of individuals’.

Saeed Malik writes:

‘As a young man in his thirties Muhammad would seek a period of retreat and contemplation each year – a tradition not uncommon amongst the Meccan spiritualists. Muhammad’s place of retreat was a cave at the top of Mount Hira, about two miles north of Mecca, and the time of his retreat was usually the month of Ramadan. As a man who could not write or read, Muhammad could not have studied the scriptures during his retreat. He must have instead contemplated the powerful signs of nature around him – a nature of spartan hills, the burning desert sun and the bright stars in the stillness of the night. This would be Muhammad’s gateway to the Truth.

‘As a young man he was known as Al Amin, in recognition of his honesty, trustworthiness and reliability. The Quran, much later, would recall this same trait, when some of the very same people who now called him Amin would disbelieve and deride him over his claim of a Divine mission (81:21). The Quran would likewise ask rhetorically of the disbelievers’ turning away from the Prophet they called Al Amin, “Do they reject him because they know not their Messenger?”(23:69)"’ (‘A Perspective on the Signs of Al-Quran: Through the Prism of the Heart’).

The Qur’an was revealed to Muhammad (sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam) over a period of twenty-three years.

Professor Muhammad Abdel Haleem reminds us that:

‘The Qur’an was recited first to Arabs whose paramount gift lay in eloquence of speech and who had a rich and elaborate literature, especially poetry. Both followers and opponents of the Prophet recognised its literary supremacy and inimitability. Believers hearing it uttered on the spot by the Prophet, and recognising how different it was from the Prophet’s day-to-day speech, saw in this a further proof of its divine origin.’ (‘Understanding the Qur’an: Themes and Style.’).

The IDP Research Division write:

‘There is no doubt that the Qur’an was not only transmitted orally by many Muslims who had learned parts or the whole of it, but that it was also written down during the lifetime of the Prophet. The well-known report about 'Umar’s conversion shows that large passages of the revelation had already been written down even at a very early time, in Makka, long before the hijra, when the Prophet was still in the house of Arqam.’ (‘Understanding the Qur’an – Its History and Compilation’).

 

[Niblo]

Concerning the Qur’an’s compilation:

There is an expression: ‘ jam’ al-qur’an ’. It’s general meaning is to ‘bring together the Qur’an’.

While the Qur’an was written down – in its entirety – during the life of the Prophet (sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam), it had not been brought together in a single book. Abū Bakr assigned this task to Zaid bin Thabit; a young man in his early twenties, one of the Prophet’s most notable scribes. He was a ḥāfiẓ (a ‘guardian’ or ‘memorizer’ of the Qur’an; someone who knew the Qur’an by heart).

M.M. Al-Azami informs us that:

‘Zaid would accept only those materials which, according to the sworn testimony of two others, had been written in the Prophet’s very presence. Ibn Hajar’s statement affirms this view, that "Zaid was unwilling to accept any written material for consideration unless two Companions bore witness that the man received his dictation from the Prophet himself.” His contribution, we can summarise, was to collect all first-hand Qur’anic fragments, then scattered about Madinah, and arrange for their transcription into a master volume.

‘Once complete, the compiled Qur’an was placed in the ‘state archives’ under the custodianship of Abū Bakr.

‘In serving the Qur’an Abū Bakr acquitted himself most admirably, heeding its mandate of two witnesses for establishing authenticity, and applying this rule to the Qur’an’s own compilation. The result, though written on rudimentary parchments of varying size, constituted as sincere an effort as possible to preserve the Words of Allāh.’ (‘The History of the Qur’anic Text).

Concerning the ‘variants readings’:

There is a word ‘ qira’at ’ (meaning ‘styles of recitation’). The qira’at are a way of pronouncing the Qur’anic text; and there are seven authoritative schools of qira’at. An example of the differences between two qira’at can be seen in the sūrah ‘Al-Fatiha’ (‘The Opening’):

‘In the name of God, the Lord of Mercy, the Giver of Mercy! Praise belongs to God, Lord of the Worlds, the Lord of Mercy, the Giver of Mercy, Master ( māliki ) of the Day of Judgement. It is You we worship; it is You we ask for help. Guide us to the straight path ( l-ṣirāṭa ): the path of those You have blessed, those who incur no anger and who have not gone astray.’

Some qira’at recite ‘ māliki ’ with a long ‘a’ (as in the planet ‘Mars’); while others say ‘ maliki ’, with a short ‘a’ (as in ‘cat’). In every case, the meaning (‘Master’) is the same.

The word ‘ l-ṣirāṭa’ can also be rendered ‘as-sirata’. Again, both pronunciations have the same meaning of ‘path’ or ‘way’.

 

[Niblo]

In the time of 'Uthman the order of sūrahs (and of the verses within each sūrah) had been fixed. However, differences in ‘qira’at’ had become a problem. There were disputes about the correct manner of recitation. Certain tribes boasted that their method of recitation was better than others!

'Uthman’s solution was to borrow the Qur’an of Abū Bakr (in the possession of Hafṣah bint ʿUmar; a wife of the Prophet, and ‘Mother of the Believers’). He then ordered four Companions – among them Zaid bin Thabit – to reproduce the entire script in perfect copies. This they did.

According to some reports Kufa, Basra and Syria each received a finished copy of the Qur’an; with one being sent to Madinah. Other reports add Mecca, Yemen and Bahrain. It is also said that 'Uthman retained a copy for himself. It must be noted that no copy was sent without a qāri (a ‘reciter’), whose task it was to recite the Qur’an in the manner he had learned through authenticated, multiple channels going back to the Prophet (sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam); ‘insofar as these channels lay in complete agreement with each other and (conformed with) the Qur’an’s consonantal skeleton’ (Al-Azami: ‘The History of the Qur’anic Text).

The IDP Research Division write:

‘Two of the copies of the Qur’an which were originally prepared in the time of Caliph 'Uthman, are still available to us today and their text and arrangement can be compared, by anyone who cares to, with any other copy of the Qur’an, be it in print or handwriting, from any place or period of time. They will be found identical.’ (‘Understanding the Qur’an – Its History and Compilation’).

 

[ontheway1]

Niblo. Just a couple of comments on your text.

First, Saeed Malik is a modern computer guy turned mystic. His knowledge is derived most likely from deep faith.
He writes that Muhammad held his mountain retreats during the month of Ramadan. I did not know that Ramadan was instituted before there was a Koran or before Islam was codified.

Second: prof. Abdel Haleem talks about rich and elaborate literature of the desert Arabs before the Islmic period. A brief look at some websites dealing with Arabic literature makes no mention of pre-Islamic literature.

Regarding the written Koran, all information to date suggests that it was written down after the death of the prophet. Since this point has been raised by some, recent literature is now suggesting that the text was written before his death. I am not an expert, so I won’t argue the point, but all these deserve some consideration.

 

[Salibi]

brief look at some websites dealing with Arabic literature makes no mention of pre-Islamic literature.

Hello ontheway1,

Pre-Islamic Arabs had a rich oral tradition of prose and poetry. I suppose oral traditions count as literature. Look up Al-Mutannabi, Zuhayr bin Abi Salma, Qays, and other poets of the Jahilliya (pre-Islamic) period. Their poetry is still read widely today.

 

[ProdglArchitect]

So, you’re claiming that it’s possible for a man who orders the murder of a friend, has a myriad of slave-wives, and leads violent conquest against his detractors and other warlords, to be the perfect man?

Sorry, but I’ll stick with Jesus. Your perfect man was nothing more than a warlord who abused religious concepts to gain followers by promising them an eternity of hedonistic worldly pleasures.

 

[Niblo]

Niblo. Just a couple of comments on your text.

Many thanks for your thought-provoking reply.

You will agree, I’m sure, that Saeed Malik having a Masters Degree in Physics does prevent him from writing sensibly – and accurately – about Islam!

When he writes that the Prophet (sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam) retreated to the cave at Mount Hira in the month of Ramadan he is referring to that time of the year in which Ramadan now falls. Ramadan (the word means ‘scorching’ in Arabic) is the 9th month of the Islamic lunar calendar; and because this calendar does not match the solar calendar Ramadan shifts by around eleven days each year. It was established as a holy month for Muslims after the Qur’an was first revealed (on the occasion known as ‘Layat al-Qadr (‘ther Night of Power).

The King Faisal Foundation offers an annual King Faisal Prize for Arabic Language and Literature. The 1982 Laureate was Professor Nasir Al-Din Al-Asad, for his work on ‘Ancient Arabic Literature from the Pre-Islamic Era to the End of the 1st Century AH.’

This is from his citation (my emphasis):

‘ Professor Al-Asad was a distinguished intellectual who has made significant contributions to the study of Arabic literature during pre-Islamic and early Islamic eras. This is best illustrated in his book The Sources of Pre-Islamic Arabic Poetry and their Historical Importance. He has also written extensively on modern literary arts in Jordan and Palestine and on various aspects of Arabic language, history and Islamic studies. In addition, he has edited five books and translated Antonius’s The Arab Awakening jointly with Ihsan Abbas. Aside from his diverse cultural and intellectual pursuits, Professor Al-Asad has held several prestigious offices in the Jordanian Government including his appointment as President of the Royal Jordanian Academy for Research on the Islamic Civilization, Jordan’s Ambassador to Saudi Arabia and Minister of Higher Education. He also served as Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Isra’a University and Abdul Hameed Shoman Prize. He has received numerous awards, decorations and memberships of learned institutions including Arabic Language academies in Cairo, Amman, Damascus and Morocco, the Aligarth Islamic Academy in India and the International Advisory Council of Al-Furqan Islamic Heritage Foundation in London. Professor Nasir Al-Din Al-Asad passed away in 2015.’

I confess that I have (as yet) no examples of pre-Islamic literature to quote from; and so I appreciate your concern!

You write (my emphasis):

‘Regarding the written Koran, all information to date suggests that it was written down after the death of the prophet.’ Have you not read my posts!

Seriously, all points of view – as you so rightly say – deserve consideration….especially the ones we disagree with.

Have a great day, and very best regards.

 

[ontheway1]

Oh Niblo. Are you certain that yours is the best way to conduct a discussion?

 

[SalamKhan]

So, you’re claiming that it’s possible for a man who orders the murder of a friend, has a myriad of slave-wives, and leads violent conquest against his detractors and other warlords, to be the perfect man?

Of course, if you’re already antagonistic towards Islam, then you will deliberately distort & misrepresent details of the Prophet’s life to support your pre-meditated conclusion. Forget context, forget anthropology, forget accuracy in details, forget verification of details, forget all of that.

Your perfect man was nothing more than a warlord who abused religious concepts to gain followers by promising them an eternity of hedonistic worldly pleasures.

Just how much do you even know about my religion? Because again this is just a classic polemical response based on scratching the surface level of Islamic doctrines. In case you haven’t noticed, this thread is discussing a Sufi & Twelver Shiah concept, neither of whom espouse a purely physical ressurection. If you want to attack
a doctrine of the afterlife, attack your own, namely the physical Heaven and Hell for immaterial souls after the particular judgement.

 

[Niblo]

Oh Niblo. Are you certain that yours is the best way to conduct a discussion?

It’s the way I was taught…both at University, and by those who knew their subject better than I did… my mentors…Christians, Muslims, freethinkers, atheists etc. It’s a simple enough process: State my case; produce evidence; cite my sources; pay attention to what others have to say; be willing to admit when they have the better argument; be direct, without being offensive; know when to agree to disagree; avoid personal attacks…stick to the matter at hand. Is there any better way?

 

[meltzerboy2]

What an interesting religious voyage you’ve had so far: Baptist, Catholic, Muslim…and maybe next, Jewish?