The Religions Book

252

A

ccording to Islamic

tradition, in around 582 CE

a Christian hermit,

Bahira, was living in the Syrian

desert when, one day, a boy passing

by with a camel train caught his

attention. After talking with him,

Bahira concluded that the sign of

prophecy was upon the boy. He

was destined for greatness, Bahira

foretold, and should be cared for well.

The young boy was Muhammad

ibn ‘Abdallah, who became the

prophet of Islam and, according

to Muslims, God’s final messenger.

This implies, of course, that there

were messengers sent by God (in

Arabic, Allah) before Muhammad;

these include notable figures

such as Musa (Moses) and Isa

(Jesus). To Musa, God revealed

the Tawrat, or Torah, to guide the

Jews. To Isa, God gave the Injil,

a lost scripture with a name that

translates as Gospel, although it did

not resemble in its form the four

canonical Gospels of Christianity.

Muslims consider Jews and

Christians to be People of the Book,

because, like Muslims, they are also

monotheists with a holy scripture

that was revealed to them by God.

Muslims honor, in some ways, the

revelations God gave to messengers

IN CONTEXT

KEY FIGURE

Muhammad

WHEN AND WHERE

570–632 CE, Arabia

BEFORE

c.2000–1500 BCE In the

Hebrew Bible, God makes a

covenant with the patriarch

Abraham; Islam will recognize

this figure (in Arabic, Ibrahim)

as one of the first prophets.

c.14th–13th century BCE

In Jewish, Christian, and

Muslim tradition, Moses,

leading the Israelites, receives

commandments from God

on Mount Sinai.

1st century CE Jesus, later

recognized by Muslims

as a prophet, foretells the

coming of a final prophet

or messenger of God.

AFTER

19th century In India, Mirza

Ghulam Ahmad claims to

be a prophet bringing a new

message that will reform Islam.

God revealed His Word

to Moses and Jesus.

Humanity misinterpreted

and corrupted the message

of the revelations.

God now transmits His Word

directly to Muhammad.

The pure message of Islam

is His final message

to humanity.

Muhammad is

God’s final messenger.

MUHAMMAD IS

GOD’S FINAL

MESSENGER

THE PROPHET AND THE ORIGINS OF ISLAM