Hundred Questions - Jesus (c) and Muhammad (c)
Jesus (May peace be through him) and Muhammad (May Allah send blessings and peace through him and his progeny)
Q15 If Muhammad (May Allah send blessings and peace through him and his progeny) was already chosen for prophethood why was he so perplexed when Gabriel brought revelation to him? Why was Muhammad (May Allah send blessings and peace through him and his progeny) not born like Jesus (May peace be through him), at whose birth a shooting star appeared? Why did Prophet Muhammad (May Allah send blessings and peace through him and his progeny) have to suffer so much?
A15 These three questions of yours are illogical and unrealistic and obviously they are in the context of Christian misperceptions. However, I will try to analyse them, as every question arises in a context. In the first question, it has been accepted that the Prophet received revelation and then, an objection is made against someone who is accepted as a Prophet. Further there is no logic in attempting to deny the prophecy of the Prophet on the grounds of revelation brought by Gabriel. For, after accepting the holy Prophet as an apostle and messenger, this question automatically ceases to exist. On the other hand, this question implies that, according to the questioner, if the Prophet knew about his being chosen for prophethood, he would not have been perplexed by revelation. Can this be an argument to refute the holy Prophet's prophethood? Even if we accept the holy Prophet's perplexity, it only implies that the Prophet was not aware that he was chosen for prophethood and messengership.
If we look at the question in the light of spiritual knowledge and recognition, it becomes unbelievable that the Prophet was perplexed when Gabriel brought the revelation to him. For spirituality is not such that the stage of revelation appears before you all of a sudden in one day. The stage of revelation comes after numerous spiritual wonders and experiences, for which one is well prepared.
It is a great ignorance to try to understand the reality of revelation on the basis of the exoteric version and popular historical stories, and such is the background to this question.
Further, it is not a minor mistake to consider a shooting star as a great miracle and a sign of the birth of every prophet. Can someone prove that during the birth of all the prophets prior to Jesus (May peace be through him) a shooting star had appeared? Or can someone prove that the appearance of a shooting star implies the appearance of a prophet? According to wise people such questions are quite childish, for such questions have neither a religious philosophy nor a scientific explanation.
The same is true of the question where it is asked why Prophet Muhammad (May Allah send blessings and peace through him and his progeny) had to suffer so much. The answer to this question is that the prophets have to present the model of humanity and it is for this reason that as a whole their lives are full of difficulties and sufferings. If we ponder on the life of the Prophet Jesus (May peace be through him) himself, we will come to know how he was living the life of darwishi. Further, his physical death too, is not as they think, rather it was complete martyrdom on the cross.
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