Revelation In Islam

Presentation by
Mark Hamza Dougherty
Blacksburg, VA – Dzul-Qa’idah 1420 A.H. – February 2000 C.E.

In the Name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most javascript:void(0)Merciful. – Peace be upon him who is rightly guided.

Dr. Maneh Al-Johani (from his article, “The Truth about Jesus”, available on the internet) states quite clearly:
“Islam considers itself the final link in the long chain of revelation. It promises the followers of previous faiths great rewards if they add belief in Islam to their belief in their previous faith.”

According to the Hadith from the collection, Sahih Al-Bukhari, Vol. 7, Hadith No. 20, The Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) said, “And if any man of the people of the scriptures (Jews and Christians) believes in his own Prophet and then believes in me, too, he will (also) get a double reward.”

Christians will likely recognize the similarity of the following hadith to their own scripture, but with perhaps a more “completed” meaning to the parable.

According to Sahih Al-Bukhari, Vol.3, Hadith No.471, narrated Abu Musa, r.a.: The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “The example of Muslims, Jews and Christians is like the example of a man who employed laborers to work for him from morning till night for specific wages. They worked till mid-day and then said, ‘We do not need your money which you have fixed for us and let whatever we have done be annulled.’ The man said to them, ‘Don’t quit the work, but complete the rest of it and take your full wages.’ But they refused and went away. The man employed another batch after them and said to them, ‘Complete the rest of the day and yours will be the wages I had fixed for the first batch.’ So, they worked till the time of Asr (afternoon) prayer. They said, ‘Let what we have done be annulled and keep the wages you have promised us to yourself.’ The man said to them, ‘Complete the rest of the work, as only a little of the day remains,’ but they refused. Thereafter, he employed another batch to work for the rest of the day and they worked for the rest of the day till sunset, and they received the wages of the two former batches. So, that was the example of these people (Muslims) and the example of this light [Islamic Monotheism, the Qur’an, the Sunna (legal ways of the Prophet (pbuh)) and the guidance which Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) brought] which they have accepted willingly.”

The topic I have been given is “Revelation in Islam,” but before we can discuss this topic, we should try our best to place the subject in its rightful context. That is..