“You would say this was the end of the story of Muhammad: He and a tiny group, shut away in the sand, alone on the planet, encircled by men so wild they buried children alive as a point of honor, who killed casually, and who – because His teachings meant the destruction of the national religion and the loss of their own wealth and power – had for thirteen long years been waiting to shed His blood. An enemy of His has written: ‘We search in vain through the pages of profane history for a parallel to the struggle in which for thirteen years the Prophet of Arabia, in face of discouragement and threats, rejection and persecution, retained thus his faith unwavering, preached repentance . . . he met insults, menace, and danger with a lofty and patient
…show more content…
3- 6)
Bahá’u’lláh says of Mohammad, “I recognize, O Thou Who art my heart’s desire, that were fire to be touched by water it would instantly be extinguished, whereas the Fire Thou didst kindle can never go out, though all the seas of the earth be poured upon it.” (Prayers and Meditations, 150).
We who are believers are working with something unkillable.
Night Journey
When Mohammad returned to Mecca, He had the vision of the Night Journey (Mi’raj, “Ascent”), when He rose in spirit through the seven heavens to the throne of God. Surih 17 of the Qur’an is called the Night Journey; in the Íqán Bahá’u’lláh refers to Muhammad as the ‘’Lord of the Mi’raj” and says that the mirror of the heart must be purified to understand its mystery.
(H.M. Balyuzi, Baha’u’llah – The King of Glory, Pp. 187-280)
Elsewhere, Mr. Balyuzi goes into greater detail:
“But later in vision He journeyed by night to where the Lote-Tree flowers beside God’s invisible throne; and He found thousands of choirs of angels, bowed down and motionless, in utter quiet, and then He felt Himself in the light of His Lord. He beheld God with His soul’s eyes, and He saw what the tongue cannot …show more content…
He taught kindness to animals, and said that an adulteress was forgiven her sin because, seeing a dog suffering from thirst, she tied her shoe to her garment and lowered it into a well, to draw up water for the dog.
It was said that He loved cats and kept one Himself. In the Hadith it tells of a time when Muhammad cut off His own sleeve, rather than disturb the cat who was sleeping on it.
“He was endlessly patient. The Qur’an enjoins patience in over seventy passages. It states: ‘How goodly the reward of those who labor, who patiently endure, and put their trust in their Lord!’ (29:58-59); and ‘Verily those who endure with patience shall be rewarded: their reward shall not be by measure.’ (39:13).
“He taught people to love the next world; He said this world was only a vapor in a desert. Again He said, “Verily, the world is no otherwise than as a tree...when the traveler hath rested under its shade, he passeth on.” (Cf. Muir, op. cit., 330 n.). As He was dying He told them, “God hath a servant to whom He hath said: Dost thou desire this world or the next? The servant hath chosen the next, and God hath approved his choice, and hath promised to call him into His presence.” And one of the believers who was there understood, and wept. (Tabari, Chronique, III,
3- 6)
Bahá’u’lláh says of Mohammad, “I recognize, O Thou Who art my heart’s desire, that were fire to be touched by water it would instantly be extinguished, whereas the Fire Thou didst kindle can never go out, though all the seas of the earth be poured upon it.” (Prayers and Meditations, 150).
We who are believers are working with something unkillable.
Night Journey
When Mohammad returned to Mecca, He had the vision of the Night Journey (Mi’raj, “Ascent”), when He rose in spirit through the seven heavens to the throne of God. Surih 17 of the Qur’an is called the Night Journey; in the Íqán Bahá’u’lláh refers to Muhammad as the ‘’Lord of the Mi’raj” and says that the mirror of the heart must be purified to understand its mystery.
(H.M. Balyuzi, Baha’u’llah – The King of Glory, Pp. 187-280)
Elsewhere, Mr. Balyuzi goes into greater detail:
“But later in vision He journeyed by night to where the Lote-Tree flowers beside God’s invisible throne; and He found thousands of choirs of angels, bowed down and motionless, in utter quiet, and then He felt Himself in the light of His Lord. He beheld God with His soul’s eyes, and He saw what the tongue cannot …show more content…
He taught kindness to animals, and said that an adulteress was forgiven her sin because, seeing a dog suffering from thirst, she tied her shoe to her garment and lowered it into a well, to draw up water for the dog.
It was said that He loved cats and kept one Himself. In the Hadith it tells of a time when Muhammad cut off His own sleeve, rather than disturb the cat who was sleeping on it.
“He was endlessly patient. The Qur’an enjoins patience in over seventy passages. It states: ‘How goodly the reward of those who labor, who patiently endure, and put their trust in their Lord!’ (29:58-59); and ‘Verily those who endure with patience shall be rewarded: their reward shall not be by measure.’ (39:13).
“He taught people to love the next world; He said this world was only a vapor in a desert. Again He said, “Verily, the world is no otherwise than as a tree...when the traveler hath rested under its shade, he passeth on.” (Cf. Muir, op. cit., 330 n.). As He was dying He told them, “God hath a servant to whom He hath said: Dost thou desire this world or the next? The servant hath chosen the next, and God hath approved his choice, and hath promised to call him into His presence.” And one of the believers who was there understood, and wept. (Tabari, Chronique, III,