Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!rice!m2.csc.ti.com
From: araja@m2.csc.ti.com (Ali Raja)
Newsgroups: soc.religion.islam
Subject: Re: On the Meaning of "Muhammad the Seal of the Prophets" (VI of VI)
Message-ID: <3453@brazos.Rice.edu>
Date: 7 Dec 89 12:24:13 GMT
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Approved: shari@wpi.edu


>In his commentary on Manhaj-ul-Sadegheen, Mulla Fatth-i- Kashani, offers a
>tradition attributed to Muhammad, where He says: 

>"I am Muhammad, and I am Ahmad and I am that resurrector, through Whom God
> shall resurrect His people...."

Is this to be found in Bukhari or Muslim?  No matter.  I will accept it 
as valid for this conversation.

>This quote appear to suggest that the appearance of Muhammad corresponded to 
>the Day of Resurrection for "His people", "God's people", or "the people of the
>Book", (Christians and Jews).

Not necessarily so - it could also mean that it refers to the Day of 
Judgement, when each people will be resurrected to follow their 
own Prophet.

>That is to say, according to Imam Sadigh the Day of the appearance of the Qa'im
>corresponds with the Day of Resurrection for the followers of Islam.

First, you have to prove that the Muslims will have a Day of
Resurrection in the fashion that you state.

>I hope that the two quotations given above validate the absurdity of the popular
>belief about the Day of Resurrection. 

I do not see why you would want an absurdity to be validated.  To be
quite honest, I have no idea how you proved the above; it just seems 
like a statement out of thin air, without anything to support it.

>Moreover, I hope that it has become
>apparent that both Islam, and the Qur'an are to remain intact UNTIL the Day of
the appearance of the Promised Qa'im of the House of Muhammad. 

This is indeed apparent.  The rest of what is apparent is that they
are to remain intact AFTER the Day of the appearance of the "Promised
Qa'im" as well - I have also missed where you said that the Qa'im
was promised.

>Then apparently
>it is up to the Qa'im to determine whether Muslims are to follow the Qur'an, or
>the Book He is going to reveal. 

No argument.  You are quite welcome to your belief here.  But it is just 
that - a belief.  I have not seen any proof at all.

>[proof of the Qa'im appearing just as he was promised deleted]

You have not proved that the Qa'im coming was predicted, in the 
first place.  

>There are other traditions from the Imams of the Faith, which explicitly refers
>to the Qa'im or Mihdi, as a law-giver, and an author of a new religion. 

There is no indication that the Mihdi will be an author of a new
religion.

>Perhaps
>the following few quotations will shed some light on this issue, which has been
>the cause of much confusion among the majority of Muslims throughout the past
>millennium. 

I am confused because I disagree with you and ask for proof? 
This does not make sense.

>"In our Qa'im there shall be four signs from four Prophets. Moses, Jesus, Joseph
> and Muhammad. The sign from Moses, is fear and expectation; from Jesus, that
> which was spoken of Him; from Joseph, imprisonment and dissimulation; from
> Muhammad, the Revelation of a Book similar to the Qur'an." 

>According to a Tradition recorded in the volume 13 of Bahar'ul-Anvar of
>Majlesi:

The tradition that you give up - is it in Bukhari or Muslim or any of 
the known and accepted Hadith?  OR are you trying to pull a Martillo?

>Moreover, Imam Sadiq is recorded to have said: 

Is this a Sunna Hadith?

>1- The term Khatam'u-Nabieen has several inner meanings, non of which suggest
>   cessation of Revelation from God

Not proved at all.

>2- Islam is not everlasting, but it has a special term and time; 

Not provable from the sources you cite.

>3- Islam and the Qur'an are valid until the Day of Resurrection;

The day of Resurrection is not necessarily the one you imply it to be.

>4- The day of resurrection is the time of the appearance of the Qa'im or the
>   12th Imam;

Not proved at all.

>5- The day of resurrection is established to happen in 1000 years.

The sources you cited are not necessarily acceptable or complete.

>6- Therefore the day of the appearance of the Qa'im is within 1000 years from
>   some point in the Islamic dispensation (i.e. 260 A.H. year of the passing of
>   the 11th Imam.) 

Possibly.  If you want to choose an arbitrary event and designate it 
predicted after the fact.

>7- The Qa'im will have His own religion.
>8- The Qa'im will have His own Book.

Ditto as above.

>9- The Qa'im of the House of Muhammad is the Promised One of the Jews,and
>   Christians as well.

No proof exists that Mohammed will have a Qa'im.

>I beg the Lord to illumine our hearts, and inspire our minds to be
>fair in our judgments. I would like to close this discussion by the following
>verse of the Holy Qur'an:

Fair enough.  But I would be much happier if you would just admit that
you are giving us nothing but your opinions and your own faith, and
not facts that can be derived from acceptable Muslim sources.