Muhammad (PBUH) in Buddhist Scriptures - Part 2
Devoted servitors of the
Buddhas
Then the Blessed one addressed the brethren, and
said, "Whosoever, brethren, have been Arahat-Buddhas through the long ages
of the past, there were servitors just as devoted to those Blessed ones as
Ananda has been to me. And whosoever, brethren, shall be the Arahat-Buddhas of
the future, there, shall be servitors as devoted to those Blessed ones as
Ananda has been to me.,,101
And Ananda remained always near the Blessed
Master of truth, until the Tathagata made his final entry into Nirvana. 102
Ananda was really devoted to the Buddha Gautama.
His true devotion distinguishes him from other disciples. Once when a maddened
elephant approached the Buddha Gautama, "the Bhikshus all deserted him,
Ananda only remained by his side.”103
If Jesus was the Buddha Maitreya he should have
a servitor like Ananda. We search for such a servitor of Jesus in the Gospels.
We consider Judas Iscariot was this servitor of
Jesus, for "Judas was with our saviour in public and private",104 "and had the bag
and bare what was put therein". 105 Judas Iscariot, however, was wanting in devotion towards his
master:
Then one of the twelve, called Judas Iscariot,
went unto the chief priests, and said unto them, What will ye give me, I will
deliver him unto you? And they covenanted with him for 30 pieces of silver. And
from that time he sought opportunity to betray him. 106
And Judas betrayed Jesus.107 Therefore Judas cannot be the true
servitor of Jesus.
Perhaps Peter was this servitor of Jesus. Jesus,
in his life time, entertained a good opinion of Peter:
And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed
art thou Simon Bar-jonah ... I say unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon
this rock I will build my church and the gates of Hades shall not
prevail against it. And I will give unto thee keys of the kingdom of heaven;
and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven and whatsoever
thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. 108
Peter himself expressed that his devotion
towards Jesus was sincere:
a)
I will lay down my life for thy sake.109
b)
Peter answered and said unto him, Though all (men) shall be
offended because of thee, (yet) will I never be offended. Peter said unto him.
Though I should die with thee, yet will I not deny thee. Likewise also said all
the disciples. 110
c)
Lord I am ready to go with thee, both in prison and to death. 111
d)
But he spake the more vehemently, If I should die with thee, I
will not deny thee in any wise. Likewise also said they all. 112
A time for the true test of devotion soon
arrives, and the disciples of Jesus fail one and all. Jesus is captured by the
enemy and the disciples desert him:
All the disciples forsook him and fled.113
Peter, the rock of Jesus, proves an utter
failure. He deserts Jesus, trembles even at the questioning of a damsel, the
gates of hell prevail against him in the very lifetime of Jesus and be denies
Jesus repeatedly and most emphatically:
Now Peter sat without in the place, and a damsel
came unto him, saying, Thou wast also with Jesus of Galilee. But he denied
before them all, saying, I know not what thou sayest. And when he was gone out
into the porch, another maid saw him, and said unto them that were there, This
fellow was also with Jesus of Nazareth. And again he denied with an oath, I do
not know the man. After a while came unto him they that stood by and said to
Peter, Surely thou also art one of them; for thy speech betrayeth thee. Then he
began to curse and to swear, saying, I know not the man ... 114
It is therefore apparent that in the life-time
of Jesus none of his disciples showed the constant devotion of Ananda towards
their master. Hence Jesus cannot be the Buddha Maitreya.
Muhammad (PBUH) had a servitor named Anas who
never left the service of the Prophet in his lifetime. Anas was presented to
the Prophet by his parents:
Anas bin Malik reports: The Prophet, peace be
upon him, used to come in frequently to see us. One day he came in and prayed
for us. Umm Sulaym(ie., Anas's
mother) said to him, "Here is your little servant, would you pray for
him?”115
"I served him from the time I was 8 years
old," said his servant Anas, "and he never scolded me for anything
though things were spoiled by me.”116
The Prophet loved Anas and called him his son.117 and his "little
beloved". 118
Anas was devoted to the Prophet like Ananda. The Prophet himself, like the
Buddha Gautama, bore testimony to this effect by calling Anas, "Unays".119
The word Unays means the devoted young one. The word Anas itself is from the root Uns which means 'devotion'. Anas was really the
incarnation of true devotion. He stuck to the Prophet in station and out
station, in peace and in war, in safety as well as in danger, up to the end of
the life of the Prophet. We point out only two events of the life of Anas
showing his undaunted devotion to the Prophet:
- Anas
when only about 11 years old, was near the person of the prophet at the
battle of Uhud 120
where the Prophet "was very near losing his life, being struck down
by a shower of stones, and wounded in the face by two arrows",121 and he depicts
the scene of the spot vividly.
2.
Anas was near the person of the Prophet at the battle of Hunayn,
and gives a graphic account of it. In the Muslim army there were mostly recent converts and idolaters, 122 unprotected by coats
of mail and unarmed, and they got panic-stricken at the fury of sudden and
unexpected onslaught of the enemy, and fled in disorder. "They were
assailed by a shower of darts, stones and arrows, which left two or three of
Mahomet's soldiers dead at his feet, and wounded several others.,,123 The enemy then
surrounded the apostle of God who was left alone with "some few of his
family".124
The enemy, the tribe of Hawazin "were archers and they shot volleys of
arrows (as thick as) the swarm of locusts.”125 The Muslim army "had to face such archers
none of whose arrows missed.”126
The presence of Anas, a lad of about 16 years, near the person of the Prophet,
is a sure proof of his admirable devotion towards Muhammad (PBUH) and
undoubtedly stands a decent parallel to Ananda's devotion towards the Buddha
Gautama when the maddened elephant approached him.
Therefore it is clear
that Muhammad (PBUH) is the Buddha Maitreya and not Jesus. Sankaracharya not
being an inspired teacher we leave him out of consideration.
Six Criteria
And the Tathagata's body appeared like a flame,
and he was beautiful above all expression.
And venerable Ananda said to the blessed one:
"How wonderful thing is it, Lord, and how marvelous that the colour of the
skin of the blessed one should be so clear, so exceedingly bright! When I
placed this robe of burnished cloth of gold on the body of the blessed one, lo!
It seemed as if it had lost its splendour!"
The blessed one said, "There are two
occasions on which a Tathagata's appearance becomes clear and exceedingly
bright. In the night, Ananda, in which a Tathagata attains to the supreme and
perfect insight, and in the night in which he passes finally away in that utter
passing which leaves nothing whatever of his earthly existence to remain."
127
From the above quoted words of the Buddha
Gautama we have the following six criteria for indentifying a Buddha:
1.
A Buddha attains to supreme and perfect insight at night time.
2.
On the occasion of his complete enlightenment he looks exceedingly bright.
3.
A Buddha dies a natural death.
4.
He dies at night time.
5.
He looks exceedingly bright before his death.
6.
After his death a Buddha ceases to exist on earth.
If Jesus was the Buddha Maitreya these six
criteria should hold good in his case.
1.
Jesus attained to supreme insight after being baptised of John the Baptist: And Jesus, when he was baptised,
went up straightway out of water: and, 10, the heavens were opened unto him:
and he saw the spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him, and
10 a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved son, in whom I am well pleased.128 This was
"day" time129
and not night time. Therefore Jesus cannot be the Buddha Maitreya.
2.
There is no record in the gospels to show that Jesus looked
exceedingly bright at the time of his baptism. The gospel version of his life
again fails to support him.
3.
According to the gospels Jesus did not die a natural death but was
deprived of his life by his enemies in the prime of life. This is impossible
according to the Buddha's words: This, O Bhikkhus, is an impossible thing, one that cannot occur
that one should deprive a Tathagata of life by violence. The Tathagatas, O
Bhikkhus, are extinguished (in death) in due and natural course .... 130 Thus the Christian and the Buddhist
scriptures both do not permit us to consider the advertised claim of Jesus for
the Buddhahood in question.
4.
According to the gospels Jesus was killed not at night time but at
day time: It was the third hour that they crucified him,131 "that is, nine 0' clock in the
morning. Thus the whole crucifixion occupied six hours ... our Lord died at
three O' clock", 132 the Jews reckoning
the hours from six O' clock in the morning. Thus the version of the crucifixion
story of the gospels again stands in the way of Jesus if we want to consider
his claim for the Buddhahood in question.
5.
The four gospels very clearly and minutely depict the scenes of
the night preceding the crucifixion day of Jesus. There is no mention that
Jesus looked "exceedingly bright" and "beautiful above
expression" in this night. Thus the gospels again fail to support the
claim of Jesus for the Buddhahood in question.
6.
It is a settled doctrine of Christians that Jesus rose from the
dead on the third day after his death on the cross. The four gospels are
unanimous on the point. 133
According to the gospels his resurrection was no vision134 but a reality. They touched him.135 He dined with them. 136 Jesus "shewed
himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them
for forty days and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of
God";137
"he rose again the third day ... and he was seen of Cephas, then one of
the twelve: after that he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once, of
whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep;
after that he was seen of James, then of all the disciples. And last of all he
was seen of me also". 138
There is another settled doctrine of Christians
that the very same Jesus is again coming upon earth. It is based on the
following words of Jesus.
1.
A little while, and ye shall not see me: and again, a little
while, and ye shall see me. 139
2.
But I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice. 140
3.
I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to yoU.141
4.
I will come again, and receive you unto myself.142
5.
I said unto you, I go away, and come again unto yoU.143
6.
The son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his
angels. 144
7.
They shall see the son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with
power and great glory.145
According to the Buddhist scriptures quoted
above the Buddhas are extinguished in death. They do not remain on earth after
their death. If the Christian world wants a Buddhist to consider the claim of
Jesus as the Buddha Maitreya, they should deny the story of the resurrection of
Jesus after his death on the cross, and also the doctrine of his second advent
upon earth. Therefore Jesus cannot be the Buddha Maitreya.
The six criteria do not hold in the case of
Sankaracharya as in the case of Jesus, but they hold remarkably in the case of Muhammad
(PBUH):
- Muhammad (PBUH) attained to
supreme insight at night time. We quote
the Qur'an:
a.
By the Book that makes things clear-We sent it down during a
Blessed Night ... (44:2-3)
b.
We have revealed this (Message) in the Night of Power. (97: 1)
On this night Mohammed
received his first revelation.
AI-Qadr signifies,
power, and honour, or dignity and also the Divine decree. 146
Laylat al-Qadr ...
literally the Night of Majesty or Grandeur or Greatness ... 147
According to
Badger's English-Arabic Lexicon 148 "Grand",
"Glorious", and "Beautiful", are synonyms. Therefore Laylat
al-Qadr expresses the idea of the night of glory or brightness.
2.
Muhammad (PBUH) was "the brightest face"; "it was
as though the sun-light beamed in his countenance". 149 "There was a
glow or radiance in his countenance," "the supernatural light of
prophecy. ,,150
Abu Ishaq relates: A man
asked Bara', "Was the face of the messenger of God shining as a
sword?" He replied, "Nay (but) like the moon".151
In fact the Prophet was
the brightest of the bright, and we see no exaggeration in the words of Ibn
'Abbas who said:
The prophet never sat
opposite the sun or a light, without outshining them by his own light. 152
Well, the Buddhist
scripture says:
The sun is bright by
day, the moon shines by night, the warrior is bright in his armour;
thinkers are bright in their meditation; but among all the brightest with the
splendour of day and night is Buddha the Awakened, the Holy, the Blessed.153
No wonder, if Muhammad
(PBUH) looked "exceedingly bright" and "beautiful above expression"
in the night of al-Qadr, when the Divine light burst upon him in a flood.
It was the fortieth year
of his age when the famous revelation took place. Accounts are given of it by
Muslim writers as if received from his own lips, and it is alluded in a certain
part of the Qur'an. It was on the night called by Arabs Alkader... a flood of
light broke upon him of ... intolerable splendour ... Mahomet instantly felt
his understanding illumined with celestial light.154
3.
Muhammad (PBUH) died a natural death unlike Jesus.
4.
According to the version of 'A'ishah, Muhammad (PBUH) died at
night time. When he was expiring, there was no oil in the lamp, "and his
wife had to borrow oil for the lamp". 155
5.
Muhammad (PBUH) looked "exceedingly bright" and
"beautiful above expression" in the night of his death. Anas bin
Malik was the servitor of the Prophet just as Ananda was to the Buddha Gautama.
This' Ananda' of Muhammad (PBUH) relates:
Abu Bakr used to conduct
prayer during the illness in which the messenger of God died. When it was
Monday and people were standing in rows in prayer, he lifted up the curtain of
his room and looked towards us while standing, his face being a page of the
book (of the Qur'an), and he smiled as he found people firm in religion and
constant in prayer. We got maddened (for joy) even during the prayer in the
expectation that he intended to come out. And Abu Bakr fell back in order to
join the rank, with the idea that the messenger of God was coming out for
prayer. In the meanwhile, he made a token with his hand for completing the
prayer, he then got inside the room and dropped the curtain, and he died the
same day. 156
Comparing the face of a
man with, "a page of the book of the Qur' an" is an Arab way of
expressing the brightness, beauty and glory of the person. The Qur'an is called
"glorious" (50:1). Another report of Anas makes the matter clear:
The messenger of God did
not come out for three days. Abu Bakr advanced to conduct the prayer. In the
meantime the messenger of God lifted up the curtain. When his face was unveiled
it appeared to us so very beautiful that throughout our lives we never saw a
thing so very beautiful. He made a sign with his hand to AbU Bakr to advance
(for conducting the prayer of the congregation) and he dropped the curtain.
Ever afterwards we did not see him.157
6.
After his burial, Muhammad (PBUH), in his bodily form, was never
seen of anyone upon the earth.
Therefore Muhammad (PBUH) is the Buddha
Maitreya, not Jesus or Sankaracharya.
The personal beauty of
Maitreya
1.
His (Maitreya's) body shall be of pure gold, bright, glistening
and pure.158
2.
Asanga answered, "That is settled; but with respect to
Maitreya what is his appearance ... T" He said, "No words can describe the marks and signs, (the
personal) beauty of Maitreya ... ,,159
3.
No words can describe the personal beauty of Maitreya. 160
In the eyes of the white Christian dweller of
Europe the Jew is "swarthy". Jesus was himself a Jew
of the Jews, and unless he was an exception, he too must have possessed the
characteristic swarthy colour of his race. In the person of Jesus "the
Jews could find no form or comeliness't."161 The ancient Christian Fathers considered that
Jesus had no beauty of person:
Justin Martyr, Clemens Alexandrinus, Tertullian,
and others of the ancient fathers, concluded our savior's person to have been
deformed. 162
There is no evidence in the gospels to show that
Jesus had an uncommon beauty of person. Hence Jesus cannot be the Buddha
Maitreya. Sankaracharya too, did not possess an extraordinary beauty of person.
Muhammad (PBUH) possessed a very beautiful and
lovely person.
"In the dicta which are ascribed to him he
(prophet) declared himself to be the best in character and the most perfect in
beauty among mankind.,,163
AI- Muttalib bin AbI W ada' ah relates: ... the
messenger of God said, " ... (God ... made me ... the best.. .”164
Muhammad (PBUH) was a unique assemblage of
graces, and he is described as possessing an extraordinary beauty of person by
his contemporaries:
- Anas relates: "The messenger
of God was the most beautiful of all people ...”165
- Jabir bin Samurah relates:
"I saw the messenger of God in the moon-light, so I began to look
towards him and the moon (for comparing), he was wearing a red suit:
1 came to the conclusion that in my opinion he was more beautiful than the
moon.”166
- Ka'b bin Malik relates: “….I
came to the messenger of God and saw him sitting in the mosque, and round
him were Muslims, and he was shining like the splendour of the moon ...”167
- Bara' relates: "I never saw
a man, having locks and wearing a red suit, more beautiful than the
messenger of God. His locks were flowing down his shoulders. His breast
was broad. He was neither very stunted nor very tall.,,168
- 'Ali relates: " .. .1
never saw a man like him (the Prophet) among those who were before or
after him.,,169
- Jabir bin 'Abdullah relates:
" ... like him (the Prophet) there was none among those who were
before or after him.,,170
- Abu Hurayrah relates: "The
messenger of God was a beautiful person, so very beautiful a man I never
saw among those who were before or after him." 171
- Jabir bin Samurah relates:
"I said the afternoon prayer with the messenger of God when he walked
out to go home; 1 too went with him; in the way were seen some children;
he touched the cheeks of every child, and mine too; 1 felt a coolness and
scent in his hand as if it was just being drawn out from a casket of a
perfumer.,,172
- Anas relates: "I never
smelt amber or musk or any other scent sweeter than the smell of the body
of the messenger of God: 1 never touched silk or any thing softer than the
body of the messenger of God.,,173
- Anas relates: "The
messenger of God was white and shining and his perspiration was (white)
like pearls; when he would walk, he would do so inclining with force
onward (or leaning this side and that side.)”174
- Anas bin Malik relates:
"The messenger of God came to my house and slept; he perspired very
much. My mother brought a phial and collected the perspiration, rubbing it
down (from the leather pillow.) This awoke him and he said, O Drum Sulaym,
what are you at? She said: It is your sweat that we mix with scent: it is
in itself the best scent."175
- Bara' bin 'A.zib relates:
"The messenger of God was of middle size and the distance between his
two shoulders was great."176
- Bara' relates: "The face
of the messenger of God was the most beautiful of all and his manners were
the best. He was neither too tall nor too suinted."177
- Abu Tufayl relates: "He
(the Prophet) was of a bright white co1our.,,178
15.
15. Anas relates: " ....... his (prophet's) colour was
neither perfectly white nor wheatlike …”179
16.
16. Anas bin Malik relates:
"The messenger of God was neither too tall nor too dwarfish, neither too
white like lime nor too wheaten in colour, his hair neither too curly nor too
straight ... in his head and beard there were not even twenty white hair at the
time of his death.,,180
.
17.
Mundhir bin Jarir relates: " ........... I saw the face of
the messenger of God, it was shining like gold .....”181
18.
Abu Hurayrah relates: "Once the messenger of God was sitting
with his companions when a dweller of the desert came and asked:
19.
Who is the son of 'Abd al-Muttalib? It was replied: This man of
white and red colour who is sitting ...”182
20.
Abu Juhayfah relates: "Once the messenger of God went to
Batha' and then he made ablution and offered two prostrations of prayer at the
decline of the sun ... people began to rub his hand on their faces. I too put
his hand on my face and I found it cooler than ice and more sweet-smelling than
musk.”183
21.
They affirmed that a marvellous fragrance which, according to the
evidence of his wives and daughters, emanated from his person during life,
still continued after his death.184
22.
Ibrahim relates: "During the night time the messenger of God
could be identified by the sweet scent (of his body).”185
23.
Jabir relates: "If the messenger of God would go one way, and
if a way-farer would go the same way, he (the way-farer) could find out which
way he (the Prophet) had gone, by the sweet scent of his (body), (or the
narrator said), by the sweet scent of his perspiration.186
24.
A man (of the tribe) of Bani Harfsh relates: "When the
messenger of God stoned Ma'iz bin Malik I was present (on the scene) with my
father. When the stones were rained on him (Ma'iz) I got terror stricken. On
this the messenger of God hugged me to his breast, and his musklike
(sweet-smelling) perspiration began to flow over me.”187
25.
Abu 'Ubaydah bin Muhammad (PBUH) ... relates: " ... 0 child,
if thou hadst seen the messenger of God thou wouldst have thought (him to be
like) the risen sun.,,188
26.
Ibn 'Abbas relates: "Between the two teeth of the messenger
of God was (some) space. When he would talk light seemed to emanate from
between his teeth.,,189
27.
Ibn 'Umar relates: "I never saw a man braver, more
charitable, more valiant, more
beautiful, and more decent than the messenger of God.,,190
28.
Abu Hurayrah relates: "I never saw anyone more beautiful than
the messenger ofGod.”191
"Mohammed was distinguished by the beauty
of his person, an outward gift which is seldom despised, except by those to
whom it has been refused."I92 Mui).ammad being the
"handsomest",193 the comeliest, and the loveliest person, it is clear
that he was the Buddha Maitreya, and not Jesus or Sankaracharya.
_____________________________________________________________________________________
1)
Sacred Books of the East, op. cit., Vol. XI, p. 97.
2)
Cams, op. cit., p. 69.
3)
Beal, The Fo-Sho-Hing-Tsan-King: A Life o/Buddha, Oxford, 1883, p. 247.
4)
John Eadie, The Biblical Cyclopaedia, Religious Tract Soc., London, 1883, p.392.
5)
John, xii:6.
6)
Matthew, xxvi: 14-16
7)
Matthew, xxvi:48.
8)
Matthew, xvi:17-19.
9)
John, xiii:37.
10)
Matthew, xxvi:33 and 35.
11)
Luke, xxii:33.
12)
Mark, xiv:31.
13)
Matthew, xxvi:56.
14)
Matthew, xxvi:69-74.
15)
This hadith is
found in Bukhari and Mulsim.
16)
Washington Irving, Life of Mahomet, George Bell, London, 1874, p. 193.
17)
Tirmidhi, Book of 'lIm.
18)
Muslim, Book of Ad1ib.
19)
Muslim, Book of Fadail.
20)
Muslim and Tirmidhi.
21)
Sale, op. cit., p. 45 (footnote k).
22)
Qadi Muhammad Sulayman, op. cit., Vol. I, p. 162.
23)
Irving, op. cit., p. 182.
24)
Sale, op. cit., p. 137 (footnote s).
25)
Bukhari and Muslim.
26)
Ibid.
27)
Carns, op. cit., p. 214.
28)
Matthew, iii:16-17.
29)
John, i:29.
30)
Vinaya Text, Part III, in Sacred Books of the East, Vol. XX, op.cit., pp.
31)
246-247.
32)
Mark, xv:25.
33)
How, op. cit., in commentary to above verse (footnote 25).
34)
Matthew, xxviii:6; Mark, xvi:6; Luke, xxiv:6; John, xx:9.
35)
Luke, xxiv:39.
36)
Matthew, xxviii:9.
37)
Luke, xxiv:30; John, xxi: 12.
38)
Acts, i:3.
39)
I Corinthians, xv:4-S. The Corinthians is a conflation of several
letters from Paul of Tarsus and Sasthenes to the Christians of Corinth, Greece
in circa AD 57. [Ed.]
40)
John, xvi:16.
41)
John, xvi:22.
42)
John, xiv:1S.
43)
John, xiv:3.
44)
John, xiv:2S.
45)
Matthew, xvi:27.
46)
Matthew, xxiv:30.
47)
See Sale's commentary of chapter 97 of the Qur'an in his
translation, op. cit. [Ed.]
48)
See Muhammad Ali's commentary (footnotes 2777-2780) in his translation
of the Qur'an, op. cit. [Ed.]
49)
See George Percy Badger, An English-Arabic Lexicon, Kegan Paul, London, 1881.
50)
Sir William Muir, p. 510. The author quotes from the famous work
of Muir's The Life of Mohammad, available in various editions, and reprints. [Ed.]
51)
150.150. Irving, op. cit., p. 230.
52)
151.151. TirmidhI, Book of Manaqib.
53)
152.152.S.W. Koelle, Mohammed and Mohammedanism, Rivingtons, London, 1889, p.377.
54)
153.153. Dhammapada quoted in Carus, op. cit., p. 117.
55)
154.154. Irving, op. cit., pp. 36-37.
56)
155.155. Marcus Dods, p. 94. The author quotes from Dod's Mohammed, Buddha and Christ, published in 1877. [Ed.]
57)
Muslim, Book of Salah.
a.
Muslim, Book of Salah.
58)
Beal, Si-Yu-Ki, op. cit., Vol. II, pp. 46-47.
59)
Ibid., Vol. I, p. 229.
60)
Monier Monier-Williams, Buddhism, John Murray, London, 1890, p. 182 (quoting
Hiouen Thsang's Travels).
61)
The author quotes from footnote on Chp. UII ofIsaiah in Thomas
Scott's famous commentary on The Holy Bible, first published in 1817. The exact
edition from which this citation comes is not mentioned. The book is, however,
available in varying editions. [Ed.]
62)
Rev. W. Jenks D.D., The Comprehensive Commentary on the Holy
Bible, 1866 (publisher n/a).
63)
Margoliouth, op. cit., p. 82.
64)
Tirmidhi, Book of Manaqib,
65)
Tirmidhi, Book of Manaqib,
66)
Tirmidhi, Book of Adab.
67)
Tirmidhi, Book of Tafsir al-Qur'an,
68)
Tirmidhi, Book of Manaqib.
69)
Ibid.
70)
Bukhari, Book of Libas.
71)
Ibid.
72)
Muslim, Book of Fada'Il,
73)
Ibid.
74)
Ibid.
75)
Ibid.
76)
Ibid.
77)
Ibid.
78)
Ibid.
79)
Ibid.
80)
Muwatta', Book of Jami'.
81)
Muslim, Book of Zakah,
82)
Nasa'i, Book of Siyam,
83)
Bukhari, Book of Manaqib.
84)
Irving, op. cit., p. 227.
85)
Darimi, Book of Muqaddimah.
86)
Ibid
87)
Ibid.
88)
Ibid
89)
Ibid
90)
Ibid
91)
Tirmidhi, Book of Manaqib.
92)
John Davenport, An Apology for Mohammed and the Koran, J. Davy, 1869, London, p. 11, quoting Gibbon.
93)
Muir, op. cit., p. 510.
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Islam and China
by Mohamed Moukhtar on Monday, 14 September 2009 at 02:26 ·
There are accounts that Islam reached China, during the life of the Prophet's PBUH , and as a result of his direct order..
It is held that Islam was believed to have reached China, during the reign of the third Islamic Khalifa Othmaan Ibn Affaan..by route of land.
But there are accounts that Islam might have reached China, much earlier, by sea, through the direct order of Prophet Mohammad PBUH..Who sent his second cousin Sa'd Ibn Abi Waq'qaas with a message to the Chinese Sovereign, inviting him to Islam..The King did not himself accept Islam, but he gave the Muslims a piece of land to build a mosque on it, and is said to have also helped them build the mosque..Arabs are reported to have been trading and sailing to the port of Canton, from pre-Islamic era..And it should not surprise us if we find that this account is authentic, for the Prophet PBUH, has been reported to have encouraged education, and gaining knowledge through traveling..In one such saying he is reported to have said: اطلبوا العلم ولو بالصين
Seek to acquire knowledge, even if it ( required traveling to ) China..!
Some scientist cast doubt whether this hadith is authentic, but nonetheless, it shows that the Arabs at the time of the Prophet PBUH, did know China..and highly valued it as a country were knowledge is to be sought..!
Historical narrations suggest that the founder of the mosque "Nostalgia to the Prophet" is the noble companion Saad ibn Abi Waqqas, may Allah be pleased with him, who came to China in the earliest Islamic Mission during the life of the Holy Prophet peace upon him.
The Arabic inscriptions carved on the foundation stone plate of the mosque says:
"This is the first mosque in China built by master Saad ibn Abi Waqas may Allah be pleased with him, as he has entered this land to reveal Islam at the order of the Messenger of Allah peace be upon him, then it was renewed by those who followed time after time, Allah has preserved it till now and kept it intact. In China it represents the foundation of Islam and the source of knowledge, the Muslims of China should keep it's face bright by good architecture and fix it inwardly by Establishment of the Communion , and the Muslims of this country, especially the establishment of a school, so take heed O ye who have sights and vision ...
Signature: the guardian Sulaiman Abdul Karim .. "
The ' Huaisheng ' Mosque, and the meaning of this name is: ' Nostalgia to the Prophet ', PBUH, in the city of Guanghzhou, in the Guandong province, its foundation stone has been laid down in the reign of the Tang Dynasty, where Guanghzhou had been the port and a meeting point for the Arab trades as well as for those of the people of China, and it is the capital of the Guangdong Province, being the largest of the cities and ports in the southern coast of China, past and remains as such to the present.
It is worth mentioning that the famous traveler Ibn Battuta when he arrived there, he called it the China of China, that is the heart of China or the Real China or China Klan. And he described it as the biggest of the cities and best of them with regards to its markets ..
The Muslims - especially - in the era of both dynasties of Tang and Song, were subject to the laws and the provisions of Islamic law and not to Chinese laws, when a dispute arose between them, or when crimes were committed ,and a judge has been appointed from amongst them, who ruled according to the Islamic sharia ( law ).
( Excerpt from an article titled:
"Nostalgia to the Prophet" ... the oldest of mosques in China (2), by Mahmoud Habib.
Published in the journal voice-Azhar, No. 431 issued on Friday, 19 Dhul Hijjah 1428 December 28, 2007)
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