The purpose of this article is to examine God’s criteria, as spelled
out in the Quran, so that a believer may
separate between God’s authorized messengers and messengers sent by
other than God.
God’s Greatest Gift
God’s greatest gift is freedom (2:256, 33:72) – freedom to choose
or reject His religion based on our free
will. An important component of freedom is logic, which is defined as the
science of correct reasoning.
Reason is defined as the ability to think, form judgments and draw conclusions.
By far, the most logical
book that exists is the Quran. Based on the commandment in verse 17:36, not
to accept anything unless
verified, the religion of Submission is the most logical religion.
Satan
As worshippers of God alone, we know that Satan is our most ardent enemy
(2:168, 7:17). Satan’s
primary targets are those who have submitted to God alone and who uphold
the Quran as the only source
for religious law (6:114). Satan is interested primarily and above all on
those who still uphold the purified
message (2:151, 3:81, 3:164, 5:19, 98:2), brought forth by His messenger
of the covenant, which is based
on the Quran alone.
God’s System
God’s system never changes. God’s system dictates that, we, should
be provided both God’s as well as
Satan’s messages all the time. In conferences, in Quranic studies and
other gatherings Satan is allowed to
impart his message. The believers always reject Satan’s messages (6:112).
We have belief in God and we
have belief that Satan exists. Belief in God dictates that we believe God
and reject Satan’s messages.
God’s messages are within the confines of the Quran, while Satan’s
messages are outside the confines of
the Quran.
Messenger and Prophet
[3:81] GOD took a covenant from the prophets, saying, "I will
give you the scripture and wisdom. Afterwards, a
messenger will come to confirm all existing scriptures.
You shall believe in him and support him." He said, "Do
you agree with this, and pledge to fulfill this
covenant?" They said, "We agree." He said, "You have thus
borne witness, and I bear witness along with you."
God willed that the difference between a messenger and a prophet remain unknown
till the advent of the
His messenger of the covenant as prophesied in 3:81. We now know that prophet
Muhammad was the last
prophet, but not the last messenger.
Together with sending His messenger of the Covenant, God willed that a
floodgate be opened for Satan to
send his messengers. Ever since Dr. Rashad Khalifa announced his messengership
in 1988, an average of
more than one person per year has claimed messengership appealing to the
submitters to accept his/her
messengership. These “messengers” speak the language of the messengers
and use the buzzwords – God
alone and Quran alone – similar to a hypocrite who speaks the language
of a believer. A prudent and
careful examination of these messenger-claimants will make it obvious that
they do not meet some very
basic Quranic criteria, which set apart God’s messengers from Satan’s
messengers.
In the 1988 conference one such person declared herself a messenger. In the
1989 conference Dr. Rashad
Khalifa who personally used to introduce every participant in the conference
introduced a participant as
“Satan’s messenger” as this person claimed to be a messenger.
Between 1990 to 1995, there have been
two or three claimants. In 1996 there were five such claimants. There was
one claimant in 1997 and an
another one in 1998. The average of one or more "messenger"
per year continues to this day.
Quranic Criteria for God’s Messengers
God in his immense mercy has spelled out the criteria in the Quran, so that
the believers may recognize
His messengers as well as reject false messengers who fail to meet the simple
criteria. As believers we
know that a person is either a messenger from God or he/she is not a messenger
from God. In the latter
case such claimants qualify as messengers of Satan.
[6:34] Messengers before you have been rejected, and they
steadfastly persevered in the face of rejection. They
were persecuted until our victory came to them. Such is
GOD's system that will never change. The history of My
messengers thus sets the precedents for you.
The history of God’s messengers thus sets precedence for any future
messenger/s.
1. ADVOCATE GOD ALONE
God’s messenger will advocate worship of God alone and will abolish
all forms of idolatry (7:59-92).
2. NEVER ASKS FOR WAGES
God’s messenger never asks for wages for himself.
3. QURAN ALONE
Logic dictates that a messenger of God will uphold the Quran alone for religious
law (6:114) and not
sanction religious regulations, which are not authorized in the Quran.
All the messenger claimants since Dr. Rashad Khalifa announced his messengership
in 1988 claim to be
within the confines of the above three criteria, but stand exposed as false
messengers when it comes to the
following additional criteria as spelled out in God’s words in the Quran.
4. PROOF OF AUTHENTICITY
God’s messenger is given divine, clear, incontrovertible proof of his
messengership. All of God’s
messengers were supported with proof by God’s leave (7:101, for additional
information on messenger
and proofs see our Internet page .
Moses staff turned into a serpent by God’s leave.
Jesus healed the leprous and revived the dead by God’s leave.
Saaleh’s proof was the camel.
Abraham walked out of a fire by God’s leave.
God informs us that Muhammad’s miracle was the Quran (29:50-51).
God spells out the proof reserved for His messenger of the covenant as The
Proof (38:1).
I - Separation of The Proof and the Quran
In the following verses, God separates the Quran and The Proof.
[36:69] What we taught him (the messenger) was not poetry, nor is
he (a poet). This is but a formidable proof, and a
profound Quran.
[38:1] S. (Saad), and the Quran that contains the proof.
[41:41] Those who have rejected the Quran's proof when it came
to them, have also rejected an Honorable book.
II – We know that The Proof was given to Dr. Rashad Khalifa as
his proof of authenticity as
God’s messenger. By God’s leave he presented The Proof based on
number nineteen (74:30) to
the world. God calls this proof as “one of the great miracles”
in verses 74:35.
III – Proofs compared to The Proof.
The Quran mentions several proofs. However, clear distinction is made between
the Quran and
its Proof (38:1); proofs provided to previous messengers (7:101) and God’s
proofs/signs all
around us (2:164, 10:6).
IV – The Proof has been delivered.
The proof (38:1, 74:30-35) has been delivered. God chose to deliver it to
us through His
messenger of the covenant. God has blessed quite a few individuals and continues
to bless
individuals with components of this Proof or components of the mathematical
structure of the
Quran based on the number 19.
Those who claim to be messengers and provide “proofs” based on
number 19 reflect their blindness and
lack of understanding of the Quran by not knowing that The proof has already
been delivered. Those who
claim to have mathematical patterns other than number nineteen (74:30); the
obvious question to them is
“Where is the reference to your proof in the Quran?” |
5. THE PROOF WILL HAVE REFERENCE IN THE QURAN.
Logic dictates that since the Quran is God’s final scripture and His
final words to humanity there should
be reference to any future messenger. His proof of authenticity should also
be referenced in the Quran.
Indeed it was the case with God’s messenger of the covenant. Indeed
the history God’s messengers set
precedents for us.
6. CLEAR PROOFS
The Proof provided to the messenger of the covenant is clear, easily understood
and can be explained to
any person by any sincere person with easy Quranic references. The Quran
repeats in various verses clear
proofs given to messengers (7:101).
7. MISSION SPELLED OUT IN THE QURAN
The Quran clearly spelled out the mission of the messenger after the prophets
(3:81). The messenger will
confirm existing scriptures. Additional duties and mission are spelled out
in verses 5:19, 9:33, Sura 98,
etc. Logic, common sense and the precedent established by God (6:34) dictates
that any future messenger
will have his duties clearly spelled out in the Quran.
8. PROPHECY AND PROPHECIES
God’s messenger of the covenant, Rashad Khalifa fulfilled the Quran
prophecy in 3:81 – after all the
prophets a messenger will come for a specific mission. Other concurrent
prophecies, such as in verses
54:1-5 have also been fulfilled. Reason and logic dictate that any future
messenger will be able to point
from the Quran specific fulfillment of a Quranic prophecy.
9. THE MESSENGER’S LANGUAGE
[14:4] We did not send any messenger except (to preach) in the
tongue of his people, in order to clarify things for
them. GOD then sends astray whomever He wills, and guides
whomever He wills. He is the Almighty, the Most Wise.
SUMMARY
Dr. Rashad Khalifa, God’s messenger of the covenant, announced his
messengership in his newsletter
“Muslim Perspective” in the May 1988 issue. The entire issue was
devoted to the announcement under the
title, “God insists.” The issue that contained the announcement
provided the opportunity for any sincere
believer to examine and verify per God’s commandment in verse 17:36,
the claim of messengership.
Almost all the criteria listed above were covered in that announcement.
The message of the messenger after the prophets (3:81), the proof produced
by God’s leave and the
references in the Quran are overwhelming. God’s signs are always
overwhelming and never subtle.
Together with the simple and powerful message of worshiping God alone, Rashad
Khalifa corrected all
religious practices of the religion of Submission based on the Quran. The
purified Quran, without the two
false verses was presented to humanity for the first time. The reference
to the messenger pervades the
Quran (3:81, 5:19, 36:3, 81:19, 44:13, 98:1-3). The reference to the proof
are all over the Quran (38:1,
36:69, 74:30-35, 27:82, 98:1-8,10:1, etc.)
“Open Challenge to the Disbelievers: Give me One Good Reason”
was the challenge by Dr. Rashad
Khalifa in “Muslim Perspective” in the February 1989 issue. No
mullah, religious leader, scholar or
anyone could come up with one reason based on the Quran as to why Rashad
Khalifa was not a messenger
of God. Not one.
We have come a long way when “messengers” after Rashad Khalifa,
who claim to be messengers of God,
cannot even come up with one reason based on the Quran as to why they are
messengers of God other
than using the buzz words mentioned above! Not one.
info@submission.org
