THE POWER OF THE TONGUE

Death and life are in the power of the tongue. - Proverbs 18:21 THE tongue's influence exceeds that of all our other members combined: and to control it, therefore, in the Lord's service, is the most important work of the Lord's people in respect to their mortal bodies and the service of these rendered to the Lord. A few words of love, kindness, helpfulness,--how often have such changed the entire course of a human life!-- yea, how much they have had to do with moulding the destiny of nations! And how often have evil words, unkind words, slanderous words, done gross injustice, assassinated reputations, etc.! or, as the apostle declares, "set on fire the course of nature"--awakening passions, strifes, enmities, at first unthought of. No wonder he declares such tongues "set on fire of Gehenna"--the Second Death!

THE WORK OF EVERY CHRISTIAN

Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire. - 1 Corinthians 3:13 THE apostle speaks of this time of fiery trial, and, likening the faith and works of a zealous Christian to a house built of gold, silver and precious stones, he declares that the fire of this day, in the end of this age, shall try every man's work of what sort it is, and shall consume all but genuine faith and character structures. But we are to remember that such loyal characters grow not suddenly, in a few hours or days--mushroom like,--but are progressive developments, fine-grained and strong like the olive tree.

SELF DENIAL IS IMPORTANT

Take us the foxes, the little foxes, that spoil the vines. - Canticles 2:15 MANY deal slackly with themselves in respect to little violations of their consecration vow, saying,--"What's the use of such carefulness and so different a life from that of the world in general?" Ah! there is great use in it, for victories in little things prepare for greater things and make them possible: and on the contrary, surrender to the will of the flesh in the little things means sure defeat in the warfare as a whole. We who have become "New Creatures," reckonedly, in Christ, know that we are to be tested (if our testings have not already commenced), and should realize that only as we practice self-denials in the little things of life, and mortify (deaden) the natural cravings of our flesh in respect to food, clothing, conduct, etc., will we become strong spiritually and be able to "overcome."

DELIVERANCE PRAYERS

1. My father my maker as I pray now, scatter the plans the enemy have against me, my life, marriage and Destiny in the name of Jesus
2. My father my maker as I pray now frustrate oh Lord all the plans the enemy want to execute against me, my Life, Ministry and Destiny in Jesus name
3. My father my maker as I pray now, whatever the enemy has done in my life be revised in the name of Jesus
4. My father my maker as I pray know whatever the enemy of done in my family, to my parents, my my brothers, and my children be  reversed in the name of Jesus
5. My father my maker as I pray now, all the enemy have done to my marriage and to my partner be reverse in the name of Jesus
6. My father my maker as I pray now, all the enemy have done to the work of my hands be reverse now in the name of Jesus
7. My father my maker as I pray now all the enemy have done to my calling and my spiritual life be reverse as I pray in Jesus name
8. My father my maker as I pray now, let the evil Plantation of the enemy in my life die in the name of Jesus
9. My father my maker as I pray now, the evil Plantation of the enemy cannot grow and produce in my life and family in Jesus name
10. My father my maker as I pray now, destroy all the works and the labour of the enemy in my life in Jesus name
11. My father my maker as I pray now, frustrate all the Council of my enemies as you frustrate the Council of Ahitophel in Jesus name
12. My father my maker as the enemies of my life come together to take council scatter them with confusion in Jesus name
13. my father my maker as I pray now, let me see my desire upon my enemies in the name of Jesus
14. My father my maker as I pray now, all the powers of the enemy of my life, family and Ministry die now in Jesus
15. My father God as I pray now, force the my enemies to restore all that they have denied me of in the name of Jesus
16. My father my maker as I pray now, Prosper me and grant success beyond the thoughts and imaginations of my enemies in Jesus name
17. My father my maker as I pray now, let me receive help and favor against my enemies in the name of Jesus

DIVINE PROVIDENCE

Our God whom we serve is able to deliver us. - Daniel 3:17 THE Lord's providences vary, and it is not for His people to decide when shall come remarkable deliverances, and when they shall apparently be left entirely to the will of their enemies without any manifestation of divine favor on their behalf....Sometimes, the Lord's people who are bound, restrained of liberty to proclaim the Truth, find, as did the three Hebrews, that the fire burns the cords and sets them free, and really gives them larger opportunities to testify to the glory of our God than they could have had by any other course. It is not, therefore, for us to predetermine what shall be the divine providence in respect to ourselves; we are to note the point of right and duty and to follow it regardless of consequences, trusting implicitly to the Lord.

THE POWER IN UNDERSTANDING JESUS TEACHING

The words that I speak unto you, they are Spirit, and they are life. - John 6:63 OUR text shows that however dark and parabolic were our Lord's teachings, nevertheless, rightly understood, his message is one that is spiritually helpful and life-giving to those who can and do understand it. It is this quality of the Lord's message which makes the religion of the Bible different from that of all the heathen. It is a message of life as well as a message of holiness. It is a message of forgiveness as well as a message of condemnation. It is a message of love as well as a message of justice. His wonderful words of life--they are charming, beautiful, forceful! We may read them over year after year and we see still more beauty in them, still deeper significance, and that in proportion to our own growth in grace, our growth in knowledge, and in the Spirit of our Master. `

SUFFERING FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS

If ye suffer for righteousness' sake, happy are ye. - 1 Peter 3:14 IT is only when we are hated because of our loyalty to the Truth (directly or indirectly) that we are to take satisfaction therein, or to think that we are suffering for righteousness' sake. As the apostle points out, some suffer as evildoers and as busy-bodies in other men's matters, or because of ungentleness, uncouthness, or lack of the wisdom of moderation, which the Lord's Word counsels. It is our duty not only to study the Lord's will, but also to consider well the circumstances and the conditions which surround us, and to seek to adopt such a moderate course in life as would first of all have divine approval, and secondly, cause as little trouble, inconvenience and displeasure to others as possible, and then to confidently rely upon the Lord's supervising wisdom and providence.

Quran Contradiction on Warners (prophet)

The Quran claims that Allah has sent Warners to every nation. In fact, some of these verses imply that even prior to the coming of Muhammad, Allah had sent Warners to the Arabs:

To every people (was sent) a messenger: when their messenger comes (before them), the matter will be judged between them with justice, and they will not be wronged. S. 10:47
The worshippers of false gods say: "If Allah had so willed, we should not have worshipped aught but Him - neither we nor our fathers,- nor should we have prescribed prohibitions other than His." So did those who went before them. But what is the mission of messengers but to preach the Clear Message? For We assuredly sent amongst every People a messenger, (with the Command), "Serve Allah, and eschew Evil": of the People were some whom Allah guided, and some on whom error became inevitably (established). So travel through the earth, and see what was the end of those who denied (the Truth). S. 16:35-36
To every people did We appoint rites (of sacrifice), that they might celebrate the name of Allah over the sustenance He gave them from animals (fit for food). But your god is One God: submit then your wills to Him (in Islam): and give thou the good news to those who humble themselves,- S. 22:34
To every People have We appointed rites and ceremonies which they must follow: let them not then dispute with thee on the matter, but do thou invite (them) to thy Lord: for thou art assuredly on the Right Way. S. 22:67

The last two verses claim that Allah prescribed rituals and ceremonies for all the people, with the implication being that Allah sent messengers and/or prophets to instruct the people regarding these rituals. Allah must have also sent prophets and messengers to the Meccan Arabs, otherwise how would they have known that Allah required sacrifices and rituals? Unless, of course, one wants to claim that the phrase "every people" doesn’t necessarily include Arabs.
This, however, a Muslim cannot hold to since Islam teaches that the rituals of the pagan Meccan Arabs that Muhammad took over into Islam, were actually instituted by Abraham and Ishmael. So the inhabitants of Mecca already had had their first messengers.

Verily We have sent thee in truth, as a bearer of glad tidings, and as a warner: and there never was a people, without a warner having lived among them (in the past). S. 35:24
But (there were people) before them, who denied (the Signs),- the People of Noah, and the Confederates (of Evil) after them; and EVERY PEOPLE plotted against their prophet, to seize him, and disputed by means of vanities, therewith to condemn the Truth; but it was I that seized them! and how (terrible) was My Requital!Thus was the Decree of thy Lord proved true against the Unbelievers; that truly they are Companions of the Fire! S. 40:5-6

Combining all the above texts we are left with the conclusion that Allah sent a warner to every people, and that in each case the people plotted against the prophet that had been sent to them.
Renowned Sunni commentator Ibn Kathir stated in relation to Sura 35:24:

And there never was a nation but a warner had passed among them.) means, there was never any nation among the sons of Adam but Allah sent warners to them, and left them with no excuse. This is like the Ayat: …
<You are only a warner, and to every people there is a guide> (13:7)…
<And verily, We have sent among every Ummah a Messenger (proclaiming): "Worship Allah, and avoid all false deities.'' Then of them were some whom Allah guided and of them were some upon whom the straying was justified> (16:36). And there are many similar Ayat. (Source; bold and underline emphasis ours)

Furthermore, the Quran claims that Ishmael was a prophet:

We gave him (Abraham) Isaac and Jacob: all (three) guided: and before him, We guided Noah, and among his progeny, David, Solomon, Job, Joseph, Moses, and Aaron: thus do We reward those who do good: And Zakariya and John, and Jesus and Elias: all in the ranks of the righteous: AND ISMA’IL and Elisha, and Jonas, and Lot: and to all We gave favour above the nations: (To them) and to their fathers, and progeny and brethren: We chose them, and we guided them to a straight way. This is the guidance of Allah: He giveth that guidance to whom He pleaseth, of His worshippers. If they were to join other gods with Him, all that they did would be vain for them. These were THE MEN to whom We gave THE BOOK, and authority, and prophethood: if these (their descendants) reject them, Behold! We shall entrust their charge to a new people who reject them not. S. 6:84-89
Lo! We inspire thee as We inspired Noah and the prophets after him, as We inspired Abraham and Ishmael and Isaac and Jacob and the tribes, and Jesus and Job and Jonah and Aaron and Solomon, and as We imparted unto David the Psalms; S. 4:163 Pickthall
And relate the story of Ishmael as mentioned in the Book. He was indeed true to his promises. And he was a Messenger, a Prophet. He used to enjoin Prayer and alms-giving on his people, and he was well pleasing to his Lord. S. 19:54-55, 58 Sher Ali

Ishmael is included as one of those who received the Book and prophethood, and is said to have also enjoined prayer and charity (Zakat) upon his people/seed. Furthermore, Muslims are commanded to believe in what Allah revealed/inspired to Ishmael:

Say ye, `We believe in ALLAH and what has been revealed to us, and what was revealed to Abraham and Ishmael, and Isaac and Jacob and his children and what was given to Moses and Jesus, and what was given to all other Prophets from their Lord. We make no distinction between any of them; and to HIM we submit ourselves.' S. 2:136 Sher Ali
Say (O Muhammad): We believe in Allah and that which is revealed unto us and that which was revealed unto Abraham and Ishmael and Isaac and Jacob and the tribes, and that which was vouchsafed unto Moses and Jesus and the prophets from their Lord. We make no distinction between any of them, and unto Him we have surrendered. S. 3:84 Pickthall

The foregoing passages imply that Ishmael had enjoined on his seed the Book and religious instructions which he had received. This means that the Meccan Arabs, whom Muslims claim are the seed of Ishmael, did in fact receive a book prior to the Quran.
The Quran even claims that Abraham and Ishmael built a house for Allah, which Muslims traditionally identify as the Kabah in Mecca:

And when We appointed the House to be a place of visitation for the people, and a sanctuary, and: 'Take to yourselves Abraham's station for a place of prayer.' And We made covenant with Abraham and Ishmael: 'Purify My House for those that shall go about it and those that cleave to it, to those who bow and prostrate themselves.' And when Abraham said, 'My Lord, make this a land secure, and provide its people with fruits, such of them as believe in God and the Last Day.' He said, 'And whoso disbelieves, to him I shall give enjoyment a little, then I shall compel him to the chastisement of the Fire -- how evil a homecoming!' And when Abraham, and Ishmael with him, raised up the foundations of the House: 'Our Lord, receive this from us; Thou art the All-hearing, the All-knowing; and, our Lord, make us submissive to Thee, and of our seed a nation submissive to Thee; and show us our holy rites, and turn towards us; surely Thou turnest, and art All-compassionate; and, our Lord, do Thou send among them a Messenger, one of them, who shall recite to them Thy signs, and teach them the Book and the Wisdom, and purify them; Thou art the All-mighty, the All-wise.' S. 2:125-129 Arberry

So, if Abraham and Ishmael built the Kabah then they surely would have also given the instructions for the rituals to be performed there (of course, this is according to Muslim thinking and beliefs and not based on any actual historical facts). And if Ishmael and Abraham received books, would they not have shared them with those they lived among?
There is more. The Quran makes reference to two non-Israelite prophets/messengers named Hud and Salih:

Behold, their brother Hud said to them: "Will ye not fear (God)? I am to you an apostle worthy of all trust:" S. 26:124-125 Y. Ali; cf. 7:65-67, 11:58-59
Behold, their brother Salih said to them: "Will you not fear (God)? "I am to you an apostle worthy of all trust. S. 26:142-143 Y. Ali

The author of the Quran presupposes that his readers/hearers were already familiar with the story of the fate of the peoples of Hud and Salih. This is perhaps why he didn’t feel it was necessary to explain exactly who they were, where they were exactly from etc.
Y. Ali, in his notes to Sura 7:65 and 73, provides additional details for those of us left in the dark regarding the story of Hud and Salih:

… The ‘Ad people, with their prophet Hud, are mentioned in many places… This story belongs to Arabian tradition. Their eponymous ancestor ‘Ad was fourth in generation from Noah, having been a son of ‘Aus, the son of Aram, the son of Sam, the son of Noah. They occupied a large tract of country in Southern Arabia, extending from ‘Umman at the mouth of the Persian Gulf to Hadhramaut and Yemen at the southern end of Red Sea… (Ali, The Meaning of the Holy Quran: Translation and Commentary, p. 358, fn. 1040)
… The Thamud people were the successors to the culture and civilization of the ‘Ad people… They were cousins to the ‘Ad, apparently a younger branch of the same race. Their story also belongs to the Arabian tradition, according to which their eponymous ancestor Thamud was a son of ‘Abir (a brother of Aram), the son of Sam, the son of Noah. Their seat was in the north-west corner of Arabia (Arabia Petraea), between Medina and Syria. It included both rocky country (hijr, xv. 80), and the spacious fertile valley (Wadi) and plains country of Qura, which begins just north of the City of Medina and is traversed by the Hijaz railway… The recently excavated rock city of Petra, near Ma’an, may go back to the Thamud, though its architecture has many features connecting it with Egyptian and Greco-Roman culture overlaying what is called by European writers Nabataean culture. Who were the Nabataeans? They were an old Arab tribe which played a considerable part in history after they came in conflict with Antigonus I in 312 B.C. Their capital was Petra, but they extended their territory right up to the Euphrates. In 85 B.C. they were lords of Damascus under their king Haritha (Aretas of Roman history). For some time they were allies of the Roman Empire and held the Red Sea littoral. The Emperor Trajan reduced them and annexed their territory in A.D. 105. The Nabataeans succeeded the Thamud of Arabian tradition. The Thamud are mentioned by name in an inscription of the Assyrian King Sargon, dated 715 B.C., as a people of Eastern and Central Arabia (Encyclopaedia of Islam)… (Ibid., p. 360, fn. 1043)

Muhammad Asad writes in regard to the same verses:

… Hud is said to have been the first Arabian prophet. He may be identical with the Biblical `Eber, the ancestor of the Hebrews (`Ibrim) who - like most of the Semitic tribes - had probably originated in South Arabia. (References to `Eber are found in Genesis x, 24-25 and xi, 14 ff.) The ancient Arabian name Hud is still reflected in that of Jacob's son Judah (Yahudah in Hebrew), which provided the subsequent designation of the Jews. The name `Eber - both in Hebrew and in its Arabic form `Abir -signifies "one who crosses over" (i.e., from one territory to another), and may be a Biblical echo of the fact that this tribe "crossed over" from Arabia to Mesopotamia in pre-Abrahamic times.-The tribe of `Ad, to which Hud belonged ("their brother Hud"), inhabited the vast desert region known as Al-Ahqaf, between `Uman and Hadramawt, and was noted for its great power and influence (see 89: 8 - "the like of whom has never been reared in all the land"). It disappeared from history many centuries before the advent of Islam, but its memory always remained alive in Arabian tradition. (Asad, The Message of the Qur'an [Dar Al-Andalus Limited 3 Library Ramp, Gibraltar rpt. 1993], p. 213, fn. 48)
… The Nabataean tribe of Thamud descended from the tribe of 'Ad mentioned in the preceding passage, and is, therefore, often referred to in pre-Islamic poetry as the "Second `Ad". Apart from Arabian sources, "a series of older references, not of Arabian origin, confirm the historical existence of the name and people of Thamud. Thus the inscription of Sargon of the year 715 B.C. mentions the Thamad among the people of eastern and central Arabia subjected by the Assyrians. We also find the Thamudaei, Thamudenes mentioned in Aristo, Ptolemy, and Pliny" (Encyclopaedia of Islam IV, 736). At the time of which the Qur'an speaks, the Thamad were settled in the northernmost Hijaz, near the confines of Syria. Rock-inscriptions attributed to them are still extant in the region of Al-Hijr.-As in the case of the `Adite prophet Had-and the prophet Shu'ayb spoken of in verses 85-93 of this surah - Salih is called the "brother" of the tribe because he belonged to it. (Ibid., p. 214, fn. 56)

Asad says of S. 26:195:

… The other prophets mentioned in the Quran who "preached in the Arabic tongue" were Ishmael, Hud, Salih and Shu’ayb, all of them Arabians. In addition, if we bear in mind that Hebrew and Aramaic are but ancient Arabic dialects, all the Hebrew prophets may be included among "those who preached in the Arabic tongue." (Ibid., p. 572, fn. 82; bold emphasis ours)

According to Islamic theology, a messenger (rasul) is one who receives a book. Renowned Mu`tazila scholar al-Zamakhshari claimed:

We have never sent any messenger or prophet: (This) is a clear proof that a distinction exists between a messenger (rasul) and a prophet (nabi). (It is related) from the Prophet that he was asked about the prophets, whereupon he said: ‘(There are) one hundred and twenty-four thousand.’ When he was then asked how many messengers there were among them, he answered: ‘The great host of three hundred and thirteen.’ The distinction between the two is that a messenger is one of the prophets to whom, together with the verification miracle (mu‘jiza), the Book is sent down. A prophet, on the other hand, who is not a messenger, is one to whom no book is sent down, but who was commanded only to restrain the people on the basis of the earlier revealed law (shari‘a). (Helmut Gätje, The Qur'an and its Exegesis [Oneworld Publications, Oxford 1996], p. 54; bold emphasis ours)

The Quran states, contrary to the view of al-Zamakhshari, that prophets do indeed receive divine books:

(All) people are a single nation; so Allah raised PROPHETS as bearers of good news and as warners, and He revealed WITH THEM THE BOOK WITH TRUTH, that it might judge between people in that in which they differed; and none but the very people who were given it differed about it after clear arguments had come to them, revolting among themselves; so Allah has guided by His will those who believe to the truth about which they differed and Allah guides whom He pleases to the right path. S. 2:213 Shakir
It is not (possible) that a man, to whom is given the Book, and Wisdom, and the prophetic office, should say to people: "Be ye my worshippers rather than God's": on the contrary (He would say) "Be ye worshippers of Him Who is truly the Cherisher of all: For ye have taught the Book and ye have studied it earnestly." S. 3:79 Y. Ali
Behold! God took the covenant of the prophets, saying: "I give you a Book and Wisdom; then comes to you an apostle, confirming what is with you; do ye believe in him and render him help." God said: "Do ye agree, and take this my Covenant as binding on you?" They said: "We agree." He said: "Then bear witness, and I am with you among the witnesses." S. 3:81 Y. Ali

Hence, taking both the Quran and Islamic theology at face value, Ishmael, Hud and Salih were prophets/messengers that received books for their respective communities. In other words, all of the preceding verses presume that, even prior to Muhammad, Allah had sent prophets and messengers to every nation which would obviously include the Arabs, especially the Meccan Arabs whom Muslims claim are descendants of Ishmael. See Sahih Al-Bukhari, Volume 4, Book 55, Number 583 for further details.
The conclusions outlined above lead to several contradictions since the next verses claim that no warner was sent to the Arabs, and no book was given to them, until Muhammad’s time:

Nor wast thou at the side of (the Mountain of) Tur when we called (to Moses). Yet (art thou sent) as Mercy from thy Lord, to give warning to a people to whom no warner had come before thee: in order that they may receive admonition. S. 28:46
Or do they say, "He has forged it"? Nay, it is the Truth from thy Lord, that thou mayest admonish a people to whom no warner has come before thee: in order that they may receive guidance. S. 32:3
They swore their strongest oaths by Allah that if a warner came to them, they would follow his guidance better than any (other) of the Peoples: But when a warner came to them, it has only increased their flight (from righteousness),- S. 35:42
By the Wise Koran, thou art truly among the Envoys on a straight path; the sending down of the All-mighty, the All-wise, that thou mayest warn a people WHOSE FATHERS WERE NEVER WARNED, so they are heedless. S. 36:2-6 Arberry
And this is a Book which We have revealed as a blessing: so follow it and be righteous, that ye may receive mercy: Lest ye should say: "The Book was sent down to two Peoples before us, and for our part, we remained unacquainted with all that they learned by assiduous study:" Or lest ye should say: "If the Book had only been sent down to us, we should have followed its guidance better than they." Now then hath come unto you a clear (sign) from your Lord,- and a guide and a mercy: then who could do more wrong than one who rejecteth Allah's signs, and turneth away therefrom? In good time shall We requite those who turn away from Our signs, with a dreadful penalty, for their turning away. S. 6:155-157
But We had not given them Bookswhich they could study, nor sent messengers to them before thee as Warners. S. 34:44
What! have We given them a Book before this, to which they are holding fast? S. 43:21

In light of the preceding, what do we say about Ishmael, Salih, and Hud who were sent to Arab nations as messengers, which is in direct contradiction with Sura 34:44? Furthermore, Ishmael is explicitly said to have received the Book (S. 6:89), but S. 34:44 states that the Arabs had not received any book before Muhammad's time. [We might ask the same question about the books of Hud and Salih, since they are called messengers and by al-Zamakhshari’s definition of the term, a messenger (rasul) is one who received a book while one who is only called a prophet may not have had a book. So, this would imply that Hud and Salih also had books.]
We will leave it to the Muslims to try and make sense of these glaring contradictions.
Furthermore, what are we supposed to think of Ishmael’s Book? Did he not pass it on to his alleged descendants, which Muslims claim were the Meccan Arabs? If he did, then how can the Quran claim that the Arabs hadn’t received a book prior to Muhammad’s time? If Ishmael didn’t pass it on, then what happened to his Book? Even worse, would that not imply that Ishmael was disobedient by not delivering the message given to him?
Put differently, it seems that the Arabs are worse than the Jews. They completely lost, or even deliberately destroyed the book that Allah gave to Ishmael, not to mention the books of Hud and Salih, while the Jews have carefully kept the Torah up to this day. The Quran accuses the Jews only of misinterpreting it or hiding part of their revelation from the Muslims, but not of having losxt or destroyed it
Why would Allah give the Arabs another book if they have treated his first one with such contempt? And this question becomes even more pressing if they did not only lose or destroy Ishmael’s book but also the books of Hud and Salih!

WHEN YOU MAKE MISTAKE

*WHEN* I started *USING PENS* in primary school, I often made mistakes.
I would try hard to erase them.
Sometimes I used chalk, but it later reappeared.
So I began to use saliva, it worked but only to leave holes in my book.
My teachers then used to beat me for being outrageously dirty.
But all I tried to do was cover my errors.
One day, a kind hearted teacher called me aside.
"Little boy, anytime you make a mistake, just cross it and move on.
Trying to erase it would only damage your book".
"But, I don't want people to see my mistake and laugh at me", I protested.
"Trying to erase it will make more people know about your mess, and the stigma is for life.
*HAVE YOU MADE A MISTAKE?*
"Cross" it and move on.
That is take your mistakes to the Cross of Calvary, at the feet of Jesus, leave it there and move on.
Don't try to create more irredeemable errors by trying within your power to erase it.
'To err is human' so put it in the hands of The *DIVINE ONE.*
NOTE: The devil knows our name but he calls us by our sins...
GOD knows our sins but HE calls us by our Names.
In life, some may walk, others may run.
REMEMBER the Lord gave the tortoise and the horse the same days to reach Noah's ark.
Your journey might be rough and tough but you will definitely get to your destination.
Talk less, listen more.
Be prayerful and STAY BLESSED!!!

THE SPIRIT OF DEVOTION

We shall not find any occasion against this Daniel, except we find it against him concerning the law of his God. - Daniel 6:5 ALL are not leading spirits, as was Daniel, nor are all given to visions and revelations and interpretations, as was he; but all will have the same spirit of devotion to principles of righteousness, which devotion will be tested under divine providence, step by step, through the narrow way, as they seek to walk in the footsteps of Him who set us an example--our Daniel, our Leader, our Lord Jesus. Let all, then, who have named the name of Christ depart from iniquity; let all such be faithful: "Dare to be a Daniel."

WHO WILL OVERCOME?

To him that overcometh will I give...a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it. - Revelation 2:17 THE overcomers must all be proven to be such as would sacrifice every other thing for the Lord; such as would sacrifice the love and fellowship and approval, if necessary, of every other being, in order to retain the love and favor of the Lord. We believe that this test is coming daily closer and closer to the Lord's consecrated people, and it behooves every one of us to remember that this is one of the elements of our trial, and to set our affections on the heavenly things accordingly, and to mortify or deaden all such affections toward earthly beings and things as would bring these into competition with our Lord in our affections, service, etc.

GOD IS THE PERFECT JUDGE

There is one Lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy: who art thou that judgest another? - James 4:12 IT is in harmony with this thought that the Apostle Paul declares in one place that neither the world nor the brethren were capable of judging him--that only the Lord, who could read the heart and know all the conditions and testings and weaknesses to be striven against, could properly judge. He even declares, "Yea, I judge not mine own self." (1 Corinthians 4:3) It is an excellent plan neither to condemn others who claim to be walking conscientiously as children of the Lord, nor even to condemn ourselves under similar circumstances. We should simply press along day by day, doing the best we can to cultivate the heavenly graces and to serve our Master, leaving all the results with the Lord.

PRAYERS TO PRAY WHEN YOU NEED HELP

My father my maker as I begin to pray now let my helper the Holy Spirit help me in life, marriage and Destiny in Jesus name

My father my maker as I begin to pray now, give me Divine help in all I do through the Holy Spirit In The Name of Jesus Christ

My father my maker, as I pray now let your spirit upon me and my life begin to walk help for me in the name of Jesus Christ

my father my maker as I pray now, let me receive help in my marriage now in the name of Jesus

My father my maker as I begin to pray now let me receive financial help in the name of Jesus

My father my maker as I pray now let me receive help in my life and Ministry in the name of Jesus

My father my maker as I pray now let me receive help in all I do with my hand in the name of Jesus

My father my maker as I pray now, connect me oh God by the help of your spirit to Destiny help us in the name of Jesus

My father my maker as I pray now, the very help that will make me fulfill Destiny in life, let me receive it now in Jesus name

My father my maker as I pray now, let your spirit lead my helpers of life and Destiny to locate me in the name of Jesus

My father my make as I pray now, let me locate my help us of life and Destiny that I may receive help now in the name of Jesus

My father my maker as I pray now, let me not miss my helpers and let my helpers not miss me in Jesus name

My father my maker as I begin to pray the help that is main for me to receive will not be diverted in the mighty name of Jesus

My father my maker as I begin to pray every Power that diverts people's help in my family died in the name of Jesus

My father my maker as I begin to pray now all my help that has been diverted in the name of Jesus Christ restore now

My father my maker as I begin to pray right now, grant me the kind of help that will grant me speed in life and Ministry in the name of Jesus

My father my maker as I begin to pray right now let me receive help that will take me to places to preach in the name of Jesus Christ

My father my maker as I begin to pray now, let me receive help as I talk to people about Jesus anytime anyday in the name of Jesus

My father my maker as I pray now, let me receive help to bring conviction to people as I speak to them about the Gospel of Jesus

My father my maker as I begin to pray now, even those who hate me let them offer profitable help to me against their own will in the name of Jesus Christ

My father my maker as I begin to pray now let me be held from my persecutors in the name of Jesus

My father my maker as I begin to pray now help that will transform my life for good let me receive it now in the name of Jesus Christ

AGAINST CONDEMNATION

There is one Lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy: who art thou that judgest another? - James 4:12 IT is in harmony with this thought that the Apostle Paul declares in one place that neither the world nor the brethren were capable of judging him--that only the Lord, who could read the heart and know all the conditions and testings and weaknesses to be striven against, could properly judge. He even declares, "Yea, I judge not mine own self." (1 Corinthians 4:3) It is an excellent plan neither to condemn others who claim to be walking conscientiously as children of the Lord, nor even to condemn ourselves under similar circumstances. We should simply press along day by day, doing the best we can to cultivate the heavenly graces and to serve our Master, leaving all the results with the Lord.

PRAYER FOR FAVOUR

1. My father my maker as I begin to pray now grant me favor before your eyes in the name of Jesus Christ
2. My father my maker as I begin to pray now grants me Divine favor that will change my life from bad to good in Jesus name 
3. My father my maker as I begin to pray right now grant me favor that would promote me from this level where I am to my next level in the name of Jesus 
4. My father my maker as I begin to pray right now grant me favor that will frustrate all kind of poverty out of my life completely in the name of Jesus 
5. My father my maker as I begin to play right now grant me the kind of favor that will make me to receive help from people in the name of Jesus 
6. My father my maker as I begin to pray now by Your Divine favor remove every kind of bitterness out of my life completely in the name of Jesus 
7. My father my maker as I begin to pray right now grant me the kind of favor that will connect me to helpers of life and Destiny in the name of Jesus 
8. My father my maker as I begin to pray right now grant me the kind of favor that will remove every disgrace and shame from my life in the name of Jesus Christ 
9. My father my maker as I begin to pray right now grant me favor that will give me Financial breakthrough in life and Ministry in Jesus name 
10. My father my maker as I begin to pray right now grant me favor in everything that I do with my hand in the name of Jesus Christ 
11. My father my maker as I begin to pray right now favor that will announce the Walk of my hand locate me now and announce the Walk of my hand in Jesus name 
12. My father my maker as I begin to pray now the kind of favor that will disgrace my enemy let it locate me right now in the mighty name of Jesus Christ 
13. My father my maker as I begin to pray now the kind of favor that would wipe out every tears I have ever shade in my life locate me right now in the name of Jesus Christ

PRAYER FOR HELP

1. My father my maker as I begin to pray now let my helper the Holy Spirit help me in life, marriage and destiny in the name of Jesus 
2. my father my maker as I begin to pray now give me Divine help in all I do through the Holy Spirit In The Name of Jesus
3. My father my maker as I pray now let your Holy Spirit upon me my life begin to walk help for me in Jesus name
4. My father my maker as I pray now let me receive help in marriage now in the name of Jesus
5. My father my maker as I pray now let me receive financial help in the name of Jesus
6. My father my maker as I pray now let me receive help in my Ministry in the name of Jesus
7. My father my make as I pray now let me receive help in all I do in the name of Jesus
8. My father my maker as I pray now connect me oh Lord to my destiny helpers now in the name of Jesus
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EXAMINE YOUR FAITH TODAY

Faith without works is dead. - James 2:20 SELF-EXAMINATION along this line is very proper. If we have heard, seen, tasted, of the grace of God and enjoyed it, and if no desire to serve our gracious Father or to assist others to the same blessings that we enjoy has been manifested, it implies that our spiritual vitality is very weak and in danger of perishing. But if, on the contrary, we find ourselves burning with fervency of love for the Lord, and with appreciation of his great plan of salvation, and are consumed with a desire to tell the good tidings to others for the blessing, strengthening, upbuilding, and participation in the divine faith, it should encourage us. We should notice, too, that Jesus specially loved and favored the more zealous, vigorous, and energetic of the apostles, Peter, James, John, and we may be sure, Paul also.

THE TRUE CHRISTIAN

In the last days perilous times shall come. Men shall be traitors, heady,...lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God. - 2 Timothy 3:1, 4 THE true Christian is not "heady;" on the contrary, his consecration to the Lord figuratively decapitated him. He lost his head, renounced his own will and self-rule, and submitted himself as a member of the body of Christ, to the absolute control of Jesus, the Head....The true Christian, therefore, in every affair of life,--in respect to its pleasures as well as in respect to its burdens and trials,--appeals to his Head for direction, to know how and what to do or say--yea, to have even the very thoughts of his mind in full conformity to the will of God in Christ.

AN EPITOME OF HUMILITY

The cup which My Father hath given Me, shall I not drink it? - John 18:11 HOW the grace of humility shines out in all the little affairs of our dear Redeemer's ministry; even at the moment of His surrender to His enemies He does not boast that His course is a voluntary one, nor seek praise as a martyr! He declares the simple truth that the Father required this of Him as an evidence of His personal loyalty to Him. He confesses Himself a servant of God, a Son who learned obedience by the things which He suffered. No other lesson, perhaps, is more needed by the Lord's followers than the one of willingness to drink the cup which the Father pours--a recognition that the Father is guiding and directing in our affairs because we are His, as members of the body of the Anointed One.

THE PEACE JESUS GAVE US

Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on Thee. - Isaiah 26:3 THIS is not worldly peace, not the peace of indifference, not the peace of sloth, not the peace of self-indulgence, not the peace of fatalism; but it is the peace of Christ--"My peace." Looking back we can see that the Master preserved His peace with God under all conditions. It is a peace which implicitly trusts to the divine wisdom, love, justice and power, a peace which remembers the gracious promise made to the Lord's faithful--that nothing shall by any means hurt His faithful, and that all things shall work together for good to them that love God. This peace can accept by faith whatever divine providence permits, and can look through its tears with joyful expectancy for the ultimate blessings which the Master has promised, and of which the present peace and joy are merely foretastes.

WHY BELIEVERS FACE TRIBULATIONS

Confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God. - Acts 14:22 OUR word tribulation is derived from the Latin tribulum, the name of a roller or threshing machine used in olden times for cleaning wheat, removing from it the outer husk or chaff. How appropriate the thought when applied to the Lord's consecrated people, who in the Scriptures are symbolized by wheat. Our new natures are the kernel, the real grain; yet this treasure or valuable part is covered with the husk of earthly conditions. And in order that the wheat may be made properly ready for the “garner” and for usefulness, it is necessary that each grain shall pass through the tribulation necessary to separate those qualities which, until separated, render us unfit for the future service to which we are called by the Lord. In proportion as we are able to realize our own imperfections, and the perfect will of God concerning us, we will be enabled to bear patiently, and even with a certain kind of rejoicing, all the tribulations which the Master shall see best to let come upon us. “We glory in tribulations also.” `

THE OBEDIENCE WHICH GOD REGARDED

Be ye filled with the Spirit. - Ephesians 5:18 THE measure of our filling will correspond with the measure of our emptying of the spirit of self-will, and filling with the spirit of faith and obedience. And although the obedience cannot do otherwise than manifest itself in the daily life, nevertheless it is the obedience of the intention, of the will, of the heart, that the Lord regards in His consecrated people. Hence some whose hearts are thoroughly loyal to the Lord may be pleasing to Him, while not the most pleasing to some of those with whom they come in contact; while others, "highly esteemed among men" because of outward moralities, may be an "abomination" in the sight of God, because of coldness or dishonesty of heart. Nevertheless, he that hath the new hope in him, and the new spirit, will seek to purify himself, not only in his thoughts, but also in his words and deeds and all his affairs, inward and outward.

THE QUR'AN CONTRADICT ALLAH HIMSELF, WHETHER HE CAN BE SEEN OR NOT

The Quran suggests that Muhammad saw Allah, that he had a vision in which Allah appeared to him visibly:
By the Star when it plunges, your comrade is not astray, neither errs, nor speaks he out of caprice. This is naught but a revelation revealed, taught HIM by ONE terrible in power, very strong; HE STOOD POISED, being on the higher horizon, THEN DREW NEAR and suspended hung, two bows’-length away, or nearer, then REVEALED TO HIS SERVANT that HE REVEALED. His heart lies not of what he saw; what, will you dispute with him what he sees? Indeed, he SAW HIM ANOTHER TIME by the Lote-Tree of the Boundary nigh which is the Garden of the Refuge, when there covered the Lote-Tree that which covered; his eye swerved not; nor swept astray. Indeed, he saw one of the greatest signs of his Lord. S. 53:1-18 Arberry
The above refers to an unnamed comrade who hasn’t gone astray and who doesn’t speak out of caprice. Muslims unanimously take this to be an obvious reference to Muhammad. It goes on to say that he (Muhammad) was taught by one terrible in power, very strong (Allah), and that he (Allah) stood poised and drew near and revealed to his servant (Muhammad) the revelation. The expression "revealed to his servant" clearly shows that this is speaking of Allah and Muhammad, that Allah appeared to Muhammad in order to grant him revelation. The text cannot be saying that Gabriel appeared to Muhammad since this would imply that the latter is the servant of Gabriel.
Lo! I swear by the slinkers, the runners, the sinkers, by the night swarming, the dawn sighing, truly this is the word of a noble Messenger (rasoolin kareemin) having power, with the Lord of the Throne secure, obeyed, moreover trusty. Your companion is not possessed; he truly SAW HIM on the clear horizon; he is not niggardly of the Unseen. And it is not the word of an accursed Satan; where then are you going? It is naught but a Reminder unto all beings, for whosoever of you who would go straight; but will you shall not, unless God wills, the Lord of all Being. S. 81:15-29 Arberry
The above reference seems to be saying that Muhammad is the companion who is not possessed, the noble messenger having power who is secure with the Lord of the throne, i.e. Allah. There is even another text which identifies Muhammad as a noble messenger:
it is the speech of a noble Messenger (rasoolin kareemin). It is not the speech of a poet (little do you believe) nor the speech of a soothsayer (little do you remember). A sending down from the Lord of all Being. Had he invented against Us any sayings, We would have seized him by the right hand, then We would surely have cut his life-vein and not one of you could have defended him. S. 69:40-47 Arberry
If this is the case then S. 81:15-29 is another reference to Muhammad seeing Allah on a clear horizon.
In fact, specific Islamic narrations understood that these texts, specifically Sura 53, meant that Muhammad had actually seen his lord:
Chapter 78: THE MEANING OF THE WORDS OF ALLAH:" HE SAW HIM IN ANOTHER DESCENT" (AL-QUR'AN, LIII. 13). DID THE APOSTLE (MAY PEACE BE UPON HIM) SEE HIS LORD ON THE NIGHT OF HIS JOURNEY (TO HEAVEN)?

It is narrated on the authority of Ibn ‘Abbas that he (the Holy Prophet) saw (Allah) with his heart. (Sahih Muslim, Book 001, Number 0334)
It is narrated on the authority of Ibn Abbas that the words: "The heart belied not what he saw" (al-Qur'an, Iiii. 11) and "Certainly he saw Him in another descent" (al-Qur'an, Iiii. 13) imply that he saw him twice with his heart. (Sahih Muslim, Book 001, Number 0335)
Carefully note here that Ibn Abbas understood Sura 53:11,13 to be referring to Muhammad seeing Allah, not Gabriel.
Narrated AbdurRahman ibn A’ish
Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him) said: I saw my Lord, the Exalted and Glorious in the most beautiful form. He said: What do the Angels in the presence of Allah contend about? I said: Thou art the most aware of it. He then placed HIS PALM between my shoulders and I felt its coldness in my chest and I came to know what was in the Heavens and the Earth. He recited: ‘Thus did we show Ibrahim the kingdom of the Heavens and the Earth and it was so that he might have certainty.’(6:75)
Darimi reported it in a mursal form and Tirmidhi also reported. (Tirmidhi Hadith, Number 237; ALIM CD-ROM Version)
Narrated Mu’adh ibn Jabal
Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him) was detained one morning from observing the dawn prayer (in congregation) along with us till the sun had almost appeared on the horizon. He then came out hurriedly and Iqamah for prayer was observed and he conducted it (prayer) in brief form. When he had concluded the prayer by saying As-salamu alaykum wa Rahmatullah, he called out to us saying: Remain in your places as you were. Then turning to us he said: I am going to tell you what detained me from you (on account of which I could not join you in the prayer) in the morning. I got up in the night and performed ablution and observed the prayer as had been ordained for me. I dozed in my prayer till I was overcome by (sleep) and lo, I found myself in the presence of my Lord, the Blessed and the Glorious, IN THE BEST FORM. He said: Muhammad! I said: At Thy service, my Lord. He said: What these highest angels contend about? I said: I do not know. He repeated it thrice. He said: Then I saw Him put HIS PALMS between my shoulder blades till I felt the coldness of HIS FINGERS between the two sides of my chest. Then everything was illuminated for me and I could recognize everything. He said: Muhammad! I said: At Thy service, my Lord. He said: What do these high angels contend about? I said: In regard to expiations. He said: What are these? I said: Going on foot to join congregational prayers, sitting in the mosques after the prayers, performing ablution well despite difficulties. He again said: Then what do they contend? I said: In regard to the ranks. He said: What are these? I said: Providing of food, speaking gently, observing the prayer when the people are asleep. He again said to me: Beg (Your Lord) and say: O Allah, I beg of Thee (power) to do good deeds, and abandon abominable deeds, to love the poor, that Thou forgive me and show mercy to me and when Thou intendst to put people to trial Thou causes me to die unblemished and I beg of Thee Thy love and the love of one who loves Thee and the love for the deed which brings me near to Thy love. Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him) said: It is a truth, so learn it and teach it.
Transmitted by Ahmad, Tirmidhi who said: This is a hasan sahih hadith and I asked Muhammad ibn Isma'il about this hadith and he said: It is a sahih hadith. (Tirmidhi Hadith, Number 245; ALIM CD-ROM Version)
These narrations obviously presuppose that Allah took the form of a man, a point reiterated by the next traditions taken from another Muslim source:
The Prophet saw Allah before death as is the doctrine of the majority of Ah al-Sunna thus related from al-Nawawi by al-Qari. The evidence for this is the hadith of Ibn ‘Abbas whereby the Prophet said: "I saw my Lord" (ra’aytu rabbi). Ibn Kathir cited it in his commentary on Sura al-Najm and declared its chain sound, but considered it part of the hadith of the dream cited below. Ibn Qayyim [see excerpt below] relates that Imam Ahmad considered such sight to be in the Prophet’s sleep but remains a true sight – as the dreams of Prophets are true – and that some of the Imam’s companions mistakenly attributed to him the position that the Prophet saw his Lord "with the eyes of his head."
Al-Bayhaqi also narrated the hadith "I saw my Lord" in al-Asma’ wa al-Sifat with a sound chain but with the addition: "in the form of a curly-haired, beardless young man wearing a green robe," a condemned, disauthenticated addition and concatenation with another hadith that refers to Gibril. Hence al-Suyuti interpreted it either as a dream or, quoting his shaykh Ibn al-Humam, as "the veil of form" (hijab al-sura)… (Islamic Doctrines and Beliefs: Volume 1: The Prophets in Barzakh, The Hadith of Isra’ and Mir’aj, The Immense Merits of Al-Sham, The Vision of Allah, Al-Sayyid Muhammad Ibn ‘Alawi al-Maliki, translation and notes by Dr. Gibril Fouad Haddad [As-Sunna Foundation of America 1999], pp. 137-138; bold and underline emphasis ours)
In a footnote the translator mentions another narration that says Allah appeared as a man!
… and from Umm al-Tufayl by al-Tabarani (6:158 #3385). The latter chain actually states: "I saw my Lord in the best form of a beardless young man" and was rejected by al-Dhahabi in Tahdhib al-Mawdua’at (p. 22 #22)… (p. 139, fn. 257)
How interesting. Some Muslims were forging narrations in which they had Allah appearing as a young man!
The Quran also says that no one can see Allah:
Such is GOD your Lord, there is no god except He, the Creator of all things. You shall worship Him alone. He is in control of all things. No visions can encompass Him, but He encompasses all visions. He is the Compassionate, the Cognizant. S. 6:102-103 Khalifa
It is not fitting for a man that God should speak to him EXCEPT by inspiration, or from behind a veil, or by the sending of a messenger to reveal, with God’s permission, what God wills: for He is Most High, Most Wise. S. 42:51 Y. Ali
In light of this plain denial of anyone being able to see Allah it is therefore not surprising to find conflicting views and narrations which deny that Muhammad saw his lord:
Narrated Masruq:
I said to 'Aisha, "O Mother! Did Prophet Muhammad see his Lord?" Aisha said, "What you have said makes my hair stand on end! Know that if somebody tells you one of the following three things, HE IS A LIAR: Whoever tells you that Muhammad saw his Lord, IS A LIAR." Then Aisha recited the Verse:
‘No vision can grasp Him, but His grasp is over all vision. He is the Most Courteous Well-Acquainted with all things.’ (6.103) ‘It is not fitting for a human being that Allah should speak to him except by inspiration or from behind a veil.’ (42.51) ‘Aisha further said, "And whoever tells you that the Prophet knows what is going to happen tomorrow, is a liar." She then recited:
‘No soul can know what it will earn tomorrow.’ (31.34) She added: "And whoever tells you that he concealed (some of Allah's orders), is a liar." Then she recited: ‘O Apostle! Proclaim (the Message) which has been sent down to you from your Lord…’ (5.67) ‘Aisha added. "But the Prophet saw Gabriel in his true form twice." (Sahih al-Bukhari, Volume 6, Book 60, Number 378)
Narrated Masruq:
‘Aisha said, "If anyone tells you that Muhammad has seen his Lord, HE IS A LIAR, FOR ALLAH SAYS: ‘No vision can grasp Him.’ (6.103) And if anyone tells you that Muhammad has seen the Unseen, he is a liar, for Allah says: ‘None has the knowledge of the Unseen but Allah.’" (Sahih al-Bukhari, Volume 9, Book 93, Number 477)
It is narrated on the authority of Masruq that he said: I was resting at (the house of) 'A'isha that she said: O Abu 'A'isha (kunya of Masruq), there are three things, and he who affirmed even one of them fabricated the greatest lie against Allah. I asked what they were. She said: He who presumed that Muhammad (may peace be upon him) saw his Lord (with his ocular vision) fabricated the greatest lie against Allah. I was reclining but then sat up and said: Mother of the Faithful, wait a bit and do not be in a haste. Has not Allah (Mighty and Majestic) said: "And truly he saw him on the clear horizon" (al-Qur'an, lxxxi. 23) and "he saw Him in another descent" (al-Qur'an, liii. 13)? She said: I am the first of this Ummah who asked the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) about it, and he said: Verily he is Gabriel. I have never seen him in his original form in which he was created except on those two occasions (to which these verses refer); I saw him descending from the heaven and filling (the space) from the sky to the earth with the greatness of his bodily structure. She said: Have you not heard Allah saying: "Eyes comprehend Him not, but He comprehends (all) vision. And He is Subtle, and All-Aware" (al-Qur'an, vi. 103)? (She, i. e. 'A'isha, further said): Have you not heard that, verily, Allah says: "And it is not vouchsafed to a human being that Allah should speak unto him otherwise than by revelation, or from behind a veil, or that He sendeth a messenger (angel), so that he revealeth whatsoever He wills. Verily He is Exalted, Wise" (al-Qur'an, xlii. 51) She said: He who presumes that the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) concealed anything from the Book, of Allah fabricates the greatest lie against Allah. Allah says: "O Messenger! Deliver that which has been revealed to thee from thy Lord, and if thou do (it) not, thou hast not delivered His message" (al-Qur'an, v. 67). She said: He who presumes that he would inform about what was going to happen tomorrow fabricates the greatest lie against Allah. And Allah says: "Say thou (Muhammad): None in the heavens and the earth knoweth the unseen save Allah" (al-Qur'an, xxvii. 65). (Sahih Muslim, Book 001, Number 0337)
Here, Aisha recites Suras 6:103 and 42:51 to prove that Muhammad could not have seen his lord, and explicitly stated that if anyone claims otherwise then he or she is a liar. Thus, according to one of the mothers of the Muslim believers, one whom many even recognize as being a scholar of Islam, men such as Ibn Abbas are liars for contradicting the Quran!
There is more:
Al-Shaibini reported to us: I asked Zirr b. Hubaish about the words of Allah (the Mighty and Great): "So he was (at a distance) of two bows or nearer" (al-Qur'an, liii. 8). He said: Ibn Mas'ud informed me that, verily, the Apostle of Allah (may peace be upon him) saw Gabriel and he had six hundred wings. (Sahih Muslim, Book 001, Number 0330)
Al-Shaibani narrated on the authority of Zirr who narrated it on this authority of Abdullah that the (words of Allah): "The heart belied not what he saw" (al Qur'an, liii. 11) imply that he saw Gabriel (peace be upon him) and he had six hundred wings. (Sahih Muslim, Book 001, Number 0331)
Zirr b. Hubaish narrated it on the authority of 'Abdullah (that the words of Allah): "Certainly he saw of the greatest signs of Allah" (al-Qur'an, liii. 18) imply that he saw Gabriel in his (original) form and he had six hundred wings. (Sahih Muslim, Book 001, Number 0332)
It is narrated on the authority of Abu Huraira that the (words of Allah): "And certainly he saw him in another descent" (al-Qur'an, Iiii. 13) imply that he saw Gabriel. (Sahih Muslim, Book 001, Number 0333)
Moreover:
Chapter 79: PERTAINING TO HIS (PROPHET'S) WORDS: HE IS A LIGHT; HOW COULD I SEE HIM? - AND HIS WORDS: I SAW THE LIGHT
It is narrated on the authority of Abu Dharr: I asked the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him): Did you see thy Lord? He said: He is a Light. How could I see Him? (Sahih Muslim, Book 001, Number 0341)
Abdullah b. Shaqiq reported: I said to Abu Dharr: Had I seen the Messenger of Allah, I would have asked him. He (Abu Dharr) said: What is that thing that you wanted to inquire of him? He said: I wanted to ask him whether he had seen his Lord. Abu Dharr said: I, in fact, inquired of him, and he replied: I saw Light. (Sahih Muslim, Book 001, Number 0342)
The same source cited earlier that is translated by Haddad also records the views of those who denied that Muhammad saw his lord, noting the contradictions:
Others considered Ibn ‘Abbas’ narration to refer to a vision with the eyes of the heart, as elucidated by Ibn ‘Abbas’ other narrations in Sahih Muslim and al-Tirmidhi (hasan): "He saw him with his heart." Another narration from Ibn ‘Abbas in Muslim states: "He saw him with his heart twice," in his commentary on the verses <The heart lied not (in seeing) what it saw> (53:11), <And verily he saw him, yet another time> (53:13)…
Many sound reports show that the Companions differed SHARPLY whether the Prophet saw Allah or not. Ibn ‘Abbas related that he did, while Ibn Mas‘ud, ‘A’isha, Abu Hurayra, and Abu Dharr related reports TO THE CONTRARY, stating that the verses of Sura al-Najm and other Suras referred to Gibril, and that the Prophet said that he saw light. (Haddad, pp. 144-145; underline and capital emphasis ours)
And:
A narration by al-Tirmidhi from al-Sha‘bi cites two positions in context:
Ibn ‘Abbas met Ka‘b [al-Ahbar] in ‘Arafa and asked him about something, whereupon Ka‘b began to shout Allahu Akbar! Until the mountains answered him. Ibn ‘Abbas said: "We are the Banu Hashim!" Ka‘b said: "Allah has apportioned His vision and His speech between Muhammad and Musa. Musa spoke with Him twice and Muhammad saw him twice." Masruq said: "Later I went to ‘A’isha and asked: ‘Did Muhammad see his Lord?’ She replied: ‘You have said something that makes my hair stand on end.’ I said: ‘Do not rush!’ and recited [the verses which conclude with] the verse <Verily he saw one of the greater revelations of his Lord> (53:18). She said: ‘Where is this taking you? It was about Gibril. Whoever tells you that Muhammad saw his Lord, or concealed something which he was commanded [to reveal], or knew the five things which Allah mentioned <Lo! Allah! With Him is knowledge of the Hour. He sends down the rain [and knows that which is in the wombs. No soul knows what it will earn tomorrow, and no soul knows in what land it will die. Lo! Allah is Knower, Aware]> (31:34) – HE HAS TOLD AN ENORMOUS LIE. Rather, he saw Gibril, who he did not see in his actual form except twice: once at the Lote-Tree of the Farthest Boundary (sidra al-muntaha) and once in Jiyad [in Mecca], with his six hundred wings, he had filled the firmament.’" (Ibid., pp. 147-148; underline and capital emphasis ours)
Finally:
Ibn al-Qayyim in Zad al-Ma‘ad said:
The Companions differed whether the Prophet actually saw his Lord that night [of isra’ and mi‘raj] or not. It is authentically narrated from Ibn ‘Abbas that the Prophet saw his Lord, and also authentically related that Ibn ‘Abbas said: "He saw Him with his heart." It is also authentically related from ‘A’isha and Ibn Mas‘ud THAT THEY DENIED SUCH VISION, saying that Allah’s words <And verily he saw him, yet another time, at the Lote Tree of the Farthest Boundary> (53:13) refer to Gibril. It is also authentically related from Abu Dharr that the latter asked the Prophet: "Did you see your Lord?" and he replied: "[I saw] a huge light, how could I see Him?" (nurun anna arah?). That is: light came in between myself and His sight, as stated in the wording: "I saw light" (ra’aytu nuran). Uthman ibn Sa‘id al-Darimi said that the Companions all agreed that the Prophet did not see Him. Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyya – may Allah sanctify his soul! – said:
Ibn ‘Abbas’s[sic] statement that "He saw Him" does not contradict that claim, nor his statement that "He saw Him with his heart." For it is also authentically related that the Prophet said: "I saw my Lord- glorified and exalted is He!" However, the latter was not during the isra’ but in Madina, when the Prophet was occupied and could not be with the Companions at the time of the dawn prayer, after which he told them about his vision of Allah during his sleep at night. It is on that evidence that Imam Ahmad based himself when he said: "Yes, he saw him in reality (na‘am ra’ahu haqqan), for the dream-vision of Prophets are real." This is absolutely true, but Ahmad did not say that he saw Him with the eyes of his head while awake. Whoever said that he did, is mistaken. Ahmad said one other time: "He saw Him" and another time: "He saw Him with his heart." These are two statements narrated from him on the issue. The third statement whereby "He saw Him with the eyes of his head" comes from the free paraphrase of some of his companions. Ahmad’s texts are present with us, and nowhere are such words found in them. (Ibid., pp. 148-150; capital emphasis ours)
To summarize the confusion and contradictions:
Did Muhammad see Allah or did he see Gabriel?
Were Ibn Abbas and the majority of the people of Sunna correct that Muhammad did see his lord?
Or were Aisha, Ibn Masud, Abu Hurayra, and Abu Dharr correct that it wasn’t his lord that he saw, but Gabriel?
Can a believer see Allah in this life whether in a vision and/or in a visible form?
Or can a person only know Allah from revelation, through a messenger, and/or behind a veil where Allah remains hidden?
If Allah can be seen, then was Aisha wrong for quoting Suras 6:103 and 42:51 to prove the contrary?
Or was Aisha correct that Allah cannot be seen, which means that Ibn Abbas and the others were all liars (according to her own words) for teaching the contrary?
And if even those closest to Muhammad couldn’t figure this out, but contradicted each other, how can any Muslim expect to be able to settle this confusion?

THE CENTER OF THE GOSPEL

Through this Man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins. - Acts 13:38 THE apostle does not refer to something that was done by our Lord as the Archangel before “he was made flesh,” nor does he refer to any work to be done by him in his new, highly exalted condition, “set down with his Father in his throne” and partaker of his divine nature; but he here refers to the work done by “the Man Christ Jesus, who gave himself a ransom for all.” Thus the apostle again emphasizes the fact that “as by man came death, by man also came the resurrection of the dead.” Yes, this is the center of the Gospel proclamation that the failure of the first perfect man was fully offset by the sacrifice of the Man Christ Jesus, and that it was to this end that it was needful for our Lord to leave the glory which he had with the Father before the world was, to become poor (in the sense of taking our lower nature--but not its blemishes, for he was “holy, harmless, and separate from sinners”); and yielding up this human nature a ransom-price or corresponding price for the life forfeited by father Adam for himself and his race. This is the basis upon which every offer to grace is presented by the Scriptures. And now, he who was the Father's agent in the redemptive work is to be the Father's agent also in the work of “blessing” all the redeemed with ample opportunities for return to divine favor--the first step of which is the forgiveness of sins. `

CAN YOU IMAGING HOW THE QUR'AN CONTRADITED INFORMING US ABOUT WHO IS THE FIRST MUSLIM

According to several passages in the Quran, Muhammad was the first Muslim:
Say: Shall I choose for a protecting friend other than Allah, the Originator of the heavens and the earth, Who feedeth and is never fed? Say: I am ordered to be the first to surrender [aslama] (unto Him). And be not thou (O Muhammad) of the idolaters. S. 6:14 Pickthall
Say, verily my Lord hath directed me into a right way, a true religion, the sect of Abraham the orthodox; and he was no idolater. Say, verily my prayers, and my worship, and my life, and my death are dedicated unto God, the Lord of all creatures: He hath no companion. This have I been commanded: I am the first Moslem (Wa 'Ana 'Awwalu Al-Muslimin). S. 6:161-163 Sale
He hath no associate. This am I commanded, and I am the first of the Muslims. S. 6:163 Rodwell
Say (O Muhammad): Lo! I am commanded to worship Allah, making religion pure for Him (only). And I am commanded to be the first of those who are muslims (surrender unto Him). S. 39:11-12 Pickthall
This is contradicted by both the Quran and various Islamic traditions which refer to the presence of true believers both before and during Muhammad’s alleged "call" to prophethood. The Quran mentions that Adam, Noah, the Patriarchs, the twelve tribes of Israel, Moses, Jesus etc., were all believers and many of them even messengers who lived a long time before Muhammad:
Behold, thy Lord said to the angels: "I will create a vicegerent on earth." They said: "Wilt Thou place therein one who will make mischief therein and shed blood?- whilst we do celebrate Thy praises and glorify Thy holy (name)?" He said: "I know what ye know not."… And behold, We said to the angels: "Bow down to Adam" and they bowed down. Not so Iblis: he refused and was haughty: He was of those who reject Faith. We said: "O Adam! dwell thou and thy wife in the Garden; and eat of the bountiful things therein as (where and when) ye will; but approach not this tree, or ye run into harm and transgression."… When learnt Adam from his Lord words of inspiration, and his Lord Turned towards him; for He is Oft-Returning, Most Merciful. S. 2:30, 34-35, 37
We have sent thee inspiration, as We sent it to Noah and the Messengers after him: we sent inspiration to Abraham, Isma'il, Isaac, Jacob and the Tribes, to Jesus, Job, Jonah, Aaron, and Solomon, and to David We gave the Psalms. S. 4:163
We gave him Isaac and Jacob: all (three) guided: and before him, We guided Noah, and among his progeny, David, Solomon, Job, Joseph, Moses, and Aaron: thus do We reward those who do good: S. 6:84
And when Ibrahim and Ismail raised the foundations of the House: Our Lord! accept from us; surely Thou art the Hearing, the Knowing: Our Lord! and make us both submissive (muslimayni) to Thee and (raise) from our offspring a nation submitting (ommatan muslimatan) to Thee, and show us our ways of devotion and turn to us (mercifully), surely Thou art the Oft-returning (to mercy), the Merciful. Our Lord! and raise up in them an Apostle from among them who shall recite to them Thy communications and teach them the Book and the wisdom, and purify them; surely Thou art the Mighty, the Wise. And who forsakes the religion of Ibrahim but he who makes himself a fool, and most certainly We chose him in this world, and in the hereafter he is most surely among the righteous. When his Lord said to him, Be a Muslim (aslim), he said: I submit myself (aslamtu) to the Lord of the worlds. And the same did Ibrahim enjoin on his sons and (so did) Yaqoub. O my sons! surely Allah has chosen for you (this) faith, therefore die not unless you are Muslims (illa waantum muslimoona). Nay! were you witnesses when death visited Yaqoub, when he said to his sons: What will you serve after me? They said: We will serve your God and the God of your fathers, Ibrahim and Ismail and Ishaq, one God only, and to Him do we submit (wanahnu lahu muslimoona). S. 2:127-133 Shakir
When Jesus found Unbelief on their part He said: "Who will be My helpers to (the work of) Allah?" Said the disciples: "We are Allah's helpers: We believe in Allah, and do thou bear witness that we are Muslims. S. 3:52
Ibrahim was not a Jew nor a Christian but he was (an) upright (man), a Muslim (musliman), and he was not one of the polytheists. S. 3:67 Shakir
They are not all alike; of the followers of the Book there is an upright party; they recite Allah's communications in the nighttime and they adore (Him). They believe in Allah and the last day, and they enjoin what is right and forbid the wrong and they strive with one another in hastening to good deeds, and those are among the good. And whatever good they do, they shall not be denied it, and Allah knows those who guard (against evil). S. 3:113-115 Shakir
Then will Allah say: "O Jesus the son of Mary! Recount My favour to thee and to thy mother. Behold! I strengthened thee with the holy spirit, so that thou didst speak to the people in childhood and in maturity. Behold! I taught thee the Book and Wisdom, the Law and the Gospel and behold! thou makest out of clay, as it were, the figure of a bird, by My leave, and thou breathest into it and it becometh a bird by My leave, and thou healest those born blind, and the lepers, by My leave. And behold! thou bringest forth the dead by My leave. And behold! I did restrain the Children of Israel from (violence to) thee when thou didst show them the clear Signs, and the unbelievers among them said: ‘This is nothing but evident magic.’ And behold! I inspired the disciples to have faith in Me and Mine Messenger: they said, 'We have faith, and do thou bear witness that we bow to Allah as Muslims.’" S. 5:110-111
Lo! it is from Solomon, and lo! it is: In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful; Exalt not yourselves against me, but come unto me as those who surrender (muslimeena). ... So, when she came, it was said (unto her): Is thy throne like this? She said: (It is) as though it were the very one. And (Solomon said): We were given the knowledge before her and we had surrendered (wakunna muslimeena) (to Allah). ... It was said unto her: Enter the hall. And when she saw it she deemed it a pool and bared her legs. (Solomon) said: Lo! it is a hall, made smooth, of glass. She said: My Lord! Lo! I have wronged myself, and I surrender (aslamtu) with Solomon unto Allah, the Lord of the Worlds. S. 27:30-31, 42, 44 Pickthall
Apart from various groups being called guided, having the right faith, or even having been given inspiration, we have at least Abraham and the disciples of Jesus being explicitly called Muslims (3:52, 67, 5:111). Certainly both Abraham and the disciples of Jesus lived long before Muhammad.
In fact, the Quran claims that all believers were essentially Muslims:
And strive in His cause as ye ought to strive, (with sincerity and under discipline). He has chosen you, and has imposed no difficulties on you in religion; it is the cult of your father Abraham. It is He Who has named you Muslims, both before and in this (Revelation); that the Messenger may be a witness for you, and ye be witnesses for mankind! So establish regular Prayer, give regular Charity, and hold fast to Allah! He is your Protector - the Best to protect and the Best to help! S. 22:78
Would that not qualify them as being Muslims and believers even before Muhammad? Certainly, this would make Adam the first believer, the first Muslim, wouldn’t it?
Excursus:
The Quran says that every person is created in a natural state of religion, which the hadith interprets as Islam. In other words, every human being is born Muslim!
Then set your face upright for religion in the right state -- the nature made by Allah in which He has made men; there is no altering of Allah's creation; that is the right religion, but most people do not know -- S. 30:30 Shakir
Narrated Abu Huraira:
Allah's Apostle said, "Every child is born with a true faith of Islam (i.e. to worship none but Allah Alone) but his parents convert him to Judaism, Christianity or Magianism, as an animal delivers a perfect baby animal. Do you find it mutilated?" Then Abu Huraira recited the holy verses: "The pure Allah's Islamic nature (true faith of Islam) (i.e. worshipping none but Allah) with which He has created human beings. No change let there be in the religion of Allah (i.e. joining none in worship with Allah). That is the straight religion (Islam) but most of men know, not." (30.30) (Sahih Al-Bukhari, Volume 2, Book 23, Number 441)
Narrated Abu Huraira:
The Prophet said, "Every child is born with a true faith of Islam (i.e. to worship none but Allah Alone) and his parents convert him to Judaism or Christianity or Magianism, as an animal delivers a perfect baby animal. Do you find it mutilated?" (Sahih Al-Bukhari, Volume 2, Book 23, Number 467)
Again, doesn’t this show that every person who lived before Muhammad was already a Muslim, at least for some time, even though many of them may have deviated from the path later on?
Ibn Ishaq mentions four persons during Muhammad’s time who were said to be followers of the religion of Abraham:
One day when the Quraysh had assembled on a feast day to venerate and circumambulate the idol to which they offered sacrifices, this being a feast which they held annually, four men drew apart secretly and agreed to keep their counsel in the bonds of friendship. They were Waraqa b. Naufal, Ubaydullah b. Jahsh, whose mother was Umayma d. 'Abdu'l Muttalib, Uthman b. al-Huwayrith and Zayd b. 'Amr. They were of the opinion that their people had corrupted the religion of their father Abraham, and that the stone they went round was of no account, it could neither hear nor see, nor hurt nor help. ‘Find yourselves a religion,’ they said, ‘for by God you have none.’ So they went their ways seeking the ‘Hanaffiya’ -- the religion of Abraham. (The Life of Muhammad, trans. Alfred Guillaume [Oxford University Press Karachi], p. 99; underlined emphasis ours)
Interestingly, the Quran calls Abraham a Hanif:
Ibrahim was neither a Jew nor a Christian, but he was a true Muslim Hanifa, and he was not of the Mushrikin. S. 3:67 Ibn Kathir(*)
Say: "Truly, my Lord has guided me to a straight path, a right religion, the religion of Ibrahim, a Hanif." S. 6:161 Ibn Kathir(*)
Al-Bukhari records Muhammad’s run in with one of these so-called Hanifs:
Narrated 'Abdullah:
Allah's Apostle said that he met Zaid bin 'Amr Nufail at a place near Baldah and this had happened before Allah's Apostle received the Divine Inspiration. Allah's Apostle presented a dish of meat (that had been offered to him by the pagans) to Zaid bin 'Amr, but Zaid refused to eat of it and then said (to the pagans), "I do not eat of what you slaughter on your stone altars (Ansabs) nor do I eat except that on which Allah's Name has been mentioned on slaughtering." (Sahih Al-Bukhari, Volume 7, Book 67, Number 407)
Amazingly, it was one of these very Hanifs that convinced Muhammad that he was a prophet of God:
Khadija then accompanied him to her cousin Waraqa bin Naufal bin Asad bin 'Abdul 'Uzza, who, during the PreIslamic Period became a Christian and used to write the writing with Hebrew letters. He would write from the Gospel in Hebrew as much as Allah wished him to write. He was an old man and had lost his eyesight. Khadija said to Waraqa, "Listen to the story of your nephew, O my cousin!" Waraqa asked, "O my nephew! What have you seen?" Allah's Apostle described whatever he had seen. Waraqa said, "This is the same one who keeps the secrets (angel Gabriel) whom Allah had sent to Moses. I wish I were young and could live up to the time when your people would turn you out." Allah's Apostle asked, "Will they drive me out?" Waraqa replied in the affirmative and said, "Anyone (man) who came with something similar to what you have brought was treated with hostility; and if I should remain alive till the day when you will be turned out then I would support you strongly." But after a few days Waraqa died and the Divine Inspiration was also paused for a while. (Sahih Al-Bukhari, Volume 1, Book 1, Number 3)
These sources make it quite evident that Muhammad was by no means the first believer.
It doesn’t stop here. The Quran elsewhere claims that Moses was the first to believe:
When Moses came to the place appointed by Us, and his Lord addressed him, He said: "O my Lord! show (Thyself) to me, that I may look upon thee." Allah said: "By no means canst thou see Me (direct); But look upon the mount; if it abide in its place, then shalt thou see Me." When his Lord manifested His glory on the Mount, He made it as dust. And Moses fell down in a swoon. When he recovered his senses he said: "Glory be to Thee! to Thee I turn in repentance, and I am the first to believe." S. 7:143
According to the Quran, to be a believer is to be a Muslim since there is no other religion acceptable before Allah:
The true religion with God is Islam. Those who were given the Book were not at variance except after the knowledge came to them, being insolent one to another. And whoso disbelieves in God's signs. God is swift at the reckoning. S. 3:19 Arberry
Whoso desires another religion than Islam, it shall not be accepted of him; in the next world he shall be among the losers. S. 3:85 Arberry
And, as the above verses showed, the Quran claims that all the prophets and messengers were Muslims. Hence, for Moses to be the first believer means that he was also the first Muslim.
In fact, people can be called Muslims without being Mu'mineen (believers) yet, but certainly not vice versa since the Quran states:
The Arabs said, "We are Mu'mens (believers)." Say, "You have not believed; what you should say is, ‘We are Muslims (submitters),’ until belief is established in your hearts." If you obey GOD and His messenger, He will not put any of your works to waste. GOD is Forgiver, Most Merciful. S. 49:14 R. Khalifa
We obviously can’t have two "firsts." Either Muhammad was the first to believe or Moses was the first. Some Muslims get really ingenious and claim that these passages are simply stating that Muhammad and Moses were the first to believe from their respective generations. Others claim that these passages actually mean that these individuals were the first amongst their contemporaries to receive the message:
The Quran refers to every messenger as the first believer among his people. This is quite logical since the messenger is the first to receive the message. Muhammad is spoken of as the first Muslim/Believer among his people, since the revelation came to him before all others.
When we read the story of Moses in Sura 7, we read how he refered[sic] to himself as the first of the believers. Obviously Moses did not mean that he is the first believer of all time, but what he meant is that he was the first to believe from among his own people: (Source)
This last explanation is simply erroneous since nothing in the passages state that "first" here means that they were the first to receive the message. In fact, the Quran itself refutes this claim since we find in the case of Moses that both his mother and brother Aaron were believers who had received inspiration:
We have sent thee inspiration, as We sent it to Noah and the Messengers after him: we sent inspiration to Abraham, Isma'il, Isaac, Jacob and the Tribes, to Jesus, Job, Jonah, Aaron, and Solomon, and to David We gave the Psalms. S. 4:163
Then after them sent We Moses and Aaron to Pharaoh and his chiefs with Our Signs. But they were arrogant: they were a people in sin. S. 10:75
And, out of Our Mercy, We gave him his brother Aaron, (also) a prophet. S. 19:53
In the past We granted to Moses and Aaron the criterion (for judgment), and a Light and a Message for those who would do right,- S. 21:48
He said: "O my Lord! I do fear that they will charge me with falsehood: "My breast will be straitened. And my speech may not go (smoothly): so send unto Aaron. And (further), they have a charge of crime against me; and I fear they may slay me." Allah said: "By no means! proceed then, BOTH OF YOU, with Our Signs; We are with you, and will listen (to your call). So go forth, BOTH OF YOU, to Pharaoh, and say: 'We have been sent by the Lord and Cherisher of the worlds 'Send thou with us the Children of Israel.’" S. 26:12-17 (Cf. S. 20:29-41; 23:45; 25:35; 28:33-35; 37:114-120)
And We inspired the mother of Moses, saying: Suckle him and, when thou fearest for him, then cast him into the river and fear not nor grieve. Lo! We shall bring him back unto thee and shall make him (one) of Our messengers. S. 28:7
Although one could perhaps argue that God spoke to Moses slightly earlier than to Aaron, in the case of Moses’ mother, she clearly received divine inspiration (and believed and obeyed it) before God spoke to Moses.
The Holy Bible states:
"Then the anger of the LORD burned against Moses, and He said, ‘Is there not your brother Aaron the Levite? I know that he speaks fluently. And moreover, behold, he is coming out to meet you; when he sees you, he will be glad in his heart. You are to speak to him and put the words in his mouth; and I, even I, will be with your mouth and his mouth, and I will teach you what you are to do. Moreover, he shall speak for you to the people; and he will be as a mouth for you and you will be as God to him’… Now the LORD said to Aaron, ‘Go to meet Moses in the wilderness.’ So he went and met him at the mountain of God and kissed him. Moses told Aaron all the words of the LORD with which He had sent him, and all the signs that He had commanded him to do." Exodus 4:14-16, 27-28
In fact, the immediate context of Sura 7:143 shows that Aaron was already a believer at this time:
They said, 'We believe in the Lord of all Being, the Lord of Moses and Aaron… And We appointed with Moses thirty nights and We completed them with ten, so the appointed time of his Lord was forty nights; and Moses said to his brother Aaron, 'Be my successor among my people, and put things right, and do not follow the way of the workers of corruption.'… And when Moses came to Our appointed time and his Lord spoke with him, he said, 'Oh my Lord, show me, that I may behold Thee!' Said He, 'Thou shalt not see Me; but behold the mountain -- if it stays fast in its place, then thou shalt see Me.' And when his Lord revealed Him to the mountain He made it crumble to dust; and Moses fell down swooning. So when he awoke, he said, 'Glory be to Thee! I repent to Thee; I am the first of the believers.' S. 7:121-122, 142
The sorcerers’ response presupposes that Aaron was there assisting Moses and was therefore a believer; the fact that Moses assigns him as his successor further assumes this point.
It is quite evident in light of the foregoing that God spoke with Aaron around the same time he had spoken with Moses. This means that Moses was neither the first believer, nor necessarily the first person that God spoke with.
Furthermore, we already saw that both the Quran and Islamic sources plainly show that Muhammad was by no means the first believer. The Quran also shows that there were other believers besides Aaron during the time of Moses:
A believer, A MAN from among THE PEOPLE OF PHARAOH, who had concealed his faith, said: "Will ye slay a man because he says, ‘My Lord is Allah’? - when he has indeed come to you with Clear (Signs) from your Lord? And if he be a liar, on him is (the sin of) his lie: but, if he is telling the Truth, then will fall on you something of the (calamity) of which he warns you: truly Allah guides not one who transgresses and lies! O my people! Yours is the dominion this day: Ye have the upper hand in the land: but who will help us from the Punishment of Allah, should it befall us?" Pharaoh said: "I but point out to you that which I see (myself); Nor do I guide you but to the Path of Right!" Then said the man who believed: "O my people! Truly I do fear for you something like the Day (of disaster) of the Confederates (in sin)! - Something like the fate of the People of Noah, the Àd, and the Thamüd, and those who came after them: but Allah never wishes injustice to His Servants. And O my people! I fear for you a Day when there will be Mutual calling (and wailing),- A Day when ye shall turn your backs and flee: no defender shall ye have from Allah: any whom Allah leaves to stray, there is none to guide. And to you there came Joseph in times gone by, with Clear Signs, but ye ceased not to doubt of the (Mission) for which he had come: at length, when he died, ye said: 'No messenger will Allah send after him.' Thus doth Allah leave to stray such as transgress and live in doubt,- (Such) as dispute about the Signs of Allah, without any authority that hath reached them, very hateful (is such conduct) in the sight of Allah and of the Believers. Thus doth Allah seal up every heart - of arrogant tyranical"… The man who believed said further: "O my people! Follow me: I will lead you to the Path of Right. O my people! This life of the present is nothing but (temporary) enjoyment: it is the Hereafter that is the Home that will last. "He that works evil will not be requited but by the like thereof: and he that works a righteous deed - whether man or woman - and is a Believer- such will enter the Garden (of Bliss): therein will they have abundance without measure. And O my people! How (strange) it is for me to call you to Salvation while ye call me to the Fire! Ye do call upon me to blaspheme against Allah, and to join with Him partners of whom I have no knowledge; and I call you to the Exalted in Power, Who forgives again and again! Without doubt ye do call me to one who has no claim be called to, whether in this world, or in the Hereafter; our return will be to Allah: and the Transgressors will be Companions of the Fire! Soon will ye remember what I say to you (now), My (own) affair I commit to Allah: for Allah (ever) watches over His Servants." Then Allah SAVED HIM from (every) evil that they plotted (against him), but the brunt of the Chastisement encompassed on all sides THE PEOPLE OF PHARAOH. In front of the Fire will THEY be brought, morning and evening: and (the sentence will be) on the Day when the Hour comes to pass: "Cast ye the people of Pharaoh into the severest Penalty!" S. 40:28-35, 38-46 Y. Ali
The presence of an Egyptian believer shows that Moses wasn’t the first believer of his generation. This person must have been a believer for a while since he knows of the prophets sent to the people of Ad and Thamud, of Noah, Joseph, and those that came later.
The problem worsens since this last passage contradicts the following Sura:
"(Pharaoh) said: ‘If thou takest any god other than me, I will certainly put thee in prison!’ (Moses) said: ‘Even if I showed you something clear (and) convincing?’ (Pharaoh) said: ‘Show it then, if thou tellest the truth!’ So (Moses) threw his rod, and behold, it was a serpent, plain (for all to see)! And he drew out his hand, and behold, it was white to all beholders! (Pharaoh) said to the Chiefs around him: ‘This is indeed a sorcerer well-versed: His plan is to get you out of your land by his sorcery; then what is it ye counsel?’ They said: ‘Keep him and his brother in suspense (for a while), and dispatch to the Cities heralds to collect- And bring up to thee all (our) sorcerers well-versed.’ So the sorcerers were got together for the appointment of a day well-known, And the people were told: ‘Are ye (now) assembled?- That we may follow the sorcerers if they win?’ So when the sorcerers arrived, they said to Pharaoh: ‘Of course - shall we have a (suitable) reward if we win?’ He said: ‘Yea, (and more),- for ye shall in that case be (raised to posts) nearest (to my person).’ Moses said to them: ‘Throw ye- that which ye are about to throw!’ So they threw their ropes and their rods, and said: ‘By the might of Pharaoh, it is we who will certainly win!’ Then Moses threw his rod, when, behold, it straightway swallows up all the falsehoods which they fake! THEN did the sorcerers fall down, prostrate in adoration, Saying: ‘We believe in the Lord of the Worlds, The Lord of Moses and Aaron.’ Said (Pharaoh): ‘Believe ye in Him before I give you permission? Surely he is your leader, who has taught you sorcery! But soon shall ye know! Be sure I will cut off your hands and your feet on opposite sides, and I will crucify you all!’ They said: ‘No matter! For us, we shall but return to our Lord! Only, our desire is that our Lord will forgive us our faults, SINCE WE ARE THE FIRST TO BELIEVE.’" S. 26:29-51
Here it is the magicians that are the first ones who came to faith! This contradicts the earlier passages claiming that Muhammad was the first to believe, and that Moses was the first to believe. Even if one wants to restrict it to mean only the first ones among the Egyptians, it contradicts 40:28 quoted above which reports about another Egyptian believer. Moreover, Moses had grown up among the Egyptians (from early infancy until well into his adulthood), he had even been adopted by the wife of the Pharaoh (according to the Quran), so he was certainly counted as an Egyptian by them, not as a foreigner.
Now, someone may say that first here doesn’t mean historically the first to believe, but that Muhammad was first in the sense of being the foremost of believers, the most prominent in position. After all, the Quran does mention that Allah has chosen some prophets above others:
And those Messengers, some We have preferred above others; some there are to whom God spoke, and some He raised in rank. And We gave Jesus son of Mary the clear signs, and confirmed him with the Holy Spirit. And had God willed, those who came after him would not have fought one against the other after the clear signs had come to them; but they fell into variance, and some of them believed, and some disbelieved; and had God willed they would not have fought one against the other; but God does whatsoever He desires. S. 2:253
And thy Lord knows very well all who are in the heavens and the earth; and We have preferred some Prophets over others; and We gave to David Psalms. S. 17:55
The problem with this view is that the Quran does not explicitly present Muhammad as the premier prophet or messenger. A careful analysis of the Quran actually shows that both Jesus and Moses are in fact greater. Note, for instance, what is said about Jesus’ supposed family and ancestral line (we say supposedly since Jesus wasn’t a descendant of Imran):
God chose Adam and Noah and the House of Abraham and the House of Imran above all beings, the seed of one another; God hears, and knows. When the wife of Imran said, 'Lord, I have vowed to Thee, in dedication, what is within my womb. Receive Thou this from me; Thou hearest, and knowest.' And when she gave birth to her she said, 'Lord, I have given birth to her, a female.' (And God knew very well what she had given birth to; the male is not as the female.) 'And I have named her Mary, and commend her to Thee with her seed, to protect them from the accursed Satan.' … And when the angels said, 'Mary, God has chosen thee, and purified thee; He has chosen thee above all women. S. 3:33-36, 42
Here, Jesus’ mother is exalted above all women with her father Imran being chosen above all else. The text seems to be narrowing down the line of those whom Allah chose above the rest, i.e. beginning with Adam, Noah, then chooses Abraham and his descendants, and from all of Abraham’s descendants chooses the family or house of Imran above the rest. The claim that Mary is exalted above all women supports this understanding of the passage, i.e. that from all of Abraham’s seed Imran and his household, which according to the Quran includes Jesus, were chosen above them all. Furthermore, there are other things which the Quran says about Jesus which makes him vastly superior to Muhammad.
Even in the above texts where it is stated that Allah has preferred some to others, the author of the Quran didn’t mention Muhammad but Jesus and David. Thus, based on the immediate contexts themselves, we can safely say that Jesus and David were definitely two of the messengers preferred above the others. But we can’t say this of Muhammad.
Besides, one still has to deal with the problem of Moses being the first believer, which could also be understood as implying that he was the most prominent, thereby contradicting the claim that Muhammad was. Even the hadiths say that Muhammad wasn’t as great as Moses:
Narrated Abu Huraira:
"A man from the Muslims and a man from the Jews quarreled, and the Muslim said, ‘By Him Who gave superiority to Muhammad over all the people!’ The Jew said, ‘By Him Who gave superiority to Moses over all the people!' On that the Muslim lifted his hand and slapped the Jew. The Jew went to Allah's Apostle and informed him of all that had happened between him and the Muslim. The Prophet said, ‘Do not give me superiority over Moses, for the people will fall unconscious on the Day of Resurrection, I will be the first to regain consciousness and behold, Moses will be standing there, holding the side of the Throne. I will not know whether he has been one of those who have fallen unconscious and then regained consciousness before me, or if he has been one of those exempted by Allah (from falling unconscious).’" (See Hadith No. 524, Vol. 8) (Sahih Al-Bukhari, Volume 9, Book 93, Number 564)
The hadith also has Muhammad admitting that Abraham was the best creature, not him:
Anas b. Malik reported that a person came to Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) and said: O the best of creation; thereupon Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) said: He is Ibrahim (peace be upon him). (Sahih Muslim, Book 030, Number 5841)
The Muslim may say that Moses and Muhammad were the most prominent amongst their respective contemporaries. In other words, Moses and Muhammad were both the first in the sense of being preeminent over their respective generations.
But even this explanation is problematic since the context shows that, at least as far as Muhammad is concerned, first can only mean the first one (in time) to submit to the unity of Allah:
Say: Shall I choose for a protecting friend other than Allah, the Originator of the heavens and the earth, Who feedeth and is never fed? Say: I am ordered to be the first to surrender (unto Him). And be not thou (O Muhammad) of the idolaters. S. 6:14 Pickthall
Say: "Verily, my Lord hath guided me to a way that is straight,- a religion of right,- the path (trod) by Abraham the true in Faith, and he (certainly) joined not gods with Allah." Say: "Truly, my prayer and my service of sacrifice, my life and my death, are (all) for Allah, the Cherisher of the Worlds: No partner hath He: this am I commanded, and I am the first of those who bow to His will. S. 6:161-163 Y. Ali
In S. 6:14 the temporal aspect is obvious. "First" in Sura 6:161-163 has to be understood in a temporal sense as well, since the text speaks of having been guided to a way that is straight, to the right religion, presupposing that he was on a different way before. So there is a change in time in regard to his beliefs, and he is supposed to be the first one who bows to Allah’s will.
The reference to Abraham, the true in faith (6:161) may be taken as an indication that 6:163 is referring to Muhammad being the first Muslim of his time, or among his people, as otherwise it would be in contradiction to the statement only two verses earlier.
More importantly, the Quran shows that Moses wasn’t the most prominent of his time since there was someone named Al-Khadir who was greater:
And remember the time when Moses said to his young companion, `I will not cease pursuing my course until I reach the junction of the two seas, though I may have to journey on for ages. But when they reached the place where the two seas met, they forgot their fish and it made its way into the sea going away quickly. And when they had gone beyond that place, he said to his young companion, `Bring us our morning meal. Surely, we have suffered much fatigue on account of this journey of ours.' He replied, `Didst thou see, when we betook ourselves to the rock for rest and I forgot the fish - and none but Satan caused me to forget to mention it to thee - it took its way into the sea in a marvelous manner? He said, `That is what we have been seeking.' So they both returned, retracing their footsteps. Then they found a servant of OURS, upon whom WE had bestowed mercy from US, and whom WE had taught knowledge from Ourselves. Moses said to him, `May I follow thee on condition that thou teach me some of the guidance which thou hast been taught?' He replied, `Thou canst not have patience with me; And how can thou have patience about the things the knowledge of which thou comprehendest not?' He said, `Thou wilt find me, if ALLAH please, patient and I shall not disobey any command of thine.' He said, `Well, if thou wouldst follow me, then ask me no questions about anything till I myself speak to thee about it.' So they both set out till, when they embarked in a boat, he made a hole in it. Moses said, `Hast thou made a hole in it to drown those who are in it ? Surely, thou hast done a grievous thing.' He replied, `Did I not tell thee that thou canst not have patience with me?' Moses said, `Take me not to task for what I forgot and be not hard on me for this lapse of mine.' So they journeyed on till when they met a young boy; he slew him. Moses said, `What! hast thou slain an innocent person without his having slain anyone ! Surely, thou hast done a hideous thing.' He replied, `Did I not tell thee that thou couldst never bear with me patiently?' Moses said, `If I ask thee concerning anything after this, keep me not in thy company, for then thou shalt have got sufficient excuse from me.' So they went on till, when they came to the people of a town, they asked its people for food, but they refused to receive them as their guests. And they found therein a wall which was about to fall and he repaired it. Moses said, If thou hadst so desired, thou couldst have taken payment for it.' He said, `This is the parting of the ways between me and thee. I will tell thee the meaning of that which thou wast not able to bear with patience; As for the boat, it belonged to certain poor people who worked on the sea and I desired to damage it, for there was behind them a king who seized every boat by force; And as for the youth, his parents were believers, and we feared lest on growing up he should involve them into trouble through rebellion and disbelief; So we desired that their Lord should give them in exchange one better than he in purity and closer in filial affection; And as for the wall, it belonged to two orphan boys in the town, and beneath it was a treasure belonging to them, and their father had been a righteous man, so thy Lord desired that they should reach their age of full strength and take out their treasure, as a mercy from thy Lord and I did it not of my own accord. This is the explanation of that which thou could not bear with patience.' S. 18:60-82 Sher Ali
Therefore, not only is it a mere assumption that first here refers to prominence or preeminence, this assertion directly contradicts the context of the passages which clearly define first to mean the first one submitting to and believing in the unity of Allah (at least in the case of Muhammad). They are also at tension with the Quran’s reference to a servant from Allah who was more knowledgeable and greater than Moses.
And, as we saw above, Muhammad was definitely not the first one to submit to Allah since the so-called Hanifs, which we already mentioned, were said to be monotheists following the religion of Abraham.
Let us summarize all the problems thus far:
The Quran claims that Muhammad was the first believer/submitter.
Both the Quran and Islamic sources show that there were true believers both before Muhammad’s birth and during his lifetime, specifically before his alleged call to faith and prophethood, demonstrating that the latter was far from being the first.
The Quran also claims that Moses was the first to believe. Since you cannot have two firsts, this is a clear-cut contradiction. Moreover, Abraham is explicitly called a Muslim and he lived a long time before both of them.
This last claim, i.e. Moses being the first to believe, is negated by passages mentioning persons during Moses’ time that also believed, i.e. the Egyptian of Sura 40 who knew of God’s messengers/prophets such as Joseph.
Sura 26 contradicts Sura 40 since we are told that Pharaoh’s magicians were the first to believe.
To make matters worse, the claim that some of Pharaoh’s magicians believed in Moses contradicts S. 10:83 which says that none believed in him except some of Moses’ own people! (Cf. this article.)
Our analysis leads us to conclude that first cannot mean preeminence or prominence, but must mean the first in time, either in all of history or within the respective generations. Yet either understanding results in contradictions to other statements of the Quran which show that neither Moses nor Muhammad was the first to believe even during their generations.
And it becomes even more complicated ... There seems to be evidence which shows that the Quran views Abraham as the first Muslim. We saw that in several places believers are called to embrace the religion of Abraham, that Islam is the belief system which Abraham espoused and exhorted his children to walk in (cf. 2:132-133; 3:67; 4:125; 6:161; 22:78).
The constant emphasis on Islam being the religion of Abraham — as opposed to Adam, Noah etc. —, may mean that the Quran’s author assumed that the faith actually started with him. This understanding can be inferred from the following text:
And strive in His cause as ye ought to strive, (with sincerity and under discipline). He has chosen you, and has imposed no difficulties on you in religion; it is the cult of your father Abraham. It is He Who has named you Muslims, both before and in this (Revelation); that the Apostle may be a witness for you, and ye be witnesses for mankind! So establish regular Prayer, give regular Charity, and hold fast to God! He is your Protector - the Best to protect and the Best to help! S. 22:78 Y. Ali
The implication of the above is that Allah started using the term Muslim for believers during the time of Abraham, and that is why it is called his faith or cult. Not coincidentally Abraham is the first one among all the prophets and messengers who are mentioned in the Quran that is expressly called a Muslim!
The following are the occurrences of the words Muslim, Muslims, surrender (i.e. aslama, aslamoo, aslimoo, oslima, aslamtu) so that the readers can investigate this issue for themselves: 2:112, 128, 131-133, 136; 3:20, 52, 64, 67, 80, 83-84, 102; 4:92, 125; 5:44, 111; 6:14, 163; 7:126; 10:72, 84, 90; 11:14; 12:101; 15:02; 16:89, 102; 21:108; 22:34, 78; 27:31, 42, 81, 91; 28:53; 29:46; 30:53; 33:35; 37:103; 39:12, 54; 40:66; 41:33; 43.69; 46:15; 49:14, 17; 51:36; 66:05; 68:35; 72:14
Now lest we be accused of misunderstanding the text or distorting the teaching of the Quran, note what the following Muslim author says about this very issue:
The misunderstanding and poor interpretation here stems from their lack of understanding of the word Islam (Submission). In spite of the fact that God tells us in the Quran that Islam (Submission to God Alone) is as old as Abraham WHO WAS THE FIRST MUSLIM (see 2:128, 2:131, 2:133) AND WHO WAS THE FIRST TO NAME US MUSLIMS (22:78), still the Muslim scholars today insist that Islam is confined to being the religion of the Quran!!!
By creating such a false statement, the Muslim scholars claim to be the custodians of the message! In 3:67 God specifically tells us that Abraham was neither Jewish nor Christian, but a monotheist Muslim. God also tells us in 5:111 that Jesus and the Disciples were Muslim. In 27:44 tells us that Solomon was Muslim and in 5:44 we are told of all the prophets who were given the Torah and who were all Muslim.
What all these verses are confirming is that there are Muslims who followed the Torah and the Bible and who knew nothing of the Quran. These Muslims were submitters to God Alone, Lord of the universe. (Source; capital emphasis ours)
In the above quotation there seems to be a misunderstanding regarding S. 22:78. One probably has to understand this verse in the sense that it was not Abraham but Allah who gave the believers the name "Muslims". Still, we would agree that these passages give the impression that this happened first at the time of Abraham, i.e. Abraham and his descendants are the first ones who are explicitly called Muslims in the Quran.
If this is the case then we have several more contradictions which the Muslims must work through. Abraham being the first Muslim would contradict the statements that Moses and/or Muhammad were the first believers/Muslims. This also contradicts the fact that there were other prophets and messengers before Abraham, such as Adam and Noah, who obviously were believers otherwise they couldn’t be Allah’s spokespersons! That is, unless we are to understand from this that even though Noah and others were believers before Abraham, their religion wasn’t Islam. They actually had a different religion.
If the foregoing conclusion regarding Abraham is correct then Muslims have a lot of problems that they must deal with.