From Prophet Moses’s 600 Prophets To Qur’an’s One Last Prophet – OpEd

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Abu Dharr remarked that one day he asked the Messenger of Allah: How many prophets are there in all? He replied: 124,000. He then asked: How many of them were messenger (who proclaim a sacred text) prophets? He replied: 313 from the above group. He asked: Who was the first of them? He replied: Adam…The first prophet from Bani Israel was Musa and the last of them (the Jewish Prophets) was Isa (Prophet Jesus) and they were in all 600 (Jewish) prophets.” (Biharul Anwar, Vol. 11, Pg. 32)

Islam is the youngest of the three Abrahamic religions and the one that spread the fastest. Islam offers a much less restrictive religion than Judaism; and a much more Unitarian God concept than Christianity.  “Thus We appointed [chose] you (Muslims) to be the community of the middle way, so that you might be witnesses to all mankind, and the Messenger (Muhammad) might be a witness to you.” (Qur’an 2:143) for “who is better in religion than one who submits himself to Allah while being a doer of good and follows the religion of Abraham, inclining toward truth? And Allah took Abraham as an intimate friend.” (4:125)

Prophet Abraham was the first Muslim Hebrew as Qur’an 3:67 states: “He (Abraham) was not Yahuudiyyan, “a Jew”, nor Nasraaniyyan, “a Christian”, but rather a Haniifan” i.e. “a monotheistic Hebrew believer submitting (Islam) to the one imageless God who created all space and time; and who made Prophet Abraham’s descendants through Prophets Isaac and Jacob (Israel), into a great multitude of monotheists called the People of Israel-Banu Israel.

Prophet Abraham was the first person to be called a “Hebrew” in the Hebrew Bible (Genesis 14:13). The term Hebrew probably comes from the verb to go over a boundary, like the Euphrates or Jordan river, or to be a migrant. Ten generations later the Philistines in Canaan used the term “Hebrews” to refer to the 12 tribes of Israel: “The Philistine commanders asked, “What about these Hebrews?” (1 Samuel 29:3); and Prophet Jonah identified himself to non-Jewish sailors as “a Hebrew” (Jonah 1:9). 

The Prophet Isaiah said: “Listen to me, you who pursue righteousness, you who seek the Lord: look to the rock from which you were hewn, and to the quarry from which you were dug. Look to Abraham your father and to Sarah who bore you; for he [Abraham] was only one [person] when I called him, that I might bless him and multiply him. (Isaiah 51:1-2) and the Qur’an states: “You have an excellent example to follow in Abraham.” (60:4) and “Follow the way of Abraham as people of pure faith.” (3:95)

Most people in the world have learned of Prophet Abraham, not by reading a book of Jewish history or religion, but by listening to and reading from the Christian Bible or the Muslim Qur’an. This unique and amazing situation is a reflection of a promise made to Prophet Abraham more than 36 centuries ago, and recorded in both the Torah and the Qur’an.

“I swear (says God) because you did this – not withholding your son, your favorite one, I will bestow My blessing on you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and the sand on the seashore; and your descendants shall seize the gates of their foes.  All the nations of the earth shall bless themselves by your descendants, because you have obeyed My command.” (Genesis 22:16-18) and “Indeed, We chose him (Abraham) as one pure and most distinguished in the world, and he is surely among the righteous in the Hereafter”. (Qur’an 2:130)

Prophet Isaiah also said: But you, Israel, my servant, Jacob, whom I have chosen, are the offspring of Abraham, my friend;”  (Isaiah 41:8) So the biological offspring of Prophet Abraham (the Bani Israel) became the first ongoing monotheistic community when God rescued them from Egyptian oppression; and made an ongoing covenant with them at Mount Sinai. Prophet Abraham was not born a Jew, but his descendants from his grandson Jacob/Israel became the Banu Israel—Jewish People.

Also Prophet Abraham was the only prophet to have two sons who God chose to be tested along with their father; and later to become prophets. Prophet Ishmael, Abraham’s oldest son, was a prophet in Arabia; whose long distant biological descendant, Prophet Muhammad. became the last prophet from Abraham’s descendants.   

Prophet Issac had a son and a grandson who also became prophets, and their descendants, Prophets Moses, Aaron and the 598 prophets within the Children of Israel, with Prophet Jesus as their last prophet, was the only ongoing monotheistic community in the world because as the Qur’an says: “Similarly, no Messenger came to the People before them, but they said (of him)  “A sorcerer, or one possessed'” (51:52) 

And as the Qur’an inform us: “The people of Noah denied before them, and the companions of the well and Thamūd; and ʿAad and Pharaoh and the brothers [neighbors] of Lot; and the companions of the forest, and the people of Tubbaʿ. All denied the messengers (Allah sent them) so My threat was justly fulfilled.” [50:12-14] 

All the monotheistic communities that did last for a few generations, always fell away during subsequent centuries; while most, but not all, of Bani Israel remained loyal to the covenant God made with them at Mount Sinai: “Before (Messengers Abraham, Moses, David, and Jesus) We sent messengers to many nations, and We afflicted the nations with suffering and adversity, that they call Allah in humility. When the suffering reached them from Us, why then did they not call Allah in humility? On the contrary, their hearts become hardened, and Satan made their sinful acts seem alluring to them. (Qur’an 6:42-43)

I look forward to Prophet Abraham’s request for Allah to “make this a land of peace, and provide its people with the produce of the land” (Qur’an 2:126) and I pray that Prophet Abraham’s request will be extended throughout the world; and all the children of Noah and Abraham will live in Holiness, Peace and Prosperity. I believe that if we can live up to the ideal that religious pluralism is the will of God, we will help fulfill the 2700 year old vision of Prophet Isaiah: 

“In that day there will be a highway from Egypt to Assyria. The Assyrians will go to Egypt, and the Egyptians to Assyria. The Egyptians and Assyrians will worship together. In that day Israel  will join a three-party alliance with Egypt and Assyria, a blessing upon the heart. The LORD of Hosts will bless them saying, “Blessed be Egypt My people, Assyria My handiwork, and Israel My inheritance.”…(Isaiah 19:23-5)

Rabbi Allen S. Maller

Allen Maller retired in 2006 after 39 years as Rabbi of Temple Akiba in Culver City, Calif. He is the author of an introduction to Jewish mysticism. God. Sex and Kabbalah and editor of the Tikun series of High Holy Day prayerbooks.

3 thoughts on “From Prophet Moses’s 600 Prophets To Qur’an’s One Last Prophet – OpEd

  • April 29, 2023 at 7:58 pm
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    I have all the best wishes for your prayer to be granted by God:
    “I pray that Prophet Abraham’s request will be extended throughout the world; and all the children of Noah and Abraham will live in Holiness, Peace and Prosperity. I believe that if we can live up to the ideal that religious pluralism is the will of God”.
    But your conception is not clear. In God’s wish there is no concept of “Religious Pluralism”. God is one & chosen religion of God is also one i.e. Islam; “Inna Din Endallahe Islam(Indeed only acceptable religion to Allah is Islam)”(Re: Surah Al Imran).
    As long as associating partner with God is continued & Mohammed(SAW) will not be accepted as the final messenger of God, no reconciliation is possible among the “Children of Abraham”.

    Reply
    • April 29, 2023 at 8:47 pm
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      That the only acceptable religion to Allah is Islam applies only to idol worshiping polytheists. The Qur’an clearly states: “Those who believe (Muslims), those who declare (their religions to be) Judaism, Christians and Sabaeans: whoever believes in God and the last day (of Judgment) and does good, righteous deeds, surely their reward is with their Lord, and they shall have no fear, nor will they grieve”. (Qur’an 2:62)
      Rabbi Allen S. Maller

      Reply
      • April 29, 2023 at 9:25 pm
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        Dear Rabbi Allen,
        To understand proper explanation of the Ayat # 62 of Surah Baqarah, please read Tafsir Ibn Khatir.
        After arrival of Mohammed(SAW) all teaching & prophecies of previous Prophets had become Null & Void. For salvation of the Soul only believing in God is not enough, you must also believe in the teachings of Mohammed(SAW). After Allah sent Mohammed(SAW), only acceptable path to Allah, by Allah, is the path of Mohammed(SAW) because, I repeat, after his arrival Shariyat of all the previous Prophets had become “Null & Void”(Re: Tafsir Ibn Kassir).

        Reply

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