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The Prophet's Final Hour


Article # : 11626 

Section : CULTURE
Issue Date : 9 / 1986  2,820 Words
Author : Translated by Jan Knappert
Jan Knappert is a folklorist and specialist in African and Oriental languages who is based in Belgium.

       For the Islamic community, their prophet is God's chosen leader and his spokesman on earth. God created his future prophet's soul out of pure light and before creating all other beings. Therefore, Muhammad is God's favorite and his most loved messenger.
       
        Sadly, all prophets must die at some point and, despite that love, God did not make an exception for his last and best prophet. What's more, he decided that Muhammad must die without a son to succeed him as king of Arabia, the world of Islam. God made only one exception: In contrast to all other mortals, Muhammad could made an appointment with the Angel of Death, Azrail. No other human being has ever been granted such a favor.
       
        Normally Death arrives unannounced, unwanted, unexpected, and inexorable. He takes the soul that God has sent him for and pulls it out of the body without delay, without paying attention to cries of pain or protest. Death obeys God blindly, like a good Muslim. Sinners fear his revenge for their crimes and resist him, making their death painful. Devout worshippers of God, on the other hand, have prepared themselves for this moment. They are pure of heart and eager to face their Maker, for to them God is the Friend.
       
        There is in Islam no separation between religion and the state; thus Muhammad was not only the first religious leader, but also the creator and ruler of the first Islamic state in Arabia. His death without an heir therefore created the vexing problem of succession. Who has the right to rule the world of Islam? The present war between Iraq and Iran was sparked by that ... (1922 of 14167 Characters)
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