Seydina Limamou Lahi al-Mahdi (as) is the aim towards which men and jinns must reach.The paths that lead to it must be facilitated and diversified. The languages and dialects through which the different communities express themselves are all paths that can facilitate the journey towards him. This is the reason why, after having published my books Ocean of lights Seydina Limamou Lahi al-Mahdi (pbuh) as well as Common sense and pride in the face of God's miracles, I made it a point of priesthood to have them translated in different languages, in order to contribute to the multiplication and diversification of these pathways. The purpose of these books can be summed up in four points:
The first is to remember that a prophet always has proof. Indeed, sending a messenger to creatures without giving them the means to recognize it would be an injustice, whereas,the Lord is a Just and Equitable Master. This first point is far from trivial, because it points out that every rational individual has the ability to distinguish the true prophet from the false: indeed, he will recognize the true prophet by his ability to provide proof and the false one by his inability to do so. When Seydina Limamou Lahi al-Mahdi announced that he was the Prophet Muhammad (as) who had returned for a second mission, what should have been done was to ask him for proof, nothing else. It was not to tell him that the appearance of a prophet was impossible. It should not be either to be surprised not to have been informed by the Q'uran, the Sunna or by the writings of scholars, of the occurrence of such an event. Quarrels of this kind, issued around his mission, seem to reveal the ignorance of a large part of Muslims, of the preponderant place occupied by proof within a prophetic mission. They could also be a attempting of deterrence motivated precisely by the desire to divert attention from the importance of the evidences. The best way to verify that an individual has a bachelor's, master's or doctorate is to ask him for proof of it and not to ask him where it was predicted. The Latin proverb says:
« Affirmanti incumbit probation. »
« The burden of proof rests with the person who declares the existence of a fact. »
If we know that a diploma or an attestation is the proof of one who claims to have a license or a master's degree, we should also know that what serves as proof to a prophet is miracle. Once it is attested that the individual who declared himself a prophet presented this proof, logically, no controversy should remain. God says:
أَلَمْ يَأْتِكُمْ نَبَأُ الَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِكُمْ قَوْمِ نُوحٍ وَعَادٍ وَثَمُودَ ۛ وَالَّذِينَ مِن بَعْدِهِمْ ۛ لَا يَعْلَمُهُمْ إِلَّا اللَّهُ ۚ جَاءَتْهُمْ رُسُلُهُم بِالْبَيِّنَاتِ[i]
« Did they not hear the story of those who preceded them: the people of Nûh (Noah), the 'Ad and the Thamud, as well as those who lived after them, and of whom Allah IS the only one who knows them? Their messengers brought them the evidence. »
This verse testifies on the one hand, that there are prophets who are not mentioned neither in the Q'uran nor in the sunna even less in the books of the scholars, and on the other hand that they all have, without exception, proofs .
The second point is to designate the nature of these proofs of God. Indeed, by referring to several passages of the Quran, we have demonstrated that these proofs are miracles. This demonstration was not difficult because the number of passages which indicate the synonymy between the two words is plethoric.We have chosen, among the most obvious, those following:
وَإِلَىٰ ثَمُودَ أَخَاهُمْ صَالِحًا قَالَ يَا قَوْمِ اعْبُدُوا اللَّهَ مَا لَكُم مِّنْ إِلَٰهٍ غَيْرُهُ قَدْ جَاءَتْكُم بَيِّنَةٌ مِّن رَّبِّكُمْ هَٰذِهِ نَاقَةُ اللَّهِ لَكُمْ آيَةً[ii]
« And to Thamud, (We sent) their brother Salih who said to them: 'O my people, worship Allah. You have no other god but Him. Certainly, a proof has come to you from your Lord: here is the camel of Allah, which I present to you as a miracle. »
We notice, below, the Prophet Isa (pbuh) insisting on the miracles he brought in order to demonstrate his status as an envoy of God.
أَنِّي قَدْ جِئْتُكُم بِآيَةٍ مِّن رَّبِّكُمْ أَنِّي أَخْلُقُ لَكُم مِّنَ الطِّينِ كَهَيْئَةِ الطَّيْرِ فَأَنفُخُ فِيهِ فَيَكُونُ طَيْرًا بِإِذْنِ اللَّهِ وَأُبْرِئُ الْأَكْمَهَ وَالْأَبْرَصَ وَأُحْيِي الْمَوْتَىٰ بِإِذْنِ اللَّهِ وَأُنَبِّئُكُم بِمَا تَأْكُلُونَ وَمَا تَدَّخِرُونَ فِي بُيُوتِكُمْ إِنَّ فِي ذَٰلِكَ لَآيَةً لَّكُمْ إِن كُنتُم مُّؤْمِنِينَ[iii]
« I bring you a miracle from your Lord. I make you a bird out of clay, then I blow on it and it becomes a (real) bird by Allah's leave. And I heal the blind and the leper, and raise the dead, by Allah's leave. And I tell you what you eat and what you keep in your homes. Here is indeed a miracle, for you, if you are Acceptors! »
In the following verse, it is God Himself who establishes the synonymy between « proof » and « miracle » when He says:
أَوَلَمْ يَسِيرُوا فِي الْأَرْضِ فَيَنظُرُوا كَيْفَ كَانَ عَاقِبَةُ الَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِهِمْ كَانُوا أَشَدَّ مِنْهُمْ قُوَّةً وَأَثَارُوا الْأَرْضَ وَعَمَرُوهَا أَكْثَرَ مِمَّا عَمَرُوهَا وَجَاءَتْهُمْ رُسُلُهُم بِالْبَيِّنَاتِ فَمَا كَانَ اللَّهُ لِيَظْلِمَهُمْ وَلَٰكِن كَانُوا أَنفُسَهُمْ يَظْلِمُونَ (9) ثُمَّ كَانَ عَاقِبَةَ الَّذِينَ أَسَاءُوا السُّوأَىٰ أَن كَذَّبُوا بِآيَاتِ اللَّهِ وَكَانُوا بِهَا يَسْتَهْزِئُونَ[iv]
« Did they not roam the earth to observe what became of their predecessors? They were more powerful than them, they had plowed and peopled the earth much more than they did themselves, then their messengers came to them bringing with them the proofs. It was not for Allah to wrong them, but they wronged themselves. Then those who did evil ended up denying the miracles of Allah and ridiculing them. »
The third point is to give the definition of the miracle. All that is real is a miracle of God. Being at the origin of all creation, God rightfully attributes everything that exists by calling it ayat Allah. We hear Iranians calling their guides ayat Allah. In reality, every living being is an ayat Allah, be it humans, animals, winds, seas, forests, snow etc. We are all beings of God.
Among the verses that demonstrate that the real is synonymous with miracles, there are the following:
ثُمَّ بَعَثْنَا مِن بَعْدِهِم مُّوسَىٰ وَهَارُونَ إِلَىٰ فِرْعَوْنَ وَمَلَئِهِ بِآيَاتِنَا فَاسْتَكْبَرُوا وَكَانُوا قَوْمًا مُّجْرِمِينَ (75) فَلَمَّا جَاءَهُمُ الْحَقُّ مِنْ عِندِنَا قَالُوا إِنَّ هَٰذَا لَسِحْرٌ مُّبِينٌ (76) قَالَ مُوسَىٰ أَتَقُولُونَ لِلْحَقِّ لَمَّا جَاءَكُمْ أَسِحْرٌ هَٰذَا وَلَا يُفْلِحُ السَّاحِرُون[v]
Then We sent after them Musa and Harun, endowed with Our miracles to Fir'awn and his notables. They were puffed up, they were a people who committed crimes. And when the real came to them from Us, they said: “Behold indeed, manifest magic! "Moses (them) replied: 'Do you say of the real, when it comes to you, that it is magic, when (you know that) magicians cannot produce it?'"
Like their predecessors, Moussa and Harûn went to the pharaoh to transmit the message of God, bringing with them proofs. These had the particularity of being real phenomena accepted by all as being beyond all human capacity, except for the pharaoh and his followers who, out of pride, despised them and called them magic tricks. How great was Moussa's surprise when he heard their subterfuge!
Once the definition of the miracle has been made, we have had no difficulty in demonstrating in the fourth and last point, that to be a monotheist is to admit that the individual who presents himself as sent by God and manages to produce the real is clearly an envoy of the Lord. Common sense cannot contradict reality. On the other hand, accusing this individual of a liar constitutes associationism. This would be to claim the existence of a creator other than God. It is nonsense germinated by a wound of pride. Indeed, the ego appears as the only reason that can lead to the rejection of reality as mentioned in the Quran:
سَأَصْرِفُ عَنْ آيَاتِيَ الَّذِينَ يَتَكَبَّرُونَ فِي الْأَرْضِ بِغَيْرِ الْحَقِّ وَإِن يَرَوْا كُلَّ آيَةٍ لَّا يُؤْمِنُوا بِهَا وَإِن يَرَوْا سَبِيلَ الرُّشْدِ لَا يَتَّخِذُوهُ سَبِيلًا وَإِن يَرَوْا سَبِيلَ الْغَيِّ يَتَّخِذُوهُ سَبِيلًا ذَٰلِكَ بِأَنَّهُمْ كَذَّبُوا بِآيَاتِنَا وَكَانُوا عَنْهَا غَافِلِينَ[vi]
« I will turn away from My miracles those who wrongfully puff themselves up on earth. If they see all the miracles, they won't accept them. If they see the path of reason, they will not consider it a path, and if they see the path of unreason, they will consider it a path. The cause of this is that they treat Our Miracles as lies and are negligent towards them.''
Attending the crack of the moon without being able to accept that it is the Creator of this star who is at the origin of this fact, is absurd. It is bad faith that reveals the refusal to admit a disturbing reality. This is indeed what appears through the surah entitled al-Qamar:
اقْتَرَبَتِ السَّاعَةُ وَانشَقَّ الْقَمَرُ (1) وَإِن يَرَوْا آيَةً يُعْرِضُوا وَيَقُولُوا سِحْرٌ مُّسْتَمِرٌّ(2) وَكَذَّبُوا وَاتَّبَعُوا أَهْوَاءَهُمْ ۚ وَكُلُّ أَمْرٍ مُّسْتَقِرٌّ (3) وَلَقَدْ جَاءَهُم مِّنَ الْأَنبَاءِ مَا فِيهِ مُزْدَجَرٌ (4) حِكْمَةٌ بَالِغَةٌ فَمَا تُغْنِ النُّذُرُ[vii]
« The Hour is near and the Moon has split. But if they see a miracle, they turn away from it and say, '(Here is) an enduring magic.' The perfect wisdom to take away from this event is that messengers (and miracles) are of no use for the Rejector. »
The presentation of proof can do nothing against the tenacity of those who decide to lock themselves in denial. Witnessing the retreat of the sea, testifying to its non-transgression of the limit set for it by Seydina Limamou Lahi al-Mahdi (as) and claiming despite everything that the Creator of this stretch of water is not at the origin of these facts, is an incomprehensible approach. It is to display one's disagreement with the divine will.The refutation of a reality cannot resist the force of observation and experience. On the other hand, stubbornness can. Doesn't God say in the Quran:
فَإِنَّهَا لَا تَعْمَى الْأَبْصَارُ وَلَٰكِن تَعْمَى الْقُلُوبُ الَّتِي فِي الصُّدُورِ[viii]
« It is not the eyes that are blinded, but it is the hearts enclosed in the breasts that are blinded. »
Everyone has to choose between following reality or following their opinions and convictions. At the end of our research, we are convinced, until proven otherwise, that paradise is a dwelling reserved for those who follow common sense and hell is reserved for those who, out of pride, remain insensitive to the power of reality.
وَلَقَدْ ذَرَأْنَا لِجَهَنَّمَ كَثِيرًا مِّنَ الْجِنِّ وَالْإِنسِ لَهُمْ قُلُوبٌ لَّا يَفْقَهُونَ بِهَا وَلَهُمْ أَعْيُنٌ لَّا يُبْصِرُونَ بِهَا وَلَهُمْ آذَانٌ لَّا يَسْمَعُونَ بِهَا أُولَٰئِكَ كَالْأَنْعَامِ بَلْ هُمْ أَضَلُّ أُولَٰئِكَ هُمُ الْغَافِلُونَ[ix]
« We have destined many jinns and men for Hell. They have an intelligence, but do not use it to think. They have eyes, but do not look with them. They have ears, but do not listen. These are like the cattle, they are even more misguided. They are the careless. »
The challenge for those who reject the evidence provided by Seydina Limamou Lahi al-Mahdi (as) is to point out that, the other actor(s) they believe in are capable to provided it. Any miracle, any real, any evidence brought by a prophet is a challenge to those who reject his mission.
الْحَقُّ مِن رَّبِّكُمْ فَمَن شَاءَ فَلْيُؤْمِن وَمَن شَاءَ فَلْيَكْفُرْ[x]
« The real comes from your Lord, whoever wants to accept it accepts it, whoever wants to refuse it refuses it. »
Ladies and gentlemen, dear brothers and sisters, it is a great honor for me to be here, today, before you, in order to make the presentation of Common Sense and Pride in the Face of God's Miracles as well as its translations (English) hoping that they will make it possible to tell the true from the false in this mission of the end of times.
We give thanks to the Creator for having guided us towards the acceptance of the proofs which attest on the one hand to His Uniqueness, and on the other hand to the veracity of the mission of Seydina Limamou Lahi al-Mahdi. May peace and salvation be upon him, his family, his companions and his entire community.
Doctor Mame Libasse THIAW LAYE
Semiotician, specialist in comparative literature and classical Arabic civilization,
Translated : El Hadj Ibrahima LAYE DIOP,
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