According to another narration, Imam Ja’far Sadiq (a.s.) said that Imam Husain (a.s.) said that after the demise of the Holy Prophet (S), once companions were sitting in the Masjid and talking about the virtues and graceful manners of the departed soul when a Rabbi from Syria arrived. He had read Torah, Injeel, Zabur and scriptures of Ibrahim (a.s.) and other scriptures revealed on other prophets.
He was also aware of the miracles shown by the earlier prophets, and so also their arguments. He saluted us and sat down. After some time he said: O followers of Muhammad! You have not left any virtue and any grace for any other prophet except for your prophet and are proving the same all the time.
If I ask you some questions will you be able to reply? Amirul Momineen (a.s.) said: Yes, O Jew! Ask whatever you want, I will reply with the help of Allah. Mind well that Allah has given three times more grace to our prophet than to other prophets. The Holy Prophet (S) himself used to say that I am not showing pride for my grace. But today I will describe Prophet Muhammad’s virtues in such a way that no other prophet will be dishonored and the believers will be pleased because of their thankfulness for what Allah has granted to Prophet Muhammad (S).
O Jew! Know that one of the graces granted by the Allah to Prophet Muhammad (S) was that He had made it incumbent on Him to forgive one who kept his voice low in front of Muhammad (S). The Holy Qur’an says:
إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يَغُضُّونَ أَصْوَاتَهُمْ عِنْدَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ أُولٰئِكَ الَّذِينَ امْتَحَنَ اللَّهُ قُلُوبَهُمْ لِلتَّقْوٰى ۚ لَهُمْ مَغْفِرَةٌ وَأَجْرٌ عَظِيمٌ.
“Surely those who lower their voices before Allah’s Apostle are they whose hearts Allah has proved for guarding (against evil); they shall have forgiveness and a great reward.”22
Moreover Allah has made obedience of the Holy Prophet (S) His obedience saying:
مَنْ يُطِعِ الرَّسُولَ فَقَدْ أَطَاعَ اللَّهَ
“Whoever obeys the Apostle, he indeed obeys Allah.”23
Allah also made Muhammad (S) nearer to the hearts of believers and their beloved who himself says my love is running in the blood of my followers and they (Muslims) love me more than their parents and their own lives. And the Holy Prophet (S) too loved his followers more than they loved themselves and was more kind to them. The Almighty Allah has said:
لَقَدْ جَاءَكُمْ رَسُولٌ مِنْ أَنْفُسِكُمْ عَزِيزٌ عَلَيْهِ مَا عَنِتُّمْ حَرِيصٌ عَلَيْكُمْ بِالْمُؤْمِنِينَ رَءُوفٌ رَحِيمٌ .
“Certainly an Apostle has come to you from among yourselves; grievous to him is your falling into distress, excessively solicitous respecting you; to the believers (he is) compassionate, merciful.”24
He says at another place:
النَّبِيُّ أَوْلَىٰ بِالْمُؤْمِنِينَ مِنْ أَنْفُسِهِمْ ۖ وَأَزْوَاجُهُ أُمَّهَاتُهُمْ
“The prophet has a greater claim on the faithful than they have on themselves, and his wives are (as) their mothers.”25
Amirul Momineen (a.s.) said: Prophet’s graces and virtues are so many in this world and Hereafter that they cannot be described fully. Yet I tell you that which you can digest and which your intelligence cannot deny. Doubtlessly, the graces of the Holy Prophet (S) are so many that people of Hell say in regret: Why did we not respond to his call in our worldly lives? Describing their condition, the Holy Qur’an says:
يَوْمَ تُقَلَّبُ وُجُوهُهُمْ فِي النَّارِ يَقُولُونَ يَا لَيْتَنَا أَطَعْنَا اللَّهَ وَأَطَعْنَا الرَّسُولَا.
“On the Day when their faces shall be turned into the fire they shall say: O would that we had obeyed Allah and obeyed the Apostle.”26
Moreover, whenever the Holy Qur’an mentions the Holy Prophet (S) along with other prophets He is mentioned first even though he was sent last of all. For instance:
وَإِذْ أَخَذْنَا مِنَ النَّبِيِّينَ مِيثَاقَهُمْ وَمِنكَ وَمِن نُّوحٍ
“And when We made a covenant with the prophets and with you, and with Nuh…”27 Also Allah gave him preference over all other messengers and to his community over all other Ummahs; as is said:
كُنتُمْ خَيْرَ أُمَّةٍ أُخْرِجَتْ لِلنَّاسِ تَأْمُرُونَ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَتَنْهَوْنَ عَنِ الْمُنكَرِ
“You are the best of the nations raised up for you enjoin what is right and forbid the wrong…”28
Then the Jew said: “Allah ordered angels to prostrate for Adam. Did He do so in case of Muhammad? Has He given him such honor?” The Imam said: “Allah made angels prostrate for Adam because He was carrying the Noor (light) of Muhammad and his legatees and that prostration was not by way of worship of Adam.
Rather it was for obedience of Divine order and as a mark of respect to Adam (a.s.) like a salutation which is said to anyone. It was also to acknowledge that Adam is superior to angels. Moreover Allah gave more grace than this to Muhammad as He Himself sends benediction on the Holy Prophet (S) and He commanded not only angels but all to send Salawat on the Holy Prophet (S) till eternity. Just as He has ordained in the Holy Qur’an:
إِنَّ اللَّهَ وَمَلَائِكَتَهُ يُصَلُّونَ عَلَى النَّبِيِّ يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا صَلُّوا عَلَيْهِ وَسَلِّمُوا تَسْلِيمًا
“Surely Allah and His angels bless the prophet; O you who believe! call for (Divine) blessings on him and salute him with a (becoming) salutation.”29
If a person recites Salawat on the Holy Prophet (S) once either during the lifetime or after Prophet’s demise, the Lord of the worlds Himself sends ten Salawats on that man and grants ten rewards for every such Durood. If anybody sends Salawat on the Holy Prophet (S) after his demise, he knows who sent it to him and he (the Prophet) also reciprocates. Also Allah has made the acceptance of every supplication subject to Salawat on the Prophet which is greater than the excellence of Adam (a.s.).
Moreover Allah made every rock and every tree talking and so they saluted the Holy Prophet (S) and congratulated him from his grandeur. Whenever we walked with the Holy Prophet (S) every valley, rock or tree by which he passed used to salute him saying: Peace be upon you, O Messenger of Allah (S). All confirmed his prophethood. Allah had, in order to raise his ranks, though obtained confirmation of the prophethood of the Holy Prophet (S), He took a promise from all messengers that they would obey him and be pleased by his distinction and testify to his prophethood as mentioned in the Holy Qur’an:
وَإِذْ أَخَذْنَا مِنَ النَّبِيِّينَ مِيثَاقَهُمْ وَمِنكَ وَمِن نُّوحٍ
“And when We made a covenant with the prophets and with you, and with Nuh…”30 And further said:
وَإِذْ أَخَذَ اللّهُ مِيثَاقَ النَّبِيِّيْنَ لَمَا آتَيْتُكُم مِّن كِتَابٍ وَحِكْمَةٍ ثُمَّ جَاءكُمْ رَسُولٌ مُّصَدِّقٌ لِّمَا مَعَكُمْ لَتُؤْمِنُنَّ بِهِ وَلَتَنصُرُنَّهُ قَالَ أَأَقْرَرْتُمْ وَأَخَذْتُمْ عَلَى ذَلِكُمْ إِصْرِي قَالُواْ أَقْرَرْنَا قَالَ فَاشْهَدُواْ وَأَنَاْ مَعَكُم مِّنَ الشَّاهِدِينَ
“And when Allah made a covenant through the prophets: Certainly what I have given you of Book and wisdom- then an apostle comes to you verifying that which is with you, you must believe in him, and you must aid him. He said: Do you affirm and accept My compact in this (matter)? They said: We do affirm. He said: Then bear witness, and I (too) am of the bearers of witness with you.”31
Again Allah has said that the prophet has more right on the lives of believers than they themselves have and He has also said:
وَرَفَعْنَا لَكَ ذِكْرَكَ
“And We exalted for you your esteem.”32
In addition, in every Azan, Iqamat, Eid prayers, during Hajj and in every sermon of Nikah (marriage) too “Muhammadur Rasoolullaah” (Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah) is being recited with “Laa ilaah illallaah” (There is no god, but Allah). In short, Amirul Momineen (a.s.) described more gracefulness of the Holy Prophet (S) in reply to what the Jew said regarding other prophets (a.s.) and he proved it. At last the Rabbi said: “God talked with Musa through 117 words on Mount Tur and He said with every phrase Innee anallaah (Indeed I am Allah) Has Muhammad (S) been graced with such an honor?”
His Eminence, Ali (a.s.) replied: “The Almighty Allah took the Holy Prophet (S) to visit the seven skies and beyond that He talked with the Holy Prophet (S) at two distant places: firstly at Sidratul Muntaha which is Maqame Mahmud (a praised station) and therefrom took him further up until the Holy Prophet (S) reached the leg of the Throne and God provided green Rafraft (a vehicle) surrounded by the greatest radiance.
From there the veil of Might was so close that the distance between them was only equal to two bows or even less; Allah spoke with the Holy Prophet (S) at that place as mentioned in Holy Qur’an that all that is in the earth and in the skies belongs to Allah. Express or conceal whatever is in your heart, Allah knows everything and is keeping account of your deeds.
He forgives whom He wishes and punishes whom He wishes. Almighty Allah presented this verse to everyone from Adam’s (a.s.) followers to those of Muhammad (S). But due to its heavy weight none except the Holy Prophet (S) accepted it. When Allah observed that the Holy Prophet (S) and his followers have accepted it, He made it lighter and said:
آمَنَ الرَّسُولُ بِمَا أُنزِلَ إِلَيْهِ مِن رَّبِّهِ
“The apostle believes in what has been revealed to him from his Lord…”33
In short, Allah graced the Holy Prophet (S) and He considered the weight too much for his followers. So He Himself said in response:
وَالْمُؤْمِنُونَ كُلٌّ آمَنَ بِاللهِ وَمَلآئِكَتِهِ وَكُتُبِهِ وَرُسُلِهِ لاَ نُفَرِّقُ بَيْنَ أَحَدٍ مِّن رُّسُلِهِ
“…and (so do) the believers; they all believe in Allah and His angels and His books and His apostles; We make no difference between any of His apostles…” 34 When Allah said: If they believe like this then for them is forgiveness and Paradise, the Holy Prophet (S) said: My Lord,
سَمِعْنَا وَأَطَعْنَا غُفْرَانَكَ رَبَّنَا وَإِلَيْكَ الْمَصِيرُ
“…We hear and obey, our Lord! Thy forgiveness (do we crave), and to Thee is the eventual course.”35
Then Allah said: “We accepted this prayer of those who repented among your followers and We made it incumbent on Us to pardon them,” and He said: “O Prophet! Since you and your followers have accepted a thing which was presented to you, but not accepted by all other prophets and their followers, it is now necessary for Me to make it lighter for your followers.” So He said:
لاَ يُكَلِّفُ اللّهُ نَفْسًا إِلاَّ وُسْعَهَا لَهَا مَا كَسَبَتْ
“Allah does not impose upon any soul a duty but to the extent of its ability for it is (the benefit of) what it has earned, and upon it (the evil of) what it has wrought.”36
Then Allah inspired the Prophet and he prayed:
رَبَّنَا لاَ تُؤَاخِذْنَا إِن نَّسِينَا أَوْ أَخْطَأْنَا
“Our Lord! Do not punish us if we forget or make a mistake.”37
The Lord said: “We accepted this also in your honor. O Muhammad! In the past communities, when they forgot Our commands, We used to punish them severely, but We have removed this hardship from your followers.” Then the Holy Prophet (S) requested:
رَبَّنَا وَلاَ تَحْمِلْ عَلَيْنَا إِصْرًا كَمَا حَمَلْتَهُ عَلَى الَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِنَا
“Our Lord! do not lay on us a burden as You didst lay on those before…”38
“For them (said the Lord) We had decided not to accept prayers but only those offered on the prescribed parts of land even if it was far away from their residence. But We have made this entire earth pure and worth performance of prayer thereon and made it (earth) a purifier for your followers. Thus We removed a big difficulty from your people. It was necessary for other communities to carry their animals for sacrifice on their necks upto Baitul Maqdas.
Then I used to send fire on the sacrifice acceptable to Me and it was burnt down. One whose sacrifice was not accepted by Me had to return disappointed and gloomy (in front of others). But I made the meat of your sacrificed animals eatable for the poor. Moreover, I multiply the reward of the accepted sacrifice. I defer punishment in this world even for one whose sacrifice I do not accept. So to say, this also was a big hardship which I removed from your followers. For earlier believers many prayers were obligatory through the day and night.
It was hard for them. But we lifted up this burden also from your people. I imposed prayers only at the beginning of day and night when they are both free and restful. Past believers had to offer fifty prayers fifty times but We eased this also for your followers. During the times of earlier Ummahs, We used to give one reward for one good deed and one punishment for one bad deed. But for your people, We have decided to give ten rewards for one good deed and only one punishment for every bad deed. Formally no reward was given for good intention unless that good deed was performed.
Moreover a punishment was inflicted at an evil thought even if it was not acted upon. But this harshness has also been taken off from your community. Now for your people, no evil is recorded unless it is acted upon and We record a good intention even before its being put to practice. From the past communities, the person who committed a crime, it was written on his door and their repentance was accepted in such a way that I prohibited to them their favorite dish and as a result of a crime they used to seek repentance for hundreds of years but I did not accept their repentance till I had not punished them, but your community is absolved of this.
And if someone from your community commits a sin for a hundred years and if he is regretful of those sins even for a moment, I will forgive their sins. In the past communities, if a part of anyone’s body was defiled, he or she was ordered to cut off that part. But for your community, water and sometimes dust is also made a purifying agent. And these were the hardships from which your community is exempted. The Holy Prophet (S) said: “Since You have bestowed these bounties to me and my community, please increase your blessings.” That is since the Lord inspired him, he prayed:
رَبَّنَا وَلاَ تَحْمِلْ عَلَيْنَا إِصْرًا كَمَا حَمَلْتَهُ عَلَى الَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِنَا
“Our Lord! do not lay on us a burden as You didst lay on those before…”39
The Almighty Allah said: “I have given this ease to your Ummah and this command of Mine is for each member of your community. After that the Holy Prophet (S) said:
وَاعْفُ عَنَّا وَاغْفِرْ لَنَا وَارْحَمْنَآ أَنتَ مَوْلاَنَا
“…and pardon us and grant us protection and have mercy on us, Thou art our Patron…”40
The Almighty Allah said: “I have accepted this also for your people.” Then the Holy Prophet (S) said:
فَانصُرْنَا عَلَى الْقَوْمِ الْكَافِرِينَ
“…so help us against the unbelieving people.”41
The Almighty Allah said: “I have accepted this also. O Muhammad, to honor you and exalt your status, I have made your community distinguished from the infidels and they shall overcome their enemies and the tyrants will force the infidels to serve them but the infidels cannot force your community to serve them and it is obligatory on Me to make your religion dominant over all the religions of the world, till it reaches to all the corners of the world.
And infidels and idolaters will pay Jizya to your followers. Amirul Momineen (a.s.) said: When the Holy Prophet (S) returned from there he met Jibraeel again at Sidratul Muntaha near which there is Behisht, which is a place of good deeds, when the souls of angels and believers had surrounded the Sidra. He was not dazzled by the effulgence of the Almighty. He saw everything in its true form. Indeed, the Holy Prophet (S) saw the great signs of his Lord. So it is much higher than what Prophet Musa (a.s.) saw at Mt. Sina.
The Almighty Allah gathered all the prophets to pray behind the Holy Prophet (S) and that same night he was also shown Paradise and Hell. And angels of every sky greeted him when he passed from there. The Jew said: When the Almighty Allah gave his love to Prophet Musa. Amirul Momineen (a.s.) said: “Yes, it is right, but the Almighty Allah bestowed the Holy Prophet (S) with His love as well as made him His beloved.
Because the Almighty Allah showed to Prophet Ibrahim (a.s.) the face of Muhammad (S) and also showed his community to him. Ibrahim (a.s.) said: “O Lord, I have not seen any community more radiant than them. Who are they?” A voice same: “This is Muhammad My beloved and I have not made anyone else My beloved from My creatures.
And his remembrance was created before I created the heavens and the earth and appointed him as the prophet when your ancestor, Adam was in the form of dust and water, and I had not inserted soul into his body. When I brought out the progeny of Adam (a.s.) from his back and spread it, I had kept you also with them. O Jew, the Almighty Allah has sworn by the life of the Holy Prophet (S) as follows:
لَعَمْرُكَ إِنَّهُمْ لَفِي سَكْرَتِهِمْ يَعْمَهُونَ
“By your life! they were blindly wandering on in their intoxication.”42
And this is sufficient for his greatness. The Jew said: Please tell me in which matter the Almighty Allah has given precedence to this community over other communities. Amirul Momineen (a.s.) said: The Almighty Allah has give much excellence and some of them are as follows: Firstly, the Almighty Allah has said:
كُنتُمْ خَيْرَ أُمَّةٍ أُخْرِجَتْ لِلنَّاسِ
“You are the best of the nations raised up for (the benefit of) men…”43
Secondly on Judgment Day the Almighty Allah will gather all creatures and then ask the prophets if they had conveyed His message and they will reply in the affirmative. Then the Almighty Allah will ask their communities and the people will say that no warner and giver of glad tidings had come to them. The Almighty Allah will ask the prophets who is their witness although He knows better.
They will say: Muhammad (S) and the pious people of his community are witnesses from our side. After that their testimony will be supported by the community of Muhammad that they had propagated religion and the Holy Prophet (S) will testify for them. This is the implication of the following verse: “And thus We have made you a medium (just) nation that you may be the bearers of witness to the people and (that) the Apostle may be a bearer of witness to you.”
Thirdly, on Judgment Day before all the communities accounting will done for this Ummah and it will be the first to enter Paradise. Fourthly, the Almighty Allah has made five times prayer obligatory; two at night and three during the day and made them as rewarding as fifty prayers and also made them as expiation of their sins as mentioned in the following verse:
إِنَّ الْحَسَنَاتِ يُذْهِبْنَ السَّـيِّئَاتِ
“…surely good deeds take away evil deeds…”44
That is the five daily prayers act as expiation if one refrains from the greater sins. Fifthly, if they make an intention of a good deed, one reward is written, even if one does not actually perform that deed. And if he performs it, he gets the reward of ten to 7000 good deeds. Sixthly, 70000 people of this Ummah will enter Paradise without accounting, whose faces will shine like a full moon. Some faces will be lighted like stars.
In this way, according to levels there will be no mutual discord between them. Seventhly, if one of them kills another, if the heirs of the deceased wish, they can forgive or they can accept blood money or kill in revenge, but O Jew, in your religion it is obligatory to kill in retaliation and blood money and forgiveness are not allowed. As the Almighty Allah says: In this matter also there is discount and mercy from your Lord. Eighthly, the Almighty Allah reserved half of Surah Fatiha for Himself and half for the people.
When a person says: Praise be to Allah, he has praised Me. When he says: Lord of the worlds, he has got my cognition that I am the Lord of all the worlds. When he says: the beneficent and the merciful, he has introduced Me as being compassionate and kind. When he says: Master of the Judgment Day, he has extolled Me. When he said: You alone we worship and only Your help we seek, he has declared his worship to be exclusive for Me and the seeking of help is only from Me. The remaining Surah is related to man. Ninthly, the Almighty Allah sent Jibraeel to the Holy Prophet (S) to give him glad tidings of glory and divine help to his community. Tenthly, the Almighty Allah made their Sadaqah lawful for themselves that they may consume from it and give to the poor.
In the past communities, the Sadaqah was taken to a remote place so that the fire from the sky may burn it. Eleventh, allowed them intercession which was not for previous communities. The Almighty Allah through the intercession of the Holy Prophet (S) will forgive their serious sins. Twelfth, on Judgment Day, a call will be issued that praisers should come forward. The Ummah of Muhammad will move ahead of all other communities.
And it is mentioned in past scriptures that the Ummah of the Holy Prophet (S) is a praiser community and its people always praise the Almighty Allah and recite the slogan of God is the greatest. There caller of Azan everyday raises the call which echoes in the sky. Thirteen, the Almighty Allah does not kill them through starvation and does not make them unite on a wrong thing and does not make the infidels powerful over them and does not involve all of them in chastisement and gives the status of martyrdom to those who die as a result of plague.
Fourteenth, one who invokes blessings on Muhammad and Aale Muhammad is given ten rewards and ten of his sins are erased and the same amount of mercy is sent on them. Fifteenth, the Almighty Allah had divided the Ummah into three parts, one of them oppresses themselves. Second is the medium one and third is the group of those who take precedence in good deeds. Those who take precedence will be admitted into Paradise without accounting. The moderate ones will have an easy accounting and those who oppress their selves will be forgiven if He likes.
Sixteenth, the Almighty Allah has made their forgoing of sins as repentance and seeking forgiveness, but for Bani Israel, repentance was only possible by killing among themselves. Seventeenth, the Almighty Allah revealed to the Prophet that his community is in the position of divine mercy and for them there is no chastisement of earthquake and hardships in the world. Eighteenth, the Almighty Allah writes for the sick and old people reward just as they had performed in their healthy times and youth. And the Almighty Allah reveals to the angels: “Write the same rewards for My servants as he performed previously.
Nineteenth, the Almighty Allah has made the word of piety which is Tauheed as obligatory with the Wilayat for the Ummah of Muhammad and made it necessary for intercession. And it will become clear only in the hereafter. Twentieth: On Meraj, the Holy Prophet (S) saw some angels that since they are created, they are standing for prayer and some are in Sajdah so he asked Jibraeel if this was worship.
Jibraeel said: O Prophet, ask your Lord so that He may give you Qunut, Ruku and Sujood in prayer. The Holy Prophet (S) asked and the Almighty Allah bestowed it to him. Thus the Ummah of Muhammad follows the heavenly angels. And the Holy Prophet (S) said: Jews are jealous because of your prayer, Ruku and Sujood.
Reference:Hayat Al-Qulub Vol. 2