The Divine Continuum: From Adam to the Seal of Prophethood, Muhammad (PBUH)

The Lord of the Worlds did not create this universe in vain, nor did He send His messengers without purpose. Each Prophet was a bearer of light, completing a phase in the divine system of guidance until the light reached its perfection through the final Messenger, Muhammad (PBUH) As Allah says:

"It is He who sent His Messenger with guidance and the religion of truth to prevail over all religions, even though the disbelievers dislike it.”

(Surah As-Saff 61:9)

The Almighty knew that the teachings of earlier prophets would be distorted, their scriptures altered, and their followers divided, turning away from the straight path of truth and justice. Thus, He revealed guidance in stages, from the Torah to the Injil, to build the concept of eternity, of truth, and of peace, until the final revelation, the Qur’an, came as a guardian over all previous scriptures:

"And We have revealed to you, [O Muhammad], the Book in truth, confirming that which preceded it and as a criterion over it.”

(Surah Al-Ma’idah 5:48)

Throughout history, every Prophet faced ridicule and denial. They were called poets, magicians, or madmen, accusations born of arrogance and inherited blind traditions:

 “Likewise, no messenger came to those before them except that they said, ‘A magician or a madman.’”

(Surah Adh-Dhariyat 51:52)

Yet the divine plan was to perfect the religion and make it tamper-proof, sealed with the Prophethood of Muhammad (PBUH) , a challenge to Satan and to every falsehood. For Allah declared:

 “Today I have perfected your religion for you, completed My favor upon you, and chosen Islam as your religion.”

(Surah Al-Ma’idah 5:3)

He named it Islam, not after any man, but after submission to His Will, a path that rejects idolatry, injustice, and bigotry in all forms. To many prophets, He sent brothers and supporters, that they might deliver glad tidings and warnings together:

“And We gave Moses his brother Aaron as a helper.”

(Surah Al-Furqan 25:35)

But mankind altered the words of their Lord, attributing partners and offspring to the One who is beyond all needs:

 “They have certainly disbelieved who say, ‘Allah is the Messiah, the son of Mary.’”

(Surah Al-Ma’idah 5:72)

He knew that many from the People of the Book would resist pure monotheism, so He commanded the believers to guard themselves, for their ideology and love of worldly life differ from the essence of Islam. As the Qur’an cautions:

 “O you who believe, do not take the Jews and the Christians as allies... they are allies of one another.”

(Surah Al-Ma’idah 5:51)

For this world is but a fleeting passage, a place of deception for those who think it eternal, as warned in Surah At-Takathur:

 “Rivalry in worldly increase distracts you, until you visit the graves.”

(Surah At-Takathur 102:1–2)

Yet Allah, in His justice, distinguishes the sincere among them, those who recognize truth when they hear it. He praises the humble hearts of Christian monks who weep upon hearing the Qur’an:

Before the soul of man was breathed into the womb, every spirit stood before its Creator in the realm unseen. Allah asked, “Am I not your Lord?”, and every soul bore witness, “Yes, indeed, You are our Lord.”

"And [mention] when your Lord took from the children of Adam, from their loins, their descendants and made them testify of themselves, [saying to them], ‘Am I not your Lord?’ They said, ‘Yes, we have testified.’”

— Surah Al-A‘raf (7:172)

Imam Ali (PBUH) said, this divine covenant is not a memory lost in time but a truth inscribed within every heart. Each newborn carries that vow in the depths of its soul, the promise to recognize, worship, and submit to the One who created it.

When man forgets his purpose, it is not ignorance but betrayal of that first pledge. And when he returns to remembrance, he renews that ancient oath: “You are my Lord, and I am Your servant.”

 “And when they hear what has been revealed to the Messenger, you see their eyes overflowing with tears because of the truth they recognize. They say, ‘Our Lord, we believe, so record us among the witnesses.’”

(Surah Al-Ma’idah 5:83–84)

Thus, the divine plan unfolded with wisdom, from light to light, until all guidance culminated in Islam, the eternal covenant between Creator and creation.

Imam Ali peace be upon him are views are as below:

“Praise be to Allah, whose praise none can reach the height thereof, whose favors none can enumerate, whose right none can fulfill.”

(Nahj al-Balāghah, Sermon 1)

The creation of this world, O people, was not a sport nor a passing diversion. Allah, the Most High, created it with purpose and wisdom, to test who among His servants would seek the truth and walk the path of righteousness.

“Did you think that We created you in vain and that you would not be returned to Us?”

(Surah Al-Mu’minun 23:115)

In every age, He raised a Prophet from the loins of purity to rekindle the extinguished light, to recall the forgotten covenant, and to realign mankind with the straight path.

“He sent His messengers with clear proofs and sent down with them the Book and the balance that people may uphold justice.”

(Surah Al-Hadid 57:25)

Each Prophet was a lamp kindled from the light of the One before him, until the dawn of perfection rose with Muhammad (pbuh), the Seal of Prophets, through whom Allah completed His favor and perfected His religion:

 “Today I have perfected your religion for you, completed My favor upon you, and chosen Islam as your religion.”

(Surah Al-Ma’idah 5:3)

Yet, as Imam Ali (PBUH) said:

 “People are the enemies of what they do not know.”

(Nahj al-Balāghah, Saying 172)

The Quest of the Mind and the Journey of the Soul

Just as the body is nourished by medicine and strengthened by knowledge, so too is the soul healed by reflection and purified through questioning. Science cures the ailments of flesh by asking what, how, where, and why, and the heart is cured by asking who is my Lord, where is His sign, what is my purpose, how did I come to be, and why was I created.

Do not silence the voice of inquiry, for Allah Himself invites reflection:

“Indeed, in the creation of the heavens and the earth and the alternation of night and day are signs for those of understanding, those who remember Allah while standing, sitting, and lying on their sides and reflect on the creation of the heavens and the earth.”

(Surah Āl-‘Imrān 3:190-191)

Imam Ali (peace be upon him) said in Nahjul Balāgha:

>“The beginning of religion is the knowledge of Him; the perfection of knowledge is the affirmation of Him; the perfection of affirmation is the belief in His Oneness; and the perfection of belief in His Oneness is sincerity toward Him.” (Sermon 1)

He also said:

 “He who reflects attains insight; he who attains insight achieves knowledge.” (Saying 349)

So, O seeker of truth, just as the scientist examines creation to understand the laws of matter, examine your own soul to uncover the signs of your Creator. Every question you ask is a key, and every reflection a step toward illumination.

Never cease questioning until you reach the final destination, the earth that will embrace you once more. For as the Qur’an reminds:

 “From the earth We created you, into it We shall return you, and from it We shall bring you forth once again.”

(Surah Ṭā-Hā 20:55)

Thus, the circle of existence closes, knowledge begins with curiosity and ends in certainty, just as life begins from dust and returns to dust, yet the soul continues its eternal ascent toward its Lord.

The ignorant called the Messengers poets, magicians, and madmen, blind to the divine wisdom that flowed through their words.

 “Likewise, no messenger came to those before them except that they said, ‘A magician or a madman.’”

(Surah Adh-Dhariyat 51:52)

But Allah’s plan was supreme. He fortified the truth with the Qur’an, the final revelation, unaltered, preserved, and guarded:

 “Indeed, We have sent down the Reminder, and indeed, We will guard it.”

(Surah Al-Hijr 15:9)

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Allah, the Most High, declares:

“Indeed, We have sent down the Reminder, and indeed, We will guard it.”

(Surah Al-Hijr 15:9)

When corruption crept into the previous scriptures, the pure truth became veiled beneath layers of human desire. The Torah was altered, and the Gospel distorted, each nation tailoring divine revelation to fit its worldly ambitions. Thus, what was once the radiant light of guidance was clothed in garments woven by human hands, made to suit their passions rather than God’s command.

Thus, Allah made a covenant unlike any before, that His final revelation would remain untouched till the end of time. Through His Beloved Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), He completed the chain of guidance and sealed prophethood with truth that no hand could distort.

As Imam Ali (PBUH) said:

 “The Qur’an is the light that never fades, the spring that never dries, and the path that never misleads.”

(Nahjul Balagha, Sermon 198)

Hence, Allah, the Guardian of the Word, took it upon Himself to preserve His final revelation from distortion and decay. Through the Ahl al-Bayt, the inheritors of divine wisdom and the living interpreters of the Qur’an, He ensured that the flame of truth would never be extinguished. This light shall continue to shine through every age until the appearance of al-Mahdi ibn al-Hasan al-‘Askari (peace be upon him), who shall complete the radiance of His divine light, even though it may displease the disbelievers.

(Reference: Qur’an 9:32-33; Nahjul Balagha, Sermon 147)

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And He placed the Ahl al-Bayt (peace be upon them) the pure household, as the inheritors of that divine light, as guides to prevent deviation after the Prophet.

“Allah only desires to remove impurity from you, O People of the Household, and to purify you completely.”

(Surah Al-Ahzab 33:33)

Imam Ali (PBUH) proclaimed:

 “Look at the people of the Prophet’s house. Keep to their direction and follow in their footsteps. They will never take you out of guidance, nor will they throw you into destruction.”

(Nahj al-Balāghah, Sermon 97)

Through them, the lamp of knowledge was kept burning. Each of them bore the trust of divine guidance, a mercy for those who seek clarity amid confusion.

“And make us leaders for the righteous.”

(Surah Al-Furqan 25:74)

Indeed, Islam was not named after a man, it is the name of surrender, submission, and peace. It is a fortress of unity against idolatry, oppression, and falsehood. As the Commander of the Faithful said:

 “Islam is submission; submission is conviction; conviction is affirmation; affirmation is acknowledgment; acknowledgment is performance; and performance is action.”

(Nahj al-Balāghah, Saying 125)

❤️ 💙 

The Almighty, in His boundless wisdom, knew that not every heart would embrace the radiance of His truth. Many among the People of the Book, though once bearers of revelation, turned away from the purity of tawḥīd (Oneness of God), for divine truth exposes the flaws of distorted doctrines and unmasks the veils woven by human desire. Their altered teachings became chains binding them to pride, preventing them from walking beside the light of Islam.

Thus, Allah cautioned the believers with a command that echoes through time:

“O you who believe, do not take the Jews and the Christians as allies; they are allies of one another.”

(Surah Al-Ma’idah 5:51)

For truth and falsehood can never coexist in harmony, just as light and shadow can never share the same space.

For the world is a transient station, a test and not a destination.

"Rivalry in worldly increase distracts you, until you visit the graves.”

(Surah At-Takathur 102:1–2)

Imam Ali (PBUH) reminds:

“This world is a house surrounded by calamities, known for its treachery. Its condition changes, its security fades away, its inhabitants are ever on the move.”

(Nahj al-Balāghah, Sermon 203)

And yet, not all from among them are unjust. Allah praised those Christians who humbled themselves before the truth:

 “And when they hear what has been revealed to the Messenger, you see their eyes overflowing with tears because of the truth they recognize.”

(Surah Al-Ma’idah 5:83)

Thus, the chain of prophethood culminated, the covenant completed, and the lamp of divine wisdom entrusted to the pure progeny, to preserve the truth until the Hour.

“Hold fast to the rope of Allah all together and do not be divided.”

(Surah Aal-Imran 3:103)

“We are the tree of Prophethood, the abode of mercy, the treasure of knowledge, and the refuge of the nation.”

(Imam Ali, Nahj al-Balāghah, Sermon 108)

System of Islam

Islam is not a religion confined within walls of worship, nor a creed limited to rituals of prayer and fasting. It is a nizām, a complete and divine system that breathes through every aspect of life. It teaches man how to awaken with remembrance in the morning and how to rest with gratitude at night. Islam did not descend to embellish the world with words, but to transform it with justice, to raise the fallen hearts of the oppressed and to humble the arrogance of the oppressors.

The Qur’an proclaims in Surah Al-Ḥujurāt (49:14):

“The Bedouins say, ‘We believe.’ Say, ‘You have not yet believed; but say, ‘We have submitted,’ for faith has not yet entered your hearts.”

True Islam is not a sound upon the tongue but a light engraved upon the heart. It is not confined to speech but manifested in character, in courage, mercy, and steadfast justice. If one seeks to know the state of the Muslim world, let him gaze upon Palestine, a mirror reflecting whether the Ummah stands with the oppressed or hides behind silence.

Islam came not as a conqueror of lands, but as a liberator of humanity. It shattered the idols of pride and privilege, proclaiming that no race or wealth grants superiority, that the black and the white, the rich and the poor, the man and the woman all stand equal before their Creator.

It is a system that begins from the conscience of the oppressed and ascends to the throne of justice. It established equality as the foundation of governance, and compassion as the soul of power.

As I have said:

“People are of two kinds, either your brothers in faith, or your equals in humanity.”

This is the essence of Islam, a living system built upon equity, piety, and knowledge. It transcends race, color, creed, and nationality. In its vision, justice is not merely a verdict in the courts of men, but the harvest of truth that flourishes within the chambers of the heart.