Dajjal (Anti-Christ), the Qur’an and the Beginning of History
Arrogance at the beginning of history and
a false claim to a birth-right of superiority
After having announced to the Angels that He would place on earth one who would rule, and then after Nabi Adam ʿalayhi as-salām had explained to the Angels that part of the subject (of rule on earth) which they did not know, Allah Most Wise ordered the Angels to prostrate themselves before him, i.e., Nabi Adam ʿalayhi as-salām. The Qur’an then disclosed that they all obeyed the Divine command except Iblis, i.e., Satan:
(Qur’an, al-Baqarah, 2:34)
Allah ordered the angels to prostrate themselves before Adam! They all prostrated themselves, except Iblis, who refused and gloried in his arrogance: and thus he became one of those who deny the truth.
Angels cannot disobey (Qur’an, al-Tahrim, 66:6), and since Iblis disobeyed, he could not have been an Angel. In fact he was a Jinn (Qur’an, al-Kahf, 18:50). The reason which he gave for his refusal to so prostrate himself, was his (false) belief in his birth-right of superiority over Nabi Adam ʿalayhi as-salām. In consequence of this false belief in a birth-right of superiority, he could not tolerate anyone possessing more knowledge than he had, nor in ruling over him anywhere in the universe. Rather he was convinced that his (false) belief in his superior birth-right gave to him the right to rule over all. Hence he could not bow down in prostration to this divinely-educated and divinely-appointed Khalifah or ruler.
(Qur’an, al-‘Araf, 7:12)
And Allah said: What has kept you from prostrating yourself when I commanded you? Answered Iblis: I am better than he: You created me out of fire, whereas him, You created out of clay.
The Qur’an has here disclosed a beginning of history in which someone’s false claim to a birth-right of a superior status led to his arrogant refusal to obey the Lord-God who commanded him to accept the superiority of someone else over him. This arrogance resulted in a divine curse on him, and his expulsion from heaven. The Lord-God then decreed that he would hence-forth be reduced to a lowly state:
(Qur’an, al-‘Araf, 7:13)
Allah said: Down with you, then, from this state—for it is not meet for you to show arrogance here! Go forth, then: verily, among the humiliated, disgraced, degraded shall you be!
The significant implication of the above, significant most of all in Akhir al-Zaman or the end of history, is that any people who consider themselves to have a birth-right of superiority over others will similarly be cursed by the Lord God, and would be debarred from entering heaven. There is no place in heaven for those who display this particular form of arrogance. In addition, their arrogant claim to superiority would end in the humiliation and disgrace of a lowly status: “. . . verily, among the humiliated shall you be!”
The arrogant Jewish claim, which was brazenly adopted by Dajjal’s modern western civilization, that they are the chosen people of the Lord-God with a birth right of superiority over the rest of mankind, is hence false. Any Jew, Christian, Hindu (or even a Muslim) who makes such a claim of a birth right of superiority over others, will have a divine curse on him, and will eventually be brought down to a lowly status.
The Qur’an has singled out the Jews for this false belief that they are the chosen people of the Lord-God, and challenged them as follows:
(Qur’an, al-Jumu’ah, 62:6)
Oh you who are Jews, if you believe that you are a chosen people of the Lord-God to the exclusion of the rest of mankind, then why do you not express a wish for death—if you are convinced of the truth of your claim? But No! They will never do such a thing since they are well aware of their conduct. And Allah Most High has knowledge of those whose conduct is wicked.
The Divine challenge presented to the Jew, applies equally to all others who consider themselves to possess a birth right of superiority over others.
The Jew may respond to argue that the Lord-God had made them an exceptional people by favoring them and bestowing blessings upon them more than on any other of mankind. The Qur’an confirms that the Israelite people received more of the divinely-conferred blessings than all of the rest of mankind:
(Qur’an, al-Baqarah, 2:47)
Oh People of Israel! Remember those blessings of Mine with which I graced you, and how, in conferring those blessings and favors, I favored you more than all other people.
(Qur’an, al-Maidah, 5:20)
AND, LO, Moses said unto his people: Oh my people! Remember the blessings which Allah bestowed upon you when he raised up Prophets among you, and made you rulers/Kings, and granted unto you favors such as He had not granted to anyone else in the world.
The implication of this great Divine bestowal of favors on the Israelite people was that if they betrayed the standard of righteous conduct, they would be judged and punished with greater punishment than all of mankind. The Qur’an demolished their claim to being an exclusive or chosen people when it denounced the false claim that heaven was reserved for them:
(Qur’an, al-Baqarah, 2:111)
Jews and Christians claim: None shall ever enter paradise unless he be a Jew or a Christian. Such are their wishful beliefs! Say: Produce an evidence for what you are claiming, if what you say is true!
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