Muslims & The Straight Path [Published 2010]
Part - 5
KINGDOM OF GOD
Jesus
has talked about the “
The
most important of native Meso-American documents was what is now called the
Dresden Codex, named after the town in whose library it was lodged. It deals
with astronomy providing detailed tables of lunar eclipses and other
phenomenon. These are so accurate that they put our own calendar to shame.
Mayans
had a system of counting the days relative to a starting date, called the Birth
of Venus and now known to be 13 August 3114 BC. This calendar was divided into
"months" or uinals of twenty days, "years" or tuns
of 360 days and longer periods of 7200 days, the katun and 144,000 days,
the baktun. The number 13 was magically important to them and they
believed that, starting from the Birth of Venus (Prophet or a divine person
Quetzalcoatl), after 13 of these longest periods, or baktuns, this age
(the Age of the Jaguar, the fifth and the final ‘sun’) would come to an end.
Working from their start date this Mayan Prophecy points to a date in our own
time, 22 December 2012, when the fifth or last age of man ends.
There
isn't much information regarding what the Mayans thought would occur in 2012,
but the consensus of opinion is that there will be great change. To some people
this means a positive, spiritual change. Others consider that a catastrophic
event may have been predicted. Most agree that something is going to happen.
But
what is likely to happen? Though none but God knows the truth, we have tried to
find from the various revealed scriptures and books of religious importance to
the Mayans, the Jews, the Christians, the Hindus and the Muslims to come to a
logical conclusion.
It
is interesting to note that the Maya civilization which inhabited a region
encompassing southern
Part
of the reason for his success was a case of mistaken identities, the Indians
believing that he was a divine person named Quetzalcoatl whose return had long
been prophesied, didn’t offer much of a fight and consequently Spanish got
control of the entire region.
The
entire Aztec empire succumbed to Spanish feet but Quetzalcoatl didn’t come. He
still hasn’t come during the past 500 years since then. If Quetzalcoatl is
real, is he mentioned in the holy books of Hindus, Jews, Christians and
Muslims? Who is Quetzalcoatl, whose return had been prophesied?
The Coming of the Awaited Savior
An article on Christianity
said that in order to be a prophet from God, you must prophesy. The article
goes on to say that if you claim to be a prophet yet fail to prophesy, you are
a false prophet and ridicules other religions other than Christianity for
containing “miniscule amounts of prophecy or none at all. Because of this fact,
these religions are immediately disqualified as being divinely inspired by
God.”
We do not agree to the
aforementioned statement and believe that all the religions of the world which
may be termed as Divine or have emanated from the One God of the Cosmos contain
abundant prophesies, if we look at them with an unbiased, untainted perception.
Unfortunately, the greatest
of our faults is that we look at the other religion with a biased, preconceived
mindset, at all times considering our own religion and their prevailing
practices to be best and in accordance with the Divine Will.
This is often not true!
With time each of our divine religions have become so distorted and deviated
that we can safely say that our present day understanding and following of the
teachings of these religions is far removed from the Divine Teachings that they
possess or possessed at some time.
Neither it is true that
there is only one true religion and all others are false religions nor that
each religion emanated from a different god. There is no doubt that there is
One God of the Universe who was at all times guiding and showing the path of
our well-being. If this is true then the Divine Truths and Teachings must be
present in all the Divine Scriptures. This must also mean that as they emanate
from the one and the same source, same or similar teachings must be present in
all Scriptures that are attributed to God. At least the path shall be the same!
After all, if there is One God, there must be only One True Path to reach to
Him.
Quetzalcoatl is the savior, as per the Mayans
Coming back to the Mayan prophesy
about Quetzalcoatl who is supposed to come again as the Savior to this world,
we tried to find whether similar prophesies regarding the Awaited Savior exists
in other religious scriptures of the world. After all, those who say that ‘if
you claim to be a prophet yet fail to prophesy, you are a false prophet’ will
agree that if several people, separated by the barriers of religion, thousands
of kilometers in distance and hundreds of years in time, have prophesied about
one and the same thing, all these scriptures must have a common source.
If the Mayans believed in
the coming of Quetzalcoatl, it was not possible to know about it until the
discovery of America by Columbus in the 15th century or till the
Dresden Codex was unscripted by a German scholar in 1880. Vedic and other Hindu
scriptures had not been translated into other languages until the time of Dara
Shikoh. The Mormon Scriptures and the Dead Sea Scrolls have been found only in
the 19th centuries. Confucius and Buddhist teachings have been known
to the world in the twentieth centuries. And Prophet Mohammad was never taught
by any person and hence was considered illiterate till Quran was revealed as
the greatest literary masterpiece among Arabs who took pride in their
vocabulary, literature and command over language and yet prostrated before the
Quranic verses, agreeing that it was not a compilation by a human soul.
Jesus is the Awaited Savior, as per the
Christians
Christians believe that
Jesus is the savior. He had come as Jesus of Nazareth as the long-awaited
Messiah sent from God and will again be sent on earth close to the end of the
world. All believers of Jesus are waiting for the time when he will come once
again to rid us of all ills that are plaguing our society.
Jesus said to the religious
leaders of the day when they did not believe in him:
You diligently study the
Scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life. These
are the same Scriptures that testify about me but you refuse to come to me to
have life.
John 5:39-40
The following prophesy was
revealed to Prophet Daniel in 580 B.C.
Seventy sevens are decreed
for your people and your holy city to finish transgression, to put an end to
sin, to atone for wickedness, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up
vision and prophecy and to anoint the Most Holy.
Know and understand
this: From the issuing of the decree to restore and rebuild
Daniel
9:21-26 written 580 B.C.
It is interesting to note
that while Bible talks clearly of the Second Coming of Jesus, it also refers to
an “anti-Christ who will rise to power on a peace platform. He will help
initiate a seven year peace treaty with
Isn’t it interesting that
it were not just the Mayans who believed that Quetzalcoatl will come to them as
Savior for Humanity? Their eagerness to be with him cost them their kingdom as
they prostrated before a false Quetzalcoatl. The Christians too believe that
Jesus will reveal himself once again as the Savior for all humanity. And around
the same time the anti-Christ will arrive as the villain against God and the
True Teachings. Talking of anti-Christ, it is said:
He opened his mouth to
blaspheme God and to slander his name and his dwelling place and those who live
in heaven. He was given power to make war against the saints and to
conquer them. He was given authority over every tribe, people, language and
nation. All inhabitants of the earth will worship the beast, all whose
names have not been written in the book of life belonging to the Lamb that was
slain from the creation of the world. He who has an ear, let him
hear.
Revelation
13:6-9 written 95 A.D.
The anti-Christ is also
likely to befool people in the name of Jesus just as the Mayans were befooled
by a false Quetzalcoatl. For it is clearly said he will rise to power on a
peace platform. Soon he will have worldwide control. There will be no sovereign
nations. All countries of the world will be under his authority. Most people on
earth will begin to worship him. God will be blasphemed and those who will not
worship him will be punished to death.
What does Jesus have to say
about when he will be returning? It is clearly said that it is not in his hands
when he will re-arrive. None knows the timing but God.
No one knows about that day
or hour, not even the angels in heaven but only the Father. As it was in
the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of
Matthew 24:36-37
Jesus says he will be
returning when the earth is like it was in Noah's day. What was the world
like in Noah's day? The earth was corrupt before God and it was filled with
violence. “All flesh had corrupted their way” is reference to
materialistic pursuits overshadowing the spiritualistic pursuits.
For God looked upon the
earth and it was indeed corrupt. All flesh had corrupted their way upon the
earth. God said to Noah, "The end of all flesh has come before me.
The earth is filled with violence through them and I will destroy them with the
earth."
Genesis
6:11-13.
Decide for yourself whether
or not our world is filled with corruption and violence today.
About the true believers
Jesus says:
Since you have kept my
command to endure patiently, I will also keep you from the hour of trial that
is going to come upon the whole world to test those who live on the earth. I am
coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your
crown. I will make the one who overcomes a pillar in the temple of my
God. Never again will they leave it. I will write on them the name of
my God and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which is coming
down out of heaven from my God and I will also write on them my new name.
Revelation
3:10-12
Jesus not only says that he
will be coming soon but a new sacred city of
Now read this. ‘Son of Man’
is a clear indication that another Divine Person who has been born out of man
will also arrive. ‘Son of Man’ can never be reference to Jesus. Also
note, when Jesus was referring to his own second-coming, he was talking in
first person and when he is talking about the coming of ‘Son of Man’, he is
referring to him in Third Person.
If those days had not been
cut short, no one would survive, but for the sake of the elect, those days will
be shortened. At that time, the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the
sky and all the nations of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of
Man coming on the clouds of the sky with power and great glory. He will
send his angels with a loud trumpet call and they will gather his elect from
the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other. Heaven and earth will
pass away but my words will never pass away. You also must be ready
because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.
Matthew
24:22, 30-31, 35, 44
Look at the fig tree and
all the trees. When they sprout leaves, you can see for yourselves and know
that summer is near. Even so, when you see these things happening, you
know that the
Luke
21:29-33
Tenure of Jesus will be
followed by the Day when all those who are living will fall dead. Blessed will
be they who attain immortality or salvation for the soul even though the
physical body will perish. Jesus too is perishable but he will join with the
Imperishable – the Almighty God. The following passage is a clear reference to
the Day of Judgment.
I declare to you that flesh
and blood cannot inherit the
I
Corinthians 15:50-55
In the following
revelation, there is reference again that another Divine Spirit other than
Jesus will arrive. It says that Jesus will present himself and testify before
the Spirit. The Spirit is not God as it is sitting with his bride. All will
take the Free Gift of the Water of Life. This means that they all will attain
immortality through salvation, and will live forever in the heavens. (Kindly
note the relation of the Devatas (Ahlul-bayt) with ‘Life’ and
salvation in the Upanishads.)
I, Jesus, have sent my angel
to give you this testimony. I am the root and the offspring of David and the
bright Morning Star. The Spirit and the bride say, "Come!" and let
the one who hears say, "Come!" Whoever is thirsty, let them
come and whoever wishes, let them take the Free Gift of the Water of
Life.
Revelation 22:16-17
Mahdi is the savior as per Muslims; he will be
accompanied by Jesus
Exactly the same concept
exists among Muslims regarding the coming of the Savior. Several books of
prophecies and the authentic sayings of the Prophet Mohammad say that Mahdi –
the Awaited – will be the Savior who will remove all evil from the earth. Quran
also testifies that Jesus will come again. It is not clarified whether the two
will come together or one before another. However, it is abundantly made clear
that all evil will be wiped out from the face of the earth by Jesus and Mahdi –
whose real name will be Mohammad. Traditions also say that Mahdi will be from
the Prophet’s family and descendant of Ali and Fatima. Though all sects believe
in the concept of Mahdi, Shia sect of Muslims believe that Mahdi is none but last
of the 14 Ahlul-bayt, who is also the 12th Imam,
and whose name is Mohammad, son of their 11th Imam, who took birth
in 869 CE and was hidden by God at the age of five (874 CE). He is still alive
but has been in occultation, awaiting the time that God has decreed for his
return. He is the light or spirit that guides us even now and will come to save
this world from evil and corruption in the near future. Though all Muslims are
awaiting the coming of the Mahdi along with Jesus, Mahdi is besieged to come in
all congregations of Shia Muslims.
In Shia and Sunni
eschatology, Mahdi (The Guided One) is the prophesied redeemer who will stay on
earth for seven, nine or nineteen years (according to various interpretations)
before the Day of Judgment (literally,
the Day of Resurrection) and, alongside Jesus, will rid the world of
wrongdoing, injustice and tyranny.
In Sunnis, five of the six
canonical collections of hadees (Sahah-e-Sitta) refer to the Mahdi, thus
indicating that the Mahdi doctrine is common to both Sunni and Shia Muslims.
Even the belief in an antichrist is prevalent, very much like Christianity.
Islamic scholar Moojan Momen considers the following beliefs in relation to the
Mahdi are shared by Sunni and Shia Muslims alike:
·
The
Mahdi will be a descendant of Mohammad of the line of Fatima.
·
He
will have the same name as Mohammad.
·
He and
Jesus will rule together for 40 years
·
His
coming will be accompanied by the raising of a Black Standard.
·
His
coming will be accompanied by the appearance of the Antichrist.
·
There
will be a lunar and solar eclipse within the same month of Ramadan.
·
A star
with a luminous tail will rise from the East before the coming of
the Mahdi.
·
He
will restore faith to its original form and eradicate moral corruption.
· He
will fill the world with justice and fairness at a time when the world will be
filled with oppression.
The Twelfth Imam will return as the Mahdi with "a company
of his chosen ones," and his enemies will be led by the one-eyed Antichrist
and the Sufyani.
The two armies will fight "one final apocalyptic battle" where
the Mahdi and his forces will prevail over evil. After the Mahdi has ruled Earth for a number of
years, Jesus will return.
The Prophet Mohammad said:
The Mahdi is the protector of the knowledge, the heir to
the knowledge of all the prophets, and is aware of all things.
The dominion (authority) of the Mahdi is one of the
proofs that God has created all things; these are so numerous that his [the
Mahdi's] proofs will overcome (will be influential, will be dominant) everyone
and nobody will have any counter-proposition against him.
People will flee from him [the Mahdi] as sheep flee from
the shepherd. Later, people will begin to look for a purifier. But since they
can find none to help them but him, they will begin to run to him.
When matters are entrusted to competent [the Mahdi],
Almighty God will raise the lowest part of the world for him, and lower the
highest places. So much that he will see the whole world as if in the palm of
his hand. Which of you cannot see even a single hair in the palm of his hand?
Mohammad al-Baqir, the Fifth Imam said of the
Mahdi:
The Master of the Command was named as the Mahdi because
he will dig out the Torah
and other heavenly books from the cave in Antioch. He will
judge among the people
of the Torah according to the Torah; among the people of the
Gospel according to the Gospel;
among the people of the Psalms in accordance with the Psalms; among the people of the
Qur'an in accordance with the Qur'an.
Ja'far al-Sadiq, the Sixth Imam, made the following
prophecies:
Abu Bashir says: When I asked Imam Ja'far al-Sadiq,
"O son of the Messenger of God! Who is the Mahdi (qa'im) of your clan (Ahlul-bayt)?",
he replied: "The Mahdi will conquer the world; at that time the world will
be illuminated by the light of God, and everywhere in which those other than
God are worshipped will become places where God is worshiped; and even if the polytheists
do not wish it, the only faith on that day will be the religion of God. (Note
‘the Rule of God’ as foretold by Jesus)
Sadir al-Sayrafi says: I heard from Imam Abu Abdullah
Ja'far al-Sadiq (the Sixth Imam) that: Our modest imam, to whom this
occultation belongs [the Mahdi], who is deprived of and denied his rights, will
move among them and wander through their markets and walk where they walk, but
they will not recognize him.
Abu Bashir says: I heard Imam Mohammad al-Baqr say:
"He said: When the Mahdi appears he will follow in the path of the
Messenger of God. Only he [the Mahdi] can explain the works of the Messenger of
God.
Ali
Ibn Abi Talib quoted the Prophet as saying:
The Mahdi is one of us, the clan of the Prophet. God will
reform him in one night. (Reported by Imam Ahmad and Ibn Maqah)
At-Tirmidhi
reported that the Prophet said:
The Mahdi is from my Ummah; he will be
born and live to rule five or seven or nine years. (If) one goes to him and
says, "Give me (a charity)", he will fill one’s garment with what one
needs.
Abu
Dawud also reported a hadees about the Mahdi that the Prophet Mohammed said:
The
Mahdi will be of my stock, and will have a broad forehead, a prominent nose. He
will fill the earth with equity and justice as it was filled with oppression
and tyranny, and he will rule for seven years.
At-Tirmidhi said:
It has been related from
Abdullah that the Messenger of Allah said: One of my people whose name is the
same as mine will assume leadership... If but one day of life remains to the
world, Allah will prolong that day to permit him to assume dominion.
In Sufism too, belief in the Mahdi is widely accepted.
Ibn Hajar al-Haytami, in his fatwa entitled ‘The brief
discourse on the portents of the awaited Mahdi’, said that denial of the Mahdi
is disbelief.
Jalaluddin Al-Suyuti wrote:
This is the belief of ahl
al-sunnah (sunnis), this is the belief of the Sufis, this is the
belief of our sheikhs,
and this is the belief of the true Shadhili
sheikhs, whose path both al-Suyuti and al-Haytami followed. Whoever differs
with them is a liar and an innovator.
The Naqshbandi Haqqani Sufi Order, under
the leadership of Shaykh Nazim and his khalifah Shaykh Hisham
Kabbani of Islamic Supreme Council of America (ISCA), is among the Sunnis/Sufis
who strongly believe the coming of Imam Mahdi in this 21st Century is imminent.
Shaikh Hisham has written a book "The Approach of Armageddon" that
touches much on this subject according to Sufi doctrine and beliefs.
It is said "predictions and lore concerning the
Mahdi abound". Among them are that the promised Mahdi would be a Caliph of
God and that to make a covenant with him is obligatory. He would belong to the House of Mohammad
and would be in the line of Imam Hussein. His name would be Mohammad and his
family name would be Abul Qasim, his father's name would be ‘Abdu’llah, and he would appear in Makkah. He
would protect the Muslims from destruction and would restore the religion to
its original position.
Imam Rabbani is of opinion that Mahdi will appear in the
second millennium after the death of Prophet. It has been 1421 years since
Prophet’s death. It is said that 1400 to 1600 years are crucial as this is the
middle of the second millennium. God may ask Mahdi to come anytime during this
period. According to Imam as-Suyuti's accounts,
the life of the community of Mohammad will not exceed the year 1500. God knows the
best.
Maschiach of Yisra’el (Messiah of
The path of Maschiach
is the path of Salvation (Yeshua), as per the Jews. In other words, Maschiach
himself is salvation. He is God in flesh, the healer and the judge.
"The Talmud extensively details the advent of the Messiah
(Sanhedrin 98a, et al.) and describes a period of freedom and peace, which will
be the time of ultimate goodness for the Jews and for all mankind. Tractate Sanhedrin,
contains a long discussion of the events leading to the coming of the Messiah,
for example:
R.
Johanan said:
When
you see a generation ever dwindling, hope for him [the Messiah], as it is
written, "And the afflicted people thou wilt save."
[II
Samuel 22:28]
R.
Johanan said:
When
thou seest a generation overwhelmed by many troubles as by a river, await him,
as it is written, when the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the
Lord shall lift up a standard against him; which is followed by, And the
Redeemer shall come to Zion.
R. Johanan also said:
The son of David will come only in a generation that is
either altogether righteous or altogether wicked. 'in a generation that is
altogether righteous,' — as it is written, Thy people also shall be all
righteous: they shall inherit the land for ever. 'Or altogether wicked,' — as
it is written, And he saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no
intercessor;31 and it is [elsewhere] written, For mine own sake, even for mine
own sake, will I do it.
Throughout Jewish history Jews have compared these
passages (and others) to contemporary events in search of signs of the
Messiah's imminent arrival, continuing into present times.
The Talmud tells many stories about the Messiah, some of
which represent famous Talmudic rabbis as receiving personal visitations from Elijah the Prophet
and the Messiah. For example:
R.
Joshua b. Levi met Elijah standing by the entrance of R. Simeon b.
Yohai's tomb. He asked him: 'Have I a portion in the world to come?' He
replied, 'if this Master desires it.' R. Joshua b. Levi said, 'I saw two, but
heard the voice of a third.' He then asked him, 'When will the Messiah come?' —
'Go and ask him himself,' was his reply. 'Where is he sitting?' — 'At the
entrance.' And by what sign may I recognise him?' — 'He is sitting among the
poor lepers: all of them untie [them] all at once, and rebandage them together,
whereas he unties and rebandages each separately, [before treating the next],
thinking, should I be wanted, [it being time for my appearance as the Messiah]
I must not be delayed [through having to bandage a number of sores].' So he
went to him and greeted him, saying, 'peace upon thee, Master and Teacher.'
'peace upon thee, O son of Levi,' he replied. 'When wilt thou come Master?'
asked he, 'Today', was his answer. On his returning to Elijah, the latter
enquired, 'What did he say to thee?' — 'peace Upon thee, O son of Levi,' he
answered. Thereupon he [Elijah] observed, 'He thereby assured thee and thy
father of [a portion in] the world to come.' 'He spoke falsely to me,' he
rejoined, 'stating that he would come to-day, but has not.' He [Elijah]
answered him, 'This is what he said to thee, To-day, if ye will listen to his
voice.’
Daniel
9:24-26 says:
24
"Seventy
'sevens' are decreed for your people and your holy city to finish
transgression, to put an end to sin, to atone for wickedness, to bring in
everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy and to anoint the
most holy.
25
"Know
and understand this: From the issuing of the decree to restore and rebuild
Jerusalem until the Anointed One, the ruler, comes, there will be seven
'sevens,' and sixty-two 'sevens.' It will be rebuilt with streets and a trench,
but in times of trouble.
26
After
the sixty-two 'sevens,' the Anointed One will be cut off and will have nothing.
The people of the ruler who will come will destroy the city and the sanctuary.
The end will come like a flood: War will continue until the end, and
desolation's have been decreed.
The
traditions and belief about the coming of the Messiah is so widespread among
Jews that they won’t be surprised if the Messiah arrives just now, even while
you are reading these lines. Prophet Ezekiel living in the
As per Jews, the final
“Shemittah’z” or Seven Sabbatical years before the Revelation of the Messiah
are already over in 2008 and the Messiah can arrive any time now. According to
the calculations of the Vilna Gaon, as interpreted by the Kabbalist Rabbi
Yitzhak Kaduri, during the 7-years count from that Hoshana Rabba on October 7,
2001, a major revelation associated with Maschiach may be given. Rabbi
Kaduri believes that the Mashiach is already in the
Not long ago, Gerrer Rebbe, who is known as Rabbi Yakov
Aryeh Alter, too joined the call of the current Torah saes to send the warning
that the time for the arrival of the Mohiach of Yisra’el is near. Rabbi
Alter is the seventh Hasidic rabbi of the Ger Hasidim in
And Rebbe shlit'a said recently that "we are now so
close to Mashiach that all of our current mitzvas are
preparations for his imminent arrival". If that's the case, then we must
all hasten to strengthen our Torah and tshuva (repentance) immediately;
tomorrow might be too late.
Not long ago, Chief Rabbi of Russia Rabbi
Berel Lazar said: "We know that he is very near at hand, but he needs
not only to be born but also to come," He further said that the Messiah
may well have been born already, but unless he is ordered by God he cannot
reveal himself with God’s help and change the world for the better."
Speaking further, Rabbi Berel Lazar said: "The world
today is in a state described by our sages as 'hevley mashiah’, that is,
labor that precedes the coming of a Messiah. It is a time when many good things
are created in the world and the progress of science and technology has made it
possible to solve many human problems, to overcome diseases, famine, etc., on
one hand. On the other hand, it is for the first time since God created human
beings that humans have taken hold of such means of destruction that the whole
of our race and even the globe itself can be destroyed instantly. We are living
on the verge of history. It can be felt everywhere."
He further said:
"Perhaps God is waiting for only one deed to be put on the good scale to
order the Messiah to reveal himself," and that it was important for
everyone "to add this good deed, as one's contribution may prove
decisive." And said: “May Hashem help us. Chazak ve'amatz, be
courageous and strong in your outreach work, Lazer; even if the whole world
throws tomatoes at you and spits in your face, continue to spread the word of
Hashem to anyone that is willing to listen. B'hatzlocho!”
The Kalki Avatar is the Savior, as per the Hindus
Lord Krishna says in the
Gita that it is our actions that are leading to the destruction of the world.
The advent of Lord Krishna became imminent as the world had become full of
corruption and there was a need for Dharma (righteousness) to be
re-established. 3600 years after Krishna, the world has been filled up with
corruption, sin, deceit, treachery and mischief once again and it is time for
the Kalki Avatar (an Avatar of the present era) to arrive who
shall re-establish order resulting in dawn of the golden era. Hindus believe
that none other an incarnate of the Omnipotent God can achieve this feat. He
will be the deliverer and he will bring all countries on a single platform.
As
per Hindu traditions, the Kalki avatar for all practical purposes shall
be one who guides the humanity in the present chaos. He is the chosen one. He
is destined to save the mankind from the rigors of today. The day to day lowering
of human values, humans behaving more like a vicious animal (it is ironic
sometimes it is difficult to distinguish human beings from animals), the
breaking up of relationships between the family members, between communities
and on larger scale the countries has become the order of the day.
Such
a one fully prepared and powered to address the ills of today head-on shall be
known as Kalki Avatar - one who shall annihilate the ills of today and
make dharma (righteousness or true path) prevail and make the humanity
step forward towards a new golden era... the Satyuga (the golden
period). He will be a true incarnate of Almighty God himself.
It
is believed that out of the present world population of 6000 million people,
1200 million will perish in the fights that will ensue upon his arrival and out
of the remaining 4800 million, 2000 million people will have faith in him.
It
is said that the Kalki Avatar will provide a justified end to Kali
Yuga, the metal age. He will be one whose teachings and preaching will be
based on the strength of his character. He will be one who will approach every
problem logically and render full justice. He will never be dictatorial in
character. He shall be a man from the masses, a believer in the concept of by
the people, of the people, for the people. The society as a whole will get a
reprieve to improve self and also those around. Every individual would exercise
his right and all shall be equal in his eyes. Man or woman... everyone would be
governed by truthfulness. To distinguish right from wrong would be his forte.
To punish the guilty and reward hard-working honest denizen of the society
would be his daily routine. Might is right shall be the forgotten order. Truth
and only truth shall be the order of the day.
The society as of today awaits the coming of Kalki Avatar! Call him the Messiah of the masses or the downtrodden denizens of the society... coming of Kalki Avatar would be a boon to the mankind at large!
The prophecy and its origins
The Vishnu Purana explains that, "When the practices taught in the Vedas and institutes of law have nearly ceased, and the close of the Kali age shall be nigh, a portion of that divine being who exists of His own spiritual nature, and who is the beginning and end, and who comprehends all things, shall descend upon earth. He will be born in the family of Vishnuyasha, an eminent brahmana of Shambhala village, as Kalki, endowed with eight superhuman faculties. By His irresistible might he will destroy all the mlecchas and thieves, and all whose minds are devoted to iniquity. He will reestablish righteousness upon earth, and the minds of those who live at the end of the Kali age shall be awakened, and shall be as clear as crystal. The men who are thus changed by virtue of that peculiar time shall be as the seeds of human beings, and shall give birth to a race who will follow the laws of the Krita age or Satya Yuga, the age of purity. As it is said, 'When the sun and moon, and the lunar asterism Tishya, and the planet Jupiter, are in one mansion, the Krita age shall return.'"
(Book Four, Chapter 24)
The Padma Purana relates:
Lord Kalki will end the age of Kali
and will kill all the wicked mlecchas and, thus, destroy the bad condition of the
world. He will gather all of the distinguished brahmanas
and will propound the highest truth. He will know all the ways of life that have
perished and will remove the prolonged hunger of the genuine brahmanas
and the pious. He will be the only ruler of the world that cannot be
controlled, and will be the banner of victory and adorable to the world.
(6.71.279-282)
The Bhagavata
Purana states:
At the end of Kali Yuga,
when there exist no topics on the subject of God, even at the residences of
so-called saints and respectable gentlemen , and when the power of government
is transferred to the hands of ministers elected from the evil men, and when
nothing is known of the techniques of sacrifice, even by word, at that time the
Lord will appear as the supreme chastiser. (2.7.38) It further describes Lord
Kalki's activities as follows: "Lord Kalki, the Lord of the
universe, will mount His swift white horse Devadatta and, sword in hand,
travel over the earth exhibiting His eight mystic opulences and eight special
qualities of Godhead. Displaying His unequaled effulgence and riding with great
speed, He will kill by the millions those thieves who have dared dress as
kings.
(12.2.19-20)
Followers of Tibetan
Buddhism have preserved the Kalachakra Tantra
in which "Kalkin" is a title of 25 rulers of the mystical realm of Shambhala.
The aims and actions of some of these are prophesied in portions of the work.
The Kalachakra tantra was first taught by the
Buddha to King Suchandra, the first dharmaraja of
Shambhala, which says: "Lord Kalki will appear in the home of the most
eminent brahmana of Shambhala village, the great souls Vishnuyasha and
Sumati." (Srimad-Bhagavatam Bhag.12.2.18)[7]
Commonality of
Teachings
Wikipedia
description of the Kalki Avatar says: “In Hinduism, Kalki (also rendered by some as
Kalkin and Kalaki) is the tenth and final Maha Avatar (great incarnation) of Vishnu who will come to end the present age of darkness and
destruction known as Kali Yuga. The name Kalki
is often a metaphor for eternity or time.
The origins of the name probably lie in the Sanskrit word "kalka" which refers to
mud, dirt, filth, or foulness and hence denotes the "destroyer of
foulness," "destroyer of confusion," "destroyer of
darkness," or "annihilator of ignorance." Other similar and
divergent interpretations based on varying etymological derivations from Sanskrit
- including one simply meaning "White Horse"
- have been made.”
One of
the revelations attributed to Christians say:
I saw heaven standing open
and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True.
With justice, he judges and makes war. His eyes are like blazing fire and
on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him that no one
knows but he himself. He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood and his
name is the Word of God. The armies of heaven were following him, riding
on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean. Out of his
mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. He will rule
them with an iron scepter. He treads the winepress of the fury of the
wrath of God Almighty. On his robe and on his thigh, he has this name
written: King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
Revelation 19:11-16
And in their book, ‘Al Mahdi and the End of Time’,
Muhammad Ibn ‘Izzat and Muhammad ‘Arif, two well-known Egyptian authors,
identify the Mahdi from the Book of Revelation, quoting Hadees transmitter Ka'ab
al-Ahbar.
In one place, they write,
“I
find the Mahdi recorded in the books of the Prophets… For instance, the Book of
Revelation says: “And I saw and behold a white horse. He that sat on
him…went forth conquering and to conquer.”
‘Izzat and ‘Arif then go on to say:
“It is clear that this man is the Mahdi who will ride the
white horse and judge by the Qur’an (with justice) and with whom will be men
with marks of prostration (zabiba) on their foreheads.”
It is
not just coincidence that Hindu, Christian and Muslim scripture are all talking
of a White Horse for the Savior.
Popular images of the Kalki avatar depict him
riding a white horse with wings known as Devadatta (God-given.) In these
images, Kalki is brandishing a sword in his right hand and is intent on
eradicating the corrupt destitution and debauchery of Kali Yuga.
Mahdi is said to be in possession of Zulfiqar (the
double-edged sword) that was given to his great grand father Ali by God through
his angels in one of the battles.
Revelation 22:16-17 talks of a divine spirit other than
Jesus before whom Jesus will present himself and testify. Muslim scriptures
talk of Jesus and Mahdi together as saviors. Mahdi is referred to in some
supplications as ‘baqiatullah’ or ‘the remaining portion of (spirit of) God’ on
earth. Mahdi is also referred to as the guiding spirit created by God. Most
interestingly, R. Johanan in Jewish scriptures says that “the Spirit of the
Lord shall lift up a standard against him (enemies); which is followed by, And
the Redeemer shall come to
All religions believe that there will be one savior (not
only for us but our souls); he will come when the world will be full of
corruption and injustice. When he will come, there will be great bloodshed but
eventually truth will prevail. There will be justice, there will be happiness.
Earth will open up its treasures. All scriptures show a direct relationship of
the redeemer with God. He has been described as salvation. Any one who will
come on his side will attain salvation. In fact he is the torch-bearer from
God, one who will not only show the path but will lead with example. This will
be God’s final chance for all the remaining souls to attain salvation. All
scriptures agree that the world will come to end after this.
Can there be different sources to such similar teachings?
We must conclude that there is only One God and Only One True Path to reach him
and all of us have deviated from the Path in the name of religion, to coin our
own religions.
One God, One Path
If Muslims believe that the Savior will convert all the
people to Islam, if Christians believe that the Savior will turn all people to
Christianity, if Jews are of the opinion that the Zionist belief will prevail
upon his arrival and if the Hindus think that dharma (their religion)
will prevail, all are wrong. Yet, all are correct!
As Muhammad
al-Baqir, the Fifth Imam said of the Mahdi:
The Master of the Command was named as the Mahdi because
he will dig out the Torah
and other heavenly books from the cave in Antioch. He will
judge among the people
of the Torah according to the Torah; among the people of the
Gospel according to the Gospel;
among the people of the Psalms in accordance with the Psalms; among the people of the
Qur'an in accordance with the Qur'an.
Since the Savior has a direct connection with God and
since God has guided people of different lands and time with different
scriptures and Prophets, he will unite all the religions and reveal the One
Religion – the Straight and True Path to Lord. The scriptures of all religions
still talk of the Straight Path, but we have either distorted them or
understood them differently, as per our abilities or requirements, to give
different shapes to our respective religions.
Once these distortions and deviations are removed, One
Straight Path will be abundantly visible to adherents of all religions, from
their own scriptures itself. A Hindu will identify the Savior from his
scriptures, Jews from his own scriptures, Christians from their scriptures,
Buddhists from their books, Muslims from their own books and even the Indians
of Latin America from their own scriptures.
That way if people adhering to different religions
believe that the Savior will convert the rest of humanity to their religion (as
it exists today), they are wrong. But if they believe that the Savior will
convert the rest of humanity to the teachings of their True Scriptures, they
all are right. After all, true Divine scriptures, when taught by a True Divine
Representative, will reveal the One and Only Divine Path to Bliss and
Salvation.
. . . . . . . THE END . . .
. . . .
