THE DOMINION PROMISED TO THE HEIRS OF THE PROPHET ABRAHAM (PBUH)

THE DOMINION PROMISED TO THE HEIRS OF THE
PROPHET ABRAHAM (PBUH) IN JUDAIC SOURCES, AND
THE DOMINION PROMISED TO THE HEIRS OF THE PROPHET ABRAHAM (PBUH) IN JUDAIC SOURCES, AND HAZRAT MAHDI'S (PBUH) DESCENT FROM THE LINE OF THE PROPHET ABRAHAM (PBUH)

The line of the Prophet Abraham (pbuh) continued with his two sons, the Prophets Ishmael and Isaac (peace be upon them). Throughout the course of history, a large number of Prophets descended from the Prophet Isaac (pbuh) came to the Israelites: the Prophets Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Aaron, Jonah, Job, Elijah, David, Solomon, Zaccariah, John and Jesus (peace be upon them). Descended from the line of the Prophet Ishmael (pbuh) are the Prophet of Islam, Muhammad (may Allah bless him and grant him peace), teachers from his line and finally the Imam Muhammad al-Mahdi (pbuh). In addition, Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh) comes from a line stretching back as far as the Prophet David (pbuh).
Therefore, the People of Israel, the People of Isaac and the People of Ishmael referred to in the Torah are all from the line of the Prophet Abraham (pbuh). All are descended from the Prophet Abraham (pbuh), one blessed by Allah. The holy personage who bears the title of "he who bestows the path of salvation" in the Abrahamic religions–and who will appear in the End Times as a means whereby the moral values of true belief come to rule the world–is also descended from the Prophet Abraham (pbuh). This means that Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh) himself is descended from the Prophet Abraham (pbuh).

Allah Promises Dominion to the Line of the Prophet Abraham (pbuh)

Allah protected the two branches of the descendants of the Prophet Abraham (pbuh) in order for them to establish their dominion. In the End Times, He will unite the Imam al-Mahdi (pbuh) and the Prophet Jesus (pbuh) in order for that promise to be fulfilled. This period of dominion, revealed in the Qur'an and in the hadiths of our Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace), is also promised in the Torah to a community descended from the line of the Prophet Abraham (pbuh):

I will bless you greatly, and increase your offspring like the stars of the sky and the sand on the seashore. Your offspring shall inherit their enemies' gate; all the nations of the world shall be blessed through your descendants—all because you obeyed My voice. (Genesis, 22:17-18)

God said to Abraham:... I will make you into a great nation. I will bless you and make you great; you shall become a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and he who curses you, I will curse. All the families of the Earth will be blessed through you. (Genesis, 12:1-3)
I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars of the sky, and grant them all these lands. All the nations on Earth shall be blessed through your descendants. (Genesis, 26:4)

Your descendants will be like the dust of the earth, and you will spread out to the west and to the east, to the north and to the south. All peoples on earth will be blessed through you and your offspring. (Genesis, 28:14)

Parts of the Torah that describe how true believers of Allah will have leadership and responsibility on earth and how religious moral values will prevail in the End Times, the final age of this world:

The Lord replied, "I have forgiven them, as you asked. Nevertheless, as surely as I live and as surely as the glory of the Lord fills the whole earth." (Numbers, 14:20-21)

... The meek will inherit the land and enjoy great peace... for the power of the wicked will be broken, the Lord upholds the righteous. The days of the blameless are known to the Lord and their inheritance will endure forever... (Psalms, 37:11, 17-18)

All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the Lord, and all the families of the nations will bow down before him, for dominion belongs to the Lord. (Psalms, 22:27-28)

For evil men will be cut off, but those who hope in the Lord will inherit the land. A little while, and the wicked will be no more; though you look for them, they will not be found. (Psalms, 37:9-10)

... For the power of the wicked will be broken, but the Lord upholds the righteous... The wicked will perish: The Lord's enemies will be like the beauty of the fields, they will vanish—vanish like smoke. (Psalms, 37:17, 20)

Wait for the Lord and keep his way... The salvation of the righteous comes from the Lord... The Lord helps them and delivers them; He delivers them from the wicked and saves them, because they take refuge in him. (Psalms, 37:34, 39-40)

As these passages make clear, the "dominion" described in the Torah is not that of one specific group or lineage over other communities, but that of the moral values of the true faith–commanded to everyone by Allah–over the world. However, expressions of praise for the believing Jews in the Torah are the good news imparted to devout believers when the Torah was revealed. Therefore, taking Torah passages referring to the dominion promised to the People of Israel as the superiority of a certain nation, without considering sincere faith in Allah, will not be a correct approach.

In fact, the concept of "the dominion of the moral values of the religion (deen)," which exists in Islam and Judaism, is the eradication of evils and difficulties stemming from religious moral values not being complied with on earth with the commencement of that compliance, and the spread of moral virtues. Muslims hope that the moral values commanded by Allah–namely, solidarity, justice, honesty, loyalty, modesty, forgiveness and compassion—will form the basis of relations between people, and construct an environment wherein everyone competes to behave in accord with moral values to attain Allah's pleasure. The establishment of such a climate will undoubtedly eradicate all evils stemming from the lack of these virtues. Muslims who share that understanding aim not to possess power and sovereignty, but to use any blessings Allah bestows on them in the finest manner in order to spread the moral values of the faith. This excellent attribute of Muslims is revealed in the Qur'an:

... those who, if We establish them firmly on the earth, will establish the prayer and pay alms, and command what is right and forbid what is wrong. The end result of all affairs is with Allah. (Surat al-Hajj, 41)

The Features of the Community That is Promised Dominion in the Torah

AAllah has told the Jews that if they remain loyal to the true faith, obey the Prophets and believe in Him alone, He will bestow leadership on them. The characteristics of the servants to whom Allah has promised dominion are described in these terms in the Torah:

If you carefully safeguard and keep this entire Mandate that I prescribe to you today, [and if you] love God, walk in all His ways, and cling to Him... no man will be able to stand against you... I am setting before you today... the blessing if you obey the commands of the Lord your God that I am giving you today. (Deuteronomy, 11:22-27)

Devotion to Allah, scrupulous implementation of His commandments and love of Him are revealed as preconditions for the dominion of the People of Israel. In the continuation of this passage from the Torah, Jews are offered two choices; blessings if they choose faith, or tribulation if they turn their backs on it:

You can therefore see that I am placing before you both a blessing and a curse. The blessing [will come] if you obey the commandments of God your Lord, which I am prescribing to you today. The curse [will come] if you do not obey the commandments of God your Lord, and you go astray from the path that I am prescribing for you, following the gods of others, which you have not known. (Deuteronomy, 11:26-28)

The characteristics of the society that is promised dominion are also described as follows in the Torah:

... God your Lord, is the Supreme Being. God is the faithful, Who keeps in mind [His] covenant and love for a thousand generations when it comes to those who love Him and keep His commandments. (Deuteronomy, 7:9-10)

... Love the Lord your God, listen to His voice, and hold fast to Him... He will give you many years in the land He swore... (Deuteronomy, 30:20)

God will then grant you a good surplus in all the work of your hands, in the fruit of your womb, the fruit of your livestock, and the fruit of your land. God will once again rejoice in you for good, just as He rejoiced in your fathers. All this will happen when you obey God your Lord, keeping all His commandments and decrees, as they are written in this book of the Torah, and when you return to God your Lord with all your heart and soul. (Deuteronomy, 30:9-10)

Elsewhere in the Torah, it is revealed that dominion is promised to those who fear Allah:

Who, then, is the man that fears the Lord?... He will spend his days in prosperity, and his descendants will inherit the land. The Lord confides in those who fear Him. (Psalms, 25:12-14)

Again in the Torah, it is revealed that those who place their trust in Allah, who are humble, who take pleasure from their belief in Allah, will inherit dominion and His blessings:

Trust in the Lord and do good... Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord; trust in Him... Those who hope in the Lord will inherit the land... The meek will inherit the land and enjoy great peace. (Psalms, 37:3-5, 9, 11)

... If you keep the commands of the Lord your God and walk in His ways... The Lord will grant you abundant prosperity—in the fruit of your womb, the young of your livestock and the crops of your ground—in the land he swore to your forefathers to give you. The Lord will open the good treasure in the heavens, to send rain on your land in season and to bless all the work of your hands. You will lend to many nations but will borrow from none. The Lord will make you the head, not the tail. If you pay attention to the commands of the Lord your God that I give you this day and carefully follow them, you will always be at the top, never at the bottom. Do not turn aside from any of the commands I give you today, to the right or to the left, following other gods and serving them. (Deuteronomy, 28:9-14)

When the features of the society to which dominion is promised in the Torah, are considered as a whole, it appears that the people on whom Allah will bestow sovereignty will have the following qualities:

* Living in Allah's path,
* Turning to Allah in all ways,
* Scrupulously obeying all His commandments,
* Loving Allah,
* Fearing Him,
* Ascribing no equals to Allah,
* Remaining loyal and faithful to Him,
* Trusting in Allah,
* Taking pleasure from belief in Allah,
* Doing good deeds, and
* Being humble.

The dominion in the Torah is that of the moral values of the true faith, of which believers have been told. As it is stated in the verse 85 of Surah Al 'Imran, "If anyone desires anything other than Islam as a religion, it will not be accepted from Him..." That true faith in the eyes of Allah is Islam.*
* Additional Statement:
Devout Jews refer to righteous Muslims as the "B'nai Noah (The Children of Noah.)" To put it another way, Jews regard Muslims as people who implement the commandments given to the Prophet Noah (pbuh). Our Almighty Lord reveals in the Qur'an that what He revealed to the Prophet Noah (pbuh) He also revealed to the other Prophets and our own Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace):

He has laid down the same religion for you as He enjoined on Noah: that which We have revealed to you and which We enjoined on Abraham, Moses and Jesus: "Establish the religion and do not make divisions in it." What you call the associaters to follow is very hard for them. Allah chooses for Himself anyone He wills and guides to Himself those who turn to Him. (Surat ash-Shura, 13)

For a Jew to regard a gentile (non-Jew) as a member of the B'nai Noah means that he abides by the following provisions:

1. Believing in the One and Only Allah (the prohibiton of ascribing equals to Allah; surely Allah is beyond that)
2. Feeling a profound respect for Almighty Allah (the prohibition of blasphemy; surely Allah is beyond that)
3. Protecting lives given by Allah (the prohibition of murder)
4. Protecting the concept of the family (the prohibition of adultery)
5. The protection of property (the prohibition of theft)
6. Eating lawful meat (the prohibition of eating meat from a living animal)
7. Ensuring justice (the foundation of the courts that provide justice)

In this sense, for a Jew, "Muslims" are righteous people who submit to Allah and live in compliance with these provisions. Jews hope that in the time of the Messiah (Hazrat Mahdi [pbuh]) all humanity will submit to Allah and live according to these fundamental laws. From the Jewish perspective, the fact that all mankind will be Muslim and that the moral values of the religion will rule in the End Times is seen as the same as saying all humanity will be proper "B'nai Noah".

THE PEOPLE PROMISED DOMINION IN THE TORAH IS THE COMMUNITY OF HAZRAT MAHDI (PBUH)

The attributes of Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh) who will appear in the End Times, and of his community, and of the glorious period they will usher in are described in considerable detail in the holy scriptures of the Abrahamic religions. These descriptions are surprisingly similar in all three faiths. Today, the appearance of hundreds of proofs, of an environment described many centuries in the past, shows that the coming of Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh) is now very close at hand.
According to the hadiths of our Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace), Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh) will perform very important actions, highly beneficial for the future of all humanity. But initially, he will not be recognized and will have no supporters, apart from a very small community of believers. However, those able to seeing with the eyes of faith will recognize Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh) and his community through the excellent impression they make. His success in spreading the faith of Allah will manifest itself that he possesses the true rank of Mahdi.
One verse says that the People of the Book will recognize our Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) as they recognize "their own sons":

Those We have given the Book recognize it as they recognize their own sons. Yet a group of them knowingly conceal the truth. (Surat al-Baqara, 146)

In figurative terms, this verse also indicates that Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh), too, will be recognized (Allah knows the truth). When Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh) appears, people will recognize him as they do their own sons, in the light of our Prophet's (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) descriptions. Yet some people will nevertheless fail to recognize this holy personage and will persist in their denial.

Pure Faith is the Measure in Allah's Promise of Dominion

The rule of true faith referred to in Holy Scriptures and to be established in the End Times will be the result of sincere faith and moral rectitude. Neither genealogy nor any material criterion can substitute for pure faith. Some Jews maintain that the society promised dominion in the Torah is the Jewish people regardless of their devotion and sincerity. However, this view is not accepted by devout Jews, but even criticized and condemned by them.

Clearly, whoever possesses the qualities of the sincerely believing society promised dominion in the Torah, Allah will make them the means whereby the faith in Allah and moral values prevail. To put it another way, those who will bring about the dominion of religious moral values are believers of sincere faith, who fear and respect Allah, who maintain the moral virtues He has commanded, who are obedient to Him, and who live by love and compassion. Dominion is promised to true believers, not to any particular community or descent.

It is a grave error for any to imagine that they have been promised dominion solely on the grounds that they were simply born Jewish or Christian. What matters is not his birth, but his devotion to Allah, to His Prophets and the moral values of the faith, and his obedience and submission. If anyone denies the existence of Allah or fails to appreciate His might properly; if he fails to abide completely by religious moral values; if he does not believe in the Prophets or does not comply with their Sunnah, then his race or line of descent is to of no advantage at all. If someone who does not believe in Allah and has not truly surrendered to Him, it is irrelevant whether that person is descended from the Prophets Abraham, Jacob or Moses (peace be upon them). In any case, such a person has rejected the Prophets from whose very line he is descended. Merely being descended from the Prophets does not confer holiness on a person in the absence of true faith. The ancestry of someone who rejects the Prophets Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Moses (peace be upon them), who does not love and fear Allah, is of no importance in Allah's sight.

Allah has revealed in the Qur'an that fear [and respect] of Allah is the only measure that confers any value on someone in His sight:

The noblest among you in Allah's sight is the one who most fears [and respects] Allah. Allah is All-Knowing, All-Aware. (Surat al-Hujurat, 13)

Another verse reveals the finest outcome that awaits those who fear and respect Allah:

... So be steadfast. The best end result is for those who fear and respect Allah. (Surah Hud, 49)

Those who fear and respect Him are those who hope for such an outcome from Allah by striving on His path, who hope for no other reward than His good pleasure, who have dedicated their lives and belongings to Allah, who have a great fear of and passionate love for Him. They are the true heirs of Allah for the dominion of the moral values of the true faith.

In conclusion, the fundamental requirement in Allah's promise of dominion is true faith. The accounts of and references to dominion in the Torah are not limited to any one particular nation. Muslims–in other words, those who have surrendered to Allah–and anyone who truly believes without ascribing any equals to Him, becomes part of the community of believers. "The People of Israel" was the name for this community in the Torah. To put it another way, the "People of Israel" includes the sincere, devout descendants of Jacob, and the true Muslims (who have surrendered themselves to Allah) regardless of their descent.

The community chosen and promised dominion by Allah, as revealed in verse 55 of Surat an-Nur, will possess the following qualities:

1) Believing in Allah,
2) Doing right actions,
3) Ascribing no equals to Allah, and
4) Worshipping Allah alone.

The dominion promised by Allah is directed towards such a community. Otherwise, it could hardly be expected that a people descended from the People of Israel, but lacking any devout belief, could rule the world. Moreover, it is out of question for ethnic groups to have lived in close proximity over the course of centuries without intermixing. Nor is it possible for the lines of the Prophets Isaac and Ishmael, sons of the Prophet Abraham (peace be upon them), to have survived in pure form. Obviously, what is being referred to is unity of belief, not genealogy.

In the Book of Genesis (28: 7-10), it is revealed that the son of the Prophet Isaac (pbuh) married the Prophet Ishmael's (pbuh) daughter. This event described in the Torah represents a clear example of how lines of descent became intermingled right from the outset. Furthermore, descendants of the Prophets Isaac and Ishmael (peace be upon them) who lived in areas very close to one another, have close family ties. Therefore, the community that will be given dominion is not any specific line, but a group that will adhere to the pure moral values of the Prophet Abraham (pbuh)–or to give it its contemporary name, Islam.

In addition, Allah has revealed in the Qur'an that all messengers represent one single family:

Allah chose Adam and Noah and the family of Abraham and the family of 'Imran over all other beings–descendants one of the other. Allah is All-Hearing, All-Knowing. (Surah Al 'Imran, 33-34)

In Surat al-An'am, Allah refers to messangers coming from each others' lines:

Those who believe and do not mix up their belief with any wrongdoing, they are the ones who are safe; it is they who are guided. This is the argument We gave to Abraham against his people. We raise in rank anyone We will. Your Lord is All-Wise, All-Knowing. We gave him Isaac and Jacob, each of whom We guided. And before him We had guided Noah. And among his descendants were David and Solomon, and Job, Joseph, Moses and Aaron. That is how We recompense the good-doers. And Zaccariah, John, Jesus and Elijah. All of them were among the righteous. And Ishmael, Eljada, Jonah and Lot. All of them We favored over all beings. And some of their forebears, descendants and brothers; We chose them and guided them to a straight path. (Surat al-An'am, 82-87)

All the Prophets are related to one another. Any reference to the line of the Prophet Jacob, or the Prophet Solomon, or the Prophet David (peace be upon them) also encapsulates the line of the Prophet Abraham (pbuh), and dominion is promised to the Prophet Abraham (pbuh), of the line of the Prophets. The Prophet Muhammad (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) is also a member of this holy line. The hadiths also state that Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh) will come from that same line. Everyone who can trace his lineage back to this line is popularly known as a "sayyid." Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh) will be a sayyid.

In those hadiths of our Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace), it is revealed that:

Abu Dawud reported a hadith from Abd Allah ibn Masud: The Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) said, "If there were only one day left for the world, that day would be lengthened until a man from among my descendants or from among the people of my household [Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh)], was sent."

Days and nights will not come to an end until a man from the People of my House [Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh)] will prevail. (Al-Uqayli, An-Najmu's-saqib)

Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh) and His Community are Predetermined in Destiny

A human being is no more than a spectator of his own destiny and the world's. No one can change the course of that destiny. Similarly, making judgments about that destiny, submitting to or objecting to it, can in no way alter the promises Allah has set out in destiny. Whomsoever Allah chooses in destiny and determines as a vehicle whereby religious moral values are brought to rule the world, that individual will be Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh).

Otherwise, nobody can stand up and claim to be the Mahdi. The rank of the Mahdi is not based upon claims to be him. Neither is it a rank that can be attained through hard work. In order for someone to be the Mahdi, that must be written in his destiny; he needs to have been created as the Mahdi.

As set out in the hadiths and in analyses by Islamic scholars, Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh) will be known more by his actions than by his lineage. Hazrat Mahdi's (pbuh) and his community's main activity will be waging an intellectual struggle against atheism and spreading the true faith all over the world. Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh) is the one who will inflict an intellectual defeat on atheism, who will reveal the proofs of Allah's existence, and who, (by Allah's leave) by spreading moral values across the world, will be a means whereby people turn to faith. In the absence of these activities and phenomena, it is meaningless for any individual or group to make any claims about the identity of Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh).