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hopethroughscriptureministries · 23 days

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Parable of the Prodigal Son:

Jesus conveyed a profound message about forgiveness, redemption, and the boundless love of God. Let's reframe the narrative within this Christian context, drawing from Luke 15:11-32, and infuse it with additional biblical insights.

A certain man had two sons. The younger son asked for his share of the inheritance and journeyed to a distant land where he squandered his wealth in reckless living. Soon, a severe famine swept through the land, and the young man found himself in dire need.

In his desperation, he sought employment feeding pigs, a job that symbolized his degradation and distance from his upbringing. Yet, in his lowest moment, he came to his senses and decided to return to his father, confessing his sins and seeking forgiveness.

His father, filled with compassion, ran to greet him while he was still far off. Instead of condemnation, the father embraced his wayward son, clothing him in the finest robe and celebrating his return with a lavish feast.

Meanwhile, the older son, who had remained obedient and dutiful, grew resentful at the extravagant welcome given to his brother. But the father, ever merciful, reminded him of the importance of forgiveness and reconciliation.

This parable echoes the essence of divine mercy and the unconditional love of God. Just as the father welcomed back his repentant son, so too does our Heavenly Father eagerly await our return, ready to forgive and restore us to fellowship with Him.

The Prodigal Son reminds us of the importance of humility, repentance, and forgiveness in our Christian journey. It challenges us to examine our attitudes towards others, particularly those who have strayed from the path, and to emulate God's boundless love and compassion.

Broader context:

Parable of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-32):

This is the main passage where the parable is found.

Forgiveness and Reconciliation:

Matthew 18:21-22 - Jesus teaches about forgiveness.

Colossians 3:13 - Encouragement to forgive as the Lord forgave you.

Ephesians 4:32 - Be kind and compassionate, forgiving one another.

Luke 6:37 - Judge not, and you will not be judged; forgive, and you will be forgiven.

God's Unconditional Love:

Romans 8:38-39 - Nothing can separate us from the love of God.

1 John 4:16 - God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God.

Romans 5:8 - God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Ephesians 2:4-5 - But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ.

Repentance and Restoration:

Acts 3:19 - Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out.

Joel 2:13 - Return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love.

Isaiah 55:7 - Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the Lord, that he may have compassion on him, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.

2 Corinthians 5:17 - Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.

Celebration in Heaven over Repentance:

Luke 15:7 - Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.

Luke 15:10 - Just so, I tell you, there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents.

God's Provision and Restoration:

Philippians 4:19 - And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.

Psalm 23:1 - The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

Matthew 6:26 - Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?

God's Sovereignty and Compassion:

Psalm 103:8 - The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.

Lamentations 3:22-23 - The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.

James 5:11 - Behold, we consider those blessed who remained steadfast. You have heard of the steadfastness of Job, and you have seen the purpose of the Lord, how the Lord is compassionate and merciful.

Questions:

How does the parable of the Prodigal Son reflect God's unconditional love and forgiveness?

In what ways do we, like the older brother, struggle with forgiveness and harbor resentment towards others?

How can we cultivate a spirit of compassion and reconciliation in our interactions with those who have gone astray?

What steps can we take to emulate the father's example of mercy and grace in our daily lives?

Let us pray: Heavenly Father, we thank you for the timeless wisdom and grace revealed in the parable of the Prodigal Son. Teach us to extend forgiveness, show compassion, and embrace reconciliation in our relationships, reflecting your boundless love for all your children. Amen.

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lionofthegoldsun · 21 days

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[Maintaining A Clear Conscience]

Believers in Christ must strive to maintain a clear conscience: we must remove any pollution or defilement in our minds, hearts, and souls. That includes being cautious of what we say (Matthew 15:11), what we hear—practically anything NEGATIVE our soul absorbs, which can pollute it. And whatever we absorb can cause us to behave in a not so pleasing way to God (Romans 12:1).

This can happen without us being aware. For instance, if you run to the internet to answer your questions and to solve your problems, instead of God’s truth, you’re not going to have peace because the world is full of lies and ruled by spirits of darkness (Ephesians 6:12).

“We know that we are children of God, and that the whole world is under the control of the evil one.”

-1 John 5:19

These are deceiving spirits who want to take our focus off God and drag us down. They want us to feel as if there is no hope. It’s all a distraction.

The devil will use our emotions to toy with us. Therefore, trusting other sources, our hearts, and people instead of God and His word will only birth fear, paranoia, and anxiety, which are not fruits of the spirit (Galatians 5:22-23).

Not only that, the human heart is deceitful (Jeremiah 17:9). And as Proverbs 28:26 says: “He who trusts in his own heart is a fool, but he who walks in wisdom will escape.”

As Believers, this will only make us stumble and our faith wobble. That is why we need to root ourselves in God and in His word.

“They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.”

-Jeremiah 17:8

“It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man. It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in princes.”

Psalm 118:8-9

“Don’t put your trust in mere humans. They are as frail as breath. What good are they?”

-Isaiah 2:22

“Fools believe every word they hear, but wise people think carefully about everything.”

-Proverbs 14:15

“Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.”

-Philippians 4:8-9

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

-Philippians 4:6-7

“We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”

-2 Corinthians 10:5

“My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the Lord. “And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.

-Isaiah 55:8-9

“Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.”

-Romans 12:2

“You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you!”

-Isaiah 26:3

“Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.”

-Colossians 3:2

#christian #bible verse #christianity #bibleverse #jesus christ #jesus loves you #faith in god #faith in jesus #follower of jesus christ #god

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officialyourdailyinspiration · 2 months

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The Lord: Our Safe Place in Life and Covering in Death

A miktam of David.

1 Keep me, O God, for I am safe in You. 2 I said to the Lord, “You are my Lord. All the good things I have come from You.” 3 As for those in the land who belong to You, they are the great ones in whom is all my joy. 4 Those who have traded for another god bring many troubles on themselves. I will not take part in their altar gifts of blood. And I will not take their names upon my lips.

5 The Lord is all that I am to receive, and my cup. My future is in Your hands. 6 The land given to me is good. Yes, my share is beautiful to me.

7 I will give honor and thanks to the Lord, Who has told me what to do. Yes, even at night my mind teaches me. 8 I have placed the Lord always in front of me. Because He is at my right hand, I will not be moved. 9 And so my heart is glad. My soul is full of joy. My body also will rest without fear. 10 For You will not give me over to the grave. And You will not allow Your Holy One to return to dust. 11 You will show me the way of life. Being with You is to be full of joy. In Your right hand there is happiness forever. — Psalm 16 | New Life Version (NLV) New Life Version Holy Bible Copyright © 1969, 2003 by Barbour Publishing, Inc. Cross References: Exodus 23:13; Deuteronomy 12:3; Job 36:11; Psalm 4:7-8; Psalm 13:5; Psalm 7:1; Psalm 17:8; Psalm 23:5; Psalm 42:8; Psalm 63:6; Psalm 73:25-26; Psalm 78:55; Psalm 101:6; Psalm 116:13; Psalm 119:63; Psalm 140:6; Jeremiah 3:19; Matthew 7:14; Luke 24:44; John 2:22; Acts 2:25; 1 Corinthians 15:4

#Lord #sovereign #refuge #Yahweh #sheol #grave #safety #Psalm 16 #Book of Psalms #Old Testament #NLV #New Life Version Bible #Barbour Publishing Inc.

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walkswithmyfather · 10 months

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Who has held the dust of the earth in a basket, or weighed the mountains on the scales and the hills in a balance? Who can fathom the Spirit of the Lord, or instruct the Lord as his counselor? Whom did the Lord consult to enlighten him, and who taught him the right way? Who was it that taught him knowledge, or showed him the path of understanding?

Surely the nations are like a drop in a bucket; they are regarded as dust on the scales; he weighs the islands as though they were fine dust. Lebanon is not sufficient for altar fires, nor its animals enough for burnt offerings. Before him all the nations are as nothing; they are regarded by him as worthless and less than nothing.

With whom, then, will you compare God? To what image will you liken him? As for an idol, a metalworker casts it, and a goldsmith overlays it with gold and fashions silver chains for it. A person too poor to present such an offering selects wood that will not rot; they look for a skilled worker to set up an idol that will not topple.

Do you not know? Have you not heard? Has it not been told you from the beginning? Have you not understood since the earth was founded? He sits enthroned above the circle of the earth, and its people are like grasshoppers. He stretches out the heavens like a canopy, and spreads them out like a tent to live in. He brings princes to naught and reduces the rulers of this world to nothing. No sooner are they planted, no sooner are they sown, no sooner do they take root in the ground, than he blows on them and they wither, and a whirlwind sweeps them away like chaff.

“To whom will you compare me? Or who is my equal?” says the Holy One. Lift up your eyes and look to the heavens: Who created all these? He who brings out the starry host one by one and calls forth each of them by name. Because of his great power and mighty strength, not one of them is missing.” (NIV“The Greatness of God” By In Touch Ministries:“We can't even begin to comprehend the awesome majesty and power of our Lord.”“When you think of God, what comes to mind? Often, we tend to view Him in the way that best fits our particular need or situation. For example, if we struggle with guilt, we might focus on His forgiveness. The truth is, His character encompasses far more than we could ever comprehend or try to explain. Even if we had all the time in the world, we wouldn’t be able to do more than scratch the surface of how awesome He is. But today, let’s look at one attribute: His greatness. Today’s passage tells us God is greater than creation (v. 12), for it was by His hands that everything we see came into being. He is higher than the nations or any idol fashioned by the finest craftsman (vv. 17-20). In fact, God is above the world and all mankind (vv. 22-23), surpassing even the heavens and galaxies. Our Father’s thoughts and ways are far grander than our own (Isa. 55:9)—and lofty, compared with what we can understand. Psalm 93:1 says, “The Lord reigns, He is clothed with majesty; the Lord has clothed and encircled Himself with strength.” Consider the awesome God we serve. He truly is worthy of our praise. As we grasp even a fraction of His greatness, our response should be one of humble worship. After all, who are we that a God like this would desire our friendship—so much so that He sent His Son to die for our sins?”

Isaiah 40:11-26. “He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart; he gently leads those that have young. Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, or with the breadth of his hand marked off the heavens?Who has held the dust of the earth in a basket, or weighed the mountains on the scales and the hills in a balance? Who can fathom the Spirit of the Lord, or instruct the Lord as his counselor? Whom did the Lord consult to enlighten him, and who taught him the right way? Who was it that taught him knowledge, or showed him the path of understanding? Surely the nations are like a drop in a bucket; they are regarded as dust on the scales; he weighs the islands as though they were fine dust. Lebanon is not sufficient for altar fires, nor its animals enough for burnt offerings. Before him all the nations are as nothing; they are regarded by him as worthless and less than nothing.With whom, then, will you compare God? To what image will you liken him? As for an idol, a metalworker casts it, and a goldsmith overlays it with gold and fashions silver chains for it. A person too poor to present such an offering selects wood that will not rot; they look for a skilled worker to set up an idol that will not topple.Do you not know? Have you not heard? Has it not been told you from the beginning? Have you not understood since the earth was founded? He sits enthroned above the circle of the earth, and its people are like grasshoppers. He stretches out the heavens like a canopy, and spreads them out like a tent to live in. He brings princes to naught and reduces the rulers of this world to nothing. No sooner are they planted, no sooner are they sown, no sooner do they take root in the ground, than he blows on them and they wither, and a whirlwind sweeps them away like chaff.“To whom will you compare me? Or who is my equal?” says the Holy One. Lift up your eyes and look to the heavens: Who created all these? He who brings out the starry host one by one and calls forth each of them by name. Because of his great power and mighty strength, not one of them is missing.” (NIV)

“The Greatness of God” By In Touch Ministries:

“We can't even begin to comprehend the awesome majesty and power of our Lord.”

“When you think of God, what comes to mind? Often, we tend to view Him in the way that best fits our particular need or situation. For example, if we struggle with guilt, we might focus on His forgiveness. The truth is, His character encompasses far more than we could ever comprehend or try to explain. Even if we had all the time in the world, we wouldn’t be able to do more than scratch the surface of how awesome He is. But today, let’s look at one attribute: His greatness. Today’s passage tells us God is greater than creation (v. 12), for it was by His hands that everything we see came into being. He is higher than the nations or any idol fashioned by the finest craftsman (vv. 17-20). In fact, God is above the world and all mankind (vv. 22-23), surpassing even the heavens and galaxies. Our Father’s thoughts and ways are far grander than our own (Isa. 55:9)—and lofty, compared with what we can understand. Psalm 93:1 says, “The Lord reigns, He is clothed with majesty; the Lord has clothed and encircled Himself with strength.” Consider the awesome God we serve. He truly is worthy of our praise. As we grasp even a fraction of His greatness, our response should be one of humble worship. After all, who are we that a God like this would desire our friendship—so much so that He sent His Son to die for our sins?”

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hiswordsarekisses · 1 year

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Our sure and God-given weapons is The Word of God. As we consistently and prayerfully spend time with God in His Word, we will grow in faith and discernment ~ and it will also wash us and make us new. God’s Word provides protection for our minds like a helmet., and it arms us with truth like a belt wrapped around us ~ causing us to confidently stand firm. This belt holds a quiver full of promises that are like arrows that powerfully extinguish every fiery dart that the enemy will throw at us, as we take our thoughts captive as we replace the lies of the enemy with the truth of The Word. The Word also provides a shield of faith - because faith comes from hearing The Word - which places a divine breastplate across our chest ~ protecting our heart from sin and keeping us in righteousness as we hide The Word in our hearts. The Word enables us to stand in the shoes of the gospel of peace - because perfect peace comes to those who keep their eyes fixed on Him (Who is The Word.)

Every single piece of our armor mentioned in Ephesians chapter 6 is fully and completely provided by our sword, “which is The Word of God.” This is simply because He IS The Word! His blood, and His Spirit, and His Word ~ together ~ have given us everything we need for life and godliness ~ and everything we need to fight our battles. “And there are three that bear witness on earth: the Spirit, the water, and the blood; and these for war. The term "trains" here refers to He's walking us through a training exercise to fight the enemy much like a military training exercise. However, this is a spiritual war which cannot be fought with worldly ammunition ~ but know the enemy will try to distract you in a war of flesh - but only the weapon of His Word will ever be able to setus free, pull down spiritual strongholds m, and fight the principalities and powers of darkness in high places.

Our Father's goal is to bring us to the point where we have learned how ultimately trustworthy He is; so that we finally begin to automatically depend and lean 100% on Him as our natural reflex, and instinctive, reactive response... to literally e v e r y t h I n g..

The following are the verses that came to me as I was writing what was on my heart (if you are interested in further study) as well as the passages that inspired actually this post.

Ephesians 6:10-17 ~ John1:1 ~ John17.17 ~ John 14:6 ~ John 8:32 ~ 2 Timothy 3:16 ~ 1 Peter 2:2 ~ 2 Corinthians 10:5 ~ Hebrews 4:12 ~ Romans 10:17 ~ psalm 119:11 ~Isaiah 26:3 ~ 2 Corinthians 4:18 ~ Isaiah 50:7 ~ 2 Timothy 2:4-7 ~ 2 Timothy 2:15 ~ Isaiah 55:11 ~ Acts 17:11 ~ Deuteronomy 8:3 ~ James 1:21 ~ John 15:7 ~ John 16:13 ~ John 6:63 ~ John 7:38 ~ Matthew 4:4 ~ proverbs 30:5 ~ Romans 15:4 ~ 1 Corinthians 6:11 ~ Ephesians 5:25-27 ~ 1 John 5:6-13 ~ Psalm 144:1-6~ 2 Samuel 22:31-37 ~ Psalm 18:26-36

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ijamestv · 1 year

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My favorite male CC Tattoos and Accessories!

Looking for some tattoos and accessories for your male Sims? I have a list with over 100 links! Check them out below.

You can take a look at my YT video here-https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MdC1-z5lqJE

Important Stuff

1. Always be careful when downloading CC! I am not responsible for any viruses or damages to your computer. Download at your own risk.

2. Click on the bolded text (links) to be taken to the CC.

Accessories

1. Archivefaction Spur Earings

2. Archivefaction Latch Earings

3. (unisex) plugs by Tea-Wurst

4. Pralinesims Libellule glasses [these glasses are part of a set and comes with the glasses below this link (N5)]

5. Pralinesims Papillon glasses

6. Pralinesims Zero glasses

7. Pralinesims EXOV Sunglasses

8. Bandana

9. Constant Necklace

10. Alexander Necklace

11. Ball Chain & Coin Necklace

12. Kitsch Necklace

13. Reid Necklace

14. Mads Necklace

15. mochizen cc necklace with tag [this necklace belongs to a set and comes with the necklace below this link (N16)]

16. mochizen cc chain necklace

17. Rowan Necklace

18. White Wolf Necklace

19. Mika Chain Necklace

20. Guitar Necklace

21. DS Danger Tag Necklace

22. Darte77 P&L Necklace

23. Emission Necklace

24. Mens metal beads cord necklace

25. King necklace

26. Layered Necklace

27.Chain Necklace

28. Strife Necklace

29. Spear Pendant Necklace

30. Key Pendant Cord Necklace

31. Regal Necklace

32. Mission Necklace

33. Eternia Watch

34. S-Club WM ts4 bracelet 201704

35. Can’t find this bracelet by Darte77. Feel free to message me and let me know where I can find it and I will update this post!

36. JAKE Bracelet

37. Lava Stone Bracelet

38. Can’t find bracelet by KK’s Sims. Don’t know if it’s been removed or I’m just overlooking it.

39. mochizen cc - layered leather bracelet male

40. mochizen bracelet with tag [this bracelet comes in a set so you should already have it if you downloaded numbers 15 or 16 from this list]

41.This bracelet is a patreon exclusive. Sorry!!! I get A LOT of my CC from there so it’s sometimes hard to remember what is free and what isn’t.

42. Mathcope Neil Bracelet

43. Vintage beaded bracelet

44. Goth Pearls Bracelet v2

45. Bracelet 04 (Bandana)

46. Knotaclat Bracelet

47. S-Club ts4 3D EYELASHES I M V1 These are the eyelashes that I used on my Sim in the video. These are my favorite eyelashes for my male Sims! Don’t know why I didn’t think to include them in the video. lol

Tattoos

1. Geometric Tattoos

2. Tattoo from Remaron

3. Male Tattoo V1

4. Cornelius Tattoo

5. Arakan Tattoo

6. Mateus Left Sleeve

7. I can’t find this tattoo. It’s by Overkillsimmer though! Feel free to message me and let me know where I can find it and I will update this post!

8. Angel Wing Half Sleeve Tattoo

9. Jason Brody tattoo

10. Gizem left arm tattoo

11. Konala Tattoo

12. coupel tattoo

13. man crazy tattoo

14. Tomahawk Tattoo

15. Lazaro Tattoo

16. Herald Tattoo

17. Dikard Tattoo

18. Anthony Tattoo

19. LAX Tattoo

20. Furtado Tattoo

21. Mundane Tattoo

22. Santiago Tattoo

23. Stone Boy Tattoo

24. Fracture Tattoo

25. Unknown No.1 tattoo

26. Halibird Tattoo

27. Grady Tattoo

28. This tattoo is from descargassims but I’m not going to link it because of linkvertise. I recommend just skipping this one!

29. Chuck Tattoo

30. Hallowed Tattoo

31. Virtues Tattoo

32. Trogon Tattoo

33. Roth Tattoo

34. Bodhi Tattoo

35. Dire Tattoo

36. Sorrento Tattoo

37. Victus Tattoo

38. Zion Tattoo

39. Psalm Tattoo

40. Marquis Tattoo

41. Centaurus Tattoo

42. Beck Tattoo

43. Akasa Tattoo

44. Mori Tattoo

45. Sleeve Tattoos N01

46. Horizon Tattoo

47. Theo right sleeve

48. Mr Creeps V2 Tattoo

49. Tattoo 1804

50. Pack Tattoo Male. Part 01 [This tattoo is part of a set]

51. Another tattoo I couldn’t find. Not sure who the creator is.

52. Tattoo Kenji

53. Angel Wings Back Tattoo N03

54. man tattoo v1

55. 50's tattoo

56. space tattoo

57. men tattoo v2

58. Ornate Wings tattoos

59. Blackwork Tattoo

60. Tattoo by Besh

61. SSBBadBoyTattoo

62. Tattoo by Besh

63. Black Lungs Tattoo

64. Chest Tattoo N05

65. Melissasims Bird Tat

66. This tattoo is from Melissasims but unfortunately, it’s a Patreon exclusive. Sorry about this!

67.This tattoo is from Melissasims but unfortunately, it’s a Patreon exclusive. Sorry about this!

68. This tattoo is from Melissasims but unfortunately, it’s a Patreon exclusive. Sorry about this!

69. This tattoo is also from Melissasims.

70. helen max tattoo 03

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loverandservantoftheahlulbayt · 7 months

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🍃🕊🍃 Prophet Muhammad (S), a Divine Mercy for the Worlds

🍃 Preface

Each and every one of the Prophets (pbbuta) is a manifestation of Divine Names and Attributes. As there is no repetition in Divine Manifestation, there is no repetition in the story of the Prophets. The story of every Prophet is unique in its style.

What happened with Prophet Noah (as), Prophet Ibrahim (as), Prophet Moses (as), and Prophet Jesus (as) did not repeat for any other Prophet, nor did what happen with other Prophets happen for these Prophets. For, every Messenger of God demonstrates a particular divinity, unlike the man made stories in which their themes are nearly the same. We all know that Iranian and Indian movies must end with a marriage ceremony. The theme of Hollywood movies is nothing other than sex or violence.

All Prophets are the Signs of Allah and the shadow of ‘The Light of the heavens and the earth’. Nonetheless, the holy Messenger of Islam (S) was the shadow of ‘and there is none like unto Him’. Thus, the story of the life of Prophet Muhammad (S) overshadows the stories of all the previous Prophets, as he is the ring and the seal of all of them.

🍃 The Ranks of the Prophets (pbbuta)

When the Almighty Allah chooses a human being for His great divine mission, he must enjoy the highest degrees of virtues. Hence, the messengers of Allah are the most virtuous of people on earth.

Are there any degrees in rank amongst the Prophets themselves? The holy Quran confirms that whilst the messengers of Allah are more virtuous than other people, there are degrees in rank and preference in virtues amongst them. The Almighty Allah states:

“Those Messengers! We preferred some of them to others; to some of them Allah spoke (directly); others He raised to degrees (of honour); and to Jesus, the son of Mary, We gave clear proofs and evidences and supported him with the Holy Spirit.”

🍃 (2:253) 🍃

“And indeed, We have preferred some of the Prophets above others, and to David We gave the Psalms.”

🍃 (17:55) 🍃

Whist the demonstrative pronoun ‘those’ (Telka in Arabic) is utilized in the first Ayah to express their higher status in comparison to other people; the rest of the Ayah clearly indicates the degrees of the Prophets are not equal.

Although the ranks of the Prophets are not the same in the sight of God, they are all His Messengers, absolute obedient servants, and as such we should not make any distinction in that sense between any of them. Thus, Islam denotes the wrong dogma of the divinity of Christ and blames Christians for exaggerating about the personality of Prophet Jesus. The Holy Quran as such teaches the Muslims:

“Say (O Muslims), We believe in Allah and that which has been sent down to us and that which has been sent down to Ibrahim, Ishmael, Isaa, Jacob, and to the offspring of the twelve sons of Jacob, and that which has been given to Moses, and Jesus, and that which has been given to the Prophets from their Lord. We make no distinction between any of them, and to Him we have submitted.”

🍃 (2:136) 🍃

The different degree of the Prophets in their ranks does not also mean they differed between themselves. The Prophets were like teachers of one school teaching one subject (Islam) for different grades. Should all the Prophets descend on earth and live in one city, there will be no disagreement among them whatsoever.

Thus, the Almighty Allah in explaining the degrees of the Prophets states:

“We preferred some of them above others”. But to state the different opinion between the ordinary humans, He states: “If Allah had willed, succeeding generations would not have fought against each other, after clear Signs of Allah had come to them, but they differed - some of them believed and others disbelieved.”

🍃 (2:253) 🍃

🍃 Muhammad, the Most Preferred Prophet (S)

“Amongst all the Prophets and the Messengers of Allah, the last and the Seal of the Prophets, Prophet Muhammad (S) is the most preferred of all and the highest in rank in the sight of Allah. The Almighty Allah states: ‘Those Messengers! We preferred some of them to others; to some of them Allah spoke (directly); others He raised to degrees’.”

🍃 (2:253) 🍃

The phrase ‘others He raised to degrees’ is meant for Prophet Muhammad (S). There are several reasons as to why the Almighty Allah has raised the degrees of His last Messengers above all other Prophets. The following are some examples:

The Almighty Allah sent Prophet Muhammad (S) but as a mercy for the worlds. Thus, he must be the most virtuous of all creation, material and immaterial. Allah states:

“and We have sent you (O Muhammad) not but as a mercy for the worlds”.

🍃 (21:107) 🍃

The Almighty Allah elevated the name of Prophet Muhammad (S) to be declared five times a day after the Name of Allah during Adhan and Iqama.

“And have We not raised high your fame?”

🍃 (94:4) 🍃

The holy Quran considers the obedience to Prophet Muhammad (S) equal to the obedience to God.

“He who obeys the Messenger, has indeed obeyed Allah.” A covenant with Prophet Muhammad is a covenant with God. “Verily, those who give pledge to you (O Muhammad) they are giving pledge to Allah.”

🍃 (48:10) 🍃

Satisfaction of Prophet Muhammad is coupled with the satisfaction of Allah.

“It is more fitting that they should please Allah and His Messenger (Muhammad).”

🍃 (9:62) 🍃

Answering the call of Prophet Muhammad (S) is regarded the same as answering the call of the Almighty Allah.

“O you who believe! Answer Allah and (His) Messenger when he calls you.”

🍃 (8:24) 🍃

The Almighty Allah honoured Moses (as) by granting him nine Signs (miracles)1 but Allah established every sentence of the Quran – which was granted to Prophet Muhammad - as a Sign (miracle) and calls for a challenge upon all the humans and the jinns if they could produce something like unto it. The main miracle of Prophet Muhammad, i.e. the holy Quran is more virtuous than the miracles of the previous Prophets, because not only it is the verbatim Word of God, it is an everlasting miracle.

If the miracle of Prophet Muhammad (S) is more virtuous than the miracles of the previous Prophets, then Prophet Muhammad himself must also be more virtuous than other Prophets. The Almighty God addressed the Prophets with their names. For instance, He says:

“O Moses!” (20:10),

“O Adam!” (2:35),

“O Ibrahim!” (37:104).

But He is addressing the Prophet of Islam with his title ‘O Messenger!” or “O Prophet!” which indicates a special honour.

The Almighty Allah ordered the angels to prostrate themselves before Adam (as) out of respect to him, but ordered the angels to give their Salat to Prophet Muhammad (S) in order for them to be nearer to Allah. Also, Salat for Prophet Muhammad (S) continues until the Day of Judgment, whereas the prostration for Adam (as) had to be offered only once. Moreover, Allah ordered the angels to prostrate themselves before Adam (as) in respect of the light of Muhammad (S) that Adam (as) had on his forehead. In short, all the virtues of the previous Prophets were also given to Prophet Muhammad (S) in addition to his own unique virtues.

🍃 Unique Characteristics of Prophet Muhammad (S)

As mentioned earlier, the Prophets of Allah are the manifestation of divine beauty and names, and the Prophet of Islam demonstrates the divine attribute of ‘there is none like unto Him’. The following are some of the unique characteristics of Prophet Muhammad (S).

• The light and spirit of Muhammad was the

first creation of Allah.

• Universal Mission: The most we can say

about the scope of the mission of the

previous prophets is that their mission

included all people of their time across

the globe and remained in force until the

advent of the next law-making prophet.

The mission of the Prophet of Islam,

however, was for the whole of mankind

across the globe and until the Day of

Judgment. The Almighty Allah states:

“And We have not sent you (O

Muhammad) except as a giver of glad

tidings and a warner to all mankind.”

🍃 (34:28) 🍃

• He is mercy for the whole worlds:

“And We have not sent you but as a

mercy for the worlds.”

🍃 (21:107) 🍃

• The seal of the Prophets:

“Muhammad is not the father of any of

your men, but he is the Messenger of

Allah and the last (end) of the

Prophets.”

🍃 (36:40) 🍃

• His Scripture is a protector and a guard

over all the previous scriptures,

safeguarding the truth in them which has

been perverted by man throughout

history.

“And We have sent down to you

(O Muhammad) the Book in truth,

confirming the Scripture that came

before it and Muhayman

(a protector and controller) over it.”

🍃 (5:48) 🍃

• The religion of Prophet Muhammad (S)

was Islam in its complete form with no

perversion in it, and hence it is the right

and straight (Qayyem) religion.

“So set you (O Muhammad) your face on

the straight and right religion.”

🍃 (30:43) 🍃

🍃 The World of al-Thar (Particles)

Has there been any world before this physical world? Or to be more precise, is there any world other than the world of matter? Did creation begin with the creation of the physical world or are there other types of life beyond this matter?

Many Ayaat in the Quran and numerous Ahadith indicate that there has been a world of spirit prior to this physical world. All humans had a form of existence in that world. It was in that world that the Almighty Allah introduced Himself to mankind and took a covenant from them not to worship other than Him. Mankind in that world witnessed the Almighty God and was free from the filth of polytheism and doubts.

The late Allamah Tabatabei suggested in his al-Mizan that the world of al-thar does not have a temporal preceding to this, our physical, world rather it does exist with it and encompasses it. It is the world of Sovereign (malakout) that the Almighty Allah showed to Prophet Ibrahim2 (as); it was in the world where the instinct of knowing God was enforced in man’s nature.

The following Ayaat reveals the existence of the world of al-Thar:

“And when your Lord brought forth from the Children of Adam, from their loins, their seed and made them testify as to themselves (saying): Am I not your Lord? They said: Yes! We testify, lest you should say on the Day of Resurrection: Verily, we have been unaware of this.”

🍃 (7:172) 🍃

“How can you disbelieve in Allah? Seeing that you were dead and He gave you life. Then He will give you death, then again will bring you to life and then unto Him you will return.”

🍃 (2:28) 🍃

One of the most complicated philosophical issues is about the relation of a changeable to the Unchangeable, i.e. the relation between the creation and the Creator. Muslim philosophers have dealt with this issue under the topic of ‘actuality and potentiality’.

It is proven in Islamic mysticism as well as transcendental metaphysics of Mulla-Sadra that the Almighty Allah is the Extended Existence (wujud munbasit) in all respects. The first being who appeared by God and became His first manifestation, must be the nearest to God and demonstrate the most possible divine Names and Attributes.

🍃 Stages of the Bow of Descent

To understand the concept of the first creation and manifestation of God, you need to activate your sense of imagination and fly out of the world of matter. Let your mind go beyond the four dimensions of matter. Now you are in the world of spirit. You may even endeavour to pass the entire contingent world be it matter or immaterial worlds. Muslim mystics consider the stages of life as follows:

🍃 1. The stage of the Unseen of the Unseens

1. The stage of the Unseen of the

Unseens3: In this stage all that is

considered is but the essence of Allah

without even any Names or Attributes, let

alone His creation. This is the stage that

no contingent being can ever reach.

🍃 2. The Stage of the First Appointment

2. The Stage of the First Appointment: The

stage of Uniqueness: (ahadiyyat). This is

the stage where one being or the

appointment of one being can be

considered. What we mean by the

appointment of one being is that an

attribute could be related to God. i.e. an

attribute that is the source of all other

attributes and beings. This is the stage

of God witnessing His essence for

Himself which is called the stage of

uniqueness (of God) or the stage of “or

nearer”.

🍃 3. The stage of the Second Appointment

3. The stage of the Second Appointment:

The stage of the Oneness (the distance

of two bows lengths). This is the stage of

all divine names and attributes. All

Knowing, All Mighty, All Living and all the

names of God is considered at this

stage.

After the stage of Oneness is the stage of A’yanneh sabiteh as named by Ibn Arabi. This is the stage of the manifestation of divine names and attributes. This is the stage of the appearance of the manifestations of divine names and attributes, manifestations which were concealed in the previous stage4.

Creation5 begins from this stage and the question is what would be the first creation. Some philosophers regarded the first creation or manifestation the intellect for it is immaterial and is not limited to space and time6.

🍃 The Law of the Noblest Contingent

From the time of Aristotle a law was accepted by philosophers known as the law of the Noblest Contingent; Muslim philosophers, whether the peripatetics, the illuminists as well as the transcendental metaphysics all regarded this law with special attention. The meaning of the law of the Noblest Contingent, in a nutshell, is that there is no leap in the cone of creation be it in the bow of descent or ascension.

This means in the bow of descent until and unless the Noblest Contingent doesn’t exist the less noble contingent cannot come into existence for the leap is impossible. Similarly, in the bow of ascension, unless and until a contingent fulfills the perfection of all the previous contingents, cannot elevate to a higher stage for leaping is impossible. The conclusion of this law is that the first manifestation of God must be the noblest of His creation.

Now the question is what is and who is the Noblest Creation of God? Numerous ahadith introduce the first manifestation of God as ‘the light of the lights’, ‘the light of Muhammad’, ‘water’, ‘the pen’, ‘the manifest Imam’, ‘the intellect’ and similar expressions which are different names for one reality who is by definition the noblest manifestation of divine attributes and for whose sake the rest of creation appeared.

According to ibn Arabi he is the perfect man who is the manifestation of the greatest name of God and all His attributes of beauty and glory. Ibn Arabi asserts that this is none other than the reality of Muhammadia.7

It is narrated from Prophet Muhammad (S) to have said about himself that ‘I am Qotham’ which means ‘I am the owner of comprehensiveness and the collection of all goodness’8. It is for this reason that in the supplication of the night of Mab’ath it is narrated in respect to the Prophet of Islam (S) “O Allah, Surely I ask You by Your greatest manifestation in this night and in this great month and Your most honoured messenger.”

Ibn Arabi in his mystical encyclopedia states that the first creation who is the nearest to God is the reality of Muhammad who is known as the intellect and is the master of the entire world and the first who appeared in the world of contingents. He furthers that the nearest to Him is Ali ibn Abu Talib (as) the Imam of the world and the secret of all the prophets9.

🍃 The First Manifestation in Ahadith

Numerous ahadith indicates that the first manifestation of God is the light of Muhammad and Ale Muhammad and all the rest are created in honour of them. Note that the light of Muhammad is an expression for his essence and spirit which is before the creation of matter.

Jabir ibn Abdullah said,

“I asked the Messenger of Allah what was the first that God created? The prophet replied, “Light of your prophet O Jabir. God created him and then from him created every good.”10

Jabir ibn Yazid narrated from Imam al-Baqir (as),

“O Jabir. Verily the first that God created was Muhammad and his pure family. Those who guide and are guided. They were the spirits of light before the mighty hand of God.’ Jabir said I asked the Imam what he meant by the spirits of light? The Imam replied, ‘Shadow of the Light’”11.

It seems the meaning of the shadow of the Light refers to the fact that God is “The Light’ as is refers to in Ayatul Noor and the spirit of Muhammad is His shadow and His first Manifestation.

Jabir ibn Abdullah narrated from the Prophet (S), “The first that the Almighty God created was my light who created it from His Light and it derived from the glory of His greatness. Then that light approached circulating by the might until it reached the Glory of the Greatness in seventy thousand years and then prostrated for God in glorification. Then from that light the light of Ali gushed out and so my light was encompassing by the Glory and the light of Ali was encompassing by the Might.12”

Abu Dharr al Ghifari in a long hadith in description of the journey of ascension narrated from the prophet,

“I said O angels of my Lord. Do you know us as we deserved to be known? They said, ‘O Prophet of God. How don’t we know you and you are the first creation of God, He created you as the spirits of light from His Light in a light from the sublimity of His Dignity and the sublimity of His Kingdom and the sublimity of His Honourable Face.”13

Imam Ali (as) said,

“Surely the Almighty God created from the light of Muhammad twenty oceans of light. In every ocean there is knowledge that none other than God knows about… Surely the light of Muhammad was sent down from the ocean of dignity so he came down to the ocean of patience then to the ocean of reverence then to the ocean of humbleness then to the ocean of satisfaction then to the ocean of loyalty then to the ocean of forbearing then to the ocean of piety… Until it went through twenty oceans. When it exited from the last ocean the Almighty God said ‘O My friend and the master of My messengers and the first of My creation and the last of My messengers, you are the intercessor on the day of gathering.’ Thus the light prostrated then he stood up and from that light many drops dropped that they numbered 124000 drops. So the Almighty God created from every drop of his light a prophet.14”

✾❀❃❁❋❁❃❀✾ 🌺 ✾❀❃❁❋❁❃❀✾

🍃🕊🍃 References 🍃🕊🍃

1. Refer to (27:12): "Now put thy hand into

thy bosom, and it will come forth white

without stain (or harm): (these are)

among the nine Signs (thou wilt take) to

Pharaoh and his people: for they are a

people rebellious in transgression."

2. Refer to (6:75): “So also did We show

Ibrahim the power and the laws of the

heavens and the earth, that he might

(with understanding) have certitude.”