Signs of the Coming of the Prophet
With the death of Nehemiah ben Hushiel, the Judaic nation tried to grapple with the meaning of these events in terms of their literary heritage. They would come to the Golden Gate to pray.[1] According to Jewish tradition, the Messiah of Joseph would die.[2] So Nehemiah must have been the Messiah of Joseph. This meant that the King Messiah was sure to follow. However, before the King Messiah would appear, he would be preceded by Elijah the Prophet. Their leaders said "A Prophet is about to arise; his time draws near. We shall follow him; and then we shall slay [our enemies] with [divine] slaughter…"[3] As the common people became aware of the Prophet, "they spoke one to another – surely know that is the same Prophet whom the Jews [Cohanim, Priests] are warn us about ."[4]
Daniel had prophesied that there would be seventy weeks of years until the Temple would be rebuilt. And 490 (70x7) years had passed from the destruction of Bar Kochba's armies until this year (622 CE). Bar Kochba was a failed Messiah, now would come the true warrior Messiah. "A warrior with 'the helmet of deliverance on His head' and clad in armor".[5] "He will don garments of vengeance (as his) clothing and will put on a cloak of zealousness".[6] "He will fight the battle of Gog ha-Magog and against the army of Armilos (Heraclius)".[7] Although rare, even in Arabia, parents hoping that their child might be this Messiah might name him after Daniel, Ish hamudot,[8] Man of Delights – Muhamud.
In 620 CE, the Prophet Muhammed overcome by despondency at these successive developments, and by the renewed opposition of the Quraish, set out for Tayif (sixty or seventy miles to the east of Mecca). The Prophet was working hard to turn the hearts of the Arabian tribes from their fallacies. Against the Sadducean traditions, he stressed resurrection from the dead, and the importance of prayer five times a day.
After being unsuccessful in trying to convince them of his message, he was met by the Prophet Addas at the outskirts of the city. Here he received a vision of concerning the souls of those slaughtered at the Golden Gate. These "souls of the Garden" or Jinn, Genii[9], accepted the Prophets message. The Qur'an puts it: "And when [the Lord] turned towards you a party of the Jinn who listened to the Quran; so when they came to it, they said: Be silent; then when it was finished, they turned back to their people warning (them). They said: O our people! we have listened to a Book revealed after Moses verifying that which is before it, guiding to the truth and to a right path".[10] In short the Jewish souls were willing to accept his message.
References
- ↑ The Itinerary of Benjamin of Tudela, section "Jerusalem", p 23, . This is called the Gate of Mercy, and thither come all the Jews to pray before the wall of the court of the Temple"
- ↑ Succot 51b, Sefer Elijah
- ↑ Hishami; p.143; Tabari, p.161
- ↑ Ibid.
- ↑ Sefer Zerubavel
- ↑ Ibid.
- ↑ Ibid.
- ↑ Daniel 10:11
- ↑ Hishami states that they were seven Genii belonging to Nisibin, who happened to pass that way, and were arrested by hearing Muhammed at his devotions reciting the Qur'an. Others say they were nine in number and came from Yemen, or from Nineveh. Importantly it is noted that they professed the Jewish religion.
- ↑ Qur'an 46.29