Interpretation of Mount Tur For The Messiah
Firstly it is important to know that we believe these Ahadith were visions so this is our interpretation which is beautifully explained below. The part of the hadith which the non Ahmadi Muslims question about is:
إِذْ أَوْحَى اللَّهُ إِلَى عِيسَى إِنِّي قَدْ أَخْرَجْتُ عِبَادًا لِي لاَ يَدَانِ لأَحَدٍ بِقِتَالِهِمْ فَحَرِّزْ عِبَادِي إِلَى الطُّورِ
“Allah would reveal to Isa these words: I have brought forth from amongst My servants such people against whom none would be able to fight; you take these people safely to Tur.” (Sahih Muslim 2937a)
The context of this hadith is that during the advent of the Messiah there would be great powers on earth and he would think of fighting them for the sake of Islam but Allah would reveal to him that We have Created two big powers on earth and it is not for any man to fight them so do not fight them materially. Go to the mountain and pray, and it is your prayer which will melt them like salt melts by water. The question is what is the meaning of the mountain here. A mountain refers to great earthly powers but also to the Holy Qur’an. The Qur’an is the greatest mountain itself and the Holy Qur’an explains this in two spots. The first spot is vague where Moses(as) (hence mount tur is mentioned) begged Allah to reveal to him the glorious manifestation which was suppose to be revealed to Nabi(saw). When Moses(as) asked Allah I want to see you in full glory, he meant I want to see you in the same glory you will appear to Muhammad(Saw). Allah said no and that you will not be able to tolerate it. This is has also been mentioned in a hadith where it states:
Abu Naeem quoting in Hulya has narrated from Hazrat Anas, Allah be pleased with him, that the Holy Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, has said:- Allah the exalted revealed to Moses, peace be upon him, the Prophet of Israelites, that any person who meets me while denying Ahmad Mujtaba, I shall cast him into Hell. Moses, peace be upon him, enquired, who is Ahmad? Allah said, I have not made any of the creation more honoured than him, and I did write his name on the )rone before the creation of the heaven and earth. No doubt, the entire creation has been barred from Paradise, until it enters in his Ummah. Moses enquired what kind of Ummah he has. Allah said, that Ummah is praising extensively who is eulogizing God in ea” state of a;airs whether progressing or retrogressing. They will grid up their loins and purify their organs.They would keep fasts during day and shall spend night in remembering God and worshipping Him. I shall accept the least of their action, and shall made them enter Paradise on their bearing witness of ‘ )ere is no God but Allah’. Moses begged Allah to make him a Prophet of this Ummah. Allah said, the Prophet of this Ummah would be from among themselves. Moses requested to make him a follower of that Prophet. Allah said, your period is of the past and their age is of the last. However, I shall gather you together with them soon in Baitul Jaleel. (Al Khasais ul Kubra vol 1 page 12)
Allah States that I will show You on the mountain and this mountain was shattered and Moses(as) was not able to handle it. The ayah is as follows:
وَلَمَّا جَاءَ مُوسَىٰ لِمِيقَاتِنَا وَكَلَّمَهُ رَبُّهُ قَالَ رَبِّ أَرِنِي أَنْظُرْ إِلَيْكَ ۚ قَالَ لَنْ تَرَانِي وَلَٰكِنِ انْظُرْ إِلَى الْجَبَلِ فَإِنِ اسْتَقَرَّ مَكَانَهُ فَسَوْفَ تَرَانِي ۚ فَلَمَّا تَجَلَّىٰ رَبُّهُ لِلْجَبَلِ جَعَلَهُ دَكًّا وَخَرَّ مُوسَىٰ صَعِقًا ۚ فَلَمَّا أَفَاقَ قَالَ سُبْحَانَكَ تُبْتُ إِلَيْكَ وَأَنَا أَوَّلُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ {144}
And when Moses came at Our appointed time and his Lord spoke to him, he said, ‘My Lord, show Thyself to me that I may look at Thee.’ He replied, ‘Thou shalt not see Me, but look at the mountain; if it remains in its place, then shalt thou see Me.’ And when his Lord manifested Himself on the mountain, He broke it into pieces and Moses fell down unconscious. And when he recovered, he said, ‘Holy art Thou, I turn towards Thee, and I am the first to believe.’(chapter 7 verse 144)
The Holy Prophet(Saw)’s revelation was more powerful than the mountains. Allah States:
لَوْ أَنْزَلْنَا هَٰذَا الْقُرْآنَ عَلَىٰ جَبَلٍ لَرَأَيْتَهُ خَاشِعًا مُتَصَدِّعًا مِنْ خَشْيَةِ اللَّهِ ۚ وَتِلْكَ الْأَمْثَالُ نَضْرِبُهَا لِلنَّاسِ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَتَفَكَّرُونَ {22}
If We had sent down this Qur’an on a mountain, thou wouldst certainly have seen it humbled and rent asunder for fear of Allah. And these are similitudes that We set forth for mankind that they may reflect.(Chapter 59 Verse 22)
The revelation Moses(As) begged for was the Holy Qur’an which this ayah further proves. Allah Shows how powerful the Qur’an is. In reality, it is the heart of Muhammad(Saw) which is the biggest mountain which was the recipient of this beauty. When Allah told Nabi(Saw) that He will reveal to the messiah to seek refuge in the mountain, Allah meant that the messiah would seek refuge under the shadow of Muhammad(Saw) and the holy Qur’an. The Qur’an is bigger than the mountain and what could not be handled by the mountains of the earth was handled by the greatest and the strongest mountain which is the Holy Prophet(saw). Allah further states that :
إِنَّا عَرَضْنَا الْأَمَانَةَ عَلَى السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ وَالْجِبَالِ فَأَبَيْنَ أَنْ يَحْمِلْنَهَا وَأَشْفَقْنَ مِنْهَا وَحَمَلَهَا الْإِنْسَانُ ۖ إِنَّهُ كَانَ ظَلُومًا جَهُولًا {72}
The Holy Prophet(Saw) was bigger than mountains as He was able to handle this revelation. Allah Himself told the Promised Messiah(As) not to fight physically with them which further proves the non Ahmadi viewpoint of the jihad of the latter day messiah incorrect as well. Allah makes it clear that it would be the prayers of the Messiah which will affect these powers.
Hazrat Mirza Tahir Ahmad(ra) has beautifully explained this. He States:
“There is but one remedy which as taught to us by the Holy Prophetsaw ,aobut which I reminded you earlier, and wish to remind you once again. The Holy Prophetsaw, referring to the latter days, Prophesied (I will quote only an excerpt of this long prophecy):
“Gog and magog will rule the world and they will rise wave after wave and the whole world will be overwhelmed by the waves of their power. At that time the Messiah will be raised in the world and the Messiah with his followers will try to fight them, and will attempt to counter them. Allah will then speak to the Messiah Saying:
that no man in the world has been granted the power to fight these two nations which We have Created – not even you! There is only one way, that you seek shelter on a mountain and pray to God. It is only the weapon of prayer than can subjugate these nations.
The Jamaat of the Muhammadan Messiah And Its Resposibilities
What is meant by the mountain in this context? I believe that the Holy Prophetsaw is that mountain which has been mentioned here. Because, while speaking about the Holy Qur’an, Allah Says that:
لَوْ أَنْزَلْنَا هَٰذَا الْقُرْآنَ عَلَىٰ جَبَلٍ لَرَأَيْتَهُ خَاشِعًا مُتَصَدِّعًا مِنْ خَشْيَةِ اللَّهِ ۚ وَتِلْكَ الْأَمْثَالُ نَضْرِبُهَا لِلنَّاسِ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَتَفَكَّرُونَ {22}
If We had sent down this Qur’an on a mountain, thou wouldst certainly have seen it humbled and rent asunder for fear of Allah. And these are similitudes that We set forth for mankind that they may reflect.(Chapter 59 Verse 22)
But in this, there are lessons and signs for those who are inclinded to reflection. It means that the Holy Prophetsaw had supremacy over all the mountains. The Holy Prophetsaw was the greatest of the mountains. The mountains of the world did not have the power to encompass the greatness and majesty of this revelation but it was the Holy Prophet Muhammadsaw who was the highest of the mountains and was the strongest of the mountains. So what it means is that you should revert to the lofty principles of the Holy Prophetsaw and seek refuge and gain fortitude in the teaching of this great Prophet. If you will return to the lofty ideals of the Holy Prophetsaw and after taking shelter in them you will supplicate before God, then the prayers that are thus nourished will never go waste. Then with your prayers you will also share in his greatness.
And the other message in this prophecy is that apart from all other Muslim sects, instructions by Allah to offer prayers has been given to only to the Jamaat of the Messiah. (Ahmadiyya Muslim Community) It also signifies that, at that time, all other Muslims will forgeit faith in the power and importance of prayer. Therefore, it would have been useless to suggest the recipe of prayers for those who had lost hope in the power of prayer. You may scan the sstatements of Muslim leaders suggesting that we must run towards America to implore for help and shelter. Someone else is advising to make peace with Iran or is taking other plans for his own reassurance. But no one, not even a single country, has said anything about going into the shelter of Allah and the shelter of Muhammadsaw, the Messenger of Allah! No one has remined them that ‘O Muslims! This is the time of prayer, the hour of supplications, because it is only through prayer tht you will achieve victory over the enemy” There is only one Jamaat – and indeed only the Jamaat (Community) of the Messiah of the Holy Prophet Muhammadsaw about whom Allah had so decreed that if the world of Islam was ever to be saved, t would be through the prayers of this community. But there is one condition, that they should seek refuge in the eminence of Muhammadsaw and should seek guidance from his teachings, his character, and his noble practices.” (The Gulf Crisis and The New World Order, Ppages 68-70)