Is Muhammad the last of the prophets?

The Islamic world teaches that Muhammad was the last prophet and that no other prophet will ever come after him. But a person who reads the Quran and studies it carefully will arrive at a different conclusion. First, let us give a short description of what a prophet is.

The dictionary offers this definition of a prophet: “One who brings news from God, one who announces God’s commands to people.” (Ottoman-Turkish Dictionary – Bilgi Publishing House) Its synonyms are nabi, rasul.

Perhaps a few things may be added to this dictionary meaning. If we say “a person who declares not only God’s commands, but also His warnings, the things that will happen in the future, and His counsel,” then I think the explanation becomes a bit more thorough. Whether man or woman, or even a child, these people to whom God speaks either directly or through an angel are, in short, called “prophets.” This speaking is not so much in the form of a chat; rather, God has spoken to people about particular purposes and given those individuals assignments. It is not even necessary for the words those people spoke to be written down in books. There have also been people who prophesied in a crowd, all together, in the times they lived in. That means God spoke to those people too. Or He told them by means of His spirit. And those people declared exactly what was told to them to those around them. Moreover, a person who is a prophet does not have to be someone flawless, who never makes a mistake, who never tells a lie, because there is no such human being. That a person is a prophet does not show that he is one hundred percent going to be saved either. Someone who was good in the beginning declared God’s words to the people as a prophet. Since these people, though used by God, were not robots without a will of their own, if they wished they could also sin and could drift away from God. Moreover, a prophet, that is, this person with whom God Himself spoke, may also have done things that did not please God. Such a person may even have deserved death. I will explain these things I have written by giving examples of some events that actually happened.

Very often the description of prophets that they teach us, and the thoughts and information planted into our subconscious about prophets, have almost, but almost, nothing whatsoever to do with the truth. These three religions we have named—Judaism, Christianity, and Islam—chose a prophet for themselves and above all exalted that prophet. They exalted him so much that they practically worshipped him instead of God. They gave him more glory than God. Like neighborhood children they quarreled with one another over this, saying, “your prophet is small, mine is greater,” and so they hated one another, and for this reason they waged wars against one another. It is as though they simply could not agree on how to share those persons who were prophets. In the end all three of these religions not only deified them but, as I said, by giving to those prophets the glory that ought to be given to God, they in fact turned those persons into idols. And the Jews give this glory to Moses, the Christians to Jesus, the Muslims to Muhammad. And they do even this only in words—not by doing what those persons did, not by taking their good works as an example.

I do not want to make their hypocrisy on this matter, their wars with one another in God’s name, my subject. Both because I have written about it again and again in the earlier topics, and because it is utterly meaningless and absurd. Come, let us leave those people alone with their own hatreds, their enmities, their jealousies, and let us come to our actual topic.

About the prophet I said, “whether man or woman.” Yes, this is something that surprises those who hear it; they say, “as if a woman could be a prophet!” God had women prophets too. In the Holy Scriptures, in the book of Judges, there is a woman who, by the name I know, appears there—her name is Deborah (Judges 4:4). In 2 Kings 22:14 there is yet another woman, and her name is Huldah. Later, in the times of Jesus, there was another prophet named Anna. This one appears in Luke’s verse 2:36. Again, in the time of the apostles, it speaks of a man’s four unmarried daughters who prophesied. Their names are not written in the Gospel. (Acts of the Apostles 21:9) But it is clearly written that these women mentioned were prophets of God. And there were other women too who prophesied by means of God’s spirit. For example, Jesus’ mother Mary, John’s mother Elizabeth, Moses’ sister the prophetess Miriam, Abraham’s slave girl Hagar, the mother of Ishmael. (Luke 1:26-45; Exodus 15:20-21; Numbers 12:1-2; Genesis 21:17-18) In the writings it does not say of them “she was a prophet,” but they too engaged in prophesying. There are also those who use “prophesying” in the sense of “merely announcing things that will happen in the future.” Once a person says something about the future—this will be so, that will be thus—they say, “he is prophesying.” But the task of the prophets is not only to make announcements about future events.

In the Quran, in the Chapter of the Bee (16), verse 43, it says: “Those to whom We sent revelation before you were men; if you do not know, ask the people of the Book.” In the seventh verse of the Chapter of the Prophets the same words appear. There are those who draw from these verses the meaning that there are no women prophets, and this does not fit the content of the Quran. Because concerning Jesus’ mother it clearly speaks of her receiving revelation by means of an angel. (Chapter of Mary) In any case, if we read the verse carefully, it does not say there only men. On one occasion Jesus Christ, by saying “All those who came before me are thieves and robbers…” (John 10:8), did not mean to make all the prophets who had ever come and gone before him thieves and robbers. But all those who declared themselves the Messiah were truly robbers. This is what Jesus meant. Again, by this, the prophet David, Saul, and the anointing of all the kings of Israel are not intended. In short, what those words in the Quran intend is that no woman was given a responsibility like the male prophets.

Again, it is not necessary for every prophet to personally write down the revelations they received from God. In fact, some of them did not personally write down those words. For example, the prophet Muhammad did not personally write even a single word of the Quran. After his death, the messenger Uthman wrote down the Quran, which many of the Arabs had memorized, aiming to preserve these words. In those days, things such as animal skins, wood, and stone were used for writing; nor should we forget the papyrus paper obtained from a plant. Since it was a kind of paper difficult to obtain, requiring many processes, the Arabs must have preferred animal skins. In short, in one way or another these words were preserved and have come down even to our own time.

The prophet Jeremiah had the words of the revelations he received from God written down by means of a man named Baruch. (Jeremiah 45:1) For example, the events concerning Job were written down not by Job himself but by the prophet Moses. Or the words of the prophets and the events that befell them concerning Adam, Eve, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—God had the prophet Moses write these down. Because of this verse in the Quran, at least all the Muslims I have spoken with up to now fall into an astonishment like, “as if a woman could be a prophet!” Whereas the verse does not say, “No woman can ever be a prophet.” To understand the verses, we need to read carefully, sometimes dwelling on the words, and try to understand. And our understanding must also be in harmony with the message the whole Quran gives, otherwise it certainly means we are making a mistake.

Alongside these, I said that from time to time there were also groups of people who prophesied all together. (1 Kings 18:13; 2 Kings 2:15) All these persons we have named and mentioned were prophets of the true God. Because throughout history many false prophets have also appeared. In our own time the situation is no different. But the prophets I speak of were not false.

Alongside these, there were also wicked people who prophesied by God’s spirit. Even though these people may not have been worse than many people of our own day, God was not pleased with them and their deeds. Even so, in a special situation God made His spirit effective upon that person—for example, King Saul. 1 Samuel 10:11-13, or the prophet Balaam. For thorough information you may read the whole of chapters 22, 23, and 24 of the Book of Numbers, and 31:8; 2 Peter 2:14-15; Revelation 2:14. These people made a good start, and at that time God was pleased with them. But they did not remain faithful; they acted foolishly. And God withdrew His hand from over them.

There have also lived prophets who told serious lies. Even if they told this lie with very good intentions, it caused unnecessary loss of life and God’s wrath. In fact, there is an interesting example on this matter. I have often used these verses against Jehovah’s Witnesses. Whether it was because they saw my sincerity, or because they became aware of the things that are true, I do not know; the sincere, well-intentioned ones among them would say to me: “Join us; if these things you say are true, God will surely reveal them to our governing body in time, but if they are not true, at least by coming to us you will have saved your soul!” Because at that time I was defending the Witnesses as: “A religion with the best fruits, that is, works.” For this reason they, in the sense of, “since we are the best religion, come to us, freeze these thoughts, beliefs, and knowledge of your own,” were trying to help me! And I in turn gave them, as an example, this lying prophet mentioned in the Holy Scriptures.

Briefly, an event like this takes place there. God assigns a person, saying, “Go to the king of Israel and prophesy about his wicked deeds.” But He also instructs him, “You shall not return by the way you came; you shall not eat or drink anything there.” After this prophet finished his task, although that sinful king, impressed by the miracle he had seen, invited him to his home to eat and drink, he does not go, and he tells him the word that God had commanded him, “Do not eat, do not drink.” Indeed, the prophet, without eating or drinking, without returning by the way he had come, departs from there.

Everyone certainly shows understanding for this attitude of the prophet. But another prophet who heard of this event asks his sons, “Where did that man of God go?” He immediately goes after him with his donkey and finds him sitting under a tree. He too invites this prophet to his home. Again that prophet repeats that God had told him, “You shall not eat food or drink water there.” But this second prophet, telling a lie, says, “I too am a prophet like you; God told me, ‘Go, call him, feed him and give him drink in your home.’” It is true that the man was a prophet of God, but that God had told him, “Call him and feed him and give him drink,” is false and a lie. The first prophet believes and goes to the home of that second, lying prophet. As they are right in the middle of eating and drinking, these words of God come to that second, lying prophet:

…So the man of God returned with him and began to eat and drink in his house.

While they were sitting at the table, the LORD called out to the prophet who had turned the man of God back from his way.

And he said to the man of God who had come from Judah: “The LORD says: ‘Because you disobeyed the word of the LORD, and did not keep the command that the LORD your God gave you, but turned back and ate and drank in the place where He told you not to eat and drink, your corpse will not be buried in the tomb of your fathers.’”

After the man of God had eaten and drunk, the old prophet saddled the donkey for him.

As the man of God went on his way, a lion met him on the road. The lion killed him right there. The donkey and the lion were standing beside the corpse that lay in the road… 1 Kings 13:19-24

With these words God has recorded what kind of human, imperfect mistakes even a prophet, however good his intentions, can make, and how he told a lie. Only let us take note: here God also shows that there is a price for believing a lie. And how quickly that prophet who died wished to be taken in, for the sake of his own comfort! It is something that seems trivial to us, but it was enough to bring about that prophet’s fall. In holding fast to the truth and not being toppled, these verses have been a great source of comfort and encouragement to me. Even though I have not fully succeeded, I too have from time to time fallen into such traps. And God had such events recorded so that we might learn a lesson. Against those who say, “Whatever happens, I will remain loyal to my religion, my organization,” the answer God gives will come to pass exactly as it did with this prophet. No matter who those persons are that we wish to remain loyal to. As the apostle Paul said, even if it be an angel living in the heavens, if it distorts the truth, we must not believe them, we must not walk in their way. (Galatians 1:6-10) True love also requires this. See what God says to the prophet Ezekiel:

When I say to the wicked person, “You will surely die,” and you do not warn him, and you do not speak to turn him from his wicked way in order to save his life, that person will die in his sin; but I will hold you responsible for his blood.

But if you warn the wicked person and he does not turn from his wickedness and from his wicked way, he will die in his sin. But you will have saved your own soul.

“If a righteous person turns from his righteousness and does wickedness, I will bring him to ruin, and he too will die. Because you did not warn him, he will die in his sin, and the righteous deeds he did will not be remembered.

But I will hold you responsible for his blood. Ezekiel 3:18-20

If we say we love those persons, but out of fear that they will get angry, that they will be enraged, we say “amen” to their lies, their frauds, their despotic dictatorships, whatever they do, will they not then find even more courage in the evils they commit? But if in what is right everyone takes a stand and says, “I will not accept it, friend; what you do and the way you show are not right,” those persons will perhaps be saved, they will turn from their wicked ways. And even if they do not turn, just as they will have no excuse, at least we will not be responsible for their blood. Moreover, we ourselves will not be dragged into destruction along with them.

These verses also clearly show that God has not given the right to bury people alive because they did not listen to us, to cut off their heads, to inflict every kind of torture on that person because he did not believe in what we say. Just as, wishing to have mastery over people’s faith, we do not have the right to harm even a single hair of theirs, on the contrary; we are even under the responsibility of helping those persons in their difficult situations. Indeed, we are obliged to. (Matthew 5:43-48; Romans 12:19-20; Exodus 23:4-5; Jonah [in the Quran], chapter 10:99) Regardless of any person’s faith, view, knowledge, race, color, language, good, or evil, we are under this responsibility. God did not appoint us as masters and, at the same time, as executioners over people’s faith. The wars and those laws in the Torah were their state laws. God had made their constitution as a state. Just as every country has some sort of constitution, they too had one. Whoever did not obey these laws, if he was guilty before that law, could sometimes even bring upon himself the death penalty according to his crime. Such were the laws God gave Israel through Moses. And no one was put to death without being tried. Courts were set up by judges, and after that everyone had to obey the decision that was reached. And according to that decision people were punished. That is, neither God’s laws nor the states’ laws permit a justice according to one’s own whim, judges according to one’s own whim, executioners according to one’s own whim. It may be that the whole world has gone astray and you have remained the only one who is right—even then you have no right to hang and slaughter anyone as a sinner.

What the Quran teaches on this matter is only in the form of defense. It permits defense in the face of an attack or an evil done. And such a defense Jesus too did not forbid in the Gospel. He only said, “Those who take up the sword will perish by the sword.” (Matthew 26:52) By this Jesus did not say, “Do not defend yourselves.” Jesus, and therefore God, does not give anyone the right of revenge, of hating one’s enemies, of doing evil to those who do evil. But when a person is attacked, defending himself is his most natural right. Along with this, He also did not say, wage war against a state, against a country, because it does not suit your fancy or because it does not believe. On the contrary, however far from God the forms of justice and practice of those countries and nations may be, these are things they themselves will know about and for which they will later give account to God Himself. Again, on these matters we say it is only generally so; otherwise, when we read the Torah, we see that there are exceptions too.

As for the laws of the states in which we live, saying, “Give to them the things that belong to them,” the apostle Paul writes thus:

Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities over him; for there is no government (that God has not permitted) except by God; and those that exist have been established by God. (Their establishment has been permitted.) Therefore whoever resists the government has set himself against the ordinance of God; and those who resist will bring judgment upon themselves. For rulers are not a terror to good work, but to evil work. Do you want to have no fear of the government? Do what is good and you will be praised by it; for it is God’s servant to you for good. But if you do what is evil, be afraid; for it does not bear the sword in vain; for it is God’s servant, an avenger for wrath upon the one who does evil. Therefore it is necessary to be subject, not only because of wrath, but also because of conscience. For this reason you also pay taxes; for they are God’s servants, continually persevering diligently for this very thing. Give to everyone their dues: taxes to whom taxes are due, customs to whom customs are due, fear to whom fear is due, honor to whom honor is due. Romans 13:1-7

According to these verses, God does not give us the right to set ourselves against the governments, the soldiers, the police, because of the unjust, ugly conduct they carry out. Because everyone will receive from God the recompense for what they have done. To set ourselves against them means that we take on the role of judge against the arrangement and order God has permitted, and by this we are at the same time saying that we doubt God’s justice on the day of judgment. The impatient, who cannot believe, who cannot wait for God’s promises, bring judgment upon themselves and are forced to suffer meaningless pain. Nor is it meant, “Without resisting, swallow everything said and done with an ‘amen.’” Of course we will resist injustices, and if possible we will make our voice, which does not approve of them, heard, but while doing this, knowing our place, without overstepping the limits God has set for us. Otherwise, God does not approve of a jackassery of the sort, “Do not make a sound at all; paradise is coming anyway, whatever they do, accept it.” If everyone keeps silent, who will show the one who commits a crime his crime? Did Jesus, Moses, Muhammad, and so many prophets keep silent? Besides, how will it be a crime for that person? Perhaps he does it unknowingly. And even if he does it knowingly, did we not just read, through God’s prophet Ezekiel, how the person who commits a crime ought to be warned? The single most important reason we can never accept would be if they forbid us to do the things God expects of us. For example, in the book of Daniel of the Holy Scriptures there are very fine examples of this kind that actually took place. Please read these passages, which are written briefly, for yourselves from the Holy Scriptures. All of it is only about 16 pages anyway.

Nor can we say that the events of the time when the Quran was revealed are always applicable for everyone at all times. In Muhammad’s time God commanded defense against, and fighting with, those who fought to destroy the Muslims. After this, Islam became their state religion. Just as it once was in Israel, the Arabs too arranged their constitution in line with this belief. The Holy Books write of the punishments that must be given to those who show disrespect to God and to this way and persist in it. (Deuteronomy 13:6-11; the Chapter of the Pilgrimage, chapter 22:39; the Chapter of Muhammad, chapter 47:4) These verses clearly permit fighting with those who fight. These are at the same time laws that protect that nation so that they do not stray from God, do not drift away from righteousness. If a person does not like these laws, it is not obligatory for him to live in that country, but if he does live there, it is obligatory that he show respect. Just as these very verses in the Quran, which are made out to seem absurd and inhuman, also appear in the Torah, they are, more or less, laws that exist in the constitution of every state. The difference is that one was commanded by people, the other by God. People regard verses in the Quran such as, “Strike their heads, stone them, put them to the sword,” as if it were an authority given to them. As explained in the verses we read above, this authority is one that only the laws of established states, and, under the necessary conditions, their soldiers and police, possess. In our time they do not use the sword but bombs, tanks, and rockets. And for all the things they do, they too, like everyone, will stand to give account before God’s judgment seat.

But someone may come forward and say: “They use their authority very unjustly and wickedly.” It may be so; as if God does not know this and you do? If God permits it, who are you not to permit it? Besides, in the work of setting the world right, we possess neither such a power nor such an authority. Let us try, with patience and prayer, to make our wishes heard by God. God hates the injustice on earth most of all. Let us not forget this either: if, because the one across from us does thus and so, we too commit the same injustice, if we too begin the same retaliation, we will be judged in the same place and will receive the same sentence.

Imagine that everyone is before God, and God is judging them one by one. When He asks you, “Why did you do this, why did you behave like that?”, what will you say? Will you say, “Well, this one had committed such a wrong, and that one had committed such a mischief, and so did I do such a crookedness because of that?” And will God not then say: “They are behind you; I will ask them too, but I am asking you.”—if He says this, what shall we say? Can we make excuses of others and hold them responsible for the wrongs we ourselves did? In Galatians 6:5 it is clearly written: “Everyone will carry his own load.”

I was going to touch on the subject of the prophets and on whether Muhammad is the last prophet, but I was forced to enter into these subjects as well. The topics I mentioned above are the questions that every Christian invariably asks when the Quran and Muhammad are mentioned. Looking at our world, it is impossible not to enter into these subjects. As I have said from the beginning, with this book I am trying to encourage people to research. Otherwise it would be impossible for me to explain in one book the way of life I have learned from all the Holy Books and their explanations. I also know that, out of ignorance, very painful things have come and will come upon people who flee from knowledge. Even if one flees from every kind of knowledge—perhaps that is understandable—but to push away messages that have come from God means to play with our own lives. There can be no greater foolishness than handing over the knowledge about God—who created us, who gave us form, and who has a purpose concerning us—to the monopoly of spitting hodjas, priests, rabbis, and Witnesses alone. God says that this is so in the Proverbs of Solomon (or in the Proverbs 1:23-31).

At last, let us come to whether Muhammad is really the last prophet. And besides, does the Quran write any such thing?

There is only a single verse that supports this idea in the Islamic world. In the Chapter of the Confederates, chapter 33, verse 40, it is written thus:

Muhammad is not the father of any of your men; but he is the Messenger of God and the last of the Prophets; and God has wide knowledge of all things.

It is thought that a person, after reading this verse, would have to be foolish and unperceptive still to say, “Muhammad cannot be the last prophet.” Isn’t that so? Doesn’t it write it plainly? This verse was from Osman Nebioğlu’s translation. Unfortunately, all the Turkish translations that have come into my hands have also been translated this way. I say unfortunately, because it is not correct. My attention was drawn to this matter only years later. Because, as I was researching, I was already sure of one thing. For me, both the Quran and the Holy Scriptures were words that God had revealed to His prophets. For this reason, they had to be in harmony with one another on every matter. For the uninformed, the inexperienced, or the one who inevitably takes sides, this is not so. Someone who researches sincerely, with his whole heart, taking no sides, will also understand that these books come from one source. That was how my own understanding went too. Let me tell you how I understood it, and after that let you yourselves again make the decision as to whether the things written here are true or false.

When the whole Quran is read concerning the subject of Muhammad’s being the last prophet, then, let alone the Holy Scriptures, the Quran this time falls into contradiction with itself. Let me give examples so that it may be understood more easily. This time let us read the Chapter of the Heights, that is, chapter 7, verse 187:

They ask you when the hour will come; say: “Only my Lord knows it. No one but Him can disclose it before its time. It weighs heavily upon the heavens and the earth. It will come upon you suddenly.” They ask you as though you knew these things. Say: “Only God knows this; but most people do not know.”

When we read this verse, we see the curiosity of the people of that time too about an end. The very curiosity of knowing a particular time. This is not wrong; but it depends on the attitude of heart with which it is done. God promises people paradise, eternal life; He says that the end of all these evils will come; what normal person believes these things and does not want to know this date? This feeling is so natural. The prophets too wanted to know and did research about these things. The apostles asked Jesus questions about this matter. Even the angels in heaven want to know. (Daniel 12:8-9; Matthew 24:3; 1 Peter 1:11) Just as seeking and wanting to know such knowledge is not wrong, God did not even rebuke these people, saying, “Why do you insist on wanting to know?” On the contrary, He helped them to believe in these truths. Even though He did not give a clearly understandable date, He did this too for our own good. But because there have been so many who deceive and exploit people with such knowledge, such knowledge is now met with hatred rather than curiosity. After so many ugly events that have taken place, I cannot even call those people “unjust.”

The Holy Scriptures, on the other hand, encourage people to be patient in the face of this curiosity, and, instead of drawing their attention only to the date of an “end,” they encourage them to advance in right works and works pleasing to God. (Acts of the Apostles 1:6-7) As I said, in every age plenty of frauds have appeared on the market who exploit this curiosity of people. Had they been sincere and made a mistake, it would have become clear from their later works. When we look at the sovereignty they wield over people, we cannot say, “they made a mistake unknowingly.” Because can it be said of an institution, a religion that is far from every kind of righteousness and never accepts its mistakes, “these people made a mistake sincerely”? Sincere and insincere works are not so difficult to tell apart. The one who is sincere apologizes, explains his mistake, asks for help, is humble. But these institutions, far from apologizing, cast out from among themselves those who say “I do not believe” to their lies, they blacklist them, wage war on them, kill them, and so on… Even though nearly a hundred years have passed over the dates they proclaimed but that did not come to pass, the Witnesses still cast out the unbelievers from among themselves. Humility has passed neither beside nor before nor behind these people. Such a feeling has not even touched them. As if they would ask for help and say, “Come, let us all research together!” To do such a thing is for them the greatest defeat. Perhaps they would commit suicide—for them this is better—but to apologize and correct their mistakes they never come around to.

Let me come again, without dragging out the matter, to the verse I quoted from the Quran. The Quran clearly says: “No one but Him can disclose it before its time.” What has this verse got to do with whether Muhammad is the last prophet? Actually it has a great deal to do with it. If God is going to disclose a coming end in its own time, how has God always done the work of having His word proclaimed? By means of people, that is, His prophets, is it not? It is certain that He will do it in the same way again. But without dwelling on a single verse, let us look at other verses too. Is it so or is it not? Let us see how God will do this work of disclosing. About that day (the Chapter of the Believer), chapter 40:15, it is written thus:

He is the Most High of the exalted, the Owner of the Throne. He casts revelation of His command upon whom He wills of His servants, in order to warn of the day of meeting. On the day of meeting they will come forth, and nothing of theirs will be hidden from God…

The verse clearly says that God will make this announcement about that day by means of a servant or servants of His whom He wills. What did we say those who proclaim God’s word are called? Prophets, is it not? Yes, they are God’s prophets, because they speak His word. Since the end of the evils, that is, that day of meeting, has not yet come, and since these verses were written about an event that will happen in the future, why would the Quran write, “Muhammad is the last of the prophets”? Not only the Quran but the Holy Scriptures too speak of prophets who are to come regarding the last days. Even though some Christians, like the Muslims, believe that no other prophet will come after Jesus, in the Gospel, in the book of the Acts of the Apostles, or in newer Turkish the Acts of the Envoys, 2:17-21, it goes thus:

‘In the last days,’ says God, ‘I will pour out my Spirit upon all people. Your sons and your daughters will prophesy. Your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. In those days I will pour out my spirit upon my men and women servants, and they too will prophesy. Above in the sky I will work wonders. Below, on the earth, signs will be seen—blood, fire, and clouds of smoke. Before the great and glorious day of the Lord comes, the sun will be darkened, the moon will turn the color of blood. Then everyone who calls upon the Lord (calls on the name of the Lord) will be saved.’

The apostle Peter says these verses, taking them from the words of the prophet Joel. Some say these words were, as it were, fulfilled at that time; and, a few verses further on, by saying, “This that you see is the event foretold beforehand through the prophet Joel,” Peter too seems to make such an implication. From this one might draw the meaning that all this prophecy was fulfilled at that time and was finished. But even if God fulfilled a portion of this prophecy partly in the Jerusalem of that time, that was not the great and glorious day of the Lord. Concerning the darkening of the sun and the moon’s turning to blood, only the time when God’s wrath will be poured out upon the earth in the last days is emphasized. This part of the prophecy spoken through the prophet Joel was not fulfilled in Peter’s time. Just as Jesus spoke of certain signs in the prophecy concerning the last days in Matthew, these matters are also emphasized in the book of Revelation and in other earlier prophecies. (Matthew 24:29; Mark 13:24; Revelation 6:12; Joel 2:28-32) In short, those events in the time of the apostles, which were fulfilled on a very small scale in a similar way, will happen worldwide in the future. For this reason Jesus Christ describes the last days and the time of the apostles in the same prophecy. By treating the similar aspects, there are two time frames within one prophecy. One is the destruction of the Jerusalem of that time, the other, the end of all the wicked throughout the earth, are treated in the same prophecy. But when read carefully, and by comparisons with the writings of the other apostles, it is also easy to understand the difference between the last days and the end of Jerusalem. (For example: Matthew 24:3-28; Mark 13:5-27; Luke 21:7-28)

Without confusing your mind too much, let me return to the main line of the subject. All these prophecies, both in the Quran’s and in the Holy Scriptures’ prophecies, say that before the last days come, God will disclose this by means of a servant of His whom He wills. And if that servant is called a prophet, yet Muhammad too is the last prophet, then just try to make sense of the matter. Anyway, the verse we keep stumbling over is always that one: the verse “Muhammad is not the father of any of your men; but he is the Messenger of God, the last of the Prophets.” Until I became aware of this inconsistency, I had looked only at the Turkish translations of the Quran that were always in my hands. They were all the same. There was one translation of the Quran by Süleyman Ateş that also had the Arabic alongside it. But I do not know Arabic; still, I also had a German Quran in my hands. It had been translated directly from Arabic into German. It is certain that the translator was also someone impartial. Perhaps even someone who does not even believe that this book is from God. Thank goodness it is so, because instead of someone who takes sides and says “I believe,” someone who does not take sides, who objectively does not believe, sometimes turns out to be far more useful and can show the truth. These men did this work also because they were at the same time experts in that language, that is all. I immediately opened to the place of this verse and read it. I was terribly surprised, and also very glad. I was surprised, because there it did not say anything like “the last of the Prophets.” I was glad, because God’s words were in harmony and accord. When that verse is translated into Turkish it says exactly this:

“Muhammad is not the father of any of your men; rather he is the Messenger of God and the seal of the prophets.”

The one who translated this had also placed a footnote beneath it: “From this verse the whole Muslim world draws the meaning that Muhammad is the last prophet.” That means that this word “last” in the Turkish translations in our hands is a situation exactly like the way the Witnesses, when translating the Holy Scriptures, strain to bend the verses in order to make them fit their own teachings. That is, an interpretation based on their understanding, and moreover a wrong one, an interpretation that does not fit the Quran. Now go and tell those who say “these books have been altered” that they are wrong! And the Islamic world does this about the Holy Scriptures at the top of its voice. Then what should be said about the Quran? Whereas you should write that verse just as it is, so that everyone can make his own interpretation according to his own knowledge, according to the understanding he has or has not received from God. This is really such a great foolishness. Even so, I could not quite believe this verse in this Quran whose translation was German. Do you believe the whole Islamic world, or the German Professor who translated the Quran? Although to believe it was actually far more logical, I needed more proofs.

One day there came to us an Arab who had become a Jehovah’s Witness and who, together with them, preached that the Quran could not be from God. Since Arabic was his native tongue, I could ask him how this word appears in Arabic. At the end of our discussions I did ask. What I had was a Quran that was Süleyman Ateş’s translation, with the Arabic also written alongside the Turkish verses. I said, “Is the word that appears there related to a seal?” He had not understood what I was asking, so he supposedly explained the whole verse to me. Just as in the Turkish translations, that is, he spoke of Muhammad being the last prophet. When I asked, dwelling on the word, he said, “Yes, in Arabic it appears as ‘seal.’” I was both glad and, again, astonished. That is, on this matter the Quran that had been translated into German was correct. My confidence in the Quran grew stronger and stronger the more I researched.

Now some may say, “Eh! Does another meaning even come out of these verses, so that it should be wrong for us to say Muhammad is the last prophet?” If the whole Quran gave information in the direction of this light and understanding, then a person perhaps could not say anything. Even so it is doubtful. But the Quran’s saying, concerning the announcement of the end, He casts revelation of His command upon whom He wills of His servants, in order to warn of the day of meeting—what is that, if not that this person or these persons are prophets? Here just such a question arises. That means that in the last days God will bring forth prophets too. When we make a different interpretation, then the verses fall into contradiction with one another.

For instance, Jehovah’s Witnesses appropriate to themselves these prophecies of the Acts of the Apostles and of Joel, saying, “Look, these were written for us; we too prophesy by going from door to door!” As I said, in our world many frauds have appeared. In my opinion they do not even want to know or teach the meaning of a prophet and of prophesying. Does everyone who takes the Holy Scriptures or the Quran in hand and goes from door to door become a prophet?! And the Witnesses who claim that this is so—this situation actually means that, out of their own mouths, they show what frauds and false prophets they are. “Because if that thing a prophet said does not happen and does not come to pass, that prophet has spoken a lie in the name of the Lord; you shall not listen to him,” says God. (Deuteronomy 18:20-22) On the other side, because they know this verse, they say, “we are not prophets,” and by this they think they are covering their fraud. They are consistent in neither what they say nor what they do. They only strive to deceive people with worn-out and stale tricks.

God’s books are spoken about, opinions are formed, they are discussed, one thinks whether it is thus or so. About these things everyone, without overstepping the limit, may have arrived at some knowledge and belief. But all these people must accept one thing: “they too can make mistakes.” I do not mean those two-faced people who accept this only in words. He will accept that he can make a mistake and will have such an attitude and conduct, and most importantly such a belief. To say, “I make mistakes, but I will also hang and slaughter anyone who does not do what I say, and he is bound for hell” is hypocrisy. It does not befit God’s principles and His purpose. But this expression can be used in the army, in military service, in the mafias, and perhaps in all organized institutions. A commander accepts that he can make a mistake, and yet expects everyone to obey that order. And the one who does not obey he has shot in wartime, and in peacetime expels from the army, gives a prison sentence, and so on. I have written in the earlier topics about what organizations expect. The army and military service are organized institutions. Most of the time these institutions have no relationship with God, near or far. But just as God permits many evils, He probably permits them to exist too, that is all. Among these, the most dreadful are the religious organizations. The Witnesses regard military service as an instrument of Satan and do not go to the army. But they take pride in applying the rules and principles there within their own ranks. That means that, as is understood again from their own words, if the order of the military armies is not from God but from Satan, then these people, with the order and practices they have established, are serving not God but Satan.

Let us come again to that verse: “Muhammad is not the father of any of your men; rather he is the Messenger of God and the seal of the prophets.” In fact this verse has a very easily understood meaning. With this verse God shows Muhammad as the confirmer of all the aforementioned prophets of the past. Just as a seal is used in the sense of certifying, confirming a thing, it is also used in the sense of closing. But in the sentence that appears here, and in the light of the whole Quran, Muhammad is emphasized as the certifier, the confirmer of those past prophets, and as one who brings explanations that bring their messages to light. And a verse similar to this appears in the Gospel concerning Jesus Christ. There it is written exactly thus:

Work not for the perishable food, but for the food that endures throughout everlasting life. This the Son of Man will give you. For upon Him God the Father has set His seal. John 6:27

If we were to try to say, by this verse, that Jesus is the last prophet, would we not have fallen into the same foolishness that the Muslim world and the Christians commit? In fact, some translations of the Holy Scriptures rightly say, instead of this word “seal,” “has given His approval.” And it is not wrong either. In short, by these it cannot be concluded that Jesus was the last prophet. The Christians too, just like the Muslims, love, for this reason, to reject whatever prophet may have come after Jesus. The Muslims and the Jews do the same thing.

But how and why the Muslim world drew such a meaning from this verse, I cannot understand. To protect against false prophets? Frauds have always appeared in one way or another, and will appear. But in the light of this teaching, what will humanity’s reaction be against the true prophets God will send?! With this teaching, was humanity protected against false prophets, or was it prepared to oppose the true, genuine prophets God will assign in the future?

Let us also not forget that, even though in the last days, regarding the prophecies mentioned, God will assign many prophets, Satan’s prophets too will come forth and perform great signs and wonders. Their number may even be far greater than that of the servants of the true God. Their signs will be no less than the power of the sorcerers who confronted Moses in Egypt. Concerning the appearance of these frauds, God’s apostle says thus:

Let no one deceive you in any way. Because that day will not come unless the turning away from the faith begins first, unless the lawless man who is to be destroyed appears.

That man will oppose everything that is called God or worshipped, and will exalt himself above them all, and will even sit in the temple of God and declare himself to be God.

Do you not remember that I told you these things while I was still with you?

You know what is now restraining this man who is to be revealed at his own time.

Yes, the hidden power of lawlessness is at work even now; but the one who now restrains this power will carry on his task until he is removed from the way.

After that, the lawless man will appear—the one whom the Lord Jesus will kill with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the splendor of His coming.

►He will come with the working of Satan, displayed in every kind of miracle, in deceptive signs and wonders, and in every kind of wickedness that deceives those who are perishing. ►Those who are perishing are perishing because they were unwilling to love the truth and thus be saved. For this very reason God sends upon them a deceptive power, so that they may believe the lie. ◄ So that all who have not believed the truth and have taken pleasure in wickedness may be judged. Endure! 2 Thessalonians 2:4-12

Yes, we must endure. And we urgently need knowledge. We must train ourselves to become experts on this matter. Not those who, running here and there after every voice and every head, do not know what they are doing, but as resolute and trained ones, as experts on this matter, let us hold fast to the truths that God offers by means of those books we call God’s word. (James 1:5-8) In our troubles, praying, let us always ask God for help. Let us accustom ourselves to drawing near to Him through prayer. And let us do this not with words whose meaning we do not know, because those words do not build us up but only deceive us; let us do it with a righteousness and simplicity that comes from the heart. Let us not attempt to put anything or anyone in God’s place. When, without being aware of it—even if not done directly—we realistically test our expectations, the hopes we attach to those persons, we will see that we have given these expectations and this trust to these people instead of to God. Otherwise no one openly admits that he worships a human being, a religion, an institution, an organization as God. Let us not deceive ourselves; this will bring us nothing but bitterness. People may come before us of the quality to fill us with enthusiasm through their knowledge, their words, even their honest way of living. We may regard them as a good brother, elder brother, elder sister, but no more than that. On the earth, many foxes and wolves hidden behind such titles and false humility roam about, and by the millions. Do not forget these either; but endure. Because in 1 Peter 5:8 it says:

“Be sober and alert. Your enemy the Devil roams about like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.”

I also want to write in this book something that my stepfather, who has passed away, told me and that I had never known until then. He was a retired agricultural engineer, Nihat Bey; I used to call him “Nihat baba” (father Nihat). At one point he served as a director of the farm established in Yalova in Atatürk’s time, and he was someone who had personally met Atatürk face to face. The reason I mention these things is that, as someone who lived through those years and therefore knew well the things that happened in those days, I believe that what he related will also be trustworthy. I used to discuss religious matters with him, but when he was discussing these subjects with me he would get very uncomfortable, and I believe he would also get angry. Everyone who reads this book of mine will surely understand his reasons for getting angry. When he got into the car, during the journey he would say some things in Arabic at great length. Supposedly he was praying. He had had a university education; like everyone he was a sinful man. He was not someone whose life was spent in mosques and the like. When I knew him, he had long since retired, and after his retirement he had also served as a director or manager at the Ülker factory, and had taken on some duties. I met him at the time when he was said to have left all these jobs and withdrawn to one side. He was someone who loved to converse very much. It would be more correct if I said “to narrate” rather than to converse! He would narrate about the old days, about the past, slowly, distinctly, piece by piece. I used to be amazed that he remembered so many details. Even the skill of knowledgeable people, or of educated people in general, in covering the certain ugly traits they naturally possess comes about thanks to the education they have received. Beside an ignorant person, to converse with—let alone even to quarrel with—an experienced, knowledgeable person is very different. The knowledgeable person has a certain logic; he is afraid of talking nonsense. The person who knows what learning is is actually aware that he knows very little. But an ignorant, uninformed person, in his own eyes, knows everything. In his own eyes, the greatest is again himself. Just as there is no such thing as logic in him, he is not successful in illogic either. Though in our time it has become impossible to tell these two groups apart.

For my part, I have spoken with people a great deal about God. There is a great difference between my speaking and that of a priest, an imam, a religious scholar, or a theologian. The people behind these labels generally always see faces before them that say yes to them. For this reason their experiences turn out very differently. But I, whether the person believed or did not believe, have always seen faces that said “no.” Because a person’s no-saying face and yes-saying face are very different, unfortunately I have always had to become acquainted with those different sides of theirs.

Among the simple matters over which I angered Nihat baba were those prayers he recited in Arabic. I would ask, “Baba, what is the meaning of these things you say?” He would say, “From the Quran, this or that chapter.” When I said, “Well, do you know the meaning of these?”, he had answered, “No.” Actually, for a knowledgeable person, a person with a label, especially in something he did throughout a lifetime as if automatically, to have no knowledge of it and to confess this openly was, in my opinion, still a humble behavior. Whether he was so frank because he loved me very much or because he was intelligent, I will not be able to know. One evening while conversing I said to him, “Would you like to hear the Turkish of these prayers you recite?” Curiously he said, “I would.” I brought the Quran and read those places he had recited by heart for years in Turkish. He had suffered a terrible disappointment. It was as if the color drained from his face. Without saying anything he just stood there. I had understood his feelings. Because the same had happened to me too. Like the people at Sultanahmet who wept at the things the hodja recited without understanding, beating the Arabs in the mosque, saying, “Why are they laughing at us?”

By saying those words recited by heart from the Quran, whose meaning he did not know, a person thinks he has done something terribly great. However many sins he has committed in his life, it is as though, with these words, he is washed, cleansed, and becomes utterly pure in conscience. Such a meaningless method of easing the conscience is called taking a drug. A person numbs his soul, his conscience, in this way. It is like the alcohol, cigarettes, hashish, heroin taken into this body. And the institutions called religion do this work very well. It is not for nothing that the communists say, “Religion is the opium of societies.” People really have used religion, in God’s name, like opium, like heroin, and that is why this saying is not for nothing. It has also suited the interests of every person who takes on the position of a ruler and has himself carried on the backs of others. Jehovah’s Witnesses ease this conscience by going out to preach. The Jew eases it by beating his head against the stone wall in Jerusalem. The Muslim does this with a rosary in hand, by saying those same words he does not know hundreds of times, by prostrating and rising, prostrating and rising. Every religion has its methods of easing the conscience according to the education it gives, and this is precisely Satan’s aim. He knows far better even than we do what the conscience God has given us means. With all the things far from God that he pushes and encourages us toward, it should not be hard for him to reckon what kind of conscience we will come to have. The best method is to have a person say things like this without understanding at all, and to give the person the impression that he has been rescued from all the filth he has done. The aim is to be easy in conscience, is it not? And then, carry on again. Humanity has become aware many times of these things I have written. In the communist mentality there was this information I have written. Instead of dealing with the wrong applications of religions, they cut off and threw away all religions, but they also drifted away from the true God. This was the easiest application. According to the prophecies, humanity will very soon do the same thing again on a worldwide scale. Why on earth does humanity always push God away for reasons stemming from its own filth?!

Certainly a person commits a crime and feels an uneasiness of conscience because of it. Everyone’s way of apologizing and expressing remorse may also appear in a different form. It is normal that these show differences from culture to culture. It is not these that are not understood. The thing that is really not understood is those persons’ manner of coming before God in apologizing and showing their remorse. Is an apology made by saying things one does not understand? Never mind, there are those who think, “God understands what he means to say.” Of course God understands what he means to say, but is the person himself built up by this? Why do we pray to God for paradise to come and for His will to be done on earth? Will paradise come by the prayer we make? Or, whatever happens, will God bring paradise anyway, whether or not He will bring it? Certainly, in one way or another, He will bring paradise. Well then, why do I pray for this in vain? There will also be those who think, “Is a thing that is going to happen anyway prayed for?”

Just as we give thanks for the things we like, that have happened, that have come to pass, so too we voice the things we want and desire to happen. This shows the value, the appreciation we give them. And most importantly, it builds up us ourselves. The more fervently, with our whole heart, we want something, the more we gather our attention and our mind upon that thing. There is a wanting, an apologizing, with words whose meaning one does not know at all; and there are the words spoken by a person who is meaningful and knows what he wants, who understands what he says and desires it from the heart. Which of these do you think God values? From someone who has committed a crime, made a mistake, with what manner and what words do you expect him to come to you personally? Would it be more convincing for that person to apologize to you in a language he does not know at all, or if he does this with the words he himself understands and knows? It may be—indeed you may know that language he does not know like your mother tongue, and those words are meaningful for you—but what should be said about the person saying them? If that person does not know what the word he says means, for you there is no difference between the one across from you and a parrot. And it is actually a disrespect. Neither can a thing be asked for nor can an apology be made with words recited by heart like a machine, whose meaning one does not understand. We human beings—why do we do toward God, before Him, and moreover with pleasure, the things we do not do, cannot do, toward people who are like ourselves?

Nihat baba too had for years said these words, without knowing their meaning, when getting on the bus, while traveling in the car, at a moment of danger, when he was afraid, or when he felt very grateful, or in order to impress those around him and receive respect, or when he had committed many sins. And aloud, murmuring. When a person says such words he does not understand, it is as if his feet leave the ground, as if he is flying in the air. He is freed from all evils and feels a relief. Because I have read such prayers thousands of times, I know well what I was saying and also what they feel. Since everyone does it this way, it is certain that they too feel, more or less, the same things.

But let us come to hearing the actual meaning of that thing being said. It is as though the person’s worlds are collapsing. He falls into a great emptiness, with a feeling somewhere between anger, hatred, and grief. He is seized by the feeling that for years he had deceived himself. He thinks he has been fooled, deceived. In that moment it is as if volcanoes are erupting within the person—this is certain. Most of all, God’s word loses its value in that person’s eyes. Actually this means being spiritually lost. Because God says logical, true, and things that must actively be done. And this is not a relief that will come by murmuring where you sit, by going from door to door to preach, by leaning your head against the wall and weeping.

Take even the simplest example—look at what God says. For example, “do to others the things you want done to yourself.” Say this word every day in your own language, murmuring! Do this to every person and apply it always. Let your conscience ache precisely when you do not carry it out. It is then that your conscience is working healthily; it means you are no longer taking a drug. Humanity ought to ease itself by doing these things, not by numbing itself with words and deeds it does not understand.

Between us there was respect and esteem, but Nihat baba was someone to whom I openly spoke all these thoughts of mine. Again he said nothing. It was a few days later—probably he had slowly begun to digest the events—that he said, “We were raised ignorant in these matters.” And I this time said, “That may be, but you are throwing the blame entirely onto others, baba; actually we ourselves are at fault too.” He used to tell me long stories, tales. He would count off four names, like Nafi grandfathers, Hamdi fathers. According to them these persons were saints, or something—I do not quite remember. As I say, there is no logic in these matters; they are like fairy tales. One day again we went somewhere to eat. A place Nihat baba knew. The weather was summer; a place on the upper hills of Gemlik overlooking the sea. Somewhere resembling a café, resembling a restaurant, typically ramshackle but with a very beautiful view, within a village. We were going to sit outside and eat. Nihat baba took me, and a little further on we stood before a stretch of earth with a wooden or iron-rodded stake tied with white sheets of cloth, or with rag handkerchiefs. If I said they had planted tomatoes—there are no seedlings either. There are rags tied at the tip of the stake, but the rags are not tied to hold anything. According to Nihat baba, we were standing before the grave of a saint! Those who make vows to this saint would tie these rags, apparently. Just as there is the Telli Baba of Istanbul, so these people had made such a rag-grave father in that tiny place! Seeing his serious state, of course I burst out laughing. I only keep laughing. But Nihat baba is serious. He pays no heed at all to my laughing. From time to time I also got angry at him inwardly and was cross with him. This man, who thought logically in every matter, who had held managerial positions in many jobs, who had good and bad experiences—why on earth did he go astray like this in this matter? He surely did not himself believe such things, but, like a snack worthy of the mouth of society, he had adopted these subjects and would talk about them. My mother sometimes would listen and sometimes would give him a piece of her mind. But Nihat baba, against the logical things that were explained, would not talk nonsense and insist that only he was right. After this information, let me come to the actual matter, the historical event, that Nihat baba related to me. Because it is information that has a bearing and a connection to our subject and to the Quran.

Atatürk assigns Mehmet Akif Ersoy (the writer of the Turkish national anthem) to the explanation of the Quran. Mehmet Akif was also a member of parliament at that time. Whether Atatürk does this to get rid of Mehmet Akif—that is what I now think—or whether Atatürk was truly seeking a proof both for himself and for Mehmet Akif, is not known. Because Mehmet Akif was not much in favor of the policy being pursued on certain matters. But Atatürk was someone who believed in his sincerity. That is, Mehmet Akif was not doing the thing he did with hypocrisy, for the sake of politics, for a label, and so on. That he was an upright, sincere person is also understood from his later statements. He was surely a fallible person like us. Even though he did not suit Atatürk’s way of thinking, we must also accept that Atatürk appreciated sincere people.

By “the explanation of the Quran” I mean: a call would be made to the whole Islamic world, a committee would be formed of the leading scholars of religious knowledge of all of them, of those who knew the Quran, and the Quran would be explained word by word. This was in any case Atatürk’s aim; “What is all this we suffer from the religionists! Go, gather, explain this so that the people do not remain so ignorant,” he says. Besides, Turkey had for centuries been in a position possessing the office of the caliphate. That is, to make a comparison, just as the pope of Christianity has authority from the Vatican representing all of Christianity, so was the Ottoman state for the Islamic world. As a date, I cannot remember exactly when this event happened. It must be the 1920s. With this task, Mehmet Akif makes the call on behalf of Turkey, and these countries too respond to this call and come together. And again, if I am not mistaken, at that time this meeting was held in Egypt. That committee would remain there however many years it took to explain the whole Quran, and would do this work. Representative clergy from all the countries of the Islamic world had also come. About three years, again if I am not mistaken, pass in the meantime. They are able to explain only three juz’, that is, three volumes, of the Quran. The Quran is divided into thirty parts called juz’—let us say thirty volumes—and consists of 114 Chapters. They put the longest chapters at the beginning. Later the number of verses in these chapters gradually decreases. The place they explained is a portion up to roughly the middle of chapter 3, the Chapter of the Family of Imran. In time this whole committee becomes aware of something. The places they are trying to explain begin not to agree with one another. That is, while the meaning of one verse is said to be such, later a verse comes that will yield a completely different meaning on that subject. For example, like the place I have treated on the subject of whether Muhammad is the last prophet. Later, with the approval of all of them, this decision is taken:

“We tried to make the explanation of this Quran, but God did not grant it to us. Come, let us destroy and annihilate all our work of these three years so far, so that it does not fall into the hands of the people and they do not spread our mistakes as if they were true.” With this decision and with the approval of all of them—the details are not known—all the explanations are burned and annihilated, and they all disperse to their countries. And to Atatürk’s question, “What happened?”, Mehmet Akif says, “Pasha, we could not explain this.” And Atatürk smiles meaningfully.

This sincerity of theirs, which I greatly like, and this decision they took, I appreciate very much. They did not, as is the case in so many religions, and again especially in Jehovah’s Witnesses, force people to believe in the nonsense they themselves made up, saying, “We know everything; even if we don’t know, this must be understood this way.” To such people one must say “bravo” and take off one’s hat. After this date, all the Islamic countries establish, within their own structures, institutions to research and explain religion. The establishment of the Directorate of Religious Affairs in Turkey also comes about by this means, with this logic. Whether it was established before or after this event, I also do not know. Or whether it was established together with this event—that too is possible. What is important is not the detailed numerical particulars of the date; in my opinion what is important is the decision taken and the step taken. I wrote this explanation so that you may have information about where we stand in the knowledge of the Quran. The people who write Mehmet Akif’s biography emphasize his religious ignorance. Whereas it was Mehmet Akif himself who said, “I do not have sufficient knowledge” on this matter. And that in the task of making the explanation of the whole Quran! Among those religious people, who up to now has done or been able to show this humility, possessing such a rank and such an authority? Does a person become ignorant, brainless, because he sincerely tells the truth? Have they ever possessed as much knowledge about the Quran as Mehmet Akif? Which is right—to say, “We know everything,” and to hang and slaughter in God’s name, or to say, “We do not understand this work and cannot explain it; God did not grant this to us”? Besides, they did not put on a false humility either; they only told the truth.

People are scared to death of saying “we do not know.” According to them, this creates distrust in the people across from them. Whereas should it not be the opposite? Whose word can you trust from a person who says, “I know everything,” and whose statements turn out false and wrong? It may be—indeed, seven out of ten things may have turned out true, three false. But regarding the things he will say from now on, does a person not have doubt whether this too will fall among the three or among the seven? Is not believing that person’s words like a game of chance, like a lottery prize? Every person can be mistaken. Even if he is mistaken, he also has sides that are right. The person who does not accept this truth is being foolish. What is important is not that we are mistaken, but our reaction to that error, our attitude and conduct. If only the whole world possessed the humility of people like Mehmet Akif and also applied it. This sincere answer Mehmet gave surely disappointed very many people, but I believe that at some point Atatürk appreciated it. Because Atatürk was an idealist. He was not someone like the usual self-selling politicians and statesmen. Had he not had confidence in Mehmet Akif, he would not have assigned him to this work on behalf of Turkey in the first place. At the very least, he would have said, “Do whatever you do on your own behalf, but do not do it on behalf of Turkey.” That a member of parliament assigned by the state should come back empty-handed after three years was surely seen as not much of a subject to go down in history with praise. For some it was perceived as a defeat. Whereas in my opinion, again quite the opposite, it should be a subject of praise. Even if not being able to understand something gives sorrow, one should take pride in accepting the truth. If we await understanding from God, He gives it when and to whom He wills.

After these events, instead of the mentality, forced by the state and by its pressure upon the officials in the Directorate of Religious Affairs that was established, of “At all costs explain something to the people, indeed things that will suit our interests,” and instead of the absurd information given to the people, Mehmet Akif said, “I do not know.” I say bravo, and again bravo. Turkey needs to know this event well, with its details. I searched on the internet and could not find anything. Who knows where this event was archived.

Finally, as I close the subject, I must state, summing up, that there is no verse in the Quran that says Muhammad was the last prophet. Rather, inspired by a wrong teaching that does not fit the content of the Quran, it was written this way in the translations. In the translations, instead of “the last of the Prophets,” it should have been written “the seal of the Prophets.” The Arabic original of the Quran writes it thus. And this, according to the message the Quran gives as a whole and according to the prophecies that appear in the Holy Scriptures, should be interpreted in the sense that Muhammad is a confirmer of the prophecies and of the prophets. In short, the “seal” spoken of here is used in the sense of “approval.” If we call this interpretation “absurd” and remain old-fashioned, then we would have to take out and throw away many places from the Quran and the Holy Scriptures that do not agree with one another on this subject, which would be an even greater absurdity. Please open the verses given and read them for yourselves in their places, and decide for yourselves. Do not believe me either; research for yourselves. Even if I am right, if I remain faithful with my knowledge and my works, I can only save myself, and even that only perhaps; but I cannot save anyone else. This is a rule that applies to everyone. This truth too I learned again from God, from His words. (Ezekiel 14:12-20) You too read, research, learn the truth and also teach it. (Matthew 28:18-20)