AAAC 29 The Rope of Hope Aal-E-Imran 103
Dear reader it is my earnest desire that we submit completely and unquestionably to Allah May His sweet mercy and wisdom be showered upon us this day as we look into this subject “the Rope of Hope”. Who is this rope of hope?
“ Man overboard”
We have all heard of stories from those who have gone to sea upon vessels great and small. As often happens something causes someone to fall overboard, perhaps a sudden shift in the ship or a strong storm catches one off-guard and into the billowy deeps they are sent. Then the cry rents through the air… “man overboard”. Quickly all on deck try their utmost to rescue such an unfortunate one. The ropes are brought out and usually some device is attached at the end which is thrown to the unfortunate person out in the waves. If the individual can swim it may be helpful but at times someone else risks his life and also plunges into the sea to assist in rescuing the individual. The Rope is extended to the person and they most gratefully accept the offer and are pulled to safety once again as he comes back on board. In much the same way this planet we call earth from among the teeming millions of even this galaxy has gone awry from the vast creation of Allah. Adam and Eve were caught off-guard in the garden of bliss. Through their fall, this earth, this small speck of His creation has fallen overboard so to speak, through the deceptions of Shatan. It is by our own choices we have done such, and now we are swimming in the mire of wickedness of earth and are amidst the seething billows of darkness trying with all our might to cope with the trials and difficulties, temptations and troubles of life, which are all around us. Where can we turn to, so that we may find help, before we sink and die. Is there Hope held out to each of us? The Honored Qur’an tells us very specifically: “And hold fast, all together, by the rope which Allah (stretches out for you), and be not divided among yourselves; and remember with gratitude Allah’s favour on you; for ye were enemies and He joined your hearts in love, so that by His Grace, ye became brethren; and ye were on the brink of the pit of Fire, and He saved you from it. Thus doth Allah make His Signs clear to you: That ye may be guided.” Aal-E-Imran 103 [Sura 3:103] Today we can be thankful for the Grace of Allah, by His Grace He saves us! What beautiful language is here expressed that Allah our Creator stretches out to us a “rope of hope”. We were enemies but by grace we can become brethren. What familiar and encouraging language we read in the Injeel sent down from Allah.
Allah sends a gift…
“He said: “Nay, I am only a messenger from thy Lord, (to announce) to thee the gift of a holy son.” Maryam (19): 19 “For if, when we were enemies [with God], we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.” Injeel Romans 5:10 “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God”. Injeel Ephesians 2:8 “God was bringing the world back to himself through Christ [Isa al-Masih]. He did not hold people’s sins against them. God has trusted us with the message that people may be brought back to him.” 2 Cor. 5:19 New International readers version Who is this Rope of Hope? It is none other than Isa al-Masih which is the “Rope” let down to each one of us. This is nothing but the gift from heaven to this earth. May we with gratitude cling to this “Rope”. Isa al-Masih is the rope which was extended out to us. He plunged into the icy waters of this sin cursed earth. Though he was One with Allah (John 10:30) and is the Word from Allah (Aal-EImran 39,45), yet He tasted the depths of misery which we go through, He learned the power of temptation we know all too well. He became the instrument sent from Allah and all heaven to bring us to safety once again. In our first Eden home, our first parents went astray, and we have all followed in their course. Someone had to bring us back to safety! Thus Isa was the One who plunged into this world of sin and degradation and in the billowy deeps has come to rescue us.
The Ladder from earth to Heaven!
Isa can be compared to a ladder. If we ever wish to reach heaven, it is far above us. Far above our human capabilities to reach, we must have a ladder. That ladder must reach all the way from earth to heaven. Read this true story which happened long ago. One dark night, a cry rang out in the streets of Liverpool, England. “Fire, Fire!” was the cry, sure enough, people began to cluster nearby to see the flames already shooting out from the lower windows of a home for old sailors. As the onlookers gazed at the billowing flames, someone noticed several men leaning out of the window at the very top story. A man quickly brought a long ladder and leaned it against the burning building, but alas it was still too short. What were they to do? Suddenly a young sailor stepped out from the crowd, rushed to the ladder and quickly climbed to the top. Balancing himself upon the uppermost rung of the ladder, he seized the windowsill with his strong hands. “Quick men”, he shouted “scramble over my body onto the ladder and go down now”! One by one the men from the burning building made their way over the strong sailor’s body until all had reached safety. Finally, the sailor himself came down. As a result his face was burned, his hair singed, and his fingers were blistered from the fire. But he had saved the men. The ladder reached upward; but before the men could be saved, it needed the length of a man. When it came to our being saved from this earth, all of Heaven’s resources reaching down to save us here on earth would have been too short without the length of a man: the man Isa al-Masih. In the Injeel He is known as the son of man. Luke 19:10 “For the Son of man (Isa al-Masih) is come to seek and to save that which was lost.” Matthew 20:28 “Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.” Matthew 24:37-39 “But as the days of Noe [Nuh] were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe [Nuh] entered into the ark, And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.” When Isa al-Masih returns, He comes as the Son of Man. Revelation 14:14 “And I looked, and behold a white cloud, and upon the cloud one sat like unto the Son of man, having on his head a golden crown, and in his hand a sharp sickle.” In the same way, our prayers, our du’a, our good works of charity, our good deeds may show our good intentions, but they are short of reaching heaven without the length of a man…that man is Christ Jesus, Isa al-Masih. He is our connection with Heaven which was sent down for us. The Holy Books say… “Christ in you, the hope of glory”. Injeel Colossian 1:27 Isa al-Masih and His purity… What did He have which made Him so special? The Honored Qur’an says that He had the Holy Spirit… “We gave Moses the Book and followed him up with a succession of messengers; We gave Jesus the son of Mary Clear (Signs) and strengthened him with the holy spirit….” Al-Baqara (2):87 “And Jesus [Isa], when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God [Ruh Allah] descending like a dove, and lighting upon him…” Injeel Matthew 3:16 Isa had the Ruh Allah, the Spirit of Allah. Not only was He a man, born of a woman, but He was Holy, and Righteous. All of men who have ever been born of a woman, were born with corruption. Since the fall of Adam, all persons born, have been born with a fallen nature. In other words, they were born separated from Allah. Not so with Isa al-Masih, He was born of Heaven. A very special person, Holy and Righteous. None in all the Holy Books ever present anyone who is born like Him. Truly He is the second Adam. Much more He is our rope of hope in this fallen world. By His purity he reaches down from Heaven and clasps our hand because He was man, He can take hold of man’s hand, and because He was from heaven, He is able to reunite us with Heaven. He became the Saviour of men. All men who wish, can be saved from the evils of this earth. Dear friend of Allah, one day a sea of flames will devour this earth, yet we need not be in those flames. Those flames will completely devour all sin and sinners who have not sought out the Rope of Hope. This is our opportunity to escape the flames and be rescued from off this earth. Will you allow Allah through Isa al-Masih to extend the rope to you? Will you gladly take hold of this rope from Heaven? We too can say, Lord save us we perish…and He will hear that voice and be gracious to us in extending Isa out to us. “And hold fast, all together, by the rope which Allah (stretches out for you).” Aal-E-Imran 103 And never let go….is it any wonder that Isa al-Masih is mentioned over 90 times in the Honored Qur’an? Copied from DivineIslam’s Qur’an Viewer software v2.913 Bible scriptures from King James Version & New International Readers Version
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