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21. FADLAN GRAMATAN (3) Br. Fadlan said: “If you read the whole Bible carefully, you will find information there that a prophet would come who would be taught a book and would be asked to read, but he would say ‘I cannot read.’1 He then asked him to open Proverbs 15:29, and it said: “The Lord is far from the wicked but he hears the prayer of the righteous.” So, the Lord hears the prayer, whereas Jesus prayed when he was on the cross, saying, "Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?"—which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”2 This indicates that as he prayed he was not God, as God accepts prayers, and He does not pray. The dialogue lasted till 2.00 a.m. and the glergyman suggested to end the dialogue, as he had to go the Church the morning of the next day. They went to bed. Apparently, the clergyman did not sleep, but was trying to hypnotise Br. Fadlan, praying while moving his hands towards him. Br. Fadlan did not keep silent under his bed cover; he cited āyat al-kursī and then blew towards him. Br. Fadlan woke up for fajr (dawn) prayer, whereas the clergyman overslept. After performing the fajr prayer Br. Fadlan woke him up. He woke up, took a bath, got dressed, but with normal clothes, not ministry gown with long sleves, and went to the church. In 1
He was referring to Isaiah 29:12 which reads, “Or of you give the scroll to someone who cannot read, and say, ‘Read this, please,’ he will answer, ‘I don’t know how to read.’” (Holy Bible, New International Version). This was what Prophet Muhammad s.a.w. said ( َما, ارئ ِ َما أ َنا ِب َق )أَ ْق َرأwhen he was told by the archangel Gibrael to read when he was in the cave of Ḥirā’. Then it was revealed to him, َخلَ َق. ِّك الَّذِي َخلَ َق َ ا ْق َر ْأ ِباسْ ِم َرب 5-1:ان َما لَ ْم َيعْ لَ ْم (العلق َ َعلَّ َم ْاْلِ ْن َس. الَّذِي َعلَّ َم ِب ْال َقلَ ِم.ُّك ْاْلَ ْك َرم َ ا ْق َر ْأ َو َرب.ان مِنْ َعلَق َ اْل ْن َس ِْ ) “Read! In the Name of your Lord Who has created (all that exists). He has created man from a clot (a piece of thick coagulagted blood). Read! And your Lord is the Most Generous. Who has taught (the writin) by the pen. He has taught man that which he knew not.” (Q. 96:1-5) 2 Jesus said this after his being 9 hours on the cross. See Matthew 27:46 and Mark 15:34.