the conjectures of the liars; He is sanctified far above the idolatry of the polytheists and the absurdities of the atheists.

Those who set up equals beside Him have lied against Him, strayed a distant straying, and suffered an evident loss:
“Allah has not taken a child, nor is there any god along with Him; had there been, every god would have taken off with what he created, and some would have risen over others. Exalted is Allah above what they describe (91), Knower of the unseen and the seen; exalted is He above what they associate with Him (92)” ⦗Q 23:91–92⦘.

I also bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and messenger, the one He selected from among His creation, His chosen one from all beings, the trustee of His revelation, and His envoy (1) between Himself and His slaves. He sent him forth with the finest creed and the most excellent law, with the clearest sign, the most lucid proof, and the most manifest evidence to all worlds—humankind and jinn, Arabs and non-Arabs, those in settled towns and those in open desert.

He is the very one foretold by former scriptures and proclaimed by earlier messengers; his mention coursed through the ages, in villages, cities, and nations now long gone. Tidings of his prophethood were sounded from the time of Adam, father of mankind, until the time of the Messiah, son of man. Whenever a messenger arose, he was bound by covenant to believe in him and to herald his coming.

When prophethood reached the Converse-with-the-Most-Merciful, Moses son of ʿImrān, he announced his prophethood before the assembled Children of Israel, proclaiming: “The Lord came from Sinai, He shone forth from Seir, and He appeared in glory from the mountains of Paran.” (2)

Then Jesus son of Mary appeared—servant of Allah and His messenger, His spirit and His word which He cast to Mary—and he proclaimed his prophethood with a call the like of which none before him had made. (3)

Thus he stood among the Children of Israel as a truthful, sincere adviser—yet they were averse