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Expectations Of The Holy Spirit

Prophet Mohammed Reveals The Holy Spirit

Without a spiritual encounter it is difficult to fear God. Faith looks like believing in abstract. While you may not be able to explain your faith to others, you cannot deny the encounter. In other words, you may appear stupid but you are certainly not crazy. The encounter reinforces your faith, and your fear of God as you catch a glimpse of His might.

The one thing among others that Prophet Mohammed teaches is the fear of the Almighty God. He was resolute that a reverence of The Almighty is the beginning of human wisdom. Christianity teaches that an encounter with Jesus begins our understanding of God and God’s ultimate provision for eternal paradise. One common denominator but less discussed phenomenon among faiths is The Holy Spirit.

Clearly, The Holy Ghost provides the avenue to understand the mind of God while we manage our physical existence here on earth. We will attempt to unravel how Prophet Mohammed guides us into the expectations of The Holy Spirit as we navigate our destiny in this world in addition to the instructions Jesus Christ left for us in order to take hold of the Holy Ghost as we desire the promise of paradise in eternity and work at it.

The Prophet recognizes Jesus Christ and The Holy Ghost. He also encourages us to believe and follow the instructions of these persons. Christianity positions The Holy Ghost as the primary witness of Jesus Chirst and our guide. How do the sayings of Prophet Mohammed in the Noble Quran help us attain God’s expectations? Please don’t just read, let us learn from your contributions.

Clarifying The Labels - The Holy Spirit and Angel Gabriel

Prophet Muhammad agreed that the Holy Spirit exists. He also believed in angels. In fact, the Prophet pointed out the roles of the Holy Spirit to be creation and guidance (Sura 5:110; 16:102; 17:85; 32:9; 38:72; 40:15; 58:22). The Prophet believes that both the Holy Spirit and the angels are messengers of God, but that they are separate entities that had different functions (Sura 19:93-96; 70:1-5; 78:38; 97:4).

Of course, the Prophet was vehemently opposed to polytheism and idolatry that festered around him at the time, it was clear that any concept that suggested opposition to the One True God was unlikely to see the light of day with him. Further, it was not uncommon for people to deify any personality that portrayed mysterious tendencies in those days.

So, the translators and interpreters of the Prophet’s words and meaning may not have totally reflected his stand in many debates. Therefore, the suggestion that by some that Angel Gabriel is the Holy Spirit personified is rather dubious. This does not stand up to the concept of separate entities between the angels and The Holy Ghost.

Further, when the scriptures that these interpreters point to are carefully reviewed, and the name of Angel Gabriel is substituted for the Holy Spirit, it becomes obvious that they do not fit. So these so-called translators and copywriters have not been very helpful. This is why one must be careful in examining the scriptures in order to carefully work out one’s salvation. Many instructions of the Prophet continue to be misrepresented. A short example is represented in the review of the following scriptures as a small exercise:

[2:97] Say, ‘O Prophet,’ “Whoever is an enemy of Gabriel/Holy Spirit should know that he revealed this ‘Quran’ to your heart by Allah’s Will, confirming what came before it—a guide and good news for the believers.”

[16:102] Say, “The holy spirit/Angel Gabriel has brought it down from your Lord with the truth to reassure the believers, and as a guide and good news for those who submit ‘to Allah’.”

[26:193] which the trustworthy spirit Gabriel/Holy Spirit brought down

[2:87] Indeed, We gave Moses the Book and sent after him successive messengers. And We gave Jesus, son of Mary, clear proofs and supported him with the holy spirit/ Angel Gabriel. Why is it that every time a messenger comes to you ‘Israelites’ with something you do not like, you become arrogant, rejecting some and killing others?

[2:253] We have chosen some of those messengers above others. Allah spoke directly to some, and raised some high in rank. To Jesus, son of Mary, We gave clear proofs and supported him with the holy spirit/Angel Gabriel. If Allah had willed, succeeding generations would not have fought ‘among themselves’ after receiving the clear proofs. But they differed—some believed while others disbelieved. Yet if Allah had willed, they would not have fought one another. But Allah does what He wills.

[5:110] And ˹on Judgment Day˺ Allah will say, “O Jesus, son of Mary! Remember My favour upon you and your mother: how I supported you with the holy spirit/Angel Gabriel so you spoke to people in ‘your’ infancy and adulthood. How I taught you writing, wisdom, the Torah, and the Gospel. How you moulded a bird from clay—by My Will—and breathed into it and it became a ‘real’ bird—by My Will. How you healed the blind and the lepers—by My Will. How you brought the dead to life—by My Will. How I prevented the Children of Israel from harming you when you came to them with clear proofs and the disbelievers among them said, “This is nothing but pure magic.”

[19:17-19] screening herself off from them. Then We sent to her Our angel, Gabriel/Holy Spirit, appearing before her as a man, perfectly formed. She appealed, “I truly seek refuge in the Most Compassionate from you! ‘So leave me alone’ if you are God-fearing.” He responded, “I am only a messenger from your Lord, ‘sent’ to bless you with a pure son.”

[78:38] on the Day the holy spirit/Angel Gabriel and the angels will stand in ranks. None will talk, except those granted permission by the Most Compassionate and whose words are true.

[97:4] That night the angels and the ‘holy’ spirit/Angel Gabriel descend, by the permission of their Lord, for every ‘decreed’ matter.

In any case, even though this Angel Gabriel replacement concept is suspect, there is a clear agreement between the Christian belief and the Prophet’s belief that the Holy Spirit is a spirit that creates and guides through inspiration. This should be key to appreciating the personality of the Holy Spirit as a creator and a teacher:

They ask you ‘O Prophet’ about the spirit. Say, “Its nature is known only to my Lord, and you ˹O humanity˺ have been given but little knowledge.” Sura 17:85).

Therefore, it is fair to acknowledge the inspirational acts of the Holy Spirit as readily outlined in the Bible. These include the spirits of wisdom, knowledge and of faith. Men exercise these attributes today as gifts of the Holy Spirit.

There have been other methods advanced to prove that the Holy Spirit and Angel Gabriel are one and the same. For instance, the mathematical science of Gematics is said to have computed that the names Holy Spirit and Angel Gabriel to be equivalents, and therefore refer to the same person. To me, this is stretching the matter rather far. I wonder if such computation will also show that the Holy Ghost is also equivalent to Angel Gabriel, and by implication the Holy Spirit. A true study of the Holy Spirit will enlighten one on the path to acquiring the knowledge of who or what the Holy Spirit really is.

In fact, if the concept that associates the Holy Spirit with the Arabic word ‘Roh’ meaning the ‘revelation of God’ were to be accepted, then such mathematical contusions become unnecessary.

The Expression of The Holy Spirit

My hypothesis is that this is the missing link. I believe that men have not paid due attention to the influence of the Holy Spirit in our discussions. When challenged, some attempt to be politically-correct socially rather than being on the correct side of God.

If you have sojourned in an Islamic country before, and you took the time to profile the society, you will observe that some people are more devout to the study of the religion than others. Irrespective of whatever labels you may want to stick to any part of the spectrum, there is little doubt that people are more spiritually challenged than others. To the point is that there is a need to recognize that some people are more fervent than any others in their determination to serve God in spirit, and in truth.

These people take the time to engage in a deeper study of the scriptures in order to understand the truth about God at a level higher than just the observance of the tenets of the religion. If there had been no gains in the journey of discovery, the further investment of their time and energy will have been considered unworthy, and they will have abandoned such studies on the way. The consequence being that such devoutness will become a rarity in the society over time. The religion will become dogmatic, lacking in spiritual leadership. Growth will be stagnated in such a system or religion.

My quarrel however is not the dedication that these devotees have, but that they do not understand or seek to understand the fuel that propels their engines. I seriously doubt that these men understand what it means when it is suggested that it takes spiritual guidance to understand God. I am certain that no one doubts this statement. What I am saying is this, that people do not take the time to look at that very spirit guiding the study. Men are more focused on demystifying God, as they seek to understand the sources of their faith. They engage in comparative analysis of religious routines that takes them off the true course. They forget that those routines are manifestations of spiritual phenomena.

The prophets in many of the Semitic scriptures, and I make references to the Talmud, the Old Testament, the New Testament, the Quran and related scriptures had many great deeds, miracles and records associated with their names. The Quran in many areas talks about the spirit of God responding to facilitate the answer to the Prophet’s prayers. Today, we call these answers miracles. They indicate the mysterious intervention of God in the affairs of men.

Saul was not just a king, he was identified as a prophet of God before events turned sour for him, and he became a necromancer in order to talk to Prophet Samuel. Simon, the sorcerer, was an excellent magician who found out that the apostles were stronger than him. He joined their ministry in pretense, with the aim of understanding the secrets of their brand of magic. Of course, he repented and became born-again after he realized the truth. Some form of power transmission must have occurred for Peter to heal that leper right on the steps of the Synagogue in public view.

My contention is that a spirit realm exists, and in that realm exists both the positive or good, and the negative or evil collections of spirits. The positive is commonly associated with God, and it is called by several names which all tend to mean the Spirit of God. Negativity is attached to Satan, and it is common to associate it with spirit of the Devil, or evil spirit. In the New Testament, the name and concept of the Holy Spirit is very obvious. It is not clear whether some Trinitarians were actually referring to Mary, the mother of Jesus as the third member of the Trinity. It may be that the copywriters of the Prophet did not copy him correctly.

However, to my knowledge irrespective of corruption, the concept of the Trinity can be deduced from the epistles written by disciples of Jesus Christ. Names will forever be irrelevant, as concepts stand, while men attempt to illustrate their thought processes. So, whether we like the name – Trinity or not, the concept of the Holy Spirit being the third member of the Godhead, within the bounds of human perception, is deduced from the words of Jesus Christ himself. More importantly, men need to look more closely at this Spirit of God in order to understand its functions, and the mechanisms of achieving its objectives.

These prophets are gone; we are left behind to make our elections sure on judgment day. It is beautiful that there is no dispute between the words of Jesus and Muhammad concerning the existence of the Spirit of God. If we go to adequate lengths to decipher the messages of these great prophets, I am certain that we will emerge on the sure road to eternal life in paradise. All of the prophets told us that nothing pleases God more than our obedience to His laws.

The Works Then

Both Muhammad and Jesus Christ are credited to have performed miracles. These performances must have been considered as good, in that they must have brought some positive changes to peoples’ lives. It is because the changes were perceived as extraordinarily beyond human ability, they are called miracles. For instance, Jesus was credited with feeding hundreds of followers from meals hardly able to satisfy one man. He is reported to have opened the eyes of the blind, asked the lame to walk, healed bleeding problems, and raised up the dead (Sura 2:253; 3:49; 5:110).

In the same vein, Prophet Muhammad is credited with several miracles including splitting of the Moon, food multiplication, water multiplication, supplication for rain, lights to guide companions, glorification of Allah by the Prophet's meals, the expulsion of a liar's corpse by the Earth, the speech of the wolf, the Prophet's night journey to Jerusalem and ascent to the heavens. These were all recorded in the Ahadith – a record of testimonies and explanations by close confidants and followers of Prophet Muhammad.

It appears to me that the Prophet was too modest to take credit for these miracles in his ministry. Hence, we do not have him acknowledging them directly in the Quran. All that the Prophet did was to claim that God moves with power and performed miracles among his people (Sura 6:109; 13:7; 17:59).

However, even before Jesus, the Old Testament is full of accounts from Moses through Joshua to David; from Elijah through Elisha to Isaiah. Daniel, Ezekiel, and most of the earlier prophets have records of extraordinary life-changing deeds. Apart from Elijah who had direct contact which provided an opportunity to transmit power directly to Elisha, it is rare in the records for any prophet to promise to leave the power of these exploits - Spirit of God behind.

Not only did Jesus Christ promise it, he made it happen. Jesus promised his followers a replacement for His own physical presence, in the person of the Holy Ghost. The events at the Pentecost confirm this promise of Jesus. Since then men have continued to perform miracles. In fact, some of the miracles have been more surprising than what Jesus himself did. This is in consonance with the words of Christ. Yet, despite the above, we will learn about things that Jesus did that have never been seen or will never be copied. This is also according to his words, and to prove his uniqueness. For example, there is no man in recorded history whose death had resurrected many others from their graves. People were coming out of their graves as Jesus was giving up the ghost (Matthew 27:50-54). The only exception being that of Elisha. Even so, Elisha was already in his grave and the resurrected man is a fresh corpse. Therefore, it is clear that the collection of events around the death of Jesus were not coincidences but wonders that merited historical notice.

The Works Today

When congregants have issues, they seek spiritual leaders for counsel. This is irrespective of whether they are Muslims, Christians or any other religion. They expect spiritual and religious guidance including prayers from these leaders. Some issues might be considered amenable to simple counseling, others may require special prayers; and others still may just be so confounding as to be left to the will of God to turn events around in the favor of the congregant in a special or so-called miraculous way. And judging from testimonies, there is reason to believe that these miracles still happen today.

The fact that we still witness confounding miraculous incidents is confirmatory of the words of Jesus, when he said:

These miraculous signs will accompany those who believe: They will cast out demons in my name, and they will speak in new languages. They will be able to handle snakes with safety, and if they drink anything poisonous, it won’t hurt them. They will be able to place their hands on the sick, and they will be healed.” (Mark 16:17-18)

Apparently, Muslims are discouraged from publicly acknowledging such prowess. And this will be in conformity with the modesty of Prophet Muhammad. There is no doubt that imams intercede on behalf of their congregants with results. Praying is a spiritual exercise that evokes answers. Many times the answers are so confounding as to call them miracles.

Even though the mechanisms appear unclear to many, it is clear to Pentecostal Christians that the Holy Spirit is an active and powerful phenomenon. This is why Pentecostals have efficiently exploited this veritable evangelical tool by exercising the Holy Spirit gifts of miracles and healing in winning souls into God’s kingdom.

The Move Of The Holy Spirit Is An Active Phenomenon

This action power packed person residing with us today has its own agenda, which is to see that the Work of God continues to be done in our world. Jesus Christ summarized this work of God as showing love; to God and to one another. The Holy Spirit is the mechanism that helps us to understand and to express true love today.

Rescue those who are unjustly sentenced to die; save them as they stagger to their death. Don’t excuse yourself by saying, “Look, we didn’t know.” For God understands all hearts, and he sees you. He who guards your soul knows you knew. He will repay all people as their actions deserve (Proverbs 24:11-12)

The Holy Spirit is the enabler that quickens our spirit to understand that we are not able to live a holy life by ourselves, but by its help. Then, we can use this level of righteousness to minister to others around us. It is also the power of evangelism to build the Church of God.

No Substitute For The Encounter With The Holy Ghost

It is time to draw some inferences from this discussion. The words of Jesus remain important in determining that which is true. This cannot be difficult for believers because Prophet Muhammad himself clearly identifies Jesus as one of the greatest prophets that ever lived on earth. We are obliged to believe prophets, unless we have incontrovertible evidence to call them liars. Further, the Prophet enjoined anyone who needed clarification to go and ask the Christians. To this extent, the testimony of Jesus Christ cannot be dismissed.

In many scriptures Jesus called himself the Son of God. That fact is anchored with so many witnesses including the appearance of God and The Holy Ghost at the baptism of Jesus Christ. Secondly, Jesus Christ died on the cross is a fact of history rather than a figment of anyone’s imagination. Or else how do you explain his words at the Last Supper (Matt. 26:17-30, Mark 14:12-26, Luke 22:7-39)?

Even if it were possible that a conspiracy may have been organized to substitute someone else for Jesus between the Last Supper, and the crucifixion, but it is doubtful if the fake substitute would have had the audacity to remit anyone’s sins (John 20:23). Furthermore, when Jesus gave up the ghost, it was an earth shattering event. Let us look at this report among many like it:

Then Jesus shouted out again, and he released his spirit. At that moment the curtain in the sanctuary of the Temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. The earth shook, rocks split apart, and tombs opened. The bodies of many godly men and women who had died were raised from the dead. They left the cemetery after Jesus’ resurrection, went into the holy city of Jerusalem, and appeared to many people. The Roman officer and the other soldiers at the crucifixion were terrified by the earthquake and all that had happened. They said, “This man truly was the Son of God!” (Matthew 27:50-54)

Therefore, whoever is formulating the conspiracy theory needs to identify who tore up the veil separating the Holy of Holies in the temple in Jerusalem; and who simultaneously broke the tombs of so many saints in Golgotha such that the dead rose up, and went to Jerusalem to locate their families. In fact, such conspiracy theories need to factor the interests of opposing people like Anaias the High Priest, the Pharisees and the Saducces who had stakes in the elimination of Jesus Christ.

Even if Jesus were only to be rated as one of the prophets, I believe that his words deserve to be treated with respect as being authoritative and true. Among his instructions was that he was going to invite the Holy Ghost as a permanent replacement for him, as he goes to prepare places for our heavenly residence. To deny so much evidence about the death of Jesus Christ is to engage in so much skepticism as to deny the power of God. The purpose of such study is then lost, and it is dismissed by the following scripture:

They will act religious, but they will reject the power that could make them godly. Stay away from people like that! (2 Timothy 3:5).

Further, all rationalizations that other people have duplicated some of the characteristics of Jesus falls flat in the face of the fact that no one has been able to compact all the signs together into one, and made them happen spontaneously too. This may be for his own record and testimony. Even then, it will only qualify as a duplicate at best. Many times his reactions were provoked by circumstances surrounding him. It is also a fact that for every one that one examines, there is always something unique about the Jesus event. This is why he becomes the standard by which all others are compared.

If we accept that Jesus Christ is not a liar, then by implication we know that the Judgment Day is real, and that these words will be raised in judgment for or against us on that day. The antithesis is to call Jesus a liar. This much I know, that Prophet Muhammad will never counsel anyone to call Jesus Christ a liar.

Regardless, an encounter with the Holy Ghost facilitates the fear of God making obedience to His commands easier to handle. When you cross paths with an angel, something must change in you. When you take hold of the Holy Spirit in you, you become a totally changed person, you must be altered perceptually.

Hence, it becomes important that each one of us diligently work out our salvation in preparation for the inevitable Day of Judgment. This is the essence of the Holy Spirit residing with us today. The Holy Spirit is available to guide us step by step as we explore his counsel.

just as my Father knows me and I know the Father. So I sacrifice my life for the sheep. I have other sheep, too, that are not in this sheepfold. I must bring them also. They will listen to my voice, and there will be one flock with one shepherd. (John 10:15-16).

The first step is to accept the benefit of the blood of that sinless man shed on the cross just because God loves you!

For all who accept that eternity exists, the only way to make it to paradise remains the ability to pass through the narrow gate unto God. Jesus Christ is that way, and the blood costs you nothing. It is freely given for the remissions of sins, and our redemption. All that you need to do is to simply ask God to wash you clean with that blood so that you can make heaven.

Following that, is the issue of growing spiritual in the understanding of the word of God, as you fellowship in a Bible believing church, where you will be guided, and your spiritual life enriched in the word of God. This is the way that you will learn to appreciate the Holy Spirit the more.

Christ suffered for our sins once for all time. He never sinned, but he died for sinners to bring you safely home to God. He suffered physical death, but he was raised to life in the Spirit. (1 Pet. 3:18).

But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God. (John 1:12).

The point is that if you accept the two statements above and believe them, there should be no delay in making it a reality. The only ceremony involved is in making a confession just like the following, in your own words or ways. Then, you will be received into Christianity like a baby, and nurtured to growth over time by the Church. So, if you are ready, you may recite this statement or formulate your own in your words.

Dear God, I know that my sins have separated me from you. But I think you because Jesus died instead of me. I ask Jesus to forgive my sins and come into my life. Let the Holy Spirit begin to direct my life. Once again, I thank you for giving me eternal life in Jesus’ name, Amen!

Do not joke about finding a Bible believing assembly of God’s children in order to study the word of the Lord in truth.

Scriptures taken from The Noble Quran Translation by Dr. Mustafa Khattab, The Clear Quran © 2024 Quran.com and The New Living Translation from BibleGateway.com (2024) - The Zondervan Corporation.

Quran & The Holy Spirit - Part 1

Quran & The Holy Spirit - Part 2

Quran & The Holy Spirit - Part 3