Читать книгу A Short History of the Fatimid Khalifate онлайн

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Fourth Grade. In this grade instruction was given in the history of God’s revelation. The age of the world is divided into seven stages, each under the guidance of a prophet whose teaching surpassed that of his predecessors and abrogated it. Between each pair there were but “silent” guides who did not add to nor alter the revelation of the prophet who inaugurated that age. Each of these seven prophets had a coadjutor who was his authorised exponent to mankind at large. These seven prophets and coadjutors were—

 (i.) Adam, with coadjutor Seth.

 (ii.) Noah, with coadjutor Shem.

 (iii.) Abraham, with coadjutor Ismaʿil.

 (iv.) Moses, with coadjutor, at first Aaron, then Joshua.

 (v.) Jesus, with coadjutor Simon Sifa (Cephas).

 (vi.) Muhammad, with coadjutor ʿAli.

 (vii.) al-Kaʾim, with coadjutor ʿAbdullah.

Thus the seventh prophet al-Kaʾim, i.e., Ismaʿil or his son Muhammad, has abrogated the teaching of the Prophet Muhammad, and has given a new revelation. At this point, therefore, the convert was entirely separated from orthodox Islam which accepts Muhammad as the “seal of the prophets,” that is to say, the final completer of revelation, and was taught to regard his religion as obsolete.