any before me. I have been given victory through fear (inspired by me) at a distance of a month's journey; and the world has been made a pure place of prayer for me, so that wherever the time of prayer arrives for a man of my followers, let him pray there; and plunder has been made lawful for me, and it was not made lawful for anyone before me; and I have been given intercession; and (formerly) a prophet was sent especially to his own nation, but I have been sent to all men generally." ' Muslim, Al Bukhdrt.
It is related from Al ' Irbatf bin Sariyah that, ' The Apostle of God said, " Verily I was written down near God as the seal of the prophets when Adam was twisted up in his own clay; and I shall inform you of the first matters connected with me, namely the prayer of Abraham (' Send an apostle from amongst themselves'), and the good news preached by Jesus (of the coming of one named Ahmad), and the vision of my mother which she saw when she gave birth to me, and there came forth a light for her by which the palaces of Syria shined forth." Sharhii s-Sunnah.
It is related from Ibn 'Abbas that he said, 'Some men of the companions of the Apostle of God were sitting; and he came forth so that when he came near to them he heard them discuss- ing things with each other. And some of them said, "Verily God took Abraham as a friend"; and another said," Moses talked with God"; another said, "Jesus was the Word of God and His Spirit"; another said, "God chose Adam". And the Apostle of God came out to them and said, " I have heard your words and your surprise that Abraham was the friend of God, and he was such; and that Moses received secret communications from God, and it was so; and that Jesus was His Spirit and His Word, and He was so; and that God chose Adam, and it was so. Beware! I am the Beloved of God, and there is no boasting, and I will be the bearer of the standard of praise on the day of resurrection, and under it will be Adam and all others besides him, and there is no boasting. And I shall be the first interces- sor, and the first whose intercession will be accepted on the day of resurrection, and there is no boasting. And I will be the first to shake the door of paradise, and God will open it for me and will take me inside, and with me will be indigent believers,
