The above is an opening line from 'The Book of Habakkuk'. A partial manuscript of this book from the Old Testament, written in a pre Masoretic Hebrew text with its commentary, was recently found among the Scrolls discovered from the Dead Sea. The Book's name is also included in the ancient catalogues of the Hebrew Scriptures. These prove the canonicity and authenticity of the document. Majority of the bible scholars are of the opinion that the Book was written between 612 and 589 B.C., by prophet Habakkuk. Author's identity appears in the text.

Prophet Habakkuk was a royal scribe and a Levitical temple musician in Judah (the southern kingdom). He was deeply disturbed to see the law being ignored, perverted justice being delivered and the righteous being surrounded by the wicked. (Habakkuk 1:4). The prophet could not understand why the JUST GOD was not punishing the wicked, so he desperately cried out: 

How long, O Lord, shall I cry,
And Thou wilt not hear? 
I cry out unto Thee of violence,
And Thou wilt not save.
Why dost Thou show me iniquity,
And beholdest mischief?...  (Habakkuk 1:2-3).

Write the Vision; 
And make it plain upon tables,
That a man may read it swiftly.  (Habakkuk 2:2). 

"And it declareth of the end, 
and doth not lie;
Though it tarry, wait for it;
Because it will surely come, 
it will not delay." (Habakkuk 2:3).

God cometh from Teman, 
And the Holy One from mount Paran.
~Selah~ 
His glory covereth the heavens,
And earth is full of His praise.  Habakkuk 3:3

2. "Teman" means South, i.e. area which is South of the 
      Land of Judah or South of Jerusalem.

3. "Holy One from mount Paran" is a reference to prophet 
       Muhammad (s.a.s.), as we shall soon discover from the
       related texts from the other Books of the Bible. 
   "Paran" is a biblical name for the part of Arabia where prophet
     Muhammad was born. When prophet Ishmael and his mother
     were driven out by Sarah; they settled in the "Wilderness 
     of Paran" (Genesis 21:21). Prophet Ishmael happens to be 
     the progenitor of prophet Muhammad. 
     "mount Paran" is a reference to the mountain near Mekkah, 
     where theprophet received his first Revelation. 

4.  "Selah" is musical note for an interlude 
     to recite His Praise.

5.  The prophetic "past tense" of the Vision refers to the
     events that are to happen in the "future".

The sun and moon stand still in their habitation;
At the light of Thine arrows as they go,
At the shining of Thy glittering spear.
Thou marchest through the earth in indignation,
Thou threshest the nations in anger.
Thou are come forth for the deliverance of Thine anointed;
Thou woundest the head out of the house of the wicked,
Uncovering the foundation even unto the neck.
~Selah~      (Habakkuk 3:11-13)

You crushed the head of the wicked house,
laying it bare from foundation to roof.

Response: I reproduce below what I have already mentioned in my earlier article Prophecy No. 1. The critic has simply overlooked it:

In the Old Testament, the God often speaks "I" will do this, or "I" have done this; whereas, He has chosen human beings to do these jobs on His behalf. (e.g. Deut. 32:39ff and 2 Samuel 12:12). 

Criticism: The critic Jochen Katz writes under the heading 'Ten Thousand Frauds';
"One of the strangest errors is that Mr. Meherally correctly quotes Deuteronomy 33:2 and Jude 14, but fails to see that both passages speak of "ten thousands" not "ten thousand". The words are in the plural, both in Hebrew (Deuteronomy) and in Greek (Jude). 

Response: The Hebrew word used in Deut 33:2 "rbabah", pronounced: reb-aw-baw' is translated under Strong's Number: 7233-HSN as a myriad (whether definite or indefinite): KJV--many, million, X multiply, ten thousand.  The Greek word used in Jude 14 is Strong's Number: 3461-GSN Transliterated:  "murias",    Pronounced: moo-ree'-; a ten-thousand; by extension, a "myriad" or indefinite number: KJV—ten thousand. 
Please notice: In both the instances "myriad" means "ten thousand" 
as per Strong's Concordance to the Bible. 
One may also consult an English Dictionary for further verification.
Besides, the correct plural term would be "tens of thousands", which is not to be found in any of the quoted passages of the Bible.

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The links of the above prophecy for Paran regarding; crushing the head of the wicked house, connects with the prophecies recorded below and the one that has been mentioned in the earlier article. In case you have not read the article 'PROPHECY # 1', please click HERE and read under the heading; 'A PROPHET IN THE LAND OF KEDAR', 
the details of a prophecy by prophet Isaiah on the subject of; 
"utterly putting to shame those who trust in idols, who say to the 
molten images, "You are our gods."

10,000 SAINTS WITH GOD'S LAW

Nearly twenty centuries before the birth of prophet Muhammad and a short while before his own death, prophet Moses speaking on the subject of the Holy One from mount Paran, said to his people:

And he said, The Lord came from Sinai, 
and rose up from Seir unto them; 
he shined forth from mount Paran,
and he came with ten thousands of saints: 
from his right hand {went} a fiery law for them.
Yea, he loved the people; 
all his saints {are} in Thy hand: 
and they sat down at Thy feet;
{every one} shall receive of Thy words.
                            (KJV) Deut 33:2 

2. "Seir" The mountainous region between the Dead Sea and the Gulf
    of Aqaba, where Moses spoke with God. See Deut. 2:1.

3. "ten thousandsof saints" Please read the next section.

4. "a fiery law" The only "Law" from the Almighty God that has come
   to Paran (Arabia) in its history, which judges between the wicked and
   benevolent, the evil and good, the immoral and moral, 
   the corrupt and   virtuous, is "the Criterion" (Ar. al-Furqan), 
   a synonym for the'Holy Qur'an'.

5. "Thy words" The Holy Qur'an is the collection of "God's Words"
    revealed to the prophet.

6. "(KJV)" I have reproduced the text from the King James Version
     because it very precisely speaks of the "ten thousands of saint".

'A BIOGRAPHY OF THE PROPHET'

Karen Armstrong was a Roman Catholic nun for seven years. Since 1982 she has been a TV broadcaster and a writer. Her prestigious work and the best seller, 'History of God' has earned her an envious reputation. In her most recent publication, 'Muhammad, A Biography Of The Prophet', she writes:

   At the end of 628 A.D., the Meccans broke the Treaty of Hudaybiyah....
   On 10 Ramadan, January 630, Muhammad set out at the head of the largest army every to leave Madina. Nearly all the men in the umma had volunteered and along the road their Bedouin allies joined the expedition bringing the number up to 10,000 men.
   (On Thursday, 20 Ramadan Hijri 8 (11 January 630) Muslim army entered the city of Mekkah. The army was offered practically no resistance. Only a handful of Mekkan offered resistance. The rest stayed indoor.) 
  Muhammad had come to Mekkah not to persecute the Quraysh but to abolish the religion which had failed them.  ...he rode round the Ka'aba seven times, touching the black stone each time and crying 'al-Llahu Akbar!'   The shout was taken up by his 
10,000 soldiers and soon the whole city resounded with words 
that symbolished the final victory of Islam. 
  Next Muhammad turned his attention to the 360 idols around the shrine; crowded on to their roofs and balconies, the Quraysh watched him smash each idol while he recited the verse: 
     "the truth has come, and falsehood has vanished away; 
      surely falsehood is certain to vanish."  (Sura 17:82)

From a *historical* point of view, one can say that upon the success or failure of this historical expedition depended the future of prophet's mission and the establishment of Islam as a Nation.Almost all the biographers of the prophet have recorded the details of the above historical expedition. And, the figure of 10,000 dedicated followers
(the Holy Saints), who had joined the prophet in this expedition, is mentioned by the majority of them. Listed below are just a few biographers and their works:

1.   The eminent French Orientalist Maxime Rodinson, in his book
'Mohammed' writes on page 259: 

At last he (Muhammad) set out with what was usual in Arabia
at that time, and immense army: ten thousand men.

The Bedouin faithfully responded; and when the appointed day came the army was the largest that had ever set out from Medina. No able-bodied Muslim stayed behind. The Emigrants were seven hundred, with three hundred horses; the Helpers were four thousand, with five hundred horses; and the tribes, including those who joined them on the way, brought the total numbers up to nearly ten thousand men.

...no sooner had Abu Sofian left, than the Apostle gave orders for all to prepare for the march on Mecca. Ten thousand men are said to have answered his call. When we remember that, only two years before, he had been followed to Hudaibiya by only one thousand four hundred Muslims, the extent of the revolution in his favour in those two years can be readily appreciated.

EPISTLE BY CHRIST'S  HALF BROTHER

   Jude, the author of the second last book of the New Testament called 'The Epistle of Jude' was brother of James and hence he was a half brother of Jesus Christ. Jude was not a prophet. He is not the author of the prophecy which we are about to read. He reminds his people of the prophecy made by Enoch, the seventh generation from Adam, who in a figurative term "walked with God". (God took him up see Gen. 5:24).

In verses 14-15-16 of his Epistle, Jude reproduces the words of the Enoch's Prophecy, which reads: 

"See, the Lord is coming with 
ten thousands of his holy ones, 
to execute judgment upon all, 
and to convict everyone of all the deeds of ungodliness
that they have committed in such an ungodly way,
and of all the harsh things that ungodly sinners 
have spoken against him." 
These are grumblers and malcontents;
they indulge their own lusts;
they are bombastic in speech,
flattering people to their own advantage.  (NRSV)

"ALLEGORICAL PROPHECIES"

King Solomon, the author, was a believer of "One God". At the temple inauguration, he stood on a bronze platform and; 

knelt on his knees in the presence of all the assembly of Israel and spread out his hands towards heaven, and said; 
"O Lord, the God of Israel, there is no God like Thee 
in heaven or on earth, keeping covenant 
and showing loving kindness to thy servants 
who walk before Thee with all their heart.... "
                     2 Chronicles 6:13-14 and 1 Kings 8:22-23.

   Beginning with the Songs of Moses, more than ten percent of the contents of the Bible comprises of "Songs". Out of that many, 'The Song of Solomon' is designated; "Song of Songs" meaning, it is above the rest. This is one of the most misunderstood Book of the Bible. 
At the outset it appears to be an erotic Song which has no spiritual value at all. A Song of  profane love in which the Divine name of God is kept out. It is more of a lover's drama that one would see in the movies. King Solomon, who had at that time 60 queens and 80 concubines (the King finally ended with 700 wives and 300 concubines) falls in an erotic love with a country girl of Shulammite. This young maiden was already in an "unwavering love" of her own, with a shepherd boy from her birth place. Solomon tries to lure her with his wealth, by his skillful speeches and by showering erotic praises of her extraordinary beauty. Shulammite turns down all such offers and returns to her beloved. 

    For the centuries, the Bible readers and scholars have debated; what could be the reason for this erotic "human love" song to be included in the Holy Scripture? Does it have a figurative, allegorical or a deep prophetic value that is not so easy to understand?

    Kamal Salibi, professor of history at the American University of Beirut has done an in-depth study of the Hebrew Scripture. In his book, 'The Bible came from Arabia' he describes he different views held by different groups for the 'Song of Songs'. He writes on page 180:

Jews have traditionally interpreted the boldly erotic material included in the 'Song of Songs' as a series of allegories which demonstrate God's love for Israel. Christians regard the same passages as allegorical prophecies relating to Christ's love for the Church. To the Arab ear, however, the lyrics included in the 'Song of Songs' have a far less ethereal ring: they mean exactly what they say, being early examples of a genre of erotica still very much alive today.

My beloved {is} white and ruddy, 
Pre-eminent above ten thousand.
His head {is as} the most fine gold, 
His locks {are} curled, {and} black as a raven.
His eyes {are} like doves 
Besides the water-brooks;
Washed with milk; {and} fitly set.
His cheeks {are} as a bed of spices, {as} banks of sweet herbs; 
His lips {are as} lilies, 
Dropping {with} flowing myrrh.
His hands {are as} rods of gold set with the beryl;
His body {is as} polished ivory overlaid {with} sapphires.
His legs {are as} pillars of marble, set upon sockets of fine gold;
His aspect {is} like Lebanon, excellent as the cedars.
His mouth {is} most sweet;
Yea, he {is} altogether lovely. 
This {is} my beloved, and this {is} my friend, 
O daughters of Jerusalem. 
       The Song of Songs  5:10/16 

His mouth (6310 HSN) {is} most sweet, (4477 HSN)
Yea, he is altogether (3617 HSN) lovely (4261 HSN)
This {is} my beloved, (1730 HSN)
and this my friend, (7453 HSN)
O daughters of (1323-HSN) Jerusalem. (3389 HSN)
                                        (LIT) SS 5:16 

  The Primitive root word of the Hebrew word for "lovely" HSN-4261, used in the verse under study, as well as for HSN-4262, meaning "desired" is HSN 2530. This Primitive root word is also made-up of three letters from the Hebrew language. Below is the Strong's Dictionary meaning of HSN 2530.

 Strong's Number: 2530-HSN
 Transliterated:  chamad
 Pronounced:      khaw-mad'
 Note: The Phonetic Sound of the Transliteration "ch" ("kh") is
           similar to "ch" in German "ach".

 2530-HSN is a primitive root; to delight in: KJV--beauty, 
         greatly beloved, covet, delectable thing, (X great) delight, 
        desire, goodly, lust, (be) pleasant (thing), precious (thing).

Strong's Number: 4261-HSN
Transliterated:  machmad
Pronounced:      makh-mawd;
from 2530 HSN;
delightful; hence a delight. i.e object of affection or desire:-
beloved, desire, goodly, lovely, pleasnat (thing).

Strong's Number: 4262-HSN
Transliterated:  machmud
Pronounced:      makh-mood';
from 2530 HSN;
desired; hence, a valuable: KJV--pleasant thing.

   These are not the literal prophecies. As seen earlier, they are metaphorical, symbolic allegorical prophecies. Jews claim the allegories demonstrate God's love for Israel. Christians regard the same passages asrelating to Christ's love for his Bride, the Church. A Muslim's claim that the prophecies speak of prophet Muhammad (the root word of which is "Ahmad") is on much more solid ground than the other two, for the understated significant reasons:

1. The phrase; "Pre-eminent above ten thousand" has ample support for "prophet Muhammad of Arabia" in the several other Books of the Old Testament, as seen earlier. The terms "Israel" and "Church" lack that kind of support.

2. The Phonetic Sound of the critical response giving away the identity of the Beloved, starting with the words; "Yea, he is..." discloses the 
proper name of the prophet -HSN-4261. Israel or Church's identity does not come close.

3. The substitution of the prophet's proper name "Muhammad" with its literal meanings, viz.; "the praised one" or "the glorified" remain in complete harmony with the text of the above prophecy. The texts would read ; "Yea, he is altogether praised" or "Yea, he is altogether glorified". The Biography of prophet Muhammad could easily endorse
that the prophet was indeed; "altogether praised" and "altogether glorified", in and around his mother land, before he departed from the world. Today, 1.3 billion Muslims, living all over the world, Praise and Glorify their prophet and pray before Allah to send His Peace upon their Beloved prophet.

Important Note:A question is sometimes asked; The Qur'an speaks of  Jesus having said to Jews about the coming of a messenger of God, after him, whose name shall be Ahmad (Q. 61:6), why is that speech not recorded in the New Testament? The answer to this is; It is an undisputed fact that the texts of the four available Gospels have been revised and re-revised several times, in the past and the present. Several texts have been injected and expunged. The Gospel of Mark was the first to have been written. About 93%  of its material is repeated in Matthew and Luke, often using the same words. Mark was not one of the 12 disciples of Jesus nor a witness to everything. It is generally accepted by the church historians that Mark derived the accounts of the sayings and acts of Jesus from Peter. And, the Gospel of Peter - the original source document, which was in use until the second century has been expunged. Under these circumstances to claim that all that Jesus spoke has been preserved till this day, could not qualify as a true statement of facts. 

Al-Hamdulillah (All Praises Belong to Allah).

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