By: Seyyed Ali Shahbaz
      
“It is He who has sent His Messenger with guidance and the true religion that He may make it prevail over all religions, and Allah suffices as witness.” (Holy Qur’an 48:28)
We are on the threshold of the anniversary of one of the greatest days in history. It is the eve of Rajab 27 that glorious day, in the pre-dawn hours of which, the One and Only Creator of the universe formally entrusted the universal mission for the guidance and salvation of all humanity to His Last and Greatest Messenger, Prophet Muhammad (SAWA). 
It is the day called “Ma’bath” or resurgence of monotheism. It is the day foretold by all the Prophets of the past. It is the day of the advent of Islam – Arabic for peace, healthy way of life, and submission to none other than God, which was the theme of the messages of the past prophets around the world and became the formal name of the universal mission of the Seal of Messengers.
The enlightening event took place at the Cave of Hera on Mount Noor outside Mecca where Archangel Gabriel descended with the first rays of Divine Revelation to the 40-year son of Abdullah of the monotheist Hashemite Clan directly tracing its lineage to Ishmael – the firstborn son of Prophet Abraham. 
Here are Ayahs 1 to 7 of Surah Alaq that set in motion the revelation of the entire Qur’an over the next 23 years as the final and most comprehensive heavenly scripture for the guidance and salvation of all human beings: 
“Read in the Name of your Lord Who created; Created man from a clinging mass; Read, and your Lord is the Most Generous; Who taught by the pen; taught man what he did not know.”
The formal ordainment of the Prophet of Islam occurred in the full limelight of recorded history, unlike that of the Prophets of the past, such as Jesus, Moses, Abraham, Noah, and the others raised by the Almighty Creator in different eras and various parts of the globe, with emphasis on monotheism, virtue, social justice, and all humanitarian values.
Foretold in the Evangel, the Torah, and the previously revealed heavenly scriptures, as well as in the religious texts of the Zoroastrians, the Hindus, and others, parts of these prophecies remain in spite of the tampering by interlopers that these books have gone through.   
For instance, in Deuteronomy (Chapter 18, Verse 15) we read God Almighty’s tidings to Moses:       
“I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren (Ishmaelite Arabs), like unto thee, and will put My Words into his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him...”
In the Gospel of St. John (Chapter 18, Verses 7 to 14) we find the following prophecy of Prophet Jesus:
“I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. How be it when he, the Spirit of truth (the Comforter), is come, he will guide into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will show you things to come. He shall glorify me; for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you.”
The prophecies about Islam and Prophet Muhammad (SAWA), in addition to Abrahamic religions, appear in the holy books of other creeds. For instance, in the Dasatir and Zend Avesta of the Zoroastrians, we read:
“A man will appear from among the Arabs before whose followers crown, throne, kingdom and religion shall be overthrown, and arrogant people will be subjugated. Instead of the house of idols and the temple of fire, they will look at the House of worship of Abraham without any idols in it and will make it their focal point of worship (qibla).”
It is also interesting to note that the books of Hindus, such as Kalki Purana and Kalki Avatar, mention the advent of the Prophet of Islam:
“His name will be ‘Mahamat’. People will be astonished to see his style. He will not worship (the idols) as the people of his tribe worship, and he will tell the people “the Almighty and Only One (God) commanded me against such senseless worship (polytheism); and I am not turning but to the Lord Most High. Therefore, follow me.”
Prophet Muhammad (SAWA) was thus the finest example of a perfect man in every sense of the term. He was a paragon of virtue and the Most Excellent Exemplar for the human race, as the Holy Qur’an informs us. 
“In the Prophet of Allah, certainly there is for you an Excellent Exemplar, for those who look forward to Allah and the Last Day and remember Allah greatly.” (33:21) 
The Almighty distinguished him from all others by instilling in his sublime personality such fine qualities as modesty, truthfulness, kindness, patience, loyalty, honesty, courage, bravery, generosity, magnanimity, wisdom and the like. By studying his lofty characteristics and the amazingly simple life that he led with his household, companions, wives and others, we are able to learn valuable lessons from his conduct and accordingly mould our own lifestyle. 
Our society will never be an Islamic one unless we sincerely tread the footsteps of Allah’s final Messenger to all humanity, heed his sayings, and emulate his practice and behaviour (Sunnah & Seerah), as the faithful among his companions did. This means to desist from whatever he has forbidden, and obey whatever he has bequeathed to us.
The most important point to note is that the event of Mab’ath took place in the presence of a witness, who has related it precisely most diligently in one of his flawlessly eloquent sermons, which also inform us of the loud moan of Satan who became dismayed forever about the success of his deceit.
The witness was none other than the Commander of the Faithful, Imam Ali ibn Abi Taleb (AS). As a 10-year lad, he used to take food and clothing to his 40-year cousin on Mount Noor during the days of solitude spent at Cave Hera. 
Honoured with marriage to the Prophet’s only daughter, Hazrat Fatema az-Zahra (SA), and formally proclaimed Vicegerent on the express commandment of God – at Ghadeer-Khom on 18th Zil-Hijja in 10 AH, 23 years after Mab’ath –he says in sermon 191 of the famous compilation titled “Nahj al-Balagha”:  
“When I was only a child he (the Prophet) took charge of me… I used to follow him like a young camel following in the footprints of its mother. Every day he would show me some of his high traits and commanded me to follow it. Every year he used to go into seclusion to Mount Noor, where I saw him but no one else used to see him... I used to see and watch the effulgence of Divine Revelation and Message, and breathe the fragrance of Prophethood.
“When the Revelation descended on the Prophet of Allah, I heard the moan of Satan. I asked, ‘O Prophet of Allah, what is this moan?’ He replied, ‘that was Satan who has lost all hope of being worshipped. O Ali! You see all that I see and you hear all that I hear, except that you are not a Prophet, but you are a Vicegerent…”
We now understand that adherence to the path of the Seal of Messengers is incomplete unless we follow the footsteps of his Divinely-Designated Heir and the Eleven other Infallible Imams of his progeny. The last one is in occultation and by the Will of God will reappear in the end times as Mahdi al-Qa’em to establish the global government of peace, justice, and prosperity.
Thus, it is highly recommended to perform the special Ziyarah of Imam Ali (AS) in Najaf on the Grand Day of Mab’ath. If travel is not possible, we recite it from wherever we are by turning towards the direction of Najaf.