Page 11 - New English Book L

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glory covered the heavens and the earth was full of his
praise. The word “praise” is very significant, as the very
name Muhammad (pbuh) literally means “the praised one.”
Beside the Arabs, the inhabitants of the wilderness of
Paran had also been promised a Revelation: “Let the
wilderness and the cities thereof lift up their voice, the
villages that Kedar doth inhabit: let the inhabitants of the
rock sing, let them shout from the top of the mountains.
Let them give glory unto the Lord, and declare his praise
in the islands. The Lord shall go forth as a mighty man, he
shall stir up jealousy like a man of war, he shall cry, yea,
roar; he shall prevail against his enemies” (Isa. xlii. II.).

In this connection, there are two other prophecies
worthy of note where references have been made to
Kedar. One runs thus (chapter Ix. of Isaiah): “Arise, shine
for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen
upon thee… The multitude of camels shall cover thee, the
dromedaries of Midian and Ephah; all they from Sheba
shall come… All the flocks of Kedar shall be gathered
together unto thee, the rams of Nebaioth shall minister
unto thee: they shall come up with acceptance on mine
altar, and I will glorify the house of my glory” (1-7).
The other prophecy is again in Isaiah xxi. “The burden
upon Arabia. In the forest in Arabia shall ye lodge, O ye
travelling companies of Dedanim. The inhabitants of the
land of Tema brought water to him that was thirsty; they
prevented with their bread him that fled. For they fled
from the swords... and from the bent bow, and from the
grievousness of war. For thus hath the Lord said unto me,
within a year, according to the years of a hireling, and all
the glory of Kedar shall fail: And the residue of the number
of archers, the mighty men of the children of Kedar, shall
be diminished” (13-17). Read these prophecies in Isaiah
in the light of one in Deuteronomy, which speaks of the
shining forth of God from Paran. If Ishmael (pbuh) inhabited