Page 200 - Demo

196is a marvellous proof that the sacred scripture of Islam is a direct revelation of Allah, and that His Apostle was inspired and the real person whom John predicted! The baptist (“Saba،ā”) plunges or immerses his neophyte or an infant into a pond, as a dyer or a fuller plunges a cloth or garment into a kettle of dye. It is easily understood that baptism is not a “thāra,” purification or washing, nor “tabhāla,” an immersion, nor even a “rāhsa,” a bathing or washing, but “sab’aitha,” a dyeing, a colouring. It is extremely important to know these distinctions. Just as a “saba’a,” a dyer gives a new colour to garment by dipping it into a kettle of tincture, so a baptist give his convert a new spiritual hue. Here we must make a fundamental distinction between a proselytes Gentile and a penitent Jew and Ishmaelite Arab. The former was formally circumcised, whereas the latter baptized only. By the circumcision, a Gentile was admitted into the family of Abraham (pbuh) , and therefore into the fold of God’s people. By baptism, a circumcised believer was admitted into the society of the penitent and reformed believers. Circumcision is an ancient divine institution,which was not abrogated by Jesus nor by Muhammad . The baptism practised by John and the Christ was only for the benefit of the penitent persons among the circumcised. Both these institutions indicated and presented a religion. The baptism of John and of his cousin Jesus (pbuh) was a mark of admission into the society of the purified penitents who promised loyalty and homage to theApostle ofAllah whose coming they both foretold.Itfollows,therefore,thatjust as circumcision signified the religion of Abraham (pbuh) and his adherents(hisslaves were also circumcised), so baptism signified the religion of John and Jesus (pbuh) , which was a preparation for the Jews and the Gentiles to accord a cordial reception to the Founder of Islam and to embrace hisreligion.