The Quran Translated - Message for Humanity is the nearest English translation of the Scripture that was revealed by God to Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), word for word, in the Arabic language.
Muhammad, peace be upon him, was a Prophet chosen by God to be the recipient of a divine message. He was entrusted with the task of conveying this message to the people around him, and through them, to all people throughout the world. As a Prophet and Messenger of God to His servants, Muhammad (PBUH) was not something new; he was merely the last in a long chain of Prophets and Messengers. Many were those upon whom God bestowed the honor of being the recipients of His message, whom He appointed to be examples of righteousness for the rest of humanity.
The Quran mentions a number of these prophets, including Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, and Jesus (peace be upon them all). The core message they all brought was the same: Islam, submission to God by worshipping none but Him. Everyone of them was charged with conveying this message as well as with showing the people of their time how to live by it. Being the last of these Prophets, Muhammad (PBUH) was to be God's final, and therefore universal, Messenger. How do we know whether someone is an imposter or a true Prophet? This is indeed a very vital Question, requiring serious thought.
It is clear that there is no way for us to decide this issue except by examining the character, as well as the message of the person who makes a claim of being a Prophet. We naturally start by ascertaining the historical authenticity of the records that describe the life and teachings of the claimant. Next, we must examine the character of the person who made the claim, especially regarding his truthfulness. Finally, we need to look carefully into the message which he claimed to have received from God: - Does it contain any factual falsehoods or contradictions? - How comprehensive is it? - To what extent is it consistent with the attributes which we know God must have?
