Whatever prophets came on behalf of God were all human beings just like other ordinary human beings and had worldly connections. Then why, in spite of this did communities accept their previous prophets and reject their contemporary prophet? The reason for this was that the prophets of yore had a factor in their favour which the contemporary prophets did not have, namely, historical glory. Communities accepted the previous prophets due to the historical glory attached to them and rejected the contemporary prophet for want of this. It is a weakness in man that he cannot discern reality in its abstract form. The contemporary prophet was possessed of reality in the abstract form. So man could not recognize him. The past prophets had additional characteristics like material glory, so man recognized them and became their follower. Umm al-Kitab (the mother of the Book) means God’s original scripture, which is in His possession, and which contains the instructions and principles which God expects man to follow. The scriptures revealed to different prophets were based on this original book. God revealed this book sometimes in one language and sometimes in another language; sometimes a symbolic method was adopted and sometimes a direct method. Sometimes the responsibility for its safety after revelation was given to a human being and sometimes this responsibility was taken on by God Himself.