["The consorts of the Prophet had the position of leaders in the society. Such people have to make greater sacrifices than those made by ordinary people. That is why God has promised a double reward for such people. They use more will power than others in the performance of a (good) deed and that is why they receive greater credit for it. The Prophet’s consorts in view of their qualities used to come in contact with others very often. People used to come to them to seek guidance on religious matters. That is why they were instructed to adopt a slightly dry tone while talking to others and not talk to them informally and familiarly as one is likely to do in the case of near relatives (in respect of whom marriage is not permissible).","The consorts of the Prophet had the position of leaders in the society. Such people have to make greater sacrifices than those made by ordinary people. That is why God has promised a double reward for such people. They use more will power than others in the performance of a (good) deed and that is why they receive greater credit for it. The Prophet’s consorts in view of their qualities used to come in contact with others very often. People used to come to them to seek guidance on religious matters. That is why they were instructed to adopt a slightly dry tone while talking to others and not talk to them informally and familiarly as one is likely to do in the case of near relatives (in respect of whom marriage is not permissible).","Here, addressing the Prophet’s consorts about correct behaviour, instruction is indirectly given to Muslim women as to how they should conduct themselves. Unlike worldly women, it should not be their aim to show off their charms and finery. Their attention should be entirely directed towards the worship of God. They should spend their wealth for the cause of God and their time in understanding the teachings of Islam. This style of life makes one pure and righteous and it is only the pure and righteous who are approved of by Almighty God.","Here, addressing the Prophet’s consorts about correct behaviour, instruction is indirectly given to Muslim women as to how they should conduct themselves. Unlike worldly women, it should not be their aim to show off their charms and finery. Their attention should be entirely directed towards the worship of God. They should spend their wealth for the cause of God and their time in understanding the teachings of Islam. This style of life makes one pure and righteous and it is only the pure and righteous who are approved of by Almighty God.","This verse shows what Almighty God wishes a man or woman to be like. The ten virtues He would like them to possess are as follows: Islam (submission to God), Faith in God, obedience, truthfulness, patience, sincerity, charity, fasting, chastity and remembrance of God. These ten virtues encompass all the aspects of the Islamic faith and Islamic character. Briefly speaking, one who hopes to receive God’s pardon and His rewards should bow to His injunctions, thus showing his total belief in God. There should be no contradiction between his words and his deeds. He should stand firm, regardless of the circumstances. The realization of God’s greatness should have made him modest and he should consider the meeting of others’ needs as his own responsibility. He must fast regularly and, in the context of sexual desires, he is chaste and pure. His days and nights are spent in the remembrance of God. Just as these qualities are required of men, so also are they required of women. Although their manifestation may in some respects be different, as far as the qualities themselves are concerned, they are the same for both. A human being, whether a woman or a man, will be considered acceptable to God only when he or she approaches God endowed with these ten qualities.","Man has been created independent, but he has to surrender his independence to God. This is the real test of man in this world. One who passes this crucial test is the one who is on the right path. An example of this is the marriage in the early period of Zayd and Zaynab. Zayd was a freed slave, unlike Zaynab, who belonged to a highly placed family of the Quraysh, being the daughter of Aminah, daughter of Abdul Muttalib. The Prophet Muhammad wanted Zayd to marry Zaynab but Zaynab’s people were not ready for this. Zaynab herself said, ‘I am of higher birth than he.’ But, when the Quran’s aforesaid verse was recited to them, they showed their willingness immediately. In the year 4 AH the marriage took place. This is the Islamic temperament and this should be the temperament of every Muslim male and every Muslim female.","Zayd’s marriage with Zaynab took place in the year 4 AH, but the marriage was a failure and the next year they separated. When Zayd expressed to the Prophet, his intention of giving a divorce in this case, the Prophet of God asked the reason for it. Zayd said that she had a superiority complex over him due to her being from a noble family. However, the Prophet Muhammad urged him not to divorce her. However, on Zayd’s insistence, he permitted them to separate. When Zayd and Zaynab got married, they broke an old convention and it was ordained that a difference in social status should not come in the way of marriage. But when they separated, it was the will of Almighty God that Zaynab should be made the means of breaking yet another erroneous custom. By tradition, in the old pre-Islamic period, an adopted son was treated just like a real son, enjoying the same rights and titles. The best way of breaking this custom was that after her divorce, Zaynab should marry the Prophet Muhammad. Zayd was the adopted son of the Prophet Muhammad, and was known as Zayd bin (son of) Muhammad. Under these circumstances, the Prophet’s marrying the divorced wife of his adopted son amounted to a disastrous contravention of the old custom, which held that a man’s marrying a woman formerly married to his adopted son, and then divorced by him, was prohibited because she was no different from a woman married to and then divorced by his real son. The Prophet Muhammad was told in advance that if there should be a separation between the aforesaid couple, then as a device to break the old pre-Islamic custom, Zaynab would be given in marriage to him. Since such a marriage in the prevailing atmosphere would have given him a bad name, the Prophet urged Zayd not to divorce Zaynab, so that he might be spared this very trying ordeal. But, whatever was ordained by God, did happen. Zayd divorced Zaynab and, so as to break the old custom, Zaynab was married to the Prophet in the year 5 A.H.","After the above-mentioned incident, there was as expected, a great deal of propaganda against the Prophet Muhammad. It was alleged that the Prophet had married his own daughter-in-law and such a marriage was illegal. To counter this, it was clarified that, in Muhammad’s case, the fact was that he had only daughters—no sons. Zayd, son of Harithah, was only his adopted son and not his real son. So how could a woman, married to and divorced by him, be illegal for one who was not his real father? Why is it that the Prophet had to face so many ups and downs, in spite of being the Prophet? The reason is that though the Prophet received divine revelation, he had to lead his life as a common man. In the world of trial, he faced the same circumstances as others had to face. Had it not been so, the Prophet’s life would not have been an example for the common people. That is why prophetic guidance is given within the framework of realistic events, rather than under unrealistic or artificial conditions. The Prophet Muhammad was the seal of the prophets. The word ‘khatam’ is used for ‘seal’, i.e. the final act. To seal an envelop means closing it finally, after which nothing can either be extracted or inserted into it. That is why in Arabic, the ‘khatam’ of a community means the last person of that community. The announcement that the Prophet Muhammad was the ‘khatemun-Nabiyyin’ means that no prophet was going to come after him and, as such, it was necessary that all godly matters be revealed through him.","After the above-mentioned incident, there was as expected, a great deal of propaganda against the Prophet Muhammad. It was alleged that the Prophet had married his own daughter-in-law and such a marriage was illegal. To counter this, it was clarified that, in Muhammad’s case, the fact was that he had only daughters—no sons. Zayd, son of Harithah, was only his adopted son and not his real son. So how could a woman, married to and divorced by him, be illegal for one who was not his real father? Why is it that the Prophet had to face so many ups and downs, in spite of being the Prophet? The reason is that though the Prophet received divine revelation, he had to lead his life as a common man. In the world of trial, he faced the same circumstances as others had to face. Had it not been so, the Prophet’s life would not have been an example for the common people. That is why prophetic guidance is given within the framework of realistic events, rather than under unrealistic or artificial conditions. The Prophet Muhammad was the seal of the prophets. The word ‘khatam’ is used for ‘seal’, i.e. the final act. To seal an envelop means closing it finally, after which nothing can either be extracted or inserted into it. That is why in Arabic, the ‘khatam’ of a community means the last person of that community. The announcement that the Prophet Muhammad was the ‘khatemun-Nabiyyin’ means that no prophet was going to come after him and, as such, it was necessary that all godly matters be revealed through him.","After the above-mentioned incident, there was as expected, a great deal of propaganda against the Prophet Muhammad. It was alleged that the Prophet had married his own daughter-in-law and such a marriage was illegal. To counter this, it was clarified that, in Muhammad’s case, the fact was that he had only daughters—no sons. Zayd, son of Harithah, was only his adopted son and not his real son. So how could a woman, married to and divorced by him, be illegal for one who was not his real father? Why is it that the Prophet had to face so many ups and downs, in spite of being the Prophet? The reason is that though the Prophet received divine revelation, he had to lead his life as a common man. In the world of trial, he faced the same circumstances as others had to face. Had it not been so, the Prophet’s life would not have been an example for the common people. That is why prophetic guidance is given within the framework of realistic events, rather than under unrealistic or artificial conditions. The Prophet Muhammad was the seal of the prophets. The word ‘khatam’ is used for ‘seal’, i.e. the final act. To seal an envelop means closing it finally, after which nothing can either be extracted or inserted into it. That is why in Arabic, the ‘khatam’ of a community means the last person of that community. The announcement that the Prophet Muhammad was the ‘khatemun-Nabiyyin’ means that no prophet was going to come after him and, as such, it was necessary that all godly matters be revealed through him.","When an adulterated religion is dominant, the adoption of true religion is always the most difficult task. Under such circumstances, the hearts of the faithful sometimes harbour feelings of dejection and disappointment. There is one certain method of saving oneself from this and that is to keep looking for the silver lining in the dark clouds. Common people live on the strength of materialism, while the Faithful live on the strength of ideas. To live on the level of ideas means that a man lives for the remembrance of God. The angels’ inaudible discourse should be audible to him. He should give the utmost importance to his intellectual and spiritual development.","When an adulterated religion is dominant, the adoption of true religion is always the most difficult task. Under such circumstances, the hearts of the faithful sometimes harbour feelings of dejection and disappointment. There is one certain method of saving oneself from this and that is to keep looking for the silver lining in the dark clouds. Common people live on the strength of materialism, while the Faithful live on the strength of ideas. To live on the level of ideas means that a man lives for the remembrance of God. The angels’ inaudible discourse should be audible to him. He should give the utmost importance to his intellectual and spiritual development.","When an adulterated religion is dominant, the adoption of true religion is always the most difficult task. Under such circumstances, the hearts of the faithful sometimes harbour feelings of dejection and disappointment. There is one certain method of saving oneself from this and that is to keep looking for the silver lining in the dark clouds. Common people live on the strength of materialism, while the Faithful live on the strength of ideas. To live on the level of ideas means that a man lives for the remembrance of God. The angels’ inaudible discourse should be audible to him. He should give the utmost importance to his intellectual and spiritual development.","When an adulterated religion is dominant, the adoption of true religion is always the most difficult task. Under such circumstances, the hearts of the faithful sometimes harbour feelings of dejection and disappointment. There is one certain method of saving oneself from this and that is to keep looking for the silver lining in the dark clouds. Common people live on the strength of materialism, while the Faithful live on the strength of ideas. To live on the level of ideas means that a man lives for the remembrance of God. The angels’ inaudible discourse should be audible to him. He should give the utmost importance to his intellectual and spiritual development.","The witness (shahid), the bearer of good news (mubashshir), the warner, (nadhir) and the giver of the call for the Truth (da‘i) all represent different aspects of the same reality. It is the Prophet’s mission to make people aware of the realities of life and inform them about heaven and hell. This is an action related to the call of the Prophet and on this basis only, will the Prophet give evidence in the Court of the Hereafter as to which of his addressees accepted the message of Truth, and which did not. The Prophet’s mission is also the mission of the followers of Islam. While treading this path, one has to face trouble from the people in getting support; while some give timely support, they later desert, uttering falsehoods. Under these circumstances, it was Trust in God alone which kept the Prophet (or his follower-missionaries) firmly on the true path of their missionary work. To be tolerant of whatever is negative in the people, to ignore it and under all circumstances to keep one’s eyes fixed on God: these are the real assets of one who performs work.","The witness (shahid), the bearer of good news (mubashshir), the warner, (nadhir) and the giver of the call for the Truth (da‘i) all represent different aspects of the same reality. It is the Prophet’s mission to make people aware of the realities of life and inform them about heaven and hell. This is an action related to the call of the Prophet and on this basis only, will the Prophet give evidence in the Court of the Hereafter as to which of his addressees accepted the message of Truth, and which did not. The Prophet’s mission is also the mission of the followers of Islam. While treading this path, one has to face trouble from the people in getting support; while some give timely support, they later desert, uttering falsehoods. Under these circumstances, it was Trust in God alone which kept the Prophet (or his follower-missionaries) firmly on the true path of their missionary work. To be tolerant of whatever is negative in the people, to ignore it and under all circumstances to keep one’s eyes fixed on God: these are the real assets of one who performs work.","The witness (shahid), the bearer of good news (mubashshir), the warner, (nadhir) and the giver of the call for the Truth (da‘i) all represent different aspects of the same reality. It is the Prophet’s mission to make people aware of the realities of life and inform them about heaven and hell. This is an action related to the call of the Prophet and on this basis only, will the Prophet give evidence in the Court of the Hereafter as to which of his addressees accepted the message of Truth, and which did not. The Prophet’s mission is also the mission of the followers of Islam. While treading this path, one has to face trouble from the people in getting support; while some give timely support, they later desert, uttering falsehoods. Under these circumstances, it was Trust in God alone which kept the Prophet (or his follower-missionaries) firmly on the true path of their missionary work. To be tolerant of whatever is negative in the people, to ignore it and under all circumstances to keep one’s eyes fixed on God: these are the real assets of one who performs work.","The witness (shahid), the bearer of good news (mubashshir), the warner, (nadhir) and the giver of the call for the Truth (da‘i) all represent different aspects of the same reality. It is the Prophet’s mission to make people aware of the realities of life and inform them about heaven and hell. This is an action related to the call of the Prophet and on this basis only, will the Prophet give evidence in the Court of the Hereafter as to which of his addressees accepted the message of Truth, and which did not. The Prophet’s mission is also the mission of the followers of Islam. While treading this path, one has to face trouble from the people in getting support; while some give timely support, they later desert, uttering falsehoods. Under these circumstances, it was Trust in God alone which kept the Prophet (or his follower-missionaries) firmly on the true path of their missionary work. To be tolerant of whatever is negative in the people, to ignore it and under all circumstances to keep one’s eyes fixed on God: these are the real assets of one who performs work.","If a man marries a woman, but divorces her before the marriage is consummated, the waiting period (‘iddah) does not have to be observed, as happens in ordinary cases. But Islamic ethical considerations demand that the separation of husband and wife should be as dignified as their coming together was. If some alimony (mahr) was fixed for the concerned lady, then the man shall have to repay half of that. Otherwise, she should be graciously sent off after being given some amount commensurate with her status and the man’s capacity to pay. The woman is permitted to enter into a second marriage immediately, if she wants to do so. There is no need for her to observe the waiting period.","For Muslims in general the permitted maximum number of wives has been restricted to four. But, in the case of the Prophet Muhammad, this restriction was not applicable. By the special permission of Almighty God, he took more than four wives. The wisdom behind it was that the Prophet should experience no problem in the performance of his mission. ‘Restriction’ here refers to the problems encountered in the execution of the prophetic mission. In view of various missionary and reformative imperatives, the Prophet felt the need to marry more than four women. In view of these religious considerations, Almighty God did not apply the restriction of four wives in his case. For example, the advantage of the Prophet’s marriage to Umm Salmah and Umm-Habibah was that Khalid ibn Walid, the famed general, and Abu Sufyan ibn Harb, the influential leader no longer opposed him. And the wisdom in the Prophet’s marriage with ‘A’ishah was that a young and intelligent lady should be in his company permanently, so that after him she could teach religion to people for a long period. Accordingly, ‘A’ishah acted as a recorder of the Prophet’s thoughts, words and deeds, and for half a century after his demise, went on nobly serving the cause of Islam by promulgating his ideas.","Where a number of ladies are involved, the scope for complaint increases. The Prophet Muhammad had many wives. In view of this, there was a possibility that these ladies might have grievances about ineqalities in conjugal rights, as a result of which giving his full concentration to the performance of his missionary work might have been hampered. So, it was laid down that his case was a special one and that he was not subject to the provisions regarding the observance of equality in conjugal rights which were applicable to Muslims in general. If there had been any clash between the provisions regarding conjugal rights and those regarding Islamic rights, then it would have been legitimate for the Prophet to give preference to Islamic rights. The purpose of granting exemption to the Prophet from the general provisions, was to prevent the growth of resentment among his wives; as a matter of fact, the Prophet hardly ever took advantage of these powers in practice.","Here, the Prophet Muhammad’s instructions have been given to Muslims as to what their domestic and social behaviour should be; that whenever they enter anybody else’s house, they should do so with permission; when they are invited by somebody to partake of food, etc., they should remain in the house only as long as necessary, and leave soon afterwords. If they visit somebody, they should desist from unnecessary talks; in case they have any work in connection with women, they should do it with a curtain in between, etc. In social life, a man should not simply concern himself with his own interests, needs and desires, but should very seriously ensure that his actions do not give trouble to others. Pointless chatter should not result in wastage of others’ time.","Here, the Prophet Muhammad’s instructions have been given to Muslims as to what their domestic and social behaviour should be; that whenever they enter anybody else’s house, they should do so with permission; when they are invited by somebody to partake of food, etc., they should remain in the house only as long as necessary, and leave soon afterwords. If they visit somebody, they should desist from unnecessary talks; in case they have any work in connection with women, they should do it with a curtain in between, etc. In social life, a man should not simply concern himself with his own interests, needs and desires, but should very seriously ensure that his actions do not give trouble to others. Pointless chatter should not result in wastage of others’ time.","Here, the Prophet Muhammad’s instructions have been given to Muslims as to what their domestic and social behaviour should be; that whenever they enter anybody else’s house, they should do so with permission; when they are invited by somebody to partake of food, etc., they should remain in the house only as long as necessary, and leave soon afterwords. If they visit somebody, they should desist from unnecessary talks; in case they have any work in connection with women, they should do it with a curtain in between, etc. In social life, a man should not simply concern himself with his own interests, needs and desires, but should very seriously ensure that his actions do not give trouble to others. Pointless chatter should not result in wastage of others’ time.","In the foregoing verse, men were prohibited from coming before the Prophet’s consorts. In this verse, it has been clarified that near relatives (with whom marriage is not permissible) and frequent lady visitors are exempt from these restrictions. In the range of relations mentioned here, other relations will be included which come within the ambit of this instruction, further details of which are contained in chapter 24, verse 31. The sum and substance of all these instructions is that men and women should have the fear of God in their hearts. They should lead their lives bearing in mind that God is keeping a watch on them at all times.","The Prophet Muhammad was sent into this world to convey the divine religion to man. The subject of God who undertakes such a divine mission receives the full support of God and his angels. To favour him is as good as favouring God and His angels, and to evade him amounts to evading God and His angels. Those who harassed the Prophet Muhammad were, to their way of thinking, making life difficult for a mere man, but they forgot that they were actually dealing with a representative of God. And those who harass God’s representatives have always rendered themselves accursed in the eyes of the Lord of the Universe.","The Prophet Muhammad was sent into this world to convey the divine religion to man. The subject of God who undertakes such a divine mission receives the full support of God and his angels. To favour him is as good as favouring God and His angels, and to evade him amounts to evading God and His angels. Those who harassed the Prophet Muhammad were, to their way of thinking, making life difficult for a mere man, but they forgot that they were actually dealing with a representative of God. And those who harass God’s representatives have always rendered themselves accursed in the eyes of the Lord of the Universe.","The Prophet Muhammad was sent into this world to convey the divine religion to man. The subject of God who undertakes such a divine mission receives the full support of God and his angels. To favour him is as good as favouring God and His angels, and to evade him amounts to evading God and His angels. Those who harassed the Prophet Muhammad were, to their way of thinking, making life difficult for a mere man, but they forgot that they were actually dealing with a representative of God. And those who harass God’s representatives have always rendered themselves accursed in the eyes of the Lord of the Universe.","When a Muslim woman leaves her house on an errand, she should be so clad as to give the impression that she is a well-bred, respectable, modest woman, and that she has left her home for some serious need and not to make merry or to go in search of entertainment. Simple apparel, a modest gait, the body properly covered, etc.—these are the symbols of that approach.","When a Muslim woman leaves her house on an errand, she should be so clad as to give the impression that she is a well-bred, respectable, modest woman, and that she has left her home for some serious need and not to make merry or to go in search of entertainment. Simple apparel, a modest gait, the body properly covered, etc.—these are the symbols of that approach.","When a Muslim woman leaves her house on an errand, she should be so clad as to give the impression that she is a well-bred, respectable, modest woman, and that she has left her home for some serious need and not to make merry or to go in search of entertainment. Simple apparel, a modest gait, the body properly covered, etc.—these are the symbols of that approach.","Enquiring about the exact day when the Day of Judgement would arrive did not mean that the enquiries had no belief whatsoever in Judgement Day. This was not meant to mock the Day of Judgement, but to ridicule the person who gave news of that Day. They did not deny that Judgement Day would actually come, but they did not believe in the nature of that Day, of which the Prophet and his companions gave specific details. Their real fault was that they gave undue importance to the leaders of their community, rather than showing due respect to the Prophet. That is why the words of the prominent persons of their community appeared to them more worthy of consideration than the words of the Prophet. But, on the Day of Judgement when the reality is revealed, they will regret that they could not differentiate between real greatness and false greatness, and that; having been deceived by false greatness, they went astray.","Enquiring about the exact day when the Day of Judgement would arrive did not mean that the enquiries had no belief whatsoever in Judgement Day. This was not meant to mock the Day of Judgement, but to ridicule the person who gave news of that Day. They did not deny that Judgement Day would actually come, but they did not believe in the nature of that Day, of which the Prophet and his companions gave specific details. Their real fault was that they gave undue importance to the leaders of their community, rather than showing due respect to the Prophet. That is why the words of the prominent persons of their community appeared to them more worthy of consideration than the words of the Prophet. But, on the Day of Judgement when the reality is revealed, they will regret that they could not differentiate between real greatness and false greatness, and that; having been deceived by false greatness, they went astray.","Enquiring about the exact day when the Day of Judgement would arrive did not mean that the enquiries had no belief whatsoever in Judgement Day. This was not meant to mock the Day of Judgement, but to ridicule the person who gave news of that Day. They did not deny that Judgement Day would actually come, but they did not believe in the nature of that Day, of which the Prophet and his companions gave specific details. Their real fault was that they gave undue importance to the leaders of their community, rather than showing due respect to the Prophet. That is why the words of the prominent persons of their community appeared to them more worthy of consideration than the words of the Prophet. But, on the Day of Judgement when the reality is revealed, they will regret that they could not differentiate between real greatness and false greatness, and that; having been deceived by false greatness, they went astray.","Enquiring about the exact day when the Day of Judgement would arrive did not mean that the enquiries had no belief whatsoever in Judgement Day. This was not meant to mock the Day of Judgement, but to ridicule the person who gave news of that Day. They did not deny that Judgement Day would actually come, but they did not believe in the nature of that Day, of which the Prophet and his companions gave specific details. Their real fault was that they gave undue importance to the leaders of their community, rather than showing due respect to the Prophet. That is why the words of the prominent persons of their community appeared to them more worthy of consideration than the words of the Prophet. But, on the Day of Judgement when the reality is revealed, they will regret that they could not differentiate between real greatness and false greatness, and that; having been deceived by false greatness, they went astray.","Enquiring about the exact day when the Day of Judgement would arrive did not mean that the enquiries had no belief whatsoever in Judgement Day. This was not meant to mock the Day of Judgement, but to ridicule the person who gave news of that Day. They did not deny that Judgement Day would actually come, but they did not believe in the nature of that Day, of which the Prophet and his companions gave specific details. Their real fault was that they gave undue importance to the leaders of their community, rather than showing due respect to the Prophet. That is why the words of the prominent persons of their community appeared to them more worthy of consideration than the words of the Prophet. But, on the Day of Judgement when the reality is revealed, they will regret that they could not differentiate between real greatness and false greatness, and that; having been deceived by false greatness, they went astray.","Enquiring about the exact day when the Day of Judgement would arrive did not mean that the enquiries had no belief whatsoever in Judgement Day. This was not meant to mock the Day of Judgement, but to ridicule the person who gave news of that Day. They did not deny that Judgement Day would actually come, but they did not believe in the nature of that Day, of which the Prophet and his companions gave specific details. Their real fault was that they gave undue importance to the leaders of their community, rather than showing due respect to the Prophet. That is why the words of the prominent persons of their community appeared to them more worthy of consideration than the words of the Prophet. But, on the Day of Judgement when the reality is revealed, they will regret that they could not differentiate between real greatness and false greatness, and that; having been deceived by false greatness, they went astray.","Enquiring about the exact day when the Day of Judgement would arrive did not mean that the enquiries had no belief whatsoever in Judgement Day. This was not meant to mock the Day of Judgement, but to ridicule the person who gave news of that Day. They did not deny that Judgement Day would actually come, but they did not believe in the nature of that Day, of which the Prophet and his companions gave specific details. Their real fault was that they gave undue importance to the leaders of their community, rather than showing due respect to the Prophet. That is why the words of the prominent persons of their community appeared to them more worthy of consideration than the words of the Prophet. But, on the Day of Judgement when the reality is revealed, they will regret that they could not differentiate between real greatness and false greatness, and that; having been deceived by false greatness, they went astray.","The injunction refrains believers from harassing the Prophet Muhammad, as did the Jews to the Prophet Moses. The verse was revealed in the backdrop of the following incident. Once when the Prophet was in Madinah, he received some goods, which he distributed among the people. Subsequently, one of the Ansars (followers of the Prophet who hailed from Madina) criticized him, saying: ‘By God, Muhammad has sought neither the pleasure of God nor a home in the Hereafter, by this distribution.’ When this incident was brought to the notice of the Prophet, he said, ‘May the Mercy of God be on Moses. He was given much more trouble, but he remained patient.’ (Tafsir ibn Kathir). There are two types of utterances—the straightforward and the devious. The straightforward utterance is that which exactly conforms to the facts; which is based on factual analysis and which is presented with the support of solid arguments. As opposed to this, the devious utterance is that which is not reality-oriented, which is based on guesses and conjectures and simply amounts to expressing an opinion: it is not factual reporting. The first mentioned is the utterance of the believer (mu’min), while the second is that of the hypocrite.","The injunction refrains believers from harassing the Prophet Muhammad, as did the Jews to the Prophet Moses. The verse was revealed in the backdrop of the following incident. Once when the Prophet was in Madinah, he received some goods, which he distributed among the people. Subsequently, one of the Ansars (followers of the Prophet who hailed from Madina) criticized him, saying: ‘By God, Muhammad has sought neither the pleasure of God nor a home in the Hereafter, by this distribution.’ When this incident was brought to the notice of the Prophet, he said, ‘May the Mercy of God be on Moses. He was given much more trouble, but he remained patient.’ (Tafsir ibn Kathir). There are two types of utterances—the straightforward and the devious. The straightforward utterance is that which exactly conforms to the facts; which is based on factual analysis and which is presented with the support of solid arguments. As opposed to this, the devious utterance is that which is not reality-oriented, which is based on guesses and conjectures and simply amounts to expressing an opinion: it is not factual reporting. The first mentioned is the utterance of the believer (mu’min), while the second is that of the hypocrite.","The injunction refrains believers from harassing the Prophet Muhammad, as did the Jews to the Prophet Moses. The verse was revealed in the backdrop of the following incident. Once when the Prophet was in Madinah, he received some goods, which he distributed among the people. Subsequently, one of the Ansars (followers of the Prophet who hailed from Madina) criticized him, saying: ‘By God, Muhammad has sought neither the pleasure of God nor a home in the Hereafter, by this distribution.’ When this incident was brought to the notice of the Prophet, he said, ‘May the Mercy of God be on Moses. He was given much more trouble, but he remained patient.’ (Tafsir ibn Kathir). There are two types of utterances—the straightforward and the devious. The straightforward utterance is that which exactly conforms to the facts; which is based on factual analysis and which is presented with the support of solid arguments. As opposed to this, the devious utterance is that which is not reality-oriented, which is based on guesses and conjectures and simply amounts to expressing an opinion: it is not factual reporting. The first mentioned is the utterance of the believer (mu’min), while the second is that of the hypocrite.","The offering of ‘trust’ here means a transference of power, to be used at man’s discretion. This power is something with which God has entrusted man temporarily, by way of trial, so that man of his own volition, should become obedient to God. Acceptance of this trust amounts to becoming God’s representative. One has to impose upon oneself what the stars and planets do under compulsion. In other words, surrender voluntarily to God’s will. In this universe, only God is the Lord and all things are His subjects. But, Almighty God willed that He should create independent creatures who, without any compulsion, would voluntarily do whatever God wanted them to do. This voluntary obedience constituted a great trial for mankind. The heavens, the earth and the mountains could not undertake it. However, man accepted it, in spite of the serious risks involved. Now man is God’s trustee in this world. He has to apply the rule of God to himself just as God applies it to others according to His will. Man is being put to the test and the present world is a vast examination hall. God’s trust is an extremely crucial responsibility, because it gives rise to the problem of reward and punishment. Other creatures, being helpless, are bound to conform to the will of God. So there is no question of reward or punishment for them. But, man enjoys freedom and this being so, he is deserving of reward or punishment. There is a tradition handed down from ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abbas, which says that when Almighty God mentioned the subject of trust to Adam, he asked what was meant by trust. Almighty God replied: ‘If you perform good deeds, you will receive a reward, but if you perform bad deeds, you will be punished.’ (Tafsir ibn Kathir). The will of God has been enforced on the whole world. This same will of God has to be imposed on man of his own accord.","The offering of ‘trust’ here means a transference of power, to be used at man’s discretion. This power is something with which God has entrusted man temporarily, by way of trial, so that man of his own volition, should become obedient to God. Acceptance of this trust amounts to becoming God’s representative. One has to impose upon oneself what the stars and planets do under compulsion. In other words, surrender voluntarily to God’s will. In this universe, only God is the Lord and all things are His subjects. But, Almighty God willed that He should create independent creatures who, without any compulsion, would voluntarily do whatever God wanted them to do. This voluntary obedience constituted a great trial for mankind. The heavens, the earth and the mountains could not undertake it. However, man accepted it, in spite of the serious risks involved. Now man is God’s trustee in this world. He has to apply the rule of God to himself just as God applies it to others according to His will. Man is being put to the test and the present world is a vast examination hall. God’s trust is an extremely crucial responsibility, because it gives rise to the problem of reward and punishment. Other creatures, being helpless, are bound to conform to the will of God. So there is no question of reward or punishment for them. But, man enjoys freedom and this being so, he is deserving of reward or punishment. There is a tradition handed down from ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abbas, which says that when Almighty God mentioned the subject of trust to Adam, he asked what was meant by trust. Almighty God replied: ‘If you perform good deeds, you will receive a reward, but if you perform bad deeds, you will be punished.’ (Tafsir ibn Kathir). The will of God has been enforced on the whole world. This same will of God has to be imposed on man of his own accord.","This Universe is an introduction to its Creator. Its terrifying vastness reveals the majesty of its Creator. The utter perfection of its harmony indicates that its Creator is a perfect and complete being. The perfect co-ordination between its various parts proves that the Being who controls it is extremely wise and all-knowing. The fact of the Universe being extremely congenial and conducive to the nourishment of human life clearly shows that its Creator is extremely kind and merciful towards His creation. One who ponders over the mysteries of the Universe will be totally absorbed in the realization of God’s majesty and perfection. He will be convinced that from the beginning of time till the end of eternity, all majesty pertains to the one and only God and to no other than Him.","This Universe is an introduction to its Creator. Its terrifying vastness reveals the majesty of its Creator. The utter perfection of its harmony indicates that its Creator is a perfect and complete being. The perfect co-ordination between its various parts proves that the Being who controls it is extremely wise and all-knowing. The fact of the Universe being extremely congenial and conducive to the nourishment of human life clearly shows that its Creator is extremely kind and merciful towards His creation. One who ponders over the mysteries of the Universe will be totally absorbed in the realization of God’s majesty and perfection. He will be convinced that from the beginning of time till the end of eternity, all majesty pertains to the one and only God and to no other than Him.","The addressees of the Quran were not disbelievers in the Day of Judgement. It was just that they did not believe that Judgement Day would bring them humiliation and punishment. The world they lived in appeared safe to them and they could not, therefore, understand how they would be in jeopardy on reaching the world Hereafter. This truth about life and the Universe is found in all divine scriptures. It is the Quran’s mission to reveal this reality in its pure and unadulterated form. Now, those who take a stand in opposition to this mission are indulging in the most improper bravado. Before God, they will be treated as deserving of the severest punishment.","The addressees of the Quran were not disbelievers in the Day of Judgement. It was just that they did not believe that Judgement Day would bring them humiliation and punishment. The world they lived in appeared safe to them and they could not, therefore, understand how they would be in jeopardy on reaching the world Hereafter. This truth about life and the Universe is found in all divine scriptures. It is the Quran’s mission to reveal this reality in its pure and unadulterated form. Now, those who take a stand in opposition to this mission are indulging in the most improper bravado. Before God, they will be treated as deserving of the severest punishment.","The addressees of the Quran were not disbelievers in the Day of Judgement. It was just that they did not believe that Judgement Day would bring them humiliation and punishment. The world they lived in appeared safe to them and they could not, therefore, understand how they would be in jeopardy on reaching the world Hereafter. This truth about life and the Universe is found in all divine scriptures. It is the Quran’s mission to reveal this reality in its pure and unadulterated form. Now, those who take a stand in opposition to this mission are indulging in the most improper bravado. Before God, they will be treated as deserving of the severest punishment.","The addressees of the Quran were not disbelievers in the Day of Judgement. It was just that they did not believe that Judgement Day would bring them humiliation and punishment. The world they lived in appeared safe to them and they could not, therefore, understand how they would be in jeopardy on reaching the world Hereafter. This truth about life and the Universe is found in all divine scriptures. It is the Quran’s mission to reveal this reality in its pure and unadulterated form. Now, those who take a stand in opposition to this mission are indulging in the most improper bravado. Before God, they will be treated as deserving of the severest punishment.","The people of Makkah held the Prophet and his companions in contempt, and used to mock them. They did so due to their disbelief in the Hereafter and because in their hearts they were not fearful of God’s scourge; this made them quite flippant about the affairs of the Hereafter. The worst punishment for a man in this world is to be incapable of right thinking. One so punished is not capable of seeing things in their proper perspective. He is unable to learn lessons even from obvious realities. For example, innumerable stones of varying sizes, fall towards the Earth’s surface but get destroyed as soon as they come in contact with our atmosphere. If these stones were to start falling on human habitation, the entire humanity would be wiped out. A major part of the centre of the earth consists of hot molten lava. If that lava were to erupt and flow unchecked over the surface of the earth, everything in its path would be burnt to a cinder. But God, having made special arrangements, does not allow such catastrophic events to occur. There are clear signs in heaven and on earth which show man’s helplessness. But when a man is incapable of right thinking, no sign of God can give him guidance.","The people of Makkah held the Prophet and his companions in contempt, and used to mock them. They did so due to their disbelief in the Hereafter and because in their hearts they were not fearful of God’s scourge; this made them quite flippant about the affairs of the Hereafter. The worst punishment for a man in this world is to be incapable of right thinking. One so punished is not capable of seeing things in their proper perspective. He is unable to learn lessons even from obvious realities. For example, innumerable stones of varying sizes, fall towards the Earth’s surface but get destroyed as soon as they come in contact with our atmosphere. If these stones were to start falling on human habitation, the entire humanity would be wiped out. A major part of the centre of the earth consists of hot molten lava. If that lava were to erupt and flow unchecked over the surface of the earth, everything in its path would be burnt to a cinder. But God, having made special arrangements, does not allow such catastrophic events to occur. There are clear signs in heaven and on earth which show man’s helplessness. But when a man is incapable of right thinking, no sign of God can give him guidance.","The people of Makkah held the Prophet and his companions in contempt, and used to mock them. They did so due to their disbelief in the Hereafter and because in their hearts they were not fearful of God’s scourge; this made them quite flippant about the affairs of the Hereafter. The worst punishment for a man in this world is to be incapable of right thinking. One so punished is not capable of seeing things in their proper perspective. He is unable to learn lessons even from obvious realities. For example, innumerable stones of varying sizes, fall towards the Earth’s surface but get destroyed as soon as they come in contact with our atmosphere. If these stones were to start falling on human habitation, the entire humanity would be wiped out. A major part of the centre of the earth consists of hot molten lava. If that lava were to erupt and flow unchecked over the surface of the earth, everything in its path would be burnt to a cinder. But God, having made special arrangements, does not allow such catastrophic events to occur. There are clear signs in heaven and on earth which show man’s helplessness. But when a man is incapable of right thinking, no sign of God can give him guidance.","When a believer who is fully absorbed in the remembrance of God recites the praises of God, he is in fact in consonance with the entire Universe; all things in heaven and on the earth join him in chorus, albeit in silent language. But, God had so specially blessed David that the hills, mountains and birds used to audibly join him when he recited the praises of God. Similarly, God taught David (through angels) the skills to make use of iron. He developed the technique of melting and moulding iron to such an extent that he could make the very fine links of which chain mail is composed. The suits of armour made from this could be worn like ordinary clothes. At that time, this technique was unknown to the world.  A believer can make great advances in the fields of industry and science. But, it is essential that he should direct this human progress towards peace and goodness. Whatever he accomplishes should be done with the realization that, finally, he has to appear before God and be answerable to Him.","When a believer who is fully absorbed in the remembrance of God recites the praises of God, he is in fact in consonance with the entire Universe; all things in heaven and on the earth join him in chorus, albeit in silent language. But, God had so specially blessed David that the hills, mountains and birds used to audibly join him when he recited the praises of God. Similarly, God taught David (through angels) the skills to make use of iron. He developed the technique of melting and moulding iron to such an extent that he could make the very fine links of which chain mail is composed. The suits of armour made from this could be worn like ordinary clothes. At that time, this technique was unknown to the world.  A believer can make great advances in the fields of industry and science. But, it is essential that he should direct this human progress towards peace and goodness. Whatever he accomplishes should be done with the realization that, finally, he has to appear before God and be answerable to Him.","Solomon had brought about great developments in seafaring and sea trade and it was at his behest that high quality sail-fitted ships were built. With God’s further blessing, his ships always had favourable winds. Similarly, the technique of melting copper and the production of different artefacts from it were well-developed in his period. Solomon utilized these extraordinary powers for constructive and peaceful purposes. Among them was the preparation of the things mentioned in this verse. The entire existence of man is the gift of God. From head to foot, he is the manifestation of His Grace. Therefore, he should have in him feelings of the utmost gratefulness and indebtedness towards God. But, this is the very feeling with which a human being is least imbued. The reason for this is that whatever a man may receive in this world is in the guise of the result of the cause and effect chain. Therefore, he considers it as such—the result of some cause. But this is the real test of man. It is expected that he should see the hand of God in whatever he ostensibly receives through cause and effect. Whatever he obtains, apparently on account of his talents and diligence, should be treated by him as direct gifts from God.","Solomon had brought about great developments in seafaring and sea trade and it was at his behest that high quality sail-fitted ships were built. With God’s further blessing, his ships always had favourable winds. Similarly, the technique of melting copper and the production of different artefacts from it were well-developed in his period. Solomon utilized these extraordinary powers for constructive and peaceful purposes. Among them was the preparation of the things mentioned in this verse. The entire existence of man is the gift of God. From head to foot, he is the manifestation of His Grace. Therefore, he should have in him feelings of the utmost gratefulness and indebtedness towards God. But, this is the very feeling with which a human being is least imbued. The reason for this is that whatever a man may receive in this world is in the guise of the result of the cause and effect chain. Therefore, he considers it as such—the result of some cause. But this is the real test of man. It is expected that he should see the hand of God in whatever he ostensibly receives through cause and effect. Whatever he obtains, apparently on account of his talents and diligence, should be treated by him as direct gifts from God.","When it was time for Solomon to die, he was leaning on a stick and having some constructive work done by the ‘jinn’. The angel of death took away his life-spirit, but his lifeless body, with the support of the stick remained upright. The jinn continued with their work under the impression that he was nearby supervising the work. It so happened that some white ants infested the stick and after some time, when the white ants had made the stick hollow, his body fell on to the ground. It was then that the jinn came to know that Solomon had died. This incident suffices to remove the erroneous popular belief that the jinn have knowledge of the future.","Sheba (Saba’) was a very developed community of ancient times. It was spread over the area at present known as Yemen. Its centre was the city of Maa’rib. In the period before Christ, it had made great progress and remained at its zenith for about one thousand years. The inhabitants of Sheba had spread their trade far and wide across land and sea and had constructed dams for irrigation purposes. Near Ma’rib, there was a large dam which was 14 meters high and about six hundred meters long. By this means, water from mountain streams was stored and distributed to the adjoining lands. In this way this whole area had become lush green and luxuriant gardens could be seen everywhere. All these developments had been possible thanks to the provision made by God. Therefore, the people of Sheba should have been grateful to their Lord. But, instead, they became neglectful and arrogant, as generally happens in the case of prosperous communities. Thereafter, the Ma’arib Dam started developing cracks. This was an initial warning, but they did not come to their senses. An earthquake shattered the dam irreparably in the seventh century A.D., as a result of which there were devastating floods and the whole area was destroyed. Moreover, due to the destruction of fertile soil, only wild bushes survived in this area. (The Encyclopaedia Britannica).","Sheba (Saba’) was a very developed community of ancient times. It was spread over the area at present known as Yemen. Its centre was the city of Maa’rib. In the period before Christ, it had made great progress and remained at its zenith for about one thousand years. The inhabitants of Sheba had spread their trade far and wide across land and sea and had constructed dams for irrigation purposes. Near Ma’rib, there was a large dam which was 14 meters high and about six hundred meters long. By this means, water from mountain streams was stored and distributed to the adjoining lands. In this way this whole area had become lush green and luxuriant gardens could be seen everywhere. All these developments had been possible thanks to the provision made by God. Therefore, the people of Sheba should have been grateful to their Lord. But, instead, they became neglectful and arrogant, as generally happens in the case of prosperous communities. Thereafter, the Ma’arib Dam started developing cracks. This was an initial warning, but they did not come to their senses. An earthquake shattered the dam irreparably in the seventh century A.D., as a result of which there were devastating floods and the whole area was destroyed. Moreover, due to the destruction of fertile soil, only wild bushes survived in this area. (The Encyclopaedia Britannica).","Sheba (Saba’) was a very developed community of ancient times. It was spread over the area at present known as Yemen. Its centre was the city of Maa’rib. In the period before Christ, it had made great progress and remained at its zenith for about one thousand years. The inhabitants of Sheba had spread their trade far and wide across land and sea and had constructed dams for irrigation purposes. Near Ma’rib, there was a large dam which was 14 meters high and about six hundred meters long. By this means, water from mountain streams was stored and distributed to the adjoining lands. In this way this whole area had become lush green and luxuriant gardens could be seen everywhere. All these developments had been possible thanks to the provision made by God. Therefore, the people of Sheba should have been grateful to their Lord. But, instead, they became neglectful and arrogant, as generally happens in the case of prosperous communities. Thereafter, the Ma’arib Dam started developing cracks. This was an initial warning, but they did not come to their senses. An earthquake shattered the dam irreparably in the seventh century A.D., as a result of which there were devastating floods and the whole area was destroyed. Moreover, due to the destruction of fertile soil, only wild bushes survived in this area. (The Encyclopaedia Britannica).","‘The town that We had blessed’ refers to the green and fertile area of Syria. In this lush green area from Yemen to Syria, there were rows of beautiful townships. Travelling in this area was a pleasant experience, enough to kindle the spirit of thankfulness and devotion in man. It was as if God had put up a signpost there to say: ‘Go ahead without any fear and thank your Lord!’ But the unheeding people of Sheba were unable to read this inscription of God. On account of their improper behaviour, they lost their right to avail of these divine blessings. They were so totally destroyed that it was as if they had never existed. After the destruction of their homeland, the various tribes of Sheba scattered and migrated to far-off places. These incidents are known facts of history. But the real assessor of these events is one who learns the lesson that if he achieves prosperity, he should not be vainglorious. On the contrary, he should treat everything that he receives as a gift from God and be grateful to Him.","‘The town that We had blessed’ refers to the green and fertile area of Syria. In this lush green area from Yemen to Syria, there were rows of beautiful townships. Travelling in this area was a pleasant experience, enough to kindle the spirit of thankfulness and devotion in man. It was as if God had put up a signpost there to say: ‘Go ahead without any fear and thank your Lord!’ But the unheeding people of Sheba were unable to read this inscription of God. On account of their improper behaviour, they lost their right to avail of these divine blessings. They were so totally destroyed that it was as if they had never existed. After the destruction of their homeland, the various tribes of Sheba scattered and migrated to far-off places. These incidents are known facts of history. But the real assessor of these events is one who learns the lesson that if he achieves prosperity, he should not be vainglorious. On the contrary, he should treat everything that he receives as a gift from God and be grateful to Him.","Satan (Iblis) and his representatives, are forever hatching plots against human beings. On such occasions, it is man’s duty not to fall a victim to them and thus render their plotting unsuccessful. But, the people of Sheba did not prove to be wise. They were influenced by and succumbed to the satanic inducements and trod the path to destruction. There were but a few (true believers) who were successful in this test. God has not given Satan or his representatives any actual powers over anybody. Satan has the power only to seduce. This has been so arranged for the purpose of putting man to the test. One who passes this test will rise above satanic inducements and remain firm on the path of reality and Truth.","Satan (Iblis) and his representatives, are forever hatching plots against human beings. On such occasions, it is man’s duty not to fall a victim to them and thus render their plotting unsuccessful. But, the people of Sheba did not prove to be wise. They were influenced by and succumbed to the satanic inducements and trod the path to destruction. There were but a few (true believers) who were successful in this test. God has not given Satan or his representatives any actual powers over anybody. Satan has the power only to seduce. This has been so arranged for the purpose of putting man to the test. One who passes this test will rise above satanic inducements and remain firm on the path of reality and Truth.","Every age has had many believers in the Hereafter, yet Satan has propagated such erroneous beliefs as have made the unbelievers fearless of the Hereafter. One of these is the false belief that certain beings enjoy such an elevated status before God that they can secure God’s pardon for others. Any such belief amounts to underestimating the powers of God. It is ridiculous that while these beings are themselves awe-struck by the majesty of God, they are expected by their adorers to use their influence for their salvation. Ironically, it is believed that this would suffice before God.","Every age has had many believers in the Hereafter, yet Satan has propagated such erroneous beliefs as have made the unbelievers fearless of the Hereafter. One of these is the false belief that certain beings enjoy such an elevated status before God that they can secure God’s pardon for others. Any such belief amounts to underestimating the powers of God. It is ridiculous that while these beings are themselves awe-struck by the majesty of God, they are expected by their adorers to use their influence for their salvation. Ironically, it is believed that this would suffice before God.","The Universe is unimaginably great. Moreover, perfect wisdom and meaningfulness is inherent in it. Such a universe can be the accomplishment of the All-powerful, All-wise God alone. No one can seriously believe that those beings, whom ancient or modern man has invented can be the creators or lords of this universe. This being so, who other than God can be the one who enjoys the position of supremacy in this Universe? The fact is that the study of the universe invalidates all polytheistic theories. As such, only that theory can be correct which is based on the oneness of God. Any theory which projects the instrumentality of any being other than God is self-contradictory.","The Universe is unimaginably great. Moreover, perfect wisdom and meaningfulness is inherent in it. Such a universe can be the accomplishment of the All-powerful, All-wise God alone. No one can seriously believe that those beings, whom ancient or modern man has invented can be the creators or lords of this universe. This being so, who other than God can be the one who enjoys the position of supremacy in this Universe? The fact is that the study of the universe invalidates all polytheistic theories. As such, only that theory can be correct which is based on the oneness of God. Any theory which projects the instrumentality of any being other than God is self-contradictory.","The Universe is unimaginably great. Moreover, perfect wisdom and meaningfulness is inherent in it. Such a universe can be the accomplishment of the All-powerful, All-wise God alone. No one can seriously believe that those beings, whom ancient or modern man has invented can be the creators or lords of this universe. This being so, who other than God can be the one who enjoys the position of supremacy in this Universe? The fact is that the study of the universe invalidates all polytheistic theories. As such, only that theory can be correct which is based on the oneness of God. Any theory which projects the instrumentality of any being other than God is self-contradictory.","The Universe is unimaginably great. Moreover, perfect wisdom and meaningfulness is inherent in it. Such a universe can be the accomplishment of the All-powerful, All-wise God alone. No one can seriously believe that those beings, whom ancient or modern man has invented can be the creators or lords of this universe. This being so, who other than God can be the one who enjoys the position of supremacy in this Universe? The fact is that the study of the universe invalidates all polytheistic theories. As such, only that theory can be correct which is based on the oneness of God. Any theory which projects the instrumentality of any being other than God is self-contradictory.","Every prophet did missionary work directly with his people (community). That alone was practicable. Similarly, the Prophet Muhammad also became the direct dispenser of good news (mubashshir) and a direct warner (munzir) for his own people (\t6:92\t). But, since the institution of prophethood ended with him, he is now, by order, mubashshir and munzir for all the nations in the world. Just as he discharged both these functions in relation to his first addressees (in his own times), so in the same way, his followers as deputies had to discharge these functions in relation to all other addressees in later periods. This will be treated as continuity of his prophetic mission. The missionary work done by him during his life-time is directly within the ambit of his prophetic functions, while the work done after his life in this world, will be indirectly so. The mission of a prophet is always to convey the message of God. Thereafter, the reward or punishment, according to the response of the people, is for God to decide—in this world as well as in the Hereafter.","Every prophet did missionary work directly with his people (community). That alone was practicable. Similarly, the Prophet Muhammad also became the direct dispenser of good news (mubashshir) and a direct warner (munzir) for his own people (\t6:92\t). But, since the institution of prophethood ended with him, he is now, by order, mubashshir and munzir for all the nations in the world. Just as he discharged both these functions in relation to his first addressees (in his own times), so in the same way, his followers as deputies had to discharge these functions in relation to all other addressees in later periods. This will be treated as continuity of his prophetic mission. The missionary work done by him during his life-time is directly within the ambit of his prophetic functions, while the work done after his life in this world, will be indirectly so. The mission of a prophet is always to convey the message of God. Thereafter, the reward or punishment, according to the response of the people, is for God to decide—in this world as well as in the Hereafter.","Every prophet did missionary work directly with his people (community). That alone was practicable. Similarly, the Prophet Muhammad also became the direct dispenser of good news (mubashshir) and a direct warner (munzir) for his own people (\t6:92\t). But, since the institution of prophethood ended with him, he is now, by order, mubashshir and munzir for all the nations in the world. Just as he discharged both these functions in relation to his first addressees (in his own times), so in the same way, his followers as deputies had to discharge these functions in relation to all other addressees in later periods. This will be treated as continuity of his prophetic mission. The missionary work done by him during his life-time is directly within the ambit of his prophetic functions, while the work done after his life in this world, will be indirectly so. The mission of a prophet is always to convey the message of God. Thereafter, the reward or punishment, according to the response of the people, is for God to decide—in this world as well as in the Hereafter.","Denial of Truth is the greatest crime. The result of this crime does not become apparent to an individual in this world. Therefore, he goes on fearlessly denying the Truth. But, in the Hereafter, when the adverse effect of denying the Truth impinges on the deniers, they will be caught in a state of turmoil. The common people, in this world, were proud of their leaders, but once in the Hereafter, they will curse them. In reply, their leaders will say, ‘Don’t blame us to cover up your ignominy. It was not we who misguided you but your own desires. You were with us simply because our words were in consonance with your own desires. You wanted a religion in which you could get credit for being righteous without taking much trouble and without changing yourself, and we provided you with it. You put our noose around your neck of your own accord; otherwise, we had no power to do so.’","Denial of Truth is the greatest crime. The result of this crime does not become apparent to an individual in this world. Therefore, he goes on fearlessly denying the Truth. But, in the Hereafter, when the adverse effect of denying the Truth impinges on the deniers, they will be caught in a state of turmoil. The common people, in this world, were proud of their leaders, but once in the Hereafter, they will curse them. In reply, their leaders will say, ‘Don’t blame us to cover up your ignominy. It was not we who misguided you but your own desires. You were with us simply because our words were in consonance with your own desires. You wanted a religion in which you could get credit for being righteous without taking much trouble and without changing yourself, and we provided you with it. You put our noose around your neck of your own accord; otherwise, we had no power to do so.’","Denial of Truth is the greatest crime. The result of this crime does not become apparent to an individual in this world. Therefore, he goes on fearlessly denying the Truth. But, in the Hereafter, when the adverse effect of denying the Truth impinges on the deniers, they will be caught in a state of turmoil. The common people, in this world, were proud of their leaders, but once in the Hereafter, they will curse them. In reply, their leaders will say, ‘Don’t blame us to cover up your ignominy. It was not we who misguided you but your own desires. You were with us simply because our words were in consonance with your own desires. You wanted a religion in which you could get credit for being righteous without taking much trouble and without changing yourself, and we provided you with it. You put our noose around your neck of your own accord; otherwise, we had no power to do so.’","Those who acquire wealth and power, rise to places of prominence in this world. This creates a sort of false confidence in them. Such people do not give due importance to the Hereafter, even when they are warned of it. They cannot believe that God, Who has given them honour in this world, will dishonour them in the Hereafter. This false confidence in every age has been the greatest cause of the rejection of the call for Truth by the influential members of a society; and when they look down upon something, men of lesser stature also hold it in contempt. In this way the common people as well as the elite are prevented from accepting the Truth. The wealth and other material things of this world are for the purpose of putting human beings to the test and are not meant as rewards. A surfeit of worldly effects is not a sign of nearness to God; nor does their shortage indicate being at a distance from Him.  Only those who always remembered God and kept themselves within the limits laid down by Him, while availing of His divine bounty, are really close to God. These are the people who will be treated as deserving of God’s eternal blessings and rewards in the Hereafter.","Those who acquire wealth and power, rise to places of prominence in this world. This creates a sort of false confidence in them. Such people do not give due importance to the Hereafter, even when they are warned of it. They cannot believe that God, Who has given them honour in this world, will dishonour them in the Hereafter. This false confidence in every age has been the greatest cause of the rejection of the call for Truth by the influential members of a society; and when they look down upon something, men of lesser stature also hold it in contempt. In this way the common people as well as the elite are prevented from accepting the Truth. The wealth and other material things of this world are for the purpose of putting human beings to the test and are not meant as rewards. A surfeit of worldly effects is not a sign of nearness to God; nor does their shortage indicate being at a distance from Him.  Only those who always remembered God and kept themselves within the limits laid down by Him, while availing of His divine bounty, are really close to God. These are the people who will be treated as deserving of God’s eternal blessings and rewards in the Hereafter.","Those who acquire wealth and power, rise to places of prominence in this world. This creates a sort of false confidence in them. Such people do not give due importance to the Hereafter, even when they are warned of it. They cannot believe that God, Who has given them honour in this world, will dishonour them in the Hereafter. This false confidence in every age has been the greatest cause of the rejection of the call for Truth by the influential members of a society; and when they look down upon something, men of lesser stature also hold it in contempt. In this way the common people as well as the elite are prevented from accepting the Truth. The wealth and other material things of this world are for the purpose of putting human beings to the test and are not meant as rewards. A surfeit of worldly effects is not a sign of nearness to God; nor does their shortage indicate being at a distance from Him.  Only those who always remembered God and kept themselves within the limits laid down by Him, while availing of His divine bounty, are really close to God. These are the people who will be treated as deserving of God’s eternal blessings and rewards in the Hereafter.","Those who acquire wealth and power, rise to places of prominence in this world. This creates a sort of false confidence in them. Such people do not give due importance to the Hereafter, even when they are warned of it. They cannot believe that God, Who has given them honour in this world, will dishonour them in the Hereafter. This false confidence in every age has been the greatest cause of the rejection of the call for Truth by the influential members of a society; and when they look down upon something, men of lesser stature also hold it in contempt. In this way the common people as well as the elite are prevented from accepting the Truth. The wealth and other material things of this world are for the purpose of putting human beings to the test and are not meant as rewards. A surfeit of worldly effects is not a sign of nearness to God; nor does their shortage indicate being at a distance from Him.  Only those who always remembered God and kept themselves within the limits laid down by Him, while availing of His divine bounty, are really close to God. These are the people who will be treated as deserving of God’s eternal blessings and rewards in the Hereafter.","Those who acquire wealth and power, rise to places of prominence in this world. This creates a sort of false confidence in them. Such people do not give due importance to the Hereafter, even when they are warned of it. They cannot believe that God, Who has given them honour in this world, will dishonour them in the Hereafter. This false confidence in every age has been the greatest cause of the rejection of the call for Truth by the influential members of a society; and when they look down upon something, men of lesser stature also hold it in contempt. In this way the common people as well as the elite are prevented from accepting the Truth. The wealth and other material things of this world are for the purpose of putting human beings to the test and are not meant as rewards. A surfeit of worldly effects is not a sign of nearness to God; nor does their shortage indicate being at a distance from Him.  Only those who always remembered God and kept themselves within the limits laid down by Him, while availing of His divine bounty, are really close to God. These are the people who will be treated as deserving of God’s eternal blessings and rewards in the Hereafter.","Those who acquire wealth and power, rise to places of prominence in this world. This creates a sort of false confidence in them. Such people do not give due importance to the Hereafter, even when they are warned of it. They cannot believe that God, Who has given them honour in this world, will dishonour them in the Hereafter. This false confidence in every age has been the greatest cause of the rejection of the call for Truth by the influential members of a society; and when they look down upon something, men of lesser stature also hold it in contempt. In this way the common people as well as the elite are prevented from accepting the Truth. The wealth and other material things of this world are for the purpose of putting human beings to the test and are not meant as rewards. A surfeit of worldly effects is not a sign of nearness to God; nor does their shortage indicate being at a distance from Him.  Only those who always remembered God and kept themselves within the limits laid down by Him, while availing of His divine bounty, are really close to God. These are the people who will be treated as deserving of God’s eternal blessings and rewards in the Hereafter.","Angels are not visible to human beings. It was the prophets who told human beings of the angels. This they did as they wanted the people to realize the majesty of God and devote themselves to prayers. But, Satan, in his devious manner, misled them by saying that it was difficult to achieve nearness to God directly and, as such, they should first worship the angels and through them come near to God. So, throughout the world, idols of angels were set up and worshipped. The concept of gods and goddesses stems in fact from this perverse belief in angels. For example the angel who was appointed for rains was considered the rain-god; and the angel for winds was taken as the god of winds, etc. In the Hereafter, the angels will dissociate themselves from such worshippers and neither God nor the angels will give them any support. Such people will become eternally helpless.","Angels are not visible to human beings. It was the prophets who told human beings of the angels. This they did as they wanted the people to realize the majesty of God and devote themselves to prayers. But, Satan, in his devious manner, misled them by saying that it was difficult to achieve nearness to God directly and, as such, they should first worship the angels and through them come near to God. So, throughout the world, idols of angels were set up and worshipped. The concept of gods and goddesses stems in fact from this perverse belief in angels. For example the angel who was appointed for rains was considered the rain-god; and the angel for winds was taken as the god of winds, etc. In the Hereafter, the angels will dissociate themselves from such worshippers and neither God nor the angels will give them any support. Such people will become eternally helpless.","Angels are not visible to human beings. It was the prophets who told human beings of the angels. This they did as they wanted the people to realize the majesty of God and devote themselves to prayers. But, Satan, in his devious manner, misled them by saying that it was difficult to achieve nearness to God directly and, as such, they should first worship the angels and through them come near to God. So, throughout the world, idols of angels were set up and worshipped. The concept of gods and goddesses stems in fact from this perverse belief in angels. For example the angel who was appointed for rains was considered the rain-god; and the angel for winds was taken as the god of winds, etc. In the Hereafter, the angels will dissociate themselves from such worshippers and neither God nor the angels will give them any support. Such people will become eternally helpless.","The Quran presented clear arguments to its opponents which they were unable to counter. In spite of this, they were successful in dissuading the common people from accepting the truth. The sole reason for this success was that the disbelievers played on the sentiments of the common people and stirred them up by saying that it (the Quran’s message) was against the traditions of their forefathers. The miraculous literary value of the Quran was undeniable, and therefore, attempts were made to convince people that its supposed greatness depended solely on magical feats of expression which had nothing to do with divine revelation; it was only a miracle of penmanship and not the result of the knowledge of reality. It is most interesting that as a matter of historical record, for people of every period, prejudice has proved stronger than rational arguments. The Quran’s addressees could have put forward rational arguments to reject it or they could have referred to any other divine scriptures from which a contradiction to the Quran could have been produced. But none took recourse to either of these possibilities. If people so blatantly deny the call for Truth, it is due to nothing but stubbornness.","The Quran presented clear arguments to its opponents which they were unable to counter. In spite of this, they were successful in dissuading the common people from accepting the truth. The sole reason for this success was that the disbelievers played on the sentiments of the common people and stirred them up by saying that it (the Quran’s message) was against the traditions of their forefathers. The miraculous literary value of the Quran was undeniable, and therefore, attempts were made to convince people that its supposed greatness depended solely on magical feats of expression which had nothing to do with divine revelation; it was only a miracle of penmanship and not the result of the knowledge of reality. It is most interesting that as a matter of historical record, for people of every period, prejudice has proved stronger than rational arguments. The Quran’s addressees could have put forward rational arguments to reject it or they could have referred to any other divine scriptures from which a contradiction to the Quran could have been produced. But none took recourse to either of these possibilities. If people so blatantly deny the call for Truth, it is due to nothing but stubbornness.","The Quran presented clear arguments to its opponents which they were unable to counter. In spite of this, they were successful in dissuading the common people from accepting the truth. The sole reason for this success was that the disbelievers played on the sentiments of the common people and stirred them up by saying that it (the Quran’s message) was against the traditions of their forefathers. The miraculous literary value of the Quran was undeniable, and therefore, attempts were made to convince people that its supposed greatness depended solely on magical feats of expression which had nothing to do with divine revelation; it was only a miracle of penmanship and not the result of the knowledge of reality. It is most interesting that as a matter of historical record, for people of every period, prejudice has proved stronger than rational arguments. The Quran’s addressees could have put forward rational arguments to reject it or they could have referred to any other divine scriptures from which a contradiction to the Quran could have been produced. But none took recourse to either of these possibilities. If people so blatantly deny the call for Truth, it is due to nothing but stubbornness.","The contemporaries of the Prophet rejected his call of Truth, but this rejection was purely due to stubbornness and prejudice. Had they thought over the matter, either individually or collectively, with open minds, they would have discovered that their Prophet was not a madman. His earlier life would have testified to his seriousness. His sympathetic way would have shown that whenever he spoke, his words showed the deepest concern. His style of discourse, replete as it was with wisdom would have been sufficient evidence of its veracity. His working without demanding remuneration shows that he had undertaken this task only for God’s pleasure and not as a personal concern. Viewing him dispassionately, people would have come to know that his restlessness was not out of madness but because of the danger which he was required to warn against. But they were never serious about the call to accept the truth, and that being so, the above-mentioned facts, albeit so obviously true, did not impress them.","The contemporaries of the Prophet rejected his call of Truth, but this rejection was purely due to stubbornness and prejudice. Had they thought over the matter, either individually or collectively, with open minds, they would have discovered that their Prophet was not a madman. His earlier life would have testified to his seriousness. His sympathetic way would have shown that whenever he spoke, his words showed the deepest concern. His style of discourse, replete as it was with wisdom would have been sufficient evidence of its veracity. His working without demanding remuneration shows that he had undertaken this task only for God’s pleasure and not as a personal concern. Viewing him dispassionately, people would have come to know that his restlessness was not out of madness but because of the danger which he was required to warn against. But they were never serious about the call to accept the truth, and that being so, the above-mentioned facts, albeit so obviously true, did not impress them.","The world has been created on the basis of Truth. Here, all emphasis is on Truth  and all arguments support the Truth. Under these circumstances, Truth should prevail and untruth should carry no weight. But, it is not always so. In this world, sometimes Truth is unable to triumph over untruth. The reason for this is that this world is a testing ground, and the rules pertaining to the human trial are prevalent here. So, even untruth has the opportunity to flourish here. But this situation will last only till the end of the trial period. On the Day of Judgement, this unrealistic situation will end once and for all. At that time, all evidence will substantiate the Truth, and untruth will be completely valueless. This event will become a reality on the Day of Judgement. But if and when God wishes, He shows a glimpse of it in this world itself, so that people may learn a lesson from it. A demonstration of this was when Makkah fell and monotheism overcame polytheism, the Prophet of God recited this verse, ‘Truth has arrived and falsehood has perished, for falsehood is bound to perish.’","The world has been created on the basis of Truth. Here, all emphasis is on Truth  and all arguments support the Truth. Under these circumstances, Truth should prevail and untruth should carry no weight. But, it is not always so. In this world, sometimes Truth is unable to triumph over untruth. The reason for this is that this world is a testing ground, and the rules pertaining to the human trial are prevalent here. So, even untruth has the opportunity to flourish here. But this situation will last only till the end of the trial period. On the Day of Judgement, this unrealistic situation will end once and for all. At that time, all evidence will substantiate the Truth, and untruth will be completely valueless. This event will become a reality on the Day of Judgement. But if and when God wishes, He shows a glimpse of it in this world itself, so that people may learn a lesson from it. A demonstration of this was when Makkah fell and monotheism overcame polytheism, the Prophet of God recited this verse, ‘Truth has arrived and falsehood has perished, for falsehood is bound to perish.’","The world has been created on the basis of Truth. Here, all emphasis is on Truth  and all arguments support the Truth. Under these circumstances, Truth should prevail and untruth should carry no weight. But, it is not always so. In this world, sometimes Truth is unable to triumph over untruth. The reason for this is that this world is a testing ground, and the rules pertaining to the human trial are prevalent here. So, even untruth has the opportunity to flourish here. But this situation will last only till the end of the trial period. On the Day of Judgement, this unrealistic situation will end once and for all. At that time, all evidence will substantiate the Truth, and untruth will be completely valueless. This event will become a reality on the Day of Judgement. But if and when God wishes, He shows a glimpse of it in this world itself, so that people may learn a lesson from it. A demonstration of this was when Makkah fell and monotheism overcame polytheism, the Prophet of God recited this verse, ‘Truth has arrived and falsehood has perished, for falsehood is bound to perish.’","When an individual rejects the Truth in the present world, the result of doing so is not immediately apparent. This position emboldens him to reject the Truth; he does not consider the call for Truth worth giving serious attention to. He describes it with contempt and rejects it carelessly. But the day when the system of the present world collapses, the whole picture will change. He will come to know that this reality which he had ignored was the most important of all. The bubble of vanity will be pricked and he will start spontaneously appreciating and admitting the Truth, which he had considered unworthy of attention in the pre-death period. But, by then, the moment for this would have passed, and he will be told that acceptance at a time when realities were as yet invisible would have had value, whereas acceptance at a time when the truth is plainly visible has no value. This is the picture of the psychological condition of those who deny the truth. The Truth which was presented to them in this world was so powerful that they found themselves unable to reject it on the basis of reasoning. But, as this Truth fitted ill with their mental mould, they were not ready to accept it either. This ambivalent condition had pushed them into and kept them in a peculiar state of inner conflict, till the angel of death arrived and lifted the veil from their eyes, which they themselves should have removed but did not.","When an individual rejects the Truth in the present world, the result of doing so is not immediately apparent. This position emboldens him to reject the Truth; he does not consider the call for Truth worth giving serious attention to. He describes it with contempt and rejects it carelessly. But the day when the system of the present world collapses, the whole picture will change. He will come to know that this reality which he had ignored was the most important of all. The bubble of vanity will be pricked and he will start spontaneously appreciating and admitting the Truth, which he had considered unworthy of attention in the pre-death period. But, by then, the moment for this would have passed, and he will be told that acceptance at a time when realities were as yet invisible would have had value, whereas acceptance at a time when the truth is plainly visible has no value. This is the picture of the psychological condition of those who deny the truth. The Truth which was presented to them in this world was so powerful that they found themselves unable to reject it on the basis of reasoning. But, as this Truth fitted ill with their mental mould, they were not ready to accept it either. This ambivalent condition had pushed them into and kept them in a peculiar state of inner conflict, till the angel of death arrived and lifted the veil from their eyes, which they themselves should have removed but did not.","When an individual rejects the Truth in the present world, the result of doing so is not immediately apparent. This position emboldens him to reject the Truth; he does not consider the call for Truth worth giving serious attention to. He describes it with contempt and rejects it carelessly. But the day when the system of the present world collapses, the whole picture will change. He will come to know that this reality which he had ignored was the most important of all. The bubble of vanity will be pricked and he will start spontaneously appreciating and admitting the Truth, which he had considered unworthy of attention in the pre-death period. But, by then, the moment for this would have passed, and he will be told that acceptance at a time when realities were as yet invisible would have had value, whereas acceptance at a time when the truth is plainly visible has no value. This is the picture of the psychological condition of those who deny the truth. The Truth which was presented to them in this world was so powerful that they found themselves unable to reject it on the basis of reasoning. But, as this Truth fitted ill with their mental mould, they were not ready to accept it either. This ambivalent condition had pushed them into and kept them in a peculiar state of inner conflict, till the angel of death arrived and lifted the veil from their eyes, which they themselves should have removed but did not.","When an individual rejects the Truth in the present world, the result of doing so is not immediately apparent. This position emboldens him to reject the Truth; he does not consider the call for Truth worth giving serious attention to. He describes it with contempt and rejects it carelessly. But the day when the system of the present world collapses, the whole picture will change. He will come to know that this reality which he had ignored was the most important of all. The bubble of vanity will be pricked and he will start spontaneously appreciating and admitting the Truth, which he had considered unworthy of attention in the pre-death period. But, by then, the moment for this would have passed, and he will be told that acceptance at a time when realities were as yet invisible would have had value, whereas acceptance at a time when the truth is plainly visible has no value. This is the picture of the psychological condition of those who deny the truth. The Truth which was presented to them in this world was so powerful that they found themselves unable to reject it on the basis of reasoning. But, as this Truth fitted ill with their mental mould, they were not ready to accept it either. This ambivalent condition had pushed them into and kept them in a peculiar state of inner conflict, till the angel of death arrived and lifted the veil from their eyes, which they themselves should have removed but did not.","God created angels to carry messages and execute orders. But, Satan misled  people to believe that the angels had a distinct identity of their own and that they could be the source of bringing blessings in this world and salvation in the Hereafter. So, some communities drew imaginary pictures of them, giving them names ‘Lat’ and ‘Manat’ and started worshipping them. Some communities treated them with the reverence due to gods and goddesses. In the present age, reverence for the ‘law of nature’ is the modern version of a similar misconception. But the fact is that both the angels and the law of nature are subject to the will of One God alone.","God created angels to carry messages and execute orders. But, Satan misled  people to believe that the angels had a distinct identity of their own and that they could be the source of bringing blessings in this world and salvation in the Hereafter. So, some communities drew imaginary pictures of them, giving them names ‘Lat’ and ‘Manat’ and started worshipping them. Some communities treated them with the reverence due to gods and goddesses. In the present age, reverence for the ‘law of nature’ is the modern version of a similar misconception. But the fact is that both the angels and the law of nature are subject to the will of One God alone.","Man is in need of innumerable things to sustain his life, for example, light, water, air, food, minerals, etc. Each of these elements require the combined and concerted actions of universal forces to come into existence. Who else except the one God is capable of bringing about such a big event? When the Creator and Organiser of all these things is the One God, then how could it be reasonable for people to worship any entity other than Him? It is a peculiar historical experience that those who accord a position of greatness to things other than God are intractable when it comes to re-assigning that greatness to God, even though the call for this may be made by a prophet in person. The reason for this is that people find it easy to continue with previously accepted notions; whereas accepting a new prophet would mean putting one’s faith in something different. For the individual to acquire this type of ‘iman’ (faith), he must activate his own thinking powers; he should discover the Truth through his own insight. Undoubtedly, this has always been the most difficult task for a man to perform.","Man is in need of innumerable things to sustain his life, for example, light, water, air, food, minerals, etc. Each of these elements require the combined and concerted actions of universal forces to come into existence. Who else except the one God is capable of bringing about such a big event? When the Creator and Organiser of all these things is the One God, then how could it be reasonable for people to worship any entity other than Him? It is a peculiar historical experience that those who accord a position of greatness to things other than God are intractable when it comes to re-assigning that greatness to God, even though the call for this may be made by a prophet in person. The reason for this is that people find it easy to continue with previously accepted notions; whereas accepting a new prophet would mean putting one’s faith in something different. For the individual to acquire this type of ‘iman’ (faith), he must activate his own thinking powers; he should discover the Truth through his own insight. Undoubtedly, this has always been the most difficult task for a man to perform.","On the face of it, the facts of life (and hereafter), though conveyed to us by God through His prophets, appear to be figments of human imagination, because they are not immediately encountered. Conversely, the things of the present world appear to be real, because man encounters them today itself. Sudden death, the upheaval of earthquakes and other such incidents shake a man’s composure. These, in fact, remind one of Doomsday, before its actual occurrence. But, Satan immediately diverts the attention of the people by saying that these events have natural causes and are not a result of divine intervention. That day is bound to come when a distinction will be drawn between the true and the false; righteous people will be rewarded for their virtue and wrongdoers will be punished for their evil deeds.","On the face of it, the facts of life (and hereafter), though conveyed to us by God through His prophets, appear to be figments of human imagination, because they are not immediately encountered. Conversely, the things of the present world appear to be real, because man encounters them today itself. Sudden death, the upheaval of earthquakes and other such incidents shake a man’s composure. These, in fact, remind one of Doomsday, before its actual occurrence. But, Satan immediately diverts the attention of the people by saying that these events have natural causes and are not a result of divine intervention. That day is bound to come when a distinction will be drawn between the true and the false; righteous people will be rewarded for their virtue and wrongdoers will be punished for their evil deeds.","On the face of it, the facts of life (and hereafter), though conveyed to us by God through His prophets, appear to be figments of human imagination, because they are not immediately encountered. Conversely, the things of the present world appear to be real, because man encounters them today itself. Sudden death, the upheaval of earthquakes and other such incidents shake a man’s composure. These, in fact, remind one of Doomsday, before its actual occurrence. But, Satan immediately diverts the attention of the people by saying that these events have natural causes and are not a result of divine intervention. That day is bound to come when a distinction will be drawn between the true and the false; righteous people will be rewarded for their virtue and wrongdoers will be punished for their evil deeds.","Almighty God has blessed every man with the capability to think and distinguish between truth and untruth. One who utilizes this innate talent, receives proper guidance and one who does not is left to go astray. When Truth appears before a man, he has two options before him. If he accepts the Truth, his mind starts off in the right direction and he becomes a wayfarer journeying towards the Truth. But if some extraneous consideration or some psychological complication comes in his way and, under its influence, he refuses to accept the Truth, he then starts devising ways and means of justifying his rejection of it and tries to prove that his bad deeds are actually good deeds. Those who suffer from such psychological barriers never admit the Truth. It is only when, after death, they come face to face with God that they reap what they have sown.","The present world gives us an introduction to the Hereafter. Rain, a common phenomenon, indicates that a force is at work which is beyond our ken. Rain results from the action of universal forces. The sun, the air, the sea, gravitational force and many other factors combine with each other in perfect co-ordination to produce the rain which makes dry land come alive. This process of rain-making proves that the Organizer of the universe has full powers over it. He brings about an event according to His plan. Re-vitalizing a barren piece of land and resurrecting a dead man are both feats of the same calibre. If the possibility of the first event is proved, then by analogy, the possibility of the second event automatically stands proved. The present world is a testing ground. Therefore, here even an undeserving person may temporarily receive honour, but in the Hereafter all the honours will fall to the lot of those who are really deserving of them. The criteria for judging worthiness will be righteous words (al-kalim at-tayyib) and pious deeds (al-‘amal as-salih), that is, man’s expression—in thought, word and deed—of his discovery of God and the devotion of all his strength to the service of the Almighty. Those who build their lives in piety are bound to secure God’s help.","The present world gives us an introduction to the Hereafter. Rain, a common phenomenon, indicates that a force is at work which is beyond our ken. Rain results from the action of universal forces. The sun, the air, the sea, gravitational force and many other factors combine with each other in perfect co-ordination to produce the rain which makes dry land come alive. This process of rain-making proves that the Organizer of the universe has full powers over it. He brings about an event according to His plan. Re-vitalizing a barren piece of land and resurrecting a dead man are both feats of the same calibre. If the possibility of the first event is proved, then by analogy, the possibility of the second event automatically stands proved. The present world is a testing ground. Therefore, here even an undeserving person may temporarily receive honour, but in the Hereafter all the honours will fall to the lot of those who are really deserving of them. The criteria for judging worthiness will be righteous words (al-kalim at-tayyib) and pious deeds (al-‘amal as-salih), that is, man’s expression—in thought, word and deed—of his discovery of God and the devotion of all his strength to the service of the Almighty. Those who build their lives in piety are bound to secure God’s help.","God first created man from the elements of the earth. By dividing human beings into men and women, God caused the human race to multiply. This exemplifies the power of the Creator. At the time when a child starts developing in his mother’s womb, he finds that all the factors essential to his growth are provided without asking. This shows that the Creator of the child knew his requirements beforehand, otherwise how could He have made such perfect arrangements in advance? The same is true of a man’s age. Nobody has the power to determine his own life-span. It appears that this lies wholly in the hands of an external Being. He takes away one person at a young age, while He gives another a longer life. In all these events, nobody has any say, except God. Then, how can it be proper for a man to have fears or entertain hopes of any being other than God?","There is a large store of water on the earth—salt water in the oceans and seas, and fresh water in rivers, lakes and springs. This water is the source of innumerable advantages for man. It is used for drinking and irrigation. The creatures which live in water provide valuable food for man. The oceans and seas, spread over three-fourths of the Earth enable transportation and form a vast storehouse of valuable objects like pearls, mineral ores, etc. God causes the earth to revolve around the sun and rotate on its axis in a regulated manner, thereby causing the seasons, and the alternation of day and night. There are similar innumerable arrangements which have been brought into being by the all-powerful God. As such, who else is there other than God who deserves man’s utmost gratitude? It is God with His unfathomable powers who can fulfill the needs of man, and not those imaginary gods who possess absolutely no powers.","There is a large store of water on the earth—salt water in the oceans and seas, and fresh water in rivers, lakes and springs. This water is the source of innumerable advantages for man. It is used for drinking and irrigation. The creatures which live in water provide valuable food for man. The oceans and seas, spread over three-fourths of the Earth enable transportation and form a vast storehouse of valuable objects like pearls, mineral ores, etc. God causes the earth to revolve around the sun and rotate on its axis in a regulated manner, thereby causing the seasons, and the alternation of day and night. There are similar innumerable arrangements which have been brought into being by the all-powerful God. As such, who else is there other than God who deserves man’s utmost gratitude? It is God with His unfathomable powers who can fulfill the needs of man, and not those imaginary gods who possess absolutely no powers.","There is a large store of water on the earth—salt water in the oceans and seas, and fresh water in rivers, lakes and springs. This water is the source of innumerable advantages for man. It is used for drinking and irrigation. The creatures which live in water provide valuable food for man. The oceans and seas, spread over three-fourths of the Earth enable transportation and form a vast storehouse of valuable objects like pearls, mineral ores, etc. God causes the earth to revolve around the sun and rotate on its axis in a regulated manner, thereby causing the seasons, and the alternation of day and night. There are similar innumerable arrangements which have been brought into being by the all-powerful God. As such, who else is there other than God who deserves man’s utmost gratitude? It is God with His unfathomable powers who can fulfill the needs of man, and not those imaginary gods who possess absolutely no powers.","Man is an extremely vulnerable creation. His whole existence depends on a particular balance of natural factors. If this balance were to be disturbed, the very existence of man would be threatened. If, for instance, the sun reduced its distance from the earth and came near it, then all human beings would be burnt and reduced to ashes. Also, a large part of the inside of the earth consists of an extremely hot, semi-liquid material. If this hot matter moved upwards, the surface of the earth would experience terrible earthquakes which would reduce all human settlements to ruins. Moreover, meteors constantly fall upon Earth from outer space, but the atmosphere shields us against their effects. If the present balanced arrangement of this phenomenon were to be disrupted, the shower of meteors might turn into such a terrible barrage of stones that it would be impossible to save humanity from it. Man is surrounded by innumerable deadly possibilities of this kind; being totally dependent explains why man needs God and not vice versa. The burden of Doomsday will be that of one’s sins. Were it only a question of a physical burden, any individual could share another’s burden. But, the denigration and pain one suffers due to one’s bad deeds are of an extremely personal nature and there is no question of anybody else sharing them. The Truth is very clear, but it is understood only by one who wants to understand. One who is not serious about knowing what is Truth and what is Untruth, cannot be made to understand anything.","Man is an extremely vulnerable creation. His whole existence depends on a particular balance of natural factors. If this balance were to be disturbed, the very existence of man would be threatened. If, for instance, the sun reduced its distance from the earth and came near it, then all human beings would be burnt and reduced to ashes. Also, a large part of the inside of the earth consists of an extremely hot, semi-liquid material. If this hot matter moved upwards, the surface of the earth would experience terrible earthquakes which would reduce all human settlements to ruins. Moreover, meteors constantly fall upon Earth from outer space, but the atmosphere shields us against their effects. If the present balanced arrangement of this phenomenon were to be disrupted, the shower of meteors might turn into such a terrible barrage of stones that it would be impossible to save humanity from it. Man is surrounded by innumerable deadly possibilities of this kind; being totally dependent explains why man needs God and not vice versa. The burden of Doomsday will be that of one’s sins. Were it only a question of a physical burden, any individual could share another’s burden. But, the denigration and pain one suffers due to one’s bad deeds are of an extremely personal nature and there is no question of anybody else sharing them. The Truth is very clear, but it is understood only by one who wants to understand. One who is not serious about knowing what is Truth and what is Untruth, cannot be made to understand anything.","Man is an extremely vulnerable creation. His whole existence depends on a particular balance of natural factors. If this balance were to be disturbed, the very existence of man would be threatened. If, for instance, the sun reduced its distance from the earth and came near it, then all human beings would be burnt and reduced to ashes. Also, a large part of the inside of the earth consists of an extremely hot, semi-liquid material. If this hot matter moved upwards, the surface of the earth would experience terrible earthquakes which would reduce all human settlements to ruins. Moreover, meteors constantly fall upon Earth from outer space, but the atmosphere shields us against their effects. If the present balanced arrangement of this phenomenon were to be disrupted, the shower of meteors might turn into such a terrible barrage of stones that it would be impossible to save humanity from it. Man is surrounded by innumerable deadly possibilities of this kind; being totally dependent explains why man needs God and not vice versa. The burden of Doomsday will be that of one’s sins. Were it only a question of a physical burden, any individual could share another’s burden. But, the denigration and pain one suffers due to one’s bad deeds are of an extremely personal nature and there is no question of anybody else sharing them. The Truth is very clear, but it is understood only by one who wants to understand. One who is not serious about knowing what is Truth and what is Untruth, cannot be made to understand anything.","Man is an extremely vulnerable creation. His whole existence depends on a particular balance of natural factors. If this balance were to be disturbed, the very existence of man would be threatened. If, for instance, the sun reduced its distance from the earth and came near it, then all human beings would be burnt and reduced to ashes. Also, a large part of the inside of the earth consists of an extremely hot, semi-liquid material. If this hot matter moved upwards, the surface of the earth would experience terrible earthquakes which would reduce all human settlements to ruins. Moreover, meteors constantly fall upon Earth from outer space, but the atmosphere shields us against their effects. If the present balanced arrangement of this phenomenon were to be disrupted, the shower of meteors might turn into such a terrible barrage of stones that it would be impossible to save humanity from it. Man is surrounded by innumerable deadly possibilities of this kind; being totally dependent explains why man needs God and not vice versa. The burden of Doomsday will be that of one’s sins. Were it only a question of a physical burden, any individual could share another’s burden. But, the denigration and pain one suffers due to one’s bad deeds are of an extremely personal nature and there is no question of anybody else sharing them. The Truth is very clear, but it is understood only by one who wants to understand. One who is not serious about knowing what is Truth and what is Untruth, cannot be made to understand anything.","It is a fact that the expectations one has of light are not applicable to darkness.  What one gets from the shade cannot be derived from sunlight. The same is the case with man. Among human beings, some have vision and some are blind. A man with eyes immediately sees his way and recognizes it. But one who is blind will simply go on groping in the dark. Similarly, with regard to insight there are two types of people, —one consisting of the living and the other consisting of the dead. The living man is one who sees things in depth—who tears apart the deceptive veil of words and grasps hidden meanings—who goes beyond superficial matters and tries to understand the inner reality—who assesses intrinsic values and not outward appearances—whose eyes are concentrated on real facts and not on irrelevant hair-splitting theories—who, after knowing the Truth, submits to it—he is the one who is alive. He is one who has been fortunate enough in this world to accept the Truth. Those whose behaviour is the very reverse of this are dead. They never come anywhere near accepting the Truth in this world of trial. They remain deaf to the call for Truth, until after death, when they go to God to face the result of their blindness.","It is a fact that the expectations one has of light are not applicable to darkness.  What one gets from the shade cannot be derived from sunlight. The same is the case with man. Among human beings, some have vision and some are blind. A man with eyes immediately sees his way and recognizes it. But one who is blind will simply go on groping in the dark. Similarly, with regard to insight there are two types of people, —one consisting of the living and the other consisting of the dead. The living man is one who sees things in depth—who tears apart the deceptive veil of words and grasps hidden meanings—who goes beyond superficial matters and tries to understand the inner reality—who assesses intrinsic values and not outward appearances—whose eyes are concentrated on real facts and not on irrelevant hair-splitting theories—who, after knowing the Truth, submits to it—he is the one who is alive. He is one who has been fortunate enough in this world to accept the Truth. Those whose behaviour is the very reverse of this are dead. They never come anywhere near accepting the Truth in this world of trial. They remain deaf to the call for Truth, until after death, when they go to God to face the result of their blindness.","It is a fact that the expectations one has of light are not applicable to darkness.  What one gets from the shade cannot be derived from sunlight. The same is the case with man. Among human beings, some have vision and some are blind. A man with eyes immediately sees his way and recognizes it. But one who is blind will simply go on groping in the dark. Similarly, with regard to insight there are two types of people, —one consisting of the living and the other consisting of the dead. The living man is one who sees things in depth—who tears apart the deceptive veil of words and grasps hidden meanings—who goes beyond superficial matters and tries to understand the inner reality—who assesses intrinsic values and not outward appearances—whose eyes are concentrated on real facts and not on irrelevant hair-splitting theories—who, after knowing the Truth, submits to it—he is the one who is alive. He is one who has been fortunate enough in this world to accept the Truth. Those whose behaviour is the very reverse of this are dead. They never come anywhere near accepting the Truth in this world of trial. They remain deaf to the call for Truth, until after death, when they go to God to face the result of their blindness.","It is a fact that the expectations one has of light are not applicable to darkness.  What one gets from the shade cannot be derived from sunlight. The same is the case with man. Among human beings, some have vision and some are blind. A man with eyes immediately sees his way and recognizes it. But one who is blind will simply go on groping in the dark. Similarly, with regard to insight there are two types of people, —one consisting of the living and the other consisting of the dead. The living man is one who sees things in depth—who tears apart the deceptive veil of words and grasps hidden meanings—who goes beyond superficial matters and tries to understand the inner reality—who assesses intrinsic values and not outward appearances—whose eyes are concentrated on real facts and not on irrelevant hair-splitting theories—who, after knowing the Truth, submits to it—he is the one who is alive. He is one who has been fortunate enough in this world to accept the Truth. Those whose behaviour is the very reverse of this are dead. They never come anywhere near accepting the Truth in this world of trial. They remain deaf to the call for Truth, until after death, when they go to God to face the result of their blindness.","It is a fact that the expectations one has of light are not applicable to darkness.  What one gets from the shade cannot be derived from sunlight. The same is the case with man. Among human beings, some have vision and some are blind. A man with eyes immediately sees his way and recognizes it. But one who is blind will simply go on groping in the dark. Similarly, with regard to insight there are two types of people, —one consisting of the living and the other consisting of the dead. The living man is one who sees things in depth—who tears apart the deceptive veil of words and grasps hidden meanings—who goes beyond superficial matters and tries to understand the inner reality—who assesses intrinsic values and not outward appearances—whose eyes are concentrated on real facts and not on irrelevant hair-splitting theories—who, after knowing the Truth, submits to it—he is the one who is alive. He is one who has been fortunate enough in this world to accept the Truth. Those whose behaviour is the very reverse of this are dead. They never come anywhere near accepting the Truth in this world of trial. They remain deaf to the call for Truth, until after death, when they go to God to face the result of their blindness.","It is a fact that the expectations one has of light are not applicable to darkness.  What one gets from the shade cannot be derived from sunlight. The same is the case with man. Among human beings, some have vision and some are blind. A man with eyes immediately sees his way and recognizes it. But one who is blind will simply go on groping in the dark. Similarly, with regard to insight there are two types of people, —one consisting of the living and the other consisting of the dead. The living man is one who sees things in depth—who tears apart the deceptive veil of words and grasps hidden meanings—who goes beyond superficial matters and tries to understand the inner reality—who assesses intrinsic values and not outward appearances—whose eyes are concentrated on real facts and not on irrelevant hair-splitting theories—who, after knowing the Truth, submits to it—he is the one who is alive. He is one who has been fortunate enough in this world to accept the Truth. Those whose behaviour is the very reverse of this are dead. They never come anywhere near accepting the Truth in this world of trial. They remain deaf to the call for Truth, until after death, when they go to God to face the result of their blindness.","It is a fact that the expectations one has of light are not applicable to darkness.  What one gets from the shade cannot be derived from sunlight. The same is the case with man. Among human beings, some have vision and some are blind. A man with eyes immediately sees his way and recognizes it. But one who is blind will simply go on groping in the dark. Similarly, with regard to insight there are two types of people, —one consisting of the living and the other consisting of the dead. The living man is one who sees things in depth—who tears apart the deceptive veil of words and grasps hidden meanings—who goes beyond superficial matters and tries to understand the inner reality—who assesses intrinsic values and not outward appearances—whose eyes are concentrated on real facts and not on irrelevant hair-splitting theories—who, after knowing the Truth, submits to it—he is the one who is alive. He is one who has been fortunate enough in this world to accept the Truth. Those whose behaviour is the very reverse of this are dead. They never come anywhere near accepting the Truth in this world of trial. They remain deaf to the call for Truth, until after death, when they go to God to face the result of their blindness.","It is a fact that the expectations one has of light are not applicable to darkness.  What one gets from the shade cannot be derived from sunlight. The same is the case with man. Among human beings, some have vision and some are blind. A man with eyes immediately sees his way and recognizes it. But one who is blind will simply go on groping in the dark. Similarly, with regard to insight there are two types of people, —one consisting of the living and the other consisting of the dead. The living man is one who sees things in depth—who tears apart the deceptive veil of words and grasps hidden meanings—who goes beyond superficial matters and tries to understand the inner reality—who assesses intrinsic values and not outward appearances—whose eyes are concentrated on real facts and not on irrelevant hair-splitting theories—who, after knowing the Truth, submits to it—he is the one who is alive. He is one who has been fortunate enough in this world to accept the Truth. Those whose behaviour is the very reverse of this are dead. They never come anywhere near accepting the Truth in this world of trial. They remain deaf to the call for Truth, until after death, when they go to God to face the result of their blindness.","The same rain cycle causes rain everywhere in the world but it causes different types of things to grow—useful plants as well as wild bushes. Similarly, there exist varied fauna; while man domesticates some and put them to use, others remain wild. God showers His blessings to all His creations without any discrimination, but in the case of man, the advantage taken depends upon individual capacity. The grace of God which presents itself in the form of the call for Truth is available to all, but its impact on different people varies, depending upon individual temperaments. Some find in it nourishment for the spirit and therefore, immediately accept the Truth and associate themselves with it. However, the mindset of others may present an impediment to their acceptance of the Truth, they may refuse to submit to it. Some even go to the extent of taking a stand against it. One who finds the call for Truth to be in consonance with the inner voice of his heart, is truly a man of knowledge; the natural Divine light of God was aflame in his heart, and that is why he recognized the Truth the moment it appeared. Unlike him, there are those who, out of ignorance, have hidden their natural divine light behind a screen and so fail to recognize the Truth when it reveals itself to them.","The same rain cycle causes rain everywhere in the world but it causes different types of things to grow—useful plants as well as wild bushes. Similarly, there exist varied fauna; while man domesticates some and put them to use, others remain wild. God showers His blessings to all His creations without any discrimination, but in the case of man, the advantage taken depends upon individual capacity. The grace of God which presents itself in the form of the call for Truth is available to all, but its impact on different people varies, depending upon individual temperaments. Some find in it nourishment for the spirit and therefore, immediately accept the Truth and associate themselves with it. However, the mindset of others may present an impediment to their acceptance of the Truth, they may refuse to submit to it. Some even go to the extent of taking a stand against it. One who finds the call for Truth to be in consonance with the inner voice of his heart, is truly a man of knowledge; the natural Divine light of God was aflame in his heart, and that is why he recognized the Truth the moment it appeared. Unlike him, there are those who, out of ignorance, have hidden their natural divine light behind a screen and so fail to recognize the Truth when it reveals itself to them.","The man of knowledge is one who experiences a deep realization of God (ma‘rifah) and one who attains this state, makes the Book of God, a guide in his thinking processes; he becomes a pious subject of God. Moreover, he becomes so kind to his fellow human beings that he sets apart a share from his hard-earned income for them. He gathers the courage to devote himself body and soul to God’s tasks and is content with the knowledge that he will be rewarded in the Hereafter. One of the proofs of the Quran being true is that it tallies exactly with forecasts made in the previous divine scriptures. If a man is serious and sincere, this very fact will be enough to make him have faith in Quran.","The man of knowledge is one who experiences a deep realization of God (ma‘rifah) and one who attains this state, makes the Book of God, a guide in his thinking processes; he becomes a pious subject of God. Moreover, he becomes so kind to his fellow human beings that he sets apart a share from his hard-earned income for them. He gathers the courage to devote himself body and soul to God’s tasks and is content with the knowledge that he will be rewarded in the Hereafter. One of the proofs of the Quran being true is that it tallies exactly with forecasts made in the previous divine scriptures. If a man is serious and sincere, this very fact will be enough to make him have faith in Quran.","Jacob was Abraham’s grandson. From Jacob up to the time of Jesus, all the prophets were from among the tribes of the Children of Israel. In this way, the chain of Jewish prophets remained unbroken for about two thousand years. But, latter day Jews did not remain capable of bearing aloft the Book of God. Therefore, another community, the Children of Isma‘il, was selected to be the guardian of the divine scriptures. The Prophet Muhammad was born into this tribe. When the Prophet Muhammad presented the Quran before the tribe (Children of Isma‘il), three groups emerged—one which consisted of those who stood in opposition, a second which adopted a middle way, and a third which believed in the message he presented. It was the last group, who stood by the Prophet at all times. They had to forego every comfort and lived lives of gruelling hard work during which time they exhibited great patience. As a reward for their sacrifice God admitted them in the everlasting gardens of paradise where no sorrow or trouble could ever affect them.","Jacob was Abraham’s grandson. From Jacob up to the time of Jesus, all the prophets were from among the tribes of the Children of Israel. In this way, the chain of Jewish prophets remained unbroken for about two thousand years. But, latter day Jews did not remain capable of bearing aloft the Book of God. Therefore, another community, the Children of Isma‘il, was selected to be the guardian of the divine scriptures. The Prophet Muhammad was born into this tribe. When the Prophet Muhammad presented the Quran before the tribe (Children of Isma‘il), three groups emerged—one which consisted of those who stood in opposition, a second which adopted a middle way, and a third which believed in the message he presented. It was the last group, who stood by the Prophet at all times. They had to forego every comfort and lived lives of gruelling hard work during which time they exhibited great patience. As a reward for their sacrifice God admitted them in the everlasting gardens of paradise where no sorrow or trouble could ever affect them.","Jacob was Abraham’s grandson. From Jacob up to the time of Jesus, all the prophets were from among the tribes of the Children of Israel. In this way, the chain of Jewish prophets remained unbroken for about two thousand years. But, latter day Jews did not remain capable of bearing aloft the Book of God. Therefore, another community, the Children of Isma‘il, was selected to be the guardian of the divine scriptures. The Prophet Muhammad was born into this tribe. When the Prophet Muhammad presented the Quran before the tribe (Children of Isma‘il), three groups emerged—one which consisted of those who stood in opposition, a second which adopted a middle way, and a third which believed in the message he presented. It was the last group, who stood by the Prophet at all times. They had to forego every comfort and lived lives of gruelling hard work during which time they exhibited great patience. As a reward for their sacrifice God admitted them in the everlasting gardens of paradise where no sorrow or trouble could ever affect them.","Jacob was Abraham’s grandson. From Jacob up to the time of Jesus, all the prophets were from among the tribes of the Children of Israel. In this way, the chain of Jewish prophets remained unbroken for about two thousand years. But, latter day Jews did not remain capable of bearing aloft the Book of God. Therefore, another community, the Children of Isma‘il, was selected to be the guardian of the divine scriptures. The Prophet Muhammad was born into this tribe. When the Prophet Muhammad presented the Quran before the tribe (Children of Isma‘il), three groups emerged—one which consisted of those who stood in opposition, a second which adopted a middle way, and a third which believed in the message he presented. It was the last group, who stood by the Prophet at all times. They had to forego every comfort and lived lives of gruelling hard work during which time they exhibited great patience. As a reward for their sacrifice God admitted them in the everlasting gardens of paradise where no sorrow or trouble could ever affect them.","Jacob was Abraham’s grandson. From Jacob up to the time of Jesus, all the prophets were from among the tribes of the Children of Israel. In this way, the chain of Jewish prophets remained unbroken for about two thousand years. But, latter day Jews did not remain capable of bearing aloft the Book of God. Therefore, another community, the Children of Isma‘il, was selected to be the guardian of the divine scriptures. The Prophet Muhammad was born into this tribe. When the Prophet Muhammad presented the Quran before the tribe (Children of Isma‘il), three groups emerged—one which consisted of those who stood in opposition, a second which adopted a middle way, and a third which believed in the message he presented. It was the last group, who stood by the Prophet at all times. They had to forego every comfort and lived lives of gruelling hard work during which time they exhibited great patience. As a reward for their sacrifice God admitted them in the everlasting gardens of paradise where no sorrow or trouble could ever affect them.","Those who deny the Truth in this world will admit the Truth in the Hereafter. But this will be of no avail, because in the Hereafter, such an admission will be made under compulsion, whereas God seeks voluntary submission from man. It is the denial and obstinacy of such wrongdoers which will make them incur the eternal wrath of God.","In this verse, being given ‘the earth to inherit’ (khalifah) means that ‘after the decline of the previous nations, a new nation was settled on the earth in their place.’ It is the way by which God gives a nation the opportunity to settle and make progress on the earth. If the nation proves itself incapable, He replaces it by another nation. This process of the transfer of power shall continue right until Doomsday. The advancements in the present age have made it possible even to take photographs in the dark and make an apparently inaudible sound audible to the human ear. Such possibilities indicate that the Creator of this universe is a Being who knows the unknown and is aware of the secrets hidden in one’s heart. Man therefore, is accountable before the all-knowing and all-powerful God from whom no offence remains concealed.","In this verse, being given ‘the earth to inherit’ (khalifah) means that ‘after the decline of the previous nations, a new nation was settled on the earth in their place.’ It is the way by which God gives a nation the opportunity to settle and make progress on the earth. If the nation proves itself incapable, He replaces it by another nation. This process of the transfer of power shall continue right until Doomsday. The advancements in the present age have made it possible even to take photographs in the dark and make an apparently inaudible sound audible to the human ear. Such possibilities indicate that the Creator of this universe is a Being who knows the unknown and is aware of the secrets hidden in one’s heart. Man therefore, is accountable before the all-knowing and all-powerful God from whom no offence remains concealed.","In this verse, being given ‘the earth to inherit’ (khalifah) means that ‘after the decline of the previous nations, a new nation was settled on the earth in their place.’ It is the way by which God gives a nation the opportunity to settle and make progress on the earth. If the nation proves itself incapable, He replaces it by another nation. This process of the transfer of power shall continue right until Doomsday. The advancements in the present age have made it possible even to take photographs in the dark and make an apparently inaudible sound audible to the human ear. Such possibilities indicate that the Creator of this universe is a Being who knows the unknown and is aware of the secrets hidden in one’s heart. Man therefore, is accountable before the all-knowing and all-powerful God from whom no offence remains concealed.","The creation of the universe, with its unlimited space and the innumerable astronomical bodies suspended in it, is an awe-inspiring phenomenon. Such colossal creation—an unimaginally gigantic feat—cannot be wholly or even partially attributed to any of the beings whom people worship as deities. The fact is that worship of entities other than God is entirely based on fraudulence. Such practices will continue only till Doomsday, for on that Day, they will vanish as if they had never existed.","The creation of the universe, with its unlimited space and the innumerable astronomical bodies suspended in it, is an awe-inspiring phenomenon. Such colossal creation—an unimaginally gigantic feat—cannot be wholly or even partially attributed to any of the beings whom people worship as deities. The fact is that worship of entities other than God is entirely based on fraudulence. Such practices will continue only till Doomsday, for on that Day, they will vanish as if they had never existed.","When the Arab people used to hear that the Jews and other people had flouted and disobeyed their prophets, they used to say enthusiastically that if any prophet appeared among them, they would accept him wholeheartedly and obey him. But, when their prophet did appear among them, they became his dire opponents. This mentality in some form or the other exists in all people. In this world, every man presents himself as a protagonist of Truth. He professes that whenever Truth appears before him, he will readily accept it. But, when the Truth emerges before him with clear supporting arguments, he ignores it and even opposes it. The denial of Truth therefore, is not the peculiarity of any particular community, but is an outcome of man’s psychology. The acceptance of Truth very often amounts to damaging one’s own importance, and naturally man does not want his stature to be diminished. That is why he refuses to accept the Truth. He forgets that although he has the option to reject the Truth, he has no power to save himself from the result of doing so.","When the Arab people used to hear that the Jews and other people had flouted and disobeyed their prophets, they used to say enthusiastically that if any prophet appeared among them, they would accept him wholeheartedly and obey him. But, when their prophet did appear among them, they became his dire opponents. This mentality in some form or the other exists in all people. In this world, every man presents himself as a protagonist of Truth. He professes that whenever Truth appears before him, he will readily accept it. But, when the Truth emerges before him with clear supporting arguments, he ignores it and even opposes it. The denial of Truth therefore, is not the peculiarity of any particular community, but is an outcome of man’s psychology. The acceptance of Truth very often amounts to damaging one’s own importance, and naturally man does not want his stature to be diminished. That is why he refuses to accept the Truth. He forgets that although he has the option to reject the Truth, he has no power to save himself from the result of doing so.","Man has been given freedom of action in the world, but he misuses it. His wrongs are so many that if he were caught hold of immediately for his wrongdoings, the entire human race would be wiped out from the world. But, human freedom is purely for the purpose of putting man to the test, and there is a period fixed for this. The period for an individual lasts till his death and the period fixed for humanity as a whole is till Doomsday. For this reason, the human race is still extant in the world. However, just as it is a fact that God does not seize hold of anybody before the expiry of the trial period, it must also be seriously considered that after the expiry of the trial period, He will definitely do so and nobody will escape the trial.","Man has been given freedom of action in the world, but he misuses it. His wrongs are so many that if he were caught hold of immediately for his wrongdoings, the entire human race would be wiped out from the world. But, human freedom is purely for the purpose of putting man to the test, and there is a period fixed for this. The period for an individual lasts till his death and the period fixed for humanity as a whole is till Doomsday. For this reason, the human race is still extant in the world. However, just as it is a fact that God does not seize hold of anybody before the expiry of the trial period, it must also be seriously considered that after the expiry of the trial period, He will definitely do so and nobody will escape the trial.","The Quran itself is the proof of Muhammad being the Prophet of God. The Quran calls mankind towards the right path, i.e. the path of righteousness. None of its contents clash with reason and nature. Even fifteen hundred years after the Quran was first revealed, nothing has been detected in it which can be called as irrational or unnatural. This distinct characteristic of the Quran is the greatest proof of its being the book of God. ‘So that you may warn a people.’ Here, ‘people’ refers to the Children of Isma‘il. Every prophet is raised primarily to address his contemporaries. Accordingly, the first addressees of the Prophet Muhammad were his own tribesmen. But although the institution of prophethood ended with him, the Prophethood of Muhammad shall continue until Doomsday—the difference being that, with the Children of Isma‘il, he personally and directly fulfilled his mission, while in respect of all other nations after him, the task of giving the call and fulfilling the mission shall have to be performed by his followers.","The Quran itself is the proof of Muhammad being the Prophet of God. The Quran calls mankind towards the right path, i.e. the path of righteousness. None of its contents clash with reason and nature. Even fifteen hundred years after the Quran was first revealed, nothing has been detected in it which can be called as irrational or unnatural. This distinct characteristic of the Quran is the greatest proof of its being the book of God. ‘So that you may warn a people.’ Here, ‘people’ refers to the Children of Isma‘il. Every prophet is raised primarily to address his contemporaries. Accordingly, the first addressees of the Prophet Muhammad were his own tribesmen. But although the institution of prophethood ended with him, the Prophethood of Muhammad shall continue until Doomsday—the difference being that, with the Children of Isma‘il, he personally and directly fulfilled his mission, while in respect of all other nations after him, the task of giving the call and fulfilling the mission shall have to be performed by his followers.","The Quran itself is the proof of Muhammad being the Prophet of God. The Quran calls mankind towards the right path, i.e. the path of righteousness. None of its contents clash with reason and nature. Even fifteen hundred years after the Quran was first revealed, nothing has been detected in it which can be called as irrational or unnatural. This distinct characteristic of the Quran is the greatest proof of its being the book of God. ‘So that you may warn a people.’ Here, ‘people’ refers to the Children of Isma‘il. Every prophet is raised primarily to address his contemporaries. Accordingly, the first addressees of the Prophet Muhammad were his own tribesmen. But although the institution of prophethood ended with him, the Prophethood of Muhammad shall continue until Doomsday—the difference being that, with the Children of Isma‘il, he personally and directly fulfilled his mission, while in respect of all other nations after him, the task of giving the call and fulfilling the mission shall have to be performed by his followers.","The Quran itself is the proof of Muhammad being the Prophet of God. The Quran calls mankind towards the right path, i.e. the path of righteousness. None of its contents clash with reason and nature. Even fifteen hundred years after the Quran was first revealed, nothing has been detected in it which can be called as irrational or unnatural. This distinct characteristic of the Quran is the greatest proof of its being the book of God. ‘So that you may warn a people.’ Here, ‘people’ refers to the Children of Isma‘il. Every prophet is raised primarily to address his contemporaries. Accordingly, the first addressees of the Prophet Muhammad were his own tribesmen. But although the institution of prophethood ended with him, the Prophethood of Muhammad shall continue until Doomsday—the difference being that, with the Children of Isma‘il, he personally and directly fulfilled his mission, while in respect of all other nations after him, the task of giving the call and fulfilling the mission shall have to be performed by his followers.","The Quran itself is the proof of Muhammad being the Prophet of God. The Quran calls mankind towards the right path, i.e. the path of righteousness. None of its contents clash with reason and nature. Even fifteen hundred years after the Quran was first revealed, nothing has been detected in it which can be called as irrational or unnatural. This distinct characteristic of the Quran is the greatest proof of its being the book of God. ‘So that you may warn a people.’ Here, ‘people’ refers to the Children of Isma‘il. Every prophet is raised primarily to address his contemporaries. Accordingly, the first addressees of the Prophet Muhammad were his own tribesmen. But although the institution of prophethood ended with him, the Prophethood of Muhammad shall continue until Doomsday—the difference being that, with the Children of Isma‘il, he personally and directly fulfilled his mission, while in respect of all other nations after him, the task of giving the call and fulfilling the mission shall have to be performed by his followers.","The Quran itself is the proof of Muhammad being the Prophet of God. The Quran calls mankind towards the right path, i.e. the path of righteousness. None of its contents clash with reason and nature. Even fifteen hundred years after the Quran was first revealed, nothing has been detected in it which can be called as irrational or unnatural. This distinct characteristic of the Quran is the greatest proof of its being the book of God. ‘So that you may warn a people.’ Here, ‘people’ refers to the Children of Isma‘il. Every prophet is raised primarily to address his contemporaries. Accordingly, the first addressees of the Prophet Muhammad were his own tribesmen. But although the institution of prophethood ended with him, the Prophethood of Muhammad shall continue until Doomsday—the difference being that, with the Children of Isma‘il, he personally and directly fulfilled his mission, while in respect of all other nations after him, the task of giving the call and fulfilling the mission shall have to be performed by his followers.","If a man’s neck is encircled by chains, his head will stay raised and he will not be able to see anything below. This is the picture of those proud individuals who are so engrossed in self-aggrandisement that they are unable to see any reality beyond themselves. Such people never admit the Truth. It is very important for a man to be inclined to admit the Truth in order to avail of guidance; he should always be conscious and fearful of having to appear before God; he should never settle for anything less than the whole and absolute Truth. People who are so inclined towards the Truth as soon as it appears, consequently receive the greatest reward from God.","If a man’s neck is encircled by chains, his head will stay raised and he will not be able to see anything below. This is the picture of those proud individuals who are so engrossed in self-aggrandisement that they are unable to see any reality beyond themselves. Such people never admit the Truth. It is very important for a man to be inclined to admit the Truth in order to avail of guidance; he should always be conscious and fearful of having to appear before God; he should never settle for anything less than the whole and absolute Truth. People who are so inclined towards the Truth as soon as it appears, consequently receive the greatest reward from God.","If a man’s neck is encircled by chains, his head will stay raised and he will not be able to see anything below. This is the picture of those proud individuals who are so engrossed in self-aggrandisement that they are unable to see any reality beyond themselves. Such people never admit the Truth. It is very important for a man to be inclined to admit the Truth in order to avail of guidance; he should always be conscious and fearful of having to appear before God; he should never settle for anything less than the whole and absolute Truth. People who are so inclined towards the Truth as soon as it appears, consequently receive the greatest reward from God.","If a man’s neck is encircled by chains, his head will stay raised and he will not be able to see anything below. This is the picture of those proud individuals who are so engrossed in self-aggrandisement that they are unable to see any reality beyond themselves. Such people never admit the Truth. It is very important for a man to be inclined to admit the Truth in order to avail of guidance; he should always be conscious and fearful of having to appear before God; he should never settle for anything less than the whole and absolute Truth. People who are so inclined towards the Truth as soon as it appears, consequently receive the greatest reward from God.","If a man’s neck is encircled by chains, his head will stay raised and he will not be able to see anything below. This is the picture of those proud individuals who are so engrossed in self-aggrandisement that they are unable to see any reality beyond themselves. Such people never admit the Truth. It is very important for a man to be inclined to admit the Truth in order to avail of guidance; he should always be conscious and fearful of having to appear before God; he should never settle for anything less than the whole and absolute Truth. People who are so inclined towards the Truth as soon as it appears, consequently receive the greatest reward from God.","Modern research has established that whatever a man utters remains preserved in the atmosphere in the form of vibrations or waves. Similarly, the image of the actions which a man performs remains preserved in the form of light waves. In other words, every individual in this world is being constantly video-recorded. It should be borne in mind that in this world, without a man’s knowledge and quite independent of his will, his utterances and actions, being completely recorded and preserved, could be replayed any time later.","The township referred to in these verses was perhaps a settlement in Egypt where two prophets, Moses and Aaron were sent to admonish the people. But they rejected both of them. Then, a third person from amongst their own community came forth to support the Prophets, but this angered His fellow-men so much that they threatened to stone him, if he did not stop. At all times, the bitterest pill for a man to swallow is the piece of advice which is not to his liking. He flares up as soon as he hears it. Consequently, he cannot consider it with a balanced mind and does not assess it in the light of reason. Swayed by obstinacy and hatred, he goes on saying irrelevant things against it. Making assessments in the light of reason is to remain within reasonable limits but irrational opposition amounts to transgressing those limits.","The township referred to in these verses was perhaps a settlement in Egypt where two prophets, Moses and Aaron were sent to admonish the people. But they rejected both of them. Then, a third person from amongst their own community came forth to support the Prophets, but this angered His fellow-men so much that they threatened to stone him, if he did not stop. At all times, the bitterest pill for a man to swallow is the piece of advice which is not to his liking. He flares up as soon as he hears it. Consequently, he cannot consider it with a balanced mind and does not assess it in the light of reason. Swayed by obstinacy and hatred, he goes on saying irrelevant things against it. Making assessments in the light of reason is to remain within reasonable limits but irrational opposition amounts to transgressing those limits.","The township referred to in these verses was perhaps a settlement in Egypt where two prophets, Moses and Aaron were sent to admonish the people. But they rejected both of them. Then, a third person from amongst their own community came forth to support the Prophets, but this angered His fellow-men so much that they threatened to stone him, if he did not stop. At all times, the bitterest pill for a man to swallow is the piece of advice which is not to his liking. He flares up as soon as he hears it. Consequently, he cannot consider it with a balanced mind and does not assess it in the light of reason. Swayed by obstinacy and hatred, he goes on saying irrelevant things against it. Making assessments in the light of reason is to remain within reasonable limits but irrational opposition amounts to transgressing those limits.","The township referred to in these verses was perhaps a settlement in Egypt where two prophets, Moses and Aaron were sent to admonish the people. But they rejected both of them. Then, a third person from amongst their own community came forth to support the Prophets, but this angered His fellow-men so much that they threatened to stone him, if he did not stop. At all times, the bitterest pill for a man to swallow is the piece of advice which is not to his liking. He flares up as soon as he hears it. Consequently, he cannot consider it with a balanced mind and does not assess it in the light of reason. Swayed by obstinacy and hatred, he goes on saying irrelevant things against it. Making assessments in the light of reason is to remain within reasonable limits but irrational opposition amounts to transgressing those limits.","The township referred to in these verses was perhaps a settlement in Egypt where two prophets, Moses and Aaron were sent to admonish the people. But they rejected both of them. Then, a third person from amongst their own community came forth to support the Prophets, but this angered His fellow-men so much that they threatened to stone him, if he did not stop. At all times, the bitterest pill for a man to swallow is the piece of advice which is not to his liking. He flares up as soon as he hears it. Consequently, he cannot consider it with a balanced mind and does not assess it in the light of reason. Swayed by obstinacy and hatred, he goes on saying irrelevant things against it. Making assessments in the light of reason is to remain within reasonable limits but irrational opposition amounts to transgressing those limits.","The township referred to in these verses was perhaps a settlement in Egypt where two prophets, Moses and Aaron were sent to admonish the people. But they rejected both of them. Then, a third person from amongst their own community came forth to support the Prophets, but this angered His fellow-men so much that they threatened to stone him, if he did not stop. At all times, the bitterest pill for a man to swallow is the piece of advice which is not to his liking. He flares up as soon as he hears it. Consequently, he cannot consider it with a balanced mind and does not assess it in the light of reason. Swayed by obstinacy and hatred, he goes on saying irrelevant things against it. Making assessments in the light of reason is to remain within reasonable limits but irrational opposition amounts to transgressing those limits.","The township referred to in these verses was perhaps a settlement in Egypt where two prophets, Moses and Aaron were sent to admonish the people. But they rejected both of them. Then, a third person from amongst their own community came forth to support the Prophets, but this angered His fellow-men so much that they threatened to stone him, if he did not stop. At all times, the bitterest pill for a man to swallow is the piece of advice which is not to his liking. He flares up as soon as he hears it. Consequently, he cannot consider it with a balanced mind and does not assess it in the light of reason. Swayed by obstinacy and hatred, he goes on saying irrelevant things against it. Making assessments in the light of reason is to remain within reasonable limits but irrational opposition amounts to transgressing those limits.","Both the prophets at that time were powerless. Nevertheless, this third man associated himself with them. In the struggle between truth and untruth, man has to take the side of the truth, even if it amounts to supporting the weak against the strong. The third man urged the people of his community to pay heed to the words of the earlier Prophets who were on the straight path and who did not seek any return for guiding rightly. This shows that in spite of a man being selfless and well-intentioned, his words will be examined in the light of reason, and will be deemed to be of value only if they measure up to the standard of reason.","The believer had risked his own life to support the call of the prophets before him. This action of his was of such great worth that he was sent to Paradise. After entering Paradise he did not speak ill of his people, although they were transgressors. On the contrary, he felt that, had they seen his reward, they would not have opposed the truth. This is the picture of a true believer. He is the well-wisher of others under all circumstances, even if he is oppressed by them.","The believer had risked his own life to support the call of the prophets before him. This action of his was of such great worth that he was sent to Paradise. After entering Paradise he did not speak ill of his people, although they were transgressors. On the contrary, he felt that, had they seen his reward, they would not have opposed the truth. This is the picture of a true believer. He is the well-wisher of others under all circumstances, even if he is oppressed by them.","The believer had risked his own life to support the call of the prophets before him. This action of his was of such great worth that he was sent to Paradise. After entering Paradise he did not speak ill of his people, although they were transgressors. On the contrary, he felt that, had they seen his reward, they would not have opposed the truth. This is the picture of a true believer. He is the well-wisher of others under all circumstances, even if he is oppressed by them.","The believer had risked his own life to support the call of the prophets before him. This action of his was of such great worth that he was sent to Paradise. After entering Paradise he did not speak ill of his people, although they were transgressors. On the contrary, he felt that, had they seen his reward, they would not have opposed the truth. This is the picture of a true believer. He is the well-wisher of others under all circumstances, even if he is oppressed by them.","The believer had risked his own life to support the call of the prophets before him. This action of his was of such great worth that he was sent to Paradise. After entering Paradise he did not speak ill of his people, although they were transgressors. On the contrary, he felt that, had they seen his reward, they would not have opposed the truth. This is the picture of a true believer. He is the well-wisher of others under all circumstances, even if he is oppressed by them.","The believer had risked his own life to support the call of the prophets before him. This action of his was of such great worth that he was sent to Paradise. After entering Paradise he did not speak ill of his people, although they were transgressors. On the contrary, he felt that, had they seen his reward, they would not have opposed the truth. This is the picture of a true believer. He is the well-wisher of others under all circumstances, even if he is oppressed by them.","The believer had risked his own life to support the call of the prophets before him. This action of his was of such great worth that he was sent to Paradise. After entering Paradise he did not speak ill of his people, although they were transgressors. On the contrary, he felt that, had they seen his reward, they would not have opposed the truth. This is the picture of a true believer. He is the well-wisher of others under all circumstances, even if he is oppressed by them."]