["When God sends one of his messenger to bring the truth to mankind, his call is marked by signs so unmistakable that his congregation has no difficulty in recognizing his message to be from God. Yet, in spite of this, people give no credence to his words. The first to deny God’s messenger are those who are followers of past prophets. Each prophet received certain special favours from God in order to facilitate the communication of his message according to the varying exigencies of the different historical periods in which he lived. But the followers, attaching too much importance to   the miracle bestowed by God on a particular prophet, came to believe that their particular prophet was superior to all others. They felt that none could surpass the prophet they believed in. They consequently saw no reason to listen to the contemporary prophet whose name had yet to be hallowed by tradition. For instance, believers in Moses rejected Jesus. Followers of the latter disbelieved in the Prophet Muhammad. In the case of Moses, his followers held him to be greater than all other prophets, because he had had the distinction of being addressed directly by God. Believers in Jesus considered him peerless, because he had been born to a virgin mother. Those who have come to reform and revitalize the Muslim community since the passing of the Final Prophet have fared no better. They have been treated with total irreverence, as creatures of no account whatsoever, for the simple reason that their contemporaries believed themselves to be successors of earlier saints and thus were in no need of further religious counselling, particularly by someone who appeared to be inferior to their own predecessors. When communities begin to go into a decline, they become preoccupied with wordly interests, yet they do not wish to forfeit their ‘right’ to salvation, and as a form of psychological defence, attach themselves mentally to hallowed religious personalities. They fondly imagine that the lofty status of their saintly patrons will ensure their redemption in the next world, no matter how unethical their conduct might have been in this world. It is this false sense of security which gives such people the audacity to oppose those who call them to God. It is imaginable that God might have arranged human destiny in such a way that man, having no freedom to demur, was obliged invariably to bow to His will. But this was not part of God’s scheme for mankind. God gave man freedom of action in order to put him to the divine test: He wished to see if man could find his way to his Maker, while He Himself remained invisible. For this reason, man is required to be able to recognize the word of God, albeit uttered by the human tongue, and to penetrate the veil of outward forms in order to reach the hidden, inner truth.","Only one who spends for the cause of God finds God. When he finds Him, he comes into possession of a light which leads him on to the straight and undeviating path to paradise—the final destination of a true believer. On the other hand, one who wants God without paying this price, remains in darkness forever. ‘Spending for God’s cause’ relates here to any kind of sacrifice made for the sake of God, and not merely to spending one’s wealth: for instance, devoting one’s life to the cause of God; sacrificing one’s material interests and considerations to go ahead along God’s path. When one accepts an ideology at the cost of sacrifice, then it shows that one is sincere about it. Sincerity is a matter of great importance, for, regardless of the issue, it is only when one is sincere that one can delve deeply into the subject; then all its secrets are laid bare before one. It is this element of sincerity that enables a real relationship to be created between the man and his goal. In consequence, all the aspects of that goal are revealed to him.","Unlike sincere devotees, there are some who never accept religion at the cost of the surrender of their being. They are never serious in matters of religion, and as a result believe that intercession by certain religious seers or the performance of certain rituals, or the observance of certain forms is enough to earn salvation in the Hereafter.  Due to their insincerity about the Hereafter, they fail to understand that Doomsday is the Day of the manifestation of God’s power and majesty. Hoping that the performance of certain superficial rituals might earn them God Almighty’s pleasure is indeed an underestimation of God’s divinity. This only increases their sinfulness in the eyes of God. The truth comes to one in the form of arguments, and one who is not sincere summarily rejects them. This is one of Satan’s temptations. Guidance comes only to those who scrupulously resist Satan’s temptations and, recognizing the divine arguments, wholeheartedly concur in them.","Unlike sincere devotees, there are some who never accept religion at the cost of the surrender of their being. They are never serious in matters of religion, and as a result believe that intercession by certain religious seers or the performance of certain rituals, or the observance of certain forms is enough to earn salvation in the Hereafter.  Due to their insincerity about the Hereafter, they fail to understand that Doomsday is the Day of the manifestation of God’s power and majesty. Hoping that the performance of certain superficial rituals might earn them God Almighty’s pleasure is indeed an underestimation of God’s divinity. This only increases their sinfulness in the eyes of God. The truth comes to one in the form of arguments, and one who is not sincere summarily rejects them. This is one of Satan’s temptations. Guidance comes only to those who scrupulously resist Satan’s temptations and, recognizing the divine arguments, wholeheartedly concur in them.","Unlike sincere devotees, there are some who never accept religion at the cost of the surrender of their being. They are never serious in matters of religion, and as a result believe that intercession by certain religious seers or the performance of certain rituals, or the observance of certain forms is enough to earn salvation in the Hereafter.  Due to their insincerity about the Hereafter, they fail to understand that Doomsday is the Day of the manifestation of God’s power and majesty. Hoping that the performance of certain superficial rituals might earn them God Almighty’s pleasure is indeed an underestimation of God’s divinity. This only increases their sinfulness in the eyes of God. The truth comes to one in the form of arguments, and one who is not sincere summarily rejects them. This is one of Satan’s temptations. Guidance comes only to those who scrupulously resist Satan’s temptations and, recognizing the divine arguments, wholeheartedly concur in them.","In the modern age, the right to govern a people is secured by popular support. However, that was not the case in pre-democratic times, when kings sanctioned their rule over their subjects by laying claim to being some kind of divine incarnation. Nimrod, a king of ancient Iraq, was a case in point. A contemporary of Abraham, he was one of those monarchs who used this method to back up his right of sovereignty over the people. The sun was believed by his people to be the Chief of the gods and was thus revered by them as an object of worship. Nimrod claimed that he was an incarnation of the sun-god, a position which gave him a divine right to worldly sovereignty. When Abraham preached the message of the One God in the land of Iraq, his teachings had no direct connection with politics or government in the country. All he did was to impress upon the people that there was but One God; He was their sole Lord and Master. There were no partners with Him in the godhead, so mankind should worship Him alone, fearing Him and placing their hopes in Him. Though Abraham’s message was apolitical, it nevertheless appeared to Nimrod as a threat to his political claims, for according to the message taught by Abraham, even the sun was part of God’s creation. It had no power of its own, but was controlled by God Almighty. Had his subjects accepted Abraham’s message of the One God, it would have amounted to demolishing the theological base on which the edifice of his political power rested. It was for this reason that Nimrod turned vehemently against Abraham and his teachings. The dialogue conducted between Abraham and Nimrod shows us the method adopted by the prophets in the communication of their message. First of all, Abraham pointed out that his Lord had control over life and death. Immediately, Nimrod disputed this, claiming himself to have power over life and death. Abraham, of course, could have answered this claim made by Nimrod, but he did not want the conversation to deteriorate into a heated polemical discussion. So, instead of persisting with this point, he changed the subject and chose another example, one with which Nimrod would not be able to argue. Abraham did not consider Nimrod his enemy or rival. Rather, he had compassion for him as a madu‘ (addressee) and earnestly wished to communicate to him the message of Truth. It was this compassion which showed Abraham the correct method to be adopted in addressing the Iraqi king. Since the present world is a place where man is being tested, there are always different options open to everyone. This causes people to construe situations in different ways. For instance, should one be endowed with worldly wealth and power, one may consider these to be a personal success, the outcome of one’s own talent. One may, on the other hand, look at them purely as blessings from God. The former way of seeing things amounts to grave injustice, while the latter shows a grateful disposition. For one who is thankless in his outlook, everything in this world will only serve to lead him further astray. Everything he experiences will only add to his pride and conceit. But for those who are grateful for what they have been given, everything they experience in this world leads them closer to God. The world, and all that it contains, serves to stimulate their faith in God.","The two experiences of resurrection after death mentioned here relate to the prophets. It is generally thought that in the first incident, the prophet in question was Ezra (Uzayr) (5th century BC), while in the second, as the Quran itself makes clear, it was Abraham, who lived between the years 2160 and 1985 BC. Prophets are sent by God in order to inform mankind of realities which, for ordinary people, lie beyond the realm of human vision, being screened by a veil of cause and effect. This veil is removed, however, in the case of the prophets, since it is their task to inform others of these realities. This can be done with far greater conviction if they have actually witnessed with their own eyes the facts which they attempt to convey to the rest of mankind. Their hearers, also, are more likely to believe in their message, rather than treating it purely as hearsay. Prophets have generally been endowed with prophethood around the age of forty. Prior to this, they have shown impeccable honesty in their dealings with their fellows. Having provided practical proof of their truthfulness, the time then came for them to inform mankind of those realities of life which God, in order to test men, has kept hidden from them. These truthful human beings, known as prophets, communicated to mankind the message revealed to them by God, while providing evidence based on nature and reason to back up their teachings. The prophets have always been fully sincere in what they taught. It is  shown by the fact that they themselves have never wavered from  the truth, despite the severe hardships which they had to endure as a result of following this course. If they had simply concocted their message, they would not have proved so persistent in their adherence to it, for the mendacious usually crack under pressure and abandon the subject. Neither does something, which has been formulated by the human mind, as opposed to being inspired by God, conform so perfectly to the phenomena of the outside world.","The two experiences of resurrection after death mentioned here relate to the prophets. It is generally thought that in the first incident, the prophet in question was Ezra (Uzayr) (5th century BC), while in the second, as the Quran itself makes clear, it was Abraham, who lived between the years 2160 and 1985 BC. Prophets are sent by God in order to inform mankind of realities which, for ordinary people, lie beyond the realm of human vision, being screened by a veil of cause and effect. This veil is removed, however, in the case of the prophets, since it is their task to inform others of these realities. This can be done with far greater conviction if they have actually witnessed with their own eyes the facts which they attempt to convey to the rest of mankind. Their hearers, also, are more likely to believe in their message, rather than treating it purely as hearsay. Prophets have generally been endowed with prophethood around the age of forty. Prior to this, they have shown impeccable honesty in their dealings with their fellows. Having provided practical proof of their truthfulness, the time then came for them to inform mankind of those realities of life which God, in order to test men, has kept hidden from them. These truthful human beings, known as prophets, communicated to mankind the message revealed to them by God, while providing evidence based on nature and reason to back up their teachings. The prophets have always been fully sincere in what they taught. It is  shown by the fact that they themselves have never wavered from  the truth, despite the severe hardships which they had to endure as a result of following this course. If they had simply concocted their message, they would not have proved so persistent in their adherence to it, for the mendacious usually crack under pressure and abandon the subject. Neither does something, which has been formulated by the human mind, as opposed to being inspired by God, conform so perfectly to the phenomena of the outside world.","Every act committed by man is like a seed planted in the ground. If one does something in order to be admired by others, it is as though one is planting a seed in the earth of this world. If, on the other hand, one acts in order to please God, then one has sown a seed in the everlasting fields of the Hereafter, where it will blossom and bear fruit. In this world, one seed produces a thousand grains of corn. Likewise in the harvest of the Hereafter, man will reap rewards far in excess of what he has sown.","One who spends his wealth in order to gain worldly fame and prestige, and who seeks to be recompensed in this ephemeral world, will have no share in the rewards of the life everlasting. Those who spend for the cause of God, on the other hand, adopt a different approach. They do not, for one, taunt their beneficiaries with reminders of the favours they have bestowed. Indeed, having spent from their wealth for the cause of God, they do not consider themselves to have bestowed any favour at all upon anyone. And they do not show any displeasure if a gracious response is not forthcoming from those to whom they have been generous. This is because their hopes are pinned on being rewarded in full by God, so what do they care if human beings show appreciation or not? Moreover, if they are unable to accede to a request for monetary assistance, at least they do not rebuff the suppliant. Instead, they find kind words with which to excuse themselves, for they know that God hears everything they say. Their fear of God makes them circumspect in the choice of words they utter to their fellow human beings.","Some soil (earth) may collect on the surface of a boulder. Outwardly, it appears as though this is good, fertile soil, but when a gust of wind brings a rain-shower down upon it, then the earth is washed away, leaving the rock exposed to the elements. The same is true of one who has donned a superficial robe of piety, without that piety having permeated his entire being. Should he be addressed rudely by someone asking for financial help, or should his ego receive a wounding blow, he becomes so irritated that he exceeds all bounds of decency in his response. Incidents of this nature are like the showers of rain which wash away his outward garb of piety, leaving his true nature exposed to the outside world. To do things for God’s sake, is to give priority to the invisible over the visible world. It is to set one’s sights on an unseen world, over and above the world which meets the eye. This requires a loftiness of vision. Those who show such sublimity of vision have the door of God’s realization opened to them.","Some soil (earth) may collect on the surface of a boulder. Outwardly, it appears as though this is good, fertile soil, but when a gust of wind brings a rain-shower down upon it, then the earth is washed away, leaving the rock exposed to the elements. The same is true of one who has donned a superficial robe of piety, without that piety having permeated his entire being. Should he be addressed rudely by someone asking for financial help, or should his ego receive a wounding blow, he becomes so irritated that he exceeds all bounds of decency in his response. Incidents of this nature are like the showers of rain which wash away his outward garb of piety, leaving his true nature exposed to the outside world. To do things for God’s sake, is to give priority to the invisible over the visible world. It is to set one’s sights on an unseen world, over and above the world which meets the eye. This requires a loftiness of vision. Those who show such sublimity of vision have the door of God’s realization opened to them.","If an individual has some goal in mind, his own striving towards the attainment of that goal further strengthens his will-power and increases the mental resolve which enables him to reach his objective. Should it be the objects of his own desires towards which his efforts are directed, then the more he exerts himself, the more he will set his heart on them. However, should it be the will of God that holds pride of place in determining his actions, then it will be God on whom his heart is set. One acts at all events under conditions which are sometimes difficult and sometimes comparatively easy. But the more difficult the conditions one encounters, the greater will be the increase in one’s will-power and the stronger one’s connection to that on which one’s heart is set. One who spends for the cause of God under normal conditions will certainly have his reward from God. However, when spending for God’s cause is done in adverse circumstances, which call for a special exercise of will-power, the reward which God grants on such occasions will be commensurately greater. For instance, if the outlay of one’s wealth is done on something from which no worldly benefit will be forthcoming, then in that case it is done solely for the sake of God. Then one may have to give to a person to whom one would rather not give anything. Again it is done just to please God. One may have a grudge against someone, yet one still extends to him the hand of friendship. All these acts strengthen one’s bond with the Lord, opening the way to His special grace and succour.","When an individual plants an orchard in his youth, he does so in the hope that he will enjoy its fruits when he grows old. How unfortunate, then, is one who sees his beautiful orchard reduced to rubble towards the end of his days, just when he stands in greatest need of it. Now time has run out on him and he has no chance of nurturing new saplings. This is exactly what will happen to those who engage themselves in a religious cause, purely out of lust for worldly prestige and profit. Outwardly, they appear to be engaged in pious works, but it is only in their form that their actions differ from those of the run-of-the-mill materialists of this world. In reality, there is no difference between the two types of people. Normally, people seeking worldly fame and prestige, choose worldly means of attaining their goals, whereas hypocritical people choose religious means of advancement towards the same worldly ends. All are aiming at the same mundane goals; only the ways in which they go about achieving them are different. People guided by worldly motives in all their actions will find no reward awaiting them in the Hereafter. God’s signs take an abtruse form. Only those who cultivate in themselves a capacity for reflection are able to decipher these signs and, through them, come to know God.","There are two ways of spending one’s earnings in this world. One is to spend in ways shown by Satan. Another is to spend in ways shown by God. What Satan does is to impress on the minds of human beings the importance of personal requirements, and bring about conviction that all their earnings are best spent on personal comforts and luxuries. When Satan sees that any individual has more wealth than is necessary for his personal needs, he kindles in him another desire, that of indulging in showy activities. At the instigation of Satan, man spends all his money on ostentatious living and feels happy that he has spent his money in the best possible way. What is desired of man is that he should not regard his wealth as his personal possession but rather as something that belongs only to God. He should spend as much of his wealth as is necessary for his actual needs and the rest he should spend on achieving higher goals. He should give this surplus wealth to the weaker of God’s servants and also spend for the cause of God’s religion. When he spends for the weaker section of society, he hopes that in the Hereafter, when he appears empty-handed before God, he will not be deprived of God’s blessings. Similarly, when he spends his wealth for the cause of God’s religion, he allies himself with God’s mission.","There are two ways of spending one’s earnings in this world. One is to spend in ways shown by Satan. Another is to spend in ways shown by God. What Satan does is to impress on the minds of human beings the importance of personal requirements, and bring about conviction that all their earnings are best spent on personal comforts and luxuries. When Satan sees that any individual has more wealth than is necessary for his personal needs, he kindles in him another desire, that of indulging in showy activities. At the instigation of Satan, man spends all his money on ostentatious living and feels happy that he has spent his money in the best possible way. What is desired of man is that he should not regard his wealth as his personal possession but rather as something that belongs only to God. He should spend as much of his wealth as is necessary for his actual needs and the rest he should spend on achieving higher goals. He should give this surplus wealth to the weaker of God’s servants and also spend for the cause of God’s religion. When he spends for the weaker section of society, he hopes that in the Hereafter, when he appears empty-handed before God, he will not be deprived of God’s blessings. Similarly, when he spends his wealth for the cause of God’s religion, he allies himself with God’s mission.","One who spends his money for the sake of God in the way that He has commanded him to do, proves that he has been blessed with wisdom. Wisdom here means knowledge and understanding of the Quran. The biggest folly is to be so enamoured of one’s wealth that one fails to spend for the cause of God, and the greatest wisdom lies in recognizing that monetary interests do not present any obstacle to one’s engaging oneself in God’s work. One should consider God’s cause as one’s own. One who lives within the cocoon of personal interests and considerations cannot possess the insight which would enable him to see higher realities and experience higher states of consciousness. On the contrary, one who goes ahead towards God by ignoring all personal considerations raises himself above all limitations. His consciousness reaches the divine level of God, who is independent (free from all wants), praiseworthy, all-sufficient, and wise. Man is thus enabled to see things as they are. For he goes beyond the limitations which serve as obstacles to seeing things in their true form. However true any argument may be, its truth dawns upon one only when one can see it with an open mind.","One who spends his money for the sake of God in the way that He has commanded him to do, proves that he has been blessed with wisdom. Wisdom here means knowledge and understanding of the Quran. The biggest folly is to be so enamoured of one’s wealth that one fails to spend for the cause of God, and the greatest wisdom lies in recognizing that monetary interests do not present any obstacle to one’s engaging oneself in God’s work. One should consider God’s cause as one’s own. One who lives within the cocoon of personal interests and considerations cannot possess the insight which would enable him to see higher realities and experience higher states of consciousness. On the contrary, one who goes ahead towards God by ignoring all personal considerations raises himself above all limitations. His consciousness reaches the divine level of God, who is independent (free from all wants), praiseworthy, all-sufficient, and wise. Man is thus enabled to see things as they are. For he goes beyond the limitations which serve as obstacles to seeing things in their true form. However true any argument may be, its truth dawns upon one only when one can see it with an open mind.","One who spends his money for the sake of God in the way that He has commanded him to do, proves that he has been blessed with wisdom. Wisdom here means knowledge and understanding of the Quran. The biggest folly is to be so enamoured of one’s wealth that one fails to spend for the cause of God, and the greatest wisdom lies in recognizing that monetary interests do not present any obstacle to one’s engaging oneself in God’s work. One should consider God’s cause as one’s own. One who lives within the cocoon of personal interests and considerations cannot possess the insight which would enable him to see higher realities and experience higher states of consciousness. On the contrary, one who goes ahead towards God by ignoring all personal considerations raises himself above all limitations. His consciousness reaches the divine level of God, who is independent (free from all wants), praiseworthy, all-sufficient, and wise. Man is thus enabled to see things as they are. For he goes beyond the limitations which serve as obstacles to seeing things in their true form. However true any argument may be, its truth dawns upon one only when one can see it with an open mind.","One who spends his money for the sake of God in the way that He has commanded him to do, proves that he has been blessed with wisdom. Wisdom here means knowledge and understanding of the Quran. The biggest folly is to be so enamoured of one’s wealth that one fails to spend for the cause of God, and the greatest wisdom lies in recognizing that monetary interests do not present any obstacle to one’s engaging oneself in God’s work. One should consider God’s cause as one’s own. One who lives within the cocoon of personal interests and considerations cannot possess the insight which would enable him to see higher realities and experience higher states of consciousness. On the contrary, one who goes ahead towards God by ignoring all personal considerations raises himself above all limitations. His consciousness reaches the divine level of God, who is independent (free from all wants), praiseworthy, all-sufficient, and wise. Man is thus enabled to see things as they are. For he goes beyond the limitations which serve as obstacles to seeing things in their true form. However true any argument may be, its truth dawns upon one only when one can see it with an open mind.","There are two ways of spending one’s earnings in this world. One is to spend in ways shown by Satan. Another is to spend in ways shown by God. What Satan does is to impress on the minds of human beings the importance of personal requirements, and bring about conviction that all their earnings are best spent on personal comforts and luxuries.","The greatest way to spend money for the cause of God is to extend monetary help to those of God’s servants who have devoted themselves wholly to the cause of His religion, thus leaving themselves no time to earn for their personal needs. Just as a successful businessman has little free time for anything except his business, similarly one who serves the cause of religion full time has no time to work to make money for himself. Furthermore, each job shapes in a particular way the thinking of the person involved. One who involves himself in business develops the relevant skills, so that he is able to easily understand the complexities of commerce. But that same person will not be able to understand the nuances of religion’s cause. Similarly, a religious worker will not be able to successfully run a business, for he cannot concentrate on business matters due to his attention being diverted elsewhere. However, a society needs both kinds of activities. The solution to this problem is for those who possess monetary resources to arrange a share for those who, because of their religious commitments, are unable to provide for their own economic needs. This is like a tacit division of labour, which takes place between the two groups purely in order to earn God’s pleasure. The missionary, having devoted himself to God, does not ask anything from others, nor does he expect anything from them. On the other hand, those who are monetarily strong, knowing that they have amassed wealth through not devoting themselves to the cause of religion (which they should have done), think that they should, by way of compensation, give a share of their wealth to their brothers in faith. Spending for a peaceful religious struggle which brings no fame or laurels makes one all the more deserving of God’s blessings. For such spending is only to seek God’s pleasure.","The word ‘riba’ in the original is translated here as ‘usury’, which means the practice of lending money to people at unfairly high rates of interest.","Man has not been sent into this world to hoard wealth. All the good things of this life are meant for the next world. Man has been sent into this world so that it may be judged whether or not he has developed those qualities that would qualify him to inherit the world of Paradise in the Hereafter. Those adjudged fit to dwell in Paradise will be separated from the unfit, and the latter will be consigned to hell. Practicing charity (sadaqah) means giving one’s wealth to the needy for the sake of God, while engaging in usury means giving one’s wealth in order to exploit others. Sadaqah is an indication of the fact that man wants to see the massive array of God’s blessings in the next world, whereas usury is indicative of the fact that he wants to amass fortunes in this world itself. The alms-giver and the usurer are two different types of individuals. It is not possible that they will both have the same fate in the Hereafter. Only those find the world who have worked hard for it; similarly, only those will find the Hereafter who have sacrificed their wealth in order to receive God’s blessings in the Hereafter.","Man has not been sent into this world to hoard wealth. All the good things of this life are meant for the next world. Man has been sent into this world so that it may be judged whether or not he has developed those qualities that would qualify him to inherit the world of Paradise in the Hereafter. Those adjudged fit to dwell in Paradise will be separated from the unfit, and the latter will be consigned to hell. Practicing charity (sadaqah) means giving one’s wealth to the needy for the sake of God, while engaging in usury means giving one’s wealth in order to exploit others. Sadaqah is an indication of the fact that man wants to see the massive array of God’s blessings in the next world, whereas usury is indicative of the fact that he wants to amass fortunes in this world itself. The alms-giver and the usurer are two different types of individuals. It is not possible that they will both have the same fate in the Hereafter. Only those find the world who have worked hard for it; similarly, only those will find the Hereafter who have sacrificed their wealth in order to receive God’s blessings in the Hereafter.","The basic principle of the reformation of a society is for its members to treat each other with justice. There should be neither oppressor nor oppressed. Usury is a form of open economic oppression, that is why Islam has held it unlawful. Business based on the principle of usury, if engaged in under Islamic rule, is deemed to be a criminal offence. However, just as a usurer is not allowed to make anyone the target of his economic oppression, others should also refrain from subjecting him to their oppression. An offender in one field is not deprived of his rights in other fields. Any action taken against any usurer may consist only of withholding the interest due to him. His capital should  be returned to him. While giving general commands, Islam makes full concessions to human weaknesses. That is why we have been commanded that if a debtor has fallen upon hard times, he must be granted respite till he is able to repay his debt. We have also been enjoined that if the debtor is insolvent, we should have the courage to write off his debt as charity. One who is forbearing shall deserve a reward from God. This is beneficial  in this world too. An atmosphere of mutual compassion, sympathy and well-wishing is produced which is good for all members of society.","The basic principle of the reformation of a society is for its members to treat each other with justice. There should be neither oppressor nor oppressed. Usury is a form of open economic oppression, that is why Islam has held it unlawful. Business based on the principle of usury, if engaged in under Islamic rule, is deemed to be a criminal offence. However, just as a usurer is not allowed to make anyone the target of his economic oppression, others should also refrain from subjecting him to their oppression. An offender in one field is not deprived of his rights in other fields. Any action taken against any usurer may consist only of withholding the interest due to him. His capital should  be returned to him. While giving general commands, Islam makes full concessions to human weaknesses. That is why we have been commanded that if a debtor has fallen upon hard times, he must be granted respite till he is able to repay his debt. We have also been enjoined that if the debtor is insolvent, we should have the courage to write off his debt as charity. One who is forbearing shall deserve a reward from God. This is beneficial  in this world too. An atmosphere of mutual compassion, sympathy and well-wishing is produced which is good for all members of society.","The basic principle of the reformation of a society is for its members to treat each other with justice. There should be neither oppressor nor oppressed. Usury is a form of open economic oppression, that is why Islam has held it unlawful. Business based on the principle of usury, if engaged in under Islamic rule, is deemed to be a criminal offence. However, just as a usurer is not allowed to make anyone the target of his economic oppression, others should also refrain from subjecting him to their oppression. An offender in one field is not deprived of his rights in other fields. Any action taken against any usurer may consist only of withholding the interest due to him. His capital should  be returned to him. While giving general commands, Islam makes full concessions to human weaknesses. That is why we have been commanded that if a debtor has fallen upon hard times, he must be granted respite till he is able to repay his debt. We have also been enjoined that if the debtor is insolvent, we should have the courage to write off his debt as charity. One who is forbearing shall deserve a reward from God. This is beneficial  in this world too. An atmosphere of mutual compassion, sympathy and well-wishing is produced which is good for all members of society.","However, the imposition of law alone is not a guarantee of social reforms. For a real reform it is essential that the spirit of God-fearing (taqwa) prevails in society. That is why, while giving legal commands, the Quran places faith, taqwa and the Hereafter in the foreground. Even a secular system will run successfully only when its citizens possess the necessary national character. Similarly, the Islamic system is truly brought into being when a considerable number of its members possess the spirit of taqwa. National character, or taqwa is, in fact, another name for the willingness of the individuals to uphold the desired system. If we do not find public acceptance of a system to a certain degree, it cannot be imposed by the power of law alone. Furthermore, according to Islam, what is actually most desirable is the reform of the individual. Society is not the target of reform according to Islam. The reform of society is only a by-product. The Quran calls to faith, to taqwa, to genuine concern for the Hereafter. This call is realized in the individual and not in a social system. That is why the actual addressee of the Quranic call is the individual. The reform of society is in actual fact a social manifestation of the reform of a number of individuals.","Where there is a cash transaction between two parties, the matter ends there itself. But contracting a debt is a different matter. In such a case, if the transaction is purely verbal, there is a possibility of differences arising due to the absence of written proof. Either party will present the matter according to his own perceptions, for there is no clear or absolute basis on which a proper decision may be arrived at. As a result, differences and complaints arise between the two parties at the time of payment. The only solution is to write down the particulars of the loan and then have witnesses testify to it. If any differences arise, this document would become the basis for a final decision. For a believer this would be a strategic safeguard based on taqwa and justice. In abiding by the written conditions and making a proper payment of dues, he acquits himself before the people and before God. Believers are witnesses of God’s religion. Just as they are not allowed to knowingly hide anything from God, they should similarly never conceal any evidence they may possess. Concealing evidence is to nurture a criminal mentality and to shirk the role they can play in making just decisions. Man’s conscience demands that the truth should be acknowledged and untruth should be proclaimed to be such. In matters of justice, one who withholds evidence for the sake of prestige or some other worldly considerations, is like a criminal who becomes a witness to his own crime.","Everything in the universe is under God’s command. Right from dust particles to the stars, all are bound by God’s decreed plan. They must follow the path set for them by God. Man alone is the creature who finds that he may choose different paths of his own free will. But man does not possess freedom in an absolute sense: if he has freedom, it is so that he may be put to the test. Man has also to submit to the will of God like the rest of the universe. The life of restraint that the rest of the universe is obliged to follow must be followed voluntarily by man. He should not be deceived by the appearance of there being no one before or behind him. The truth of the matter is that at all times man is watched over by the Lord of the universe. He watches each and every thing, whether great or small, whether within him or without.","Everything in the universe is under God’s command. Right from dust particles to the stars, all are bound by God’s decreed plan. They must follow the path set for them by God. Man alone is the creature who finds that he may choose different paths of his own free will. But man does not possess freedom in an absolute sense: if he has freedom, it is so that he may be put to the test. Man has also to submit to the will of God like the rest of the universe. The life of restraint that the rest of the universe is obliged to follow must be followed voluntarily by man. He should not be deceived by the appearance of there being no one before or behind him. The truth of the matter is that at all times man is watched over by the Lord of the universe. He watches each and every thing, whether great or small, whether within him or without.","Everything in the universe is under God’s command. Right from dust particles to the stars, all are bound by God’s decreed plan. They must follow the path set for them by God. Man alone is the creature who finds that he may choose different paths of his own free will. But man does not possess freedom in an absolute sense: if he has freedom, it is so that he may be put to the test. Man has also to submit to the will of God like the rest of the universe. The life of restraint that the rest of the universe is obliged to follow must be followed voluntarily by man. He should not be deceived by the appearance of there being no one before or behind him. The truth of the matter is that at all times man is watched over by the Lord of the universe. He watches each and every thing, whether great or small, whether within him or without.","Who is that man who measures up to the standards of the Almighty? He is one who is a man of faith, who submits and obeys. Faith means a conscious surrender to God, while obedience means practical surrender. For this to become a reality, man must enshrine God within himself as his Creator and Sustainer. He must be one to discover the reality that the system of the universe is not soulless or mechanical. Rather it is a live system, which is run by God’s devoted workers. He must be one to recognize those servants of God chosen by Him to communicate this message to mankind. The Book revealed by God for the guidance of mankind must be accepted by him and become a part of his thoughts in the real sense. When faith in God, His angels, His Books and His messengers is firmly rooted in his heart and mind, he wholeheartedly surrenders himself to treading the path shown by God. This faith and obedience should not be a matter of rituals or just an outward show. Rather, faith and obedience should be so inseparable from his soul that he starts to remember God at all times, and his whole life becomes entirely dependent on God.","The Creator and Sustainer of the universe is not a mechanical God. He is, in fact, a live and conscious Being. He has sent guidance for man throughout the ages, including the Torah and the Bible, which were revealed to the former prophets. But man has always put different constructions upon divine teachings. Thus, through his self-styled interpretations, he has divided one religion into many. Ultimately, in accordance with God’s plan, the final book in the form of the Quran was sent down to man. The Quran is not only a genuine book of guidance but also serves as the criterion or standard of right and wrong. It tells us which is the true religion and which is the religion devised by human beings through misinterpretation. Now those who, denying the book of the Almighty, refuse to abandon the religion devised by human beings, are deserving of His punishment. These are the people to whom God granted eyes, but who failed to see the light (sent by God in the form of this book). These are the people to whom their Creator granted minds, but who failed to understand the truth when it came to them in the form of arguments. Bowing to the truth required them to bow to the Prophet and to God, and they thought that by surrendering to the Supreme Being and His Prophet they would diminish in stature. To save their petty ‘greatness’, they refused to bow to the Truth.","The Creator and Sustainer of the universe is not a mechanical God. He is, in fact, a live and conscious Being. He has sent guidance for man throughout the ages, including the Torah and the Bible, which were revealed to the former prophets. But man has always put different constructions upon divine teachings. Thus, through his self-styled interpretations, he has divided one religion into many. Ultimately, in accordance with God’s plan, the final book in the form of the Quran was sent down to man. The Quran is not only a genuine book of guidance but also serves as the criterion or standard of right and wrong. It tells us which is the true religion and which is the religion devised by human beings through misinterpretation. Now those who, denying the book of the Almighty, refuse to abandon the religion devised by human beings, are deserving of His punishment. These are the people to whom God granted eyes, but who failed to see the light (sent by God in the form of this book). These are the people to whom their Creator granted minds, but who failed to understand the truth when it came to them in the form of arguments. Bowing to the truth required them to bow to the Prophet and to God, and they thought that by surrendering to the Supreme Being and His Prophet they would diminish in stature. To save their petty ‘greatness’, they refused to bow to the Truth.","The Creator and Sustainer of the universe is not a mechanical God. He is, in fact, a live and conscious Being. He has sent guidance for man throughout the ages, including the Torah and the Bible, which were revealed to the former prophets. But man has always put different constructions upon divine teachings. Thus, through his self-styled interpretations, he has divided one religion into many. Ultimately, in accordance with God’s plan, the final book in the form of the Quran was sent down to man. The Quran is not only a genuine book of guidance but also serves as the criterion or standard of right and wrong. It tells us which is the true religion and which is the religion devised by human beings through misinterpretation. Now those who, denying the book of the Almighty, refuse to abandon the religion devised by human beings, are deserving of His punishment. These are the people to whom God granted eyes, but who failed to see the light (sent by God in the form of this book). These are the people to whom their Creator granted minds, but who failed to understand the truth when it came to them in the form of arguments. Bowing to the truth required them to bow to the Prophet and to God, and they thought that by surrendering to the Supreme Being and His Prophet they would diminish in stature. To save their petty ‘greatness’, they refused to bow to the Truth.","The Creator and Sustainer of the universe is not a mechanical God. He is, in fact, a live and conscious Being. He has sent guidance for man throughout the ages, including the Torah and the Bible, which were revealed to the former prophets. But man has always put different constructions upon divine teachings. Thus, through his self-styled interpretations, he has divided one religion into many. Ultimately, in accordance with God’s plan, the final book in the form of the Quran was sent down to man. The Quran is not only a genuine book of guidance but also serves as the criterion or standard of right and wrong. It tells us which is the true religion and which is the religion devised by human beings through misinterpretation. Now those who, denying the book of the Almighty, refuse to abandon the religion devised by human beings, are deserving of His punishment. These are the people to whom God granted eyes, but who failed to see the light (sent by God in the form of this book). These are the people to whom their Creator granted minds, but who failed to understand the truth when it came to them in the form of arguments. Bowing to the truth required them to bow to the Prophet and to God, and they thought that by surrendering to the Supreme Being and His Prophet they would diminish in stature. To save their petty ‘greatness’, they refused to bow to the Truth.","Only God can truly tell us what He is in His Being and in His attributes. And He has made this so clear in His Book, that any reader who is eager for knowledge of Him will certainly gain enlightenment from it. Again, it is only God who can truly give guidance to man. The right course of action for man can be determined only by a Being who has not only known man from his birth to his death, but also knows what has gone before his birth and what will happen after his death. It is, therefore, only God who, after placing the nature of man in the perspective of the entire universe, may decree what kind of conduct will guarantee man’s success in this world and the next, for a sound human mentality can only be one which is in harmony with the rest of the world and in complete accord with the vaster system of the cosmos. It is only God who has the power and the knowledge to ordain what it befits human beings to strive for in the present world. This being so, the only realistic approach for man is to trust in His Maker and accept and follow His guidance wholeheartedly and with full confidence.","Only God can truly tell us what He is in His Being and in His attributes. And He has made this so clear in His Book, that any reader who is eager for knowledge of Him will certainly gain enlightenment from it. Again, it is only God who can truly give guidance to man. The right course of action for man can be determined only by a Being who has not only known man from his birth to his death, but also knows what has gone before his birth and what will happen after his death. It is, therefore, only God who, after placing the nature of man in the perspective of the entire universe, may decree what kind of conduct will guarantee man’s success in this world and the next, for a sound human mentality can only be one which is in harmony with the rest of the world and in complete accord with the vaster system of the cosmos. It is only God who has the power and the knowledge to ordain what it befits human beings to strive for in the present world. This being so, the only realistic approach for man is to trust in His Maker and accept and follow His guidance wholeheartedly and with full confidence.","There are two kinds of subjects dealt with in the Quran, one pertaining to the known human world, like historical events, signs from the universe and commandments for worldly life; the other pertaining to unseen matters which are not comprehensible by man in this life, for instance, God’s attributes, and the states of Heaven and Hell, etc. The first are clear revelations, quite precise in their meaning, since they have been couched in a direct style. The second relate to the unknown world (for man) and cannot, therefore, be expressed in everyday language. That is why they are framed in an allegorical style. For instance, if we say, ‘man’s hand’, this is an example of the expression of a fact, but if we say, ‘God’s hand’, this is an example of an allegory. Those who do not understand this difference fall into the error of interpreting allegorical verses quite literally. This will only lead man astray; he will never arrive at the truth. Whereas a ‘human hand’ may be precisely understood, a ‘divine hand’ cannot, because of our present limited thinking capacity.","The correct academic and intellectual stand regarding the allegorical part of the Quran is for man to acknowledge his limitations. One should be content to have an abstract understanding of the things which cannot be grasped precisely by the senses. When, due to his imperfect sensory perception, man cannot have a total understanding of those realities, the practical approach should be not to make any attempt to determine the precise meaning in these matters. Instead, man should pray to God to save him from entanglement in fruitless discussions. He should pray to God to grant him such wisdom as will enable him to recognize his place and be content to repose his faith in those realities, without knowing all of their details. A Day is soon to come when these realities will come into full view, but it is not possible for man to comprehend them as long as he is still being put to the test in this life, by his Lord. The path of the intellect may be a slippery one, where the intellectual may slip and fall in failing to see things in their right perspective. He understands reality, but only when he looks at it from the proper angle. When he does so from another angle, it is quite possible that he will fail to assess it properly and will be a prey to misunderstandings. The greater wisdom for man is to learn the secret of seeing things from the correct standpoint.","When the call of Truth goes out, it appears to people to be of no value. On the one hand, there are all the assets of worldly comfort and grandeur, while, on the other hand, there is the caravan of truth, having no foothold in society, and no worldly interests attached to it. In such a situation, joining the caravan of truth amounts to detachment from the social circle and depriving oneself of all material benefits. That is why, in order to safeguard his interests, man turns away from the truth. If it means abandoning his friends and relatives, he is not ready to join a lone preacher (da‘i). But all the material considerations that appear important today will cease to matter on the Day of Judgement. Their importance will last only so long as dealings are between man and man. The Day the veil of Doomsday is rent asunder, and all issues are to be settled between man and God, all worldly things will become insignificant—as if they had never existed. The missionary in this world appears to be powerless, but in reality, he is powerful, because God is backing him. The denier appears to be influential in this world, but is, in fact, totally powerless, because his strength is nothing but a temporary delusion.","When the call of Truth goes out, it appears to people to be of no value. On the one hand, there are all the assets of worldly comfort and grandeur, while, on the other hand, there is the caravan of truth, having no foothold in society, and no worldly interests attached to it. In such a situation, joining the caravan of truth amounts to detachment from the social circle and depriving oneself of all material benefits. That is why, in order to safeguard his interests, man turns away from the truth. If it means abandoning his friends and relatives, he is not ready to join a lone preacher (da‘i). But all the material considerations that appear important today will cease to matter on the Day of Judgement. Their importance will last only so long as dealings are between man and man. The Day the veil of Doomsday is rent asunder, and all issues are to be settled between man and God, all worldly things will become insignificant—as if they had never existed. The missionary in this world appears to be powerless, but in reality, he is powerful, because God is backing him. The denier appears to be influential in this world, but is, in fact, totally powerless, because his strength is nothing but a temporary delusion.","When the call of Truth goes out, it appears to people to be of no value. On the one hand, there are all the assets of worldly comfort and grandeur, while, on the other hand, there is the caravan of truth, having no foothold in society, and no worldly interests attached to it. In such a situation, joining the caravan of truth amounts to detachment from the social circle and depriving oneself of all material benefits. That is why, in order to safeguard his interests, man turns away from the truth. If it means abandoning his friends and relatives, he is not ready to join a lone preacher (da‘i). But all the material considerations that appear important today will cease to matter on the Day of Judgement. Their importance will last only so long as dealings are between man and man. The Day the veil of Doomsday is rent asunder, and all issues are to be settled between man and God, all worldly things will become insignificant—as if they had never existed. The missionary in this world appears to be powerless, but in reality, he is powerful, because God is backing him. The denier appears to be influential in this world, but is, in fact, totally powerless, because his strength is nothing but a temporary delusion.","When the call of Truth goes out, it appears to people to be of no value. On the one hand, there are all the assets of worldly comfort and grandeur, while, on the other hand, there is the caravan of truth, having no foothold in society, and no worldly interests attached to it. In such a situation, joining the caravan of truth amounts to detachment from the social circle and depriving oneself of all material benefits. That is why, in order to safeguard his interests, man turns away from the truth. If it means abandoning his friends and relatives, he is not ready to join a lone preacher (da‘i). But all the material considerations that appear important today will cease to matter on the Day of Judgement. Their importance will last only so long as dealings are between man and man. The Day the veil of Doomsday is rent asunder, and all issues are to be settled between man and God, all worldly things will become insignificant—as if they had never existed. The missionary in this world appears to be powerless, but in reality, he is powerful, because God is backing him. The denier appears to be influential in this world, but is, in fact, totally powerless, because his strength is nothing but a temporary delusion.","The battle of Badr in the fourteenth year of the prophethood was a worldly example of what will happen in the next world. Those who deny the truth greatly exceeded the believers in numbers and in strength. In fact, the believers were so few in number that they were powerless. In spite of this, those who denied the truth suffered a crushing defeat and the believers achieved a decisive victory. This is a clear proof that God is always on the side of the believers. In the face of such a great difference in resources, an extraordinary victory cannot be achieved without God’s succour. This serves as a demonstration from God that truth does not go unsupported. It is also a clear indication to those who deny the truth of how they are placed in this world. There are obvious signs in the words and deeds of the preacher that the Truth he preaches comes from God. But the arrogant find refuge in fine words to refute this. They live by false explanations, until finally they leave for the next world, only to learn that the words in which they had taken refuge were utterly meaningless from the standpoint of reality.","This world is a place of trial. God, wishing to ascertain which of His creatures are capable of rising above worldly attractions, has so willed it that man should be attracted to and find gratification in the things of this world, but at the same time be faced with the choice of clinging to them or renouncing them in favour of the unseen things of the next world. This is not an easy choice, for he sees that worldly acquisitions lead him to an honourable place in society. By possessing material resources, he can have all that he wants in life. This gives him the impression that it is these things that are of consequence. All his interests and activities centre around his family, his wealth and his property. This presents the greatest obstacle to advancing towards the demands of the Hereafter. The aura of importance surrounding worldly things makes him oblivious of all that pertains to the next life. He is so engrossed in building the future of his children in this world, that he no longer remembers the fact that there is any ‘future’ beyond this present life, to which he should give thought. Providing all comforts for his home in this world becomes so dear to him that it never occurs to him that there is any other home save this, to which he should pay heed. Making money, accumulating riches and possessing property in this world seem so estimable to him, that he fails to realize that there is any ‘wealth’ other than this, to which he should devote his life. However, all these things with the external glitter of this present life will be of no use to him in the next, eternal life. It is only one who makes the permanent life of the Hereafter the focus of his attention who will realize the insignificance of these worldly things.","This world is a place of trial. God, wishing to ascertain which of His creatures are capable of rising above worldly attractions, has so willed it that man should be attracted to and find gratification in the things of this world, but at the same time be faced with the choice of clinging to them or renouncing them in favour of the unseen things of the next world. This is not an easy choice, for he sees that worldly acquisitions lead him to an honourable place in society. By possessing material resources, he can have all that he wants in life. This gives him the impression that it is these things that are of consequence. All his interests and activities centre around his family, his wealth and his property. This presents the greatest obstacle to advancing towards the demands of the Hereafter. The aura of importance surrounding worldly things makes him oblivious of all that pertains to the next life. He is so engrossed in building the future of his children in this world, that he no longer remembers the fact that there is any ‘future’ beyond this present life, to which he should give thought. Providing all comforts for his home in this world becomes so dear to him that it never occurs to him that there is any other home save this, to which he should pay heed. Making money, accumulating riches and possessing property in this world seem so estimable to him, that he fails to realize that there is any ‘wealth’ other than this, to which he should devote his life. However, all these things with the external glitter of this present life will be of no use to him in the next, eternal life. It is only one who makes the permanent life of the Hereafter the focus of his attention who will realize the insignificance of these worldly things.","He will be filled with the conviction that the matters of the next world are entirely in the hands of his Lord and all the glitter of this world will appear meaningless. As a result, God will be the entity he fears most and he will be desirous of the next life more than anything else. He will not follow his mundane desires, but will rather determine his course of action, keeping in view the court of the Almighty. There will be no discrepancy between his words and his actions. His wealth will no longer remain his, but will be devoted to the cause of God. Whatever difficulties he faces in the path of his Creator, he will adhere to that path with total steadfastness, because he will have the conviction that no one can give him succour if he turns away from God. His heart will be filled with His remembrance, and he will start calling upon Him spontaneously. God will be his companion in his solitude. In the presence of His greatness and perfection, his own being will appear completely insignificant. He will have no words to utter but—‘O my God, forgive me.’","He will be filled with the conviction that the matters of the next world are entirely in the hands of his Lord and all the glitter of this world will appear meaningless. As a result, God will be the entity he fears most and he will be desirous of the next life more than anything else. He will not follow his mundane desires, but will rather determine his course of action, keeping in view the court of the Almighty. There will be no discrepancy between his words and his actions. His wealth will no longer remain his, but will be devoted to the cause of God. Whatever difficulties he faces in the path of his Creator, he will adhere to that path with total steadfastness, because he will have the conviction that no one can give him succour if he turns away from God. His heart will be filled with His remembrance, and he will start calling upon Him spontaneously. God will be his companion in his solitude. In the presence of His greatness and perfection, his own being will appear completely insignificant. He will have no words to utter but—‘O my God, forgive me.’","The God of the universe is the One and only God and He likes justice. This assertion is made in all the revealed scriptures which are still in their original form. The vast universe run by its Master through His unseen agents, the angels, is exactly what it ought to be and as perfect as it can be. According to established knowledge, the universe seems to be a completely unitary system. This would indicate that it has a single Planner. Moreover, everything in the universe being in its right place is a proof that its Lord loves justice and righteousness rather than injustice and wrongdoing. Then how can God, who has maintained justice in the vaster universe, allow injustice in human matters? Each and every part of the universe is in a complete state of ‘surrender’, that is, all its functions are performed in accordance with the appointed plan of God. Exactly the same performance is required of man. Man must recognize his Lord and mould his life in accordance with God’s plan. Making anyone else, save God, the centre of his attention or nurturing the thought that God’s judgement can be based on anything other than justice is inconceivable in the present universe.","The God of the universe is the One and only God and He likes justice. This assertion is made in all the revealed scriptures which are still in their original form. The vast universe run by its Master through His unseen agents, the angels, is exactly what it ought to be and as perfect as it can be. According to established knowledge, the universe seems to be a completely unitary system. This would indicate that it has a single Planner. Moreover, everything in the universe being in its right place is a proof that its Lord loves justice and righteousness rather than injustice and wrongdoing. Then how can God, who has maintained justice in the vaster universe, allow injustice in human matters? Each and every part of the universe is in a complete state of ‘surrender’, that is, all its functions are performed in accordance with the appointed plan of God. Exactly the same performance is required of man. Man must recognize his Lord and mould his life in accordance with God’s plan. Making anyone else, save God, the centre of his attention or nurturing the thought that God’s judgement can be based on anything other than justice is inconceivable in the present universe.","The call of the Quran is the call of the same true version of Islam, the religion of submission to God, as was revealed to all the other prophets. Those who deny this do so, not because its truth is not clear to them, but because of their own sense of superiority. Acknowledging its veracity amounts, as they see it, to accepting the intellectual superiority of the proponent of the Quran. And their jealousy and arrogance do not allow of such an acknowledgement. Instead of accepting the truth, they want to exterminate the dayee himself. However, this is not possible in this world of God. All their plans to censor the dayees’ words will fail, and when God’s scales of justice are put in place, they will see that those actions, which had given them the conviction of securing success and salvation, are quite without value. True argument is one of God’s signs. One who does not bow to a true argument, fails to bow to God. Such dissenters will enter the next world divested of all support.","The call of the Quran is the call of the same true version of Islam, the religion of submission to God, as was revealed to all the other prophets. Those who deny this do so, not because its truth is not clear to them, but because of their own sense of superiority. Acknowledging its veracity amounts, as they see it, to accepting the intellectual superiority of the proponent of the Quran. And their jealousy and arrogance do not allow of such an acknowledgement. Instead of accepting the truth, they want to exterminate the dayee himself. However, this is not possible in this world of God. All their plans to censor the dayees’ words will fail, and when God’s scales of justice are put in place, they will see that those actions, which had given them the conviction of securing success and salvation, are quite without value. True argument is one of God’s signs. One who does not bow to a true argument, fails to bow to God. Such dissenters will enter the next world divested of all support.","The call of the Quran is the call of the same true version of Islam, the religion of submission to God, as was revealed to all the other prophets. Those who deny this do so, not because its truth is not clear to them, but because of their own sense of superiority. Acknowledging its veracity amounts, as they see it, to accepting the intellectual superiority of the proponent of the Quran. And their jealousy and arrogance do not allow of such an acknowledgement. Instead of accepting the truth, they want to exterminate the dayee himself. However, this is not possible in this world of God. All their plans to censor the dayees’ words will fail, and when God’s scales of justice are put in place, they will see that those actions, which had given them the conviction of securing success and salvation, are quite without value. True argument is one of God’s signs. One who does not bow to a true argument, fails to bow to God. Such dissenters will enter the next world divested of all support.","God’s guidance is one and the same as that revealed to various prophets from time to time in various languages. The same guidance was revealed to the Final Prophet in the form of the Quran. Due to this uniformity in content, recognizing the call of the Quran is not difficult for the People of the Book, i.e. believers in other revealed scriptures. The only difference between the Quranic call and former divine scriptures lies in the fact that the Quran has purified the religion of God of all human interpolations. Then why is it that many people deny the call of the Quran? It is because the Quranic call does not appear to them to be a serious matter, vis à vis their self-styled concepts by which they feel that they have safeguarded themselves from the fire of hell. It is as a result of this mindset that they think that, even if they do not recognize the truth, their salvation is still not at risk. But when the divine scales are put in place, they will realize how deluded they were in their wishful thinking.","God’s guidance is one and the same as that revealed to various prophets from time to time in various languages. The same guidance was revealed to the Final Prophet in the form of the Quran. Due to this uniformity in content, recognizing the call of the Quran is not difficult for the People of the Book, i.e. believers in other revealed scriptures. The only difference between the Quranic call and former divine scriptures lies in the fact that the Quran has purified the religion of God of all human interpolations. Then why is it that many people deny the call of the Quran? It is because the Quranic call does not appear to them to be a serious matter, vis à vis their self-styled concepts by which they feel that they have safeguarded themselves from the fire of hell. It is as a result of this mindset that they think that, even if they do not recognize the truth, their salvation is still not at risk. But when the divine scales are put in place, they will realize how deluded they were in their wishful thinking.","All kinds of honour and power lie in the hand of God. Those who are considered insignificant by the leaders of the time can be entitled to the highest honour and eminence by the grace of God. In the eyes of God, it is those who regard such attainments as being purely and simply the gifts of God who are deserving of honour and power. The most undeserving of honour and power are those who consider them to be their own acquisitions. In the vaster universe, God daily performs the miracle, on a colossal scale, of bringing darkness after light and light after darkness (i.e. the alternation of day and night). He brings into existence life from dead elements and causes living things to die. There is nothing surprising about it if this same power of God manifests itself among human beings. But those who exchange falsehoods in the name of truth always turn against the call of truth. The preacher of truth may ultimately be rendered homeless and his economic resources may be cut off. But such an individual is always under the direct guardianship of God, who provides for him His special succour. While others are provided for according to their efforts, a messenger of truth is provided for by God ‘without measure’.","All kinds of honour and power lie in the hand of God. Those who are considered insignificant by the leaders of the time can be entitled to the highest honour and eminence by the grace of God. In the eyes of God, it is those who regard such attainments as being purely and simply the gifts of God who are deserving of honour and power. The most undeserving of honour and power are those who consider them to be their own acquisitions. In the vaster universe, God daily performs the miracle, on a colossal scale, of bringing darkness after light and light after darkness (i.e. the alternation of day and night). He brings into existence life from dead elements and causes living things to die. There is nothing surprising about it if this same power of God manifests itself among human beings. But those who exchange falsehoods in the name of truth always turn against the call of truth. The preacher of truth may ultimately be rendered homeless and his economic resources may be cut off. But such an individual is always under the direct guardianship of God, who provides for him His special succour. While others are provided for according to their efforts, a messenger of truth is provided for by God ‘without measure’.","All kinds of honour and power lie in the hand of God. Those who are considered insignificant by the leaders of the time can be entitled to the highest honour and eminence by the grace of God. In the eyes of God, it is those who regard such attainments as being purely and simply the gifts of God who are deserving of honour and power. The most undeserving of honour and power are those who consider them to be their own acquisitions. In the vaster universe, God daily performs the miracle, on a colossal scale, of bringing darkness after light and light after darkness (i.e. the alternation of day and night). He brings into existence life from dead elements and causes living things to die. There is nothing surprising about it if this same power of God manifests itself among human beings. But those who exchange falsehoods in the name of truth always turn against the call of truth. The preacher of truth may ultimately be rendered homeless and his economic resources may be cut off. But such an individual is always under the direct guardianship of God, who provides for him His special succour. While others are provided for according to their efforts, a messenger of truth is provided for by God ‘without measure’.","A believer treats all human beings with justice and fairness, without differentiating between Muslims and non-Muslims. But friendship with non-Muslims who are at war with Islam is not lawful. In the eyes of God, it is our intention that matters: when our intention is sincere, God does not take us to task for our actions. The key factor, worthy of consideration in all matters, is the fear of God. One should always give proper thought to one’s behaviour, whatever the issue, because one is accountable to God for everything. Whoever is proved wrong on the divine scale cannot escape punishment. Nothing pertaining to human beings escapes the eyes of God, whether in public or in private. When the veil of the divine test is cast aside, the world of the Hereafter will appear before mankind and the fruits of all man’s actions will be before him. This sight will be so dreadful that all the things of this world which had appeared so pleasing to him, will now be the very things from which he will want to distance himself. What is most important in the eyes of God is whether Islam is implanted in one’s heart or not. A believer is one whose love for God springs from his heart, who loves God truly in his heart of hearts. It is people such as those who deserve God’s love and attention. One who forms such a bond with God is forgiven by Him for his failings. God is hard on the arrogant. But He is gentle with those who adopt modesty as their way of life.","A believer treats all human beings with justice and fairness, without differentiating between Muslims and non-Muslims. But friendship with non-Muslims who are at war with Islam is not lawful. In the eyes of God, it is our intention that matters: when our intention is sincere, God does not take us to task for our actions. The key factor, worthy of consideration in all matters, is the fear of God. One should always give proper thought to one’s behaviour, whatever the issue, because one is accountable to God for everything. Whoever is proved wrong on the divine scale cannot escape punishment. Nothing pertaining to human beings escapes the eyes of God, whether in public or in private. When the veil of the divine test is cast aside, the world of the Hereafter will appear before mankind and the fruits of all man’s actions will be before him. This sight will be so dreadful that all the things of this world which had appeared so pleasing to him, will now be the very things from which he will want to distance himself. What is most important in the eyes of God is whether Islam is implanted in one’s heart or not. A believer is one whose love for God springs from his heart, who loves God truly in his heart of hearts. It is people such as those who deserve God’s love and attention. One who forms such a bond with God is forgiven by Him for his failings. God is hard on the arrogant. But He is gentle with those who adopt modesty as their way of life.","It is a psychological reality that one who loves someone cannot at the same time love the enemy of the beloved. It is also a fact that when the beloved is a Being who has the status of one’s Creator and Sustainer, then this love will necessarily bring about in the lover the desire to obey that Being in all matters. If the love of God does not produce in him feelings of obeisance to Him, then such a love is false. A believer who is one in name only will be included among the deniers. God Himself has testified to the Prophet’s total obedience to Him in all matters. So the authentic example of a life of God-worship in this world is only such as was handed down to us by His messenger.","It is a psychological reality that one who loves someone cannot at the same time love the enemy of the beloved. It is also a fact that when the beloved is a Being who has the status of one’s Creator and Sustainer, then this love will necessarily bring about in the lover the desire to obey that Being in all matters. If the love of God does not produce in him feelings of obeisance to Him, then such a love is false. A believer who is one in name only will be included among the deniers. God Himself has testified to the Prophet’s total obedience to Him in all matters. So the authentic example of a life of God-worship in this world is only such as was handed down to us by His messenger.","It is a psychological reality that one who loves someone cannot at the same time love the enemy of the beloved. It is also a fact that when the beloved is a Being who has the status of one’s Creator and Sustainer, then this love will necessarily bring about in the lover the desire to obey that Being in all matters. If the love of God does not produce in him feelings of obeisance to Him, then such a love is false. A believer who is one in name only will be included among the deniers. God Himself has testified to the Prophet’s total obedience to Him in all matters. So the authentic example of a life of God-worship in this world is only such as was handed down to us by His messenger.","God blessed Zachariah (Zakariyya) with an offspring in his old age; provided sustenance to Mary in her shrine; created Jesus without a father, and brought into being chaste and upright people who were descendants of Abraham, so that they could be chosen to communicate the message of God to human beings. God did not grant these blessings to His people for no good reason: He found them so deserving that he showered them with His blessings. These were the people who had no material expectations from their children; their happiness rested upon their children’s dedication and devotion to the cause of God. These were the people who wanted their children to be safe from Satan and join the band of believers. They were not given to jealousy and ill-will on seeing goodness in others. It was through their good influence that their children too were in control of their selves and became one with those who truly remembered God: who chose the right way, abandoning the path that leads one astray. Such are the people whom God provides for out of His special mercy, and who have His special blessings showered upon them.","God blessed Zachariah (Zakariyya) with an offspring in his old age; provided sustenance to Mary in her shrine; created Jesus without a father, and brought into being chaste and upright people who were descendants of Abraham, so that they could be chosen to communicate the message of God to human beings. God did not grant these blessings to His people for no good reason: He found them so deserving that he showered them with His blessings. These were the people who had no material expectations from their children; their happiness rested upon their children’s dedication and devotion to the cause of God. These were the people who wanted their children to be safe from Satan and join the band of believers. They were not given to jealousy and ill-will on seeing goodness in others. It was through their good influence that their children too were in control of their selves and became one with those who truly remembered God: who chose the right way, abandoning the path that leads one astray. Such are the people whom God provides for out of His special mercy, and who have His special blessings showered upon them.","God blessed Zachariah (Zakariyya) with an offspring in his old age; provided sustenance to Mary in her shrine; created Jesus without a father, and brought into being chaste and upright people who were descendants of Abraham, so that they could be chosen to communicate the message of God to human beings. God did not grant these blessings to His people for no good reason: He found them so deserving that he showered them with His blessings. These were the people who had no material expectations from their children; their happiness rested upon their children’s dedication and devotion to the cause of God. These were the people who wanted their children to be safe from Satan and join the band of believers. They were not given to jealousy and ill-will on seeing goodness in others. It was through their good influence that their children too were in control of their selves and became one with those who truly remembered God: who chose the right way, abandoning the path that leads one astray. Such are the people whom God provides for out of His special mercy, and who have His special blessings showered upon them.","God blessed Zachariah (Zakariyya) with an offspring in his old age; provided sustenance to Mary in her shrine; created Jesus without a father, and brought into being chaste and upright people who were descendants of Abraham, so that they could be chosen to communicate the message of God to human beings. God did not grant these blessings to His people for no good reason: He found them so deserving that he showered them with His blessings. These were the people who had no material expectations from their children; their happiness rested upon their children’s dedication and devotion to the cause of God. These were the people who wanted their children to be safe from Satan and join the band of believers. They were not given to jealousy and ill-will on seeing goodness in others. It was through their good influence that their children too were in control of their selves and became one with those who truly remembered God: who chose the right way, abandoning the path that leads one astray. Such are the people whom God provides for out of His special mercy, and who have His special blessings showered upon them.","God blessed Zachariah (Zakariyya) with an offspring in his old age; provided sustenance to Mary in her shrine; created Jesus without a father, and brought into being chaste and upright people who were descendants of Abraham, so that they could be chosen to communicate the message of God to human beings. God did not grant these blessings to His people for no good reason: He found them so deserving that he showered them with His blessings. These were the people who had no material expectations from their children; their happiness rested upon their children’s dedication and devotion to the cause of God. These were the people who wanted their children to be safe from Satan and join the band of believers. They were not given to jealousy and ill-will on seeing goodness in others. It was through their good influence that their children too were in control of their selves and became one with those who truly remembered God: who chose the right way, abandoning the path that leads one astray. Such are the people whom God provides for out of His special mercy, and who have His special blessings showered upon them.","God blessed Zachariah (Zakariyya) with an offspring in his old age; provided sustenance to Mary in her shrine; created Jesus without a father, and brought into being chaste and upright people who were descendants of Abraham, so that they could be chosen to communicate the message of God to human beings. God did not grant these blessings to His people for no good reason: He found them so deserving that he showered them with His blessings. These were the people who had no material expectations from their children; their happiness rested upon their children’s dedication and devotion to the cause of God. These were the people who wanted their children to be safe from Satan and join the band of believers. They were not given to jealousy and ill-will on seeing goodness in others. It was through their good influence that their children too were in control of their selves and became one with those who truly remembered God: who chose the right way, abandoning the path that leads one astray. Such are the people whom God provides for out of His special mercy, and who have His special blessings showered upon them.","God blessed Zachariah (Zakariyya) with an offspring in his old age; provided sustenance to Mary in her shrine; created Jesus without a father, and brought into being chaste and upright people who were descendants of Abraham, so that they could be chosen to communicate the message of God to human beings. God did not grant these blessings to His people for no good reason: He found them so deserving that he showered them with His blessings. These were the people who had no material expectations from their children; their happiness rested upon their children’s dedication and devotion to the cause of God. These were the people who wanted their children to be safe from Satan and join the band of believers. They were not given to jealousy and ill-will on seeing goodness in others. It was through their good influence that their children too were in control of their selves and became one with those who truly remembered God: who chose the right way, abandoning the path that leads one astray. Such are the people whom God provides for out of His special mercy, and who have His special blessings showered upon them.","God blessed Zachariah (Zakariyya) with an offspring in his old age; provided sustenance to Mary in her shrine; created Jesus without a father, and brought into being chaste and upright people who were descendants of Abraham, so that they could be chosen to communicate the message of God to human beings. God did not grant these blessings to His people for no good reason: He found them so deserving that he showered them with His blessings. These were the people who had no material expectations from their children; their happiness rested upon their children’s dedication and devotion to the cause of God. These were the people who wanted their children to be safe from Satan and join the band of believers. They were not given to jealousy and ill-will on seeing goodness in others. It was through their good influence that their children too were in control of their selves and became one with those who truly remembered God: who chose the right way, abandoning the path that leads one astray. Such are the people whom God provides for out of His special mercy, and who have His special blessings showered upon them.","God blessed Zachariah (Zakariyya) with an offspring in his old age; provided sustenance to Mary in her shrine; created Jesus without a father, and brought into being chaste and upright people who were descendants of Abraham, so that they could be chosen to communicate the message of God to human beings. God did not grant these blessings to His people for no good reason: He found them so deserving that he showered them with His blessings. These were the people who had no material expectations from their children; their happiness rested upon their children’s dedication and devotion to the cause of God. These were the people who wanted their children to be safe from Satan and join the band of believers. They were not given to jealousy and ill-will on seeing goodness in others. It was through their good influence that their children too were in control of their selves and became one with those who truly remembered God: who chose the right way, abandoning the path that leads one astray. Such are the people whom God provides for out of His special mercy, and who have His special blessings showered upon them.","God blessed Zachariah (Zakariyya) with an offspring in his old age; provided sustenance to Mary in her shrine; created Jesus without a father, and brought into being chaste and upright people who were descendants of Abraham, so that they could be chosen to communicate the message of God to human beings. God did not grant these blessings to His people for no good reason: He found them so deserving that he showered them with His blessings. These were the people who had no material expectations from their children; their happiness rested upon their children’s dedication and devotion to the cause of God. These were the people who wanted their children to be safe from Satan and join the band of believers. They were not given to jealousy and ill-will on seeing goodness in others. It was through their good influence that their children too were in control of their selves and became one with those who truly remembered God: who chose the right way, abandoning the path that leads one astray. Such are the people whom God provides for out of His special mercy, and who have His special blessings showered upon them.","God blessed Zachariah (Zakariyya) with an offspring in his old age; provided sustenance to Mary in her shrine; created Jesus without a father, and brought into being chaste and upright people who were descendants of Abraham, so that they could be chosen to communicate the message of God to human beings. God did not grant these blessings to His people for no good reason: He found them so deserving that he showered them with His blessings. These were the people who had no material expectations from their children; their happiness rested upon their children’s dedication and devotion to the cause of God. These were the people who wanted their children to be safe from Satan and join the band of believers. They were not given to jealousy and ill-will on seeing goodness in others. It was through their good influence that their children too were in control of their selves and became one with those who truly remembered God: who chose the right way, abandoning the path that leads one astray. Such are the people whom God provides for out of His special mercy, and who have His special blessings showered upon them.","God blessed Zachariah (Zakariyya) with an offspring in his old age; provided sustenance to Mary in her shrine; created Jesus without a father, and brought into being chaste and upright people who were descendants of Abraham, so that they could be chosen to communicate the message of God to human beings. God did not grant these blessings to His people for no good reason: He found them so deserving that he showered them with His blessings. These were the people who had no material expectations from their children; their happiness rested upon their children’s dedication and devotion to the cause of God. These were the people who wanted their children to be safe from Satan and join the band of believers. They were not given to jealousy and ill-will on seeing goodness in others. It was through their good influence that their children too were in control of their selves and became one with those who truly remembered God: who chose the right way, abandoning the path that leads one astray. Such are the people whom God provides for out of His special mercy, and who have His special blessings showered upon them.","The Jews were chosen by God for the special mission of being the bearers of divine guidance so that, along with following the path of God, they should also communicate this guidance to others. But the rot set in in the Jews in later times. Then a time came when they were no longer worthy of being the bearers of divine guidance. God then took away this trust from them and gave it to the other branch of Abraham’s dynasty, the Banu Isma‘il. Before the enforcement of this decree, it was necessary to prove to them that they were no longer to be trusted. Jesus Christ was sent by God for this purpose. His extraordinary birth and his performance of extraordinary miracles were meant to convince the Jews of his messengership (i.e. that he had been sent by God) and that he was speaking on behalf of God.","The Jews were chosen by God for the special mission of being the bearers of divine guidance so that, along with following the path of God, they should also communicate this guidance to others. But the rot set in in the Jews in later times. Then a time came when they were no longer worthy of being the bearers of divine guidance. God then took away this trust from them and gave it to the other branch of Abraham’s dynasty, the Banu Isma‘il. Before the enforcement of this decree, it was necessary to prove to them that they were no longer to be trusted. Jesus Christ was sent by God for this purpose. His extraordinary birth and his performance of extraordinary miracles were meant to convince the Jews of his messengership (i.e. that he had been sent by God) and that he was speaking on behalf of God.","The Jews were chosen by God for the special mission of being the bearers of divine guidance so that, along with following the path of God, they should also communicate this guidance to others. But the rot set in in the Jews in later times. Then a time came when they were no longer worthy of being the bearers of divine guidance. God then took away this trust from them and gave it to the other branch of Abraham’s dynasty, the Banu Isma‘il. Before the enforcement of this decree, it was necessary to prove to them that they were no longer to be trusted. Jesus Christ was sent by God for this purpose. His extraordinary birth and his performance of extraordinary miracles were meant to convince the Jews of his messengership (i.e. that he had been sent by God) and that he was speaking on behalf of God.","The Jews were chosen by God for the special mission of being the bearers of divine guidance so that, along with following the path of God, they should also communicate this guidance to others. But the rot set in in the Jews in later times. Then a time came when they were no longer worthy of being the bearers of divine guidance. God then took away this trust from them and gave it to the other branch of Abraham’s dynasty, the Banu Isma‘il. Before the enforcement of this decree, it was necessary to prove to them that they were no longer to be trusted. Jesus Christ was sent by God for this purpose. His extraordinary birth and his performance of extraordinary miracles were meant to convince the Jews of his messengership (i.e. that he had been sent by God) and that he was speaking on behalf of God.","Jesus Christ was not only given extraordinary signs from God, but he spoke in so effective, persuasive and logical a manner that no one in his time could equal him. When he spoke for the first time in the temple, ‘all that heard him were astonished at his understanding and answers.’ (Luke 2:47). It was on account of his miraculous personality and his astonishing powers of speech that, although he was born without a father, no one dared to abuse him on this score. However, the Jews had become so insensitive and insolent that, in spite of very clear proofs, they refused to believe in him. ‘Surely in this there is a sign for you, if you are believers’ means that the proof, as presented, although complete in itself, would make sense only to one who wanted to believe; who had the ability to come out of his self and ponder over its veracity; whose nature was so receptive that the question of personal prestige did not become an obstacle to the acceptance of truth.","Jesus Christ was not only given extraordinary signs from God, but he spoke in so effective, persuasive and logical a manner that no one in his time could equal him. When he spoke for the first time in the temple, ‘all that heard him were astonished at his understanding and answers.’ (Luke 2:47). It was on account of his miraculous personality and his astonishing powers of speech that, although he was born without a father, no one dared to abuse him on this score. However, the Jews had become so insensitive and insolent that, in spite of very clear proofs, they refused to believe in him. ‘Surely in this there is a sign for you, if you are believers’ means that the proof, as presented, although complete in itself, would make sense only to one who wanted to believe; who had the ability to come out of his self and ponder over its veracity; whose nature was so receptive that the question of personal prestige did not become an obstacle to the acceptance of truth.","Jesus Christ was not only given extraordinary signs from God, but he spoke in so effective, persuasive and logical a manner that no one in his time could equal him. When he spoke for the first time in the temple, ‘all that heard him were astonished at his understanding and answers.’ (Luke 2:47). It was on account of his miraculous personality and his astonishing powers of speech that, although he was born without a father, no one dared to abuse him on this score. However, the Jews had become so insensitive and insolent that, in spite of very clear proofs, they refused to believe in him. ‘Surely in this there is a sign for you, if you are believers’ means that the proof, as presented, although complete in itself, would make sense only to one who wanted to believe; who had the ability to come out of his self and ponder over its veracity; whose nature was so receptive that the question of personal prestige did not become an obstacle to the acceptance of truth.","The religious leaders of the Israelites refused to believe in Jesus Christ. In any society, it is the leading lights who have access to all resources, and, in addition to being in possession of religious seats, they become the representatives of religion in the eyes of the people. This being so, if someone is rejected by these influential people, not only is he deprived of life’s resources, but even after losing all for the sake of truth, he remains a heretic in people’s eyes. In such circumstances, the most difficult of tasks is to support a preacher of truth. It means testifying to his veracity in a general atmosphere of suspicion and opposition. It amounts to siding with the truth when it stands alone and unsupported. When the truth is presented in all its purity, all those who are leading a life of untruth feel on the defensive—especially those who, by having pasted the label of truth on their lives, have secured a position of honour in society. It is such as they who rise to suppress the call of truth, setting the people against the caller by putting wrong constructions on his words. When this does not work, they finally plan to resort to the use of power in order to annihilate both the call and the caller. But God’s succour is always with the preacher. That is why no opposition to him succeeds in suppressing the truth, and he is able to complete his mission. Those who oppose the call of truth are mischief-makers in the eyes of God. This is because they stop potential believers from reaching the path of Paradise. No evil can be greater than obstructing the path of those intent upon entering God’s Paradise.","The religious leaders of the Israelites refused to believe in Jesus Christ. In any society, it is the leading lights who have access to all resources, and, in addition to being in possession of religious seats, they become the representatives of religion in the eyes of the people. This being so, if someone is rejected by these influential people, not only is he deprived of life’s resources, but even after losing all for the sake of truth, he remains a heretic in people’s eyes. In such circumstances, the most difficult of tasks is to support a preacher of truth. It means testifying to his veracity in a general atmosphere of suspicion and opposition. It amounts to siding with the truth when it stands alone and unsupported. When the truth is presented in all its purity, all those who are leading a life of untruth feel on the defensive—especially those who, by having pasted the label of truth on their lives, have secured a position of honour in society. It is such as they who rise to suppress the call of truth, setting the people against the caller by putting wrong constructions on his words. When this does not work, they finally plan to resort to the use of power in order to annihilate both the call and the caller. But God’s succour is always with the preacher. That is why no opposition to him succeeds in suppressing the truth, and he is able to complete his mission. Those who oppose the call of truth are mischief-makers in the eyes of God. This is because they stop potential believers from reaching the path of Paradise. No evil can be greater than obstructing the path of those intent upon entering God’s Paradise.","The religious leaders of the Israelites refused to believe in Jesus Christ. In any society, it is the leading lights who have access to all resources, and, in addition to being in possession of religious seats, they become the representatives of religion in the eyes of the people. This being so, if someone is rejected by these influential people, not only is he deprived of life’s resources, but even after losing all for the sake of truth, he remains a heretic in people’s eyes. In such circumstances, the most difficult of tasks is to support a preacher of truth. It means testifying to his veracity in a general atmosphere of suspicion and opposition. It amounts to siding with the truth when it stands alone and unsupported. When the truth is presented in all its purity, all those who are leading a life of untruth feel on the defensive—especially those who, by having pasted the label of truth on their lives, have secured a position of honour in society. It is such as they who rise to suppress the call of truth, setting the people against the caller by putting wrong constructions on his words. When this does not work, they finally plan to resort to the use of power in order to annihilate both the call and the caller. But God’s succour is always with the preacher. That is why no opposition to him succeeds in suppressing the truth, and he is able to complete his mission. Those who oppose the call of truth are mischief-makers in the eyes of God. This is because they stop potential believers from reaching the path of Paradise. No evil can be greater than obstructing the path of those intent upon entering God’s Paradise.","Jesus Christ was born into the Jewish community, but the Jews did not affirm his prophethood. Instead, they made out a false case against him and took him to the Roman court in Palestine. The court decreed to have him crucified, but God saved him and the Roman soldiers crucified another person who resembled Christ, taking him to be Christ. To punish this crime of the Jews, God decreed that the believers in Jesus Christ, would forever, till Doomsday, have dominion over the Jewish people. This is what was decreed by God for this world. The Hereafter however, is a different matter.","Jesus Christ was born into the Jewish community, but the Jews did not affirm his prophethood. Instead, they made out a false case against him and took him to the Roman court in Palestine. The court decreed to have him crucified, but God saved him and the Roman soldiers crucified another person who resembled Christ, taking him to be Christ. To punish this crime of the Jews, God decreed that the believers in Jesus Christ, would forever, till Doomsday, have dominion over the Jewish people. This is what was decreed by God for this world. The Hereafter however, is a different matter.","Jesus Christ was born into the Jewish community, but the Jews did not affirm his prophethood. Instead, they made out a false case against him and took him to the Roman court in Palestine. The court decreed to have him crucified, but God saved him and the Roman soldiers crucified another person who resembled Christ, taking him to be Christ. To punish this crime of the Jews, God decreed that the believers in Jesus Christ, would forever, till Doomsday, have dominion over the Jewish people. This is what was decreed by God for this world. The Hereafter however, is a different matter.","Jesus Christ was born into the Jewish community, but the Jews did not affirm his prophethood. Instead, they made out a false case against him and took him to the Roman court in Palestine. The court decreed to have him crucified, but God saved him and the Roman soldiers crucified another person who resembled Christ, taking him to be Christ. To punish this crime of the Jews, God decreed that the believers in Jesus Christ, would forever, till Doomsday, have dominion over the Jewish people. This is what was decreed by God for this world. The Hereafter however, is a different matter.","The Christians believe that Christ is the son of God, and that he is different from all other human beings. Since his very birth was quite exceptional in that he had no father, how could he be a human being like any other? They hold that his uncommon birth itself shows that he was not the son of man but of God. But this contention can be shown to be invalid by comparing the birth of Christ with the birth of the first man. (All of us, the Christians too, believe that Adam was the first man.) He was not born in the normal way, i.e. having a father and mother, but came into existence directly by God’s command. Then when Adam, born without a father, is not God’s son, how could Jesus Christ, who was also born without a father, be the son of God?","Najran (about 150 miles north of Sana‘ towards Yemen) was a great centre of Christianity at the time of the revelation of the Quran. In the 10th year of the Hijra, a Christian deputation came from Najran, to discuss Christian beliefs with the Prophet Muhammad. The Prophet presented many arguments to them. He asked how Christ could be God’s son, when God is a living being who would never die, whereas Jesus would eventually be overcome by death. They could not counter his arguments but, nevertheless, stood their ground. When the Prophet saw that they were not going to accept his arguments, however sound they might be, he gave them a final challenge. He said that if they really believed that they were right (in believing Christ to be the son of God) they should be ready for a mubahalah, i.e., a solemn meeting, in which both sides should summon not only their men, but their women and children, to pray earnestly to God, and invoke the curse of God on those who lied. Those who were pure and sincere in their faith would not hesitate. The next day the Prophet came out of his home accompanied by his grandsons, Hasan and Husayn, and his daughter Fatimah, and son-in-law ‘Ali. On seeing this the Christians were so impressed that they sought some time to reconsider. In their consultations one of their religious scholars said: ‘You know God has promised to send a Prophet among the Ishmaelites. Suppose he be the same prophet. In that case, the only result of engaging in a mubahalah with him would be the destruction of all our people and its effect would even extend to our next generations. By God, I am seeing such faces as could move mountains with their prayers. So it is better to enter into certain peace treaties with him and go back to our homes.’","Najran (about 150 miles north of Sana‘ towards Yemen) was a great centre of Christianity at the time of the revelation of the Quran. In the 10th year of the Hijra, a Christian deputation came from Najran, to discuss Christian beliefs with the Prophet Muhammad. The Prophet presented many arguments to them. He asked how Christ could be God’s son, when God is a living being who would never die, whereas Jesus would eventually be overcome by death. They could not counter his arguments but, nevertheless, stood their ground. When the Prophet saw that they were not going to accept his arguments, however sound they might be, he gave them a final challenge. He said that if they really believed that they were right (in believing Christ to be the son of God) they should be ready for a mubahalah, i.e., a solemn meeting, in which both sides should summon not only their men, but their women and children, to pray earnestly to God, and invoke the curse of God on those who lied. Those who were pure and sincere in their faith would not hesitate. The next day the Prophet came out of his home accompanied by his grandsons, Hasan and Husayn, and his daughter Fatimah, and son-in-law ‘Ali. On seeing this the Christians were so impressed that they sought some time to reconsider. In their consultations one of their religious scholars said: ‘You know God has promised to send a Prophet among the Ishmaelites. Suppose he be the same prophet. In that case, the only result of engaging in a mubahalah with him would be the destruction of all our people and its effect would even extend to our next generations. By God, I am seeing such faces as could move mountains with their prayers. So it is better to enter into certain peace treaties with him and go back to our homes.’","Najran (about 150 miles north of Sana‘ towards Yemen) was a great centre of Christianity at the time of the revelation of the Quran. In the 10th year of the Hijra, a Christian deputation came from Najran, to discuss Christian beliefs with the Prophet Muhammad. The Prophet presented many arguments to them. He asked how Christ could be God’s son, when God is a living being who would never die, whereas Jesus would eventually be overcome by death. They could not counter his arguments but, nevertheless, stood their ground. When the Prophet saw that they were not going to accept his arguments, however sound they might be, he gave them a final challenge. He said that if they really believed that they were right (in believing Christ to be the son of God) they should be ready for a mubahalah, i.e., a solemn meeting, in which both sides should summon not only their men, but their women and children, to pray earnestly to God, and invoke the curse of God on those who lied. Those who were pure and sincere in their faith would not hesitate. The next day the Prophet came out of his home accompanied by his grandsons, Hasan and Husayn, and his daughter Fatimah, and son-in-law ‘Ali. On seeing this the Christians were so impressed that they sought some time to reconsider. In their consultations one of their religious scholars said: ‘You know God has promised to send a Prophet among the Ishmaelites. Suppose he be the same prophet. In that case, the only result of engaging in a mubahalah with him would be the destruction of all our people and its effect would even extend to our next generations. By God, I am seeing such faces as could move mountains with their prayers. So it is better to enter into certain peace treaties with him and go back to our homes.’","Najran (about 150 miles north of Sana‘ towards Yemen) was a great centre of Christianity at the time of the revelation of the Quran. In the 10th year of the Hijra, a Christian deputation came from Najran, to discuss Christian beliefs with the Prophet Muhammad. The Prophet presented many arguments to them. He asked how Christ could be God’s son, when God is a living being who would never die, whereas Jesus would eventually be overcome by death. They could not counter his arguments but, nevertheless, stood their ground. When the Prophet saw that they were not going to accept his arguments, however sound they might be, he gave them a final challenge. He said that if they really believed that they were right (in believing Christ to be the son of God) they should be ready for a mubahalah, i.e., a solemn meeting, in which both sides should summon not only their men, but their women and children, to pray earnestly to God, and invoke the curse of God on those who lied. Those who were pure and sincere in their faith would not hesitate. The next day the Prophet came out of his home accompanied by his grandsons, Hasan and Husayn, and his daughter Fatimah, and son-in-law ‘Ali. On seeing this the Christians were so impressed that they sought some time to reconsider. In their consultations one of their religious scholars said: ‘You know God has promised to send a Prophet among the Ishmaelites. Suppose he be the same prophet. In that case, the only result of engaging in a mubahalah with him would be the destruction of all our people and its effect would even extend to our next generations. By God, I am seeing such faces as could move mountains with their prayers. So it is better to enter into certain peace treaties with him and go back to our homes.’","The concept of monotheism is not only a basic teaching of the Prophet Muhammad but is also enshrined as an established reality, even in the interpolated versions of the Torah and the Bible. Judged on this established criterion, Islam, unlike Judaism and Christianity, is proved to be a perfectly true religion. Monotheism implies belief in only one God. He alone should be worshipped. No one should be associated with Him. No man should be accorded that special place which is the sole prerogative of the Lord of the Universe. This concept of monotheism is preserved in its pure form only in Islam in the Quran. Other religions, while accepting monotheism ideologically, also adopted almost everything that ran counter to it. While believing in God as the Sustainer, in practice they accorded that status to their saints.","The concept of monotheism is not only a basic teaching of the Prophet Muhammad but is also enshrined as an established reality, even in the interpolated versions of the Torah and the Bible. Judged on this established criterion, Islam, unlike Judaism and Christianity, is proved to be a perfectly true religion. Monotheism implies belief in only one God. He alone should be worshipped. No one should be associated with Him. No man should be accorded that special place which is the sole prerogative of the Lord of the Universe. This concept of monotheism is preserved in its pure form only in Islam in the Quran. Other religions, while accepting monotheism ideologically, also adopted almost everything that ran counter to it. While believing in God as the Sustainer, in practice they accorded that status to their saints.","The concept of monotheism is not only a basic teaching of the Prophet Muhammad but is also enshrined as an established reality, even in the interpolated versions of the Torah and the Bible. Judged on this established criterion, Islam, unlike Judaism and Christianity, is proved to be a perfectly true religion. Monotheism implies belief in only one God. He alone should be worshipped. No one should be associated with Him. No man should be accorded that special place which is the sole prerogative of the Lord of the Universe. This concept of monotheism is preserved in its pure form only in Islam in the Quran. Other religions, while accepting monotheism ideologically, also adopted almost everything that ran counter to it. While believing in God as the Sustainer, in practice they accorded that status to their saints.","The Makkan polytheists called their religion the faith of Abraham. Jews and Christians too bracketed their religious history with that of Abraham. In every age people have used the names of their prophets and saints to justify their own additions to and inventions in religion. After the passage of time, people fail to differentiate between the original religion and its later version. The later version is ultimately taken to be the real religion. The atmosphere surrounding it is such that, when the call to return to true and pure religion is given, its opponents find the easiest way to discredit it is by making public allegations that the caller is against the religion handed down to them by their saints. One who is the true representative of the religion of ‘saints’ is now rejected in the name of former saints. This is because what his opponents hold up as their yardstick is not actually the original version of religion as given by the saints of the past. Instead it is the body of alterations and additions made by later followers and subsequently accepted as the ‘religion of the saints’. This is like drawing a veil of falsehood over the truth. That is, making pronouncements which are invalid from the religious and logical point of view. But since the public does not have the ability to analyze them, it deems them to be right and is thus distanced from the truth. The hanif (monotheist) is one who treads the straight path of monotheism and the non-hanif is one who deviates from the straight path, going instead into by-lanes. Sometimes the secondary aspects of religion are so emphasized by the interpretation put upon them that they appear to be the main foci, the actual core of religion. In this way its fundamentals lose their significance and people stray from the straight thoroughfare of monotheism into the byways of unimportant issues.","The Makkan polytheists called their religion the faith of Abraham. Jews and Christians too bracketed their religious history with that of Abraham. In every age people have used the names of their prophets and saints to justify their own additions to and inventions in religion. After the passage of time, people fail to differentiate between the original religion and its later version. The later version is ultimately taken to be the real religion. The atmosphere surrounding it is such that, when the call to return to true and pure religion is given, its opponents find the easiest way to discredit it is by making public allegations that the caller is against the religion handed down to them by their saints. One who is the true representative of the religion of ‘saints’ is now rejected in the name of former saints. This is because what his opponents hold up as their yardstick is not actually the original version of religion as given by the saints of the past. Instead it is the body of alterations and additions made by later followers and subsequently accepted as the ‘religion of the saints’. This is like drawing a veil of falsehood over the truth. That is, making pronouncements which are invalid from the religious and logical point of view. But since the public does not have the ability to analyze them, it deems them to be right and is thus distanced from the truth. The hanif (monotheist) is one who treads the straight path of monotheism and the non-hanif is one who deviates from the straight path, going instead into by-lanes. Sometimes the secondary aspects of religion are so emphasized by the interpretation put upon them that they appear to be the main foci, the actual core of religion. In this way its fundamentals lose their significance and people stray from the straight thoroughfare of monotheism into the byways of unimportant issues.","The Makkan polytheists called their religion the faith of Abraham. Jews and Christians too bracketed their religious history with that of Abraham. In every age people have used the names of their prophets and saints to justify their own additions to and inventions in religion. After the passage of time, people fail to differentiate between the original religion and its later version. The later version is ultimately taken to be the real religion. The atmosphere surrounding it is such that, when the call to return to true and pure religion is given, its opponents find the easiest way to discredit it is by making public allegations that the caller is against the religion handed down to them by their saints. One who is the true representative of the religion of ‘saints’ is now rejected in the name of former saints. This is because what his opponents hold up as their yardstick is not actually the original version of religion as given by the saints of the past. Instead it is the body of alterations and additions made by later followers and subsequently accepted as the ‘religion of the saints’. This is like drawing a veil of falsehood over the truth. That is, making pronouncements which are invalid from the religious and logical point of view. But since the public does not have the ability to analyze them, it deems them to be right and is thus distanced from the truth. The hanif (monotheist) is one who treads the straight path of monotheism and the non-hanif is one who deviates from the straight path, going instead into by-lanes. Sometimes the secondary aspects of religion are so emphasized by the interpretation put upon them that they appear to be the main foci, the actual core of religion. In this way its fundamentals lose their significance and people stray from the straight thoroughfare of monotheism into the byways of unimportant issues.","The Makkan polytheists called their religion the faith of Abraham. Jews and Christians too bracketed their religious history with that of Abraham. In every age people have used the names of their prophets and saints to justify their own additions to and inventions in religion. After the passage of time, people fail to differentiate between the original religion and its later version. The later version is ultimately taken to be the real religion. The atmosphere surrounding it is such that, when the call to return to true and pure religion is given, its opponents find the easiest way to discredit it is by making public allegations that the caller is against the religion handed down to them by their saints. One who is the true representative of the religion of ‘saints’ is now rejected in the name of former saints. This is because what his opponents hold up as their yardstick is not actually the original version of religion as given by the saints of the past. Instead it is the body of alterations and additions made by later followers and subsequently accepted as the ‘religion of the saints’. This is like drawing a veil of falsehood over the truth. That is, making pronouncements which are invalid from the religious and logical point of view. But since the public does not have the ability to analyze them, it deems them to be right and is thus distanced from the truth. The hanif (monotheist) is one who treads the straight path of monotheism and the non-hanif is one who deviates from the straight path, going instead into by-lanes. Sometimes the secondary aspects of religion are so emphasized by the interpretation put upon them that they appear to be the main foci, the actual core of religion. In this way its fundamentals lose their significance and people stray from the straight thoroughfare of monotheism into the byways of unimportant issues.","The Makkan polytheists called their religion the faith of Abraham. Jews and Christians too bracketed their religious history with that of Abraham. In every age people have used the names of their prophets and saints to justify their own additions to and inventions in religion. After the passage of time, people fail to differentiate between the original religion and its later version. The later version is ultimately taken to be the real religion. The atmosphere surrounding it is such that, when the call to return to true and pure religion is given, its opponents find the easiest way to discredit it is by making public allegations that the caller is against the religion handed down to them by their saints. One who is the true representative of the religion of ‘saints’ is now rejected in the name of former saints. This is because what his opponents hold up as their yardstick is not actually the original version of religion as given by the saints of the past. Instead it is the body of alterations and additions made by later followers and subsequently accepted as the ‘religion of the saints’. This is like drawing a veil of falsehood over the truth. That is, making pronouncements which are invalid from the religious and logical point of view. But since the public does not have the ability to analyze them, it deems them to be right and is thus distanced from the truth. The hanif (monotheist) is one who treads the straight path of monotheism and the non-hanif is one who deviates from the straight path, going instead into by-lanes. Sometimes the secondary aspects of religion are so emphasized by the interpretation put upon them that they appear to be the main foci, the actual core of religion. In this way its fundamentals lose their significance and people stray from the straight thoroughfare of monotheism into the byways of unimportant issues.","A community into which prophets and reformers have been born and in which religion has held sway for a considerable period of time, is often mistaken in thinking that their ethos and the truth are synonymous (that is, whatever they believe and practise is nothing but the truth). It comes to believe that guidance has something to do with a particular community rather than being a matter of principle, and is unwilling to accept such truth as has been revealed elsewhere. This was the case with the Jews. Under the influence of historical traditions, they began to believe that whoever was one of them was on the right path, and that whoever was not, was misguided. Even today, they tend to forget that truth is something that comes from God and not from an individual or a community. Although they are ostensibly adherents of a divine religion, in reality for them their community is supreme, while God is relegated to a secondary place. This mentality casts such a veil over their eyes that they become unable to see any merit outside their own fraternity. Even in the face of clear signs and arguments, they doubt the veracity of any outsider, and strongly oppose any call of truth which comes from without. In obedience to their false standards, they try to stifle such a call. They would not hesitate to adopt unjust methods to curb the activities of the preacher. They would even resort to spreading false propaganda to cast doubt upon his veracity. Going against God’s commandments, they adopt two separate criteria of behaviour, one for the members of their own community and another for outsiders.","A community into which prophets and reformers have been born and in which religion has held sway for a considerable period of time, is often mistaken in thinking that their ethos and the truth are synonymous (that is, whatever they believe and practise is nothing but the truth). It comes to believe that guidance has something to do with a particular community rather than being a matter of principle, and is unwilling to accept such truth as has been revealed elsewhere. This was the case with the Jews. Under the influence of historical traditions, they began to believe that whoever was one of them was on the right path, and that whoever was not, was misguided. Even today, they tend to forget that truth is something that comes from God and not from an individual or a community. Although they are ostensibly adherents of a divine religion, in reality for them their community is supreme, while God is relegated to a secondary place. This mentality casts such a veil over their eyes that they become unable to see any merit outside their own fraternity. Even in the face of clear signs and arguments, they doubt the veracity of any outsider, and strongly oppose any call of truth which comes from without. In obedience to their false standards, they try to stifle such a call. They would not hesitate to adopt unjust methods to curb the activities of the preacher. They would even resort to spreading false propaganda to cast doubt upon his veracity. Going against God’s commandments, they adopt two separate criteria of behaviour, one for the members of their own community and another for outsiders.","A community into which prophets and reformers have been born and in which religion has held sway for a considerable period of time, is often mistaken in thinking that their ethos and the truth are synonymous (that is, whatever they believe and practise is nothing but the truth). It comes to believe that guidance has something to do with a particular community rather than being a matter of principle, and is unwilling to accept such truth as has been revealed elsewhere. This was the case with the Jews. Under the influence of historical traditions, they began to believe that whoever was one of them was on the right path, and that whoever was not, was misguided. Even today, they tend to forget that truth is something that comes from God and not from an individual or a community. Although they are ostensibly adherents of a divine religion, in reality for them their community is supreme, while God is relegated to a secondary place. This mentality casts such a veil over their eyes that they become unable to see any merit outside their own fraternity. Even in the face of clear signs and arguments, they doubt the veracity of any outsider, and strongly oppose any call of truth which comes from without. In obedience to their false standards, they try to stifle such a call. They would not hesitate to adopt unjust methods to curb the activities of the preacher. They would even resort to spreading false propaganda to cast doubt upon his veracity. Going against God’s commandments, they adopt two separate criteria of behaviour, one for the members of their own community and another for outsiders.","Being particularly chosen to represent His religion is one of the special blessings of God. Such a choice is not based on one’s belonging to a certain community. The recipient of this blessing is one whom God selects for his spiritual virtues. And God likes one who is so attached to Him and who so fears Him that He becomes his Keeper, and his Lord in the true sense of these words. Indeed, when the believer enters into a covenant with his Creator, he is not able to go back. God’s chosen servants are those who fulfill their trusts and do not break their promises. It is people such as these who are showered with God’s blessings. On the contrary, those who are careless in the fulfillment of trusts and are negligent about keeping their promises are of no value in the eyes of God. They will be denied God’s mercies and blessings.","Being particularly chosen to represent His religion is one of the special blessings of God. Such a choice is not based on one’s belonging to a certain community. The recipient of this blessing is one whom God selects for his spiritual virtues. And God likes one who is so attached to Him and who so fears Him that He becomes his Keeper, and his Lord in the true sense of these words. Indeed, when the believer enters into a covenant with his Creator, he is not able to go back. God’s chosen servants are those who fulfill their trusts and do not break their promises. It is people such as these who are showered with God’s blessings. On the contrary, those who are careless in the fulfillment of trusts and are negligent about keeping their promises are of no value in the eyes of God. They will be denied God’s mercies and blessings.","On embracing the faith, the individual enters into a covenant with God that he will obey Him and that, living among human beings, and pledging himself to a life of constraint, he will fulfill all the responsibilities that God’s law imposes upon him. Such a life can be adhered to only by one who has risen above worldly interests. One who is ready to overlook the divine pact whenever his self suffers or his worldly interests are endangered barters the world for the Hereafter at a very paltry price: whenever the question arises of choosing either the world or the Hereafter, he always prefers the world. How can one who attaches so little value to the Hereafter be deserving of God’s mercies in the next world?","Those who buy the world in exchange for the Hereafter do not deny religion or the Hereafter outright. Rather, they fully associate themselves with their religion. Then how do they reconcile these two conflicting spheres? This is done in a devious way, that is, by putting a self-styled construction upon revealed teachings. Aspirants to material honour and glory pervert the teachings of their religion in order to justify their worldly ways, sometimes by altering the wordings of revelations and sometimes by a wilful misinterpretation supportive of their selfish interests. Instead of changing themselves, they change the book of God, so that whatever it takes to give a religious aura to their irreligious lives may be shown to be contained therein. The most heinous crime in the eyes of God is to attribute to God something which He has not said. The simplest and most certain testimony of the truth of any teaching is that it brings God’s servants closer to their Lord, that it directs people’s feelings of love and fear towards God. On the contrary, any teaching which produces a personal cult or any other cult for that matter, or which diverts peoples’ finer feelings and emotions towards anything other than God, should be considered based on falsehood, even if it be couched in religious terms.","Those who buy the world in exchange for the Hereafter do not deny religion or the Hereafter outright. Rather, they fully associate themselves with their religion. Then how do they reconcile these two conflicting spheres? This is done in a devious way, that is, by putting a self-styled construction upon revealed teachings. Aspirants to material honour and glory pervert the teachings of their religion in order to justify their worldly ways, sometimes by altering the wordings of revelations and sometimes by a wilful misinterpretation supportive of their selfish interests. Instead of changing themselves, they change the book of God, so that whatever it takes to give a religious aura to their irreligious lives may be shown to be contained therein. The most heinous crime in the eyes of God is to attribute to God something which He has not said. The simplest and most certain testimony of the truth of any teaching is that it brings God’s servants closer to their Lord, that it directs people’s feelings of love and fear towards God. On the contrary, any teaching which produces a personal cult or any other cult for that matter, or which diverts peoples’ finer feelings and emotions towards anything other than God, should be considered based on falsehood, even if it be couched in religious terms.","Those who buy the world in exchange for the Hereafter do not deny religion or the Hereafter outright. Rather, they fully associate themselves with their religion. Then how do they reconcile these two conflicting spheres? This is done in a devious way, that is, by putting a self-styled construction upon revealed teachings. Aspirants to material honour and glory pervert the teachings of their religion in order to justify their worldly ways, sometimes by altering the wordings of revelations and sometimes by a wilful misinterpretation supportive of their selfish interests. Instead of changing themselves, they change the book of God, so that whatever it takes to give a religious aura to their irreligious lives may be shown to be contained therein. The most heinous crime in the eyes of God is to attribute to God something which He has not said. The simplest and most certain testimony of the truth of any teaching is that it brings God’s servants closer to their Lord, that it directs people’s feelings of love and fear towards God. On the contrary, any teaching which produces a personal cult or any other cult for that matter, or which diverts peoples’ finer feelings and emotions towards anything other than God, should be considered based on falsehood, even if it be couched in religious terms.","Discovering God is to find an eternal reality. It is to become a co-traveller or a travelling companion of the whole universe. Those who find God in this way, can rise above all kinds of prejudices. They recognize truth in all situations, whether the call of truth comes through an ‘Israelite prophet’ or an ‘Ishmaelite prophet’. But those who lead their lives on the level of community-oriented thinking can recognize the truth only when it comes to them from a member of their own community. If God selects as His messenger someone from outside their community, then the message he brings does not lodge in their minds, not even when their own hearts bear witness to the veracity of that message. Even if such ‘believers’ regard themselves as true believers, they will find their names deleted from the list of believers in the Hereafter. This is because they recognized the truth only in relation to their community rather than in relation to God. Not acknowledging a message of truth, which has been testified to by their own hearts, is the worst crime in the eyes of God. Such people will be condemned in the Hereafter and all creatures will join in this condemnation.","Discovering God is to find an eternal reality. It is to become a co-traveller or a travelling companion of the whole universe. Those who find God in this way, can rise above all kinds of prejudices. They recognize truth in all situations, whether the call of truth comes through an ‘Israelite prophet’ or an ‘Ishmaelite prophet’. But those who lead their lives on the level of community-oriented thinking can recognize the truth only when it comes to them from a member of their own community. If God selects as His messenger someone from outside their community, then the message he brings does not lodge in their minds, not even when their own hearts bear witness to the veracity of that message. Even if such ‘believers’ regard themselves as true believers, they will find their names deleted from the list of believers in the Hereafter. This is because they recognized the truth only in relation to their community rather than in relation to God. Not acknowledging a message of truth, which has been testified to by their own hearts, is the worst crime in the eyes of God. Such people will be condemned in the Hereafter and all creatures will join in this condemnation.","Discovering God is to find an eternal reality. It is to become a co-traveller or a travelling companion of the whole universe. Those who find God in this way, can rise above all kinds of prejudices. They recognize truth in all situations, whether the call of truth comes through an ‘Israelite prophet’ or an ‘Ishmaelite prophet’. But those who lead their lives on the level of community-oriented thinking can recognize the truth only when it comes to them from a member of their own community. If God selects as His messenger someone from outside their community, then the message he brings does not lodge in their minds, not even when their own hearts bear witness to the veracity of that message. Even if such ‘believers’ regard themselves as true believers, they will find their names deleted from the list of believers in the Hereafter. This is because they recognized the truth only in relation to their community rather than in relation to God. Not acknowledging a message of truth, which has been testified to by their own hearts, is the worst crime in the eyes of God. Such people will be condemned in the Hereafter and all creatures will join in this condemnation.","Not acknowledging any truth external to their community appears to be a bid to save their faith. But in actuality it destroys their faith. God’s true believer lives on God’s continuous inspiration, so that one who confines himself to self-worship and community-worship will be blocking all paths to God’s blessing entering into him. After being deprived of God’s inspiration, what will there be left with which to nurture his faith?","Not acknowledging any truth external to their community appears to be a bid to save their faith. But in actuality it destroys their faith. God’s true believer lives on God’s continuous inspiration, so that one who confines himself to self-worship and community-worship will be blocking all paths to God’s blessing entering into him. After being deprived of God’s inspiration, what will there be left with which to nurture his faith?","Not acknowledging any truth external to their community appears to be a bid to save their faith. But in actuality it destroys their faith. God’s true believer lives on God’s continuous inspiration, so that one who confines himself to self-worship and community-worship will be blocking all paths to God’s blessing entering into him. After being deprived of God’s inspiration, what will there be left with which to nurture his faith?","Not acknowledging any truth external to their community appears to be a bid to save their faith. But in actuality it destroys their faith. God’s true believer lives on God’s continuous inspiration, so that one who confines himself to self-worship and community-worship will be blocking all paths to God’s blessing entering into him. After being deprived of God’s inspiration, what will there be left with which to nurture his faith?","Not acknowledging any truth external to their community appears to be a bid to save their faith. But in actuality it destroys their faith. God’s true believer lives on God’s continuous inspiration, so that one who confines himself to self-worship and community-worship will be blocking all paths to God’s blessing entering into him. After being deprived of God’s inspiration, what will there be left with which to nurture his faith?","Not acknowledging any truth external to their community appears to be a bid to save their faith. But in actuality it destroys their faith. God’s true believer lives on God’s continuous inspiration, so that one who confines himself to self-worship and community-worship will be blocking all paths to God’s blessing entering into him. After being deprived of God’s inspiration, what will there be left with which to nurture his faith?","Not acknowledging any truth external to their community appears to be a bid to save their faith. But in actuality it destroys their faith. God’s true believer lives on God’s continuous inspiration, so that one who confines himself to self-worship and community-worship will be blocking all paths to God’s blessing entering into him. After being deprived of God’s inspiration, what will there be left with which to nurture his faith?","Not acknowledging any truth external to their community appears to be a bid to save their faith. But in actuality it destroys their faith. God’s true believer lives on God’s continuous inspiration, so that one who confines himself to self-worship and community-worship will be blocking all paths to God’s blessing entering into him. After being deprived of God’s inspiration, what will there be left with which to nurture his faith?","According to the Jews’ self-made set of religious laws, eating the meat of the camel and the rabbit was illegal, while it was quite licit in Islam. So the Jews would ask, if Islam was a revealed religion, why it was that the lawful and the unlawful were different in Islam from what had been laid down in the former revealed religions. Similarly, they would ask how it was that a religion revealed by God could command the direction of prayer to be the Ka‘bah instead of al-Bayt al-Maqdis (Jerusalem), which had remained the direction for prayer in the teachings of all the prophets up till then. They in fact refused to believe that God could reveal a religion in which the Ka‘bah was held to be the direction for prayer."]