SOME TRUTHS OF ISLAM
1 The Whole Humanity is One Family
There could be no means for uniting mankind into one
single brotherhood than by convincing them that all
mankind is one family, children of the same parents.
Mankind was but one people; and God sent apostles as
bearers of good tidings and warners and sent down with
them the Book with the Truth that it might judge between
men in that wherein they differed; and none differed
therein; but those very (people) to whom it was given,
after clear signs had come unto them, did revolt among
themselves; whereupon God guided those who believed,
by His Will, regarding that which the people differed
about the Truth, and verily God guideth whomsoever He
willeth to the Right Path. (2:213)
Besides this, there are other verses which declare that men and
women were created from one single self It can easily be
imagined how far the belief in the truth about the unity of the
human race would go to sublimate the animal nature in man, to
create in him the feliow4eeling for others of his kind and thereby
establish a human brotherhood on earth. Unfortunately, in the
West, the Christian world, there is racism, and in the East our
Hindu brothers observe the caste system. The Holy Qur'an
declares the unity of the human race and Islam lays great stress
upon this truth.
2 The Mystery of the Individual Differences and
the Unity of Purpose
Though man has been given physical and mental faculties
necessary for his life and progress, not all men are gifted in
equal
measure. Some have certain gifts which others do not have.
Some excel in physical strength while others are gifted with great
mental powers. People differ in the level of intelligence and
aptitude. Some are gifted writers, some are convincing orators,
some are wonderful artists and some are enchanting poets, some
are inventive scientists or mathematicians, and some are
powerful administrators. These are gifts of the Omnipotent
Creator, intuitive mysteries with which the nature of man is
endowed. The fact Seems clear that the members of the human
race were destined to be dependent upon each other. If all had
been endowed with exactly the same gifts, people would not have
needed the help of each other and there would have been no
social life upon earth. As man needs his fellow men, he also
needs some one with special gifts to explain the very mystery of
his life, the way to live, and life in the hereafter. Only those
informed by the Creator Himself and chosen for this purpose
fulfil this function, and they are the Apostles of God and the
Imams (Guides).
3 From God alone can come Guidance
Man could not create himself He was created by a Self-Existing
Sovereign Power, and Omnipotent Independent Authority. He
was brought into an already-Existing world. Left to himself he
could never have been able to guide himself. The ever-Extending
universe with its astonishing energies, functioning in perfect
harmony, indicates the causative will which is Omnipotent and
All-Wise and with purpose. The knowledge of the purpose of
creation is essential to man if he is to adjust himself to the
harmony of his environment, talk from it and giving to it in
return. Of the purpose in the creation of the universe, the Holy
Qur'an says:
Thou who remember God, standing, sitting and reclining
on their sides, think (seriously) of the creation of heaven
and earth; saying, "O Our Lord! Thou hast not created
(all) this in vain! Glory be to Thee! Save us then from
the torment of the fire (Hell)." (3:190)
4 All Man-made distinctions annihilated
Islam demands the end of all man-made distinctions in human
society. Such distinctions of caste, colour, community and race
were outlawed in the declaration:
o ye people! Verily We have created you of a male and
a female, and made you in nations and tribes, that ye
may recognise each other; Verily the most honoured of
you with God is the one of you who guardeth (himself)
the most (against evil), verily God is the All-Knowing,
the All-Aware. (49:13)
The above declaration Clearly states that the distribution of the
human family into tribes and families is only for identification,
and the distinction within the human race shall be based only on
the degree of piety and personal excellence of each individual,
man or woman.
5 The Sources of Knowledge: man specially
equipped
Man has been blessed with special powers and faculties which no
other creature on earth owns. But, like other animals, man has
eyes, ears, nose, tongue and skin. Through these doorways man
acquires knowledge of the sensual world. But man has the gift of
special intellect by which he can ponder the mystery of life,
choose his own way of life, and his welfare or perdition in the
life
hereafter. if man controls his sensual nature by the use of the
great gift of conscience and reasoning he will succeed; if he
allows his conscience to be ruled by degrading sensual forces, he
will lose the game of life. This is the Test.
6 God is Nearest to Everything
Man is warned that God is nearest to man, nearer thin his own
Life-Vein:
And indeed We created man, and know We whatever
thoughts whispereth he unto himself and We are nearer
to him than his very life-vein. (50:16)
7 Man directed to seek the medium to reach the
Lord
O ye who believe! Fear ye God! And seek ye the
medium of approach until Him. (5:35)
8 No Compulsion to Faith
Since the Truth has been clearly revealed against falsehood,
through the Holy Qur'an, Islam has sounded an open warning
against compulsion to faith:
No compulsion be in religion; Indeed truth has been
made manifestly distinct from error; therefore he who
disbelieveth the rebels (false deities) and believeth in
God hath indeed laid hold on the strongest handle which
cannot be broken; and verily God is All-Hearing, All-
Knowing. (2:256)
9 Good and Evil promised to be Individually
Rewarded and Punished
Islam charges every individual man and woman with personal
responsibility to make his or her own way to heaven or hell by
being good and doing good, or by being evil and doing evil in
this life. Life on earth has been said to be the season for
cultivation of the life hereafter. As one sows here so shall one
reap in the hereafter, in the life after death. As the right way to
eternal bliss has been clearly shown, all have been warned
through the following about the Day of Final Judgment:
On that day shall come out people (from their graves) in
groups to be shown their (own) deeds. (99:6)
Then he who hath done an atom-weight of good shall see
It. (99:7)
And he who hath done an atom-weight of evil shall see it.
(99:8)
From this comes great encouragement to do good and to shun evil.
10 No Physical Eye can ever see God
Vision perceiveth Him not, and He perceiveth (all)
vision; He is the Subtle, the All-Aware. (6:104)
Hence, it is impossible to see God in Person at any time in
this life or in the next.
11 The Word of the Holy Prophet is Final
And it is not for a believer, man or woman, to have any
choice in a matter when God and His Apostle have
decided the matter; and whoever disobeyeth God and His
Apostle, indeed he hath truly gone astray. (33:36)
12 Speaking ill of the Holy Prophet
Those who speak ill of or hurt the Holy Prophet by acting against
his will or command, or by hurting the Holy Ones or killing their
issue, the Ahlul-Bait, the Holy Imams and their devotees shall be
punished:
Surely those who hurt God and His apostle, God hath
cursed them in this world and hereafter and he hath
prepared for them a terrible chastisement
13 The importance of the Choice of a Leader
On the Day of Judgment every one will be called, along with his
Imam, the leader whom he has followed in his life:
Remember the Day (of Judgment) when We will summon
every people with their Imam (leader); then whosoever is
given his book in his right hand, these shall read books
(with pleasure), and they shall not be dealt with in the
slightest unjustly. (17:71)
who will be better than the Holy Ahlul-Bait whom God Himself
purified (33:33)? The Imam is he who embraces all things. The
Holy Prophet declared: "Ana Madeenatul wa Alliyyun Babuha."
("I am the City of Knowledge and Ali its Gate") Ali is the Gate
of the City of Knowledge and the ever-triumphant Lion of God, a
distinction held by Ali and by none other.
14 The Identification of a Genuine Heavenly Guide
If a man sincerely seeks the help of his Creator Lord to find a
genuine heavenly guide, there is the Holy Qur'an, God's final
word, to help him. It is the declared promise of the All-Merciful
Lord to show the right way to those who seek him. The first
condition is sincerity in seeking the divine help:
And those who strive hard for Us, certainly will We guide
them in Our ways; and verily God is (always) with those
who do good. (29:69)
Say thou (O Our Apostle Muhammad!), "Of your
associates is there any one who can guide unto truth?"
Say thou, 'It is God alone Who guideth unto truth; Is
then He Who guideth unto truth more worthy to be
followed or he who himself goeth not aright unless he be
guided? What then hath befallen you? How (ill) ye
judge?" (10:35)
What! Is he who goeth along grovelling on his face better
guided, or he who walketh upright upon the straight
path?" (67:22)
Thus a genuine heavenly guide is he who never needs any
education or guidance from any mortal in this world. He is sent
into the world divinely conditioned with guidance as were all the
apostles from God, the Last one of them the Holy Prophet
Muhammad and the holy Thirteen of his godly family, ie. the
Twelve Holy Imams and the Holy Lady of Light Fatema Zahra
(the only daughter of the Holy Prophet, who was the wife of the
first Holy Imam Ali ibne Abi Taleb, and the "mother?' of the
other Eleven Holy Ones.)
15 Blind Following
Professing a creed, blindly following a crowd, or joining any
religious order for any material benefit is quite different from
adopting a faith with genuine conviction, knowing the truth
therein after a thorough study of its fundamentals and reasoning
them out against counter-arguments. Islam discourages any
blind following, and abhors the exploitation of the ignorance of
poor illiterates among the poverty-stricken masses of the slums,
and is vehemently opposed to attracting any one or bribing any
one with promises of material benefits or social or economic
progress in order to swell the ranks of its adherents. The only
aim of Islam is to educate the members of the human family with
the truth about the Absolute Sovereignty of the Only True God
and the need for every creature to submit voluntarily to the All-
Supreme Authority of the Creator Lord of the universe. Islam
invites every awakened mind of the human world to a serious
study of the mystery of the creation of life, the truth about the
Omnipotent Originator, so that people may raise themselves from
the abyss of material degradation and ascend to the heavenly
heights of eternal spiritual bliss. Islam accepts only the
independent judgment of the individual without coercion or
pressure of any kind other than that of his own conscience.
16 Man charged with Personal Responsibility for
being Guided Aright
Man had been deluded by the false belief in an unconditional
escape from punishment for his wickedness by supposed
atonement through man-made gods and goddesses. Islam dealt a
death blow to such false imagination which allowed people to act
without restraint in confidence of redemption. Islam charges
man with the personal and individual responsibility for holding
the right and correct faith and bearing his own burdens.
whosoever getteth guided aright, verily he getteth guided
aright for his own self and he who goeth astray, verily
he goeth astray against his own self nor shall the bearer
of a burden bear the burden of another; And we chastise
not (any people) until We raise an apostle (among them).
(17:15)
And no bearer shall bear the burden of another; and if
the heavy4aden one should cry for (another bearer to
carry) its burden, (even) aught of it shall not be carried,
and even if he be near of kin; Thou canst but warn those
who fear their Lord unseen and keep up regular prayer;
And whosoever purifieth (himself), he only purifieth for
his own self And unto God (alone) is the destination (of
all). (35:18)
17 The Individual Liberty or Freedom of Choice
announced
Having shown the right way against the wrong one, every human
soul has been given the freedom of choosing his own way to the
life hereafter:
Verily have We shown him the (Right) way, be he grateful
or ungrateful (76:3)
Let those who blindly criticise Islam and its Holy Founder,
attributing compulsion to the spread of the Qur'anic faith,
dispassionately and impartially judge, in view of the above
Qur'anic declaration and also verse 2:256 whether there be any
room for doubt about the mission of the Holy Teacher.
18 The Individual and Personal Responsibility of
every man and woman
Islam charges man with the individual responsibility to take the
right path on earth, declaring that whatever a soul does, be it
good or evil, it is for or against the soul itself:
whosoever getteth guided aright, verily he getteth guided
aright for his own self and he who goeth astray, verily
he goeth astray against his own self nor shall the bearer
of a burden bear the burden of another; And we chastise
not (any people) until We raise an apostle (among them).
(17:15)
Whosoever doeth good, it is for his own self and
whosoever doeth evil, it is against it; and thy Lord is not
unjust unto the servants. (41:46)
whoever doeth good, it is for his own self and whoever
doeth evil, it is against his own self then unto your Lord
ye shall be returned (45:15)
19 The Qur'anic Formula for Following the Right
In a single sentence, the Holy Qur'an gives man the formula for a
sure way to follow the Right path:
No compulsion be in religion; Indeed truth has been
made manifestly distinct from error; therefore he who
disbelieveth the rebels (false deities) and believeth in
God hath indeed laid hold on the strongest handle which
cannot be broken; and verily God is All-Hearing, All-
Knowing. (2:256)
20 The Decree of the Holy Imam
The decree of the Masoom (the Sixth Holy 'main) with regard to
Ijtehad is not the only tradition; there are, in fact, many
undisputed traditions from other Imams establishing the
institution of Ijtehad, prescribing the minutest details of its
functioning, a brief outline of which is given below.
The decree of the Holy Imam is as follows:
Ammo Hawadisal Waqi'aat, Far 'jeoo ila ruwate
Ahadeesenafa innahom hujati alaikum Wa ana
Hujjatullah
("In all the events of life, refer ye to those who bear our
traditions, they are the authority over you on my behalf
and I am the authority on behalf of God.")
of the many declarations of the other Imams, two are
outstanding. One is from Hazrate Imam Jafar ibne Muhammad
As-Sadiq, known as the Maqool-el-Omar-bin Hanzala (the
tradition of Omar ibne Hanzala); the other is from the Eleventh
Holy Imam Husain al-Askari.
21 Taqleed
The best protection afforded to Shiaism against raids by Satan
and his disciple missionaries is the ordinance about Taqleed
(16:43), or to abide always by the A'li or the most learned one
called the Mujtahid. This course always guides one to the right
practice of the faith and protects him from committing any
excesses and from onslaughts by Satanic forces.
Taqleed has also been misinterpreted in the innovation of the
Mureeds with blind following of the Pirs. Be it known that being
guided by a Mujtahid in practice of the faith has nothing in
common with this blind following. Taqleed is used only of
scholars who have reached the level of Itjehad (the ability to
interpret the Holy Qur'an and the genuine traditions of the Holy
Prophet). In matters of doubt about the practice of the faith,
Furu-e-Deen or articles of faith Usool-e-Deen, following any one
else is Haram (prohibited). For not every one can be expected to
know all the minute details about the practice of the faith or
correctly interpret the Holy Qur'an, the Hadith and the sayings of
the Holy Prophet.
The highest authority in knowledge and piety need only be
followed in the case of Fatwa or concerning the law; for the
application of the law, to follow the Ijtehad is sufficient.
Shiaism, the Islam-Original, has sounded a caution against the
ruinous effects of unqualified administration of justice. The
following is the decree of the Sixth Holy Imam, Jafar ibne
Muhammad As-Sadiq, the Regulator of the Shia faith:
Any one who takes this seat, save a Prophet of God, or
the Successor to the prophet, is an evil one.
This declaration warns that any unqualified one (lacking the
authority from the Holy Prophet and the Holy Imam) who
assumes the seat of Qaza'at (Justice) will be none but the evil
one. Thus a Qazi (judge) must be a Mujtahid, qualified under the
this declaration.
While condemning the yielding to the rule of Taghoot, ie.
authority without divine sanction, the Sixth Holy Imam said that,
instead of submitting to such a tyrant, the people must seek the
greatest scholar, who knows the traditions, the sanctions, the
prohibitions and the rulings and accept him as Judge and Ruler.
If he gives a ruling which is unacceptable, it will be an offence
against God's Sovereignty, which is almost a Shirk (recognition
of an authority other than God's.)
The definition and requirements of Ijtehad and Taqleed given
below are those prescribed by the Masoom (the Twelfth Holy
Imam), as ordained by the Holy Qur'an and the Sunnat which are
an intrinsic part of the system of Divine Sovereignty and
Absolute Theocracy within the meaning of the word "Islam",
complete submission to the Absolute Sovereignty of God.
When the period of codification and consolidation of the
Kitab and Sunnat was completed, the age of the Imamat serving
that purpose came to an end. Thus the seclusion of the Twelfth
Imam occurred, though his hidden existence continues as a link
between God and His creation. The Imams declared the
institution of Ijtehad as the sole directive authority on their
behalf to lead men on the path of submission to God in all
matters within the Kitab and Sunnat.
In other words, Ijtehad and Taqleed are supplementary to
Imamat, which is, in turn, supplementary to Risalat
(Apostleship), which is the' manifestation of the Divine
Sovereignty. There is no room for any individual view or
choice, but the door is left open for any one, irrespective of
race
or place, to quality to the level of an Ijtehad.
22 The Definition of "Ijtehad"
Ijtehad literally means an effort to interpret and explain the
divine orders, rules and regulations of the Holy Qur'an and the
authentic sayings of the Holy Prophet and the apostolic Imams.
It does not mean using one's discretion in the findings parallel
to
the Qur'an and the Sunnat. Any one who has the capacity to
understand and interpret the divine laws, rules and regulations
and is of outstanding learning, knowledge and piety, can be a
Mujtahid. Any one who has not reached that level is a layman
and must follow one who has reached that standard.
Where there are several men of equal standard, but who differ
in their decisions, the layman can choose to follow any one of
them, and where these Mujtahids differ in their
accomplishments, the best among them should be followed. if
one is better in knowledge and the other better in piety, the
latter
is to be followed.
In trying to find the best Mujtahid, the layman should refer to
the evidence of competent and pious scholars of Islamic
Theology. By the collection of these evidences, one can easily
decide for himself who is the best. This is the best method used
throughout history of the Niabat of the Imam after the Ghaibat
There is no room for election or counting votes, nor is there
any group to appoint an ecclesiastical head as in the Papal system
of Christianity. Nor is it the Pin and the Mureedi practised by
some sections of the Muslims as a parallel to Imamat The
qualifications for Itjehad are recognised and measurable, unlike
the qualifications for Piri which are neither fixed nor
measurable.
It should be noted that the question of following the opinion
of the best in knowledge and piety is confined to such questions
in which Mujtahids differ; the question of which to follow does
not arise in matters unanimously accepted by all Mujtahids.
For the administration of theological centres and other
religious services, any pious Mujtahid is competent for the
position, and if any pious Mujtahid offers to take on the task,
another Mujtahid should not stand in his way, but should help
him.
23 Mere Verbal Profession of the Faith is not
Sufficient
Every one will be tried in his faith to prove to himself that his
profession if bona fide:
what! Do people imagine that they will be let in by
saying, "We Believe!" and they will not be fried? (29:2)
We will surely test you with something of fear and hunger
and loss of wealth and lives and fruits; and give glad
tidings to the patient ones.
who, when misfortune befalleth them, say, "Verily we are
God" and verily unto Him shall we return."
Those are they on whom are the blessings from their
Lord and (His) Mercy; and they are the ones that are
(rightly) guided (2:155-157)
24 The Real Islamic Piety Explained
To all hypocritical show of formal observance of the faith
without
sincerity in its practical expression, Islam has dealt a death
blow
in the following decree:
It is not righteousness that ye turn your faces towards the
East and the West; righteousness is rather one who
believeth in God and the Last day and the angels, the
Book and the Apostles, and giveth his wealth out of love
for Him to the kindred and the orphans and the poor and
the wayfarer and the need' and for those in bondage;
and establisheth prayer and payeth the poor-rate; And
those who fulfil their promise when they make a promise
and the patient ones in distress and affliction and in the
time of war; these are they who are the Truthful and
these are they who are the pious. (2:177)
25 Man Should Always be with the Truthful Ones
Man was ordained to be always with the Truthful Ones, those
who do not utter a lie. The great lie is Shirk, the belief that
there
is another besides God, or worshipping false deities. Who else
can be the Truthful ones other than the Holy Ahlul-Bait who
never in their lives bowed down to any besides God and are the
ones whom God says He Himself purified (33:33).
O ye who believe! Fear ye God and be ye (always) with
the Truthful ones. (9:119)
26 Taqiah
Hiding the faith, giving out a mere verbal profession to save
one's
life. This is a Qur'anic ordinance.
And said a man who was a Believer, from among the
people of Pharaoh, who used to conceal his faith: "What!
Slay ye a man for saying, 'My Lord is God" and indeed
he hath brought unto you clear proofs (of his mission)
from your Lord? while if he be a liar, on him will be his
life; and if he be truthful, then will afflict you some of
what he warneth you (with); Verily, God guideth not him
who is extravagant (and a liar)." (40:28)
And there came a man from the remotest part of the city,
running (and) said, "O Moses! Verily the chiefs are
consulting to slay thee. Begone (from here at once)!
Verily, unto thee lam of the sincere advisers." (28:20)
27 Intercession Available
Intercession for redemption against deserved punishment is
available, not from false deities, but from those divinely
qualified
to do it:
who is he who can intercede unto Him but by His
Permission? (2:255)
They shall not own intercession, save he who has made a
covenant with the Beneficent God. (19:87)
On that day shall avail not intercession (of any) save
(that of) whom hath permitted God, and whose word He
is pleased with. (20:109)
Knoweth He what is before them and what is behind
them, and they can not intercede but for him whom He
approveth, and they, of His fear, tremble. (21:28)
And will avail not aught any intercession with Him save
Of him whom He hath permitted (34:23)
28 Killing of Even One Believer
And whosoever killeth a believer intentionally, his
recompense shall be Hell, he shall abide therein and
God's wrath shall be on him and His curse, and (there) is
prepared for him a great torment (4:93)
For this reason did we prescribe unto the children of
Israel that he who slayeth any one (man) without (that
being for) murder or for mischief in the land, (it shall be
as though he hath slain mankind as a whole; and he who
saveth it (a human life) shall be as though he hath saved
mankind as a whole; and certainly our Apostles came
unto them with clear evidences, and yet verily many of
them even after that certainly did commit excesses in the
land. (5:31)
Man must judge in the light of the above ordinances, the position
of those who killed the very beloved ones of God, the Holy Ahiul-
Bait. History testifies that none but the Fourteenth of the Holy
Ones did escape murder at the hands of those who called
themselves Muslims and as rulers of States, called themselves
Caliphs.
29 The Dead in the Way of the Lord are Alive
The following declaration of God through His Final Word, the
Holy Qur'an, says that those who lay their lives in God's way are
alive, and must not be counted as dead. Thus the Shias believe
that the martyrs are alive and continue to revere their memory:
And say not of those who are slain in the path of God
that they are dead; Nay (they are) living, but ye perceive
it not (2:154)
Reckon not those who are slain in the way of God to be
dead; Nay! alive are they with their Lord being
sustained (3:168)
30 Reverence and Respect for the Signs of God
Everything in the Universe is a Sign of God, particularly those
associated with godly objects and the men of God:
Verily "Safa" and "Morwa" among the signs of God;
whoever therefore maketh a pilgrimage to the House or
performeth "Umra"; therefore it shall be no blame on
him to go round them both; and whoever of his own
accord doeth anything good in deed, verily God is
Gracious, All-Knowing. (2:158)
(As for the Camels) We have made them for you of the
Signs of God. (22:36)
That shall be so, and whosoever respecteth the Signs of
God, then that verily is the outcome of the piety of heart.
(22:32)
It is obvious that if the mounds of Safa and Marwa and animals
of sacrifice are worthy to be Signs of God, the Standard of Islam
with which Husain fought and established the Truth will be the
greatest sign of God, the Sign of the Religion revealed by the
Lord, and respect and reverence for it must be the Sign of the
piety of the individual. The Shias, the followers of the Qur'anic
faith, the Islam-Original, are more careful against Shirk than any
other school. They regard the Alam-e-Husainy neither as God,
nor as Husain, but as a token of the Standard of Islam.
31 Mourning for the Martyrs
So wept not on them the heavens and the earth nor were
they respited (44:29)
The Holy Qur'an declares that heaven and earth also mourn
When they do not mourn for the wicked, it means that they
mourn for the righteous.
Mourning for the righteous, particularly for those who have
laid down their lives for the Lord, is godly behaviour.
There are authentic traditions of the Holy Prophet shedding
tears for the prophesied martyrdom of Husain even before the
event had taken place.
There is Qur'anic evidence of Jacob's weeping for his son
Joseph who had disappeared, even though, as an Apostle, he
knew that his son was not dead.
Thus mourning for Husain or for any other martyr of the
House of the Holy Prophet is in accordance with the apostolic
tradition.
32 Breast-Beating for the Martyrs
Breast-beating, which is generally done by the Shias for the
martyrs of the House of the Holy Prophet, the Ahlul-Bait, is not a
part of the Shia faith. It is an active expression of sorrow for
the
holy ones and identification with their suffering in serving the
Lord. History records similar conduct by Owais Qarani, who
hurt himself, breaking his own teeth in grief for the suffering of
the Holy Prophet in Ohad. This is known by the Muslim world
and was recognised by the Holy Prophet Himself. Though
breast-beating is not a part of the religion, it is tolerated.
The violent expression of feeling on the part of Shias for the
martyrdom of the Holy Ones of the House of the Holy Prophet
represents a natural attachment to the Holy Ones. People do not
Condemn one who weeps and mourns when a close relative dies,
and the Shias actually regard the Holy Ones as their spiritual
parents. The Holy Prophet said, "I and Ali are the two fathers of
this people."
33 Reverential Prostration
Reverential prostration before any sacred object is not prohibited
in Islam. People who misunderstand it may wrongly term it
Shirk. But Iblees or Lucifer was cast out for not prostrating
himself before Adam:
And when said We unto the angels, "Prostrate ye before
Adam!", they all prostrated themselves save Iblees, who
refrained and was puffed up with pride and was turned
into one of the disbelievers. (2:34)
And indeed We did create you, then We did fashion you,
then said We unto the angels, "Prostrate yourselves unto
Adam!" So they all did prostrate themselves except
Iblees; he was not of the prostrating ones. (7:11)
Jacob, being the Apostle of God, prostrated himself; along with
his sons, before his own son on the throne of authority:
And raised he his parents to the throne, and they fell
down unto him, prostrating themselves, and he said, "O
my father! This is the interpretation of my dream of
aforetime! Indeed my Lord hath made it come true; and
indeed He was kind unto me when He took me out of the
prison and hath sown Satanic dissension between me and
my brothers. Verily my Lord is Beneficent unto
whomsoever He willeth; verily He is All-Knowing, All-wise."
34 Every Muslim is not a Mo'min ie. a Genuine
Believer
The Qur'an clearly gives the actual position of a Muslim and a
Mo'min. The word, Muslim, refers to one who submits himself
to the faith of Islam, whether forced by circumstances or
sincerely. The word, Mo'min, means a believer who has an
earnest and genuine conviction about the Truth:
Say the desert Arabs "We believe." Say thou (unto
them), "Ye believed not, but say ye, We submit, for faith
hath not yet entered your hearts; and if ye obey God and
His Apostle, He will deny none of your deeds. Verily
God is Oft-Forgiving, the Most Merciful (49:14)
35 Respite Given to Disbelievers
The respite given to disbelievers is not, in fact, good for them.
Let not those who disbelieve think that Our giving them
respite is good for their selves; We only give respite to
them that they may increase in sins, and for them it is a
terrible punishment (3:77)
36 Hoarding of Wealth
These verses concern those who heard wealth and do not spend it
in God's way:
And as for those who hoard up gold and silver and spend
it not in the way of the Lord announce unto them a
painful punishment.
On the day when the fire of hell shall be heated, their
foreheads and their sides and their backs shall be
branded with the words: "This is what ye hoarded up for
yourselves, so taste ye what ye hoarded" (9:34,35)
37 A Goodly Loan to God has a Multiple Return
Spending in the way of God is lending to God, which earns not
only a multiple return, but forgiveness of sins:
If ye lend God a goodly loan, He will double it unto you
and will forgive you; And God is Most Gracious and
Most Forbearing. (64:17)
Let him with abundance spend of his abundance and he
who is straitened let him spend of what God hath given
him; (for) God layeth not on any soul a burden save to
the extent to which He hath given it; God will soon bring
ease after difficulty. (65:7)
38 Self-Defence Prescribed
Islam is not an impractical ideal. Man must resist evil as best he
can by all good means. But when the aggressor goes beyond the
reasonable limit and exploits the goodness of the one who is
resisting, then he must defend himself with an equal measure of
strength, but he himself must not go beyond the reasonable limit.
O ye who believe! Retaliation is prescribed for you in
the matter of (unlawful) murder freeman for freeman,
bondman for bondman, woman for woman; but if any
remission is made (in any case) by his (aggrieved)
brother, then the recognised course be adopted and
payment made to him in handsome manner. This is a
dispensation and a mercy from your Lord, and whosoever
transgresseth the limit after this, then for him shall be a
painful punishment. (2:178)
This is an ordinance of the Holy Qur'an. The Bible teaches that
one should turn the other cheek if one is smitten, and to
surrender the coat if the cloak is taken away. This is not
practical, and could never be practised even by the staunchest
Christian. It is clear which ordinance will help to maintain
peace, security, safety and order, and which will let loose
mischievous elements through the practice of self-surrender
preached by the Christian Church, which in fact is not, and
cannot be, practised.
39 A Believer Described
Indeed successful are the believers, Those who in their
prayers are humble, And those who, from what is vain
keep (themselves) aloof And those who act for
purification, And those who guard their private parts,
Except from their wives or those whom their right hands
possess, for then verily they are not blameable. (23:1-6)
40 Sex Segregation or Purdah for Women
Let those who advocate the modern social freedom and individual
liberty which leads to immorality hear what Mrs Annie Besant
says about the state of womanhood:
You can find others stating that the religion (Islam) is evil
because it sanctions a limited polygamy But you do not hear
as a rule the criticism which I spoke about one d~ in a
London hall where I knew that the audience was entirely
uninstructed. I pointed out to them that monogamy with a
blended mass of prostitution was an hypocrisy and more
degrading than a limited polygamy Naturally a statement
like that gives offence, but it has to be made because it must
be remembered that the law of Islam in relation to women
was until lately, when parts of it have been imitated in
England, the most just law as far as women are concerned to
be found in the world. Dealing with property, dealing with
rights of succession and so on, dealing with cases of divorce,
it was far beyond the law of the West, in the respect which
was paid to the rights of women. Those things are forgotten
while people are hypnotised by the words monogamy and
polygamy and do not look at what lies behind it in the West -
the frightful degradation of women who are thrown into the
street when their first protectors, weary of them, no longer
give them any assistance.
I often think that woman is more free in Islam than in
Christianity. Woman is more protected by Islam than by the
faith which preaches monogamy In Al-Qur'an the law about
women is more just and liberal. It is only in the last twenty
years that Christian England has recognised the right of
women to property, while Islam has allowed this right from
all times. It is slander to say that Islam preaches that women
have no souls. (Annie Besant, The Life and Teachings of
Muhammad, Madras, June 1932, page 3)
Islam aims at keeping men and women separate to keep them
safe against sexual attractions and contact, and to protect them
from modern lifestyles which permit pre-marital and free sex.
41 The Veil for the Believing Woman
And say unto the believing women that they cast down
their gaze and guard their private parts and they display
not their adornment save what is apparent of it; and to
draw their veils over their bosoms and display not their
adornment save to their husbands or their fathers or the
fathers of their husbands, or their sons, or the sons of
their husbands or their brothers, or their brothers' sons,
or their sisters' sons, or their women, or those whom
their right hands possess, or the male servants void of
sexual stimulant, or the children who have not yet
attained the carnal knowledge of women's nakedness,
and let them not strike their feet (while walking) that
what they hide of their adornment becomes apparent;
and turn ye (repentant) unto God all of you, O ye
believers, that ye may prosper.
The believing ladies who faithfully follow
the Holy Lady Fatema
Zahra need no directions beyond that godly model of chaste
womanhood.
43 Marriage: Man told to Marry
There is no celibacy or monasticism in Islam Man must marry.
The Holy Prophet declared,
Marriage is my "Sunnat" (tradition) and he who turns
away from my Sunnat is not of me. Wed and meet and
multiply yourselves, for on the Day of Judgment I shall
be proud of the number of my followers compared to
those of other peoples.
The First Holy Imam, Amirul Momineen Ali ibne Abi Taleb says:
A prayer (Namaz) consisting of (the minimum of) only
Two Rak'ats (units) offered by a wedded pair is better
than seventy Rak'ats offered by single ones.
44 "Muta": Temporary Marriage
What the Holy Prophet validated shall remain valid and none
shall invalidate it. Muta, or temporary marriage, is valid
160
according to the Qur'an and was valid during the lifetime of the
Holy Prophet and in the time of the first Caliph, Abu-Bakr. But
later Omar chose to invalidate it. The Shias, who follow the
Holy Qur'an, hold Muta as valid:
And (all) protected (married) ones of the women (are
forbidden unto you) save those whom your right hands
possess. (This is) God's written ordinance unto you; And
it is allowed for you (all women) besides these that ye
may seek (them) by means of your wealth taking (them)
into marriage and not committing fornication; and as
such of them that "ye have Muta" with them, give them
their dowries as a fixed reward; and it shall not be a sin
on you in whatever you mutually agree (to vary) after the
fixed reward; Verily God is All-Knowing, All-Wise.
45 Polygamy and Islam
People, without knowing what Islam says about polygamy,
criticise it Islam did not start Polygamy, but controlled it. No
religion has protected women as much as has Islam. The verse
permitting polygamy does not order a Muslim to be polygamous;
in fact, it warns man that if he has more than one wife he must
observe total equality among them. Islam permits man to marry
up to four wives, but warns that if he cannot maintain justice he
should have only one:
Then marry those who seem good to you, two, or three,
or four, and if ye fear that, ye shall not deal justly (with
so many) then (marry) only one. (4:3)
The earlier quotation from Annie Besant commends Islam for its
treatment of women. And James Michener writes:
Western writers have based their charges of
voluptuousness mainly on the question of women. Before
Muhammad, however, men were encouraged to take
innumerable wives; he limited them to four only, and the
Koran is explicit that husbands who are unable to
maintain strict equality between two or more wives, must
confine themselves to one.
(James A. Michener,
"Islam: The Misunderstood Religion"
Readers Digest, American Edition, May 1955, pages 68-70)
Suppose the wife of a man becomes incurably ill, or she is proved
barren, or she becomes incurably insane, without discarding his
wife or himself living a miserable life, Islam allows him to take
another wife.
46 Birth Control
Slay not your children for fear of poverty (6:152)
47 Reward for Shunning the Greater Evils
Shunning the greater evils makes up for other sins:
And (as for) those who believe and do good, certainly
blot out from them their evil deeds, and certainly we will
reward them the best of what they are doing. (29:7)
48 Intoxicants and Gambling
When man becomes sunk in sinning, he begins to delude himself
with self-deceiving arguments in favour of his conduct, justifying
his actions as being within the law. He argues that liquor and
gambling are not forbidden in the Holy Qiir'an. But the Qur'an
speaks vehemently against these thing~.
They ask thee (O Our Apostle Muhammad) concerning
wine and lots (games of chance); Say, in both these is
great sin and also (some) profit for men; but their sin is
greater than their profit. And they will ask thee (O Our
Apostle Muhammad) what they shall spend (in alms);Say,
"whatsoever can be spared"; thus doth God make clear
for you the signs so that ye may ponder. (2:219)
O ye who believe! Intoxicants and games of chance,
(dedications of) stones (ie. idols) and (divination by)
arrows, are only an abomination of Satan's handiwork,
so be ye away from it so that ye may be successful
(5:90)
49 Niggardliness
A niggardly person regards only himself. Whatever he owns he
will leave in this world and will leave it without spending his
wealth in the right way and thus without earning good in the
afterlife.
He who is niggardly is verily niggardly to his own self (47:38)
For God says:
Never shall ye attain to righteousness until ye give away
(in the way of your Lord) of what ye love; and of
whatsoever ye give, verily God knoweth it (3:91)
50 Behaviour Towards Parents
And thy Lord hath commanded that thou worship not
(anyone) but Him, and show goodness to parents; if
either or both of them reach old age with thee, utter not
unto them (even so much a) "Fie", nor chide them, and
speak unto them a generous word (17:23)
And We did enjoin upon man concerning his parents; his
mother beareth him in weakness upon weakness, and his
weaning taketh two years (and) saying: "Be thou grateful
unto Me and unto thy parents." (31:14)
51 Usury or Charging Interest on any Lending
Those who swallow interest will not (be able to) stand (in
the Resurrection) except as standeth one whom Satan
hath confounded with his touch; this because they say
trade is only like (earning) interest, whereas God hath
decreed trade lawful and hath forbidden interest,
wherefore whosoever (after) the admonition hath come
unto him from His Lord, if he desists, shall have what
hath gone before; and his affair rests with God; and
whoever returneth (to in even after the admonition), they
are the inmates of the fire (hell), therein shall they
abide. (2:275)
52 Life of This World
Verily the life of this World is only an idle sport and
play. (47:36). See also 6:32, 29:64, 57:20
53 No One Knows where He will Breathe His Last
Verily, God is He with Whom is the knowledge of the
Hour and He sendeth down the rain, and knoweth He
what is in the womb. And knoweth not any soul what he
shall earn on the morrow; and knoweth not any soul in
what land he will die. Verily God is All-Knowing, All-
Aware. (31:34)
54 Khatan: Circumcision
Circumcision in Islam is a tradition which is compulsory. Its
origin lies in the time of Abraham, and was the token of
Abraham's Everlasting Covenant with the Lord. It is said that
the Holy Prophet and all the Holy 'mains of his House, the Ahlul-
Bait, were circumcised. Older converts such as the earliest
companions of the Holy Prophet were not circumcised and it was
not insisted on for them.
Abraham:
This is my covenant which ye shall keep between me and
you and thy seed after thee: Every man child among you
shall be circumcised And ye shall circumcise the flesh
of your foreskin; and it shall be a token of the covenant
between me and you. And he that is eight days old shall
be circumcised among you, every man child in your
generations, he that is born in the house, or bought with
money to any stranger, which is not of thy seed. (Old
Testament, Genesis 17:lO-13)
Isaac:
And Abraham circumcised his son Isaac being eight days
old, as God had commanded him. (Genesis 21:4)
Jesus:
And when eight days were accomplished for the
circumcising of the child, his name was called Jesus,
which was so named of the angel before he was
conceived in the womb. (New Testament, Luke 2:21)
55 Following the crowd blindly
Man is warned against following the crowd and being influenced
by numbers:
Indeed We have created for hell many of the jinn and the
men; They have hearts (but) they understand not with
them; they have eyes (but) they see not with them; and
they have ears (but) they hear not with them; they are
like cattle, nay, more astray; These are they, the heedless
ones. (7:179)
56 Misappropriating the Property of Orphans
And give unto orphans their property, and substitute not
(your) worthless things for (their) good ones, and devour
not ye their property along with your own; for verily it is
a great crime. (4:2)
Verily, those who eat away the properties of orphans
unjustly, they swallow (only) fire into their bellies and
anon shall they enter the blazing Hell-fire. (4:10)
57 Repel Evil with What is Best
Man should as far as possible be good and do good, and if any
one does evil, return evil with that which is best. The best, a
very
comprehensive term, meaning as well as the situation demands.
And equals cannot be the good and the evil Repel thou
(evil) with what is the best, when lo ! he between whom
with thee there was enmity, shall be as though he were a
warm friend. (41:34)
The best example of some one returning good for evil is seen in
Amirul-Momineen Ali ibne Abi Taleb, who having commanded
a drink to be brought to him immediately after being mortally
wounded by Abdur-Rahman ibne Muljim, served it first to his
assassin. Many similar examples exist in the glorious lives of the
Holy 'mains, and even of their devotees.
58 Mischief is Graver than Murder
Mischief is more grievous than murder. (2:217)
59 Merciful Pardon in response to Sincere
Repentance Promised
Islam, while warning against the false belief in vicarious
atonement, preaches the hope of a sure and merciful pardon by
the All-Merciful Lord where there is sincere repentance, and so
encourages man to forsake his evil ways and return to
righteousness:
Say thou (O Our Apostle Muhammad), "O My servants
who have been extravagant unto their own selves,
despair ye not of the mercy of God; verily God forgiveth
sins all together; verily He is the Oft-Forgiving, the Most
Merciful. (39:53)
60 Every One's Actions are Being Watched
And say thou (unto them), "Act ye as ye wil4 God
beholdeth your deeds, and His Apostle and the believers
and then ye shall be brought back to the Knower of the
hidden and the manifest." (9:105)
The Omnipresence of God is indisputable, and the
presence of the Holy Prophet is definitely declared But
who else can be the Believers other than those who were
purified by the Lord Himself ie. the Holy Ahlul-Bait?
(33:33)
The above verse declares that, in every age, there will be a
Believer (a member of the Ahlul-Bait), the Imam of the age. As
it has been declared by the Holy Prophet:
Man Maata walam ya'rif Imama Zamaanihi faqad
Maatameetatul jahiliah
("He who dieth without knowing the Imam of his age,
hath died the death of the age of ignorance (as did Abu
Jehaland Abu Lahab and the others of his kind.")
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