Islamic Answer

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Islamic Answer

Islamic Answer

Author:
Publisher: www.alhassanain.org/english
English

www.alhassanain.org/english

Islamic Answer

Author: Sayyid Muhammad Hussein Jalali

www.alhassanain.org/english

Notice:

This version is published on behalf of www.alhassanain.org/english

The composing errors are not corrected.

Contents

Freedom in Islam 6

A brief history of qur'an 8

The qur'an's message 8

Translation of qur'an 9

Ramadan : The historical background 11

Ramadan throughout history 11

Revelation of the qur'an 11

Islam and fasting 12

The events of ramadan 12

Id-ul-fitr breaking the fast 13

Zakat ul-fitr 13

Jerusalem and three main religion 14

Islam, Christianity, and Judaism 14

Judaism 14

Christianity 14

Islam 14

History of Government 14

Muharram.... What is it? 15

Imam and Caliphate 15

Imam Husayn's mission 15

The just cause 16

The catastrophe 16

The holy shrine 16

The Spirit of Karbala 17

The islamic will 18

The first muslim refugees 19

The beautiful names of god 22

The meaning of " ummi" 25

The commentators 26

The miracle of ummi 27

Al-Afghani's Nationality 28

The Caliphate 29

Islamic Faith 31

Unity of god 31

Prophethood 31

Time of Prayers 32

Joining prayers 33

Postponed prayer 33

Direction of Prayers Qibla 33

Declaration of qibla 34

Finding qibla 34

The qibla in north america 34

The Islamic Tax (Khums) 36

Net Income 36

Distribution for Khums 37

Example-khums tax schedule 37

The Islamic Calendar 38

Funeral Regulations 40

I. Washing (ghusl-al-mayyit) 40

II. The shroud (kafan) 41

III. The prayer 41

IV. Burial procedure 42

V. Final call (talqin) 42

The open school of Islamic studies 44

Procedures and regulations 44

Grading system 44

Examination 44

Details of subjects 45

Unity of muslim 50

Meaning of Shi'a? 52

Shi'a basic beliefs 53

Qualification of leadership 55

Substitution for interest 57

Al-sahifa al-kamilah 58

Temporary Marriage, Mutah 60

Witnesses in marriage 62

On prophethood 62

Death in islam 64

Islamic names 65

Male female meaning 67

Free Will 71

Adoption: the islamic view 73

How to repent 74

Performance of the prayer 79

Glossary 80

Freedom in Islam

Freedom in islam is considered one of the most important elements taught and exemplified by the life of prophet Muhammad (p.) in his manners and teachings.

From the beginning of the civilization, freedom has been sought and studied by philosophers and religious thinkers. History has proven that freedom has been used and abused by the rulers of the world when they reached the peak of their power at the expense of the weak and oppressed people, regardless of the nature of the government (monarchy, democratic, socialist, etc.,). All have used the principle of divide and conquer.

On the contrary, islam has promised and fulfilled the true freedom God almighty says, "there is no compulsion in the religion [of islam] when the right has been distinguished from the wrong. (the qur'an, 2:256)".

Also, prophet Muhammad (p.) says that the best of you in the sight of god is the most righteous person.

The goal is to distinguish right from wrong. If a person realizes the righteousness and elects this path, then, he is in the sight of god the most righteous person.

People of different origin such as turks, persians, and indians accepted islam, and today when they have the freedom to choose, but they do not go back to worship idols. When arabs rulers left these people and their countries, people have chosen islam as their only religion.

This is mainly because islam is the practical way of life for people of different nationalities and races.

Freedom in islam, basically has two facids: freedom of thought and freedom of action. Tawhid, the unity of god, is an example of former. Chapter 109 kaferoon of the holy qur'an explains this principle:

". . You have your religion, and [ i have ] my religion." the qur'an 109:6.

Further, throughout the qur'an one finds many verses that encourage freedom of thought. Thus qur'an reads:

"I preach you only one thing, that is to rise up for the sake of god, jointly and singly, then think". The qur'an 34 : 46 the second facid of freedom in islam is the purification of self. The life of the prophet Muhammad (p.) explains this second principle. This principle applies to all regardless of race, gender or age. His life is an example for all nationalities with all different background such as black, white, young, old, short, tall, male or female because islam knows no discrimination.

Human reaps what he sows. Righteousness in islam means doing good deed as a muslim for the sake of god. Islam opens its wide door for every person from all walks of life because, as prophet (p.) says, "all of you are from adam and adam is from dust. " thus we all are equal in the sight of god. Islam shows no discrimination against any one.

We were taught by prophet Muhammad (p.) , who declared freedom, equality, and liberty for all mankind. With this principle of islam, the faith has become the perfect solution to the spiritual needsof human being. The prophet (p.) recited in the last sermon of his life the verse of the holy qur'an: 5:3 "today, i have completed your faith for you and bestowed upon you my blessings and chose islam as the religion". The qur'an, 5:3.

Wa assalam alaykum.

A brief history of qur'an

The month of ramadan marks the revelation anniversary of the holy qur'an. Qur'an is the revelation of the god almighty to the holy prophet Muhammad (p.), which took place from the year 609 to 633 c.e. Annually, during each month of ramadan, the ninth month of the islamic calendar, all of the revelation that prophet (p.) had received in the past years was revealed again during the laylat al-qadr, a special month of ramadan, in 609 c.e.

The qur'an was revealed within two periods, the meccian from 609 to 622 c.e.,

When prophet Muhammad (p .) was in mecca and the median, from 622 to 633 c.e., when he migrated to madina. In general, the first session deals with the islamic doctrines and faith, and the second period mainly is concerned with the islamic practical law.

There are 114 chapters in the qur'an, each deals with a variety of subjects. The qur'an was written down under prophet's (p.) supervision by the companions.

The qur'an's message

One of the main qur'anic goal is to establish equality and justice among all mankind. The qur'an says:

"We have sent you (Muhammad (p.) for all mankind " (34:28).

The qur'an liberate the human mind from ignorance and prejudice, and encourage to observe the greatness of god's creation.

The qur'an also encourages to obtain knowledge for the sake of betterment of humanity and be active throughout the life.

Therefore, imam ali (a.) states that those who read qur'an would increase their knowledge and decrease their ignorance.

The qur'an reads:

O mankind, worship your lord, who has created you and those before you, so that you may ward off evil". Qur'an 2:21 the qur'an reads:

"Surely, in the creation of the heavens and the earth, and the difference of the night and day, and the ships which run on the sea with that which is of use to men, and the water which god sends down from the heaven reviving the earth after its death, and dispersing all kinds of beasts therein, and (in) the ordinance of winds, and the clouds obedient between heaven and earth, are signs for the people who reason" (2 :164).

The qur'an says :

And when it is said to them, " follow that which god has revealed, they say, we follow that wherein we found our fathers. [what!] even though if their fathers were unintelligent and were not guided ! (2 : 170).

The qur'an says :

"he is who appointed the sun a splendor and the moon a light, and measured her stages, that you might know the number of the years, and the reckoning. God created not (all) that save in truth. He details the revelation for the people who have knowledge." (10:5)

Translation of qur'an

The first and the oldest translation of the qur'an into another language was reported by al sarkhshi in his work titled "al mabsoot ".v.1:37. Al sarkhshi mentions that the persians wrote to salman (the companion of prophet Muhammad (p.)), asking him to translate the first chapter of the qur'an. This chapter is called the " fatiha ", the opening. Today the qur'an has been translated into many languages including english.

Among the english translation available in the market are:

1. Ahmed ali, mir s.v. The qur'an. Karachi: sterling printing and publishing, 1964.

2. Ali, ahmed. The qur'an. Karachi: akrash publishing,1948.

3. Amir ali, hashim. The qur'an. Tokyo: charles e. Tuttle co.inc,1974.

4. Arberry, arthur j. The qur'an. Oxford: oxford university press., 1964.

5. Asad, Muhammad. The qur'an. Gibralter: daral andalus ltd., 1980.

6. Bell, richard. The qur'an. Great britain: morrison gibb ltd., 1960.

7. Dawood,n.j. The qur'an. Middlesex: penguin books, 1972.

8. Irving, t.b. The qur'an. Battlebaro:amano books,1985.

9. Khalifa, rashad. The qur'an. Tuscon: islamic productions, 1981.

10. Muhammad ali maulana. The qur'an. Chicago: spaciality promotes co. Inc, 1973.

11. Maududi, abdul s.a. The qur'an. Lahore: islamic publication, 1978.

12. Pickthall, Muhammad m. The qur'an. New york: muslim world league, 1977.

13. Rizvi, m. Sayyed. The qur'an. Richmond : 1985.

14. Rodwell, m.j. The qur'an. London: j. M. Dent and sons ltd,1974

15. Sale, george The qur'an England : federick warner publishers, ltd.

16. Shakir, m.h. The qur'an. New york : mihrab publishers and book distributors, 1986.

17. Sher ali, maulwi. The qur'an. Rabwah : qur'an publications, 1974

18. Yousuf ali, a. The qur'an. New york : tahrike tarsile qur'an, inc,1987.

19. Zafrulla khan, Muhammad. The qur'an. Chichester : r.j. Acford ltd, 1985.

One of the most recent translation is the noble reading, by dr. Thomas ballantine irving, whose muslim name is tasleem ali. It took dr. Irving, as he told me, 23 years to accomplish his translations, while working in baghdad, iraq.

However, none of the translations present the linguistic meaning of the original qur'an. Therefore muslim scholars insist on writing the original arabic script side by side with any translation.

Qur'anic manuscripts :

The early muslims were very concerned towards reciting, writing and preserving the qur'an in fine caligraph. Some oldest copies that i was able to see are the following : at the radawi museum, in iran; the british museum, in london; the mosque of al hussain, in cairo; and the holy najaf, in iraq.

In the united states at the toledo museum of art, the following are preserved:

1. Kufic manuscripts: a page of the ninth century from persia, written in kufic, a style of writing which was used from the sixth century c.e. To the eleventh century. The name of kufic comes from kufa, a town in iraq. (this is been kept in the george w. Stevens gallery #4).

2. A leaf of manuscripts written on paper dating to the tenth or eleventh century. The manuscripts is from persia and it is decorated in the red and gold. (the george w. Stevens gallery #7)

3. A page in the kufic manuscript from the ninth century c.e. Excol (anthens uphom pope, greek roman art # 41,41).

I hope that qualified scholars research more for the manuscripts available in their areas.

May god's mercy and peace be upon all.

Wa assalam alaykum.

Ramadan : The historical background

Muslim all over the world annually commemorate this month by worship and rituals even though customs may differ from one country to another. In some islamic countries, the governments signify to the people the approaching of ramadan by firing guns This custom continues twice everyday of ramadan to indicate the 'suhur' the meal before fasting and the 'futur' the time of breaking the fast.

During ramadan, community members visit each other almost every night to have religious discussion and recite special invocations of ramadan.

Ramadan throughout history

Ramadan is the ninth month in the muslim lunar calendar. The lunar calendar has 29 days in some months and 30 days in others. The word 'ramadan', and its linguistic meaning goes back to the arab naming of months for the conditions in which they occurred. For instance, the month of 'muharram' was called as such because it was sanctified as a month when no one may enter into war. At that period of time, fighting was common among arabs as their means of survival except in month such as muharram.

Another month, 'safar', meaning empty, indicates that the arabs used to leave their dwellings, consecutively, their homes were empty, therefore the month was named accordingly. 'jamada', a colder month means 'freezing', which was common during this time.

The arabic word 'ramada', means 'severe heat', which describes the weather during this time. Therefore the month was named 'ramadan' or the month of severe h. During the month of ramadan, a person prevents himself from any evil acts in order to purify self from accumulated sins in the past years.

Revelation of the qur'an

In 609 c.e., when prophet Muhammad (p.) reached forty years of his age, he was in the practice of going to the cave of hira to contemplate on the way of life of the people who were lost in their own lust and ignorance. During one period of meditation in the month of ramadan, the angel gabriel came to prophet Muhammad and gave him a revelation of the events to come. Then, the prophet (p.) continuously received revelation on different occasions. However, every year in the month of ramadan, until the prophet's death in 633 c.e., prophet Muhammad (p.) received revelations from god for the whole past year. These revelations constitute the qur'an which was revealed in two periods called the macceian and the madinian.

The macceian revelations generally were before the prophet's migration to madina (609-622 c.e.), and the madinian verses were revealed after his migration to madina in 622 c.e. The macceian mostly speak on islamic faith, while madinian mostly concern with the details of the islamic law, emphasizing the practical aspect of the qur'an and god's plan for mankind.

The total number of chapters in the qur'an is 114, beginning with 'al-fatiha' the opening chapter. The name of this chapter proves that the holy qur'an was written and divided into chapters during the time of prophet Muhammad (p.). Ever since muslims have maintained the same text in its original arabic language, stressing the importance of leaving the qur'an unaltered.

Numerous qur'anic manuscripts are preserved at: the radawi museum in iran; the british museum in london, england; the mosque of al hussain in cairo, egypt; and the holy najaf in iraq. Some copies are dating back to the second and third islamic century.

Islam and fasting

In the second year of the 'hijrah', migration to madina in 623 c.e., god had commanded the muslims to fast.

The qur'an says :

"o you who believe! fasting is prescribed to you as it was prescribed to those who were before you. So that you may become cautious (2 :183) these verses indicate three facts :

First, that the fasting has been established in all religions.

Second, that fasting in islam differs in the intensity of its goals from other religions. Third, that in fasting, muslims accomplish 'taqwa', which leads to a complete dedication to god.

Many religions encourage fasting because through it, god's grace becomes apparent and a person's faith becomes more meaningful. Fasting is a direct aid to strengthen humans faith and train oneself to control his wimps. Fasting is a way to teach one how to keep his body and soul in balance.

The events of ramadan

To abstain from food, drink, and any foul language or action is the main practice of fasting. There are several ways fasting can be broken such as by eating or drinking during the day of ramadan.

First, ramadan begins with 'suhar', that is to eat and drink before dawn, enabling a muslim to sustain his fast throughout the day, as it was the prophet's (p.) practice.

Second, reciting the qur'an, the word of god during the days of ramadan. This helps a person to dedicate some time of his to worship, to give charity, and after each prayer recite the following invocation:

Oh god almighty, let those who have preceded us in this life have your grace and mercy.

Oh lord, help every poor person and make every hungry person full, and clothe those who are naked.

Oh god, help every indebted person pay his debts, and let every traveler be united with his loved ones.

Oh god, let every prisoner of war be liberated, and help dishonest one become pure in heart, by your grace.

Oh lord, cure every illness and fill our poverty with your fullness. Help us to change our faults and give us the beauty of your perfection.

Third, 'iftar' which means breaking the fast after sunset. The prophet (p.) says: "whoever of you feeds a hungry person, or a fasting person in this month, shall receive his reward from god and will have his sins forgiven, and shall be rewarded in the hereafter."

Muslims, at the time of breaking fast, recite the following short invocation: " oh lord almighty, only for you we fast, by your bounty we break our fast, and only upon you we rely."

Fourth, the 'lailat-ul-qadr' " the night of planning, during this night, god has planned the course of humanity. It is recommended for muslims to worship and be especially close to god during this night. The qur'an devotes to this night the whole chapter number 97. Among the nights of ramadan. The 19th, 21st and 23rd, are considered the most holy nights. Therefore, many invocations and rituals are described in the books of worship.

Id-ul-fitr breaking the fast

On the first day after the month of ramadan, muslims throughout the world celebrate after breaking the fast. It is an international muslim celebration. Members of each family gather to praise god almighty and visit each other, exchanging gifts. This day gives muslims a chance to plan their future and review their obligations. Imam ali (a) says, " it is a celebration for those who have obeyed god through fasting; and any day that a person obeys god, is a day of celebration."

Zakat ul-fitr

To fully understand the needs of the poor, every muslim, whether he or she fasts or not, is obligated to give approximately six pounds of food to a needy person. In this way, muslims share god's blessing with others who are in need.

In short, fasting and the rituals of ramadan are the ways of purification. Through self denial, charity and self control, a person would be able to come closer to perfection.

Jerusalem and three main religion

Islam, Christianity, and Judaism

Jerusalem is considered one of the sacred holy land in the history of the mankind and respected by the three main religions.

Judaism

The jewish consider jerusalem an old historical city. Since babylonian captivity upto the destruction of the temple, the events of the sinai, spending forty years after their deliberation from the pharaoh are examples of jewish history.

Christianity

Jesus was and is the focal point of the christians nation because jesus and his disciples brought the message of god to that part of the world from ramallah, town of khalil, and bethlehem. Jesus and his followers lived up to their principles in jerusalem. Christianity regards jerusalem as the center of their faith.

Islam

Islamic faith and history have strong ties to jerusalem. First, it was the direction of prayers of muslims for a period of time as commonly believed and it was the ascension point when prophet Muhammad (p.) ascended to heaven. This event is known as mi'raj.

God says," glory to god who did took his servant Muhammad for a journey during night from sacred house mecca to the farthest mosque (jerusalem) whose precincts we did bless, in order that we might show him (Muhammad) some of ours signs for he is the one who hears and sees. " the qur'an 17:1.

Also, the prophet (p.) said, " pilgrimage should not be made except to three mosques : mecca, mesjid of aksa, (jerusalem), and mosque of (madina)."

History of Government

Most of the government that ruled jerusalem, build their rules on the distraction of previous cultures without any respect for the other religions. During the islamic rule in jerusalem, however, all three religions in jerusalem were respected. Throughout the islamic period, philosophers, doctors of medicine, and poets (non arabs) enjoyed the protection provided for them by islamic rulers. In short, islam considers jerusalem as the cradle of all prophets.

Muharram.... What is it?

"do you not see that righteousness has been abandoned and evil goes unforbidden. In such condition, the true believeraspires to hasten into the presence of god.

" indeed i do not see death in such a condition but happiness, and life under shadow of tyrants but grief "

Imam Husayn (a.) (625-680 c.e.)

The memory of muharram is alive in the hearts of every muslim. It is a source of inspiration, and courage to stand against evil. Muharram is the first month of the islamic calendar during which shi'ite muslims commemorate the martyrdom of imam Husayn (a.), the grandson of prophet Muhammad(p.) from his daughter fatima al zahra (a.)

Imam Husayn (a.)

Imam Husayn (a.) was born on 3rd of sha'ban in the 4th year of the islamic calendar, 625 c.e. In the holy city of madina, arabia. His grandfather named him Husayn, a diminutive word indicating his physical attraction and suggesting his beautiful character. The holy qur'an refers to him and some other members of prophet's family, saying:

" indeed god desires to purify you; oh! the people of the house" the qur'an 33:33 thus, on many occasions, the prophet (p.) indicated that his grandson al Husayn is the most qualified imam. Once he said of him and his brother al hasan " these two are my sons; they are two imams".

Imam and Caliphate

On the other hand, contrary to the teachings of the prophet (p.), for the first time in the islamic history, mu'awiyah, the governor of damascus claimed the caliphate and changed it to a monarchy and hereditary kingship, opposing the previous system of ruling which was in practice. He thereby appointed his son yazid as his successor, who was not fit for this position according to principle of shura.

At this point, most muslims scholars of the time refused to accept the legitimacy of the shift to monarchy. Among them were abdul rahman, son of the first caliph, and abdullah, son of zubayr, but no one stood against yazid as imam Husayn (a.) did.

Imam Husayn(a.) declared the false foundation of such a change. Consequently, after the death of mu'awiyah in 60/679 c.e., most of the muslims looked toward imam Husayn (a.) as their true religious leader. Thus, creating resentment on the part of yazid, who demanded relinquishment of imam Husayn's (a.) leadership.

Imam Husayn's mission

Further, imam Husayn (a.) declared that, " we are family of the prophet (p.), and have the true message of god. Yazid is a corrupt person, and i cannot support him ".

Meanwhile, most of residents of the city of kufa, iraq, sent over 10,000 letters of support to imam inviting him to their city which was one of the largest city of that time. Therefore, imam sent hid cousin muslim, son of aqeel to review the circumstances concerning the invitation. At first, the people overwhelmingly welcomed him, but the propaganda of omayyads was able to crush the mission.

Furthermore, imam Husayn (a.) said, " i was not born an evil nor a cruel man. I am not a corrupt person. My mission is to lead the muslims nation to the right path and to correct that which is wrong. I must follow god's order to commend kindness and stop evil"

The just cause

However, imam was fully aware that yazid would never allow him to live because the life of imam Husayn (a.) was a threat to yazid's throne, which had foundation of cruelty, injustice and hypocrisy. In contrast to the true muslim leadership which was establish to protect muslim nation. Imam carried his mission as the holy qur'an says, " fight for the cause of god, those who fight against you, but do not exceed the limit. " the qur'an 2:190.

Accordingly, as imam had predicted, the army of yazid attacked imam Husayn's (a.) small party totaled 72 persons, fighting against the yazid's army of 10,000 men as it is documented. Finally, imam and his companions courageously gave their lives to very just cause and his martyrdom became the symbol of courage and bravery in the islamic history.

The catastrophe

The martyrdom of imam unveiled the true picture of yazid and awakened the muslim nation. Most muslim historians consider it a catastrophe in islamic history. After the martyrdom, there were 33 strokes of lance and 34 blows of swords on the body of imam Husayn (a.) moreover, the head of yazid's army, 'umar son of sa'd ordered his horsemen to run over the bodies, and trample them underneath the horses hoofs. Afterwards, imam's head and others martyr's heads were carried to yazid to damascus, syria. However, later the places where the head was temporarily placed, became the holy shrine. They are honored by all muslims in order to honor the mission of imam Husayn (a.).

The holy shrine

After three days, the bodies of imam Husayn (a.) and his companions were buried by the loyal followers. Today, it stands in the center of the holy city of karbala, iraq.

The 27 meter high golden dome is centered on the actual grave of imam Husayn (a.). In the interior part, one can view the precious box placed on the actual grave and covered by gold and precious stones. This box is with six angels to signify the grave of imam and his son ali al akbar. Other places of inside the tomb are covered by thousands of small mirrors, mosaic, precious stones, silver and gold.

The Spirit of Karbala

Annually, on ashura, the tenth of muharram, the first month of islamic calendar, shi'ite muslims commemorate this martyrdom. Beginning with the first until the tenth of muharram, majlis, memorial gatherings are held in almost every residence to recite the events which had taken place during these ten days in the desert of karbala, iraq. Furthermore, on this anniversary, shi'ites from all over the world go to karbala to hold or attend these gatherings in the holy city of karbala where the actual events had happened.

In short, the catastrophe of karbala cannot be described adequately with words. It changed the islamic history, and whatever course history may take, the spirit of karbala remains as a symbol of absolute loyalty to truth. Wa assalam alaykum.

The islamic will

In the name of god, the compassionate, the merciful

" will is prescribed for you when death approaches one of you. . " the qur'an, 2:180 every soul shall taste death. The qur'an, 3:184

Whoever dies without will, he would die as non muslim. The prophet (p.) declaration of faith:

It is recommended to recite the following invocation before any will:

O, lord! the creator of heaven and earth, who knows the invisible and the visible, the compassionate, the merciful.

O, lord! i declare my faith in this world and bear witness that there is no god but you alone, without any associate.

That Muhammad (peace be upon him and his house) is your servant and your messenger.

That the paradise is a verity, the hell is a verity, the resurrection is a verity, the questioning is a verity, the divine decree is a verity, the justice is a verity, the qur'an is the same as you have revealed, and that indeed you are the self evident truth.

May almighty reward Muhammad (peace be upon him and his house) the best reward, and may he keep in peace Muhammad and his house.

O, lord! the helper at the time of trouble, the sympathizer at the time of difficulty, the supporter at the time of comfort, my lord and the lord of my ancestors, do not leave me to my self, even for a moment.

Indeed, if you leave me to myself, i will be near to evil and far from virtue. Put at ease my loneliness in grave, keep for me a promise when i meet you when i am resurrected at the day of judgment.

The first muslim refugees

One of the important problems that prophet Muhammad (p.) and the first muslim community had faced was opposition of powerful people in mecca. The opposition produced many difficulties. One of which was the persecution of the early muslims. This persecution led muslims to choose a new life as refugees.

In the fifth year of the prophet's call (615 c.e.), when his followers were persecuted by the quraish, the prophet (p.) suggested to them to go abyssinia, ethiopia, in order to protect themselves. According to ibn hisham, who mentions them all by names, 83 men took up the prophet's(p.) suggestion and left for abyssina. A number of them accompanied by their wives and children. This event is known in the islamic history as the first hijrah. The first muslim group which reached abyssinia was led by jaffer ibn abi talib (the prophet's(p.) cousin).

After they had reached abyssinia, the leaders of quraish realized that the large proportion of prophet Muhammad's (p.) followers have their freedom in abyssinia, they sent some deputies to the negus, the king of abyssina, to ask for their extradition. The two delegates sent were men of outstanding capability and intelligence,

They were abdullah ibn rabia and amr ibn al 'aasi, who later became one of the most famous muslim conquerors. They were instructed on their arrival in the court to bribe the abyssinian leaders in order to persuade them to use their influence with the negus on their behalf. The delegation met with the king and accused the muslims saying, " they have forsaken our religion and not accepted yours but have introduced a new religion which they have invented. They begged negus to send them back to mecca.

The negus, however, refused to expel them until they would have an opportunity to state their case. The king summoned the muslims to the royal presence, the refugees chose jaffar ibn abi talib as their spokesman.

He commenced the difference by saying, " o king! we were a barbarous nation, worshipping idols, eating carrion, commshameful acts, killing our blood related kins, forgetting our duty towards our neighbors, the strong amongst us devouring the weak.

Such was our state until god sent to us an apostle from ourselves, with lineage, integrity, trustworthiness and purity of life we were acquainted. He called us to god, to believe in his unity, to worship him and abandon the stones and idols which we and our fathers used to worship instead. He commanded us to speak the truth, to be faithful in our trusts, to observe our duties to our kinsfolk and neighbors, to refrain from forbidden things and bloodshed,

From committing immoralities and deceits, from consuming the property of orphans and from slandering virtuous women. He ordered prayers, give alms and fast. So we trusted in his word and followed the teachings he brought us from god. Wherefore our countrymen turned against us and persecuted us and tried to seduce us from our faith, that we might abandon the worship of god and return to the worship of idols". When negus asked about jesus, jaffer, quoted appropriate verses from the holy qur'an to support his claim. The qur'an says,

" mention in the book about mary when she placed a screen from them then we sent to her our angel and he appeared before her as a man in all respects. She said, " i seek refuge from you to god, most gracious if you do fear god " the qur'an 19: 16,17 & 18.

Finally, negus refused to hand over the refugees to the delegation of quraysh.

In short, the period during which the refugees remained in abyssinia extended from about 615 to 628 c.e.. The most logical explanation of the sequence of events which occurred during those years might be that there refugees status probably represented a threat to quraysh and meccans. Rather, the fear of the growing political activities of muslims against quraysh from a safe base in abyssinia was the main course for such a delegation. After muslims had been establish themselves in abyssinia, the attempt to extradite the refugees make no sense unless that the fear of their growing political activity caused the meccan's to desire some control over the muslim refugees.

Are capsules forbidden?

It seems the question concerns the hard gelatin, which is technically referred to as the dry filled capsule (dfc). These capsule consist of two section, one slipping over the other, thus completely surrounding the formulation, filled with powdered material or globules into the longer end of the capsules and then slipping on the cap. These capsules are available in the different sizes. The reason for prohibition is based on the fact that, in our time , capsule is made of unlawful substance.

According to the pharmacists, it is made of " gelatin." " there are two types of gelatin. Type a, derived mainly from pork skin by processing, and type b, obtained from bone and animal skin by alkaline processing... " (see remington's pharmaceutical sciences, p 1576, chapter 89, 16th edition (1980), mack publishing co., easton, pennsylvania. Editor and chairman, arthur osol.)

On the basis of this information, one can not eat capsules unless science invents gelatin made of different substance. One can also empty the capsule and use drug only or ask the doctor for tablets instead of capsules of the prescribed drugs.

Doctrine of " Mahdi "

The doctrine of mahdi is commonly held by muslim scholars. Basically there is not much difference between sunni and shia faith about this doctrine. Both sects believe that there is a hadith from holy prophet Muhammad (p.) that the "mahdi," who is the descendant of fatima al-zahra (a.), will appear to spread justice throughout the world. The only difference is whether he is already born or will be born. The denial of this doctrine is based on the fact that it is an unusual event.

But one thing is grossly misunderstood. One cannot deny the religious believe on this basis. There are other unusual doctrines held commonly by muslims, such as the belief that prophet jesus is alive. He was not killed nor he was crucified, and even though he has been alive all this time, we do not see him. As khadr and elyas are also alive for longer period of time than jesus. The fact about prophet noah, as the holy qur'an says, he lived for 950 years, which sounds unusual. God says: " we have sent noah to his nation. He lived amongst them one thousand minus fifty years." 29:14.

In regard to people of cave, the holy qur'an says:" they lived in their cave three hundred and nine years". The qur'an 18:25. These are some of the unusual doctrines which muslims believe because the islamic sources mention them.

The doctrine of mahdi did not appear in the qur'an but it is mentioned in the hadith of the holy prophet. All muslims basically consider the saying of god or his messenger as the second islamic source.

The reason is that the holy qur'an says:

" the messenger does not speak from himself, but the things revealed to him. The qur'an 53:3. On this basis the doctrine of mahdi is held by majority of muslims.

On this subject, many hadiths are narrated from the prophet, and many books have been written by muslim scholars. Ibn hajar says," hadiths regarding mahdi are numerously reported and many eminent scholars, like abu nuaim and suyuti, have written on the subject. See al sawaiq, page 160, cairo ed. 1375 h.

Laws of History in the Qur'an

Now time has come that we should know the different ways in which the laws of history are mentioned in the Qur'an. In other words, we should see how the laws which, from the viewpoint of the Qur'an, govern history have been expressed by it, and how has the Qur'an pointed to the norms of history.

In the Qur'an we find three forms of the expression of the laws of history. We propose to study each of them minutely and to show how they differ from each other.

(i ) The first form in which the Qur'an has mentioned a law of history is that of a conditional form. When two phenomena or two sets of phenomena are linked together in the realm of history, the Qur'an expresses this link in the form of the two clauses of a conditional sentence indicating that whenever the conditional clause (protoasis ) materializes, the concluding clause (apodosis) is also bound to materialize. This form is applicable to many natural laws and norms also on various levels.

For example, when we speak of the law of boiling, we always express this law by means of a conditional sentence. We say that if water as a result of proximity to heat attains a certain degree of temperature (100°C), it boils because of a special kind of pressure.

This is an example of the relationship between the two clauses of a conditional statement. The phenomenon of the boiling of water appears whenever a certain condition, that is proximity to heat and a particular degree of temperature is fulfilled. Here the natural phenomenon of boiling, which means conversion of water into gas, has been described in the form of a conditional sentence.

This law does not say whether this condition has been fulfilled or not. It merely says that if this particular condition is fulfilled, its consequence inevitably materializes. In other words water must boil at a certain degree of heat. That is what the law of a conditional statement tells us.

This sort of laws renders great service to man in his ordinary life, and plays, an effective role in his development. With the knowledge of these laws man can take a suitable action in respect of the consequence of a condition. If he needs it, he may take action to fulfill the prerequisite condition, and if he is not interested in it, he can prevent its fulfillment.

If a person is interested in the boiling of water, he should arrange the materialization of the appropriate conditions stipulated in the law of boiling, and if he wants water not to boil, he should ensure that water is not heated to the boiling point.

Hence, a law advanced in the form of a conditional sentence has a constructive value in human life. From the above it also becomes clear that there is a philosophy behind the expression of laws in the form of conditional sentences. Allah has based the system of this world on universal laws and firm norms. He draws man's attention to this firm and compact system of the world so that man may know where he stands in it. Allah tells man about the factors which make or mar his life so that he himself may be able to meet his due needs properly.

If the boiling process of water was to take place accidentally, was not subject to a definite law and did not require heat, man could not control this process, nor would it have been possible for him to boil or not to boil water as he wanted.

Man acquired this skill when he came to know the definite norms and firm laws of the world. The laws of nature have been put forward to him in the form of conditional propositions, thus enabling him to see things in light, not in darkness.

In the light of the laws of nature he can determine his course of action in regard to the world.

Exactly the same applies to the forms in which the Qur'an enunciates the laws of history. In many cases we find these laws put forward in the form of conditional statements. For this purpose the Qur'an mentions two interconnected social or historical phenomena and says whenever the first phenomenon appears, the second phenomenon is bound to appear. It does not say when the first phenomenon appears or when it does not.

Several of theQur'anic verses mentioned by us earlier narrate the historical laws in the form of a conditional statement. In this connection the following verse may be recalled:

Allah does not change the condition of a people unless they change what is in their hearts. (Surah ar-Ra'd , 13:11)

Here a law of history has been mentioned, and as we explained earlier and will further explain later, it has been put forward in the form of a conditional statement, for the verse says that there exists an inseparable link between the two different changes, namely a change in man's inner content and a change in his external position.

Substantially this is a case of conditional statement. The divine law mentioned here virtually says if a people change internally, their material condition and social position are bound to change consequently. Hence divine law has been stated in the form of a conditional statement.

The following verse is another example of a law expressed by means of a conditional statement:

If they continue to tread the right path, we shall give them to drink of water in abundance. (Surah al Jinn, 72: 16)

We have already said that this verse speaks of a law of history, according to which good produce depends on fair distribution. This is a clear case of a conditional statement.

Another example is provided by the following verse:

When We would destroy a township, We send commandment to its people who live at ease, and afterward they commit abomination therein and so the word (of doom) has effect on it, and We annihilate it with complete annihilation. (Surah Bani Isra'il , 17: 17)

In this verse also a historical norm has been stated in the form of a conditional statement. Here two things have been combined, one of them being the direction of the command of Allah to the wicked and those who live at ease and their disobedience of these commandments, and the other being the consequent destruction and annihilation of such a society.

This is another law of history put forward as a conditional statement. The law does not say in which circumstances the condition mentioned in it is to materialize. It only stipulates that as and when the condition will materialize, the consequent clause of the law is also bound to materialize with it. This is the first form in which the laws of history have been mentioned in the Qur'an.

(ii) The second form in which the laws of history have been advanced in the Qur'an is that of a definite and unqualified statement. In many cases the laws of nature are stated in this way also. When an astronomical prediction is made on the basis of the movement of the planets, such as the prediction about the time of a lunar or a solar eclipse, no condition is attached to such a statement.

In this case a scientific law or a scientific question is put forward as a definite and unconditional statement. Man can in no way influence or modify the conditions and the circumstances of such occurrences. Therefore a prediction about them is made in the form of a definite and unqualified statement without any conditions being attached to it.

When we say that the sun will eclipse on such and such day or say that the moon will eclipse on such and such night. We express a scientific question in the form of a definite statement and not a conditional statement.

In such cases it is not within human power to change the conditions or the circumstances of the matter in question because it is not conditional. When we say that the sun or that the moon will eclipse, though we speak with reference to the future, we make a firm statement. The same is true of the weather forecasts based on scientific laws.

When it is said that it will rain in such and such area, the statement is firm and unconditional and forecasts rainfall at a definite place and at a definite time.

This is the second form of the expression of the laws of history. While dealing with the analysis of the social elements we will cite some more examples of it from the Qur'an.

This second form of expression of the laws and norms of history has created a wrong impression among the European thinkers, who maintain that historical norms are inconsistent with human freedom, for if it is presumed that they regulate man's life, he can have no freedom of choice.

This wrong idea has led some thinkers to say that in this world man has only a negative role, for he cannot change the norms of history. These thinkers have renounced man's freedom for the sake of historical norms to which they have attached too much importance.

The followers of this way of thinking say that the role which man plays is negative, not positive. Man is like a device which moves as required. We will elaborate this idea later.

Some other thinkers with a view to combine the idea of human freedom and the idea of the apparent existence of the norms of history, maintain that it is man's power of choice alone which establishes the norms of history. The historical laws are in fact subject to man's will. Hence we need not sacrifice man's freedom for the sake of historical laws.

On the other hand it may be said that man's freedom and his power of choice is a phenomenon which in its turn is itself a part of the norms of history. In this case also though man's freedom is affected, yet in a concealed manner.

Some believe that the laws of history should be rejected altogether in the interest of human freedom. A number of European scholars are of the opinion that to maintain man's freedom the scene of history should be kept outside the purview of the universal laws and it should be maintained that no special laws are applicable to the field of history. This, they say, is necessary to promote man's free choice in respect of his activities.

All these points of view are largely incorrect, as they are based on the wrong idea of the existence of a basic contradiction between the laws of history and man's freedom. What is the source of this misunderstanding? The misunderstanding has arisen from the fact that the scholars having this wrong notion are under the impression that the laws of history are always and invariably expressed in the form of a verbal statement having the import of certainty.

Had it been so really and had we believed that in the presence of the laws of history no scope was left for human effort and initiative, their contention would, of cause, have been correct to refute their wrong impression it is enough to refer back to the first form of the laws of history, that is the form of a conditional statement.

In the conditional statements which we have quoted from the Qur'an, the main condition mostly refers to man's will, his choice and the relation between the conditional clause and the consequent clause. It may be observed that the conditional clause invariably implies man's effort and his work.

For example take theQur'anic verse which says:

Allah does not change the condition of a people until they change what is in their hearts.

In this verse it has been specifically stated that the change in the condition of people depends on their own deeds. They themselves can bring about a change if they so want. When a law of history is mentioned in the language of a conditional statement, and the stipulated condition directly relates to man's will and choice, then the law of history itself necessitates the existence of man's free will and his choice.

It gives man freedom of action so that he may change his condition. It is knowledge of a natural law, such as the law of the boiling of water enhances his power, for when he knows under what conditions water boils, he can boil it at his will.

In this way the laws of history in the form of conditional statements are not only notinconsistant with man's freedom and will, but in contrast they lay stress on these qualities. They also explain the results of man's actions so that he may take the proper course leading to the desired results. This was the second form of the laws of history.

(iii) The third form of the laws of history to which the Qur'an has given special attention, relates to the laws which are not firmly resolute and unbreakable, but imply only a sort of natural tendency of human history.

Obviously there is a difference between a tendency and a firm law. For further clarification, let us conceive the idea of a law. Our normal conception of a scientific law is that of a humanly unbreakable norm, for we know that man cannot violate or evade natural laws.

It is within man's power not to offer prayers, for to offer prayers is a duty prescribed by Islamic law, and not a law of creation or a universal law. Similarly one can take alcoholic drinks, for prohibition of intoxicants is a rule of Islamic law, not a law of creation. In contrast man can never violate universal laws and norms.

For example, it is not possible to make water not to boil or to delay it's boiling a single moment in spite of the presence of all the conditions necessary for its boiling, for the law of boiling is inescapable and cannot be evaded.

Normally we have this concept of a law and it is correct to a certain extent. But it is not necessary that every natural law should be so inflexible and unbreakable. We have a number of natural tendencies, which though effective in the natural development of history and man, are not rigid enough and can be resisted. But still they cannot be resisted or violated for long. You cannot put off boiling of water for a single moment, but there are tendencies which can be contained for quite a long time.

We do not mean to say that on account of their having a different character, these tendencies do not influence the movement of history. These tendencies being flexible, can be resisted and violated, though according to the norms of history they may in the long run gradually crush all those who opposes them.

From there it may be said that there are some tendencies which may safely be resisted with impunity, but there are some others which can be resisted only for a short time, and then they crush him who fights against them in contravention of the laws of history. This has been a characteristic of genuine human tendencies and drives all over history.

Conjugal Drive is a Historical Norm

To make the point clear we can say that there are human drives which are effective in man's birth and his constitution. These tendencies and drives have a concrete reality and are not merely a legal matter. Marriage and conjugal ties are meant for creating special relations between man and woman in human society.

These tendencies should not be regarded as merely a legal formality. In contrast they are a genuine drive which has come into existence for man's development and should not be considered to be merely a legal act or a religious command. This drive is deep-rooted in man's nature and is a part of human constitution. It attracts man to the opposite sex for the purpose of the survival of human race by means of creating a particular social set-up called marriage.

This tendency or a drive in itself is a genuine norm, not a mere legal form, and that is why it can be resisted for a short period only. The example of many people shows the possibility of ignoring the natural law of normal conjugal relations for a while. In contrast, it is not possible for anyone to stop the operation of the law of boiling for any length of time.

A society which plays with the divine laws of nature signs its death warrant with its own hand, for a deviation from natural tendencies involves it into so many perversions and consequently leads it to devastation and annihilation. That is why we said that it was possible to violate these laws for a limited period, but it was not possible to ignore them for long, for the violation of these laws leads the defaulters to annihilation.

Natural Need of Man and Woman to Behave Differently

The tendency that man and woman should have two different sets of duties and should behave differently is a plan designed by nature and not a mere legal provision. It is a natural tendency of man and woman and not a decision imposed on them from outside. But still this tendency can be resisted.

A law may be enacted to the effect that it is man's duty to stay at home to nurse and rear children and that woman must go out to earn livelihood and undertake external activities. By the enforcement of such a law the tendency of the natural division of duties between man and woman can be resisted, but such an arrangement being contrary to the norms of history and the natural genius of man and woman, cannot last forever.

By the enforcement of such a law society will lose woman's special talent for nursing the children, her spirit of motherly love and her aptitude for being patient in the face of the hardships and difficulties unbearable to men. This law appears to be exactly like entrusting the job of a carpenter working in the construction of a building to a blacksmith and that of the blacksmith to the carpenter. Such an action is possible.

The building in question may get erected, but it cannot last long, and with the passage of time is bound to collapse before long as the result of the contravention of historical norms. The resistance of a natural urge which is the basis of man's development will pull him down. Though the resistance of a natural urge is possible for a short time, its reaction will appear sooner or later.

Religiousness is a Historical Norm

The most important example of historical norms is religion itself. It is also one of the historical norms and not a mere legal provision. We can define religion in two ways. It can be introduced as a divine legislation called in the terminology of scholastic jurisprudence - the divine will of law-giving. The Qur'an says:

He has ordained for you that religion which He commanded toNuh (Noah) and that which We revealed to you and that which We commanded to Ibrahim (Abraham), Musa (Moses) and Isa (Jesus), saying: 'Establish the religion and be not divided therein. Dreadful for the idolaters is that to which you call them.' (Surah al-Shura , 42:13)

In this verse religion has been described as a law given by Allah. But at another place it has been described as a law rooted in man's own nature and structure.

Set your face to religion as a man upright by nature - the nature framed by Allah, in which He has created man. There is no altering of Allah's creation. That is the right religion, but most men know not. (Surah al-Rum, 30:30)

In this verse religion has been described not only as a law ordained and imposed on man from above, but also as a part of his divine nature which can never be changed. This verse simply makes a statement and does not prescribe any rule of law.

It says that man has been so created that religion is a part of his nature, and that the divine creation cannot be altered. Religion cannot be detached from man as no other part of his body can be detached from him. Religion is not a cultural matter acquired by man over history. It being a part of man's divine nature, he cannot dispense with it.

Religion is a part of the nature in which Allah has created man and Allah's creation is unalterable. Should religion be alterable, it would become a thing acquired by man in the course of his cultural and social development over history.

The Qur'an wants to say that religion is not a thing which may either be accepted or rejected by man. It is a part of his nature which Allah has framed and which is unalterable.

`There is no altering of the creation o f Allah'

is an indicative, not an imperative expression. It only makes a factual statement when it says that religion is a divine creation and as such is unalterable. So long man is man, religion is a divine norm for him.

There is a difference between this norm and other norms, for this norm is not as irresistible and rigid as the law of boiling. This norm can be resisted for a short time in the same way as the law of marriage and the urge of natural relations between man and woman can be resisted. It is possible to withstand marriage by indulging into sexual perversion, but that can be done only for a short time.

Similarly for a short time religiousness also can be resisted, but it is not possible to deny religion and ignore this big truth forever.

For a short time man can close his eyes and refuse to see the sun. Similarly he can refrain from seeing the religious truth, but he can do so only for a short time, and those who reject religion are punished before long. Here we do not mean that punishment which would be meted out to the wrong-doers by the angels on the Day ofJudgement , nor do we mean that punishment which is awarded to the criminals by the police.

In this case the retribution ensues from the laws of history themselves. This punishment descends on those who want to change the unchangeable creation of Allah. The Qur'an says:

They ask you to hasten the punishment. Surely Allah never fails His promise, but a day with Allah is as a thousand years of what you reckon. (Surah al-Hajj, 22:47)

We say that a man who fights against the third form of the laws of history, is before long afflicted with retribution and according to the norms of history receives punishment very soon. Here the phrase `very soon' should be taken to signify historical quickness and not what we understand of it in our ordinary life.

This is the point which has been mentioned in the above verse in regard to the punishment to be meted out to the idolaters. This verse first mentions the punishment which descended on the lands of the wrongdoers of the past.

Then it says that the pagans are asking the Holy Prophet to hasten the punishment promised to them, and saying: Where is that punishment? When will it come? We have not received is so far although we don't believe in you, fight against you, and have closed our ears to your Qur'an. Then why are we not punished?

Length of One Day in the Terminology of the Laws of History

In the above-mentioned verse the Qur'an speaks of historical quickness which is different from ordinary quickness. The verse says:

"They ask you to hasten the punishment. Surely Allah never fails His promise, (for the historical norms are firm and stable), but a day with Allah is as a thousand years of what you reckon. "

The length of one day for the purpose of the laws of history by the reckoning of Allah is 1000 ordinary years. As we explained earlier, when the Qur'an speaks of "The words o f Allah",

means the laws and the norms of history, and in the words of Allah the minimum length of a day is measured equal to that of 1000 years. As you know there is another verse in which one day has been described to be equal to 50,000 years. In that verse the day refers to the day ofjudgement and not to a day of this world. That is how the two verses are reconciled. The verse in question is as under:

The angels and the Holy Spirit ascend to Him in a day whereof the span is fifty thousand years. So be patient gracefully. They behold that day far off, while we behold it nigh: the day when the sky will become as molten copper. (Surah al-Ma'arij , 70:4-8)

Here the Day refers to the Day ofJudgement , for it is on that day only that the sky will become as molten copper. The Day ofJudgement is estimated to be as long as 50,000 years. As for the previous verse, that spoke of the day of collective punishment, which was fixed according to the norms of history. In that case "a day with Allah is as 1000 years of what you reckon ".

In short, the third form of the laws of history consists of man's inner tendencies and his drives which are a part of his structure and which influence history. These drives can be resisted, but only for a short time, not for a long period.

But one thing is to be noted. The length of time should not be reckoned as we normally do in our ordinary life. One day in the `words of Allah' and for the purpose of divine norms is as 1000 years of what we ordinarily reckon.

Religion is the best and the most important example of the third form of the laws of history. Religion is a historical norm. What is the role of religion? What is its source? Why is it not a matter of mere enacting a law? Is it exactly as natural as the law of marriage between a man and a woman? If so, why and how?

To answer these questions and to know for certain that religion is a norm of history, it is necessary toanalyse the elements forming society in the light of the Qur'an. Now the question is how toanalyse society? In our opinion it should beanalysed in the light of the following verse:

When your Lord said to the angels: `I am placing in the earth a vicegerent', they said: `Will You put there one who will makethere mischief and will shed blood, while we proclaim Your praise and glorify You?' He said: `I know what you do not know.' (Surah al-Baqarah , 2:30)

This verse provides us with the finest, the deepest and the most exact points toanalyse society. We are going toanalyse these points and make a comparative study of them so that in the end we may be able to ascertain how religion is one of the norms of history.

Analysis of Social Elements 1

We have said that to explain the fact that religion is one of the norms of history, it is necessary toanalyse the elements forming society so that we may know what these elements are and in what forms and norms they are combined. To answer these questions we have chosen the followingQur'anic verse

When your Lord said to the angels: `I am placing in the earth a vicegerent,' they said: `Will You put there one who will makethere mischief and will shed blood, while we proclaim Your praise and glorify You?' (Surah al-Baqarah , 2:30)

When we study this verse, we observe that Allah informs the angels that He has laid the foundation of a society on the earth. We naturally want to know what elements form this society. From the expressions used in this verse by the Qur'an the following three main elements can be derived

(i ) Man

(ii) Earth or nature as a whole as indicated by the words:

"I am placing a vicegerent in the earth ".

Here the second element is the earth or nature as a whole, the first element being man whom Allah has appointed His vicegerent in the earth.

(iii) The third element is a mental bond which binds man to the earth or nature on the one hand and to other fellow human beings on the other. This bond has been called by the Qur'anvicegerency . These are the three elements which form society on the earth: (i ) man, (ii) nature,

(iii)Vicegerency - the bond which binds man to the earth and to his fellow human beings.

When we look at human societies, we find that the first two elements are common to all of them. You cannot find a single society in which man may not be living with his fellow beings, or not living on the earth or not having a contact with nature in order to play his role.

As far as these two elements are concerned, all societies are alike. But as for the third element, each society has its own variety of bond. Societies, in other words, differ in the nature and the form of the bond which they have.

Thus the third element, that is the element of a mental bond is changeable and it differs from society to society. Every society operates it differently. This bond can be expressed in two ways. According to one way of expression it has four sides and according to the other three only.

The four-sided relationship is that which binds man and nature with other men. Here also we have three clear sides, namely nature, man and the bond existing between man and nature on the one hand and between man and his fellow human beings on the other. If we presume that there is a fourth side also, even then prima facie there will be three sides only, the fourth side being outside the social frame and not a part of society.

Anyhow, the expression that this relationship has four sides makes it necessary that the fourth side also should be regarded as one of the fundamental factors of social relations. That is what is meant by the Qur'an when it gives the name ofvicegerency to the four social dimensions.

From the viewpoint of the Qur'anvicegerency is a social relationship. If we study andanalyse it, we can say that it has four elements, forvicegerency necessitates the existence of:

(i ) One who appoints the vicegerent,

(ii) The things in respect of which the vicegerent is appointed,

(iii) The vicegerent himself.

In this case the vicegerent is man. The things in respect of which he has been appointed vicegerent, are the earth and all that exists on the face of it, including the human beings. Thus besides man and his relation with his fellow men and nature, the fourth side necessary for the materialization ofvicegerency is Allah, Who appoints the vicegerent. As such the social relationship ofvicegerency consists of the following four sides:

(i ) The one who appointed the vicegerent, that is Allah; (ii) The vicegerent, that is man.

(iii) and (iv) That which has been put under the charge of the vicegerent, that is nature and human beings.

As a result of his monotheistic conception of the world, man acquires a special outlook on the life and the universe. It is with this outlook that he says: There is no deity and no lord of the world and life but Allah, and that man has to play no role in his life except that of the vicegerent, for Allah has appointed him His deputy on the earth and has assigned to him the position of leadership.

Man's relation with nature is not that of the owner and the owned. In fact the relation between them is that of the trustee and the trust. Irrespective of their social position one man's relation with his fellow man is that of the two colleagues performing the same duty of the vicegerent of Allah, and not that of the master and the slave, nor that of master and the servant. This description of the four sides of the social relationship ofvicegerency to which the Qur'an has referred, is closely related to the conception of cosmos in Islam.

In contrast to thisQur'anic conception, there is another idea of a three-sided relationship which links up man with his fellow beings and nature but rejects the fourth side (Allah) and makes this social relationship devoid of its fourth dimension. As a result of ignoring the fourth dimension the whole relationship is upset and the entire social structure changes.

Man's lordship over his fellow beings resulting from overlooking the fourth dimension and regarding man alone as the source of all values, has appeared in various forms over history. Different forms of ownership and varying degrees of man's domination over other men have manifested themselves on the scene and stage of life.

If we minutely compare these two relationships with each other and make a comparative study of the four-sided relationship (man + nature + relation between man and nature + Allah) and the three-sided relationship (man + nature + relation between man and nature), we will observe that the addition of the fourth side is not merely a numerical question, but this addition brings about a fundamental change in the basis of social relations and the structure of the other three sides.

Therefore the addition of the fourth side should not be regarded as merely a numerical addition. In fact this addition gives the other three sides a new spirit and a fresh significance, and brings about a basic change in the mutual relationship of the four sides.

In fact the addition of the fourth side changes the whole structure of the social relations. Therefore in regard to social relations we can act either according to the system of the four-sided relationship or according to the system of the three-sided relationship.

The Qur'an believes in the four-sided relationship only, as can be inferred from the above quoted verse, for man's appointment as the vicegerent of Allah amounts to the confirmation of the four-sided social relationship.

The Qur'an not only believes in it, but also regards it as one of the norms of history. As we have seen in a previously quoted verse, the Qur'an regards religion as a norm of history. The four-sided social relationship being nothing but an application of religion to life, it is one of the historical norms. Now let us see how it can be so.

The Qur'an presents this relationship in two ways: Sometimes it describes it as a Divine act becausevicegerency is Allah'sfavour bestowed on His creation. The Qur'an expresses it thus:

"1 am about to place a vicegerent in the earth."

In this verse the four-sided relationship has been described as Allah'sfavour to man and Allah's positive role in it, has been stressed. Sometimes the same four-sided relationship is advanced from another angle. In the following verse it has been declared that this relationship has been accepted by man himself:

We offered the trust (vicegerency of Allah) to the heavens and the earth and the hills, but they shrank from bearing it and were afraid of it. And man assumed it. Surely he has proved a tyrant and a fool. (Surah al-Ahzab , 33:72)

The trust referred to in this verse is the same as thevicegerency . This high position was granted by Allah to man who accepted it. The acceptance of the trust means that man was chosen by Allah to be His vicegerent and deputy, and he accepted that heavy responsibility. This responsibility is the same as the four-6ided relationship. It is sometimes observed from the angle of thebestower of thisfavour . In this case it is said:

"lam about to place a vicegerent in the earth";

sometimes it is observed from the angle of the acceptor of this responsibility. Then it is said:

"We offered the trust to the heavens, the earth and the hills . "

This trust which was offered to man and which he accepted was not, according to our interpretation, some kind of duty to be discharged or some order to be obeyed, for the same trust was offered to the hills, to the heavens and to the earth also. Evidently a duty and obedience have no meaning in respect of them. That shows that the offer does not mean the enunciation of any law to be observed. What is meant is that thisfavour of Allah looked everywhere for an object which may be its nature and historical structure be suitable for its application. The hills were not suitable to receive thisfavour .

The heavens and the earth were not compatible with the four-sided relationship and could not shoulder the responsibility of this Divine trust, that is thevicegerency of Allah. Hence an offer was made to man, who accepted it in the sense that the four-sided relationship was made a part of his creational structure and his natural and historical development.

Hence this verse refers to a historical norm a norm of the third form which can be resisted and contravened. It is not one of those norms which cannot be resisted even for a short time. It is a part of human nature and one can rise against one's nature at least temporarily. The Qur'an has hinted at this reality, and so after mentioning this historical norm it adds:

"And man assumed it. Surely he has proved a tyrant and a fool."

By using the expression, 'a tyrant and a fool' the Qur'an has thrown light on the fact that any arrogant and foolish man can withstand this norm and can content with it negatively. We find a similar expression at the end of that verse which describes the true human nature. In that verse also the Qur'an first says:

"So set your face to religion as a man by nature upright . .."

and then adds:

"But most men do not know".

Just as we deduced from the verse of true human nature that religion was a norm of life and a norm of history, from this verse also we can deduce that the relation between religion and life consists of a four-sided social relationship described by the Qur'an as the trust and thevicegerency . This social relationship also in itsQur'anic sense is a norm of history. In fact both the verses amount to the same thing. In the first verse the Qur'an says:

So set your face to religion as a man by nature upright - the nature framed by Allah in which He has created man. There is no altering o f the laws of Allah's creation. That is the self-sustaining way. (Surah al-Rum, 30:30)

The expression of self-sustaining way has been used to lay stress on the true concept of religion. The Qur'an wants to say that it is religion that forms man's basic nature and the cornerstone of his history. Religion regulates man's life.

The religion has been described as the self-sustaining way because it is religion which acquaints us with the conception of self-sustenance in life. Here self-sustenance is a concise term representing four-sided social relationship at which the two verses, one mentioningvicegerency and the other mentioning trust hint.

Religion is a norm of life and history. It introduces the fourth dimension in life with a view to bring about a basic change in the social set-up, not merely to increase the number of dimensions.

This concept that religion is a norm of history is deducible from the above-quoted two verses of the Qur'an. Now how can we form a more clear and comprehensive picture of this norm and how can we know the role ofvicegerency and the establishment of religion as a norm of history in life? How can the role of the fourth side of the social relationship as a norm of history be accepted? How can religion have had a basic role in man's life over history?

In order to be able to understand these points we must have the knowledge of the two stable elements of the social relationship. One of these two elements is man and his fellow beings and the other is nature or the universe. We call these two elements stable because they are the part of the three-sided as well as the four-sided relationship. In order to know the role of the fourth side, that is Allah in the structure of man's social relationship, we first must know the role of these two stable elements. What is man's role in the process of history?

The Qur'an has its own views about man, history and the ways of life. What according to it is man's role in social relations? What is the role of nature in them? How does nature influence the social relationship and how can the role of man and nature be determined? If we study these questions, we can find out the role of the fourth side which is the distinguishing feature of the four-sided relationship as opposed to the three-sided relationship.

This study will show to what extent the role of the fourth side is essential, and to what extent the law of history and man's own structure make the existence of this element necessary for the formation of man's four-sided social relationship. To understand this law of history it is necessary to look at the role of man and nature in the formation of history from the viewpoint of the Qur'an. We propose to deal with this question later.

Laws of History in the Qur'an

Now time has come that we should know the different ways in which the laws of history are mentioned in the Qur'an. In other words, we should see how the laws which, from the viewpoint of the Qur'an, govern history have been expressed by it, and how has the Qur'an pointed to the norms of history.

In the Qur'an we find three forms of the expression of the laws of history. We propose to study each of them minutely and to show how they differ from each other.

(i ) The first form in which the Qur'an has mentioned a law of history is that of a conditional form. When two phenomena or two sets of phenomena are linked together in the realm of history, the Qur'an expresses this link in the form of the two clauses of a conditional sentence indicating that whenever the conditional clause (protoasis ) materializes, the concluding clause (apodosis) is also bound to materialize. This form is applicable to many natural laws and norms also on various levels.

For example, when we speak of the law of boiling, we always express this law by means of a conditional sentence. We say that if water as a result of proximity to heat attains a certain degree of temperature (100°C), it boils because of a special kind of pressure.

This is an example of the relationship between the two clauses of a conditional statement. The phenomenon of the boiling of water appears whenever a certain condition, that is proximity to heat and a particular degree of temperature is fulfilled. Here the natural phenomenon of boiling, which means conversion of water into gas, has been described in the form of a conditional sentence.

This law does not say whether this condition has been fulfilled or not. It merely says that if this particular condition is fulfilled, its consequence inevitably materializes. In other words water must boil at a certain degree of heat. That is what the law of a conditional statement tells us.

This sort of laws renders great service to man in his ordinary life, and plays, an effective role in his development. With the knowledge of these laws man can take a suitable action in respect of the consequence of a condition. If he needs it, he may take action to fulfill the prerequisite condition, and if he is not interested in it, he can prevent its fulfillment.

If a person is interested in the boiling of water, he should arrange the materialization of the appropriate conditions stipulated in the law of boiling, and if he wants water not to boil, he should ensure that water is not heated to the boiling point.

Hence, a law advanced in the form of a conditional sentence has a constructive value in human life. From the above it also becomes clear that there is a philosophy behind the expression of laws in the form of conditional sentences. Allah has based the system of this world on universal laws and firm norms. He draws man's attention to this firm and compact system of the world so that man may know where he stands in it. Allah tells man about the factors which make or mar his life so that he himself may be able to meet his due needs properly.

If the boiling process of water was to take place accidentally, was not subject to a definite law and did not require heat, man could not control this process, nor would it have been possible for him to boil or not to boil water as he wanted.

Man acquired this skill when he came to know the definite norms and firm laws of the world. The laws of nature have been put forward to him in the form of conditional propositions, thus enabling him to see things in light, not in darkness.

In the light of the laws of nature he can determine his course of action in regard to the world.

Exactly the same applies to the forms in which the Qur'an enunciates the laws of history. In many cases we find these laws put forward in the form of conditional statements. For this purpose the Qur'an mentions two interconnected social or historical phenomena and says whenever the first phenomenon appears, the second phenomenon is bound to appear. It does not say when the first phenomenon appears or when it does not.

Several of theQur'anic verses mentioned by us earlier narrate the historical laws in the form of a conditional statement. In this connection the following verse may be recalled:

Allah does not change the condition of a people unless they change what is in their hearts. (Surah ar-Ra'd , 13:11)

Here a law of history has been mentioned, and as we explained earlier and will further explain later, it has been put forward in the form of a conditional statement, for the verse says that there exists an inseparable link between the two different changes, namely a change in man's inner content and a change in his external position.

Substantially this is a case of conditional statement. The divine law mentioned here virtually says if a people change internally, their material condition and social position are bound to change consequently. Hence divine law has been stated in the form of a conditional statement.

The following verse is another example of a law expressed by means of a conditional statement:

If they continue to tread the right path, we shall give them to drink of water in abundance. (Surah al Jinn, 72: 16)

We have already said that this verse speaks of a law of history, according to which good produce depends on fair distribution. This is a clear case of a conditional statement.

Another example is provided by the following verse:

When We would destroy a township, We send commandment to its people who live at ease, and afterward they commit abomination therein and so the word (of doom) has effect on it, and We annihilate it with complete annihilation. (Surah Bani Isra'il , 17: 17)

In this verse also a historical norm has been stated in the form of a conditional statement. Here two things have been combined, one of them being the direction of the command of Allah to the wicked and those who live at ease and their disobedience of these commandments, and the other being the consequent destruction and annihilation of such a society.

This is another law of history put forward as a conditional statement. The law does not say in which circumstances the condition mentioned in it is to materialize. It only stipulates that as and when the condition will materialize, the consequent clause of the law is also bound to materialize with it. This is the first form in which the laws of history have been mentioned in the Qur'an.

(ii) The second form in which the laws of history have been advanced in the Qur'an is that of a definite and unqualified statement. In many cases the laws of nature are stated in this way also. When an astronomical prediction is made on the basis of the movement of the planets, such as the prediction about the time of a lunar or a solar eclipse, no condition is attached to such a statement.

In this case a scientific law or a scientific question is put forward as a definite and unconditional statement. Man can in no way influence or modify the conditions and the circumstances of such occurrences. Therefore a prediction about them is made in the form of a definite and unqualified statement without any conditions being attached to it.

When we say that the sun will eclipse on such and such day or say that the moon will eclipse on such and such night. We express a scientific question in the form of a definite statement and not a conditional statement.

In such cases it is not within human power to change the conditions or the circumstances of the matter in question because it is not conditional. When we say that the sun or that the moon will eclipse, though we speak with reference to the future, we make a firm statement. The same is true of the weather forecasts based on scientific laws.

When it is said that it will rain in such and such area, the statement is firm and unconditional and forecasts rainfall at a definite place and at a definite time.

This is the second form of the expression of the laws of history. While dealing with the analysis of the social elements we will cite some more examples of it from the Qur'an.

This second form of expression of the laws and norms of history has created a wrong impression among the European thinkers, who maintain that historical norms are inconsistent with human freedom, for if it is presumed that they regulate man's life, he can have no freedom of choice.

This wrong idea has led some thinkers to say that in this world man has only a negative role, for he cannot change the norms of history. These thinkers have renounced man's freedom for the sake of historical norms to which they have attached too much importance.

The followers of this way of thinking say that the role which man plays is negative, not positive. Man is like a device which moves as required. We will elaborate this idea later.

Some other thinkers with a view to combine the idea of human freedom and the idea of the apparent existence of the norms of history, maintain that it is man's power of choice alone which establishes the norms of history. The historical laws are in fact subject to man's will. Hence we need not sacrifice man's freedom for the sake of historical laws.

On the other hand it may be said that man's freedom and his power of choice is a phenomenon which in its turn is itself a part of the norms of history. In this case also though man's freedom is affected, yet in a concealed manner.

Some believe that the laws of history should be rejected altogether in the interest of human freedom. A number of European scholars are of the opinion that to maintain man's freedom the scene of history should be kept outside the purview of the universal laws and it should be maintained that no special laws are applicable to the field of history. This, they say, is necessary to promote man's free choice in respect of his activities.

All these points of view are largely incorrect, as they are based on the wrong idea of the existence of a basic contradiction between the laws of history and man's freedom. What is the source of this misunderstanding? The misunderstanding has arisen from the fact that the scholars having this wrong notion are under the impression that the laws of history are always and invariably expressed in the form of a verbal statement having the import of certainty.

Had it been so really and had we believed that in the presence of the laws of history no scope was left for human effort and initiative, their contention would, of cause, have been correct to refute their wrong impression it is enough to refer back to the first form of the laws of history, that is the form of a conditional statement.

In the conditional statements which we have quoted from the Qur'an, the main condition mostly refers to man's will, his choice and the relation between the conditional clause and the consequent clause. It may be observed that the conditional clause invariably implies man's effort and his work.

For example take theQur'anic verse which says:

Allah does not change the condition of a people until they change what is in their hearts.

In this verse it has been specifically stated that the change in the condition of people depends on their own deeds. They themselves can bring about a change if they so want. When a law of history is mentioned in the language of a conditional statement, and the stipulated condition directly relates to man's will and choice, then the law of history itself necessitates the existence of man's free will and his choice.

It gives man freedom of action so that he may change his condition. It is knowledge of a natural law, such as the law of the boiling of water enhances his power, for when he knows under what conditions water boils, he can boil it at his will.

In this way the laws of history in the form of conditional statements are not only notinconsistant with man's freedom and will, but in contrast they lay stress on these qualities. They also explain the results of man's actions so that he may take the proper course leading to the desired results. This was the second form of the laws of history.

(iii) The third form of the laws of history to which the Qur'an has given special attention, relates to the laws which are not firmly resolute and unbreakable, but imply only a sort of natural tendency of human history.

Obviously there is a difference between a tendency and a firm law. For further clarification, let us conceive the idea of a law. Our normal conception of a scientific law is that of a humanly unbreakable norm, for we know that man cannot violate or evade natural laws.

It is within man's power not to offer prayers, for to offer prayers is a duty prescribed by Islamic law, and not a law of creation or a universal law. Similarly one can take alcoholic drinks, for prohibition of intoxicants is a rule of Islamic law, not a law of creation. In contrast man can never violate universal laws and norms.

For example, it is not possible to make water not to boil or to delay it's boiling a single moment in spite of the presence of all the conditions necessary for its boiling, for the law of boiling is inescapable and cannot be evaded.

Normally we have this concept of a law and it is correct to a certain extent. But it is not necessary that every natural law should be so inflexible and unbreakable. We have a number of natural tendencies, which though effective in the natural development of history and man, are not rigid enough and can be resisted. But still they cannot be resisted or violated for long. You cannot put off boiling of water for a single moment, but there are tendencies which can be contained for quite a long time.

We do not mean to say that on account of their having a different character, these tendencies do not influence the movement of history. These tendencies being flexible, can be resisted and violated, though according to the norms of history they may in the long run gradually crush all those who opposes them.

From there it may be said that there are some tendencies which may safely be resisted with impunity, but there are some others which can be resisted only for a short time, and then they crush him who fights against them in contravention of the laws of history. This has been a characteristic of genuine human tendencies and drives all over history.

Conjugal Drive is a Historical Norm

To make the point clear we can say that there are human drives which are effective in man's birth and his constitution. These tendencies and drives have a concrete reality and are not merely a legal matter. Marriage and conjugal ties are meant for creating special relations between man and woman in human society.

These tendencies should not be regarded as merely a legal formality. In contrast they are a genuine drive which has come into existence for man's development and should not be considered to be merely a legal act or a religious command. This drive is deep-rooted in man's nature and is a part of human constitution. It attracts man to the opposite sex for the purpose of the survival of human race by means of creating a particular social set-up called marriage.

This tendency or a drive in itself is a genuine norm, not a mere legal form, and that is why it can be resisted for a short period only. The example of many people shows the possibility of ignoring the natural law of normal conjugal relations for a while. In contrast, it is not possible for anyone to stop the operation of the law of boiling for any length of time.

A society which plays with the divine laws of nature signs its death warrant with its own hand, for a deviation from natural tendencies involves it into so many perversions and consequently leads it to devastation and annihilation. That is why we said that it was possible to violate these laws for a limited period, but it was not possible to ignore them for long, for the violation of these laws leads the defaulters to annihilation.

Natural Need of Man and Woman to Behave Differently

The tendency that man and woman should have two different sets of duties and should behave differently is a plan designed by nature and not a mere legal provision. It is a natural tendency of man and woman and not a decision imposed on them from outside. But still this tendency can be resisted.

A law may be enacted to the effect that it is man's duty to stay at home to nurse and rear children and that woman must go out to earn livelihood and undertake external activities. By the enforcement of such a law the tendency of the natural division of duties between man and woman can be resisted, but such an arrangement being contrary to the norms of history and the natural genius of man and woman, cannot last forever.

By the enforcement of such a law society will lose woman's special talent for nursing the children, her spirit of motherly love and her aptitude for being patient in the face of the hardships and difficulties unbearable to men. This law appears to be exactly like entrusting the job of a carpenter working in the construction of a building to a blacksmith and that of the blacksmith to the carpenter. Such an action is possible.

The building in question may get erected, but it cannot last long, and with the passage of time is bound to collapse before long as the result of the contravention of historical norms. The resistance of a natural urge which is the basis of man's development will pull him down. Though the resistance of a natural urge is possible for a short time, its reaction will appear sooner or later.

Religiousness is a Historical Norm

The most important example of historical norms is religion itself. It is also one of the historical norms and not a mere legal provision. We can define religion in two ways. It can be introduced as a divine legislation called in the terminology of scholastic jurisprudence - the divine will of law-giving. The Qur'an says:

He has ordained for you that religion which He commanded toNuh (Noah) and that which We revealed to you and that which We commanded to Ibrahim (Abraham), Musa (Moses) and Isa (Jesus), saying: 'Establish the religion and be not divided therein. Dreadful for the idolaters is that to which you call them.' (Surah al-Shura , 42:13)

In this verse religion has been described as a law given by Allah. But at another place it has been described as a law rooted in man's own nature and structure.

Set your face to religion as a man upright by nature - the nature framed by Allah, in which He has created man. There is no altering of Allah's creation. That is the right religion, but most men know not. (Surah al-Rum, 30:30)

In this verse religion has been described not only as a law ordained and imposed on man from above, but also as a part of his divine nature which can never be changed. This verse simply makes a statement and does not prescribe any rule of law.

It says that man has been so created that religion is a part of his nature, and that the divine creation cannot be altered. Religion cannot be detached from man as no other part of his body can be detached from him. Religion is not a cultural matter acquired by man over history. It being a part of man's divine nature, he cannot dispense with it.

Religion is a part of the nature in which Allah has created man and Allah's creation is unalterable. Should religion be alterable, it would become a thing acquired by man in the course of his cultural and social development over history.

The Qur'an wants to say that religion is not a thing which may either be accepted or rejected by man. It is a part of his nature which Allah has framed and which is unalterable.

`There is no altering of the creation o f Allah'

is an indicative, not an imperative expression. It only makes a factual statement when it says that religion is a divine creation and as such is unalterable. So long man is man, religion is a divine norm for him.

There is a difference between this norm and other norms, for this norm is not as irresistible and rigid as the law of boiling. This norm can be resisted for a short time in the same way as the law of marriage and the urge of natural relations between man and woman can be resisted. It is possible to withstand marriage by indulging into sexual perversion, but that can be done only for a short time.

Similarly for a short time religiousness also can be resisted, but it is not possible to deny religion and ignore this big truth forever.

For a short time man can close his eyes and refuse to see the sun. Similarly he can refrain from seeing the religious truth, but he can do so only for a short time, and those who reject religion are punished before long. Here we do not mean that punishment which would be meted out to the wrong-doers by the angels on the Day ofJudgement , nor do we mean that punishment which is awarded to the criminals by the police.

In this case the retribution ensues from the laws of history themselves. This punishment descends on those who want to change the unchangeable creation of Allah. The Qur'an says:

They ask you to hasten the punishment. Surely Allah never fails His promise, but a day with Allah is as a thousand years of what you reckon. (Surah al-Hajj, 22:47)

We say that a man who fights against the third form of the laws of history, is before long afflicted with retribution and according to the norms of history receives punishment very soon. Here the phrase `very soon' should be taken to signify historical quickness and not what we understand of it in our ordinary life.

This is the point which has been mentioned in the above verse in regard to the punishment to be meted out to the idolaters. This verse first mentions the punishment which descended on the lands of the wrongdoers of the past.

Then it says that the pagans are asking the Holy Prophet to hasten the punishment promised to them, and saying: Where is that punishment? When will it come? We have not received is so far although we don't believe in you, fight against you, and have closed our ears to your Qur'an. Then why are we not punished?

Length of One Day in the Terminology of the Laws of History

In the above-mentioned verse the Qur'an speaks of historical quickness which is different from ordinary quickness. The verse says:

"They ask you to hasten the punishment. Surely Allah never fails His promise, (for the historical norms are firm and stable), but a day with Allah is as a thousand years of what you reckon. "

The length of one day for the purpose of the laws of history by the reckoning of Allah is 1000 ordinary years. As we explained earlier, when the Qur'an speaks of "The words o f Allah",

means the laws and the norms of history, and in the words of Allah the minimum length of a day is measured equal to that of 1000 years. As you know there is another verse in which one day has been described to be equal to 50,000 years. In that verse the day refers to the day ofjudgement and not to a day of this world. That is how the two verses are reconciled. The verse in question is as under:

The angels and the Holy Spirit ascend to Him in a day whereof the span is fifty thousand years. So be patient gracefully. They behold that day far off, while we behold it nigh: the day when the sky will become as molten copper. (Surah al-Ma'arij , 70:4-8)

Here the Day refers to the Day ofJudgement , for it is on that day only that the sky will become as molten copper. The Day ofJudgement is estimated to be as long as 50,000 years. As for the previous verse, that spoke of the day of collective punishment, which was fixed according to the norms of history. In that case "a day with Allah is as 1000 years of what you reckon ".

In short, the third form of the laws of history consists of man's inner tendencies and his drives which are a part of his structure and which influence history. These drives can be resisted, but only for a short time, not for a long period.

But one thing is to be noted. The length of time should not be reckoned as we normally do in our ordinary life. One day in the `words of Allah' and for the purpose of divine norms is as 1000 years of what we ordinarily reckon.

Religion is the best and the most important example of the third form of the laws of history. Religion is a historical norm. What is the role of religion? What is its source? Why is it not a matter of mere enacting a law? Is it exactly as natural as the law of marriage between a man and a woman? If so, why and how?

To answer these questions and to know for certain that religion is a norm of history, it is necessary toanalyse the elements forming society in the light of the Qur'an. Now the question is how toanalyse society? In our opinion it should beanalysed in the light of the following verse:

When your Lord said to the angels: `I am placing in the earth a vicegerent', they said: `Will You put there one who will makethere mischief and will shed blood, while we proclaim Your praise and glorify You?' He said: `I know what you do not know.' (Surah al-Baqarah , 2:30)

This verse provides us with the finest, the deepest and the most exact points toanalyse society. We are going toanalyse these points and make a comparative study of them so that in the end we may be able to ascertain how religion is one of the norms of history.

Analysis of Social Elements 1

We have said that to explain the fact that religion is one of the norms of history, it is necessary toanalyse the elements forming society so that we may know what these elements are and in what forms and norms they are combined. To answer these questions we have chosen the followingQur'anic verse

When your Lord said to the angels: `I am placing in the earth a vicegerent,' they said: `Will You put there one who will makethere mischief and will shed blood, while we proclaim Your praise and glorify You?' (Surah al-Baqarah , 2:30)

When we study this verse, we observe that Allah informs the angels that He has laid the foundation of a society on the earth. We naturally want to know what elements form this society. From the expressions used in this verse by the Qur'an the following three main elements can be derived

(i ) Man

(ii) Earth or nature as a whole as indicated by the words:

"I am placing a vicegerent in the earth ".

Here the second element is the earth or nature as a whole, the first element being man whom Allah has appointed His vicegerent in the earth.

(iii) The third element is a mental bond which binds man to the earth or nature on the one hand and to other fellow human beings on the other. This bond has been called by the Qur'anvicegerency . These are the three elements which form society on the earth: (i ) man, (ii) nature,

(iii)Vicegerency - the bond which binds man to the earth and to his fellow human beings.

When we look at human societies, we find that the first two elements are common to all of them. You cannot find a single society in which man may not be living with his fellow beings, or not living on the earth or not having a contact with nature in order to play his role.

As far as these two elements are concerned, all societies are alike. But as for the third element, each society has its own variety of bond. Societies, in other words, differ in the nature and the form of the bond which they have.

Thus the third element, that is the element of a mental bond is changeable and it differs from society to society. Every society operates it differently. This bond can be expressed in two ways. According to one way of expression it has four sides and according to the other three only.

The four-sided relationship is that which binds man and nature with other men. Here also we have three clear sides, namely nature, man and the bond existing between man and nature on the one hand and between man and his fellow human beings on the other. If we presume that there is a fourth side also, even then prima facie there will be three sides only, the fourth side being outside the social frame and not a part of society.

Anyhow, the expression that this relationship has four sides makes it necessary that the fourth side also should be regarded as one of the fundamental factors of social relations. That is what is meant by the Qur'an when it gives the name ofvicegerency to the four social dimensions.

From the viewpoint of the Qur'anvicegerency is a social relationship. If we study andanalyse it, we can say that it has four elements, forvicegerency necessitates the existence of:

(i ) One who appoints the vicegerent,

(ii) The things in respect of which the vicegerent is appointed,

(iii) The vicegerent himself.

In this case the vicegerent is man. The things in respect of which he has been appointed vicegerent, are the earth and all that exists on the face of it, including the human beings. Thus besides man and his relation with his fellow men and nature, the fourth side necessary for the materialization ofvicegerency is Allah, Who appoints the vicegerent. As such the social relationship ofvicegerency consists of the following four sides:

(i ) The one who appointed the vicegerent, that is Allah; (ii) The vicegerent, that is man.

(iii) and (iv) That which has been put under the charge of the vicegerent, that is nature and human beings.

As a result of his monotheistic conception of the world, man acquires a special outlook on the life and the universe. It is with this outlook that he says: There is no deity and no lord of the world and life but Allah, and that man has to play no role in his life except that of the vicegerent, for Allah has appointed him His deputy on the earth and has assigned to him the position of leadership.

Man's relation with nature is not that of the owner and the owned. In fact the relation between them is that of the trustee and the trust. Irrespective of their social position one man's relation with his fellow man is that of the two colleagues performing the same duty of the vicegerent of Allah, and not that of the master and the slave, nor that of master and the servant. This description of the four sides of the social relationship ofvicegerency to which the Qur'an has referred, is closely related to the conception of cosmos in Islam.

In contrast to thisQur'anic conception, there is another idea of a three-sided relationship which links up man with his fellow beings and nature but rejects the fourth side (Allah) and makes this social relationship devoid of its fourth dimension. As a result of ignoring the fourth dimension the whole relationship is upset and the entire social structure changes.

Man's lordship over his fellow beings resulting from overlooking the fourth dimension and regarding man alone as the source of all values, has appeared in various forms over history. Different forms of ownership and varying degrees of man's domination over other men have manifested themselves on the scene and stage of life.

If we minutely compare these two relationships with each other and make a comparative study of the four-sided relationship (man + nature + relation between man and nature + Allah) and the three-sided relationship (man + nature + relation between man and nature), we will observe that the addition of the fourth side is not merely a numerical question, but this addition brings about a fundamental change in the basis of social relations and the structure of the other three sides.

Therefore the addition of the fourth side should not be regarded as merely a numerical addition. In fact this addition gives the other three sides a new spirit and a fresh significance, and brings about a basic change in the mutual relationship of the four sides.

In fact the addition of the fourth side changes the whole structure of the social relations. Therefore in regard to social relations we can act either according to the system of the four-sided relationship or according to the system of the three-sided relationship.

The Qur'an believes in the four-sided relationship only, as can be inferred from the above quoted verse, for man's appointment as the vicegerent of Allah amounts to the confirmation of the four-sided social relationship.

The Qur'an not only believes in it, but also regards it as one of the norms of history. As we have seen in a previously quoted verse, the Qur'an regards religion as a norm of history. The four-sided social relationship being nothing but an application of religion to life, it is one of the historical norms. Now let us see how it can be so.

The Qur'an presents this relationship in two ways: Sometimes it describes it as a Divine act becausevicegerency is Allah'sfavour bestowed on His creation. The Qur'an expresses it thus:

"1 am about to place a vicegerent in the earth."

In this verse the four-sided relationship has been described as Allah'sfavour to man and Allah's positive role in it, has been stressed. Sometimes the same four-sided relationship is advanced from another angle. In the following verse it has been declared that this relationship has been accepted by man himself:

We offered the trust (vicegerency of Allah) to the heavens and the earth and the hills, but they shrank from bearing it and were afraid of it. And man assumed it. Surely he has proved a tyrant and a fool. (Surah al-Ahzab , 33:72)

The trust referred to in this verse is the same as thevicegerency . This high position was granted by Allah to man who accepted it. The acceptance of the trust means that man was chosen by Allah to be His vicegerent and deputy, and he accepted that heavy responsibility. This responsibility is the same as the four-6ided relationship. It is sometimes observed from the angle of thebestower of thisfavour . In this case it is said:

"lam about to place a vicegerent in the earth";

sometimes it is observed from the angle of the acceptor of this responsibility. Then it is said:

"We offered the trust to the heavens, the earth and the hills . "

This trust which was offered to man and which he accepted was not, according to our interpretation, some kind of duty to be discharged or some order to be obeyed, for the same trust was offered to the hills, to the heavens and to the earth also. Evidently a duty and obedience have no meaning in respect of them. That shows that the offer does not mean the enunciation of any law to be observed. What is meant is that thisfavour of Allah looked everywhere for an object which may be its nature and historical structure be suitable for its application. The hills were not suitable to receive thisfavour .

The heavens and the earth were not compatible with the four-sided relationship and could not shoulder the responsibility of this Divine trust, that is thevicegerency of Allah. Hence an offer was made to man, who accepted it in the sense that the four-sided relationship was made a part of his creational structure and his natural and historical development.

Hence this verse refers to a historical norm a norm of the third form which can be resisted and contravened. It is not one of those norms which cannot be resisted even for a short time. It is a part of human nature and one can rise against one's nature at least temporarily. The Qur'an has hinted at this reality, and so after mentioning this historical norm it adds:

"And man assumed it. Surely he has proved a tyrant and a fool."

By using the expression, 'a tyrant and a fool' the Qur'an has thrown light on the fact that any arrogant and foolish man can withstand this norm and can content with it negatively. We find a similar expression at the end of that verse which describes the true human nature. In that verse also the Qur'an first says:

"So set your face to religion as a man by nature upright . .."

and then adds:

"But most men do not know".

Just as we deduced from the verse of true human nature that religion was a norm of life and a norm of history, from this verse also we can deduce that the relation between religion and life consists of a four-sided social relationship described by the Qur'an as the trust and thevicegerency . This social relationship also in itsQur'anic sense is a norm of history. In fact both the verses amount to the same thing. In the first verse the Qur'an says:

So set your face to religion as a man by nature upright - the nature framed by Allah in which He has created man. There is no altering o f the laws of Allah's creation. That is the self-sustaining way. (Surah al-Rum, 30:30)

The expression of self-sustaining way has been used to lay stress on the true concept of religion. The Qur'an wants to say that it is religion that forms man's basic nature and the cornerstone of his history. Religion regulates man's life.

The religion has been described as the self-sustaining way because it is religion which acquaints us with the conception of self-sustenance in life. Here self-sustenance is a concise term representing four-sided social relationship at which the two verses, one mentioningvicegerency and the other mentioning trust hint.

Religion is a norm of life and history. It introduces the fourth dimension in life with a view to bring about a basic change in the social set-up, not merely to increase the number of dimensions.

This concept that religion is a norm of history is deducible from the above-quoted two verses of the Qur'an. Now how can we form a more clear and comprehensive picture of this norm and how can we know the role ofvicegerency and the establishment of religion as a norm of history in life? How can the role of the fourth side of the social relationship as a norm of history be accepted? How can religion have had a basic role in man's life over history?

In order to be able to understand these points we must have the knowledge of the two stable elements of the social relationship. One of these two elements is man and his fellow beings and the other is nature or the universe. We call these two elements stable because they are the part of the three-sided as well as the four-sided relationship. In order to know the role of the fourth side, that is Allah in the structure of man's social relationship, we first must know the role of these two stable elements. What is man's role in the process of history?

The Qur'an has its own views about man, history and the ways of life. What according to it is man's role in social relations? What is the role of nature in them? How does nature influence the social relationship and how can the role of man and nature be determined? If we study these questions, we can find out the role of the fourth side which is the distinguishing feature of the four-sided relationship as opposed to the three-sided relationship.

This study will show to what extent the role of the fourth side is essential, and to what extent the law of history and man's own structure make the existence of this element necessary for the formation of man's four-sided social relationship. To understand this law of history it is necessary to look at the role of man and nature in the formation of history from the viewpoint of the Qur'an. We propose to deal with this question later.


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