Alhassanain(p) Network for Heritage and Islamic Thought

Lesson 20: Muhammad the Foretold Prophet

Time of Expectation and Hope

The prophets of ancient times - especially Hazrat Musa and Hazrat Isa (a.s.), had given their followers news of the advent of Islam, even to the extent that indications of the special attributes of the Prophet of Islam appeared in their Holy Scriptures. For this reason, the Jews and the Christians and the followers of other religions were watching out for the advent of Islam. They would watch like people who see their ship with torn sails and broken anchor in danger of sinking in the sea and therefore direct their gaze at the shore of future safety.1 .

Some of the Jews had even found, through much searching, a place between the hills of ‘Ayr and Uhud which were named in their own books as the center of Islamic rule, and migrated there, waiting for the advent of Islam.2

The Qur’an is a testimony to the truth of these facts, that the Torah and the Injil3 had given news of the advent of the prophet of Islam.

There are those who follow the Messengers, the illiterate Prophet (not conventionally educated), whose description they find written in the Torah and the Gospel. [He (the Messengers) enjoins them to do good and forbids them to do all that is unlawful, makes lawful for them all that is pure and unlawful all that is filthy, removes their burdens and the entanglements in which they are involved]. Those who believe in him, honor and help him, and follow the light, which is sent down to him, will have everlasting happiness. (7:157)

Muhammad is the Messenger of God and those with him are stern to the disbelievers yet kind among themselves. You can see them bowing and prostrating before God, seeking His favors and pleasure. Their faces (foreheads) are marked due to the effect of their frequent prostrations. That is their description in the Torah and in the Gospel they are mentioned as the seed which shoots out its stalk then becomes stronger, harder and stands firm on its stumps, attracting the farmers. Thus, God has described the believers to enrage the disbelievers. God has promised forgiveness and a great reward to the righteously striving believers (48:29).

This example indicates that the Prophet and his devoted companions started from nothing, and reached to the summit by self-sacrifice, dedication and faith. They surprised the world. God has promised forgiveness and a great reward to those Jews and Christians who become believers and Muslims and cultivate righteousness.

And when Isa son of Maryam said: 'Children of Isra'il I am indeed the Messenger of Allah to you, confirming the Torah that is before me, and giving good tidings of a Messenger who shall come after me, whose name shall be Ahmad And when he brought them clear signs, they said: 'This is a manifest sorcery. (61:6)

Those unto whom We have given the Book, and they recognise it as they recognize their sons, even though there is a party of them who conceal the truth and that wittingly. (2:146)

Those to whom We have given the Book recognise him (Muhammad) as they recognize their own sons. Those who have lost their own souls they do not believe. (6:20)

It comes out clearly from these verses (ayahs) that the previous prophets informed the people of the coming of Muhammad (S) and of his characteristics. Clear glad tidings exist in their religious books, so that when Muhammad (S) appeared together with Islam, no room remained for any kind of doubt.

If there had been no such news in the Christian and Jewish Holy Scriptures at the time of Muhammad (S) it would not have been expected from the radiant thought of someone like Muhammad (S) to stand up and proclaim. In order to prove his messengership before all the people of the Book proclaim and say, “My name and my characteristics have appeared in the Torah and the Injil which are in your possession at this very moment.” Because the enemies of Muhammad (S) did not give up, and to annihilate his message, they collected together the copies of the Torah and Injil to prove that such characteristics were not in these books.

History is a witness that they tried every way that there was in their opposition to Prophet Muhammad (S) and even rose up to fight him. But they never managed with this facile and simple ruse to prove that these characteristics were not mentioned in their holy Scriptures. It is clear that abundant information concerning the Prophet of Islam existed in the sacred books.

Some More Historical Evidence

Before the rise of Islam, two circles or groups of people had grown up in Medina The first were Jews who had left their original lands in the hope to witness the advent of the Prophet of Islam (S).

The second were the tribes of Aws and Kharaj, who were the descendants of Tubba‘ the king of Yemen. Tubba‘ came to Medina and learnt that that place would be the place of migration of the Prophet and the place where Islamic Government would take shape. He said to these two tribes to remain in that place until such time as the Prophet of Islam appeared and then to support him.4

They stayed there and Gradually increased in numbers and became powerful to the point that they seized the houses and property of the unconcerned Jews. They committed aggression and gradually forgot the cause of their ancestors' staying in that town and became ignorant of why their ancestors had come there and made their settlement there.

However, the Jews, who were unequal with them in power, continued to tell each other of the advent of the Prophet of Islam (S) and of safety from the aggression. The Qur’an says about the Jews:

And from before they, had been praying for victory over the unbelievers, (but) when there came to them that they recognised, they disbelieved in it. (2:89)

Ibn Hawash (or Ibn'l-llayyaban), a Jewish scholar, left Syria seeking to meet the Prophet of Islam (S) and came to Medina, but while he was alive, Muhammad (S) was not yet called to his prophethood. For this reason, when he was dying, Ibn Hawash said to the Jews: “I left my extensive, comfortable life in Syria out of love to see Prophet Muhammad (S) came here, and bread and date were enough for me. Alas! I did not achieve my wish. But know that he will rise up in Mecca and will migrate here. In eating he will be content with morsels of bread and dates; he will be so humble that he will ride on unsaddled mount. His rule will spread to an amazing extent. He will be afraid of none, and those who are an obstacle to the way of right and truth will be cast aside...”5

Zayd ibn Umar of Hijaz came in search of the true religion of Ibrahim. On his way he had crossed from Mecca to Syria and to Mawsul but the more he searched, the less he found. In the end a Christian scholar said to him that there remained no trace of the original religion of Ibrahim, but that in those very days a prophet was to blossom forth in his own homeland from whose message and sayings he could obtain that original religion.

Zayd returned towards Mecca, but on the way he was killed. The Prophet instructed to goodness through his example, saying: “Zayd was someone who left this world in seeking the way to Allah.”6

Buhayra, a Christian scholar, saw Prophet Muhammad (S) in the latter's childhood. He recognised him from the signs he had read in the Holy Scriptures. He said to Abu Talib who was accompanying Muhammad (S), “He will be a prophet. Look after him, and take him to his country quickly.”7

Another Christian scholar, Nistur also when he saw Muhammad (S) in the latter's youth, gave the news that he would become a prophet in a clear way, “He is the last prophet of time.”

On the basis of these predictions of the holy Books, numerous of people became Muslims at the very beginning of the rise and appearance of Islam without any coercion.

The Predisposition of the People of Medina towards Islam

When the Prophet received the order from God to invite people to Islam, and at the time of Hajj which existed in a form before Islam, he addressed the people and presented Islam to them. During this time he held a meeting with some people from the tribe of Khazraj whom he asked, “What tribe are you from?”

“From Khazraj.” They replied.

“Are you ready to sit together for a few moments and talk?” The Prophet said.

“Yes, we are.” They replied.

“I am calling you to One God.” Said the Holy Prophet.

Then the Prophet read for them some verses from the sweet words of God and they were so entrapped by the Qur’an that they said to each other without thinking: “We swear that this is what the Jews were telling us of. Let not the Jews reach it before us.” Then they all became Muslims, and when they returned to Medina they commenced the propagation of Islam. The Prophet also sent Mus'ab ibn ‘umir after them to teach them the Qur’an and also to call others to Islam.

Mur'ab brought many groups in Medina to Islam; among them the Asid the heads of the Aws tribe, became Muslims and said to their tribe, “Muhammad (S) is the very one whose coming the Jews were always announcing.” And their tribe also became Muslims, and in this way Islam spread in Medina and became strong. Groups of Muslims from Mecca also moved there, and, in the end, the Prophet himself went to Medina and there he set up the Islamic government.

The Attraction of Salman to Islam

Salman was an Iranian from a peasant family; his mother and father were Zoroastrians, fire-worshippers Salman whose name was then Ruzbeh, they loved very much. They taught him the beliefs of their religion, and entirely prevented him from mixing with others.

One day, Salman went on his father's orders to inspect their fields. On his way he fell upon a church in which a group of God's slaves were engaged in prayer. Ruzbeh started to think deeply, and he stayed with them till dusk approached, meditating. At last he understood that their way was superior to his fathers' and ancestors’ way.

“Where is the center of this religion?” He asked.

“It is in Syria.” They answered.

His father became anxious because of his late return and sent someone to look for him. When he returned home, his father asked him where he had been. He described what had happened, but his father said, “The religion of your ancestors is much better.”

“With my own thinking,” he replied, “I have seen that their way is purer.”

His father became even more disturbed and rebuked him. He then locked him up in the house.

Ruzbeh secretly sent someone to the Christians and informed them that when merchants came from Syria and had done their work, and when the time came for their return they should tell him and he would secretly leave his house and accompany them to Syria.

And thus it was that he went to Syria, and into the presence of one of the great Christian scholars, and begged him to take him as his servant and to instruct him on the acquisition of knowledge and servitude to God. The scholar accepted him.

When the scholar died, Ruzbeh went to some of the other great Christians of the day, in accordance with his master's instructions. From the last of these scholars, who lived in the Umuriyah district of Damascus, he asked guidance to another, but he replied:

“I have no idea of anyone else, but in the very near future a prophet will arise in the lands of the Arabs who will migrate from his birthplace to a place covered in date- palms. This land is situated between two lava belts. Some of the signs of his magnanimity and special habits are these. He will accept what is given to him out of respect, but he will not take food and alms given out of compassion and aid. Among the signs is the mark and seal of prophethood on his skin. If you can go there, then you should go. “

After the death of that scholar, Ruzbeh asked the caravan leaders who were setting out for business in Arabia to take him with them to that place. They accepted, but on their way they betrayed him and sold him in slavery to a Jew from the Bani Qurayza who put him to labor in the vicinity of Medina. Ruzbeh recognized the very place he had reached as one of the signs told to him by the old scholar. So he was happy to start work in the date-groves of his master, but he was always looking out for the advent of Prophet Muhammad (S) and searched for him, but, because he was in difficult circumstances, he could not make many inquiries.

At last the day of meeting arrived; the Prophet had gone, together with some of his companions, to a place near Medina and Ruzbeh got to hear of this.

He said to himself that this was the best time to look for the signs from this person himself and to compare them with what he had heard from the Christian scholar. So he took some morsels of food, which he had with him and gave them to that honored person and said: “This food is for the special benefit of the needy, and since your companions are needy, please accept it from me.”

The Prophet gave it to his companions. Ruzbeh looked carefully, but he saw that the Prophet did not touch the food, and he could not contain himself with joy, for one of the signs had been found true in him.

With excitement he brought another morsel of food, which he had with him to the Prophet, presented it to him and said: “This is my present to you, please accept it from me.” The Prophet gladly accepted it and ate from it.

Ruzbeh was looking at him and was enthralled. He then walked around the Prophet of Islam - the blessings and peace of Allah be upon him and his family - to see the mark on the Prophet's shoulder. The Prophet understood what he wanted and took off the clothes that were on his back so that he sees the mark. Ruzbeh saw it and accepted Islam.

He was renamed Salman and the means to free him were collected. He became close to the group of the companions around the Prophet and with his insight and deep and wide faith he became in the shortest period of time, the greatest of the Prophet's disciples.8

All seekers after truth, who were suffering from the dryness and burning heat of that time like an unquenchable thirst, were looking for the source of being and the water of life. Since the signs which they had read or heard of in the holy books were present in the Prophet they gave their hearts to the ocean and washed their souls in that spring of the water of life and wisdom. Group after group gave their hearts to the pure religion of Islam and became followers of Muhammad (S) The Qur’an says:

People, group after group, turned to Islam. (110:2)

But together with these seekers after truth, there were groups of Jews and Christians and other enemies who did not embrace Islam, through bigotry or because their businesses or positions were endangered, although they were aware of the truth of that great, divine person.

They knew where the source of salvation was, but through obstinacy they clung to their illusions and did not desist from their stubbornness, but became caught in everlasting perdition and failed to reach contentment.

And when there came to them that which they recognized, they disbelieved in it; therefore the curse of Allah is on the unbelievers. (2:89)

Two examples:

Safiyah, the daughter of Hayy ibn Akhtab said, “When the Prophet (S) migrated to Medina and alighted at Qaba', my father and my uncle, Abu Yassir went to call on him in the half-light of dawn. The sunset came and they returned, and I went to them with childish joy. But they were very tired, and, contrary to their custom, they paid no attention to me. My uncle said to my father:

“Is he the one?”

“By God, I swear he is!”

“Did you recognize him?”

“Yes.”

“Now what do you think of him?”

“By God, I swear that as long as I live I will be his enemy.9 ”

The following is another example of this hardheartedness. One day the Holy Prophet said to Ka'b ibn Assad, “Do you not remember the example of Ibn Hawash (the Jewish scholar who went from Syria to Medina - see above)? Has it had no effect on you?”

“Yes I do,” replied Ka'b, “and if the censure of the Jews did not torment me when they say “Ka'b is frightened to be killed”, I would believe in you. But now I am in the faith of the Jews and I am safe from their censure, and I shall stay in that religion till I die.”10

The Qur'an tells of the injury caused by this hardheartedness which is the origin of the destruction of life and contentment, and speaks of these people thus:

Vile is the thing they have sold themselves for, disbelieving in that which Allah sent down, grudging that Allah should send down of His bounty on whomsoever He will of His servants, and they were laden with anger upon anger; and for unbelievers awaits a humbling chastisement. ( 2:90)

Questions

1. Who had given the news of the advent of Islam?

2. How anxiously were the people waiting for the advent of Islam?

3. Who were some of the people searching for the place named in their Holy Book?

4. What does verse 157 ch. 7 say?

5. What does verse 29 ch. 48 say?

6. Did the Prophet and the Muslims establish Islam with suffer or not?

7. What does V 6 ch. 61 say?

8. What does V 146 ch. 2 say?

9. What does V 20 ch. 6 say?

10. What do these verses indicate?

11. What would the enemy do if Prophet Muhammad was not mentioned in the Bible?

12. Which groups of people settled around Madina and why?

13. Which group forgot the reason of the settling and which group did not?

14. What does verse 89 ch. 2 say?

15. What did Ibn Hawash say to his people when he was about to die?

16. What did the Christian scholar say to Zaid ibn Umar?

17. What did the Holy Prophet say about Zaid Ibn Umar?

18. What did Buhayra say about Abu Talib?

19. With who did the Prophet have a meeting with during Hajj?

20. Can you answer the Questions of the Holy Prophet 1-3?

21. Who became Muslim because of the preaching of Mus’Ali?

22. Who was Salman and what was his previous religion?

23. Can you mention the experience of Salman before Islam in one paragraph?

24. Which signs of Prophet Muhammad were mentioned to Salman by the Christian scholar?

25. When and how Ruzbeh experimented the predictions of the Christian Scholar?

26. What is considered in the text is the water of life and what did the people do with it?

27. What does verse 2 ch. 110 say?

28. Were all the people in the early Muslim community sinners?

29. What does verse 89 ch. 2 say?

30. Can you mention the experience of Safiyah?

31. What question did the Prophet from Ka’li Ibn Assad and what was the reply?

32. What does verse 90 ch. 2 say?

Notes

1. See Ibn Hisham’s Life of Muhammad translated by A. Guillaume (London, 1 955) pp. 90-95

2. See Rawdah Kafi p. 308.

3. See also lessons 17 & 18

4. Bihar al-Anwar vol. 15

5. See lbn Hisham pp. 94-95.

6. See Bihar al-Anwar vol. 15 pp. 204.

7. See Ibn Hisham pp. 79-81.

8. See Sirah of Ibn Hisham vol. I, p. 212-214: Tabaqat Ibn S'd vol. 4, p. 54.

9. See Sirah Ibn Hisham vol. 2. p. 518.

10. See Ithbat al-Hudat vol. 1. p. 350

Lesson 21: Al-Qur’an, the Miracle of Islam

Prophets and Miracles

Divine Prophets have always been sent with clear signs, so that men might be convinced that they had come from God.

For this reason those who have souls like polished mirrors and like clear transparent springs, glistening and pure so that they can recognise these signs commit themselves and have faith; like the magicians of Pharaoh's time who, when they saw the amazing miracles of Musa (a.s.), how the staff became a poisonous serpent, understood that this was beyond the power of a human being, believed in him and ignored Pharaoh's intimidation.

The disciples of Isa (a.s.) also saw with their own eyes the effects of his breath when he breathed into the bodies of the dead, and, by the will of God. raised the dead and gave them life. They were attracted to him, and the souls and spirits of the dead were given everlasting life through faith in Isa (a.s.).

The Prophet of Islam (S), who was the last prophet and the best and greatest of them, and who brought an everlasting religion, the perfection of all religions, which last the came at the time of his mission, with clear signs from God, so that he could be clearly a proof of the legitimacy of His true and perfect religion.

The Qur’an, the Everlasting Miracle

Thus it was that the Qur’an the everlasting document of Islam, appeared on the horizon of human thoughts and ideas. The torch which will always shine at the apex of the great religion of Muhammad (S) at the highest peak of human intellects, as long as the sun rises in the East. It is a brilliant divine sign whose lights, like the rays of the sun, are essential in every era and century and for always, for the continuance of life and the safeguarding of the happiness of all races and classes of humanity.

Within this framework and on this foundation, all that is necessary for man's guidance has come.

It elucidates the foundations of belief and also the relation of man and God and the ways of strengthening that relation in words with the softness of the clear waters of murmuring brooks, and the firmness of the standing mountains, attractive, eloquent and strong. It describes the social responsibilities of man; it teaches the ways and the rules of social behaviour.

It puts an end to class differences-and unequal divisions. It wishes the highest in man and his brotherhood and equality and his elevation.

Unequalled Eloquence

Being conversant with vocabulary and having a good knowledge of words at one's fingertips is not such a great difficulty, but their combination and arrangement and harmonisation in a style which has regard for eloquence and fluency, and the construction of phrases with a variety of expression yet in the same way in which they arise in the mind, is the most important skill, and it is something which is not practicable without observing the narrow rules of literary exactness, 'and using craftsmanship and eloquence.

In the art of eloquence, it is said that for eloquence in any speaking or writing it is necessary to observe three principles:

1) Proficiency in words and their meanings

2) Power of thought and subtlety of eloquence

3) Power of expression or skill with the pen

But it must always be kept in mind that although all the rules and requirements of eloquence may be heeded, no one can claim that his speech or writing is always the best, and that no-one can parallel him.

However, Allah the Exalted, Whose range of power and knowledge is without limit, has so variously decorated His words in the Qur’an with arrangements and harmonisation’s of words hat no-one, be he the most eloquent man on earth, can bring it’s like. And this is the secret of the eternity of the Qur’an the everlasting prophetic document of Hazrat Muhammad (S).

The Qur’an according to the testament of history, shone at that time when the Arabs were at the zenith of their literary development. The famous poets and great orators, Imra'ul-Qais Labid etc., who are still counted as outstanding geniuses in the field of literature, wrote poems and gave orisons which sometimes reached the limits of greatness and which were written on curtains and golden plaques and attached to the wall of the Ka'abah.

But, with the rising of the brilliant sun of the Qur’an all of these lost their light and were eclipsed like the stars. The eloquent Arabs were left bewildered by the eloquence of the Qur’an which was such that the enemies who were full of hate for Islam and Muhammad (S) who even took to the sword to wipe him and his religion out, were unable, with all their efforts, to find even one short mistake in the language and expression of the Qur’an.

The Enemies' Judgement

It was the time of Hajj People were coming to Mecca from everywhere, and the Quraysh were uncomfortable from fear that the news of Muhammads Prophethood might have an effect on the new arrivals. So a group of the Quraysh with Walid at their head, gathered round them and related what unjust things they could about the Prophet and thus dissuaded the new arrivals from meeting him. Then when they were gathered, one of them said, “Let us say this man is soothsayer.”

“They will not believe us,” said Walid “for his speech is not like the sayings of soothsayers.”

“Let us say he is mad,” someone else volunteered.

“No one will accept that,” Walid replied, “because his speech and Behaviour are not like a lunatic's.”

“We shall say he is a poet,” they said.

“This also will not work, because Arabs know all kinds of poetry, and his words are not like a poem.”

“We shall say he is a sorcerer.”

“Sorcerers have special methods, like tying knots and blowing on them, and Muhammad does nothing like this.”

Then Walid himself declared, “I swear by God, the speech of that man has a special sweetness and pleasantness. His speech is like a tree, luxuriant, with steady deep roots and branches, which bend down laden with fruit. Thus we can say to people that his speech is bewitched, because it Causes separation between father and child, wife and sister and brother.1 ”

To discover the Qur’an eloquence, and also to find out that it is at the summit of eloquence, non-Arab speakers can turn back to the sayings of those Arabs who were experts in the language of those days and which are recorded in history, and also to present day authors who write on this subject, and to the acknowledgements of those specialists in this branch.

Fortunately, from the time of the Prophet (S) till now, all specialists in the art of Arabic eloquence have confessed to the unparalleled eloquence of the Qur’an and have been overwhelmed in the face of it. For example, the famous contemporary Arab writer Abdulfatah Tabari writes: “Arab history tells us of many famous men, knowledgeable in the best poetry and prose, like Ibn-el-Muqaffa', Jahiz ibn 'Amid, Farazdaq Bashshar Abu Nuwas Abu Tammam and so forth, but all of them have shown humility when faced with the Qur’an and have of necessity confessed that the great Qur’an is not of the words of man, but a Divine Revelation.2

Dr. Taha Husayn the powerful contemporary Egyptian writer, said: “The Qur’an transcends the limits of prose and poetry; because it has special qualities which cannot be found in any poem or prose. So the Qur’an cannot be called poetry or prose, rather it should be said: 'It is the Qur’an that is all.”3

Harmonisation of its Themes

The speech or writing of a person, however skilful or eloquent he may be, will not be uniform in all conditions and circumstances. In particular, the works which appear in the days of any author's first writings arc very different from the works which come after many years and as the result of much experience and repeated practice; the later works arc almost always better.

But the Qur’an in that it was sent down in the course of 23 years, and in that it was revealed in various circumstances and like a long flowing river passed over various stony places, rapids, narrows, valleys and plains, and witnessed many amazing events, it remained forever, like a spring, clear and fresh. The unity and harmony of the themes and the style and expression of the Qur’an arc a source for wonder. We see this wonder reach its apex, and notice in the contents of the Qur’an that many different subjects are dealt with, but the style and unity of expression remain constant.

It is dear that if someone, when he reached a stage of mastery over a special subject, shows what he can do, he may display brilliance but if he undertakes something in another branch of which he is not a master, he will not produce any distinctive work. But the Qur’an shines to an amazing degree in every area.

Scientific Wonders in the Qur’an

Although the first and basic aim of the Qur’an according to what it says itself, is only to guide man to the great road of contentment and prosperity in the life of this world, the world of man, and on the way, in pursuing this aim, it expresses many truths from human knowledge in the natural sciences, in physiology and astronomy.

And this is itself another great sign of the wonder of the Qur’an For the Prophet, according to the definite testimony of history, had never studied, grew up in an environment completely devoid of human knowledge and science (except literature and was far from the centres of science of those days Greece, Rome, Iran.

Now let us see some indications of this wonder:

1. Meteorology is a very new science. The knowledge of former peoples about the phenomena of clouds, wind, rain and snow did not go beyond conjecture and what they could see, and, generally speaking, it had an air of imaginativeness and chance and was never established on a scientific basis.

Captains and farmers both had their signs and indications for forecasting wind and rain, but they did not really understand these phenomena. Thus things went on for thousands of years, till in the 17th century AD the thermometer, and in the 19th century the telegraph, and, gradually, other things necessary for meteorology were invented and discovered. In their turn, scientists settled down to research, till, in 'are first half of the 20th century, the Norwegian scientist, Byerkness succeeded in discovering the general laws of the formation and movements of clouds and the occurrence of storms and rains in all places.

After him, the extent of discoveries in this science, as in other areas, progressed: the rain-bearing properties of clouds, how rain is released from them, the formation and occurrence of hail, matters relating to thunderbolts and thunder and lightning and storms in tropical areas, air currents near the surface of the earth, and other matters, till knowledge reached extensive limits.

But fifteen centuries ago, when the Qur’an told about the winds and the rain and other phenomena, it was right when it told us about the latest, newest discoveries of meteorology. For example, it has now been proved that it is possible for a cloud to reach saturation point but to yield no rain, and for it to be just microscopic particles tiny enough to hang suspended in the air and not to fall and cause rain; however, by means of invisible particles of salt which are blown by the wind from the surface of the sea it will rain.

Or, something more important; the humidity in the air gathers round the crystallised snowflakes which lie at high altitudes and which are scattered by the wind. Eventually small drops and the first rain unite together, and, as a result of mixing and colliding together in the wind, they gradually become bigger and bigger, and because of their own relatively heavy weight fall from the massed clouds.4

This is what the Qur’an made clear 15 centuries ago:

And We send winds for making fruitful and then we send down water from the sky, thus We give it unto you to drink of it. (15: 22)

2. Until the invention of the aircraft and the possibility of highflying, man's knowledge and experience did not encompass needles of ice beyond the clouds. Till then no-one knew that mountains of ice-needles existed in the sky above man's heads.5

But the Qur’an is very clear when it says:

He sendeth down from the sky, from mountains therein, hail. ( 24: 43)

3. Living things in other worlds.

Man, with the help of his knowledge of space, has set foot on the moon, but the matter of the existence of living things on other worlds has not proceeded beyond theory, and we can say that, from many signs, only is it possible that there are living things such as animals or man on some other planets and stars. But the Qur’an declares unambiguously:

And of His signs is the creation of the heavens and the earth and of what He hath spread out in both of them of animate beings and for their gathering together when He willeth; He is All- Powerful. (42:29)

4. In Surah 36 (Ya-Sin), we have:

Glory be to He Who created all the pairs of what the earth produces, and of themselves, and of what they know not. (36: 36)

And in Surah 20 (Ta-Ha), we read:

And sent down water out of the sky, and therewith We have brought forth various pairs of plants. (20:53)

In times when man's knowledge did not permit the respected interpreters of the Qur’an to know that plants and growing things came in pairs and couples, they interpreted and observed pairing in classes, species or by form and matter or other philosophical terms which do not exist in the pages of the Qur’an But today. On the basis of new research, it has been discovered that not only are men and animals created in pairs, but other living things also. One of the most amazing phenomena in the world is the pairing and fertilisations of plants, which is all explained in Natural science books.

The Qur’an Makes a Challenge

Not only from the point of view of eloquence, but also, as we have seen, in the fields of human ideas and society, and for all levels of understanding, the Qur’an is a miracle. For rhetoricians it has its eloquence, for philosophers its wisdom, and for scientists its different kinds knowledge. For all these reasons the Qur’an addresses all people and says: “If you say this book is the word of man, bring its like and its equal.”

“Say: 'If man and jinn banded together to produce the like of this Qur’an they would never produce its like, not though they back one another.” (17: 88)

“Or do they say: ‘He has forged it’? Say: 'Then briny you ten surahs the like of it, forged; and call upon who you are able, apart from Allah if you speak truly.' Then if they do not answer you, know that it has been sent down with Allah's knowledge, and that there is no god but He.” (11: 13-14)

“And if you are in doubt about what We have sent down on Our servant, then bring a surah like it.” (2: 23)

But we see from the testimony of history that from then till now no one has had the courage to do this and produce its like. Of course, during the time of Muhammad (S) and after his death, some Arabs, like Musailemah, Sajah and Ibn Abil-'Awja planned to challenge it but alley were not able, and eventually confessed to their incapacity.

In the time of the Prophet (S) the enemies of Islam, who used the most awful means in their work, torturing the Muslims, laying economic boycotts on them, plotting to kill Muhammad (S) and so forth, had no-one who could do a simple thing like 'bringing one surah like the Qur’an;

In the present day, too, the scholars who spend millions of dollars trying to destroy Islam would certainly attack it in this inexpensive and easy way (bringing a surah like the Qur’an if they could. If they had been able to do that up to now, it would have been a victory for them and the end of Islam and the news would have been blown on all the trumpets of the world's newsmen.

In the end it is necessary to remind ourselves that if we get to know the Qur’an or get to know it better and put its great, magnificent and precise project into action, greatness will be ours, and more.

The huge edifice of our, the Muslims, greatness collapsed when we stopped putting the commands of this heavenly book into practice. So we fell down, we were satisfied only with the name of Islam.

Our departed greatness will return when we leave this crooked way and, starting again, become new Muslims and put the Qur’an at the top of the sights of our hearts and our wisdom, and make it an example for life, as the Prophet said:

“When calamities encompass you like the darkness of the night, reach for the Qur’an.6

Questions

1. Why do prophets show miracles?

2. What kind of people can appreciate miracles?

3. What is an everlasting document, the torch that always shine, peak of human intellects, and brilliant divine sign, and why?

4. How does eloquence in speech come about?

5. Can one consider his eloquent speech unparalleled?

6. How eloquent were the people of the times of Imra’ul Qays?

7. What kinds of documents were being hung over the walls of the Kaba?

8. What made these documents lose their value?

9. Can you mention briefly the planning and proposals of Arabs against the Prophet?

10. What did Walid say and propose?

11. Can you name some of the great Arab orators and poets from the time of the Holy Prophet until this day?

12. Are all works of writer uniform throught his life?

13. What is the case with the Holy Qur’an?

14. What is the basic agenda of the Holy Qur’an?

15. Did Prophet Muhammad live in a scientific community?

16. Who discovered general laws of cloud formations?

17. What does verse 22 ch. 5 say and does it agree with today’s views of rain and cloud formations?

18. What does verse 43 ch. 24 say about ice?

19. What does verse 29 ch. 42 and verse 36 ch 36 say?

20. What does verse 53 ch. 20 say and what is the meaning of created in pairs?

21. What does verse 88 ch. 17 and verse 13-14 ch. 11 and verse 23 ch. 2 say and is such challenge still valid?

22. What has ignoring and practising the guidance of Qur’an has done to Muslims?

Notes

1. This saying of Walid refers to the fact that every new Muslim by his acceptance of Islam engages in-a new direction so that he is sometimes forced to wash his bands of he own people or to oppose their beliefs.

2. Ruh al-Din al-Islami, Beirut, p. 30-32.

3. Ibid.

4. Mehdi Barzargan, sad wa Baran afar Qur’an p. 19-25, 59-60.

5. Ibid, p. 140-143

6. Usul al-Kafi, vol. 2, p. 599.

Lesson 7: The Creatures Eternal need for Allah

Examine the following examples, and then you will realize the extent to which the creatures of this world show the presence of a Creator.

1. How do those who construct airplanes act together to produce a plane? These specialized engineers assemble the metal sections in a specific manner according to exact equations so that the plane may fly, carrying passengers and cargo. Of course, the work of the construction engineers is the assembly with their own hands of the basic materials according to their plans, in such a way that when their work is finished their activity ends. As for the metal sections, the engines, the lights, the seats, etc., which are made by the engineers, these do not depend upon them once their work is finished.

2. If we want to build a house and we are in possession of all the raw materials, is that sufficient? Surely, we need a builder and his workmen not in order to produce the raw materials but so as to put them together according to their craft. It is clear that we do not need the workmen for producing the materials used in the building, but that we need them only in so far as the use of these materials is concerned in this way a house can be built from these materials.

3. A person who has never seen the Eiffel Tower can nevertheless construct it in his imagination in no time at all, merely from having heard about it. He can even construct it higher than it is, and imagine people climbing it.

The existence of the Tower in the imagination is, as suggested in the previous two examples, the work of the one who has imagined it. The basic materials of the plan and the house were not produced by their constructors, but all the materials for the imagined Tower were made by the one who imagined it, not obtained from some place or another. That is why their size is not dependent on the quantity of raw material available, and it can be made larger according to the wish of the one who imagines it. We can see that imaginary forms derive their existence from ourselves. They remain in our minds as long as we want them to, and when we forget about them they become nothing again, and have no further existence in our imagination.

From this last example we can conclude that anything whose existence depends on the existence of something else cannot be independent, and at every moment has need of the other.

Now we can understand the condition of the created things of this world, which have come into existence from nothing and are the creation of God. Are these, at every moment, in need of their creator? Some people may think that the created things of this world, after their creation, do not stand in need of their creator for their continued existence. However this is a completely erroneous concept. Because the things in the world are the effects and creations of God and are identical with the imagined forms, which we ourselves can construct in imaginations, in that at every moment they need the One who created them in order to continue existing.

The better to understand this, imagine in your mind a human figure, speaking, walking and working according to his will. Does this figure have any independence? Clearly his existence is due to you, for if you cease to want him to exist, he will be annihilated and returned to nothingness.

This is the condition of the entire universe of creation, which is completely from God, created by Him, and in no way independent. It is always in need of God. Also, if God ceased to will its existence, it would return to nothingness.

Allah has said in the Holy Qur’an:

“O men, you are the ones that have need of Allah, He is the All sufficient. The All laudable. If He will, He can put you away and bring a new creation.” (S. 35: V.15-16)

This is a subject to which Islam directs the attention of its followers. For example, it is instructed that in prayer (salat) when one rises one should say bi hawli'l-lahi wa quwwatihi aqumu wa aq'ud - “With the power of Allah I do stand up and sit down.'

In truth, if we realize that we have no independence from God, and that it is only He Who has created us thinking and willing creatures to strive in the way of happiness, and that it is only He Whose all-embracing Love encompasses us. Therefore we prostrate before Him and say subhana rabbi al-a'la wa bi hamdah – Glory be to my Supreme Lord and Praise be to Him.”

Questions

1. Is an airplane independent of its manufacturer?

2. What will happen if the manufacturer abandons the airplane?

3. Will it cease to exist due to abandonment?

4. How would one make such a finely built device to cease existing?

5. What is the difference between a real and a make belief object?

6. When a make belief object cease to exist?

7. What is the similarity between a make belief object and things that the Creator has made?

8. Why do the creatures need the creator all the time?

9. What is the proof to show that creatures do not need the creator?

10. What is the proof to show that creatures do need the creator all the time?

11. According to the verse of the holy Qur’an who is self-sufficient and who is not so?

12. According the above verse whom has the power to replace one nation by another?

Lesson 8: Allah the Self-sufficient

A Testable and Irrefutable Law

The world we see with our eyes is a material world composed of atoms. Every object has a special place and special properties, which vary from situation to situation and according to their orientation. Distance plays a role in the actions of these properties and the nearer the cause is to the effect the stronger the effect is; the further away it is, the weaker the effect, until a distance is reached where the cause has no action at all. To elucidate this point consider the following.

1. The power of a magnet is not the same at all distances: the nearer the metal is to the magnet, the stronger the power of attraction. If a nail is placed at a distance of two centimeters from a magnet, the attraction will be stronger than if it is placed at a distance of ten centimetres.

2. The heat of the sun on the surface of the planet Venus is not the same as it is on the surface of the Earth. Since Venus is nearer the sun it receives more heat and is therefore hotter than the Earth.

3. The light of a lamp may reach a hundred meters but within this distance the intensity is not uniform. The nearer to the lamp we are the greater the intensity of its light.

4. The voice of a public speaker may reach fifty meters but like the light it is not uniform within this distance. The nearer to him we are the louder his voice, the further away we are, the more difficult it is to hear.

5. If a leader wishes to exert his influence without using agents or modern methods of communication, he cannot succeed, because his own efforts have an effect in a certain place and cannot influence those who are far from him. On the other hand, by using modern methods he can exert his influence on all people. Of course, this depends not only on his own activity, but also on the power of his supporters and, in the same way, his power varies in relation to the distance he is from his supporters.

These examples show that all things, which are situated in a certain place, do not have an equal effect at all distances, the nearer we are to the centre of something, the greater its effect will be and vice versa.

Does God Have a Centre?

Some people may possibly think that like the sun and other material things God has a place, and that He has a seat from which He exerts His influence over His Creation. However, this is not the case, because His influence on creation, which is His work, is the same in every place, from the depths of the oceans to the furthest parts of the universe. There is no place to which His influence does not reach in sufficiency.

This influence is not such as has a centre, such that the further we go from it the weaker it becomes, until we reach a point where there is no trace of His influence and chaos reigns. For if God had a place like other material things, His influence would vary throughout the universe. Therefore we can deduce from this that the creator of this world has no location and no centre. Indeed, God is the creator of “place” and it is impossible that the creator should be dependent on what He has created.

God cannot be compared with an inventor, because, as we explained previously, an inventor is not a creator. His only genius is that he understands the properties of things and is successful in bringing together certain elements to make something, which, in some cases, he is himself in need of. But God, Who is the creator of all creation, is not in need of what He has created.

Is God visible?

Now, since we have seen that God has no place, it is clear that he has no body either. Because a body needs a place, and there can be no body which has no place. Since God has no body, He cannot be seen, because our eyes can see only bodies.

God does not need the creatures

Since God is the creator of nourishment and other necessities of life of all existents, we must agree that He needs none of these things.

God therefore, is the entire Truth Who does not need the creatures. Unlike human beings, He does not need shelter nourishment, and the other necessities of life. Rather all people and things are in need of Him. You may ask: “If God has no body, occupies no space and cannot be seen then what is He and how can we say that He exists?”

To understand this, take the following example. Electricity is neither solid, nor liquid, nor gas. These negations do not deny the existence of electricity. And it could never be true to say that because electricity is none of these things, therefore it does not exist. We have to admit that electricity is a fact, which cannot be describable by any of the afore-mentioned conditions.

God who is Self-sufficient and has neither body, nor place, nor can He be seen, nor He needs any of the creatures is perfect and free of these imperfections. The unlimited Being, God is the source of all existence, Perfect and Self-sufficient.

These properties distinguish His Being from other beings, and in God we must believe. Intelligence and human nature acknowledge the existence of God. Wise and honest person does not deny His Existence. Comparing this with the belief that God is on a level with man, having a body, children and other such attributes and appendages, shows the supremacy of Islamic thinking.

In fact, many materialists reject God because the true God (i.e. Allah as He is understood through Islam) has not been made known to them, and what they have considered is not the real God.

The greatness of the universe is a clear evidence of the existence of the Self-sufficient creator.

One who would need something, anything could never guard and control this huge creature, the whole universe.

“Allah, God is Self-sufficient and Almighty.” Ch. 112:2.

Questions

1. Can the force of a piece of magnate be the same on a piece of iron from one and four inches apart?

2. Can the intensity of heat remain the same passing through space and objects?

3. Can the intensity of light passing through space and objects remain the same?

4. Can the intensity of sound passing through space and objects remain the same?

5. Does a ruler close to his subjects and centre have greater control or one far away from them?

6. Does God have a centre to control His creatures?

7. Can space stop the power of its creator?

8. Can any obstacle like that in Question one through seven become a problem for the Creator?

9. Can the eyes see the creator?

10. Does the creator need any body or anything?

11. What the phenomenon that is neither solid, nor liquid and nor gas is called?

12. In what way the Islamic guidance leads to the real creator?

Lesson 9: Allah's Omniscience More knowledge - more benefit?

Mighty and powerful bulldozers which are used in building, and which have various important uses, testify to the knowledge of their designer and manufacturers. We must agree that the inventor was very well acquainted with the laws of mechanics the various alloys of metals and the formula of physics. All that is made by man reflects the intelligence and knowledge of its maker. The better and more efficient the product the wider and more complete the knowledge of its maker.

Something beyond compare

The grandeur and mystery of creation cannot be compared to a bulldozer or other man-made artifacts. The infinite details seen in the beings and objects of the universe indicate the unlimited knowledge of God. Let us examine the following:

1. Newton said that a study of the components of the ear and the eye would lead us to understand that the maker of the ear was thoroughly acquainted with the laws of acoustics, and that the maker of the eye was thoroughly acquainted with the laws of light and vision. A study of the heavenly bodies, he said, would lead us to understand the Truth, which governs the universe.

2. The physiology of the bat is full of amazing things. In order to be able to find its way in the dark without running into obstacles, the animal sends out ultrasonic waves in front of itself rather like radar. If there is an obstacle in the way the sound waves reach it and are reflected back, and thus the bat can steer clear of the obstacle.

3. Although insects are very small, they are very delicate and wonderful in their structure. For example, some of them, instead of eyes with one lens, have compound eyes made up of individual visual units called ommatids every one of which has three parts: a cornea, a lens and a retina.

The number of ommatids varies between trisects. Glow-worms have about 2,500, but in others there can be between 10,000 and 28,000. Because insects cannot rotate their heads, they can be permitted, by these compound eyes, to see things, which happen, beside them or behind them.

The above examples show that the creator of the world undertook His creation in His perfect wisdom and infinite knowledge.

Does God know all the things after He has created them? And the answer is, yes, of course He does. God knows about things, whatever their place and whenever they happen. He is aware of the shining of the furthest star in the highest heaven.

The tempestuousness of the foaming blue waves breaking on the furthest shores of the ocean, of the most mysterious hollows of the most remote valleys in the folds of the mountains of the rustling of even one leaf in the gentle breeze. He is aware of the doleful coo of the owl in the deepest silence of tile forest. He is also aware of the flicker of the glow-worm among the leaves, of the innumerable fish with their infinite colors and variety in all the waters of the world. He is aware, of the birth of the fawn of the honey-colored gazelle, in the depths of the forest. He is aware, of the falling of the clear, pearly dewdrop from the petal of the half-opened rosebud, in the recess of the rocks. He knows the height of the mountains, the covering of the sky, the expanse of the lands and the seas and the treasures of the mines, the hidden depths of the caves and of all and everything.

How beautiful is the word of God!

He knows what is in the land and sea; not a leaf falls, but He knows it. Not a grain in the earths shadows, Not a thing, fresh or withered, but it is in a Book Manifest. (ch. 6. V. 59)

The evidence of God's knowledge

He who creates and gives existence is aware of His creation and always attends to it, in the same way, as we are not unaware of the forms we create in our own imaginations. As long as we wish them to exist, they remain in our minds, but when we turn our attention away from them, they cease to exist. If you imagine a person, you are necessarily aware of all his movements and his resting. His actions are never hidden from your mind, because this imaginary person is your creation, that is, he was not in your mind before you thought of him, and you brought him into you mind by your imagination.

God, who created the world and all of creation, whose existence comes from Him, oversees it all and is never unaware of it. There is a great difference between us who imagine various forms in our minds and God, who created the universe. We ourselves depend on God for our existence, and our existence comes from Him. However, God is independent of all things and has given existence to all things. It is for this reason that He is called the real creator.

The difference between Creator and Maker

The maker of the computer is not the creator and did not give it its existence; his only skill was that he gave a new form to what was already in existence. He was not aware of the computations and the information that will be stored in it in the future.

Similarly, other inventors, discoverers and artisans are not informed of all the minutiae of the movements and resting of what they have made, because they have not given existence to them, they have not brought them from non-existence into existence.

The raw materials were already in existence in the world. Only, by analyzing and constructing, they have changed their form. Take the case of the airplane, which is made from raw materials in mines, which were extracted, smelted and forged and made into the finished product.

Clearly, then, the makers did not create what they made; they only changed the form of the materials. For this reason they are not permanently aware of their artifacts, and one cannot, therefore, properly call them creators. If, in some cases they have to be called creators, they have only been called so figuratively, not literally.

But God, Who has given existence to all things, is always aware and knowledgeable of their, actions, because He is the real and true creator. The Holy Qur’an says:

“Shall He not know who created?” (67:14)

Now we have understood that we, ourselves and all the creatures of this world are not separated from the glorious presence of God. Wherever we are, and to whatever land we travel, in the depths of the oceans, in the outer reaches of space, in the narrow places of the valleys, we are not hidden from Him. He sees the smallest of our good or bad deeds, and rewards and punishes accordingly.

Can someone who knows God and believes in Him fall prey to sin?

Questions

1. What type of things indicates the ultimate knowledge of God?

2. The maker of the car was familiar with the laws of acoustics?

3. What was the maker of the eye familiar with?

4. How does the bat steer clear of the obstacles even though it cannot see?

5. What are ommatids?

6. How can insects see behind themselves without rotating their heads?

7. Does God know all things after creating those things?

8. Can you give a few examples of some of the things that God knows of?

9. Who gave existence to all things?

10. What does The Holy Qur’an say about God?

11. Are we separated from the Holy Presence of God?

12. Can we ever be hidden from God anywhere?

13. How does God reward and punish people?

Lesson 10: The Unique in Power and Strength

The Wide and Mysterious Universe

A little reflection on the creation of each of the objects of existence will reveal to our minds the unique power of the Creator. As examples, consider the following:

1. The defence system of the body has for a long time attracted the attention of physiologists. The body's defense system is a complicated one consisting of the lymph glands, the thymus the spleen, the liver and the bone marrow. The cells of these parts of the body, despite the difference in their structure, follow a common aim, viz. defending the body against foreign elements such as microbes and poisons. In this task, the white blood cells, found in their greatest concentration in the lymph glands, play a vital role. When a foreign body enters the organism the white blood cells, which are about 7 to 30 microns in diameter rush immediately to the site of the invasion, and, in various ways, prevent an increase in the danger.

To help these cells the body follows different ways in the fight against foreign elements, and to combat each foreign substance it manufactures antibodies. The antibodies made in the body are of different sorts. Some of them are for the destroying of microbes and their elimination; some of them neutralize animal, insect and chemical poisons. Some stop the activity of microbes, and others separate out the poisonous substances in microbes and other noxious bodies. Yet another kind comes into action when blood from an incompatible blood group enters the body.

The point is that the body can manufacture suitable antibodies against all kinds of foreign substances, even those which are as yet unknown to modern science.

2. The Director of the Leon Observatory on Mount Palomar in Arizona has said:

“As long as the telescope of this observatory had not been invented, the range of the visible universe was not more than five hundred light years, but this telescope has extended this range to one thousand million light years. As a result, millions of new galaxies have been found, and some of these are a thousand million light years from us. But beyond this distance there is a great, dark, fearful expanse in which nothing can be seen. That is to say that no light comes from it, which leaves its traces on the photographic plates of the telescope. But, without doubt, there are hundreds of millions of galaxies, by the force of whose gravity the universe is held together.

“The whole of this immense visible universe which contains a hundred thousand million galaxies is nothing but a small and insignificant speck in a still more immense universe, and I am not sure that we shall not find beyond that yet another universe.”

Ali ibn Abu Talib the first Imam, said: “We are not able to fathom the depths of Your Greatness. Only we know that You are Living and Everlasting that neither slumber nor sleep takes hold of You.

'No sight can reach You, and no eye can see You, but You see the eyes, and reckon the time-span of everything. The heads and feet of man are in Your hold.

What is it that we see of Your Creation? What is the Power that causes us to wonder? What can we describe of Your Ruling? Those parts which are hidden from us, which our eyes cannot reach, which our minds cannot comprehend, which are covered by curtains of concealment, are more magnificent.”

Indeed. The unique Power of Allah has brought everything into existence. And nothing falls outside the area of His command. The world exists by the Will of Allah, and it will continue to exist as long as He desires. The stars, the moon, the sun and the other heavenly bodies move round by His Power, and the amazing order of the universe is entirely in His hands. He is able to change it to a new order whenever He wishes. It is not the case that He created the world and then abandoned it. The rotation, growth, pulsation, existence and sustenance of everything are from His Will. Nothing can happen without His willing nor can anything remain in existence. The One who brings things into existence, Who sustains them and governs them is Allah.

An Order Superior to the Natural One

It is true that Allah has laid down a natural order for this universe, according to which it is possible to anticipate the future but in certain circumstances, Allah manifests His wide-ranging Power, and by His Will creates a superior order which can dominate the existing order. Instances of this superior order can be seen from history and in everyday life:

In these cases, in fact, the hand of Allah is at work in the universe; at times He raises those who have fallen, and at other times He causes those who are elevated to be cast down. It is for this reason that those who have a strong faith in the powerful God do not become disappointed in life. In whatever situation they find themselves, in the darkness of despair, the flame of hope is alight, and they are confident that they will find deliverance through the help of God.

We have all read or heard the story of Moses and Pharaoh. Pharaoh was unequalled in cruelty. He killed the sons of the Israelites so that the promised one of the children of Israel, who, he had heard, would come to destroy his throne and crown would not come into the worldly life. He thought that by these contrivances, by persistence and through the natural order he could counteract the Power of God. But his efforts were in vain. At last the promised one was born.

The mother of the child was inspired to place him in a box and to cast him onto the waters of the Nile. The river carried him down to the palace of Pharaoh and the eyes of Pharaoh’s wife caught sight of the box. She took it out of the water. When she saw the infant in it, she asked Pharaoh to take the child as their own son, and Pharaoh agreed. The powerful hand of God kept the child of whom Pharaoh was so afraid in his very lap, till he grew up, became strong and brought down the crown of the Pharaoh.

Similarly, the Power of God caused the vain efforts and devices of the brothers of Yusuf to come to nothing. Yusuf fell down into the well, but he was raised to a high position in the land of Egypt.

The unbelievers of Mecca joined hands to do away with the Prophet of Islam. They began to make trouble for the Muslims, and even applied economic sanctions against the Prophet and his followers for several years in the valley of the mountains of Abu Talib. Eventually they decided to murder the Prophet, thinking that by such subterfuges they could achieve something. But the Will and Power of God preserved the Prophet, and He caused Islam to prosper day by day, and brought down the Quraysh and the disbelievers.

These and other examples lead to the truth that the order of this world is in the hands of God, and that when it is according to His wish, He can cause a new order to rule over the normally existing order.

Therefore, our minds and our consciences demand that we humble ourselves before this Great and Beneficent Power, act in all obedience and avoid opposing our Creator. The powerful hand of God has moved us through various stages and has brought us to our present stage of intelligence and ability. Is it right that we should forget Him?

One who knows God, acknowledging that he has such a Wise and Powerful helper, will not fear any difficulty The most complex and difficult problems can be solved by him, and consequently he will try to reach his aim with unflinching determination arising from his faith in God. He will not be afraid of any obstacles, for he sees himself in the shade of a great Power, which will enable him to overcome all difficulties.

Belief in God and His unique power enabled the Prophet to fight large groups single-handed, to stand firm against difficult circumstances, so that he could build the structure of tawhid and a program for life. In this way he was able to establish humanity and virtue.

A man whose heart is overflowing with faith in the Creator of the world, and is filled with love for the Truth will never feel alone, disappointed or without hope, and the light of God will always illuminate the corners of his heart. Obviously, such a man will make himself ready for a better and more virtuous life with unbounded enthusiasm.

Those who have said, “Our Lord is God,” and are steadfast in their belief need have no fear or be grieved (46:13).

They will be the dwellers of Paradise wherein they will live forever as a reward for what they have done (46:14).

To those who have said, “God is our Lord, “ and who have remained steadfast to their belief, the angels will descend saying, “Do not be afraid or grieved. Receive the glad news of the Paradise, which was promised to you (41:30).

We are your guardians in this world and in the life to come, where you will have whatever you call for, (41:31)

a hospitable welcome from the All-forgiving and All-merciful God” (41:32).

Questions

1. What does the defence system of the body do?

2. Which parts of the body work for the defence of the body?

3. What is the size of the white blood cells?

4. In how many ways do the defenders of the body defend?

5. What do the white blood cells do when a foreign body enters the organism?

6. Which organs of the body manufacture antibodies?

7. Do the defenders of the body just destroy the enemy or use other methods also?

8. How much was the range of the universe before modern telescopes?

9. According to the director of Leon observatories how large is the size of the visible universe?

10. How many galaxies does the visible universe have?

11. According to Imam Ali can anyone comprehend the greatness of Allah?

12. Does Allah according to Imam Ali slumber or sleep?

13. Why can no one comprehend the great power of Allah?

14. Is it possible to predict the future of a creature by the help of natural laws?

15. Does Allah’s superior order dominate the existing order?

16. Why could pharaoh not destroy Moses?

17. Who frustrated the bad intentions of the brothers of Yusuf?

18. Why could the unbelievers of Mecca not defeat the Prophet of Islam?

19. Which power gives genuine comfort to the hearts of faithful people?

20. Who will never feel alone?

Lesson 11: Allah the Unique

From the first day that man set foot on this earth, he has always wanted to know the cause and the source of creation, and this springs from his pure nature which seeks the original cause and source so as to worship it.

When someone who lives far from the rush of society and the habits of his cultural environment looks about himself for the first time, he notices the earth and the sky, day and night, the sun and the moon, their rising and setting, the wind and the rain, the succession of the seasons, the bearing forth of fruit from plants and trees, the various species of animals, their movement, growth, feeding reproduction, and their being equipped for what they require in life.

He turns to himself, and sees his hands, feet, eyes, ears, nose, mouth, teeth and the other parts of his body, each of which has its own task. All of them pursue the one aim, namely to live.

He then goes on to think about the relationship between each of these things, and he realises that there is a kind of connection and harmony between all of them, in such a way that all of them make one harmonious unit over which one order rules. In this unique harmonious order, the following particularities are to be remarked:

1. It must have a founder and a creator, because this marvellous order and harmony cannot be the result of an aimless accident.

2. There is a purpose in the whole of creation and every part of it and in the midst of it in man, and it is not created for amusement.

3. The Creator of this universe is powerful and great, worthy of adoration, and so He must be given complete respect and be worshiped.

4. This Great Creator is aware and comprehends the whole of the universe and what happens in it and within it the actions of man.

Thus man is not in need of an intermediary to worship Him, it must be a direct activity between man and God; and to worship such things as angels, stars, idols, saints and holy men as intermediaries is not good or lawful.

Why man leaves the worship of One God

What was mentioned above concerned the propensity of the nature of a right- minded person whose thinking is not tainted with the false habits of his environment and from copying bad family influences; is what man's propensity towards the worship of one God would mean. There are different causes for an unaware person to leave his own nature and to wander in the way of unbelief, some of which shall be mentioned here.

1. Some idol worshipers have said that because God is beyond our understanding and comprehension and does not exist in any particular place that we can turn to and worship. We worship persons who have been respected and honoured by Him, so that they may be pleased with us become intermediaries between us and Him and bring us nearer to Him.

They have ignored the fact that although God is not in any direction, He encompasses everything and is Omnipresent. Therefore, wherever we turn, there is God, and we can speak with Him without the need for any intermediary.

“Wherever you turn, there is Allah, God present.” (2:15)

2. Again, Sometimes after the death of one of the elders of a tribe who had been respected and honoured by the members of that tribe, they made him into a statue as a memorial, and honoured this, turning towards it at the time of worshipping God. However, soon they stopped remembering God and their honouring of the statue turned into worship of it, and then the making and worshipping of statues became widespread. Thus we read in history that the descendants of Cain made a statue in memory of their great father a figure called Wadd, but gradually, in paying respect to the statue, they prostrated themselves in front of it and worshiped it.

3. Man sometimes respected other beings for the benefit they had for him, and he counted them among the manifestations of God. This respect gradually turned into worship. Worship of fire among the ancient Persians and of the Sun among the Aryans of ancient India was in this category. This was the origin of the appearance of the belief in many gods and of idol worshipping and because the generations who came afterwards did not think carefully about the ideas and beliefs of their ancestors, they fell into polytheism and were lost.

The Confrontation between True Religion and Polytheism

True religion has always strove to turn people away from the misleading ways of polytheism towards the path of tawhid the belief in One God. The Qur’an mentions and praises the endless fight of the great messengers to eradicate polytheism and to guide people to One God.

For example, about Ibrahim it says that he said to the people of his land:

“What are these statues that you worship?”

“We follow the same way as our forefathers did.” They replied.

“You and your forefathers,” he said, “have clearly gone wrong.” And Ibrahim decided to make these ignorant people aware through word and example.

One day he entered the house of the idols and struck them down with an axe. When people understood that he had done this, they became very angry, and demanded:

“Was it you who did this to our gods?”

Ibrahim gave them an answer through which they might understand the vanity of their beliefs and thinking, and told them to ask their idols themselves.

The people thought much about this, and after considering his answer they answered shamefully:

“You know idols do not speak.”

“Why then,” said Ibrahim; “do you worship these weak beings who have not the strength to defend themselves. Why is your thinking so distorted?”1

To Abraham We gave the right guidance and We knew him very well (21:51). Abraham asked his father and his people, “What are these statues which you worship?” (21:52). They replied, “We found our fathers worshipping them.” (21:53).

He said, “Both you and your fathers have certainly been in error.” (21:54) They exclaimed, “Have you brought the Truth or are you joking?” (21:55). He said, “Your Lord is the Lord of the heavens and the earth. It was He who created them and I testify to this fact” (21:56).

Abraham said to himself, “By God! I will devise a plan against their idols when they are away.” (21:57) He broke all the idols into pieces, except the biggest among them so that perhaps people would refer to it (21:58). (When the people came to the temple and saw the broken idols) they asked each other, “Who has done this to our gods? He certainly is an unjust person” (21:59).

Some of them said, “We heard a youth called Abraham speaking against the idols” (21:60). Their chiefs said, “Bring him before the eyes of the people and let them testify that he has spoken against the idols.” (21:61) They asked, “Abraham, did you do this to our idols?” (21:62).

He replied, “I think the biggest among them has broken the smaller ones. Ask them if they are able to speak” (21:63). Thereupon they realised their own foolishness and said, “We ourselves are wrong-doers” (21:64). With their heads cast down they said, “Abraham, you know that idols do not speak. How then can you ask such a question?” (21:65)

He said, “Do you, instead of God, worship things that can neither harm nor benefit you?” (21:66). Woe to you for what you worship instead of God. Have you no understanding?” (21:67). They said, “Burn him to ashes if you want to help your gods” (21:68). We said to the fire, “Be cool and peaceful (with Abraham)” (21:69). They had devised an evil plan (against Abraham), but We turned it into failure.” (21:70).

These great guides, the Messengers, always reminded men that they could establish a relationship between themselves and God at any time and in any place without the need of an intermediary, and they reminded men that in worshipping God they must not look towards anything or anybody, for any reason, and that their worship must be only for God. If in their worship there is the least attention to anything other than God, then that worship would be for the two - God and the other - and this is unacceptable to God.

The consequence of tawhid

One who knows that God is One and believes that He is Aware of everything and has Power to do everything, and believes that all creatures are formed and made by Him, will, because of this, never give allegiance to other things. The greatest power the most abundant wealth, will never enslave him and make him bow down for anything. Such a person will submit only to God and will prostrate only in front of His Glory.

The ancient Iranians believed that their autocratic and arrogant kings were manifestations of God, and they submitted to their monarchs without asking for any reason. They had no social or individual freedom. When the emissary of the Arabs met the Iranian general at the time of the war between the Muslim Arabs and the Iranians (16 AH.), he sat on the ground without ceremony and ignored the luxurious surroundings of Iranian life. When the general inquired of the intentions of the Muslims, the emissary replied:

“Allah has raised us up to lead people away from the worship of the servants of Allah towards the worship of Allah Himself, and to invite them from the narrow confines of the world towards the expanses of freedom, from the tyranny of other religions to the justice of Islam.” Tabari in his Tarikh vol. 5, p. 2269-71.

In the light of tawhid there is no alternative for the servants of God but to follow the Divine Law who is founded on wisdom and justice. It is clear that following the Divine Law will cause real justice to increase, and any kind of tyranny and aggression to come to nothing. On the other hand, idolaters, and those who do not believe in One God can never create real justice among themselves, because every tribe or group has its own god, which is different from the others, and reliance on this god encourages to be aggressive towards other groups or tribes. In this way real justice is of no avail, and ignorance, disunity and tyranny in word and in deed take its place.

In conclusion, belief in One God - in the true meaning of the phrase - makes man free, pure and unified and gives him peace of mind. He will not be subjected to oppression, tyranny and discord.

Thus we can understand the real sense of the phrase “Say, there is no god but Allah, and you will prosper.”

Questions

1. Why does man want to know the creator?

2. What goals do the parts of the human body pursue?

3. What do human beings look at around them in the world?

4. What conclusion do human beings reach upon reflecting one different creature?

5. Can you mention in some brief remarks and conclusion 1-4?

6. Why do some people worship other things besides one God?

7. What reasons do the idol worshippers give for worshipping their idols?

8. What fact is it that idol worshippers have ignored?

9. What does v 115 of ch. 2 say?

10. What reason for idols worshipping are mentioned in the text 2?

11. What reason for idols worshipping are mentioned in the text 3?

12. What kind of relations had polytheism and monotheism been having throughout history?

13. Can you answer the questions by Ibrahim and the adversaries 1-3?

14. What does Verse 51 chapter 70 say?

15. What kind of worship is the worship with divided intentions?

16. What was the attitude of the Muslim emissary?

17. What kind of tradition did the Islamic Iranians have with their monarchy?

18. What was the answer to the Islamic emissary to the Iranian General?

19. What result would worship only one God produce in the society?

20. What fact is it that gives purity, unity and peace of mind to man?

Note

1. See Ch. 21:51-70