THE LIVING MIRACLE

The Living Miracle

By:

Yusuf Fadhl

WOFIS

WORLD ORGANIZATION FOR ISLAMIC SERVICESTEHRAN -IRAN

Revised edition 1 400/1980

Published by:

World Organization for Islamic Services,P. 0. Box No. 11365 - 1545,

Tehran - IRAN.

In the Name of Allah,The All-compassionate, The All-merciful

Praise belongs to Allah, the Lord of all being;the All-compassionate, the All-merciful;the Master of the Day of Judgement;

. Thee only we serve, and to Thee alone we prayfor succour;

Guide us in the straight path;the path of those whom Thou hast blessed,

not of those against whom Thou art wrathful,nor of those who are astray.

O' Allah! send your blessings to the head ofyour messengers and the last of

your prophets,Muhammad and his pure and cleansed progeny.

Also send your blessings to all yourprophets and envoys.

Dear Reader,

The book you now have in hand is oneof the many Islamic publications distributedby this Organization throughout the world indifferent languages with the aim of conveyingthe message of Islam to the people of the world.

You may read this book carefully andshould you be interested to have further studyon such publications you can contact us througha letter. Naturally, if we find you to be a keenand energetic reader we shall give you a deserv-ing response in sending you some other publi-cations of this Organization.

You may express your views on this pub-lication and the subject matter discussed in it,and how far you have benefited from it or whichpart of the subject matter has proved useful toyou and your environment. You will be able,in this manner, to introduce yourself as one ofour good and active reader.

Meanwhile, you can keep our address at thedisposal of your friends and those individualsinterested in Islamic Studies.

Publication Secretary,World Organization For Islamic Services,

( WO FIS).

CONTENTS

Page

FOREWORDIn Arabic ........................ 15English translation ................. 21

INTRODUCTION .................... 25

WHAT IS A MIRACLE? ............... 28

THE TEXTUAL INCORRUPTIBILITYOF THE QUR'AN ........................ 29

a) Language...................... 33b) Science ....................... 39c) History ....................... 51d) System of Life ................. 69e) Prophecies ..................... 83f) Logic and Conviction ............ 85g) The Absence of Discrepancies ..... 101

15

16

17

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FOREWORD

The Glorious Qur'an is a Book whoseverses are firmly arranged then distinguishedfrom

the All-wise,

the All-aware.

(11 :1)Almighty Allah has revealed to His servantand messenger (peace be upon him and his pro-geny) that he may be a warner to the worlds.

A Book We have sent down to thee thatthou mayest lead men out from the dark-ness into the light, by their Lord's per-mission, to the way of the All-mighty, theAll-laudable. ( Qur'an, 14:11)

The Glorious Qur'an is Allah's eternalmessage, His clear testimony, final argument,

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FOREWORD

undeniable proof and His eternal living miraclewhich He has given to the last of His messengersand the Best of His creatures - Muhammad ibn`Abdillah (peace be upon him and his progeny)- as an evidence verifying his prophethood, aproof of his apostleship and a light guiding man-kind to the firm religion of Allah and a guideleading towards the right path.

If you be in doubt about what We havesent down to Our servant ( Muhammad)then produce a chapter like it, and callyour witnesses other than Allah, if yoube truthful. (Qur'an, 2:23)

This booklet - The Living Miracle - has

been written by Br. Yusuf Fadhl in English,dealing with some subjects to do with themiracles of the Holy Qur'an and with some

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FOREWORD

virtues of the everlasting message of Allah ina very appropriate form. His reason is to writeas it may be understood by the English readers,taking into account their present way of living,their circumstances, affiliations and their edu-cational and religious needs as is obvious fromthe explanation. And this is a straight presen-tation.

This booklet was first published in Eng-land, and our Organization has reprinted it manytimes; and during this period we received a criticism of it from Br. I. M. Noorani of Karachi(Pakistan). He pointed out to us the errors,ambiguity and obscure point appearing in it.In this edition, we have tried to make correc-tions as far as possible in consideration of thesize of the booklet and its general printing.

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FOREWORD

We would like to thank the learned brotherfor his eager sincerity towards the religion andknowledge.

Now we reprint this booklet in modifiedand revised edition. Finally, it is Almighty Allah,from Whom we rely for success, achievement,help and support, for surely He is the best Lordand the best Helper.

WORLD ORGANIZATION FOR ISLAMIC SERVICES,

( Board of Writing, Translation and Publication)

Muharram 1, 1400 A. H.

November 24, 1,979 A. D.

-4-

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INTRODUCTION

Many Muslims seem unaware of the po-tential of the Qur'an. It is usually read everyday without fail but its content is frequentlyneglected in our reading. The Qur'an readingto the average Muslim today is a formal ortraditional custom to which he adheres becauseof social obligations. It is read in the funeralceremonies or at the opening of meetingsdespite the fact sometimes these meetings maybe against Islam! The Qur'an is losing groundin the lives of Muslims because of lack of com-prehension or misunderstanding. This danger-ous trend has been devised by the enemies ofIslam and exploited to its furthest extent. Thesame people have began to belittle the Qur'anand cast doubts on its authenticity and glory.

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This phenomenon has done catastrophic damageto society and contributed incalculably to its in-stability. Many Muslims whether throughignorance or weakness or hypocrisy have beenallured by one means or another to join in thebattle against Islam. And although some of themstill call themselves Muslims, when Islam ismentioned they turn silent or withdraw.

There has been a desperate need for asystematic and thoroughly studied programmeto popularize Islamic religious literature. Indeed,there are many obstacles in the way of con-scientious Muslims in the Muslim countries to-wards achieving this goal, for there are neitherenough experts to carry out this great task, norsufficient means and financial support to fulfilthis objective. Consequently, the battlefield isstrewn with Muslim victims either slaughteredor dispossessed or persuaded to abandon Islamand sometimes to join forces with the enemy.

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INTRODUCTION

One of the most basic requirements is toshow to Muslims of inquiring mind that theQur'an is the revelation of Almighty Allah toour Prophet Muhammad (may Allah bless himand his progeny).

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WHAT IS A MIRACLE?

Every prophet is granted the power of per-forming miracles in order to give proof of theauthenticity of his message, that it proceeds infact from the Creator of the universe. A miracleis an act that cannot be performed by the aidof learning and practice. Miracles must invari-ably conform to the mentality of the societyto which a prophet is sent. Hence, the miracleof Moses (peace be upon him) was magic, be-cause Pharaonic Egypt was expert in magic.Jesus (peace be upon him) cured the leper andthe blind from birth, and quickened the deadby the will of Allah. This kind of miracle ap-pealed because his society expected such act asproof of prophethood. Similarly our Prophetemerged amongst the Arabs who were expertsin language and literature, and challenged themin their own art.

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THE TEXTUAL INCORRUPTIBILITY OF THE QUR'AN

There is one important difference betweenMuhammad's miracle and the other prophets'miracles. It is the continuity of our Prophet'smiracle and its standing challenge for all timesand places. In other words, it is alive while othermiracles are temporary or dead. Hence, thelatter might be questioned or doubted but notour Prophet's miracle. It should be noted thatthe art of language is not the only miraculousaspect of the Qur'an, and other aspects will bedealt with in sequence.

THE TEXTUAL INCORRUPTIBILITYOF THE HOLY QUR'AN

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Nay, but it is a Glorious Qur'an, in aguarded tablet. ( Qur'an, 85:21-22)

No impartial learned person denies thatthe Qur'an has not undergone any alterationswhether additions or omissions. It is a wellestablished fact that the Qur'an was writtendown as soon as it was revealed and that manyMuslims learned it by heart. The principal wayin which the enemies of Islam try to cast doubtson the authenticity of the Qur'an is by referringto the story of different readings in Egypt, Syria,Iraq and Medina at the time of the Caliph `Uth-man ibn `Affan. Before passing a judgement onthis particular story, let us survey briefly theconditions and events which lead to this sadincident.

As is well known, the Islamic State extend-ed its borders to remote areas where there werehuge populations. The time taken to conquer

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THE TEXTUAL INCORRUPTIBILITY OF THE QUR'AN

these areas was short and did not suffice forcultural assimilation. For instance, the languagedifficulties of non-Arabs who could not com-prehend Islam at the time, but who contributedto the deterioration of spoken Arabic. Not tomention the Arabs themselves who foughtIslam after the Prophet's death! This showsthat Islam was rooted firmly at Medina only.We all know that the policy of the Caliph `Umaribn al-Khattab was to keep the companions ofthe Prophet at Medina. But this meant that theconquered lands were empty of the sources ofIslamic knowledge. Nor need we dilate on thedifficulties of communication and the inefficientways of learning and propagation. In the light ofthese historical facts we can confidently say thatthe different readings at Syria, Iraq and Egyptwere not reliable. The only reading and copywhich can be regarded as reliable is the Medinacopy which was the original one. It was Zayd

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ibn Thabit one of the original transcribers ofthe Qur'an at the time of revelation and a com-mittee of learned companions, who supervisedthe great task of compilation.* There is nodoubt whatsoever that most of the companionswho stayed at Medina learned the whole or largeportions of the Qur'an by heart. It is also worthnoticing that there was no dispute at Medinaabout this particular topic. Hence even non-Muslims can be sure and confident that theQur'an is integrally preserved on the groundof these facts. We Muslims believe that theQur' an has been preserved by Allah. If some-

* This is the opinion of the writer, but the fact isthat these readings are not mutawatir reliable. It is(now) generally agreed by Shiite (Islamic) authoritiesthat the Holy Qur'an was collected during the lifetimeof the Holy Prophet by his order. For further referenceon these two subjects, see al-Baydn by as-Sayyid Abu'l-Qasim al-Khu'i, the great Shiite leader ( Editor's note).

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one tried to change anything of it, then hisattempt would be exposed to all Muslims sothat such mischief would prove futile.

It is We who have sent down the Reminder( Qur'an) and We are its Guardian. (Qur'an,15:9)

(a) Language

The Qur'an was revealed 1,400 years agoat Mecca and Medina. The Arabs used to wor-ship idols of stones of which the most importantones were enshrined in the Ka'bah. The Arabslived a simple life, though it was savage in many

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aspects such as the exposure of children becauseof poverty. They were proud of their languageand justifiably so since Arabic is a very rich andsophisticated language. Poets and orators werealmost the idols of their tribes. Poems wereread and learned by rote, and annual poetrycompetitions were held at a place called Suq`Ukaz. Thus, the Arabs became past mastersat the art of literary competition. The Qur'ancame and its miracle was language and art. TheQur'an was a challenge, challenging them toproduce a similar Qur'an.

Say: "If the whole of mankind and jinnwere to gather together to produce the

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LANGUAGE

like thereof even though they collaboratedwith each other. "

(17: 88)

The whole of mankind in co-operation justto produce one book! It is a humiliating chal-lenge and a glaring one. Still the challenge wasreduced to ten surahs (chapters) in order toprove to the whole of mankind the uniquequality of this book.

Or do they say: "He forget it?" Say, "Bringyou then ten surahs forged like unto it,and call (to your aid) whomsoever you canother than Allah, if you speak the truth. "(11:13)

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The people of Arabia could not face thehumiliating challenge again, and it was furtherreduced to one surah only. One surah may beone line. Still the proud and eloquent Arabscould not face the divine challenge.

Or do they say,

"He forged it? " Say:"Bring then a surah like unto it, and call(to your aid) anyone you can, besidesAllah, if you speak the truth. " (10: 38)

You can see the logic of reasoning andthe rational approach to convince people of itsmiraculous quality. A surah may be one line,

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LANGUAGE

but the Arabs and non-Arabs could not succeedin their efforts to meet this standing challenge.The beauty of the Qur'an, the music,* itsstrength of conviction, logic, simplicity, depth,and wisdom are much above of what the Arabsand non-Arabs knew or could wholly conceive.When the Qur'an was being recited by Muslims,idolators usually closed their ears; some pro-duced noise-whistling and shouting -- in ordernot to hear the Qur'an and be bewitched. Manyunbelievers were caught by Islam through simplechance when listening to it whilst passing by.

The leaders of the unbelievers were filledwith fear and could not provide any plausible

* Here the intention (of the word `music') is that,the letters and tone of the words of the Holy Qur'an,together with the construction of the words, phrasesand verses have a special cadence which cannot be foundin any other Arabic neither in poetry nor in prose(Editor's note).

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explanation of the irresistible beauty and powerof the Qur'an.

However, they had to find some way to putpeople off and justify their own behaviour. Theyinvented lies and falsehoods.

Therefore proclaim the praises of yourLord for by the grace of your Lord, youare not (vulgar) soothsayer, nor are youone possessed. Or do they say: "A poet!we wait for him some calamity (hatched)by time." (Qur'an, 52:29-30)

That was the only excuse they could findto their failure and helplessness.

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SCIENCE

A non-Arab may rightly pause and ponderthe truth of this claim. He may not grasp whatit is all about. He cannot read Arabic and didnot have the chance to read the Book. Thismiraculous aspect might not appeal to non-Arabs and even to some extent to the unedu-cated Arabs. The reason for the latter case isbecause of the deterioration of spoken Arabicand its deviation from the classical norms.

It is true that we need a miracle in science,telling us what is in the heavens and ourselvesduring this era. The Qur'an although not ascientific text, reveals many secrets of the won-ders in the universe as part of its call to believein the Creator.

(b) Science

Any person, now, who wants to be a biol-ogist, physicist or astronomer needs to study for

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at least twenty years aided by sophisticatedmachines, tools, expert supervision and libraries.Then he might be able to break through anddiscover some of the hidden facts of nature.The Qur'an uncovers many secrets of the uni-verse and these are not confined to any specialsector of science.

See you not how Allah had created sevenheavens in harmony? And has made themoon a light therein and made the sun alamp? (71 :15-16)

The moon is a solid opaque object whichreflects light, hence it is a light. But the sun is a

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SCIENCE

source of heat and light so it is a lamp.

The sun and the moon follow coursesexactly computed. (Qur'an, 55:5)

The sun is not static but moving in a pathcomputed. Remember the once widespreadbelief that the earth was the centre of the universe and it was flat. Remember that for thesebeliefs scientists were burned alive and someimprisoned for their observations and research!The Qur'an declared these facts some 1400years ago.

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And the sun runs this course for a perioddetermined for it. That is the decree ofHim the Exalted in Might, the All-knowing.And the moon, We have measured for itmansions to traverse till it returns likethe old and withered lower part of a datestalk. It is not permitted to the sun tocatch up the moon, nor can the nightoutstrip the day: each swims along in itsown orbit according to law. (36:38-40)

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SCIENCE

Then turned He to the heaven when itwas smoke, and said unto it and untothe earth: "Come both of you, willingor loth." They said: "We come obedient"( Qur'an, 41 : 11)

The heaven was smoke, which means itwas dark, containing gas and solid objects. Anexact description of the nature of the heavensas the most reliable of recent theories show.

Allah it is who raised the heavens withoutvisible supports, then mounted the Throne,

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and compelled the sun and the moon to beservice, each runs unto an appointed term;He orders the course; He details the revel-ations that haply you may be certain of themeeting with your Lord. (Qur'an, 13:2)

The invisible supports most probablymeans the forces of gravitation, magnetic andothers that exist in the universe which hold theplanets apart and in relation to each other.

And if We opened unto them a gate ofheaven and they kept mounting throughit, they would say: "Our sight is wrong -

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SCIENCE

nay, but we are folk bewitched. " (Qur'an,15 :14-15)

Anyone hearing this verse for the first timemight exclaim. "Is this really in the Qur'anwhich was revealed 1400 years ago giving cluesto people to travel to the heavens and tellingthem beforehand of the wonders there andtelling them of unusual phenomena and un-familiar scenes and facts that the world of todayis still puzzled by.

O' company of jinn and men, if you havethe power to penetrate all the regions ofthe heavens and earth, then penetrate

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them ... (Qur'an, 55:33)

This verse provides undoubted encourage-ment to people and other creatures to exploreand travel through the heavens. Here one shouldpause to reflect on the kind of society in whichthe Prophet used to live in. The means of trans-port were camels, horses and donkeys; they livedin tents, and prior to the advent of Islam theyworshipped idols. They did not have cars orengines of any kind. Flying was not even thoughtof. How can the Qur'an be so daring as to en-courage people not merely to fly but to travelto other planets? In materialistic thinking thisis impossible, because as they say: "humanthinking is a reflection of one's material en-vironment." The only possible conclusion, evenby using materialistic logic, is that the Qur'anis from Allah.

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SCIENCE

And among His signs is the creation of theheavens and the earth and the living crea-tures that He has scattered through them:and He has the power to gather them to-gether when He wills. (Qur'an, 42:29)

He said: "My Lord knows what is spokenin the heaven and the earth. . . " (Qur'an,21:4)

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And We pried unto the secrets of heaven;but found it filled with stern guards andflaming fire. We used, indeed, to sit therein hidden stations, to steal a hearing; butany one who listens now will find a flamingfire watching him in ambush. (Qur'an,72:8-9)

When the Qur'an was being recited in thelifetime of the Prophet certain beings had occa-sionally a chance to listen to it. Some of thosecreatures disbelieved, but others believed andwere fascinated by the Qur'dn and the Islamic

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Message.

Say: "It was revealed to me that a com-pany of the jinn heard (the Qur'an) andsaid: `We have heard a wonderful Recital. '(Qur'an, 72:1)

A brief survey of a few Qur'anic versesenables us confidently to affirm that there isabout the Qur'an something altogether unique.

Read in the Name of thy Lord, Who

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created, He created man from a blood-clot.

(Qur'an, 96: 1 -2)

As we know, a clot is a microscopic entity.

You see the mountains and think themfirmly fixed. But they shall pass awayas the clouds pass away. . . (Qur'an,27:88)

This refers to the spinning of the earth onits own axis and gives the real picture of thesehuge mountains moving as clouds move.

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HISTORY

Those who disbelieve Our revelation, Weshall expose them to the Fire. As oftenas their skins are consumed, We shall ex-change them for fresh skins that they maytaste the torment. Lo! Allah is everMighty,Wise.

(Qur'an, 4:56)

Nerves in the skin which feel the pain andthe torture!

There are numerous other verses of scien-tific content and many are the volumes dealingwith them.

(c) History

The Qur'an contains numerous stories of

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past nations, their prophets and the response tothe call, and then concludes with advice andwarnings.

And all that We relate unto you of thestory of the messengers is in order thatthereby We may make firm your heart.And herein had come unto you the truthand exhortation and a reminder for be-lievers.

(Qur'an, 11: 120)

The stories in the Qur'an reveal descriptionand details of events that did not find a mentionin any previous book. The acquisition of suchknowledge is not possible by any person whether

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learned or otherwise. It is only the Creator whoknows all things, He who has revealed them toour Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon himand his progeny).

It is a well known fact that the Prophetwas an illiterate man (ummmi - of course, be-fore the proclaimation of his prophethood),living in an uncultured society. It has beenalleged that he acquired his knowledge from apriest or a rabbi, according to whether the writeris a Christian or a Jew. But this assertion can berefuted immediately by reviewing their booksand the available knowledge of the time. In theTorah (chapter 3) there is an account of Adamand Eve at the beginning of creation. The fol-lowing are quotations from the story.

"Now the serpent was more subtle thanany beast of the field which the Lord God hasmade. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hathGod said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the

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garden? And the woman said unto the serpent,We may eat of the fruit of the trees of thegarden: But of the fruit of the tree which is inthe midst of the garden, God hath said, ye shallnot eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest yedie. And the serpent said unto the woman, Yeshall not surely die: For God doth know thatin the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shallbe opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowinggood and evil . . . And they heard the voiceof the Lord God walking in the garden in thecool of the day: and Adam and his wife hidthemselves from the presence of the Lord Godamongst the trees of the garden. And the LordGod called unto Adam, and said unto him,Where art thou? . . . And the Lord God said,Behold, the man is become as one of us, toknow good and evil: and now, lest he put forthhis hand, and take also of the tree of life, andeat, and live for ever: therefore the Lord God

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HISTORY

sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to tillthe ground from whence he was taken. So hedrove out the man; and He placed at the eastof the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flamingsword which turned every way, to keep the wayof the tree of life." (Genesis, 3 )

Many questions and objections can beraised against the logic and wisdom of everypart of the story. The first objection is theunnatural deeds and intentions attributed toGod. Why did God tell Adam and Eve that theywill die if they eat of the tree when that was notthe case? To put it bluntly, God is a liar in theTorah's view! Secondly, what has the serpentgot to do with this anyway? Thirdly, how is itpossible to visualise God or limit His existenceto any place or time? Fourthly, how can manbe like God? Fifthly, was God afraid that Adamand Eve might eat of the tree of life? Lastly,where is the wisdom and purpose in God's

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deeds? Or is man better than God in wisdom byhaving a purpose and a plan to arrive at it

The Qur'an narrates this event thus:

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HISTORY

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And when thy Lord said to the angels,"I am setting in the earth a viceroy,"they said, "What, wilt Thou set thereinone who will do corruption there, andshed blood, while we proclaim Thy praiseand call Thee Holy?" He said, "AssuredlyI know that you know not. "And He taughtAdam the names, all of them; then Hepresented them unto the angels and said,"Now tell Me the names of these, if youspeak the truth. " They said, "Glory beto Thee! We know not save what Thoutaught us. Surely Thou art the All-knowing,

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the All-wise. " He said, `Adam, tell themtheir names. " And when he had told themtheir names, He said, "Did I not tell you Iknow what you know not? And I knowwhat things your reveal, and what you arehiding. " And when We said to the angels,"Bow yourselves to Adam; "so they bowedthemselves, save Iblis; he refused, andwaxed proud, and so he became one ofthe unbelievers. And We said, "Adam,dwell thou, and thy wife, in the garden,and eat thereof easefully where you desire;but draw not nigh this tree, lest you beevildoers. " Then Satan caused them toslip therefrom out of that they were in;and We said, "Get you all down, each ofyou an enemy of each; and in the earth asojourn shall be yours, and enjoymentfor a time. " Therefore Adam receivedcertain words from his Lord, and He

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turned towards him; truly He turns, andis All-compassionate. We said, "Get youdown out of it, all together; yet there shallcome to you guidance from Me, and who-soever follows My guidance, no fear shallbe on them, neither shall they sorrow.As for the unbelievers who cry lies toOur signs, those shall be the inhabitantsof the Fire, therein dwelling forever. "(2:30-39)

There is mention of the same story inother parts of the Qur'an which touches otheraspects of the subject. Briefly the purpose ofthe creation of Adam and Eve was so that manmight live on this planet, and all that happenedto them was intended as a trial. This story isclosely connected with the overall philosophyand the meaning of this life. It explains thatthis worldly life is a training period for people

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to achieve a higher standard compatable withthe next life. In other words, it shows man hisweakness and exhorts him to amend it.

It will be seen that the topic of the twostories is the same, but the first one is distortedand illogical, and contains disrespect to Allah.The second story is pure and in perfect state,since human hands never interfered with it.However, there are many differences betweenthe Qur'an and other Scriptures, and to discussall of them would require a book. We shallconfine ourselves to a few examples.

The Torah, Exodus, chapter 32: "AndAaron said unto them, Break off the goldenearrings, which are in the ears of your wives,of your sons, and of your daughters, and bringthem unto me. And the people brake off thegolden earrings which were in their ears, andbrought unto Aaron. And he received them attheir hand, and fashioned it with a graving tool,

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after he had made it a molten calf: and theysaid, These be thy gods, O' Israel, which broughtthee up out of the land of Egypt. And whenAaron saw it, he built an altar before it; andAaron made proclamation, and said, Tomorrowis a feast to the Lord."

King Solomon had built worshipping placesfor idols according to the Torah's account.Although King Solomon was an exalted Prophetof Allah! There are many other stories in theTorah which put an intolerable strain on thecredulity of the reader.

The Qur'an relates in surah Taha

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"What has sped thee far from thy people,Moses?" "They are upon my tracks,"Moses said, "I have hastened, Lord, onlythat I may please thee. " Said He, "We havetempted thy people since thou didst leavethem. The Samaritan has misled them intoerror. . . " Yet Aaron had aforetime saidto them, "O' my people, you have beentempted by this thing, no more; surelyyour Lord is the All-merciful; thereforefollow me, and obey my commandments!"(20:83-85, 90)

It was the Samaritan who led the Childrenof Israel astray. Aaron was angry at their deeds

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and tried to guide them but his efforts werein vain.

And We verily gave Moses and Aaron theCriterion of right and wrong, and a lightand a reminder for the godf Baring. (Qur'an,21:48)

A prophet is a model for people to fol-low and be guided by. He is chosen because ofhis good qualities, for there would be no wisdom in sending a corrupted person. Indeed,they are plentiful on the earth, and there issurely no need for increasing corruption. Look-ing objectively at this subject will lead us to theconclusion that the act of sending prophets isan act of grace, so that people will have a greater

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chance to see the heavenly light in order tofollow the straight path and achieve a stateof perfection.

When there has come to them a Messengerfrom Allah confirming what was withthem, a party of them that were given theBook reject the Book of Allah behind theirbacks, as though they knew not, and they

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follow what the Satans recited over Solo-mon's kingdom. Solomon disbelieved not,but the Satans disbelieved, teaching thepeople sorcery. . . (Qur'an, 2:101-102)

It is clear that the Torah as it stands atpresent is a distorted version of the originalTorah which was revealed to Moses.

And there is a sect of them twist theirtongues with the Book, that you may

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suppose it part of the Book, yet it is notpart of the Book; and they say, "It isfrom Allah, " yet it is not from Allah,and they speak falsehood against Allah,and that wittingly.

(Qur'an, 3:78)

Some of the Jews pervert words from theirmeanings saying, "We have heard and wedisobey " and "Hear, and be thou not givento hear " and "Observe us, " twisting withtheir tongues and traducing religion . . .(Qur'an, 4:46)

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Matthew claims that Jesus lay buried afterbeing crucified, for three days and nights. Butthe other three Gospels state that he stayed inthe tomb only the end of Friday and the wholeof Saturday - some say Sunday night also.Whereas the Qur'an clarifies this confusion asfollows:

. . . And those who are at variance con-cerning him surely are in doubt regardinghim; they have no knowledge of him,except the following of surmise; andthey slew him not of a certainty-no

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indeed; Allah raised him up to Him; Allahis All-mighty, All-wise. (Qur'an, 4:157-158.)

Hence the legends of rabbis or priests can-not have a grain of truth.

( d) System of Life

Islam is not a mere relation between theCreator and man as religion is understood inthe West. Islam is a complete and perfect systemof life, arranging human relationships with Allah,and of people among themselves, in order thatthey may win the best of both lives. The Qur'anhas not left a small or big, significant or insig-nificant subject without a code. Economy isadjusted to achieve fair and just transactionsso as to preserve the dignity of every individual.Politics is given special attention since the course

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and stability of society depends on the leaderand administration. Social life is built and bond-ed strongly to achieve maximum co-operationand cohesion.

Human beings have been striving to liveunder a system of fair justice, security, dignityand happiness. But these fruits were nevertasted under man-made systems. This may beattributed to the limited knowledge that anyperson would possess at any time. Hence theoutcome was always an imperfect system.Secondly, the influence of the self-interestof the law-giver has serious defects and draw-backs in any existing system.

The Islamic system is free of these defectsbecause the law-giver is Allah. There is no limitfor His knowledge whether of the seen or unseen. Secondly, egoism has no place here sinceAllah is in need of no one. Thus it can besafely concluded that the Islamic system is the

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best pattern for living.

Dealing with each part of the Islamicsystem is not an easy task, nor is it possible togive a sufficient account of it within the limitedpurpose of this survey, and discussion will beconfined to a few examples. Generally speaking,the Qur'an dictates two kinds of laws. The firstkind aims at immunising society against unfairand harmful transactions, such as gambling,cheating, usury, monopoly, etc.

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O' believers, intoxicants and gambling,idols and divination by arrows are anabomination of Satan's handiwork: Es-chew such abomination that you mayprosper. Satan's plan is to excite enmityand hatred between you, with intoxicantsand gambling, and hinder you from theremembrance of Allah, and from prayer:Will you not then abstain? (5:90-91)

The second kind of law acts to lessen theaccumulation of wealth in a few hands. The.Qur'an has imposed taxes on rich people, therevenue of which is spent on the needy and onsocieal welfare.

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. . . To give of one's substance, howevercherished, to kinsmen, and orphans, theneedy, the traveller, beggars, and to ransomthe slave, to perform the prayer, to paythe alms .

.

.

(2:177)

It should be noted that some of theselaws are compulsory such as alms (zakat),while others are voluntary. However, for anexhaustive and comprehensive study of theeconomic system in Islam, the unique bookOur Economics by the reputed Islamic scholarMuhammad Baqir as-Sadr, should be consulted.

In the political field the Qur'an takes afirm stand on the obedience due to the leader,but limits it by the obedience due to Allah.

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O' believers, obey Allah and obey theProphet and those vested with authorityamong you. (4:59)*

* The right interpretation of the word "ulil amr"(those invested with authority), as it appears in theHoly Qur'an, applies only to the Imams and the vice-gerents (caliphs) appointed by Allah through the HolyProphet, in which appointment, people have no right(authority) to interfere. But when there is no "waliamr" (one invested with authority) among the peoplewho has been appointed by Allah such as at the presenttime when our Imam is in seclusion, according to someof the `ulama ' (Muslims scholars) people can, as long asthe requirements and conditions for being a Muslimleader are fulfilled (gathered together) in someone electthat person as their leader. Of course, this electionshould meet the approval of those who are learned in

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The leader is elected in some form thatshall ensure the healthy course of the society.At the present time election is satisfactory.But the word `election' is very wide and canbe interpreted or applied in many differentways. According to an eminent Islamic juris-prudent the leader of a Muslim society mustbe a scholar, a politician and, above all, piousand just. Furthermore, councils of known andwidely recognized authorities on different sub-jects must approve of the leader's nomination.In addition, Islamic groups ought to nominatehim rather than have a person nominate himself.

Islamic law (al fuqaha'). Perhaps the author intends toconvey the same meaning here, but his interpretationseems to be somewhat difficult to understand.(Editor'snote)

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And those who respond to their Lord, andestablish (regular) prayer, and (conduct)their affairs by mutual consultation . . .(Qur'an, 42:38)

The Islamic social system recognizes hu-man nature in both its positive and negativerespects. Islam declares that all people proceedfrom the same origin

O' people, We have created you male andfemale, and appointed you races and tribes,

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that you may know one another... (Qur'-an, 49:13)

Moreover Islam has abolished all privilegeswhich would result in serious social imbalancein the short or long run

. . . Surely, the noblest among you in thesight of Allah is the most godfearing ofyou. . . (Qur'an, 49:13)

Therefore, the best people are those whofear Allah most, even if this entail no materialreward in this world. Hence, social appreciationof this phenomenon has no effect on the assign-ments of people if they do not possess therequired qualities. Thirdly, the family is con-sidered as the natural unit of society.

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And we have charged man concerninghis parents - his mother bore him inweakness upon weakness, and his weaningwas in two years - Be thankful to Me,and to thy parents; to Me is the home-coming. (Qur'an, 31:14)

Islam has given the family the greatestattention, realizing the importance and weightthat it will bear on the whole society. Marriageis formulated in such a way that the rights ofboth partners are restored and equality areobserved. Duties of each member are clarifiedand the family unit is preserved by ideologicalforces which gives it dignity and tranquility.

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Then, these units are bonded together. TheQur'an provides the bonds which will keepthe society coherent and healthy. The orphansare looked after, widows are married, poorpeople are helped, wayfarers are enabled toreach their homes, old people are respectedand looked after, children are treated tenderlyand brought up in good conditions.

Turn not thy cheek away from men inscorn, and walk not in the earth exultantly;Allah loves not any, man proud and boast-ful. ( Qur'an, 31:18)

The Qur'anic philosophy of life is that ofco-operative and purposeful. Everything in the

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universe is meant to be of some service to thepurpose of life.

. . . I am setting in the earth a viceroy. . .(Qur'an, 2 : 30 )

O' children of Adam! Take your adorn-ment at every place of worship; and eatand drink, but be not prodigal; He lovesnot the prodigal. Say: "Who has forbid-

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den the ornament of Allah which Hebrought forth for his servants, and thegood things o f His providing? . . . (Qur'-an, 7:31-32)

It is He who created for you all that isin the earth . . .

(Qur'an, 2:29)

This is the feeling which the Qur'an im-plants in Muslims. We have to understand theforces of nature and instincts of beings so thatuseful communications and control is exercisedbetween them.

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Who assigned to you the earth for a couch,and the heaven for an edifice, and sentdown out of heaven water, wherewith Hebrought forth fruits for your provision...(Qur'an, 2:22)

These are the seeds which germinate inthe Muslim soul to produce the good fruit ofharmony and peace. But the Qur'anic philosophy does not rule out the existence of evil,which should be fought and crushed. It is theDevil and his associates who spread corruptionon earth. On the other hand, there are certaincalamities which can be considered the resultof misunderstanding the forces of nature, orwhich Allah meant to be a punishment for evil-doers, or to correct peoples' conduct. TheIslamic greeting is `Peace be upon you'. OurProphet used to teach people to be kind even

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to trees and animals. Once he told a group ofpeople, "Be kind to this tree, it is of kin toyou." This stands in diametrical contrast tomaterialist philosophy which assumes con-tinuous war among the forces of the universe.This view has far reaching consequences insociety's structure and relations. Indeed, itmay drrive the world towards annihilation ifpeople do not reject this false concept of life.

(e) Prophecies

Another miraculous aspect of the HolyQur'an is prophecy. For instance, the destinyof Abu Lahab and his wife was foretold to beHell. They both died idolators.

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Perish the hands of Abu Lahab, and perishhe! His wealth avails him not, neither whathe has earned; he shall roast at a flamingfire and his wife, the carrier of the fire-wood, upon her neck a rope of palm-fibre. (Qur'an, 111)

In the Prophet's time a war broke outbetween the Byzantines and the Persians, andthe Byzantines were defeated. It was revealedto the Prophet that the Byzantines would bevictorious in the second round.

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The Byzantines have been defeated in thenearer part of the land; and, after theirdefeat, they shall be the victors in a fewyears. (Qur'an, 30:2-3)

There are many other prophecies, somehave been fulfilled while others still await ful-filment in due course.

(f) Logic and Conviction

Basically, the Qur'an is a book of preachingaimed at all people in order to convince themin its Message.

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The Qur'anic way of preaching startles byits subtlety. To realize this one must study theArabic language before one can respond fullyto its appeal. However, the translation or inter-pretations available in English should sufficefor our limited purpose.

The Qur'an has a style which is absolutelyunique. The variety of topics even in one pagefascinates every reader. The book is read againand again, and still the burning desire in thehearts of the believers ever increases.

How do you disbelieve in Allah, seeing youwere dead and He gave you life, then Heshall make you dead, then He shall give

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you life (again), then unto Him you shallbe returned. (Qur'an, 2:28)

The argument is simple. but strong, clearbut deep, and truly convincing.

And they say, "Allah has taken to Hima son." Glory be to Him! Nay, to Himbelongs all that is in the heavens andearth; all obey His will. (Qur'an, 2:116)

Surprise! Allah has begotten a son -- whyand how? Is He in need of a son, and if He is,has He a wife? It is degrading and blasphemousto think of Allah in this way. Indeed, it is apurile conception to imagine Allah as a human

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being only on a magnified scale. These are fairytales fit only to cause a smile.

Truly, the likeness of Jesus, in Allah'ssight, is as Adam's likeness; He createdhim of dust, then said He unto him, Be',and he was . . .

(Qur'an, 3: 59)

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Surely in the creation of the heavens andearth and in the alternation of night andday there are signs for men possessed ofminds. Those who remember Allah, stand-ing, sitting and on their sides, and refelectupon the creation of the heavens and theearth: "Our Lord, Thou hast not createdthis for vanity. Glory be to Thee! Guard usagainst the chastisement of the Fire. "(Qur'an, 3:190-191)

People possess the power of reasoningwhich helps them to arrive at some useful obser-vations and conclusions. The world surroundingthem is the first thing to impinge upon theirsight and engross their attention. The sun, stars,moon, water, animals and air usually put people

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into a state of mediation. Such as rememberAllah have productive thinking which resultsin glorifying the Lord. In the process of theirthought they enjoy a glimpse of the meaningand purpose of the creation. Then they admitthat this world is not created in vain, and begAllah for forgiveness and mercy.

So behold the marks of Allah's mercy, howHe quickens the earth after it was dead;surely He is the quickener of the dead, andHe is powerful over everything. (Qur'an,30:50)

Life is given to us as an act of grace, andwe ought to be grateful, and Allah reminds of

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that. Then He solemnly tells of the Day ofJudgement and portrays vividly His capacityto create.

Has not man regarded how that We createdhim of a sperm-drop? Then lo! he is amanifest adversary. And he has struck forUs a similitude and forgotten his (own)creation; he says: "Who shall quicken thebones when they are decayed? " Say: "He

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shall quicken them, Who originated themfor the first time; He knows all creation,who has made for you out of the greentree fire and lo! from it you kindle. "(Qur'an, 36:77-80)

Ah, woe for those servants! Never comesunto them a Messenger, but they mock athim. What! have they not seen how manygenerations We have destroyed beforethem, and that it is not unto them thatthey return?

(Qur'an, 36:30-31)

A grave warning, sorrowfully presented,that the lessons of past nations must not be

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forgotten. The many nations which have beendestroyed because of deviation from the hea-venly path are salutary warning of our ownpossible fate.

And when it is said to them, "Follow whatAllah has sent down, " they say: "No; butwe will follow such things as we found ourfathers doing. " What? And if their fathershad no understanding of anything, and ifthey were not guided? (Qur'an, 2:170)

This example is typical of the vigour anddirectness of Islam's approach. Those who have

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folded their minds and left them idle are dis-graced for not reaching the level of humanbeing! Indeed, it is the development which dis-tinguishes man from animals, and paralysis ofthis power of imaginative thinking means level-ling out both to the same degree.

Or do they say: "He has invented it?"Nay, but they do not believe. Then letthem bring a discourse like it, if theyspeak truly. (Qur'an, 52:33-34)

A simple challenge which has been neverfaced, in clear words, that leaves no choice butto believe in the Qur'an.

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Those (the People of the Book) to whomWe have given the Book, recognize him(the Holy Prophet Muhammad) as theyrecognize their sons; but some of themconceal the truth and that willingly. Thetruth comes from thy Lord; then be notamong the doubters. (Qur'an, 2:146-147)

These verses remove the last vestiges ofdoubt from the believers' minds by exposingthe hidden truth of the People of the Book.Further, it diverts attention from what thesePeople say, because they argue for the sake ofargument, and most of them are insincere.

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Had We sent down this Qur'an on a moun-tain, verily, you would (certainly) haveseen it humbled itself and cleave asunderfor the .fear of Allah .

.

.

(Qur'an, 59: 21)

And they say: "None shall enter Paradiseexcept that they be Jews or Christians!"

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Such are their fancies. Say: `Produce yourproof, if you speak truly. "Nay, but whom-soever submits his will to Allah, being agood-doer, his wage is with his Lord, andno fear shall be. on them, neither shallthey sorrow. (Qur'an, 2:111-112)

Have you not turned your vision to thosewho claim sanctity for themselves?. . .Behold! How they invent a lie againstAllah! But that by itself is a manifest sin!(Qur'an, 4:49-50)

In this manner the People of the Book arerefuted and their claims shattered. The methodof argument is elegant, peaceful and reformatory.

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Say: `People of the Book! Come now toa word common between us and you, thatwe serve none but Allah, and that weassociate not aught with Him, and do notsome of us take others as Lords, apartfrom Allah. " And if they turn their backs,say: 'Bear witness that we are Muslims. "(Qur'an, 3:64)

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It belongs not to any mortal that Allahshould give him the Book, the Judgement,the Prophethood, then he should say tomen, `Be you servants to me apart fromAllah. " Rather, "Be you masters in thatyou know the Book, and in that youstudy. " He never order you to take theangels and the prophets as Lords; what,would He order you to disbelieve, afteryou have surrendered? (Qur'an, 3:79-80)

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(g) The Absence of Discrepancies

Do they not consider the Qur'an with care?Had it been from any other than Allah,they would surely have found thereinmuch discrepancy. (Qur'an, 4:82)

The Qur'an is a large book covering manysubjects, and there is some repetition through-out because of the nature of the message aimedat all peoples. However, wherever the HolyQur'an speaks of any subject it does so with aparticular purpose and not merely with the aimof repeating the same matter. But in spite ofthat there are no contradictions among its pass-ages at all. Perhaps its most outstanding feature

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is that there is no weakness between its variousparts. However, there is an important fact thatmust be noted before closing the discussion.The Qur'an can usually be interpreted aftermastering the Arabic language. Then to makethe interpretation meaningful, the history ofthe revelation must be known. But for Muslimsthese conditions are not enough. It is empha-sized that the interpreter must be a believer,otherwise, Allah would not give him insightinto the knowledge.

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It is He who sent down upon thee theBook, wherein are verses clear that arethe Essence of the Book, and others am-biguous. As for those in whose hearts isswerving, they follow the ambiguous part,desiring dissension, and desiring its inter-pretation; and none knows its interpreta-tion, save only Alldh and those firmlyrooted in knowledge, they say: "We believein it; all is from our Lord;" yet noneremembers, but men possessed of minds. "(Qur'an, 3:7)

THE END

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