review of religions · mr munir-ud-din shams (chairman) mr mansoor shah (secretary) mr naseer ahmad...

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Fareed Ahmad.

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Views expressed in this publication are not necessarily the beliefs of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community.

All correspondence shouldbe forwarded directly to theeditor at:

The Review of ReligionsThe London Mosque16 Gressenhall RoadLondon, SW18 5QLUnited Kingdom

© Islamic Publications, 2004ISSN No: 0034-6721

Contents February 2004, Vol.99, No.2

1

Chief Editor and Manager: Mansoor Ahmed Shah

Management Board:Mr Munir-ud-din Shams(Chairman)Mr Mansoor Shah (Secretary)Mr Naseer Ahmad QamarMr Mubarak Ahmad ZafarMr Mirza Fakhar Ahmad

The role of absolute justice in the human body and beyondBy Fareed Ahmad ................................................................................................................. 2

Food For Thought: The impact of food on humans and animals.By Fareed Ahmad, UK ......................................................................................................... 3

A look at the true source of righteousness for man from the writings of the Promised Messiah(as) .............................................................................. 5

How understanding, not force, was the driving forcebehind Islam’s rapid progress across the globe – Friday Sermon delivered by Hadhrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad, Head of the worldwide Ahmadiyya Community............................ 15

The latent system of justice that governs the microcosm -extracts taken from the book Absolute Justice, Kindness and Kinship: The ThreeCreative Principles by Hadhrat Mirza Tahir Ahmad(ru)....................................................... 27

How following Islamic teachings can lead to a healthier life – By Manzural A Sikder, MD, USA ................................................................ 48

Examining a biblical prophecy about Prophet Muhammad(sa) – By Dr. A.R. Bhutta, Nigeria................ 54

The Prophet Promised Through Moses(as); Jesus(as) or Muhammad(sa)?

Moderation in a Fattening World

Balance Within the Body

Was Islam Spread by the Sword?

The Need For Righteousness

Notes & Comment

Editorial

From the micro to the macro there isa very refined system of balance inour universe. This balance, like theuniverse itself, is not the product ofchance but is a reflection of a qualityof its Creator. One of God’scharacteristics is that he is ‘al-Adl’i.e. ‘The Just’ and this forms thefountainhead of absolute justice forthe heavens and the earth. The natureof this justice permeates every sphereof creation and every law of nature,for without this there can be nobalance or harmony.

In this issue of The Review ofReligions two articles examine thebalance created within man andreview its impact on man himself. Itseems that if there is a disregard forjustice at one level and if this remainsunchecked, then action is taken at adifferent level to remedy it. In thehuman body, for example, the mercyof God has allowed man someflexibility in the way he looks afterhis health. However, persistentexcesses are ultimately punished anddisorders such as diabetes and heartdisease are an outcome of man’sdisregard for the natural limits.

The balance also reflects an in-builtsystem of crime and punishment

where the punishment is meted outby a force beyond man’s control.Interestingly enough the punishmentacts as a warning as well as being anaction in the interest of man himself,as it seeks to limit the wider damagethat could result. If man rectifies hisbehaviour he may live on, perhapswith some restrictions, but theobjective of justice would have beenserved. If he continues to ignore thewarning signs then he may suffereven more. Such justice is required tomaintain balance and order within thebody otherwise it would cease tofunction, and to be effective it mustoperate independent of the will ofman.

This is a good reflection of the systemthat operates at every level in life andman should be ever wary that hisactions never go unnoticed, and if heignores the principle of absolutejustice then he will, withoutexception, be made accountable forthis neglect.

Fareed Ahmad

2 The Review of Religions – February 2004

Editorial

3The Review of Religions – February 2004

Food for ThoughtTwenty years ago it seemed as if amoment of sanity had swept acrossthe world as it responded to the cry ofthe dying people in Ethiopia. Withgovernments either unable orunwilling to act, people responded tothe plight that was broadcast to theirliving rooms. Hundreds of millions ofdollars were donated to alleviate thes u ffering of those in the famine-ridden country and perhaps also toalleviate the donors’ guilt of nothaving taken any interest beforehand.The noble efforts were welcome andsaved up to two million from death,but as a recent BBC report1 madeclear, it was not enough; at best it wasa palliative measure rather than alonger term cure. Sadly, twenty yearson the situation for the poor inEthiopia is no better with more peoplefacing starvation now than in 1984.

The aid that reached Ethiopia wasvaluable in sustaining life for millionsbut there was no real larg e - s c a l edevelopment investment in thecountry. The result of this is that itsagricultural capacity has weakenedand hopes of reviving the country’sability to be self-sufficient in food aredisappearing as fast as its dustytopsoil. Its food production has

dwindled. On average each yearnearly six million Ethiopians are stillkept alive by international aid(although this figure was a staggering14 million in 2003).

Ethiopia’s predicament, however, isnot an isolated one but it does act as astark reminder of the invisible plightof the poor and destitute whose livesare nothing more than a daily strugglefor survival. The figures makeshocking reading – compare the sixmillion in Ethiopia with the 900million or so worldwide who live inchronic and persistent hunger – that isone person for every seven on theplanet. There are one billion peoplesurviving on less than one dollar perday, and every day nearly twenty-fourthousand die of hunger.2 Although thevast majority of this crisis is faced bythe Third World, it is by no meansexclusive to it. Those who findthemselves living in the margins ofsociety in the developed world alsosuffer the same torments of hungerand poverty.

Yet, as many economic studies haveshown, the problem of hunger is notdue to there being insufficient food inthe world. Even now, as noted by theUN’s World Food Programme, there

Notes and Comment


is enough food in the world not just tokeep people alive but to allow them tolead healthy and productive lives.This is despite a huge populationincrease in the latter half of thetwentieth century. This abundance offood is in line with the Islamicteaching that God, Who is ar-Rahmanand ar-Razzaq i.e. The Gracious andThe Provider, has created man andprovided ample resources so that noperson should go hungry. So where isall this food? Some is stockpiled inthe developed world and some isexported by the third Third worldWorld to finance its debts, wars orcorruption – or in extreme cases allthree. However, it is also disturbingto note that some is simply consumedin excessive amounts as a result ofgreed and indifference.

In this respect it is rather perplexingto see that as one part of the world isdying as a result of little or no foodthe other is dying due to too muchfood. Obesity and its related problemsare on the increase worldwide, butespecially in the developed world.Furthermore, the findings of a recentstudy by the US based NationalResearch Council show that it is notjust people that are becomingoverweight but also their pets. Thestudy reveals that twenty-five per centof dogs and cats in the western worldare obese and at risk of diabetes, heart

disease and other health problems3.How strange this must seem to thosehanging on to life.

Is this not a reflection of the crueldisparity of the modern world? Oftenwe hear that a key to solving theproblems of the Third World iseducation, so that the poor can learnand apply their knowledge for self-advancement. It would seem that thedeveloped world could also benefitwith a few sharp doses of educationas well – for the sake of their ownhealth and the health of the 900million who suffer the pangs ofhunger every day. For them, theadditional amounts spent by peopleon overfeeding themselves and theirpets would be enough to make thedifference between life and death.

Fareed Ahmad – UK

References1. Ethiopia: A Journey with Michael

Buerk 11/1/2004.2. World Hunger: 12 Myths. By

Frances Moore Lappe, Institutefor Food and Development PolicyB a c k g rounder Summer 1998,Vol.5, No.3.

3. The Daily Telegraph, 2/1/2004.

Notes & Comment


On 8th January 1903, after Maghrib prayers, three people took the Oath ofAllegiance at the hand of Hadhrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad(as) of Qadian, thePromised Messiah and Mahdi. The three included Sheikh Noor Ahmad Sahib fromAbbotabad and Sayyed Hamid Ali Shah Sahib of Baddumalli and one otherperson. After the Initiation, the Promised Messiah(as) addressed the assembledgroup. Presented below is a translation of that address delivered in Urdu. Theoriginal text of this address has been taken from Malfoozat, Volume 4, pp 395-402.

[Translator’s Note: The Englishtranslation of the Holy Qur’an,presented in italics, is by HadhratMaulvi Sher Ali Sahib(ra). Wherethe Promised Messiah( a s ) h a shimself stated a certain inter-pretation of the Arabic verse, thisis incorporated in the main bodyof the text].

( Translated by Amatul-HadiAhmad)

It is essential for our Communityin these troubled times when thewind of misguided neglect anddivergence from the guided path isblowing all around, that it shouldadopt Taqwa (that is,righteousness). There is no rev-erence for the commandments ofGod in the world today. There isno consideration for rights andcovenants. There is an indulgence

The Need of Righteousness

The founder of the Ahmadiyya MuslimCommunity was Hadhrat Mirza

Ghulam Ahmad(as).

In 1891, he claimed, on the basis ofDivine revelation, that he was thePromised Messiah and Mahdi whoseadvent had been foretold byMuhammad, the Holy Prophet of Islam(peace be upon him) and by thescriptures of other faiths.

His claim constitutes the basis of thebeliefs of the Ahmadiyya MuslimCommunity.


in the material world and itsconcerns to an extreme degree.Upon suffering even the minutestmaterial loss, people are preparedto abandon the religious aspectsand squander the rights of God.All these things can be observed inthe cases that regularly comebefore the courts and those that aredisputed at the time of sharing ofinheritance. The treatment ofothers is motivated by greed.People are found to be very weakin controlling emotional outbursts.They do not dare to commit sinsuntil such time as God imposesupon them a state of weakness butwhen they regain strength and theyfind an opportunity to commitsins, they immediately indulge insin. Today, in this age you maysearch everywhere but you willfind that it is as if truerighteousness has been lifted outof this world and there is nosincerity of faith anywhere.However, because God Almightydoes not desire that the seed oftrue righteousness and faith shouldgo to waste, whenever He sees thatthe ‘crop’ is about to be destroyedc o m p l e t e l y, He creates a new‘crop’.

The same fresh Qur’an exists aboutwhich God Almighty had stated:

Verily, We Ourself have sentdown this Exhortation, andmost surely We will be itsGuardian.(Ch.15: v.10)

A large portion of Ahadith, thetraditions of the Holy Prophet(sa) ofIslam, with its blessings is also inexistence but there is no faithwithin hearts nor is there thepractice of goodness. It is for thepurpose of regeneration of thesequalities that God Almighty hasappointed me [as the Reformer].God saw that the field is vacantbut the demand of the attribute ofHis Divinity is such that it did notlike the fact that the field shouldremain vacant and people shouldremain so distant. Hence, by wayof a challenge, God Almighty nowwishes to create a people who are[spiritually] alive and ourpreaching is for this purpose thatthe life of Ta q w a, that is,righteousness may be achieved.

The Need for Righteousness


There are many different types ofpeople. There are some who takegreat pride in the bad deeds theycommit whereas it is notsomething that can possibly beconsidered worthy of pride. Eventhe act of merely avoiding the badis not a deed that can be includedunder acts of virtue nor can it betermed true virtue as even animalscan learn similar behaviour. MianHussein Beg who was a merchanthad a dog that had been trained toguard over bread and it did so[without ever daring to eat it]. Wehave heard of a cat that had beensimilarly trained. Some peoplewished to test the cat and it wasshut up in a room with a few itemssuch as milk, meat and sweethalwa that might tempt it. After acouple of days when the door wasopened the cat was found deadwithout any items of food havingbeen touched. One ought to beashamed at the fact that beinganimals they obeyed humancommand in such a good mannerand yet there are human beingswho do not obey the command ofGod. There exist many suchexamples that can act as areprimand for a person’s innerself. There exist many faithful

dogs but regrettable is the case ofthe person who does not possesseven the standard of a dog. Heshould then tell us what it is thathe asks of God? God has grantedto man such faculties that have notbeen granted to any other creation.However, the capacity of avoidingthe bad [in obedience to acommand] is so basic that it isshared by the beasts. Some horsesare seen to pick up the whip fromthe ground, should it drop from themaster’s hand and give it to themaster. Similarly, they lie down,sit or arise at the command of theirmaster and they show fullobedience. Hence, it cannot be thecause of pride for man that heavoids a handful of sins that maybe related to his hands, feet orother physical parts. Those whoactually commit such sins are likebeasts. Just as dogs and cats puttheir mouths in a vessel that maybe left around uncovered and theyeat whatever they see lyingaround, so these people are thesame [in committing sins] – theyare like dogs and cats. Ultimatelythey get caught and end up inprison. You should go and see howthe prisons are full of such‘Muslims’.



There is now an opportunity [forrejuvenation] and these are thedays when there is a surge ofGod’s [mercy]. There are someperiods that are the time of God’smercy in which people find thecapacity [and power to attainspiritual progress]. The present issuch a time. We do not suggestthat the business of worldly affairsshould be abandoned altogether.What we wish is that efforts forworldly affairs should be made upto a point and the world should beearned with the intention that itshould become a servant ofreligion. It is not at all right that aperson should become soengrossed in the world that hef o rgets the aspect of faithaltogether when he is neitheraware of fasting nor of Salat as isthe condition of the people thesedays. Take for example the massgathering at Delhi where it is saidnearly one hundred and fiftythousand people were gathered - inmy view all of them are onlyinterested in worldliness.

It has been stated in a Hadith, [thatis, tradition of the Holy ProphetMuhammad(sa) of Islam], that Goddislikes kings the most because,

like a great goddess, the closer onegets to them the harder the heartbecomes. We do not prohibitanyone from carrying on trade tothe extent that it be given upaltogether but we say this thatpeople should reflect upon thequestion as to where theirforefathers are now? They shouldconsider how we have those whoare very dear to us and then theyslip out of our very hands whendeath creates a great distancebetween them and us.

Who knows the account of theyear aheadW h e re are the friends whowere with us the year before?

At the present time the scourge ofthe plague is upon the land and it issaid that it spans a period ofseventy years and nothing is of anyuse before it – all effort is useless –and it comes for the purpose ofreinforcing the belief in theexistence of God. Hence, know thatHe does truly exist and that nothingcan save one from the affliction thatcomes from God except God. Yo u



should adopt true righteousness inorder that God may be pleased withyou. When a human being becomeslike a rebellious horse, he suff e r spunishment. Those who aredistinguished understand a hint justas a trained horse does. Such goodpeople are recipients of revelationfrom God - they receive w a h i and avery fine point here is this that themeaning of wahi is also given as‘indication’ or ‘hint’. However,when the time of receivingpunishment passes, the time forw a h i begins and this is necessarybecause this matter is not easilyresolved. Ta q w a, righteousness, isnot such an easy matter that it canbe achieved merely through someverbal utterances, rather it containswithin it a share of the satanic sin.Its example is like that of a sweet ofwhich even a tiny amount canattract countless ants. The same istrue of satanic sin and it informs ofhuman weakness. If Allah had sowilled He would not have placedsuch weakness in man but Allahdesires that man should know thatthe fountainhead of all power isA l l a h ’s Being. No Prophet orMessenger has the power to grantthis capacity to others. However,when Allah grants this power to

man, there is a transformation inhim but to attain it prayer isessential. S a l a t alone is such a goodact that its performance removesthe satanic weaknesses and it is thisthat is termed ‘prayer’. Satandesires that a human being shouldstay weak in its observance becausehe knows that when a personreforms himself, the personachieves such reform by himself.Hence, it is a condition that oneshould become clean and pure –Satan loves man as long as there isfilth attached to him.

Respectful reverence is essentialbefore one can request favours ofGod. The wise always keep inview the respect due to a kingbefore seeking something from aking. This is the reason why Godhas taught, in the Chapter A l -Fatiha, the manner in which aprayer should be offered and it istaught that:

All praise belongs to Allahwho is Lord of all the worlds (Ch.1: v.2)



The Gracious.(Ch.1: v.3)

that is One Who gives withoutbegging or asking.

The Merciful.(Ch.1: v.3)

that is the One Who bestows uponman the best fruit of his true effort.

Master of the Day ofJudgement.(Ch.1: v.4)

that is, all matters of judgementare in His hand – He can punish orf o rgive. The judgement of theother world as well as of thisworld, all is in His hands. When aperson praises God this much, hebecomes aware of the Greatness ofGod who is Rab, Rahman andRaheem (the Lord, the Graciousand the Merciful One). A person had hitherto thought

of God as being the unseen butnow he considers Him to bepresent and he calls out to Him:

Thee alone do we worship andThee alone do we implore forhelp. Guide us in the right path(Ch.1: Vs.5,6)

..the path that is absolutely straightwithout any flaws. There is a pathof the blind in that they makestrenuous efforts withoutachieving any desired outcome.After this, [the prayer taught in al-Fatiha continues]:

the path of those upon whomThou has bestowed blessings.(Ch.1: v.7)

and this path is exactly that pathwhich leads to the reward of[special] blessings for those whotread upon it. After [this it states]:



That is, not [the path] of thosewho incurred thy displeasurenor of those who have goneastray.(Ch.1: v.7)

[The prayer contained in verse 6 ofa l - F a t i h a], Ihd-e-nassirat-alMustaqim, Guide us in the rightpath, applies to the way of allthings – worldly or religious. Forinstance, until a physician findsthe ‘straight path’ [to a patient’sillness] he cannot cure a patient.Similar is the case of lawyers andall other professions. There is astraight path for all knowledge andoccupations – upon finding thispath everything becomes easy.]

[At this point someone raised thequestion as to why Prophets are inneed of this prayer when they arealready on the straight path towhich the Promised Messiah ( a s )

replied that] they supplicate withthis prayer in order to attaingreater progress and a higherstation. This prayer I h d - e -nassirat-al Mustaqim is asupplication that the believers willmake even in the other worldbecause just as there is no limit toGod so there is no limit to the level

and station to which one canprogress.

[Returning to the main topic ofrighteousness, the PromisedMessiah(as) continued], in order tobecome righteous, it is necessaryfor a person that he should becomesteadfast in abandoning andabstaining from such sins asa d u l t e r y, theft, meanness,haughtiness, usurping the right ofothers and demeaning others.However, it is also essential thatwhile one becomes steadfast inabstaining from the badcharacteristics, one should at thesame time inculcate the noblecharacteristics such as kindness,graciousness and sympathy forothers and should show sincereloyalty and be true to God. Aperson should seek to serve insuch a manner that it would earnhim the lofty station of praise fromGod. It is through such means thata person is called a Muttaqi , thatis, a righteous person and thosewho are the embodiment of suchqualities collectively are the trulyrighteous, (that is, the termMuttaqi is only fully applicablewhen the noble characteristics arecollectively found in a person and



not if these qualities are foundindividually). It is for such [trulyrighteous] people that [the HolyQur’an states]:

And no fear shall come uponthem, nor shall they grieve.(Ch.2: v.63)

After this what else could theypossibly want? God becomes theguardian of such people as isstated:

And He protects the righteous.(Ch.7: v.197)

It is stated in a Hadith that Godbecomes the hands with which aperson holds, the eye with whichhe sees and the ear with which hehears and the feet with which hewalks. It is narrated in anotherHadith [that God states] ‘he whois an enemy of My friend, I say tohim be ready to face Me’. Inanother place it is stated that whensomeone attacks a friend of God,

God swoops down on him as alioness pounces upon whoevermay dare to snatch away her cubs.

The true principle of gainingbenefit from the fountainhead ofGod’s Mercy is [to remember that]it is a distinctive characteristic ofGod that [His attitude to a humanbeing reflects the action of thathuman being] – if a person takes astep [towards God] then God, too,moves [towards that humanbeing]. However, the specialGrace and Mercy of God is notwith every one and for this reasonwhen these are bestowed uponsomeone they are referred to asbeing a sign for them. [Its examplecan be seen in the life of the HolyP r o p h e t( s a ) of Islam]. Theopponents of the Holy Prophet(sa)

did their utmost to defeat him buttheir efforts came to nothing. Theyeven planned to take his life butultimately they were defeated.Such is the [nature of goodnessand trust] that is proposed by God[in order to be the recipient of Hisspecial grace]. The special effortsthat are made [for the attainmentof God’s special grace] should bepresented before God and notbefore us. Let your hearts flow


with the love of God and with theacknowledgement of HisGreatness and for the attainmentof such a state there is nothinggreater than S a l a t. Compulsoryfasting comes but only once a yearfor a month and Zakat is only forthose who possess wealth butSalat is such that each one ofevery condition has to perform itfive times daily and you shouldnot waste it at all. It should berepeated often and it should beperformed in such a way that onefeels that one is standing beforethe most powerful Being Who can,should He so desire, accept one’sprayer there and then – in thatstate, at that moment even at thatvery second. Worldly rulers aredependent upon material wealth,hence, their concern about thedepletion of their wealth but God’streasury is always full. All that isrequired when a person stands

before God is certainty that he isstanding before the most powerfulBeing Who listens and knows andWho could grant there and thenshould He so desire throughkindness. One should supplicatewith deep felt emotion withoutbecoming disheartened. Apersistence in such practise wouldlead a person to see (the pleasureof) it very soon and other blessingsof God would also be with himand he will eventually find God.This then is the method that shouldbe practised with steadfastness.However, it is the case that prayerof the cruel transgressor does notfind acceptance because such aperson is neglectful towards God.Should a son not care about hisfather and have no sense of hisobligations to his father, the father,too, would not care about the son.Then why should God care aboutsuch a person?

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The Review of Religions – February 2004

TH E T R U E P R I N C I P L E O F G A I N I N G B E N E F I T F R O M T H E

FOUNTAINHEAD OF GOD’S MERCY IS [TO REMEMBER THAT] IT

I S A D I S T I N C T I V E C H A R A C T E R I S T I C O F GO D T H AT [ HI S

ATTITUDE TO A HUMAN BEING REFLECTS THE ACTION OF THAT

HUMAN BEING] – IF A PERSON TAKES A STEP [TOWARDS GOD]

THEN GOD, TOO, MOVES [TOWARDS THAT HUMAN BEING].

[Here someone raised the questionas to how was it that the prayer ofBal’am Ba’our was accepted towhich the Promised Messiah ( a s )

replied] that was a trial not aprayer and in the end he wasdestroyed. Prayer is thesupplication of those who are dearto God. Otherwise it is the casethat God listens to [the prayers ofall mankind including] the Hindus,for instance, and some of theirwishes are fulfilled but the wordfor that is trial not prayer. Forexample, if such a person were toask for bread, would God not givehim bread? He has made a promiseto this effect [and the promise iscontained in the following verse ofthe Holy Qur’an]:

there is no creature that movesin the earth but it is for Allah toprovide it with sustenance.(Ch.11: V.7)

Dogs and cats too fill their bellies.Worms and insects also find their

sustenance but the [Arabic] term‘Astafeena’ is for special instances[where special favours aresought].

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PLEASE NOTE:

In this journal, for the ease ofnon-Muslim readers, ‘(sa)’ or‘sa’ after the words, ‘HolyP rophet’, or the name‘Muhammad’, are used. Theystand for ‘Salallahu alaihiwassalam’ meaning ‘Peace andBlessings of Allah be uponhim’. Likewise, the letters ‘(as)’or ‘as’ after the name of allother prophets is ana b b reviation meaning ‘Peacebe upon him’ derived fro m‘Alaih salato wassalam’ for therespect a Muslim reader utters.

The abbreviation ‘ra’ or (ra)stands for ‘Radhiallahtala’ andis used for Companions of aP rophet, meaning Allah bepleased with him or her (whenfollowed by the relevant Arabicpronoun)

Also ru or (ru) forRahemahullahu Ta ’ a l a m e a n sthe Mercy of Allah the Exaltedbe upon him.


After Tashshhad (bearing witnessto the Unity of Allah and theaffirmation that Muhammad(sa) isHis Messenger) and Ta u d h(seeking refuge from the accursedSatan) and reciting the S u r a hFatiha (the opening chapter of the

Holy Qur’an), Hadhrat MirzaMasroor Ahmad, Khalifatul MasihV, recited the following verse ofthe Holy Qur’an:

There should be no compulsionin religion. Surely, right hasbecome distinct from wrong;so whosoever refuses to be ledby those who transgress, andbelieves in Allah, has surelygrasped a strong handle whichknows no breaking. And Allahis All-Hearing, All-Knowing.(Ch.2: V.257)

Hadhrat Khalifatul Masih Vstated:

‘Nowadays, the whole of theWestern world is busy imputingthat Islam is a religion of violence.It is because of the fundamentalistpractising violence that J i h a d io rganisations [organisations thatmistakenly believe that Muslimsshould engage in a holy war and


A Friday Sermon delivered by Hadhrat Khalifatul Masih V on 20 June2003 at the Fazl Mosque London, transcribed and translated by SaleemMalik, published at its own responsibility by The Review of Religions.

either ask non-Muslims to acceptIslam or put them to the sword:Ed] are operating in the Islamicworld.

All Ahmadis are fully aware thatthis is slanderous and an indecentimputation on Islam. Islam is areligion that teaches love,a ffection and brotherhood. Thestress that Islam places on thebasic human rights cannot befound in any other religion.U n f o r t u n a t e l y, some extremistgroups that have no relation withthe true teachings of Islam, have,for the sake of the satisfaction oftheir own ego, created a dreadfulimage of Islam by associatingIslam with Jihadi organisations.This has distorted the beautifulteachings of Islam. This is not aservice to Islam. On the contrary,this has brought Islam intodisrepute. The translation of theverse that I have recited from theHoly Qur’an just now is:

There should be no compulsionin religion. Surely, right hasbecome distinct from wrong;so whosoever refuses to be ledby those who transgress andbelieves in Allah has surely

grasped a strong handle whichknows no breaking. And Allahis All-Hearing, All-Knowing.(Ch.2: V.257)

Commenting on this verse,Hadhrat Musleh Maud, KhalifatulMasih II (ra) says:

‘It is strange that Islam iscriticised for teaching that faithshould be spread by force.Islam prepares Muslims to beready for Jihad, as Allah says:‘Fight in the way of Allahthose who fight with you’(Ch.2: V.191). On the otherhand, Allah says There is nocompulsion in re l i g i o nmeaning that the injunctionabout fighting does not meanthat the use of force ispermitted to convert people toIslam. In fact, the order to fightis to remove the mischief andeliminate the wicked designsof the enemy. Had compulsionbeen permitted, how could theHoly Qur’an require theMuslims to fight and yet in thesame Chapter enjoin thatcompulsion is not permitted inreligion? Is it not but obviousthat Islam does not permit the

16



use of force in matters ofreligion under any circ-umstance? Therefore, thisverse not only clearly statesthat the use of compulsion isunlawful but also the placingof this verse at that particularpoint in the Holy Qur’ a nclearly shows that Islam istotally against compulsion.The allegation of Christianorientalists that Islam ordersthe use of sword to bring non-Muslims in the fold of Islam istotally untrue. The fact is thatIslam is the first religion thatpresented the teaching to theworld that everyone has fullfreedom of conscience and thatthere is no compulsion inreligion.’ (Tafseer-e-Kabir, vol.2, pp 585– 586)

Hadhrat Khalifatul Masih I( r a )

states:

‘T h e re is no compulsion inre l i g i o n ’ : There is a way of theprophets and there is a way ofthe kings. It is not the custom ofthe prophets to use force,oppression or compulsion.H o w e v e r, kings use both force

and compulsion. The police canarrest someone who hascommitted a crime, but religiondeters you from the intention ofsin. Therefore, when manaccepts the rule of religion, thenthere is no need for police tosafeguard it. Allah theAlmighty says that force andcompulsion have no bearingwith religion; therefore, do notcoerce anyone because one whois not a believer at heart, is ahypocrite. According to S h a r i a(Law), hypocrites and non-believers are in the same pot. Itis by mistake only that storieshave been given currency thatIslam was spread by the use ofs w o r d .‘It is also alleged that theEmperor Aurangzeb was crueland forced people into Islam.This is a fallacious statement.The Chief of his army was aHindu. A large part of his lifewas spent in fighting hisbrothers, even his deathoccurred when he was fightingTana Shah. Also, Islam is notresponsible for the actions ofthe kings. Muslims made aterrible mistake when theyaccepted the accusations of its

17



objectors even though Islammeans sincere love andacceptance of truth withcandour. That is why there isno compulsion in Islam.’(Haqaiqul Furqan, vol.1,p.391)

Hadhrat Khalifatul Masih I( r a )

further comments:

‘In Kitabe Maghaazi (howeverunreliable it may be), we findno example whatsoever wherethe Holy Prophet of Islam(sa)

used force or employed thesword to bring into Islam anyperson, any family or any tribe.Sir William Muir clearly statesthat out of thousands not evenone person was forced tobecome a Muslim in the city ofMadinah and that, in Makkah

as well, the attitude andbehaviour of the Holy Prophetof Islam s a was exactly thesame. When we read throughthe unbiased history, we cannotfind even a single instancewhen the great emperors(Mahmood Ghaznavi, SultanSalahuddin, Aurangzeb) everforced a single person toaccept Islam. On the otherhand, people of other religionsfound favour with them onmerit and held manyprominent offices in theadministration of these Muslimrulers. This is an abundantproof that with the exceptionof the sword being used for thedefence of the nation, thesword was never employed forthe spread of Islam.

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TH E R E F O R E, I T I S A D U T Y O F T H E AH M A D I Y YA

C O M M U N I T Y TO D AY TO L A U N C H A W O R L D W I D E

CAMPAIGN TO PRESENT THE BEAUTIFUL TEACHINGS OF

PEACE AND HARMONY THAT ISLAM COMMANDS ALL

MU S L I M S TO F O L L O W. TH E M E M B E R S O F T H E

COMMUNITY SHOULD EXPLAIN TO THE WORLD THAT

ISLAM HAS BEEN THE DEFENDER OF JUSTICE AND

EQUITY FROM THE VERY BEGINNING.

‘According to the Islamic laws,subjects of other faiths inIslamic empires had fullreligious freedom. The verseT h e re is no compulsion inre l i g i o n, (Ch.2: V. 2 5 7 ) is aclear proof that Islam allowsfull freedom in matters of faithand religion and enjoinsMuslims to use compassionwhen dealing with non-believers. (Fasalul Khitab, secondedition; vol. 1; pp.83-84)

Therefore, it is a duty of theAhmadiyya community today tolaunch a worldwide campaign topresent the beautiful teachings ofpeace and harmony that Islamcommands all Muslims to follow.The members of the communityshould explain to the world thatIslam has been the defender ofjustice and equity from the verybeginning. The events 1400 yearsago fully testify to that assertionwhen the tribe of Banu Nadhir wasexiled from Madinah. It includedmany children of the Ansar(Muslim inhabitants of Madinah).When the Muslims showed theirintention to detain theirdescendants, the Holy Prophet of

Islam(sa) refrained them from theiraction on the very basis that ‘thereis no compulsion in religion’. Thebackground to how these childrenhad begun to live amongst theJews goes back to the pre-Islamicdays of ignorance when someArab families who had no malechildren used to pledge that if thenext child were male they wouldmake him a Jew. Thus such Arabsused to hand over their malechildren to Jewish families. So thisis the beautiful teaching of Islamthat once you hand over your ownson to someone else and thatsomeone else makes yourdescendant an adherent of anotherfaith, you cannot take him back byforce. Another unique example is whathappened at the time of the peacetreaty signed at Hudaibiyya. TheQuraish laid down some strict andunfair conditions and as a resultmany Muslims felt humiliated andsome even demonstrated theirunwillingness to accept the treaty.But the Holy Prophet of Islam(sa)

had unshakable conviction that thevictory would ultimately belong toMuslims because the All-Hearing,All-Knowing God had promisedhim that the victory would be his.

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Allah had heard his supplicationsand the time of acceptance of theseprayers was near. With absolutebelief, the Holy Prophet of Islam(sa)

accepted all the conditions andtaught his companions that thevictory of Islam would not comeby fighting wars, but by peace,goodwill and by acting on the truecommandments of Allah.

God willing, the victory of Islamin this age will also come about byfollowing this principle. It isimportant that Muslims alsounderstand clearly that althoughthe eventual victory of Islam iscertain, it will not come about byforce. The victory of Islam willonly come by the sheer blessingsand Grace of Allah and by theMuslims following the com-mandments of Allah and byfollowing the example and theteachings of our beloved ProphetMuhammad(sa).

As Allah explains in the verse thatwhen you left the ways of errorand joined the ways of Allah, it isas though you have got hold of astrong handle which knows nobreaking. But merely uttering thewords ‘I believe’ are not

sufficient. You will only succeed ifyou firmly hold on to thecommandments of Allah and HisP r o p h e t( s a ). According to theprophecies of the Holy Prophet ofIslam(sa), the Promised Messiah(as)

is that strong handle today thatpresents to you the trueinterpretation of the Divinecommandments. He is the onewho reiterates to you the trueteachings of the Holy Prophet ofIslam(sa). You will only succeed ifyou act on these instructions.Because of their sad conditions,Muslims remained distressed for along time and kept on waiting forthe Messiah and Mahdi to appearso that they could join him andwitness the victory of Islam.Those who truly cared for Islamkept on praying and supplicating.But, what happened when theadvent of this Promised One tookplace? A large number refused toaccept him simply because he hadbrought the message of peace,harmony and brotherhood.

Then, in his commentary on Ch.2:V.257 (quoted at the beginning),Hadhrat Musleh Maud, KhalifatulMasih II( r a ) e x p o u n d s :

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‘In this verse, acceptance andbelief means that one rejects theevil of Satan and accepts thecommand of Allah. Such aperson is described as ‘ h a ss u rely grasped a strong handlewhich knows no bre a k i n g . ’(Ch.2: V. 2 5 7 ) ‘ U rwa’ a l s omeans a handle by which youhold a pan; a thing that can betrusted; anything towardswhich one turns at the time ofneed; that which is everlastingand cannot be diminished; andcan also mean the best wealth.If the meanings are taken as ahandle then this verse wouldmean that Allah the Almightyhas compared faith to subtlecontents contained in a pan andwhich is safe or preserved andsomeone has taken possessionof this pan firmly by the handle.

‘Urwa’ in this verse also pointsto the fact that faith is what oneuses as a support when one isafraid of falling, just as oneholds on to a rope whenclimbing a ladder. Similarly,religion is also a support likethat rope and one holds on to itwhen one is afraid of falling.

‘By stating ‘Urwa’ man is alsoinformed that if he holds itfirmly, it will help him at alltimes of difficulty.

‘Urwa’ also points to the factthat religion is the only reallybeneficial possession that willhelp both in this world and thenext. All other relationshipsare temporary and are cut offone by one at the time of need.Although man certainlyconsiders his relations andfriends as his best companionsyet ‘a friend in need is a friendindeed’ and they can showweakness and disloyalty attimes. Only then he finds outthat the real relations werethose based on religion as theybestow the real blessings.”(Tafseer-e-Kabir, Vol.2; pp.587–588)

Addressing the Muslims, thePromised Messiah(as) says:

‘According to your belief,Messiah the son of Mary willdescend from Heaven andjoining forces with the Mahdiwill start a war to converteveryone by force to Islam.

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This preposterous belief bringsIslam into disrepute. Where inthe Holy Qur’an is itmentioned that compulsion ispermitted in religion? On thec o n t r a r y, the Holy Qur’ a nsays,‘There is no compulsionin religion’. (Ch.2: V. 2 5 7 ) .How, then, will Messiah theson of Mary be given the rightto use force? That is to say touse force to such an extent thataccept Islam or be killed, somuch so that even the option ofJizya [(a tax imposed on non-Muslims guaranteeing theirprotection and not requiringthem to be part of the Muslimarmy] will be cancelled? Fromwhich part or chapter of theHoly Qur’an is this contentionsupported? The whole of theHoly Qur’an keeps sayingrepeatedly that there is nocompulsion in religion. It isevident that the wars that theHoly Prophet of Islam ( s a )

conducted against variousadversaries were as apunishment for their crime ofthe massacre of Muslims inl a rge numbers and sendingothers into exile and inflictingcruelty upon them. As Allah

the Almighty says,‘Permission to fight is given tothose against whom war ismade, because they have beenwronged – and Allah indeedhas power to help them’(Ch.22: V. 4 0 ) – i . e . t h o s eMuslims against whom theinfidels are fighting arepermitted to confront thembecause they have beenoppressed and Allah is Mightyand has the power to helpthem. Then, there were thosewars that were fought asdefensive wars. Either theenemies were advancing withaggressive designs to exter-minate Islam or they wereusing torment and inquisitionon Muslims in their countriesto stop the spread of Islam. Thewars were fought with suchenemies for protection, or forobtaining independence indefence or to create freedom ina country. Except for the threescenarios mentioned above,neither the Holy Prophet ofI s l a ms a nor the reveredKhalifas of the Holy Prophet(sa)

fought any wars. In fact, Islams u ffered inquisition andpersecution at the hands of

22



foreign nations with suchpatience that you would notfind another example amongstother people.

‘What sort of persons wouldthen be Jesus the Messiah andthe Mahdi who would start thekilling instantly so much sothat he would refuse to acceptJizya even from the people ofthe Book; and would thusabrogate the verse of the HolyQur’an which enjoins, ‘Untilthey pay the Jizya (tax) withtheir own hand submissivelyand acknowledge their sub-jection.’ ( C h . 9 : V. 2 9 ) . W h a tsort of supporter of Islamwould he be that he wouldeven abrogate the verses of theHoly Qur’an that had not beenabrogated in the times of theHoly Prophet ( s a ) and despitethis revolution the issue ofKhatme Nabuwwat would beunaffected? In this age, after1300 years of the prophethoodhave passed and Islam itselfhas been divided into 73 sects,the duty of the Messiah shouldbe to win the hearts not by theuse of sword but by argumentsand persuasion. His duty

should be to eradicate with trueproofs the false beliefs ofcrucifixion instead of goingaround smashing the golden,s i l v e r, bronze or woodencrucifixes. If you usecompulsion, then your forceonly testifies that you have noconvincing argument aboutyour truth. Whenever any foolor tyrant runs out ofarguments, he resorts to thegun and the sword. But areligion that needs sword forits propagation can never befrom God Almighty. If you donot refrain from such Jihadand, in anger, call the righteousby the names of impostors andheretics, then I end my dis-course with the words, – ‘Say!“O ye disbelievers! I worshipnot that which you worship”’(Ch 109: V.2-3).’

(Tafseer, Hadhrat Masih Maud(as),Vol. 1; pp. 747-748)

The Promised Messiah(as) furthersays:

‘Whatever Allah the Almightydoes, He does for the sake ofteaching and training. Sincethe period of glory lingers on,

23



and Muslim power and gloryhad prevailed over a longperiod and their conquestsstretched to the far corners ofthe world, some fools began tothink that Islam was spread byforce although its teaching isT h e re is no compulsion inreligion (Ch.2: V.257). Toprove its truth, Allah theAlmighty sent his KhatamulKhulafa (the Most Perfect ofVicegerents) and by givinghim the task of ‘Ya d h a ’ u lHarb’ (ending wars) gave himthe second task of ‘ L eYudhhirahu ‘aladdeen-e-kullihi’ (that He may make itprevail over every otherreligion Ch.9: V.33). In otherwords he would bring aboutthe victory of Islam byevidence and arguments andwould remove fighting andwars. Those who are waitingfor a blood-thirsty Mahdi andblood-thirsty Messiah are ingreat error’. (Al-Hakam, vol. 6; No. 24; 10July 1902; p.3)

Again, the Promised Messiah(as)

states:

‘There should be freedom inmatters of faith. Allah theAlmighty says that, ‘There isno compulsion in re l i g i o n . ’(Ch.2: V.257) You will not findsuch a sentence anywhere inthe Holy Bible. People havemisunderstood the true causeof wars. If war was thecommandment, then the HolyP r o p h e t( s a ) wasted thirteenyears of his life when he didnot lift the sword once. Thepermission is granted to fightonly those who fight with you.It has never been the principleof Islam to initiate wars. AllahHimself has explained thereason for war by saying‘Dhulimu’ (because they havebeen wro n g e d Ch.22: V. 4 0 ) .When Allah saw that Hispeople are oppressed andpersecuted, only then did Hepermit them to fight in self-defence. Allah never declaredthat now the time for the swordhas come and you shouldconvert people to Islam byforce. Instead, Allah enjoinedthat since you are victims ofoppression, you should fightback. In fact, all laws of theworld permit victims of

24



oppression to fight for theirlife’. (Al-Badr, Vol. 2; No. 1-2; 23January 1903)

In this context, the PromisedMessiah(as) further elaborates:

‘The opinion of Nawab SiddiqHassan that in the time of theMessiah, people will be compelledto become Muslims, is incorrect.God Almighty says, There is nocompulsion in re l i g i o n. (Ch.2:v.257) Yes, once, Christians usedto use force to convert others toC h r i s t i a n i t y. But ever since theadvent of Islam, Islam has beenagainst the use of force. Onlythose who possess no Divine signresort to force. But Islam is anocean of Heavenly Signs. Noprophet ever showed as manymiracles as were shown by ourHoly Prophet(sa). The miracles ofthe earlier prophets died with theirdeath, but the miracles of ourP r o p h e t( s a ) are still beingmanifested today and they willcontinue till the Judgement Day.Whatever is being demonstrated inmy support are, in fact, themiracles of the Holy Prophet(sa).Where are those priests or Jews or

other people who can showcomparable miracles. They willnever, never, never come forward!They will never be able to showeven one miracle even if they dietrying. Their gods are artificial.They do not follow a true God.Islam is an ocean of miracles.Islam has never used anycompulsion nor has there been anyneed for it’.(Appendix to Haqiqatul Wahy; pp.35-36)

The Promised Messiah( a s ) s t a t e sfurther:

‘In their foolish ignorance,these illiterate clerics promptlydeclare that Islam was spreadby the sword. The obtuseChristian clergy is also weddedto these doubtful ideas. Therecan be no bigger lie than toaccuse a religion whose firstteaching happens to be There isno compulsion in re l i g i o n.(Ch.2: V.257) of compulsionand the use of force. Thebattles that our belovedProphet(sa) and his companionshad to fight were purely todefend themselves and tocreate peace. Those who pick

25



up the sword to stop the faithhave to be stopped by thesword’. (Tiriyaqul Qaloob, p.16)

The Promised Messiah( a s )

continues:

‘The true Muslims of the pastnever believed in the use ofsword for propagating Islam.Instead, Islam spread all overthe world because of its ownattributes. Therefore those whocall themselves Muslims, andknow only that Islam should bespread by the use of sword, donot know of the beauties ofIslam. Their actions are nobetter than the actions ofbeasts’. ( Tiriyaqul Qaloob, footnotep.167)

Therefore, it is a duty of everyAhmadi today that he should takethis message to the whole worldthat the true teaching of Islam isthe one that has been given to usby the Promised Messiah(as). Theyshould take the message of love,peace and brotherhood; anddeclare to the whole that Islamwas not spread by the sword but

by the excellence of its teachings.Tell those who are associatingIslam with the sword that they arefollowing the wrong course.Explain to them and pray for thembecause they come in the categoryof ‘Inna hum La Ya’alamoon’ –Verily, they do not know. It is thecrying need of the time toconvince the world that Islamspread during the time of the HolyProphet(sa) because of his prayersand supplications; and in this age,God willing, this will happen onlyby presenting the true teachings ofIslam as expounded by thePromised Messiah( a s ), the truedevotee and servant of the HolyProphet of Islam(sa).

26




The Inbuilt Criterion for Good andBadGod has endowed the humanphysiology with intrinsic potentials todistinguish disease from health andcreative phenomena from destructivephenomena. This system of dis-crimination works without theknowledge of human consciousnessand as an ongoing self-flowingphenomenon. In fact this applies notonly to human beings but to all formsof life as well. Each species, whetherelementary or advanced, is wellequipped with that inbuilt abilitywhich informs each individualbelonging to any species of what is

good for it and what is bad for itwithin its own tiny world of the barestform of existence. Even the amoebahas its limitations of health anddisease, what it should endeavour topossess and what it should avoid andevade. But in man it is so highlydeveloped and complex, that even acursory glance at its function isabsolutely astounding.

The process of selection and rejectionis observed in perfect operation atevery level of human existence; thefollowing simple illustration will helpelaborate the case in point.

Balance Within Man’s BodyThis article is an extract from the bookAbsolute Justice, Kindness andKinship: The Three Creative Principles,in which the author, Hadhrat MirzaTahir Ahmad – Khalifatul Masih IV,elaborates on the three stages ofhuman relations; namely Adl(Absolute justice), Ihsan (to grantsomeone more than his due) and Ita’IDhil-Qurba (to treat someone withsuch grace and overw h e l m i n gbenevolence as one would treat one’skindered).This section follows a discussion of onemeaning of verse nine of Surah Al-Shams (‘And He revealed to it what is wrong for it [fujoor] and what is rightfor it [taqwa]’), and focuses on another aspect of its meaning.

The appetite in man creates in himthe awareness of the requirements ofe n e rg y. The sense of sight, smell,touch and taste, and even in somecases the sense of hearing, allimmediately begin to take an activepart in determining what is good andwhat is bad, and to what extentsomething is good and to what extentsomething is bad for the man in needof some form of energ y. Then if amorsel of something is introducedinto the mouth, the taste buds andheat buds and the sensory org a n srelating to touch etc., the teeth andsalivary glands and jaw bones andthe nerves attached to the teeth,muscles of the jaws and circularfibres around the oesophagus andtrachea, all begin to play a perfectlybalanced role, as if dancing in perfectharmony in step with the music oflife. Then, when at last something isswallowed, the selection processbegins to play a more profound rolein disintegrating the food into its

constituent materials and purifying itfrom alien matters not needed by thebody and purifying it from bacterialor viral impurities and breaking itinto such chemical elements as canbe readily assimilated by the systemand recycled into other morecomplex organic materials afterhaving being introduced into thebloodstream of man.

These are but a very fewoversimplified examples of how thehuman body is equipped to create abalanced diet for human con-sumption. If the balance is disturbed,then the quality of human life andhealth is adversely affected. Thebalance needed within the system oflife in human beings is so perfectlymeasured and precisely proportioned,that even a slight disturbance inmutual proportions can turn life intodeath.

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Balance Within Man’s Body


IN SHORT, IN TERMS OF HUMAN PHYSIQUE, THIS VERSE OF

SURAH AL-SHAMS INDICATES THAT HUMAN PHYSIOLOGY

AND ANATOMY AND THE NERVOUS SYSTEM AND THE

PORTAL SYSTEM, INTRAVENOUS SYSTEM AND GLANDULAR

S Y S T E M, A N D T H E I M M U N E S Y S T E M A R E A L L W E L L

EQUIPPED WITH THE KNOWLEDGE OF WHAT IS GOOD AND

BAD FOR THEM, AND HOW TO AVOID EVIL AND ADOPT A

HEALTHY COURSE.

Here it would be logical to translateFujoor as changes threatening thehealthy progress of life, and Taqwa asmeasures of the potential ability toavoid the dangers which may lead toillness and death. This also has aconnotation of protective capabilitiesor defensive measures.

In short, in terms of human physique,this verse of Surah Al-Shamsindicates that human physiology andanatomy and the nervous system andthe portal system, intravenous systemand glandular system, and theimmune system are all well equippedwith the knowledge of what is goodand bad for them, and how to avoidevil and adopt a healthy course. Aminute study of just one of thesystems alluded to would virtuallyrequire volumes to be written; yet byno means would the subject beexhausted. To say that this magicaland wonderful would be naive. Tocompare the intricacies and the tiersupon tiers of mysteries with whichhuman life is endowed is like placingAlice in Wonderland. In comparisonto the wonders of human creation allfiction relating to mystery andwonder is paled into nothingness.

When we study the scientificexplanation of how the human bodyfunctions, we are amazed to noticehow perfectly they verify the relevant

Q u r’anic statements. There is anamazing balance between man’spropensity to fall ill and catchdiseases and his potential ability tocure himself from all forms of diseaseof which he may be stricken. Evencancers can be cured withoutintervention of physicians oroncologists. In fact there are someterminal cases of cancer which areduly recorded in medical historywhere the patient made a completer e c o v e r y, defying the scientificunderstanding of how it could havehappened. The specialists’ know-howis disregarded when terminally illpatients begin to recover and return tolife without any understandablecause. The scientists are inunanimous agreement however thatthe intricacies of the human immunesystem are as yet superficiallyunderstood. Yet only this much wecan say with certainty, that ourdefence system is provided withlimitless possibilities.

Despite its perfection no defenceapparatus in man can bring himeternity. In each system that man isendowed with there is an inherentcounter system which works inmeasured tones for its ultimatedestruction. Everything is preciselymeasured and proportioned. Theestimated duration of the life of eachcell of the human body is

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predetermined by the most intricatedominant and recessive charac-teristics etched onto the genes. It isalso clearly predetermined as to howlong the growth rate for certainorgans would move at a faster pacethan the death rate of the same organ.Also it is clearly predetermined as tothe age at which the pace of growthand destruction would remainperfectly matched, and again it is alsopredetermined as to the time afterwhich the rate of death would outpacethe rate of growth. None of these isaccidental.

Physical GrowthLet us study by way of illustration thesimple example of the growth ofteeth. The milk teeth as we knowthem are governed and are beingconstantly monitored in the rate ofgrowth and decay, so that for someyears the rate of growth outpaces therate of decay. For some years thebalanced stage is reached where therates remain constant. Then suddenlythe balance is tilted in favour of deathand decay, and the days of the milkteeth are numbered. After that beginsthe age of the adult teeth. The rate ofgrowth in the beginning is muchfaster in this case than the rate of thewear and tear. Up to a certain stage,when they reach their predeterminedsize of length, breadth and thickness,the balance in favour of growth

remains intact. After a pre-calculatedsize is reached, suddenly a perfectbalance between the rate of growthand the rate of wear and tear isdelicately maintained, so leavinginjury through disease and accidentaside, they remain in a perfectlyhealthy and balanced state with noapparent changes occurring in theirlength and size.

Ordinarily people think they havegrown and stopped growing, and thatis all that there is to it. This naiveconcept is farthest from the truth. Ifthey had stopped growing they wouldhave ground into nothingness in amatter of weeks and months. If on theother hand, the rate of growthcontinued to remain the same as wasoperative in the initial stages, theywould have continued to grow longerand longer till the lower teeth wouldhave jutted out of the top of thehuman skull and the upper teethwould be seen hanging below the jaw.

So it is not an unmeasured, uncon-trollable phenomenon that we areobserving. All the factors responsiblefor measuring growth to a certainperiod and the change in the rate ofgrowth after a certain period of timeand the mutual balance between therate of growth and decay, are anextremely complex set of instructionsspecifically and clearly written into

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the blueprint of human creation.When they act in detail, it is mindboggling to realise how the blueprintof human design and engineeringunfolds itself and works in such anamazing and intricate manner.

The safe removal of the wasteproducts through the humanexcretory system is also a system initself which astounds humanunderstanding. Here of course theprinciple of Adl is applicable with noawareness on the part of the humanmind. Only when he treats the teethwith injustice does he begin to realisethe outcome of his folly through thedamage that he himself inflicts on hisown teeth. And within a small spherehe begins to observe another form ofjustice in play, that is the justiceoperative in the phenomena of crimeand punishment.

DiabetesDiabetes is a common disease whichcan be used to illustrate the mysteriesof balances. Among other things,diabetes is caused by imbalances inthe secretions of some vital glands inthe human assimilative system.

The pancreas produces two types ofsecretions or chemicals. One is calledinsulin and is largely responsible forthe assimilation of sugar into all partsof the organs of the body, which

constantly require sugar as a source ofe n e rgy for their survival. There are somany glands involved in this complextask. Even if the animal does not eatsugar directly, various forms ofcarbohydrates he consumes in theforms of starches, powders, fruits andvegetables etc., are broken down intosugar by certain glands in the body.This sugar, or any other sugar directlyconsumed by an animal is a readysource for all his requirements ofe n e rg y, but it cannot be directlyutilised by any human organ or part ofthe body without the help of insulin.But if insulin is produced in excessivequantities, a disease which is theopposite of diabetes can be caused andthis is called hypoglycaemia. In thisdisease, the sugar level is so loweredby over-consumption or by otherfactors, that if it is not immediatelyrectified it can result in sudden deathor a deep coma which is damaging forthe brain and other vital org a n s .

To keep a counter check onproduction of insulin there is acomplex signalling system at work inthe body which sounds an alarm as ifannouncing the fact that all the insulinthat was needed has been producedand no more is required. This counterinsulin secretion is also produced inthe same area of the glandular systemwhich is responsible for theproduction of insulin. When secretion

31



is released the production of insulinsuddenly halts and the animal seemsto enter a state of perfect satiation.Tilt the balance to either side and thehealth will be adversely influenced tosome degree.

But this is not all to the story ofinsulin and measures created by Godto keep it in check and balance.

Each human organ requires insulinfor the assimilation of sugar, but alsoother rare elements and secretions areneeded to support this complexsystem. Every cell in the bloodstreamconstantly needs energ y. After theconsumption of energ y, the wasteproduct needs to be thrown out. Forthis, adequate measures are takenwhereby the waste product and toxinsetc. are secreted out of the system.

All the above functions are performedthrough the agency of the blood-stream. Talking of the bloodstream,this in itself offers limitless wonders.The problem with the bloodstream isthat it can be self-destructive. Themedium of liquid in which blood cellsof different types are suspended candestroy the nucleus of the cellimmediately if it is permitted to flowinto the cell freely. To counter thisdanger there is a bi-layered envelopearound each cell which cannot bepenetrated directly by the liquid

electrolyte system in which the cellsare suspended. This bi-layeredenvelope provides a very effectivepreventative cover to each cell. But itcreates its own problems.

Sugars are found dissolved in thebloodstream and the same doublecover preventing the solution of bloodfrom reaching the nucleus alsoprevents sugar from reaching thenucleus where it is vitally needed farsurvival. Also, a well-proportionedamount of insulin must somehow betransported into the cell. So to keepperfect balance between bothrequirements and provide eff e c t i v emeasures against both dangers (eitherside), God has designed the two coversof the cells to meet the situationp e r f e c t l y. Both covers have certainpores through which a molecule ofsugar is transported with an attachedmolecule of insulin into the heart ofthe cell where it is immediatelyconsumed. The waste products arecarried back through the pores of thesame covers to the bloodstream wherethey are washed out to the porous skinin the form of perspiration, or highlycomplex mucous membranes in thekidney etc. This transportation ofsugar into the cell and the expulsion ofwaste product occurs at unbelievablyhigh speeds.

This is the energy transportation

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system; but this again is not all. Thereis far more to it. Each human organ,including cells in the bloodstream,requires a certain amount of sugarconstantly for survival. But of coursethere are priorities, the priority of thebrain is supreme over all the organs ofthe body. If the sugar level in thebloodstream sinks, the brain mustsomehow be guaranteed a constantsupply till the entire reserve of sugaris depleted. If every organ andcellular tissues of the body had equalaccess to the consumption of sugar,there would always be a danger of thebrain being deprived of its vitalsupply of sugar because of over-consumption elsewhere. Hence tokeep the balance between variouspriorities, glands also create othersecretions which direct theconsumption of insulin in a complexand controlled manner.

If the sugar falls below a certain levelwhere the supply to the brain could bethreatened, the relative glandularsecretions would stop all supply ofinsulin and sugar to other organs ofthe body including blood particles.The entire stock will be stopped forthe survival of the brain. The balancesare not only in one place. Tier aftertier of extremely delicate balances arecreated and maintained. In short, thisis absolute justice which worksunconsciously in man at diff e r e n t

levels of existence. Hence they maynot be referred to as absolute justice,but one cannot escape the fact thatjustice and perfect balance are twonames for the same phenomenon. Inother words, we can say without fearof contradiction that perfect health isanother name for absolute justice.

To understand the issue of balance inrelation to sugar in the human body,let us discuss the specific example ofhow much sugar is needed, and whatare the minimum and maximumlevels. For each 100 ml of blood,there must always be at least 60 mg ofsugar available for consumption. Buton the other side of the equation thesugar level must not exceed 180 mgper 100 ml of blood (Textbook ofMedical Physiology, Arthur C.Guyton, 5th Edition, Saunders, 1976,Chap, 78.). If it exceeds that levelthen the state of imbalance is referredto as blood sugar.

To keep the balance correct if theinsulin fails to maintain the balance,the excess sugar in the blood iswashed out by the kidneys so that theexcessive presence of sugar in theblood may not corrode the cellulartissues of the body. When the excessis passed out into the urine what wehave is a case of diabetes with theunwarranted presence of sugar in theurine. Sometimes the threshold of the

33



kidneys is high and the excess ofsugar in the blood is not washed out,resulting in dangerously high levelsof sugar in the blood. This has acorrosive effect on some organs; theheart valves can also be eaten up bythe excessive flow of sugar throughthem (like acid corroding thechannels it flows in). The extra sugaris somehow deposited where the flowof the blood is slow, in places like thecapillaries, causing many types ofirritation and damage. When thishappens in the blood capillaries of theeyes, the person may suffer fromcataract and glaucoma and other typesof eye diseases. It can slow down theimpulses carried through the nervesand create dangers directly resultingfrom this lethargic state of transportthrough the nerves.

In every day experience we find thatsome diabetic patients remainunaware of pain they should feel as aresult of spasms around the heart. Bymissing these signals they may betaken by a surprise heart attack. Sotalking of the balance of justice is notjust an academic luxury. Thepersistent lack of justice ordisproportion in balance is unlikely togo unpunished in nature. Alas, thislesson is ignored by man and he livesunder the illusion that he can escapethe consequences of injustice. Butthat we will turn to later.

Protection Against DiseaseLet us now turn our attention tocertain other examples of balancescreated by God for the healthymaintenance of human life. Not onlyhuman life of course, the entireuniverse of innumerable species oflife are firmly controlled and rununder the absolute and unwaveringprinciple of justice. Where violated,inadvertently or intentionally, onewill never fail to discover thepresence of disease.

There is an amazing system ofbalance within our bodies. Anyimbalance may cause complications,eventually leading the patient todeath. If we know how this intricatesystem of balance, which God hascreated in our bodies, works we willonly appreciate it more. Howunfortunate is the case of man,otherwise such a proud animal,conscious of being at the head of allevolutionary achievements of life,being equipped with the mostcomplex faculties of thinking andcomputation, yet he remains unawareof the most complex system ofbalance God has provided him with.This in itself is an injustice. In factthere is a vast internal universe ofinnumerable correlating factors,suspended in perfect balance andharmony constantly taking care of lifein every aspect of its requirements.

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This micro-universe of symphony inman is the greatest wonder that Godhas created. Man is the masterpiece ofG o d ’s creation and is so naivelyunaware of his own creative wondersthat he consequently remainsoblivious of the gratitude he owes tohis Creator.

But there is more to it than just Adl.God in His extreme beneficence hastaken measures to provide anadditional system of cushioning andresilience to the working of thehuman body, which strictly speakingdoes not belong to the realm of Adland justice. It is something extra, as ifunearned, granted to the body entirelyby way of special kindness. Lookingat it from another angle, one can saythat in view of human faults,excessive negligence and evenaccidents, a system of compensationis provided by God. When viewedfrom the vantage point of conscioushuman actions, it appears much likethe term Ihsan in action, as we havepreviously discussed at same length.

The benefaction of Ihsan and Ita’iDhil-Qurba are granted to protect thesystem of justice. Far instance, if manwas provided with digestive juicess u fficient to meet the dailyrequirements of food, that wouldimply that each animal eats exactlywhat he requires with there being no

room for excess. This is only thedictate of justice. But God hasprovided animals with far greaterpossibilities to meet the eventualitiesof excessive eating on their part. Withsome effort of course everyone candigest twice the amount of foodrequired for healthy living. When thatis exceeded, then the domain ofpunishment begins. When one beginsto become a habitual violator ofjustice a breakdown follows at longlength. This is a very primitive andsimple example of the provisions ofIhsan in all functions of human andanimal life.

The Production of InsulinIn order to illustrate this point furtherwe look at the example of the dailyrequirements of sugar of every animaland see how the factors ofbenevolence perform rescueoperations and shield the patient’shealth from the bad affects ofindulgent eating. For instance, if theinsulin produced by the pancreas wasin exact proportion to the dailyrequirements of sugar by an animalthen this would only fulfil therequirements of Adl and benevolencewould have no part to play. But Godhas granted the pancreas thecapability to produce more insulinthan is the ordinary requirement. If ahealthy man consumed ten to twentytimes more sugar, his metabolism

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would not allow him to suffer fromdiabetes. Also, if the pancreas isdamaged by disease or accident, sothat only one-seventh remainsfunctional, still the daily requirementsof the insulin supply could bemaintained.

It is interesting to note here that if thepancreas produced less insulin thanthe required amount, this too wouldviolate the principle of justice. Itwould be befitting here to elaboratethis discussion a little further for thebenefit of the lay people, whonormally do not understand theworkings of the scientificphenomena.

The production of insulin is not in anyway accidental. When we say it canproduce insulin matching exactly theneed for insulin, we do not mean thatautomatically the pancreas produces acertain amount of insulin irrespectiveof the presence of sugar in the bodysystem. That would be extremelyunjust. The intake of food in allanimals is not measured or regulatedto ensure that every animal takes theexact amount of needed sugar,directly or in the form ofcarbohydrates. Animals have noknowledge of what they require, onlya vague craving for eating, whichcompels them to eat whatever satiatestheir hunger and is palatable to their

taste. The amount of food consumedis such a variable factor that noregular measured intake could beguaranteed to suit each individualanimal. Yet scientifically it can bedetermined as to how much averageintake of food is required by eachanimal of certain weight, size andphysique. So when we talk of dailyrequirements we talk in terms ofaverages, while the actual intake offood may change almost daily.

The pancreas is not only equipped toproduce the average need of theanimal, but the production system isso well regulated and monitored thatsomehow messages are delivered toit, informing it of the exact measuresof insulin needed at a certain time.

Hence every time the animal requiresinsulin for the breakdown of sugarintake, the pancreas produces theexact amount that is needed. First ofall, the point worthy of note is thefact that no blind accidents seem totake place in creation. Otherwise insome animals the pancreas wouldalways fail to produce the dailyrequirement of the animal and suchanimals would ultimately die due tolack of energ y. In other animals it ispossible for the pancreas to overworkand overproduce insulin whichwould result in another unhealthystate. This chaotic behaviour could

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result from their being provided bymore or less potential than needed.Also it could result from lack of amonitoring system.

What we observe in real life,h o w e v e r, is the most beautifullybalanced state of affairs. The size andproduction of pancreas in eachanimal is exactly made to measure.When there is less need for theproduction of insulin, or no need atall, the pancreas slow down or ceasefunctioning accordingly. Thepancreas would constantly receivesignals which would will it to sleep.When the intake of sugar requiresproduction of insulin, immediatelythe entire factory will begin tofunction at maximum capacity untilthe need is met. Then suddenly it willreceive signals transmitted fromsomewhere, ordering the pancreas tocease to function at once. What weare talking about by way ofillustration is that the provision ofI h s a n is beyond the discussion ofgenuine demand and supply.

We are talking about accidental orintentional over-pumping of sugar intothe system. If only the system ofjustice had been operative, theprinciple of crime and punishmentwould continue to punish the animalforthwith for all excesses committed.But God, the most Beneficent and

Merciful, has taken into account theaccidental or intentional excesses onthe part of animals, particularly in thecase of man. Hence, potentially,human beings are provided by somany times more pancreatic materialso that even if a person were toconsume so many times more sugar,this crime would be overlooked and hewould not be immediately punishedfor such occasional excesses. But if hecontinues to disregard the dictates ofjustice and if he constantly violates theprinciples of healthy living by eatingdisproportionately to his requirements,then a time may come when the handof I h s a n would be withdrawn, andpure and simple justice would takeo v e r. The pancreas would break downand cease to work the extra load; suchtransgressors would then suffer fromwhat we call diabetes.

Even at this stage we find theelements of Ita’i Dhil-Qurba comingto the rescue of such sufferers. If thesugar level were to then rise to adangerous level in the bloodstream,the kidneys would be ordered to startexcreting extra sugar to the maximumcapacity. Here again we observe thefascinating display of balance andpreference. The kidney suffers ofcourse, but by way of sacrifice for themore vital organs. It suffers because itcan take more of the suffering.

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If the kidney were designed to excreteblood sugar automatically as a routinefunction, no sugar in the blood wouldbe left for the normal consumption ofthe human body. It would constantlyleak out into the liver if so. On theother hand, if the kidneys weredesigned never to excrete sugar fromthe complicated and highly designedmembranes, then every diabeticpatient would hasten to his end faster.In the case of those whose kidneysexcrete excessive amounts of sugar,this over and extra kindness above theroutine benevolence of Ihsan can belinked to Ita’i Dhil-Qurba. When thekidneys take the load of excretingsugar, it is a self-sacrifice on theirpart. But the kidneys themselves are amarvel of creation.

All the human waste in thebloodstream which is constantlyproduced through metabolic activitiesis channelled out of the human systemthrough various organs. It is not thenormal function of kidneys to excretesugar; the normal function of kidneysis to excrete waste products ofmetabolism. If the human body ishealthy and enjoys a balanced diet,the metabolic waste would require acertain size and weight for the kidneyto perform its function of excretion. Ifthe kidneys are only made to measurein accordance with this requirement,one-eighth of the size of the human

kidney would be sufficient, and itwould require no extra cushioning incase of accidental disease or excessesby gourmet eaters. It is a fascinatingdisplay of Ihsan and Ita’i Dhil-Qurbatogether.

The kidneys are fashioned to takeeight times more load than theordinary requirement of the day-to-day bodily functions. That is to saythat if there is a constant disregardtowards the dictates of justice andtowards the beneficence of God, andif man were to lose seven parts of hiskidneys out of his eight parts, still hecould survive as a normal healthyperson, provided he learns his lessonand returns to a normal balanced life.

Thus we see that absolute justice andbenevolence in most situations canflourish together without oneinterfering with the other. However, ifthere is a danger of a clash occurringbetween the two, then benevolence isnot permitted to play a role andabsolute justice must prevail. If thecoming into play of benevolencerequires the sacrifice of justice, that isto say if favours can only be shown atthe cost of justice, then the course ofbenevolence cannot be permitted tofunction. As long as benevolencecoexists without interfering into thedomain of justice it will be permittedto survive and function. Although

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benevolence is a thing of a higherorder, justice is more fundamental inits nature and fundamentals are neversacrificed on the altar of what is extraand optional.

We shall now consider the abovementioned example in the light of atradition of the Holy Prophet(sa) that:

‘A non-believer may eat seventimes more, in comparison to abeliever.’ (Muslim Kitab-ul-Ashreba, Ch.34, Hadith 182, 184.)

This tradition so accurately demon-strates the minimum maximumcapacity of the digestive system.

H o w e v e r, this subject is vast andrequires a deeper study to reach theintricate workings of the mechanismof digestion of sugar into the systemand the maintenance of the relevantbalances. Again, the subject is socomplex that by no means could it soaccurately be kept in poise andbalance through accidental creation.Insulin is just one factor which islargely involved in the transportationof sugar from the blood system to theareas of requirements. But hundredsof other factors are responsible forperfect balance of insulin-relatedactivities. Hence it is possible for apatient to suffer from diabetes despite

the pancreas working normally. Sof a r, scientists have discoveredhundreds of possible factors whichplay a role in the maintenance of thecomplex sugar absorption system inthe body. Yet, in the final analysis, theemphasis is on perfect balance, or anabsolute justice, as it has also beenreferred to.

CalciumCalcium also plays an important rolein keeping man’s health in goodorder. His health is at a great risk ifthe balance of calcium is somehowdisturbed even ever so slightly. In thisrespect, the margin between healthand disease is much narrower thanthat which exists in the case of theglucose level in the blood. A healthybody needs a minimum amount of9.2% calcium and a maximum of10.4% calcium (Textbook of MedicalPhysiology, Arthur C. Guyton, 5thEdition, Saunders, 1976, Chap. 79.).Any rise or fall in the proportion ofcalcium may cause severe damage tohealth, even resulting in suddendeath. A study of a disease notuncommon among cattle would behelpful in demonstrating howimportant it is for calcium to bepresent in the body in exactly theright proportions.

Sometimes due to viruses orenvironmental factors, the cattle

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begin to show signs of sudden loss ofenergy which is perplexing for thefarmer, as there is no outward reasonfor this to happen. A cow, perfectlyhealthy the night before, suddenlybuckles in at the knees and drops likea dead weight and simply cannot riseagain. There is no fever and no sign ofany disease, just a slump into death. Acapable veterinary could of coursesave the cattle by the injection ofreadily soluble calcium which wouldmiraculously inject life into the dyingcattle. This is how important it is forcalcium not to drop below theminimum required level.

Sometimes persistent progressivedebility amongst humans is traced tothe gradual decrease in calcium. Sofar, the principle to understand is thatthe delicate levels of calcium shouldnot be disturbed, as this would bedangerous for human health.Generations of scientists working onthis may not have quite understood allthe factors responsible formaintaining this delicate balance.

Its role in the composition of thehuman body is a complex one.Calcium phosphate gives rigidity tothe human skeleton and the calciumsalts provide the hard structure of thebones and teeth and give hardness tothe membranous tissues covering thecell.

The poor condition of the cells andteeth and excessive irritability a r eamong the symptoms possible forindicating a shortage of calcium,whereas too much calcium may resultin mental confusion and the lethargiccondition of the body.

Inside the cell is the living protoplasmwhich is surrounded by a toughmembrane. Any deficiency ofcalcium in the membrane removes itstoughness, consequently making thecell weaker. This may result in theprotrusion of protoplasm. Amonghumans, the intake of calcium variesaccording to what they consume andwhere they live. Thus any deficiencyof calcium or its excessive intake canmake their lives vulnerable todiseases. An imbalance of calcium inthe bone tissue and bloodstream canbe responsible for the followingdisorders:

• Vasodilation resulting in a drop inblood pressure.

• Reduced contractility of the heartmuscles.

• The change in bone tissue whichresults in rickets.

• Serious osteoarthritis where theratio of calcium is disturbed andalso involves angina attacks. The

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drop in the calcium level is becauseof the drop in the blood pressure andcauses serious and permanentdamage to the brain and tissues.

Hence God has provided man’s bodywith another protective system whichkeeps the balance of calcium in order.The factors responsible for maintainingthe delicate balance in calcium arenumerous and intricately interrelated.This monitoring and corrective systemcan be likened to the phrase in SurahAl-Shams, verse nine. Taqwa, in thiscontext would mean, ‘We havecomputed into the building material oflife the instructions concerning theareas of dangers which should beavoided, as well as the detailedinstructions of how they could beavoided.’ Accordingly, the calciumbalance also has many inherentmonitoring systems which constantlyguard over it and, whenever necessary,call for remedial measures. The call isimmediately responded to by thecomplex glandular system, which iswell equipped with the necessarymechanism to create the supply of themuch-needed remedies.

A small amount of calcium is neededby the blood and soft tissues, the rest isstored in the teeth and bones. Ifcalcium in the blood is in short supplyit is replenished from the store in theb o n e s .

The body adjusts its absorption rateaccording to the supply of calcium inthe diet – a low dietary intake meansthe absorption is high, and a highintake means that the excess will bestored in the bones until an optimumis reached, and then the absorptionfrom the gut is slowed down. Thepresence of Vitamin D increases theabsorption of calcium. Hence, intropical countries, even though thediet may be deficient in calcium, thehigh level of Vitamin D in the body(from exposure to the sun) will makethe absorption of calcium moreefficient.

Regulation of the calcium balance isunder control of a hormone calledparathormone, which is produced bythe parathyroid glands. This works inconjunction with Vitamin D to adjustthe absorption of calcium to meet therequirements of the body. Calciton isanother hormone which plays a rolein regulating the balance of calcium.If there is too much calcium in theblood, calciton takes the excess backto the bone. It also slows downabsorption from the gut.

Sodium and PotassiumLet us illustrate the system of Fujoora n d Taqwa from another angle.Sodium and potassium are twoelements which are essential for themaintenance of human life, and a

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balance has to be kept between them.H o w e v e r, the necessary sodium-potassium ratio varies with thed i fferent parts of the body. Forexample, the bones and the fleshrequire more potassium than they dosodium, whereas blood cells needmore sodium than they do potassium.An imbalance between these salts canlead to dangerous consequences. Thebalancing of these two chemicals inall parts of the body is not accidentaleither, but is part of a well organisedscheme.

Also, the health of the nervous systemis largely dependent on both sodiumand potassium, but the requirement ofnerves for each chemical changesaccording to the situation. Nerve cellspass messages to other nerve cells ina chain, so that the messageseventually reach the part of the bodythat they are intended for. In thetransfer of messages from nerve cellto nerve cell, sodium flows into thecell while potassium flows out. If thisprocess is then not reversedimmediately and potassium is notrehabilitated to its resting level thenthe result can be spontaneous death.

It is from this that we can deduce themeaning of the Qur’anic expressionFa Sawwaka Fa Adalaka. One shortphrase summarises the entirecomplex system of balances and

c o u n t e r-balances that exist in ourbodies.

Cell DivisionSimilarly, the process of cell divisionis very interesting. Every seven years,each cell in the body is replaced underthe highly complicated system ofcatabolism. Catabolism is the processwhereby cells are constantlyconsumed and destroyed. However,we are not aware that thisphenomenon is taking place as noneof our physical features changeradically.

It is possible that with the passage oftime, one may improve in health andgain weight, or deteriorate and loseflesh, but the personality of one’sphysical being remains exactly thesame. Each new-born cell whichreplaces the dying one is born almostin the image of its predecessor whichis destroyed in the process ofcatabolism.

To illustrate this point perhaps themost commonly known example isthat of fingerprints. The thumbimpression of the newborn babe in itsintricate pattern remains exactly thesame as when he grows up to a ripeold age. The thumb impression doesnot change.

This subject is related to the system of

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Adl in that the cells which replace thedead ones are born in accordance withthe needs and requirements of theb o d y. The body organs need aconstant system of repair becauseevery organ would diminish in sizeunless the cells lost in the process ofits function are replaced. If the rate ofsupply of cells rises higher than therequirement, the organ will continueto grow beyond its designed size. If itis less than the needed rate, then theorgan in question will diminish insize.

If human cells which are perpetuallyconsumed for one reason or the otherare not replaced by almost exactly thesame number as those lost, animbalance will occur causing seriousdisorder in the human physique. Byapplying this principle to any organ ofthe body one can easily visualise theabominable consequences. Take theeyeball, for instance. During the dailyfunction of the eye, we are constantlyusing life cells in every part of theeye. If replacements are made at arate faster than consumption, theeyeball will begin to grow out of itssocket. If the balance is tilted on theother side, the eyeball would reducein size until it becomes a mere dotbefore passing into nothingness.

To sum up, if the balance in man’sbody is disturbed, and fewer cells die

than are born, then man’s physiquewould expand out of all proportion.On the other hand, if dying cells werenot replenished at the required rate,man would fade out of existence.

A Look Into the Insect KingdomAlthough we are discussing humanlife, it should be borne in mind thatthis system of absolute justiceencompasses all forms of life.

Justice, in application to thegoverning of life processes, meansthat everything is kept within itsdesigned limits and is not permitted totransgress into others’ areas of rights.If every cell of a living body,whatever the nature of the tissue itbelongs to, has a definite function toperform the principle of absolutejustice requires that the function ofeach must be confined within thelimits of its design and should not bepermitted to outgrow and run amokwithout any control.

In application to the insect kingdom,it becomes evident that it is thisintricate system of control whichkeeps them within a limited level ofgrowth. Each insect has apredetermined dimension, whichcould be disturbed to an unman-ageable degree if strict controls werenot applied against the overgrowth ofits tissues. Insects constantly

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consume certain types of foodsuitable for the maintenance of theirlife. If unchecked by the laws ofnature they would grow to suchgigantic sizes as to fill the earth fromend to end. Why should their growthcome to a halt at a certain stage?What are the forces which imposesuch limits? What is the system whichkeeps them within a limited level ofgrowth? These are questions whichare as yet to be understood byscientists. To let them grow wouldappear to be an act of kindness, but atwhat cost? At the cost of all otherforms of life.

So balance, or absolute justice inhuman terminology, is not kepta u t o m a t i c a l l y, but is imposed andcontrolled by certain forces as yet notfully comprehended. Previously wementioned the example of growthwithin each organ of the body. Themechanism which controls thegrowth of teeth and eyeballs etc.within every individual human being,also seems to be operative in relationto one species and the other.

Alas, man is ingrate. In spite ofintelligence, he remains heedless ofthat Omnipotent Being, while everyparticle of the universe bears witnessto His existence!

Imbalance and DiseaseIf man were to reflect on his trueworth, he would realise that he is nomore than a handful of dust. All thathe is arrogant about is vain pride,while he possesses nothing. Allbelongs to Allah. Man has beengranted such a perfect body, but whenin health he fails to comprehend thathe is dependent on a grand andintricate system of balances. When hefalls ill, his discomfort, pain andsuffering bring out the realisation inhim of his frailty. It is then that hisdependence on God begins to dawnupon him. It is God who prevents himfrom falling victim to the numberlessdiseases which hover around him. Buthe is protected from each by aninbuilt defensive mechanism which isconstantly on the watch. Even aminute lapse here or there wouldmake him a victim of disease.

The point to be highlighted here isthat even if a small and insignificantpart of the body is permitted to fall ill,while the remaining parts stayperfectly healthy, the diseased personsuffers in totality. A small sore on thetip of a finger, a corrosion of a tooth,an infection in a part of the eyelid, canmake one suffer so intensely thatpeople are known to have taken theirown lives in order to escape the agonycaused by such apparently minorailments. The growth of a gland in the

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brain could make a person epileptic, asuffering not only to himself but tohis entire circle of family and friendsas well.

Only in such cases can the immensebeneficence of God be fully realised;a beneficence which is constantlyshowered on every living creature.This realisation can only dawn onthose who have the faculty to thinkand be grateful. Again in the finalanalysis, disease is nothing but thedisturbance of balance which we termas absolute justice.

A mere imbalance in the elements ofthe body can cause a number of fataldiseases. Many a great man, king,philosopher and scholar, whocommanded respect and earned greatrenown at various times in history,when afflicted with disease andsuffering, lost all dignity and self-respect and stooped to the level ofbegging abjectly for help from thoseof their attendants who themselveshad no power to help them ease theirsuffering. Great emperors who struckterror into the hearts of men far andwide, when afflicted with paralysis,or palsy or epilepsy, appeared sosmall and insignificant andmeaningless, that the meanest of theirservants and slaves would notexchange their slavery with thesovereignty of those moments.

Such was the treatment byShakespeare of Julius Caesar when inone of the masterly strokes of hisgenius he shows Julius Caesar at theheight of his glory and majesty at onemoment, and writhing in pain ands u ffering under a severe epilepticattack-like a mere worm of the earth-in another moment

And when the fit was on him, Idid markHow he did shake; ‘tis true, thisgod did shake; His coward lips did from theircolour fly,And that same eye whose benddoth awe the world Did lose his lustre;Julius Caesar (Act I, Scene II)

But little do these observations makeimpression on the ego of man. Themoment he returns to health, hecompletely forgets those tryingmoments of his life and loses no t i m ein returning to his vanity. Epilepsy,which can make a person feel as if hehad been robbed of his dignity, is infact caused by a minor imbalance inthe nervous system. The imbalanceis so minor, that very often it is notpossible to determine which part ofthe nervous system is affected, andh o w.

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Guardian AngelsThe path to progress is fraught withpitfalls and dangers. Each steptowards advancement can, ifcarelessly taken, lead to destruction.There is no exaggeration in this. Eventhe minutest details of the workingsof life and death seem to go hand inhand. Protection of life is aprofoundly well organised mech-anism which is still to be fullycomprehended. But whatever of it hasbeen understood, to a degree, isastounding.

Behind this apparently self-flowingmechanism, according to religiousunderstanding, there are someinvisible conscious forces who havedifferent dimensions than ours andare known as angels. The entireuniverse is run by the laws of nature,which are governed, maintained andimplemented in the minutest detailsby these governing agents – theangels. The same applies here. Onecan visualise for instance, any unit oflife advancing in time. At everyminute step it takes, there is alwaysthe attendant danger of taking thewrong turn to death. The angels oflife guide each step of thecomponents of life in the rightdirection, but when the moment ofdeath is decreed it is the angel ofdeath who takes over and every stepof living is turned towards death.

The Excesses of ManIf given leave, man would transgressall boundaries. But it is a great bountyof God that he has little control overthe enormous workshop whichoperates within his body. He isunaware of what goes on inside himand is incapable of manipulating hisown internal mechanisms. Anoverwhelmingly large number offunctions of human life run withoutconscious control of the possessor oflife.

There are of course some limitedareas where he is able to exert hisinfluence. For example, excessiveeating, indulgence in carnalpleasures, habits and lifestyles arethe few areas where he is free toexercise his will. We know well thehavoc he plays in the areas under hisc o n t r o l .

Yet in spite of all the licenses hetakes, and the excesses he commitsagainst himself, there runs an innatesystem of well cushioned protectionwithin his physical mechanism. Thisprotective system is designed to bearwith many a fault to a certain extent.But if man continues to commitmistakes, or takes suicidal stepsbeyond all limits, then the punitivesystem takes over. Even then, astruggle begins between disease andhealth, life and death, with each step

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being provided with all of therequisite devices for prolonging thisstruggle against the destructiveforces, with a fair chance of victory.What we understand in religiousterminology as indecency or laxbehaviour or decidedly abhorrentattitudes, or at a third stage, rebellionagainst all order, are in factapplicable to the physical world aswell in all these three categories ofprogressive transgression. Of coursewe do not mean to apply the sameterms to the physical counterparts ofspiritual behaviour, but thesimilarities are so strong that one istempted to use the same terminology.

To find appropriate descriptions forthe three categories of’ transgression,perhaps we could coin our ownterminology, with the first stage beingthat of carelessness and lack ofresponsibility in maintaining one’shealth. The second stage would bedescribed perhaps as positivedegradation from the principle ofhealth with incautious indulgences.The third stage could of course beappropriately described as blatantrebellion against all norms andprinciples. Yet it should not beforgotten, that even at such extremestages, the benevolence of God andHs limitless mercy can still come toman’s rescue.

From a study of the physical world,we can draw safe and dependableconclusions to guide our steps in thespiritual and religious world.Likewise man can draw his lessons bycritically examining his social,political and economic behaviour. Itis not difficult for him to discover thatif he were to conduct himselfcarelessly in any area of his activity,he is likely to suffer the consequencesof his digression from the path ofjustice.

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Although many concernedclinicians and activists have beenwarning the world about ‘fatteningof humanity’, serious attention hasbeen paid to obesity in the westernsociety only recently. The presentsituation is in such a brink thatsome advocates have even broughtlawsuits against fast foodrestaurants that serve greasyfoods. Perhaps it is because of theoverwhelming burden on thenational economy that has finallytriggered a response from theauthority. Obesity is a risk factorof contracting a broad range ofdebilitating conditions, includingheart disease, hypertension,diabetes and cancer. In all, the costof obesity in the United Statesalone is estimated to be $99.2billion annually.i

This once affluent-only illness isnot limited to the western nationsany longer. Obesity and itsassociated morbidities have fastcrept into many parts of Asia andAfrica in the past few decades.Time magazine quotes ten percent

of Chinese children to be over-weight, with urbanized areas ofsub-Saharan Africa not farb e h i n d .i i Without immediateintervention, our future looksbleak indeed.

What solutions can Islam presentto this worldwide epidemic?

Experts agree that obesity,especially fat-eating habits learnedin childhood, is associated withfamilial and socio-cultural factors.A recent article in the Journal ofthe American Dietetic Associationsuggested that, ‘Attitudes aboutfood and eating are learned andreinforced within the home.’iii Ifwe are to, therefore, strike at theroot of its cause, we must modifyeating habits within the family atan early age.

The religion of Islam deals withevery aspect of human existence.In providing man with a completeand perfect code of life, it has laidout numerous guidelines for hisphysical and spiritual progress.


Moderation in a Fattening WorldBy Manzurul A Sikder, MD – New York, USA

The Qur’an teaches us, ‘Ochildren of Adam! look to youradornment at every time and placeof worship, and eat and drink butexceed not the bounds; surely, Hedoes not love those who exceed thebounds.’iv Eating and drinking arenatural habits of man that arecarried out in order to survive. Buteven in doing something as simpleas eating, one must exerciseexcellent judgment. In this verse,God admonishes us to set certainlimits: while we should keep ourphysical well being intact, weshould also maintain social orderand bear in mind the true purposeof our lives.

When done properly our eatingand abstinence from food shouldbe an extension of our worship, aswe are told, ‘On those who believeand do good works there shall beno sin for what they eat, providedthey fear God and believe and dogood works, and again fear Godand believe, yet again fear Godand do good. And Allah lovesthose who do good.’v Paying heedto our eating habits is our duty, itbeing a part of our state ofrighteousness. Even of those fooditems that are lawful, we are urged

to eat only the clean andwholesome portions,v i lest itaffects our relationship with theCreator negatively.

The Holy Prophet of Islam(sa), thepersonification of the code ofliving prescribed by the HolyQur’an, reminds us, ‘Whoever hasfood enough for two persons,should take a third one (fromamong them), and whoever hasfood enough for four persons,should take a fifth or a sixth.’vii

And: ‘When your servant bringsyour food to you, if you do not askhim to join you, then at least askhim to take one or two handfuls,for he has suffered from its heat(while cooking) and has takenpains to prepare it nicely.’viii

The Prophet(sa) was very carefulagainst excesses of food. AbuHuraira(ra) narrated, ‘The family ofMuhammad(sa) did not eat their fillfor three successive days till hedied.’ix The Holy Prophet’s piousconsort Hadhrat Aisha(ra) reportedthat the ‘Prophet(sa) died when wehad satisfied our hunger with twoblack things: dates and water.’x Headmonished his companions, ‘AMuslim eats in one intestine (that

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is, he is satisfied with a little food)while an unbeliever eats in sevenintestines (eats much).’xi

Narrated ‘Umar bin Abi Salama(ra),“I was a boy under the care ofAllah’s Apostle(sa) and my handused to go around the dish while Iwas eating. So Allah’s Apostle(sa)

said to me”‘O boy! Mention theName of Allah and eat with yourright hand, and eat of the dish whatis nearer to you.’”xii

At the end of meals the Prophet(sa)

used to pray, ‘Praise be to AllahWho has satisfied our needs andquenched our thirst. Your favourcannot be compensated or denied,nor can be dispensed with, O ourLord.’xiii

Ramadan gave Muslims a timelyopportunity to remember andabide by these golden guidelines.During that month, healthyMuslims all over the worldabandon food and drink for a greatpart of the day, and along withspiritual benefits, look to attainphysical cleansing. Fastinginitiates mobilisation of stored fat.In the long run, it lowers our totalblood cholesterol. It gives our

digestive tract a well-deservedrest. In addition, it boosts ourimmune system. Fasting alsomakes us conscious of worldwides u ffering through hunger andthirst. It teaches us to curb ourself-indulgence, and be mindful ofour own eating while so many gowithout food. It fights against anastonishing statistic that “nearly80% of all malnourished childrenin the developing world live incountries that report foodsurpluses.’xiv

Short-term starvation, as in thecase of fasting during Ramadan,has been shown to have manyhealth benefits including increasedinsulin sensitivity, stressresistance, reduced morbidity, andincreased life span. x v I n s u l i nresistance seems to play anintegral role in many commonhuman disorders such as obesity,diabetes, hypertension, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease,polycystic ovary syndrome andgallstone disease. As energy in theform of sugar becomes readilyavailable due to obesity, cellsbecome more and more resistant tothis anabolic hormone. This inturn stores further body fat, and

50



the vicious cycle continues. Newerresearch also demonstrates that theonce known metabolic disease ofSyndrome X (combination ofobesity, diabetes and hypertension,which often presents as heartattack) is mainly due to body’sincreasing resistance to insulin.

On the other hand, leptin andadiponectin, two fat-derivedhormones, increase sensitivity toinsulin, control body weight,prevent atherosclerosis andnegatively regulate haema-topoiesis and immune functions.xvi

A recent study conducted atUniversity of Louvain MedicalSchool in Brussels, Belgiumdemonstrated that plasmaadiponectin levels were 30%higher in anorectic (fooddeprivation or fasting state) than incontrol subjects. When normalisedfor fatness, adiponectin valuesalmost doubled in these subjects.Insulin sensitivity tended to be40% higher in anorectic than incontrol subjects.xvii

Heart attacks remain the numberone killer of both men and womenin the western world, and highblood pressure is the number one

cause of heart attacks. Although asalted diet appears to be a sine quan o n for the development ofessential hypertension, low saltdiets often have a modest or evennegligible impact on bloodpressure of hypertensives.Therapeutic fasting, however, hasbeen shown to put a limit onmodern, rich diet, andsubsequently lower elevated bloodpressure. xviii This again is thoughtto be related to the fact that fastingminimizes insulin secretion andhas the potential to break thevicious cycle mentioned earlier. Ameta analysis of multiple clinicalstudies concurred with theseresults: it was found that alongwith nearly 10% decrease in bodyweight and 9% drop in serumcholesterol, twelve weeks ofenergy-restricted diets were alsoassociated with an 8-9% decreasein both systolic and diastolic bloodpressures. Larger reductions inthese values were observed withlarger weight losses.xix

In brief, food deprivation overtime decreases insulin resistance,an identified culprit in many life-threatening illnesses.

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The study conducted by theNational Institute on Aging 1 5

further illustrated that rats thatwere sustained on intermittent(defined as ‘alternate-day’) fastinghad a ‘dramatic increase in lifespan’ in comparison to animalsthat ate ad libitum. They attributedthis to the moderate decrease inblood level of insulin-like growthfactor 1 (IGF-1) achieved onintermittent fasting schedule.

Furthermore, several other well-designed experiments over the lastthree decades have demonstratedthat dietary restriction reducescancer formationx x , x x i and kidneyd i s e a s e ,x x i i and increases theresistance of neurons todysfunction and degeneration inexperimental models ofA l z h e i m e r’s and Parkinson’sdiseases as well as stroke ands e i z u r e .x x i i i , x x i v, x x v, x x v i The last effect isthought to be due to increasedproduction of ketone bodies as ane n e rgy source, which provideneuroprotection. Fasting increasesthe survival of CA3 and CA1neurons in the hippocampus of thebrain. Loss of these pyramidalneurons induce seizures inexperimental mice. The researchers

concluded that, ‘Intermittentfasting schedule itself is neu-roprotective independent of overallcaloric intake.’

Although the next Ramadan is notdue until October, the disciplineand benefits of the last Ramadanshould not be forgotten. Besidesspiritual gains, one of the objectsof Ramadan is to improve thephysical well-being of a person. Ina world that is suffering fromexcessive consumption, Muslimsshould take the lead under theinstructions of the Qur’an andfight against excesses.Encouraging our youngsters to fastfor a few days during Ramadancan lower their fat burden and helpthem achieve a leaner body.Ramadan promotes a sense ofhealth, which will stay with theminto their adulthood and willhopefully continue to the nextgenerations. To fight the dangersof obesity and its related healthproblems, Islamic solution ofconscientious moderation andabstinence in the form of fastingcan certainly go a long way.

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Referencesi Wolf AM, Colditz GA. Current

estimates of the economic cost ofobesity in the United States.Obesity Research 1998; 6:97-106

ii Gibson H. Obesity goes global.Time August 25, 2003

iii Bruss MB et al. Prevention ofchildhood obesity: Socioculturaland familial factors. Journal of theAmerican Dietetic Association2003 vol 103, no 3

iv The Holy Qur’an 7:32

v Ibid. 5:94

vi Ibid. 2:169

vii Sahih Bukhari, Volume 4, Book 56,Number 781

viii Ibid., Volume 7, Book 65 (Book ofFood and Meals), Number 370

ix Ibid., Number 287

x Ibid., Number 295

xi Ibid., Number 308

xii Ibid., Number 288

xiii Ibid., Number 369 (Arabic prayer:Al-hamdu lillah kathiran taiyibanmubarkan fihi ghaira makfiy walamuwada’ wala mustaghna’anhuRabbuna)

xiv Gardner G, Halweil B. Underfedand overfed: The global epidemic ofm a l n u t r i t i o n. Washington, DC:Worldwatch Institute; 2000

xv Anson RM, et al., Intermittentfasting dissociates beneficial effectsof dietary restriction on glucosemetabolism and neuronal resistanceto injury from calorie intake. ProcNatl Acad Sci USA 100:6216-20,2003

xvi Tierney, Jr LM, et al., Ed., Diabetesmellitus and hypoglycemia. CurrentMedical Diagnosis and Treatment1148-9, 2004

xvii Delporte ML, et al.,Hyperadiponectinaemia in anorexianervosa. Clin Endocrinol ( O x f )58:22-9, 2003

xviii McCarty MF, Fasting as a strategyfor breaking metabolic viciouscycles. Med Hypotheses 60:624-33,2003

xix Anderson JW, et al., Importance ofweight management in type 2diabetes: review with meta-analysisof clinical studies. Journal Am CollNutr 22:331-9, 2003

xx Blackwell BN, et al., Toxicol Pathol23:570-82, 1995

xxi Mukherjee P, et al., Br JournalCancer 86:1615-21, 2002

xxii Fernandes G, et al., Proc Natl AcadSci USA 75:2888-92, 1978

xxiii Bruce-Keller AJ, et al., Ann Neurol45:8-15, 1999

xxiv Duan W & Mattson MP, JournalNeurosci Res 57:195-206

xxv Yu ZF & Mattson MP, Journal]Neurosci Res 57:830-9

xxvi Zhu H, et al., Brain Res 842:224-9,1999.

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Chapter 18 of Deuteronomy, the 5thbook of the Bible, mentions in veryclear and concise words, a prophecyabout the advent of a prophet afterMoses(as). Moses(as) is reported to haverevealed this prophecy to theassembly of Israel after his returnfrom the Mount Horeb. He told them:

‘The Lord thy God will raise upunto thee a Prophet from the midstof thee, of thy brethren, like untome; unto him ye shall hearken;A c c o rding to all that thoudesiredst of the Lord thy God inHoreb in the day of assembly,saying, “Let me not hear againthe voice of the Lord my God,neither let me see this great fireany more, that I die not.” And theLord said unto me, “They havewell spoken that which they havespoken. I will raise them up aP rophet from among theirbrethren, like unto thee, and willput my words in his mouth; and heshall speak unto them all that 1command him. And it shall come

to pass that whosoever will nothearken unto my words which heshall speak in my name, I willrequire it of him. But the prophet,which shall presume to speak aword in my name, which I havenot commanded him to speak, orthat shall speak in the name ofother gods, even that pro p h e tshall die.”’ (Deut. 18:15-21)

The prophecy quoted above happensto be the most important andsignificant prophecy of the Bible.This is one prophecy which all thepriests and prophets of Israel havebeen preaching and propagatingamong their people, right from thedays of Moses (as) down to the days ofJ e s u s( a s ) and his disciples,. ‘F o rMoses truly said unto the fathers, Aprophet shall the Lord your God raiseup unto you of your brethren, likeunto me; him shall ye hear in allthings whatsoever he shall say untoyou.


The Prophet Promised Through Moses(as);Jesus(as) or Muhammad(sa)?

by Dr. A.R. Bhutta, published in The Truth, Nigeria, August 1986

An examination of the prophecy of prophet Moses(as) regarding the adventof a great future prophet.

And it shall come to pass, that everysoul, which will not hear that prophet,shall be destroyed from among thepeople. Yea, and all the prophets fromSamuel and those that follow after, asmany as have spoken, have likewiseforetold of these days.’(Acts 3:22-24).

In fact one main theme of the wholeBible in general and of the NewTestament in particular, has been toemphasise the importance of thisprophecy and to prepare the minds ofthe people for its forthcomingfulfilment. Little wonder then, that thewhole Biblical era resounds with thepraises sung for the prophet promisedin that prophecy and all the people ofIsrael have been eagerly lookingforward to his blessed advent. Thelong wait and watch for that prophetcame to an end when that prophecy re-echoed in the Holy Qur’an with ahappy note that it has been fulfilled inthe person of Muhammad, the HolyProphet of Islam( s a ).

This claim of the Holy Qur ’ a n ,however, was deeply resented andrejected by most people of the Book,because they found it quiteinconsistent with their own views andwishes. If the Jews failed to acceptthat long awaited prophet, it could bebecause they were still lost in theheavens looking for their Elijah to

come, or because they were stillconfused and confounded by theappearance, and disappearance, of aMessiah who had eluded their deathsentence and had vanished into thinair leaving an empty tomb. But for theChristians to reject that prophet wasmost unfortunate indeed. Since theycould find no excuse for their refusalto accept that prophet they quicklyretraced their steps back to the days ofJ e s u s( a s ), and came out with theexplanation that this prophecy hadalready been fulfilled by theappearance of Jesus(as) Christ and thatthey never expected any other prophetafter him. This theory of theChristians now accepted andpreached by them today is merely anafterthought and has no basis at all.

Little do they realise, that in theirdesperate bid to refute the Qur’anicversion, they are actually renouncingthe testimony of their own holy Book.In the light of their holy Book weexamine that prophecy to ascertainwho out of Jesus ( a s ) a n dM u h a m m a d( s a ) really fulfilled thatprophecy of Moses(as). Before we takeup the contents of the prophecy, weshall study its context first, because itcan be grossly misleading to studyany statement out of context,particularly when that statement iscontroversial and open to variousinterpretations.

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The Prophet Promised Through Moses (as); Jesus(as) or Muhammad(sa)


Context Of The ProphecyLet us start with the background ofthe prophecy.

1. From the Bible we learn that beforeMoses(as) went up the Mount Horeb toreceive the commandments, heordered all the people of Israel toassemble near the mountain so thatthey could also see the glory of Godand hear His voice. As these peoplestood at the foot of the mountain,thick clouds and darkness came overthem and then they saw a big fire onthe mountain and heard the voice ofGod coming out of that fire.

They were scared to death at this sightand even feared that they might beburnt to death. All the heads of theirtribes, therefore, went to Moses(as)

and told him that they did not want tosee the glory of God or hear His voiceany more, lest they die. They toldMoses(as) that he should go up themountain and hear for them what Godhad to say.

We are further told in the story thatGod was displeased at thisimpertinence of Israel and toldMoses(as) that He had heard what hispeople had said. Then God went on toreveal that prophecy to Moses(as) inwhich the people of Israel wereinformed that according to their owndesire, the next prophet like Moses(as)

who shall receive His words, will beraised not from them but from theirbrethren. (Deut. 4:10-14; 5:23-28;9:8,9; 18:15-18)

Now with this background in mind, itis simply impossible to believe thatthe prophet mentioned in thatprophecy could be raised from thenation of Israel, because it was therefusal of the children of Israel to hearthe word of God again that hadprompted God to reveal that prophecyto Moses(as). It is, therefore, clear thatthe prophet promised throughMoses(as) could never be a prophetfrom Israel and that it could only befrom the brethren.

Now Jesus(as) was a prophet raisedfrom the Israel. He was born and bredas a Jew. He was baptised as a Jewand he was sent only to the Jews. Hepreached and practised the Law ofJews and in fact he was sent to fulfilthat Law of Jews. He, therefore, couldnever be the prophet mentioned inthat prophecy of Moses(as). (Mat. 2:2-6; 5:17-20; Mark 1:9; Luke 3:21)

Muhammad, the Holy Prophet ofIslam(sa), on the other hand, was aprophet raised not from Israel butfrom the Gentiles. He in fact is theonly prophet who appeared from theGentiles and who claimed at the sametime that he had been sent according

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The Prophet Promised Through Moses(as); Jesus(as) or Muhammad(sa)


to the prophecies of the Bible. As animmediate inference, therefore, wewill have to believe that the prophecyof Moses ( a s ) was fulfilled inMuhammad(sa), the prophet from theGentiles and not in Jesus ( a s ), theprophet from the Jews.

It may be mentioned here rathersadly, that the children of Israel werea very rebellious people, and theywere afraid of hearing the word ofGod and had told Moses(as) to go tohis God and hear it for them. Theywere afraid of fighting for theirpromised land and had told Moses(as)

that he and his God should go andfight for them. Consequently they lostboth the next Law of their God andthe Land of their promise; onepermanently, the other temporarily.(Deut. 18: 15-20; 1:26-40).

2. The second context of thisprophecy is provided by the Gospelof John. We are told in this Gospelthat when John the Baptist started hism i n i s t r y, a delegation of Jews went tohim to enquire from him, who hewas. They asked him if he wasElijah; and he replied in the negative.Then he was asked if he was theChrist; and again he said he was not.Finally they asked him if he was ‘theprophet’. Then the delegates askedhim if he was neither Elijah, nor theChrist, nor the Prophet, then why was

he baptising the people. (John 1:19-2 5 ) .

Now this conversation between theJews and John the Baptist( a s ) s h o w sclearly that at that time the people ofIsrael were looking forward to theadvent of three prophets according tothe prophecies of the Old Te s t a m e n t .They were expecting Elijah, theChrist and ‘the prophet’. All thereference books and thecommentaries of the Bible agree thatthe prophet referred to in thatconversation was the prophetpromised in that prophecy ofM o s e s( a s ).

All these three prophets wereexpected to appear as three distinctpersonalities with different missionsto perform. It is also clear from thisconversation that three and only threeprophets were expected to come atthat time. No more, no less. Noprophet other than these three wassupposed to come and baptise thepeople; and no prophet out of thesethree could fail to come anddisappoint the people.

Now we know that Elijah came in theperson of John the Baptist( a s ), andChrist came in the person of Jesus( a s ),but what about that prophet? It is,therefore, clear from the abovementioned context that the prophet

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promised in the prophecy of Moses( a s )

who was still being expected at thattime, had to appear apart from theChrist sometimes after the Christ;and that Jesus ( a s ) who appeared as theChrist could not be the ‘prophet’mentioned in the prophecy of Moses.Muhammad, the Holy Prophet ofI s l a m( s a ), therefore, turns out to be theonly prophet who could havepossibly fulfilled that prophecy ofM o s e s( a s ).

A Baseless ArgumentIt is sometimes argued that thePharisees and the Scribes of Jewsmight have misunderstood theprophecies about the advent of theseprophets and might have beenincorrect in expecting these prophetsas three different personalities.

It may be noted in this connectionthat the Pharisees and scribes of Jewsknew their holy Books very well andcould not have been preaching aboutthe prophets they were not very sureand clear about. Even Jesus( a s ) h a daccepted and approved the authorityof these Scribes and Pharisees as theteachers and preachers of the Law ofM o s e s( a s ). Jesus( a s ) in fact had advisedhis disciples to do and observe whatthey preached and had condemnedonly their hypocrisy and evilpractices (Mat. 23:1-15). The Jews,therefore, could not be mistaken in

looking forward to the advent ofthese prophets.

Moreover we know, and Jesus ( a s )

again confirmed, that the Jews wereright in expecting the advents ofElijah(as) and the Christ; therefore ifthey were right in expecting the firstand the second prophet, why couldthey not be right in expecting the thirdone? (Mat. 16:14; 17:11-13).

The Jews, therefore, might havefailed to accept and respect theseprophets when they actuallyappeared, but they could not bewrong in expecting their appearancein the light of their Scriptures. This isparticularly true of the prophetpromised through Moses(as) becausethere is Biblical evidence to show thatall the prophets who came fromMoses(as) down to the days of Jesus(as),had been preaching and proclaimingthe advent of that prophet (Acts 3: 20-24). How could the Jews be confusedand mistaken about a prophecy ofprophets for more than a thousandyears? How many more prophets didthey need to understand the realimportance of that prophecy?

It is, therefore ridiculous to think thatall the prophets and priests of Israelwere confused about the advents ofthe Christ and that prophet and thatthe real truth dawned only upon

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The Prophet Promised Through Moses(as); Jesus (as) or Muhammad(sa)


Christians; and that too after theadvent of Muhammad(sa).

3. For the third context of thisprophecy, let us see what we can learnfrom Jesus (as) on this issue. If all theprophets from Moses ( a s ) down toJesus(as) had been talking about thisprophecy, as Bible says they did, thenJesus(as) could not have been silent onsuch a hot issue of the Biblical era. Infact, Jesus(as) a prophet immediatelybefore the advent of that prophet, hada primary duty to clear the air, if any,on this issue and prepare the groundfor its forthcoming fulfilment; andJesus(as) actually did that duty verywell.

There are many statements of Jesus(as)

recorded in the Gospels that directlyor indirectly refer to this prophecyand its fulfilment, but I shall confinemyself to only two of them.

(i) First and foremost, I refer to thestatement of Jesus ( a s ) about the‘Counsellor’ or a ‘Comforter’ that hesaid would come after him. Thisprophetic statement is very long andelaborate and again 1 shall refer toonly a few important features of it.

(a) Jesus(as) is reported to have saidthat when he is gone from thisworld, God would send another‘Comforter’ into the world (John

14: 16).The term ‘another Comforter’used by Jesus(as) shows that hetoo, considered himself to be aComforter. Since Jesus came asa prophet, the coming of‘another Comforter’ afterJ e s u s( a s ) can only mean thecoming of another prophet afterJesus(as). (Mark 6:4,15).

(b) We are told by Jesus(as) that theComforter would come and‘teach the people all things’ and‘guide them into all the truth,(John 14:26; 16:7-13).

This part of the statement clearlymeans that the world had not yetbeen ‘guided into all the truth’and ‘taught all the things’ byJ e s u s( a s ) and all the otherprophets who came before him;and that the ‘whole truth’ the‘perfect guidance’ was to berevealed through the Comforter.Now, we know that Jesus(as) andall the other prophets who camebefore him had been teachingand preaching the Law ofMoses(as). Jesus(as), in fact, hadbeen sent to fulfil the Law ofM o s e s( a s ) (Matthew 5:17). Allthese prophets of God had donetheir best to teach and guide thepeople through that Law of Godwhich Moses(as) gave them.

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If teaching and preaching of theLaw of Moses(as) by all theseprophets could not guide thepeople into all the truth andteach them all the things, then,does it not automatically followthat the coming Comforterwould have to bring somethingbetter than the Law of Moses(as)

if he were to guide the peopleinto ‘all the truth’, and teachthem ‘all the things’? In fact,nothing less than a complete andperfect Law of God was requiredif he were to be such a perfectteacher as portrayed by Jesus(as).After all, if the other prophetscould not do a perfect job, it wasnot because they were inefficientbut because the Books they weresupposed to teach weredeficient. They were notsupposed to go beyond the limitslaid down by the Law of God.

So we see that the ‘Comforter’promised by Jesus(as), was notonly a prophet but also a prophetwith a Law, and that too a Lawfar better than the Law of Moses.

(c) Then we are told that theComforter ‘will not speak on hisown authority but whatever hewill hear he will speak’ (John16:13).

This feature of the Comforter isvery important and significant. Itmakes it clear to us that the‘ Word of God’ given to thatComforter will not be in theform of written tablets or anyother form but in the form ofwords of God, not on his ownauthority, but under the controland command of God.

Now if we can remember, thisexactly is the feature of ‘thatprophet’ mentioned in thatprophecy of Moses ( a s )

(Deut.18:18).

(d) Finally, Jesus(as) is reported tohave said:

‘Nevertheless I tell you the truth.It is expedient for you that I goaway. For if I go not away, theComforter will not come to you’.(John 16:7)

This again is a very significantaspect of the advent of thatComforter. We are told that theComforter would not come aslong as Jesus(as) was there in theworld. For the Comforter tocome, Jesus(as) had to go. Butwhy?Two or more prophets have beenpreaching at the same time in the

60



past. Jesus ( a s ) and John theBaptist(as) have been preaching atthe same time and to the samenation. Why then was Jesus(as) soincompatible with theComforter?

The reason is not far to seek.Two or more prophets canappear at the same time and evenwork together if they areteaching and preaching the sameLaw. But if they have differentLaws, obviously they could notbe preaching together at thesame time and to the samepeople. We have already seenabove that the Comforterexpected to come after Jesus(as),was a prophet who was to comewith a new Law, quite differentfrom and far superior to, the Lawof Moses(as).

J e s u s( a s ) on his own part, was sent topreach and propagate the Law ofM o s e s( a s ) which was meant only for thenation of Israel. Naturally, therefore,the two could not be working togetherpreaching different Laws. Jesus( a s ) h a dto go, winding up the spiritual rule ofIsrael in this world and clearing theway for that Comforter so that hecould come with his perfect Law andteach us ‘all the things’ and ‘guide usinto all the truth’. This evidently wasto the advantage of the whole world as

J e s u s( a s ) rightly said.

In the same vein we can see that theComforter could not be a prophet fromthe Israel because he had to come andabrogate the Law meant for Israel andestablish a universal Law for the wholew o r l d .

A collective look at the variousfeatures of the Comforter makes itabundantly clear that the Comforterpromised by Jesus( a s ) could be no otherperson than the ‘prophet’ promised byM o s e s( a s ); and the only prophet whoappeared after Jesus( a s ) and who cananswer the description of theC o m f o r t e r, in all its details, is the HolyProphet of Islam( s a ).

(ii) For the second testimony ofJ e s u s( a s ) on this issue, I refer to hisparable of ‘Vineyard and wickedtenants’. This parable is very clear andconvincing in its moral and messagewhich Jesus( a s ) wanted the Jews to get;nevertheless, concluding his, parable,J e s u s( a s ) is reported to have told themrather candidly:

‘T h e re f o re I say unto you, that TheKingdom of God shall be taken fro myou and given to a nation bringingf o rth fruits there o f’ .. (Matthew 21:43).This declaration by Jesus(as), again isvery significant. We are told that the

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Kingdom of God was with the nationof Israel and that it was to be takenaway from them and given to anothernation.

What was so special about that nationof Israel that they were considered tobe a ruling nation in the Kingdom ofGod?

The only answer is that on account ofGod’s covenant with Ibrahim, Israelwas reckoned as a ‘chosen nation’ ofGod. The Kingdom of God wasestablished among them when Godraised from them a great prophet,Moses(as), and gave them His Lawthrough Moses (as), so as to guide andgovern their lives. Naturally, as longas that Law of Moses(as) was in force,the Kingdom of God was to stay withthe nation of Israel. Now that weknow the nature of the Kingdom ofGod and also how and why the peopleof Israel came to have it, we canunderstand the implication of thatstatement of Jesus ( a s ). When hedeclared that the Kingdom of Godwill be taken away from the Jews andgiven to another nation, he wassimply trying to remind the Elders ofthe Jews that the time was near whenthe Law of Moses ( a s ) shall beabrogated, putting an end to theirKingdom of God. The Kingdom ofGod will now be established afresh inanother equally chosen people of God

when a ‘new Moses’ with a new Lawof God will be raised from thatnation.

Needless to say that this declarationby Jesus(as) was simply a brief andmodified version of the sameprophecy of Moses ( a s ) about thatprophet; and it was fulfilled whenMuhammad, the Holy Prophet ofIslam(sa) was raised with a new Lawfrom the other descendants ofAbraham(as).

4. For the fourth and final context ofthat prophecy of Moses(as), let us go tothe Acts of the Apostles and try tofind out what the disciples of Jesus(as)

thought about the fulfilment of thisp r o p h e c y. The testimony of thedisciples, in fact, may prove to be adeciding factor in this case because ifthe disciples are found to be stilllooking forward to the fulfilment ofthat prophecy even after the advent ofJesus Christ ( a s ), then it willimmediately clinch the argument infavour of Muhammad, the HolyProphet of Islam(sa), and close thatcase against Jesus(as) as the possiblecontender for that particular postmentioned in the prophecy.

In the ‘Acts of the Apostles’ we aretold that one day Saint Peter,accompanied by Saint John, waspreaching to a gathering of Jews. He

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told them how Jesus Christ(as) cameand suffered at their hands and thenhe went on to say:

‘And now, brethren, I know that youacted in ignorance – But what Godf o retold by the mouth of all thep rophets, that His Christ shoulds u f f e r, He thus fulfilled. Repenttherefore, and turn again that yoursins may be blotted out – and that Hemay send the Christ appointed foryou, Jesus, whom heaven mustreceive until the time for establishingall that God spoke by the mouth of hisholy prophets from of old. Moses said,‘The Lord GOD will raise up for youa prophet from your brethren as heraised me up. You shall listen to him–’ And all the prophets who havespoken, from Samuel and those whocame afterw a rds, also pro c l a i m e dthese days.’ (Acts 3: 17-24)

This short but comprehensive sermonof Saint Peter is very clear and hardlyneeds any comments. It emphasisestwo major issues which have been thefocal point of all the predictions andpreaching of the Biblical prophets.

Firstly, we are mistakenly told thatChrist came and suffered as wasforetold by the various prophets; thenhe went back from where he came.

Secondly, it is said that Christ had to

remain in heaven and could not comefor the second time until all that wasforetold by all the previous prophetswas fulfilled; and what remained tobe fulfilled was that prophecy ofMoses(as).

Saint Peter not only referred to thatprophecy but also repeated it to thehearing of the Jews, warning themthat they have to repent and acceptthat prophet if they wanted to see theChrist in his ‘second coming’. Thisstatement of Saint Peter provesbeyond any shadow of doubt thateven after the appearance of JesusChrist(as), his disciples believed thatthe prophecy of Moses(as) about ‘thatprophet’ had yet to be fulfilled andthat it was to be fulfilled sometimesbefore the Second Advent of theChrist.

One wonders how, in the presence ofthis testimony of Saint Peter,somebody can think, even remotely,of Jesus ( a s ) in that prophecy ofM o s e s( a s ). Since Jesus( a s ) had beencounted out of the race by his owndisciples, that prophecy of Moses(as),therefore, was fulfilled by the adventof Muhammad (sa), and Muhammad(sa)

alone.

Continued next month

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