Belief in all the Prophets

The fourth fundamental article of faith in Islam is belief in all the prophets. This article is in fact a logical conclusion to the third one. The same philosophy as underlies the belief in all books also necessitates belief in all the prophets. The Holy Quran speaks of the many prophets who mostly belong to the Middle Eastern line of prophethood, beginning with Adam upto the time of Muhammad, peace be upon him. But there are exceptions to the rule. There are two things which are specifically mentioned in the Quran relating to this issue:

a) Although the names and short histories of some prophets were revealed to the Holy Founder of Islam, the list is in no way exhaustive. They are just specimen names, and there are a large number of prophets do not find mention in the Quran.

b) In the list of prophets who are specifically mentioned, there are certain names which do not seem to belong to the prophets of Israel. Many commentators therefore are inclined to believe that they are non-Arab prophets who are included in the list just for the sake of representation of the outer world. For instance, Dhul-Kifl is one name in the list of prophets which is unheard of in the Arab or Semitic references. Some scholars seem to have traced this name to Buddha, who was of Kapeel, which was the capital of a small state situated on the border of India and Nepal. Buddha not only belonged to Kapeel, but was many a time referred to as being 'Of Kapeel'. This is exactly what is meant by the word 'Dhul-Kifl'. It should be remembered that the consonant 'p' is not present in Arabic, and the nearest one to it is 'fa'. Hence, Kapeel transliterated into Arabic becomes Kifl.

Apart from the evidence of the Quran, there is one reference which is controversial among the commentators. There is a tradition reported from the Holy Prophet (sa) which speaks of an Indian prophet by name. In his words:

There was a prophet of God in India who was dark in colour and his name was Kahan.¹

Now anyone acquainted with the history of Indian religions would immediately connect this description to Lord Krishna, who is invariably described in the Hindu literature as being dark of complexion. Also, the title Kanhaya is added to his name Krishna. Kanhaya contains the same consonants K,N,H as does the name Kahan -- in no way an insignificant similarity. But whether any non-Arab prophet was mentioned by name or not is only an academic discussion. There is no denying the fact that the Holy Quran makes it incumbent on every Muslim not only to believe in all the prophets, but it also clearly informs us that in every region of the world and in every age, God did raise messengers and prophets.

This belief in principle in the truth of the founding prophets and also the minor prophets of other religions is a unique declaration of the Quran, absent in all other divine books. It throws light on the universality of creation as well as on the universality of Islam itself. If the Quranic claim that the teachings of the Quran are for the entire world is true, then it has to recognise the truth of all prophets. Otherwise the followers of so many different religions will not find any connecting bridge between themselves and Islam.

The recognition of the truth of all books and the recognition of the truth of all prophets is a revolutionary declaration which has many benefits for man as a whole. Among other things, it powerfully paves the way for inter-religious peace and harmony. How can one be at peace with the followers of other religions if one considers them to be impostors and if one monopolises the truth only for the religious divines of one's own faith?

It is a universal observation that the followers of various religions tend to know very little about the doctrinal aspects of their own religions. It is the ordained priesthood or other leaders who seem to be the custodians of religious knowledge, and it is to them that the common people turn when they stand in need of religious guidance. Such people are far more sensitive to the question of the honour of their prophets and divines than they are even on the issue of God and His honour.

Apart from Islam, none of the divine books of religions bear testimony to the truth of the founders of other religions. The absence of any recognition of the truth of prophets other than their own has insulated religions from one another, each one claiming to monopolise truth, each viewing the prophets of other religions as impostors. Although in every day life we do not find this expressed in such strong terms, the hard reality remains, that if the followers of any religion take their beliefs seriously, they have to consider all other religions to be false, even at their sources. It is impossible to conceive a Christian, a true believer in Christianity as he understands it today, who would testify to the truth of Buddha, Krishna and Zoroaster. Particularly, the Christian stance against the Holy Prophet (sa) of Islam is exactly the one mentioned above; they have to denounce him as an impostor, otherwise the only alternative for them is to become Muslims. The orientalists discussing this subject have always maintained this position very clearly, many among them having gone to the extent of showing undisguised hostility towards the founder of Islam on the premise that he had to be false. The same applies to other religions alike.

Although in every day life we do not come across such glaring examples of discourtesy and insult, but whether one keeps one's views to oneself or expresses them openly, the barrier still remains. It is evident from this that the followers of all religions have compartmentalised themselves against all others, and the barrier between truth and falsehood, right or wrong does succeed in preventing the religious harmony so much needed by man today.

Of course, there are very civilised and educated Christians in the world, who out of courtesy would not offend the sensibilities of Muslims by denouncing the Holy Prophet (sa) of Islam as an impostor. However the Christians, in accordance with their beliefs, have no option but to reject the truth of the founder of Islam. In the case of a Muslim however, it is a completely different story. When he speaks of Jesus Christ or Moses or Krishna or Buddha with veneration and love, he does so because he has no other option. It is a part of the fundamental article of his faith to extend not just a human courtesy, but to genuinely believe in their truth and honour. In the light of this, this article of faith appears to hold an importance of global scale. It establishes inter- religious peace and harmony and genuinely creates an atmosphere of mutual trust and love. Like the Unity of God it holds the intrinsic quality of being irreplaceable -- there is no alternative.

The Promised Messiah, Hadrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad of Qadian, has summarised the Islamic belief in other prophets as follows:

One of the principles which forms the basis of my belief refers to the established religions of the world. These religions have met with wide acceptance in various regions of the earth. They have acquired a measure of age, and have reached a stage of maturity. God has informed me that none of these religions were false at their source and none of the prophets impostors.²
This is a beautiful principle, which promotes peace and harmony, and which lays the foundation for reconciliation, and which helps the moral condition of man. All prophets that have appeared in the world, regardless of whether they dwelt in India or Persia or China, or in some other country, we believe in the truth of them, one and all. ³

With the establishment of this fact that there had to be prophets all over the world in all ages who originated from God, the stage seems to be set for a universal prophet. The acceptance of a universal prophet requires a reciprocity. When you expect others to believe in someone you consider to be true, it would certainly help if you bear witness to the truth of such holy people in whom the other party has unshakeable faith.

Islam therefore lays down the foundation for the universality of a single prophet. As such the claim of the Quran -- that the Holy Prophet (sa) was raised not only for Arabia but for the whole of mankind -- is founded on a sound philosophy. We find mention in every religion of a utopian future or golden age when all mankind would be brought under the one flag. But there does not seem to be any foundation laid for the unification of man in his beliefs and dogmas. It was for the first time in the history of religion that Islam paved the way for a universal religion by the declaration that all the people of the world, at different times, were blessed with the advent of divine messengers.

According to the Holy Quran, the institution of prophethood is universal and timeless. There are two terms used to indicate the same office, each with slightly different connotations. The term An-Nabi has the connotation of prophecy. Those whom God chooses to represent Him are implanted with the knowledge of certain important events regarding the future. They are also told of things past, which were unknown to the people, and his knowledge of them stand as a sign of his being informed by an All-Knowing Being. Prophecy as such establishes the truth of the prophets, so that people may submit to them and accept their message.

The second term used in connection with prophets, is Al-Rasool or Messenger. This refers to such contents of the prophet's revelation as deal with important messages to be delivered to mankind on God's behalf. Those messages could be speaking of a new code of law, or they could simply be admonishing people for their past lapses in reference to previous revealed laws.

Both these functions unite in a single person, and as such all prophets can be termed as messengers, and all messengers as prophets.

According to Islam, all prophets are human beings and none bear superhuman characteristics. Wherever some miracles are attributed to prophets, which are understood to indicate their superhuman character, the categorical and clear statements of the Quran reject such a notion. Raising of the dead is one of such miracles attributed to certain prophets. Although similar descriptions are found in many divine scriptures or religious books, according to the Quran they are not meant to be taken literally, but have a metaphorical connotation. For instance, it is attributed to Jesus (as) that he raised the dead into a new life. But the Holy Quran speaks of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (sa) in the same terms, with the same words being applied to his miracle of spiritual revival. Similar is the case of creating birds out of clay and causing them to fly in the name of God. These birds are only human beings who are bestowed with the faculty of spiritual flight, as against the earthly people.

No prophet is granted an exceptionally long term of life which makes him distinctly different and above the brotherhood of prophets to which he belongs. Nor is any prophet mentioned as having risen bodily to remote recesses of the universe. Wherever there is such mention, it is spiritual ascent which is meant, not bodily ascent, which the Quran categorically declares is against the character of prophets. When the Holy Founder of Islam was required by the People of the Book to physically ascend to heaven and bring back a book, the answer which God taught him was simply this:

Say to them: 'My Lord is far above (such childish conduct). I am no more than a human being and a prophet.' Surah Bani-Israel (Ch. 17: V.94)

This answer rejects all claims about other prophets who are understood to have ascended physically to heaven. The argument implied in this answer is that no human being and no prophet can rise bodily to heaven, otherwise the Prophet Muhammad (sa) could also have repeated the same miracle. The emphasis on the human characteristics of prophets and their human limitations is one of the most beautiful features of fundamental Islamic teachings. Prophets rise above their fellow human beings not because they were gifted with superhuman qualities, but only because they gave a better account of the qualities that they had been gifted with. They remained human despite having ascended to great spiritual heights, and their conduct as such is inimitable by other human beings.

On the issue of continuity of prophecy, Islam categorically declares the Holy Prophet (sa) of Islam to be the last of the law- bearing prophets and the Quran to be the last Divine book of law, perfected and protected till the end of time. Obviously a book which is perfect and also protected from interpolation transcends alteration. No change is warranted on both counts. As long as a book is perfect and protected from human interpolation, no change is justified.

As far as prophecy other than law-bearing prophecy is concerned, the possibility of its continuity is clearly mentioned in the Quran. Again there are clear prophecies about such divine Founder of Islam and the Holy Book -- the Quran. The following verse of Surah Al-Nisa leaves no ambiguity about this:

And whoso obeys Allah and this Messenger of His shall be among those on whom Allah has bestowed His blessings, namely, the Prophets, the Truthful, the Martyrs, and the Righteous. Surah Al-Nisa (Ch. 4: V.70)

In short, Islam is declared in the Quran to be the last perfected religion for the benefit of mankind, after which no new teaching would be revealed to annul the teachings of Islam, nor would a new independent prophet be born outside the domain of Islam; any new prophet would be completely subordinate to the Holy Prophet Muhammad^sa.

The prophets always came to deliver a message. That message was not confined to the areas of beliefs, but also covered the areasre of practices and implementation of the beliefs. The teachings are divided into two large categories:

1. How to improve one's relationship with God.
2. How to conduct oneself in relation to one's fellow human beings.

These two categories in fact cover all aspects of religious laws. We cannot enter into a lengthy discussion of how this task is carried out to perfection in Islam, but perhaps it would be appropriate to illustrate a few important features of this teaching of universal character.

THE BELIEF IN THE BOOKS

THE BELIEF IN THE
BOOKS

Let us now turn to the third article of faith, which is the belief in the books. Muslims are required to believe not only in the divine scripture revealed to the Holy Founder of Islam, which is called the Qurran  but it is essential for every Muslim to believe in all such divine revelations as were vouchsafed to other prophets, from wherever and whichever age. It is an essential part of a Muslim's belief that if anyone professes belief only in the divine origin of the Qurran  and refuses to acknowledge the divine origin of other books, such as the Old Testament and the New Testament etc., his profession of Islam would be invalidated.

This belief resolves some problems but creates others, and needs to be studied at greater length. It provides the only foundation upon which the unity of man can be built on earth, in accordance with his belief in the Unity of God. It removes the root cause responsible for inter-religious disharmony and mistrust. But this belief in the divine origin of all books raises some very difficult questions to answer.

As we study the books that claim to be of divine origin, we find contradictions not only in the peripheral areas of their teachings, but also in the areas of basic and fundamental beliefs. This could not be so had they originated from the same eternal source of light. The case in point can well be illustrated by the fact that many such books contain passages which are understood and interpreted by their followers to lead to the belief in lesser deities sharing divinity with the one Supreme Being. In some books, God is presented as the head of a family of gods, having spouses, sons and daughters. In some other books, saintly human figures are attributed with such superhuman powers as are only befitting to be possessed by God. There are other books in which the Unity of God is stressed so strongly and uncompromisingly as to leave no room for anyone to share God's attributes in whatsoever capacity. The Qurran stands out in this respect among all the scriptures of the major world religions.

How does the Qurran resolve this dilemma -- that is the question. According to the Qurran  it is a universal trend of man to gradually interpolate the divine teachings which were vouchsafed to the founders of their religion. To change the concept of Unity to that of polytheism is a manifestation of the same trend. We can definitely discover evidence of the truth of this claim by tracing the history of changes in the text, or the interpretation of the text, from the time of its first revelation. This is why the Holy Qurran pointedly draws our attention to the fact that all divine books concurred in their fundamental teachings only at the time of their inception. It is not necessary to go through the laborious exercise of pursuing the history of change, because logically there can be no other conclusion than the one made by the Qurran  If there is no God other than the one Supreme Being, and if the claims of all religions -- that their divine books originated from God -- are to be accepted, then there has to be unanimity among all such books, at least in the fundamentals.

Having said that, one faces another important question regarding the manner in which one can ascertain the original doctrinal teachings common to all religions. One must find a logically acceptable methodology to sift the right from the wrong.

The fundamental beliefs from the point of view of the Holy Quran are so attuned to human nature that they simply sink into the human hearts by the sheer force of their truth. They are as follows:

And they were not commanded but to serve Allah, being sincere to Him in obedience, and being upright, and to observe prayer, and pay the Zakat. And that is the religion of the people of the right path. Surah Al-Bayyinah (Ch. 98: V.6)

This means that all the founders of the religions of the world were categorically told that they must worship the one and only God with all sincerity, dedicating themselves purely and completely to Him alone. They were also told to perform regular prayers (as institutionalized in their religion), and to spend (in the cause of God) for the needy and the destitute, and for other similar philanthropic purposes. It is hard to find disagreement with this, whichever religion one may belong to.

In this preliminary discourse we do not wish to involve ourselves in a lengthy discussion on the various different modes of worship as prescribed by God and the reasons for their being different. Presently we are focusing our attention on the reasons as to why religions appear to be different both in fundamentals and in the detailed teachings.

In short we can say that the hand of time is relentless, and the concept of decay is inseparable from the concept of time. Everything new must begin to grow old and change. One may look at the ruins of great castles and palaces with wonder, but even the buildings built by the same monarchs and designed by the same architects are no exception to this law. Sometimes they are added upon by later generations and are changed in design so drastically as to lose all resemblance to their original shape. Sometimes they are abandoned and become ruins. According to the Quran, the areas of uncompromisable differences in all religions are the handiworks of men belonging to later ages. In the light of this universally acceptable teaching of the Holy Quran, Islam seems to have paved the way for the unification of all religions, at least in fundamentals principles. Thus it does away with man-made obstacles and barriers created to keep the religions apart as distinctly separate entities.

The reason mentioned above is not the only one responsible for the divergence in teachings observed in various books. Some differences were certainly not man-made, but were required by the dictates of time. As man gradually advanced in various areas of civilisation and culture, science and economy, at different stages of his history he required specific teachings related to that period of time, and a divine book would be revealed for his instruction. These time-related teachings were not universal, but related to specific situations and requirements. In certain ages, man lived a life not very far away from that of the sub-human species of life. His intellectual advancements were limited, his knowledge of the universe narrow. He was not even fully aware of the world that he was inhabiting. The modes of communication at his disposal were totally inadequate to help him understand the nature and vastness of the earth and the universality of man. Very often his awareness of existence was confined only to small areas of land or the country to which he belonged.

In many divine books revealed at that time, we do not find mention of the existence of the world beyond the limited domain of the people to whom these books were addressed. It does not necessarily mean, as some secular philosophers would have us believe, that this fact offers enough proof that the books in question were man-made rather than of divine origin.

All divine teachings were related to not only the requirements but also the information possessed by the people of the age, otherwise people of the age could have raised objections against the messengers of the time, accusing them of contradicting commonly established facts. This could have presented an insoluble dilemma for the prophets, as they themselves shared the same knowledge as the people. Many interesting examples of the same can be quoted from the Quran, where the understanding of nature as known to the people of the time was to be proved false by the men of learning of later ages. Whichever position the Quran adopted, it would still remain vulnerable to objections, either by contemporary people or by people of a later age. It is amazing how the Quran solves this problem, and in no way can it be criticised by present day philosophers and scientists either.

The following illustration would be of particular interest. A man of this age does not need to be highly educated to know that the earth rotates on its own axis; but if someone had made this statement fourteen hundred years ago and dared to attribute it to God, either he would have been rejected out of hand as being absolutely ignorant, or God would be ridiculed as having no knowledge of things which he has professed to have created. The Holy Quran being a universal book for all ages could not have avoided the mention of this subject altogether, or the people of later ages, such as ours, would have rightfully blamed it for possessing no knowledge of the universe. Meeting this challenge squarely, the Holy Quran speaks of the mountains in the following verse, presenting them as floating or coasting like clouds, while people perceive them to be stationary:

You see the mountains and imagine them to be stationary whereas they are moving like the moving of clouds. Surah Al-Naml (Ch. 27: V.89)

Obviously the mountains would not be floating without the earth moving along with them. But the tense used is that of future -- 'Muzaria' -- which is common to both the continuous present and future. So the verse may be translated as: 'The mountains are moving constantly in a coasting motion without making the least effort on their part.' It can also be translated as: 'The mountains will move as if they were sailing.' People of that age might have taken refuge in this second option, but they forgot to take notice of another part of the same verse which says: 'While you think they are stationary.' How could the man of any age think the mountains to be stationary if they suddenly started moving? The description of their movement leaves no room anywhere for anyone to be alive on earth and watch quietly the amazing phenomenon mentioned in the verse.

Logically therefore, the only valid translation would be: 'While you consider the mountains to be stationary, in fact they are constantly in motion.' There are many other similar examples which can be quoted from the Quran, but I have already illustrated them in another address of mine entitled 'Rationality and Revelation in Relation to Knowledge and Truth'. Any reader interested in further study could refer to the same.

We know for certain that during the remote past when the Vedas were revealed for the benefit of the people of India, the Indians had little knowledge of the worlds lying beyond the seas. Hence there is no mention of any country or people outside India, across the natural boundaries of the Himalayas on the one side and the seas on the other. The silence of the Vedas on the subject may be an appropriate and well understood silence on the part of God. It must be made clear that the facts mentioned in the divine books are of two categories. The first category comprises this worldly facts, which can be understood and verified by all human beings regardless of which religion they belong to. These are the facts that we are referring to in the above discussion. As far as facts belonging to the otherworldly things are concerned, any man can make any claim about them, because they lie beyond the human reach of verification.

Despite differences however, the fundamental points of similarities are always traceable if one digs deeply into a study of original books. As an archaeologist can reconstruct the design of the original plan from a study of the ruins, so also it should not be difficult for a keen observer to read the message of Unity even through the veils of fog and mist created by the followers of the religions as they move away from the time of the founding prophets.

We briefly mentioned some differences which were intentionally designed as against those which resulted from the interpolation of man. To illustrate the former, we can refer to a teaching of the Torah which seems to deprive the Jewish people of the option of forgiveness. To a casual observer, from the vantage point of the modern age, it would appear to be a rather ungodly teaching, unbalanced in the favor of vengeance. Yet a closer examination of the requirements of that age would present the teaching in a completely different light. We know that the Children of Israel, under the oppressive and despotic rules of Pharaohs, were deprived of all their fundamental human rights. They were forced to live a life of abasement and slavery, which did not recognise their right to defend themselves and hit back at the oppressor.

Some two centuries of such an abject way of life had virtually robbed them of their upright noble human qualities. They would much rather give up their right to avenge in the name of forgiveness -- just another name for utter cowardice. Had they been given the clear option to either take revenge or forgive, few there would be among them who would dare take the former option. As such the teaching of the Torah, though seemingly harsh and over-much one sided, is the most perfect teaching in relation to the requirements of that time. It was a diseased state which was meant to be cured with the bitter pill of this injunction.

About thirteen centuries of practicing merciless vengeance had indeed hardened the hearts of the Israelite into those of stone. It was at this juncture of time that the Messiah came, who was himself forgiveness, love and modesty personified. Had God granted the Jews of his time both the options of forgiveness and revenge, they would certainly have opted for revenge without even dreaming of forgiveness. The question arises as to what should be the perfect teaching relevant to the time of Jesus? Forgiveness of course, but without the option of revenge. This is exactly what happened. This illustration makes it amply clear that certain teachings, though apparently contradictory, in fact serve the same purpose and work in unison as far as the designs of God are concerned. The purpose is the healing of the sick which may need different medicines at different times.

THE BELIEF IN THE ANGELS

THE BELIEF IN THE
ANGELS

The existence of angels is a universally accepted doctrine in different countries and different religions. However, they are sometimes discussed under other titles, the distinction being only one of nomenclature. Similarly, the nature of angels is understood differently among the followers of different religions. Islam speaks of angels as celestial beings of a spiritual nature who have their own entity as persons. The major role they play is the transmission of messages from God to human beings. But they are misunderstood by many, even within Islam, as having human shape or some shape and form, which in fact is an inseparable idea from that of material existence. Matter must have shape and a well defined boundary. But spirit lies beyond the five dimensions of man's understanding. One can only believe in the existence of spirit if he is a religious person; otherwise it is beyond his reach to conceive the shape and form of spirits. Perhaps to resolve this problem and to make it easier for man to visualise angels, they are sometimes mentioned in religious books as appearing to holy people in the form of human beings. Not only that; they are also known to have appeared to some messengers of God in the form of certain birds. The Holy Ghost appeared to Jesus in the form of a dove:

As soon as Jesus was baptised, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting on him. (Matthew 3:16)

These various references found in religious books were perhaps largely responsible for the misperceptions about the form and nature of angels prevailing among the adherents of various religions. Out of angels, in some religions, deyotas and gods were created, while the original books may have only mentioned them as agencies specifically created by God for performing certain tasks in the universe; of this we have ample evidence in many divine books. So, it is not unlikely that some people misunderstand the significance of these statements and start treating angels as junior partners of God.

Let us now try to comprehend the nature of angels with reference only to the Quran and the traditions of the Holy Prophet of Islam, and not with reference to commonly held views. According to the Quran, the entire material universe as well as the entire religious universe is governed by some spiritual powers, which are referred to as angels. Although some angels are referred to as single persons -- such as Gabriel, Michael or Israel -- they in fact do not work alone. For each function there is one leader or one supreme angel who governs that function and under him work a host of angels, who are referred to in the Holy Quran as the Junood of the Lord. Whatever they do is completely subject to the will of God and the design that He has created for things. They cannot make the slightest deviation from the set course of functions allocated to them, or from the overall plan of things made by God.

According to the Quran, for each human being two angels are appointed to record good deeds and misdeeds, as the case may be. In this way the task of the angels is to organise the most intricate and profound system of recording. It does not mean that each has a book in his hand, jotting down in it whatever he observes. In fact, angels are responsible for a very complex system of registering the effect of man's deeds on his soul and personality so that a good man develops a healthy soul and a bad man breeds an unhealthy one.

The soul as it is takes shape in every man till his death, needs a conscious organiser who transfers the effects of human thoughts, actions etc. to the soul. This is an intricate process not fully comprehended by man. However, we do partially witness this in the case of criminals acquiring a different visage from those of noble conduct. It is not at all impossible for anyone to observe such a difference, although it cannot be described in terms of black and white or other material terms. In fact, the administration of the huge universe, right from its inception through the entire course of the billions of years of its evolutionary history, requires an enormous organisation of constant attention and control. This is performed by innumerable angels, who literally govern the vast universe and its intricate system of laws, as agents of God.

As far as the traditions go, we can comprehend to a degree the versatility of angels in being able to materialise in various forms or apparitions, which have no relation to their real form or existence, which is beyond man's comprehension and has different dimensions from those known to us.

Once it is reported that a stranger suddenly entered the mosque where the founder of Islam was sitting along with his companions. This man approached the assembly, sat respectfully in the front row, and started to ask questions regarding the nature of Islam. Having finished his list of questions, he took leave and departed. Those present were amazed because first this man was a complete stranger who must have travelled some distance to reach the mosque. In small townships the knowledge of such visits does not remain a secret, and everybody seems to know who has arrived and for what purpose. In his case, the arrival was so sudden that it appeared mysterious. Secondly, there were no marks of a journey on his bearing or his clothes. A fresh looking gentleman, he was of immaculately clean dress. Moreover the manner in which he began to ask questions without any introduction, and his abrupt departure, was extremely unusual to say the least.

Before the companions of the Holy Prophet (sa) could say anything, the Holy Prophet (sa) himself informed them that the person had actually been the angel Gabriel, who had asked the leading questions so that the companions become acquainted with the facts contained in the answers given. Some companions ran out of the mosque to meet the angel in disguise, as they thought, but there was no trace of him anywhere. No-one in the township admitted to seeing such a man. As this incident is reported in the highly authentic books of tradition, we can safely infer that angels sometimes appear in ordinary human form for the purpose of discharging sundry errands. We find mention of angels in many other traditions, particularly in relation to the battles of Badr and Uhad, but it would be inappropriate perhaps to enter into a lengthy discourse on this issue.

As against the Quranic view explained above, almost in every country the commonly held view about angels among followers of various religions is more on the pattern of fairy tales than of them belonging to a celestial form of existence. They are said to have wings like birds or fairies, flapping them about as they fly from place to place. This misconcept is perhaps born out of over- much literalness of religious terminology, which is cryptic and has, most often, metaphorical allusions. Thus we also find mention in the Holy Qurran of wings in relation to angels, which speaks of them as having wings in twos, threes and fours:

All praise belongs to Allah the Maker of the heavens and the earth, Who employs the angels as messengers, having wings, two, three and four. Surah Al-Fatir (Ch. 35, v. 2)

The Holy Quran has a very special style of elucidating all such passages where there lies a danger of obscurity -- it does this with the help of other similar usages. About the wings, for instance, we also find these mentioned in relation to a son's attitude towards his elderly parents. Building this subject, the Holy Quran admonishes the son to lower his wing of mercy over his parents, as they brought him up from the time of his infancy. 'Wing' only means attributes and powers, and we believe it is in this sense that wings are attributed to angels, or to persons claiming divine manifestation from among the various religions. For instance, in Gita, Krishna is known to have possessed four arms instead of two. There the extra pair of arms serve the same purpose as the wings found in other divine books.

Angels are responsible for controlling and maintaining the laws of nature. Virus and bacteria are governed, organised and maintained by specific angels, who work in harmony with each other to maintain a perfect balance. Similarly, eco-systems are not accidental or chaotic, but are regulated by the invisible, spiritual beings that we call angels.

The Case of the Fallen Angel

There is another very much misunderstood episode concerning Satan. It is said, and it is believed, that prior to his fall he belonged to the category of angels. The Holy Quran rejects this view and presents Satan as possessing a fiery nature, thus belonging to such forms of life as are created from fire, for example the Djinn.

THE BELIEF IN THE UNITY OF GOD

THE BELIEF IN THE
UNITY OF GOD

This seems to be a rather simple and elementary concept. It should not be difficult for anybody to understand the oneness of God, and there the matter seems to rest. But in fact there is far more to this than meets the eye. When one examines the concept of Unity in depth, the entire world of religion seems to revolve around this pivotal point. This belief influences man's life in all its aspects. It also implies the negation of all else but God. So belief in the oneness of God is not the end-all of belief, but all other beliefs spring from this fountain-head of eternal truth. This also delivers a message of liberation from all other yokes and releases man from all obligations except such as are born out of his submission to God.

This article has been further elucidated from different angles, both in the Holy Quran and the traditions of the Holy Prophet of Islam. For instance, the declaration 'La houl wala quat illa Billah' (There is no all-encompassing power except Allah) opens up new windows for a deeper and wider understanding of Unity. It negates all fears other than the fear of God. The second part of the same brings to the focus of attention another very important aspect of Unity. i.e. that the power to achieve good is solely dependent on God, and that He is Master of all sources of strength and energy. Hence while the first part relates to the negative aspects of power, the second part relates to the positive.

In application to human actions, intentions and motivations etc., these two forces are all-encompassing. Man's intentions and his subsequent actions are always guided and controlled either by fear or hope, and there is no exception to this rule. Those who do good deeds do so out of fear and hope, and those who indulge in vices are motivated by the same. The fears of non-believers belong to the negative ungodly category, and they shape their lives in accordance with these worldly fears. Sometimes they are afraid of earning the displeasure of monarchs and authorities, sometimes they are afraid of society in general or of despots and bullies. Again, sometimes they act evilly out of a fear of poverty and loss etc. So, in a world full of vices, a large part of human actions can be explained with reference to these fears.

The belief in Unity dispels these fears altogether and brings to one's mind the importance of the fear of God, which means that one must not be afraid of the displeasure of the ungodly, but should always endeavor to avoid displeasing God, and shape one's life according to that fear alone. In the positive sense, the same applies to all human motivations and consequent actions. Man always lives by some motive to please someone, himself being no exception. In fact, more often than not, he works to please himself even at the cost of those who are otherwise dear to him.

A more exaggerated form of this attitude renders man a worshiper of his own ego. To achieve his purpose, man has to please those on whom his pleasures depend. As such, again he has to constantly strive to win the favors of monarchs, authorities etc. What we are describing is the worst form of slavery. The hopes and fears of a slave are completely dependent on the whims. pleasures and displeasure of his master. But a godless man has not one master alone. Every other human being in relation to his personal interests can play as God to him. If you analyse the ultimate cause of social, moral or political evils, it is such human worship which destroys the peace of man's mind, and society as a whole begins to deteriorate endlessly.

From this point of view, when you cast another glance at the fundamental declaration, that 'there is no God but Allah, the One and Only', all these fears and hopes relating to objects other than God are dispelled, as if by the waving of a magic wand. In other words, by choosing one master alone, you are liberated from slavery to all others. To be a slave of such others as are themselves slaves to numberless gods is a poor bargain indeed. But that is not all. The gods that such people worship are many a time products of their own imagination, which can do them neither good nor harm. Most men, on the other hand, worship nothing but mortals like themselves, their own egos being supreme among them all. Hence each of them bows to numberless egotistic gods, their interests being at clash with each other, creating a situation which is the ultimate of chaos.

The Islamic concept of Unity also inculcates in man the realization of the oneness of the human species, and does away with all such barriers as divide man into racial, ethnic and color denominations. This gives birth to the universal concept of equality in Islam, which is its distinctive feature. Hence from the vantage point of God, all human beings, wherever and in whichever age they were born, stand equal in His sight. As will be demonstrated shortly, it is this fundamental which gives rise to all other fundamental beliefs and doctrines in Islam. As briefly mentioned before, Islam's doctrine of Unity is absolute and un splittable; it has no room for adding to the Godhead in any form. He has neither a father nor a mother, nor has He a spouse. For Him to give birth to sons and daughters is inconceivable.

Another important aspect of Unity of God as presented by the Quran relates to absolute harmony in His creation. It is this harmony concept which appealed so strongly to Einstein. He was compelled to pay tribute to the perfect symmetry in nature, which according to him required the oneness of creator. He was a scientist, and his perception of that harmony was limited to the material universe. But the Holy Quran speaks of the harmony in creation in all its possible applications. The Holy Quran claims that within nature, as created by God, and within the divine books revealed by God, there is no disharmony; that there is complete concurrence between one area of God's creation and another, and between one book and the other.

It goes further to declare that there is perfect consistency between the Word of God and the Act of God, and that there can be no contradiction between nature and the divine word as revealed to His prophets. This subject is beautifully expressed in the first five verses of Surah Al-Mulk, and is also taken up in many other verses of the Quran from various angles.

Coming to individuals, the belief in Unity plays a very important role in the education and upbringing of humans. It requires a consistency between man's views and actions, a consistency between his relationship with God and his fellow beings, thus binding creation in a single chain of unbreakable unity. This can be better understood by bringing to focus the practices of some so-called religious people, who preach hatred for one section of human society against another in the name of the one and only God. The principle of Unity of God is at variance with this practice, and as such does not permit people to create divisions between God and His creation and within the creation of God.

It is not permissible to wish and celebrate Christians on Christmas

It is not permissible to wish and celebrate 

Christians on Christmas, Its Ha-ram. 

Allah says in the Qurran 

“This day, I have perfected your religion for 

you, completed My favor upon you, and have 

chosen for you Islam as your religion…” 

So congratulating them is forbidden, whether 


they are one’s colleagues at work or 

otherwise. 

To wish them in their festivals is a sign of 

complacency to Kufr and Allah Ta'ala Knows 

Best.

Is it permissible to collect christmas gift

Christmas season is upon us.  It is nice to enjoy a long break from our work and schools and spend the time with the family and friends.  We may also find many good bargains at the shopping malls.  It is the season when millions of Christmas wreaths and trees add to the decor in and around the houses, businesses and streets of every town.  in the country. Thousands of Santa also come into life all around us. Children write letters to Santa Claus asking for toys they want for Christmas.  Many civic and church organizations donate food and clothes to the homeless and the needy.  Toys are collected for children who have no family or whose families can not afford the expenses.  The Jewish Hanukkah also falls in the same season. While the rest of the country is busy and involved in these celebrations and activities, what does a small minority of about seven million Muslims do?  Because Muslims are scattered throughout  the United States, small Muslim communities sometimes find it difficult to practice their faith due to the lack of a community of believers with whom to interact.  Muslims may react to non-Islamic feasts in three different ways.  A good number of Muslims feel that they can not indulge themselves in activities which have pagan, Christian, Jewish or any origin other than Islamic. Then there are those . who participate in activities such as Christmas tree decorations and placing toys  under the trees for their children to pick up in the morning of December 25th.  They may not hesitate in narrating the story of Santa . Claus to their kids or let them watch television programs about Christmas.  Yet another group may be those who are Muslims by name but had never  really practiced Islam and can be assumed lost in the "mainstream" of America.  Can Muslims participate in  Christmas celebrations or any other similar events such as Halloween and Easter?  We need to look at the Holy Qurran and the Sun-nah of Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W.) to find an answer.  A fundamental question may have to be addressed here before saying anything else. Under what conditions can a Muslim live in a non-Muslim society?  This issue requires a careful and detailed answer, which we shall leave for future issues. One thing should be clear to those who have studied the Qurran carefully.  It is the primary responsibility of a Muslim living in a non-Muslim society to preach and present Islam through their character and conduct.  Islam should be a dominating force within and around Muslims instead of being a submissive entity.  Islam should stand tall and distinct from un-Islamic ways for everyone to see, admire and appreciate.  As we look at the life of Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W.), we find that whenever there was a chance of confusing events between Muslims and non-Muslims, the Prophet made a clear  separation.  We see this in prayer times, fasting and Eid festivals.  We do not pray very close to sunrise or sunset so it does not appear that we are worshiping the sun.  It is undesirable (Makrooh) to fast only on Saturday or Sunday. The two biggest Islamic feasts are Eid-ul-Fitar and Eid ul-Adha and nothing else should replace the significance of their festivity. Muslims in America need to get involved in caring for the homeless and needy.  They should develop institutions to provide such a support.  While giving charity and gifts is encouraged all the times, Christmas season included, special occasions for Muslims to give and launch campaigns should be Ramadan and Eid ul Adha days.  The biggest gifts you would like to give to your children or relatives and friends should not be the Christmas time, but the times of Eids.  This will help us develop a distinct community, a caring community that will thus help present Islam properly to the public. Another point regarding the Christmas season is the position of Jesus (PBUH) in Islam. If Christmas represents a feast of celebration of the birthday of Jesus, then we should observe it according to the Islamic principles and honor Jesus as a prophet of God.  Christmas trees and fairy tales of Santa Claus should have nothing to do with such celebrations. These holidays are a perfect time to pick up the Holy  Quran and other Islamic books and start reading.  As the month of December draws to a close, let us also pledge to be better Muslims, insha' Allah.  Our new year's eve should not be at a bar or a "party".  It should rather be at the prayer rug. If you are thinking of a gathering at your house, consider reading the Holy Quran together and an activity that involves remembrance of Allah as well. HADITH:  "The best word is the Book of Allah, and the  best guidance is the guidance shown by  Muhammad (S.A.W.). The worst practice is the  introduction of new elements in the Islamic faith  and every innovation amounts to heresy."  (Muslim, Hadith Number 170, Riyad Al- Saleheen)

conflict between Islam and the West.

SALT LAKE CITY – Much is written about the conflict between Islam and the West.

But the debate that will actually determine the future of Islam lies within Islam, between Muslim and Muslim. 

It is a debate that is going on in Arab lands from Morocco to Iraq and in non-Arab, but predominantly Islamic, lands from Pakistan to Iran. 

It is a debate about many things, not the least being the use of terrorism against innocent human beings. But particularly significant is the discourse about the role of women in Islamic societies. 

It is significant because the emergence of women from the subordinate role to which many of them have been relegated in Islamic societies would speed the economic and political progress of these countries in a positive direction.

In the economic field, some Arab countries have made progress, but a recent UN report prepared by Arab scholars found that over the past 20 years, growth in per capita income was the lowest in the world except in sub-Saharan Africa. 

The report concluded: "At an annual growth rate of 0.5 percent annually, if such trends continue in the future, it will take the average Arab citizen 140 years to double his or her income, while other regions are set to achieve that level in a matter of less than 10 years."