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In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

A Journey Through The


Islamic Faith

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Contents
Islam & Civilisation 4
Early History of Islam in Britain 12
Muslim Heritage in Our World 18
Life is a Journey 26
What is Islam? 28
Who are Muslims? 30
Islamic Teachings 32
Living Islam 34
Benefits of Islam 36
Who is Allah? 38
Who is Muhammad? (peace be upon him) 40
What is the Quran? 46
The Quran & Science 50
Jesus in Islam 70
Women in Islam 72
Muslim Women’s Dress 74
An Invitation to Think 78
The Purpose of Life 80

An Exhibition Islam Book


For Free Distribution
Islam & Civilisation
The Islamic world has had a were transmitted to Europe from
considerable influence on the Muslim world. Sophisticated
the development of Western instruments which were to make
civilisation and contributed possible the European voyages
immensely to the achievements of discovery, such as the astro-
of the Renaissance. Moreover, labe, the quadrant, and accu-
Muslim interaction with Europe, rate navigational maps, were
as well as the historical successes also developed by Muslims.
by Islamic scientists and scholars
have made a positive and long- It is useful to mention the state-
lasting impact on the current ments of various historical figures
era of science and technology. regarding the tolerance in the
Islamic world at the time. For
As Islam instructs man to use
example, Patriarch Theodosius
his powers of intelligence and
of Jerusalem, expressed in a let-
observation, these contributions
ter written to the Patriarch of
helped to bring Medieval Europe
Constantinople in 869 CE, ‘The
out of centuries of intolerance
Saracens [i.e. The Muslims] show
and scientific neglect during the
us great goodwill. They allow
Dark Ages.
us to build our churches and to
Within a short space of time observe our own customs without
since the birth of Islam in the 7th hindrance.’ (C. J. Walker, Islam
century, great cities and centres and the West, Sutton Publishing,
of learning were flourishing 2005, p. 17).
across the Muslim world. From Theodosius was certainly the
the 11th century onwards Europe equivalent of the Archbishop of
began to absorb much of this Canterbury in Jerusalem at the
knowledge from the Islamic time. What he stated has also
civilisation. The fusion of Eastern been corroborated by other
and Western ideas, and of new Christian figures such as Bernard
thought with old, brought about the Wise (a French pilgrim who
great advances in medicine, visited Jerusalem during the reign
mathematics, physics, astronomy, of Caliph al-Mu’tazz [866-9 CE]),
geography, architecture, art, who stated that if any property
literature and much more. Many was left unattended for some
crucial systems, such as algebra, time, it would be found unmo-
the Arabic numerals and the lested upon return, ‘such is the
concept of the number zero peace there’ (C. J. Walker, p. 17).
4
The exquisite 11th century Islamic
architecture of the Al-Hambra is
reflected in its central pool. This
ancient complex of buildings
served as a mosque, palace and
fortress of the Muslim rulers of
Granada, in southern Spain.

5
The peace and tolerance men- The last known witch to be burnt
tioned by these historical figures alive, was in Geneva as late as
was the result of Islamic law. 1782 CE (Dr Malcolm Gaskill,
This is the law which is directly Witchcraft in early modern
derived from the Quran and au- Europe, lecture delivered at
thentic traditions of the Prophet Birkbeck College on 11th of
Muhammad (peace be upon January 2008). Even in 1790
him) and it is this law which Mus- CE, when the final volumes of
lims uphold as sacred as well as Edward Gibbon’s ‘Decline and
being a source of modernity. Fall of the Roman Empire’ had
only just been published, it was a
Technically, modernity is rec- prescribed penalty in English law
ognised as something newly to burn a woman to death if she
invented or anything in fashion had killed her husband (Henry
such as scientific advancement, Offley Wakeman, The History of
organised establishments, and the Church of England, Rivington
a range of political institutions Percival & Co, 1896, p.154).
(including the nation-state….
Furthermore, women had very
associated with a complex sys-
few inheritance rights in Britain
tem of economic institutions,
as late as early 20th century.
especially industrial production)
European modernity therefore,
etc. Modernity itself is a very fluid
has been in continuous evolution,
and relative term as the mean-
not having any constant set
ing of the word “modern” may
standard or criteria. The Islamic
change from time to time or
definition, however, is very
place to place. Modernity may
different in nature. In Islam no
influence societies in a diverse
standard can be used to judge
range of ways, and under differ- God, instead God is the standard,
ent circumstances, the effects of whose Divine injunctions are
modernity may also transpire in a used to judge humanity. In Islam,
variety of ways. Today, however, women are highly protected,
it is fairly accurate to conclude favoured and respected by the
that no one has a monopoly on Divine law, provided rights and
modernism as the following ex- freedoms, such as inheritance,
ample shows. owning property, rights of
marriage and divorce.
In the 16th and 17th centuries, it
was legally and morally accept- Opposite: Arched windows and a
ed in Western Europe to burn minaret represent a good example
of mosque architecture found
witches and heretics alive. throughout the Islamic world.

6
The main points of transmission
of Islamic knowledge to Europe
were in Sicily, and in Islamic
Spain, particularly in Toledo.
Muslims governed parts of
Spain with Islamic law for more
than seven centuries (711-
1492 CE). This law produced
such peace and tranquillity
among the population that
they were able to achieve high
levels of academic excellence
and scientific advancement,
and it was this very same
advancement, which was
subsequently translated into Latin
for European learning by scholars
such as Gerard of Cremona,
Michael Scot, Robert of Ketton
and Adelard of Bath.

Europeans were, at that time,


so unacquainted with these
sciences that Robert of Ketton,
when writing the preface for
his translation of the Arabic
text, ‘Composition of Alchemy’,
stated that ‘Since what Alchymia
is, and what its composition is,
your Latin world does not yet
know, I will explain in the present
book’ (E. J. Holmyard, Alchemy,
Pelican books, 1957, p.103).
Arabic works on all scientific fields
were translated in the schools of
Toledo and then subsequently
passed onto European countries.

Following pages: Described in


poetry as a ‘pearl set in emeralds’,
the exquisite 11th century Islamic
architecture of the Al-Hambra,
Granada, Spain.
7
Professor Thomas Arnold indebted to the Arab world...’
confirmed this by asserting that (Maria Rosa Menocal, The Arabic
‘Muslim Spain had written one Role in Medieval Literary History,
of the brightest pages in the PENN, 2004, Preface. xii).
history of medieval Europe. Her
influence had passed through How Islamic law enabled the
Provence into the other countries Spanish Muslims, Jews and
of Europe, bringing into birth a Christians to produce this result
new poetry and new culture, and was also understood by some of
it was from her that the Christian the most prominent European
scholars received what of Greek thinkers. Adam Smith, the 18th
Philosophy and science they Century founder of modern
had to stimulate their mental economic theories whose picture
activity up to the time of the is printed on the current £20 note,
renaissance.’ (Professor Thomas was immensely inspired by the
Arnold, Preaching of Islam, Islamic method of governance.
Goodword books, 2005, p.131).
He proclaimed that ‘the empire
Maria Rosa Menocal, a scholar of the Caliphs seems to have
of European literature, states been the first state under which
that: ‘Westerners – Europeans the world enjoyed that degree of
- have great difficulty in tranquillity which the cultivation
considering the possibility that of the sciences requires.’
they are in some way seriously

8
He continues, ‘...it was under the ‘This is the protection which
protection of those generous the servant of Allah, Amir ul-
and magnificent princes, that Mumineen, grants to the people
the ancient philosophy and of Palestine. Thus, protection is
astronomy of the Greeks were for their lives, property, church,
restored and established in cross, for the healthy and sick
the East; that tranquillity, which and for all their co-religionists.
their mild, just and religious
government diffused over their In this way that their churches
vast empire, revived the curiosity shall not be turned into dwelling
of mankind, to inquire into the houses, nor will they be pulled
connecting principles of nature.’ down, nor any injury will be done
(History of Astronomy, in ‘The to them or to their enclosures,
Essays of Adam Smith’, A. Murray nor to their cross, and nor will
& Sons, 1869. p. 33). anything be deducted from their
wealth. No restrictions shall be
How Islam provided this made regarding their religious
security and tolerance is clearly ceremonies…’
demonstrated in the texts of the (Ibn Jarir at-Tabari, History).
treaties, which were agreed
upon by the Muslim rulers and This treaty concerning the
their non-Muslim subjects. Christians of Jerusalem was
Consider for instance, the Treaty enacted by the 2nd Caliph Umar
of Jerusalem (636 CE). bin al-Khattab in the year 636 CE.

9
The famous letter from Rabbi Gabriol and Judah Halevi, and
Isaac Tzarfati, after Europe’s at the apex of them all, Moses
persecution of the Jews, Ben Maimon, also known among
found in Phillip Mansel’s book the Spaniards as Maimonides.’
“Constantinople”, also reflects (Zion Zohar, Sephardic & Mizrahi
how Muslims safeguarded the Jewry, New York, 2005, p. 8-9).
interests of religious minorities:
It is safe to conclude,
‘Here in the land of the Turks we therefore, that Muslims and
have nothing to complain of. We their religious law played a
possess great fortunes; much decisive role in the history of
gold and silver are in our hands. the intellectual development
We are not oppressed with heavy of Europe. The core of Western
taxes and our commerce is free “modernity” or “modernism”
and unhindered. Rich are the i.e. scientific sophistication and
fruits of the earth. Everything is advancement, came directly
cheap and every one of us lives from Islamic lands such as Spain
in peace and freedom...’ (Philip and Sicily. Thus, it was the Shariah
Mansel. 1995. Constantinople: which served as a mirror for
City of the World’s desire, 1453- the Europeans to look into and
1924. Penguin Books, p. 15). modernise their appearance.
And it is indeed this fact that
Zion Zohar, an American was mentioned in the Quran 14
Jewish historian, illustrated centuries ago: ‘We have not sent
how the Jewish community in thee (O Muhammad) except as
Spain welcomed the arrival of a mercy to mankind.’ (Quran,
the Muslims in 711 CE. ‘Thus, Chapter 21, Verse 107).
when Muslims crossed the
straits of Gibraltar from North And it is this mercy which is well
Africa in 711 CE and invaded demonstrated and documented
the Iberian Peninsula, Jews in the treaties with non-Muslim
welcomed them as liberators subjects.
from Christian Persecution…
Born during this era of Islamic
rule, the famous Golden Age of
Islamic principles,
Spanish Jewry (circa 900-1200) therefore, are the
produced such luminaries as:
statesman and diplomat Hasdai source to define and
ibn Shaprut, vizier and army
commander Shmuel ha-Nagid,
shape modernity and
poet-philosophers Solomon Ibn modernisation.
10
A 12th century world map by
Al-Idrisi was drawn with north at
the bottom.

11
8th Century
Offa of Mercia
Archaeological discoveries
have helped us to redraw the
international economic and trade
relations of twelve hundred years
ago, when thousands of Muslim
coins were found across Europe; in
Germany, Finland and Scandinavia. was produced for trade or for use
An astounding coin was also by pilgrims travelling through the
discovered in the United Kingdom Muslim lands. The coin was most
and it is now displayed at the British certainly not made by a Muslim
Museum. craftsman since OFFA REX is written
upside down in relation to the Arabic
The 8th century Gold Mancus was kufic script and the word ‘year’
made by the Anglo-Saxon monarch is misspelled in Arabic. The coin
- King Offa of Mercia and England. provides evidence of the impact of
What is extraordinary about the coin Islamic trade and currency on Britain.
is that it was a copy of a gold dinar King Offa also produced a silver
of the Abbasid Caliph al-Mansur penny that was equivalent in weight
dated 774 CE. It is over 1,200 years to half an Abbasid dirham.
old and the Arabic letters declare
“There is no Deity but God, The
One without Equal’ and a further 9th century
declaration is engraved around the Ballycottin cross
margin which says ‘Muhammad is
the Prophet of God, Who sent him The 9th century Ballycottin cross,
(Muhammad) with the doctrine and found on the southern coast of
the true faith to prevail over every Ireland bears an Arabic inscription.
other religion.” At the centre of the cross set in a
A significant difference from the glass bead is the phrase ‘Bismillah’
Abbasid coin is that this coin is (in the name of Allah). Muslim map
stamped with the inscription OFFA makers were also well aware of the
REX. There are many different British Isles. Muhammad bin Musa
scholarly opinions as to why King al-Khwarizmi in his ‘Surat al-Ard’,
Offa would have ordered for such written around 817 CE mentions a
a coin, the majority hold that it number of places in Britain.

12
Early History of Islam in Britain
12TH CENTURY Adelard travelled to Syria and
Muslim Spain and translated a
Adelard of Bath number of Arabic texts into Latin.

What is striking about the


discoveries, innovations, research
and writings of Muslim scientists
during the European medieval
period, is their insatiable thirst
for knowledge. This was not
knowledge for the sake of it, but
in most cases it had practical
application - improving the
quality of peoples lives. This
amazing energy was shown by
many individuals who wrote Above: By the 10th century Muslim
down their findings at incredible scholars had built upon many of
rates, with books running to the works of the Greek philosopher,
thousands of pages. This golden Aristotle. These Arabic works as well
age of Islamic civilisations as many others were translated into
Latin by English and other European
between the 8th and 13th scholars.
centuries, saved ancient learning
from extinction and added new
discoveries which then spread Also in the Twelfth Century, King
far and wide. John was excommunicated by
Pope Innocent III. Matthew Paris,
The thirst for knowledge was a contem-
infectious and many Europeans porary monk,
flocked to the gives details
Muslim lands to of an emissary
absorb the vast sent by King
encyclopedias. John in 1213
It is generally to the North
believed that the African Amir, Muhammad An-
first Englishman Nasir. King John offered to help
known for certain to have been the Muslims in their campaigns in
a scholar of Arabic was Henry II’s Spain against the King of Aragon.
tutor, Adelard of Bath (1125 CE).
13
13TH CENTURY Daniel was probably a student of
Adelard of Bath, and to further
Daniel of Morley his education Daniel, like many
young students had left his native
Following Adelard’s footsteps, England, and headed east, first
others too sailed from Britain stopping at the University of Paris.
in the twelfth and thirteenth Unfortunately it had become
centuries in quest of Arabic ‘stale and moribund’ and he
learning and returned could hardly wait to leave. He
to enlighten their fellow said “These masters (in Paris)
countrymen. This included Daniel were so ignorant that they stood
of Morley and Michael Scot, as still as statues pretending
whose translations of Aristotle to show wisdom by remaining
from Arabic were of great value silent.’
during the Renaissance.
So where did he go? In his own
Daniel of Morley was an English
words ‘...since these days it is at
vicar and scientist born around
Toledo that Arabic teachings
1140 CE, in a village in Norfolk. He
are widely celebrated, I hurried
is just one of the many outward
there to listen to the worlds wisest
looking and forward thinking
philosophers.’ In 12th century
Europeans who opened his mind
Toledo at least three cultures
to Muslim knowledge.
lived side by side, Muslims, Jews
and Christians. This is a time of
cultural richness where all shared
the same, breath taking desire
for knowledge. Today the way
they worked and lived together
is known by the Spanish word
convivencia.
What was really exciting for
Daniel of Morley and others was
that previously they had only
fragments of classical Greek
text, and many of these were
forgeries. Now they were seeing
that Muslims had vast resources
Above: Frontispiece of an Adelard of knowledge which had been
of Bath’s Latin translation of Euclid’s rebuilt and added to in an
Elements, the oldest surviving Latin
immense way over five hundred
translation of the Elements.
years of Muslim scholarship.
14
Important works by Greek phi-
losophers and mathematicians
“On the Day of
which had been lost in the West Resurrection the feet of
were now turning up in Toledo.
The critique and commentary on the son of Adam (man)
Aristotle by Ibn Rushd (known as
Averoes in the West) was per- will not move away till
haps the real start of Europe’s
classical revival
he is questioned about
and this was four matters: how he
two hundred
years before spent his lifetime, how
the real Renais-
sance began. he spent his youth, from
Many of the where he acquired his
Arabic com-
mentaries and
wealth and how he spent
summaries of it, and what he did with
Aristotle’s work
by Ibn Rushd his knowledge.”
written in
Cordoba were (Saying of Prophet Muhammad
(peace be upon him) narrated by
translated into
al-Tirmidhi, no. 2417)
Latin by Michael Scot, a scholar
from Scotland. These transla-
tions were destined to set Europe
ablaze as the Church banned
Ibn Rushd’s and Aristotle’s works
immediately.

Thousands of original manuscripts


of the Latin translations from
Arabic by Daniel of Morley and
many others can still be found in
the Toledo Cathedral today.
Above: Michael Scot travelled
to Muslim lands during the 13th
century. His translations of Aristotle
from Arabic were vital during the
Renaissance.
Right: Prologue of ‘Philosophia’ by
Daniel of Morley, in a Latin
Astronomical Miscellany.

15
14TH CENTURY 16TH CENTURY
Canon of Medicine Links with the
Muslim scholarship was well Ottoman Muslims
known among the learned in
Britain by 1386, when Chaucer
This was a time when Muslim
naval power dominated the
was writing. For example, in the
Mediterranean. This expanse
Prologue to the Canterbury Tales,
included Istanbul, the centre of
there is among the pilgrims on
the Ottoman Empire; Aleppo, a
their way to Canterbury, a ‘Doc-
crucial link in the Silk route; Beirut,
tour of Phisyk’ whose learning in-
‘whereunto all the ships coming
cluded Razi, Avicenna (Ibn Sina)
from Europe arrive’; Jerusalem,
and Averroes (Ibn Rushd). Ibn Si-
the city of pilgrimage; Cairo, a
na’s monumental medical book
centre of trade, witnessing ‘the
Qanun fi al-Tibb (The Canon of
greatest concourse of Mankind
Medicine) was so widespread in
in these times’, and Fez, ‘a world
Europe by the 14th century that it
for a city’.
had become a standard refer-
ence text for medical students
and was used well into the 17th
century.

15TH CENTURY
The First Printed
Book
The first book ever to have been
printed in England by Caxton
in 1477 is considered to be ‘The
Dictes and Sayings of the Philoso-
phers’, which was a translation
of a popular Arabic compilation
entitled ‘Mukhtar al-Hikam Wa
mahasin al-Kalim’, by Abul Wafa
Mubashir Ibn Fatik.

Right: The first printed book in


England. The “Dictes and Sayings of
the Philosophers”.

16
The Sultan of the Ottoman Em-
pire, Murad III, exchanged
numerous envoys and letters with
Queen Elizabeth I of England. In
one correspondence, Murad III
contemplated the notion that
Islam and Protestantism had
“much more in common than ei-
ther did with Roman Catholicism,
as both rejected the worship of
idols.”

He also sought an alliance be-


tween England and the Ottoman
Empire. In fact, Queen Elizabeth I
seriously considered joint military
operations with Murad III when
the threat of the Spanish Armada
loomed at the outbreak of war
with Spain in 1585. To the dis-
may of other European powers,
England even exported tin and
lead for cannon-casting as well
as ammunitions to the Ottoman
History also shows that of all the
Empire.
countries of Europe, Britain en-
joyed the most extensive trade
with the Muslim lands.

During this period the universi-


ties of Oxford and Cambridge
had established Chairs of Arabic.
Throughout mediaeval times
and the Renaissance, scholars
in Britain relied heavily on trans-
lations from the Arabic in the
fields of mathematics, astronomy
and medicine (Islam in Britain
1558-1685, N. Matar, Cambridge
University Press, 1998).

Above: Oxford university.

17
Muslim Heritage in Our World
The concept that the sciences
are exclusively the products
of Western minds remains
unquestioned by most
individuals. It is hardly necessary
to repeat the oft-mentioned
names: Galileo, Copernicus,
Kepler, Bacon, Newton, Da
Vinci, Benjamin Franklin, etc.
The unavoidable conclusion
is that major contributions
to the development of the
modern sciences by other
cultures is minimal. Most texts Al-Haytham
give little or no mention of the Centuries prior to Newton, during
advancements made by ancient the 11th century, the Muslim
Indian, Chinese or, particularly, scientist al-Haytham, had already
Muslim scholars. determined virtually everything
that Newton advanced regarding
Whereas Western civilization
this subject. Al-Haytham was
has undoubtedly made an
probably the most quoted
invaluable contribution to the
physicist of the Middle Ages. His
development of the sciences,
works were utilized and quoted
the following examples will show,
by a greater number of European
that it was in fact Muslim scientists
who had centuries earlier made scholars during the 16th and 17th
many basic inventions and centuries than those of Newton
scientific discoveries, which have and Galileo combined. Hence,
long been credited to Western there is little doubt that Newton
scholars. was influenced by al-Haytham.

In the field of physics, Isaac Isaac Newton, during the 17th


Newton is regarded as the century, is also said to have
‘founder of optics’ and in the discovered that white light consists
17th century his study of lenses, of various rays of coloured light.
light and prisms laid down the What should be taught is that this
foundation of the modern discovery was made in its entirety
science of optics. by al-Haytham in the 11th century
and advanced further by Kamal
ad-Din in the 14th century.
18
Al-Biruni
The concept of the finite nature
of matter was first introduced
by Antione Lavoisier during the
18th century. He discovered
that, although matter may
change its form or shape, its
mass always remains the same.
Thus, for instance, if water is
heated to steam or if a piece Ibn-Firnas
of wood is burnt to ashes, the The first mention of manned
total mass remains unchanged. flight was by the English scholar
However, the basic principles of Roger Bacon, who drew a flying
this discovery had already been apparatus. Leonardo da Vinci
elaborated centuries before by also conceived airborne transport
the Muslim scholar, al-Biruni (d. and drew several prototypes.
1050). Lavoisier in fact was a However, Ibn Firnas of Muslim
disciple of Muslim chemists and Spain invented, constructed and
physicists and referred to their tested a flying machine in the 9th
books frequently. century. Roger Bacon learned
of flying machines from Arabic
references to Ibn Firnas’ machine.
The latter’s invention antedates
Bacon by 500 years and Da Vinci
by some 700 years.
Glass mirrors were said to have
been first produced in 1291 in
Venice. However, glass mirrors
were used in Muslim Spain from
as early as the 11th century. The
Venetians learnt the art of fine
glass production from Syrian
artisans during the 9th and 10th
centuries.
19
Glass lens Muslims also constructed a variety
of highly accurate astronomical
Roger Bacon (d. 1292) first men- clocks for use in their observatories.
tioned glass lenses for improving Moveable type and the printing
vision. However, Ibn Firnas of press was invented in the West by
Muslim Spain invented eyeglass- Johannes Gutenberg of Germany
es during the 9th century, and during the 15th century.
they were manufactured and In 1454, Gutenberg
sold throughout Spain for over developed the most
two centuries. Any mention of sophisticated
eyeglasses by Roger Bacon was printing
simply a regurgitation of the work
of Ibn Firnas and al-Haytham.

Clocks
Until the 14th century, the only
type of clocks available were
water clocks. In 1335, a large
mechanical clock was erected
in Milan, Italy. This was possibly
the first weight-driven clock. In
the Islamic world a variety of me-
chanical clocks were produced
by Spanish Muslim engineers,
both large and small, and this
knowledge was transmitted to
Europe through Latin translations
of Muslim books on mechanics.
These clocks were weight-driven. press of the
Designs and illustrations of epicy- Middle Ages.
clic and segmental gears were However, moveable
provided. One such clock includ- brass type was in use in Muslim
ed a mercury escapement. The Spain 100 years prior to this.
latter type was directly copied
by Europeans during the 15th Compass
century. In addition, during the
9th century, Ibn Firnas of Muslim The compass is said to have been
Spain, according to Will Durant, invented by the Chinese who may
invented a watch-like device have been the first to use it for
which kept accurate time. navigational purposes sometime

20
between 1000 and 1100 C.E. A number of Muslim geographers
The earliest reference to its also classified the races, writing
use in navigation was by the detailed explanations of their
Englishman, Alexander Neckam unique cultural habits and
(d. 1217). Muslim geographers physical appearances. They
and navigators knew about wrote thousands of pages on
magnetic needles, possibly this subject. Blumenbach’s works
from the Chinese, and had were insignificant in comparison.
already begun to use
them in navigation Geography
well before
Neckham. The science of geography
was revived during the 15th,
16th and 17th centuries when
the ancient works of Ptolemy
were discovered. The Crusades
and the Portuguese/Spanish
expeditions also contributed
to this reawakening. The first
scientifically-based treatise on
geography was produced during
this period by Europe’s scholars.
Muslim geographers, however,
had already produced untold
volumes of books on the
geography of Africa, Asia,
India, and China during the 8th
through to 15th centuries.

These writings included the


The first man world’s first geographical
to classify ethnicity encyclopedias, almanacs and
was the German Johann road maps. Ibn Battutah’s 14th
F. Blumenbach, who divided century masterpieces provide a
mankind into white, yellow, detailed view of the geography
brown, black and red peoples. of the ancient world. Works by
Muslim geographers between
However, Muslim scholars the 10th and 18th centuries
between the 9th and the 14th far exceeded the output
centuries had already invented by Europeans regarding the
the science of ethnography. geography of these regions.
21
Trigonometry
In the field of mathematics,
Greeks are said to have
developed trigonometry. However,
trigonometry remained largely a
theoretical science amongst the
Greeks. It was developed to a level
of modern perfection by Muslim
al-Kashi
scholars, although the weight of
Al-Kashi’s 15th century book, Key
the credit must be given to al-
to Arithmetic, was the stimulus
Battani. The words describing the
for the systematic application
basic functions of this science; sine,
of decimals to whole numbers
cosine and tangent, are all derived and fractions thereof. It is highly
from Arabic terms. probably that Stevin imported
the idea to Europe from al-Kashi’s
The use of decimal fractions in work.
mathematics was supposedly
first developed by a Dutchman, Similarly the first man to utilize
Simon Stevin, in 1589. He helped algebraic symbols is said to have
advance the mathematical been the French mathematician,
sciences by replacing cumbersome Francois Vieta. In 1591, he wrote
fractions, for instance 1/2, with an algebra book describing
decimal fractions, for example, equations with letters such as
0.5. The reality is that Muslim the now familiar x and y’s. This
mathematicians were the first to discovery had an impact similar
utilize decimals instead of fractions to the progression from Roman
on a large scale. numerals to Arabic numbers.

22
logarithmic tables several
centuries prior to Napier.
Such tables were common in
the Islamic world as early as
the 13th century. During the
17th century Rene Descartes
made the discovery that
algebra could be used to
solve geometrical problems. By
this, he greatly advanced the
science of geometry. However,
Mathematicians of the Islamic
Empire accomplished precisely
Algebra this as early as the 9th century.
Thabit bin Qurrah was the first to
However, Muslim do so, and he was followed by
mathematicians Abu’l Wafa, whose 10th century
were the real inventors book utilized algebra to advance
of algebra. They introduced geometry into an exact and
the concept of using letters for simplified science.
unknown variables in equations as
It is also usually taught that Isaac
early as the 9th century. Through Newton, during the 17th century,
this system, they solved a variety developed the binomial theorem,
of complex equations, including which is a crucial component
quadratic and cubic equations. for the study of algebra.
The concept that numbers could In fact hundreds of Muslim
be less than zero, i.e. negative mathematicians utilized and
numbers, was unknown until perfected the binomial theorem
1545 when Geronimo Cardano many centuries before. They
introduced the idea. However, initiated its use for the systematic
Muslim mathematicians had solution of algebraic problems
already introduced negative during the 10th century.
numbers for use in a variety of
arithmetic functions at least 400 Al-Haytham - book of secrets
years prior to Cardano.

In 1614, John Napier is said to


have invented logarithms and
logarithmic tables. However,
history shows that Muslim
mathematicians invented
67
23
MEDICINE AND
SURGERY
If we could journey back to 10th
century southern Spain we would
come across a cutting-edge
surgeon called Abul Qasim al-
Zahrawi, known in the West as
Abulcasis. This physician along
with ibn-Sina and al-Razi greatly
inspired Europe. Most of their
works were translated into Latin Above: Anatomical drawing. Arabic
medicine was advanced in Europe
and served as standard medical throughout the Middle Ages. From
and surgical references in Europe the very first medical school of Saler-
for many hundreds of years. no down to Vesalius, Western doc-
tors were taught by the Muslims.

As far back as the 10th century,


when surgery in Europe was
dishonourably considered the
practice of “quacks” and “barbers”,
trained Muslim surgeons were
performing a huge array of surgical
procedures.

Their success was mainly due


to the use of fine sutures, the
soporific sponge (the precursor
of modern anaesthesia; this was
a sponge soaked with aromatics
and narcotics and held to the
patient’s nostrils), and the use of
purified alcohol to wounds as an
Above: Anatomical drawings ap- antiseptic agent. Remarkably, the
pended to a Persian translation of first European use of antiseptics in
an Arabic medical compendium. surgery was some eight centuries
later by the British surgeon Joseph
Lister in 1865.
24
The use of specialised surgical
instruments was another
revolutionary concept introduced
by al-Zahrawi during the 10th
century that transformed this field of
medicine and laid the foundations
of modern surgery throughout the
world. His famous treatise called
al-Tasrif (On Surgery) contained
a staggering collection of over
200 different surgical instruments.
Amazingly, the basic design of
many of these instruments has
not changed today and would be
difficult to distinguish if laid besides
Above: A page from al-Tasrif, al-
their modern counterparts.
Zahrawi’s revolutionary 10th century
treatise on surgery depicting a
few of the 200 surgical instruments
described in his book. The basic
design of many of these instruments
has not changed over the centuries
and are still in widespread use
today.

Above: Arabic manu-


script on the Anatomy of
the Eye written around the
year 1200 by al-Mutadibih.

Right: A case containing


an array of 10th century
surgical instruments.

25
Life is a Journey
All people come from When God gives life to man, it
is not in vain that He endows
God and there is no him with unique qualities and
great abilities. Nor is it in vain
doubt that they shall that He charges him with certain
return to Him. obligations.

God helps man to fulfil the


For Muslims, life is a brilliant
purpose of life and to realise that
demonstration of God’s wisdom
the goal of existence is to worship
and knowledge, and a vivid God alone. He means to help him
reflection of His Art and Power. to learn the creative art of living
He is the Giver and Creator of and enjoy the good taste of life
life. Nothing comes into existence according to Divine guidance.
by chance and nobody creates
himself or anybody else. Life is Life is a trust from God and man
very precious and no sensible or is a trustee who should handle
reasonable person would like to his trust with honesty and skill and
lose it by choice. Even some of with consciousness of responsibility
those who feel so desperate and to Him. Life may be likened to a
take their lives by committing journey starting from a certain
suicide try in the last minute to point and ending at a certain
regain their existence in order destination. It is a transitory
to capture a second chance to stage, an introduction to the
live. Life is given to man by Allah eternal life in the hereafter. In this
and He is the only Rightful One to journey, people should consider
take it back; no one else has the themselves as travellers and
right to destroy a life. should be concerned only with
what is of use to them in the future
This is why Islam forbids all kinds life. In other words, we should do
of suicide and self-destruction all the good we can and make
and recommends patience and ourselves fully prepared to move
good faith when a dear soul any minute to eternity. The best
passes away. When a murderer is use of life in Islam therefore, is to
executed in punishment, his life is live it according to the teachings
taken away by the right of God of God and to make it a safe
and in accordance with His Law. passage to the future life of
eternity.
26
Life is important as a means to
an ultimate destination. Islam has
laid down a complete system
of regulations and principles to
show men and women how to
conduct their lives.

Some sayings of the Prophet


Muhammad (peace be upon
him).

“The merciful are


shown mercy by the
All-Merciful. Show
mercy to those on
earth, and God will
show mercy to you.”
(Narrated in Al-Tirmizi, No.1924, and
Abu-Dawood, No. 4941).

“A good word is
charity.”
(Narrated in Saheeh Muslim,
No.1009, and Saheeh Al-Bukhari,
No. 2989.)
27
“ And to God belongs the
unseen (secrets) of the
heavens and the earth and to
Him is the return of all affairs.
So worship Him and trust
in Him and your Lord is not
unmindful of what you do. ”
(The Quran, Chapter 11, Hud: 123)

28
What is Islam?
Islam is the name of the religion,
or more properly the ‘way of life’,
which God (Allah) has revealed
and which was practiced by all
of the Prophets and Messengers
of God that He sent to mankind.
Even the name stands out
unique among other religions in
that it means a state of being; it
does not refer to any particular
person, such as Christianity,
Buddhism or Zoroastrianism; a
tribe like Judaism; or a nation like
Hinduism.

The root Arabic word from which


Islam is derived implies

peace, safety,
salutation, protection,
submission, acceptance,
surrender, and
salvation.
Islam specifically means being
in the state of submission to
God, worshipping Him Alone,
and reverently accepting and
Top image: The building at the
obeying His Law. Through this very heart of the Sacred Mosque
submission, the peace, security, in Makkah is known as the Kaaba
and wholesome well-being (literally meaning ‘cube’ in Arabic)
implied in its literal meaning is and represents the focal point
toward which, Muslims all over the
achieved.
world pray five times a day.
29
Who are Muslims?
The Arabic word “Muslim” literally
means “someone who is in a state
of Islam (submission to the will and
law of God)”. The five pillars of
Islam provide the framework for
the Muslim way of life. These are,
the declaration of faith, five daily
prayers, giving charity, fasting
during the month of Ramadan
and the pilgrimage to Makkah
once in a lifetime. The message of
Islam is universal, and anyone who
accepts this message becomes a
Muslim. Some people mistakenly
believe that Islam is just a religion
for Arabs, but nothing could be
further from the truth. In actuality,
over 80% of the world’s Muslims
are not Arabs!

If one just takes a look at the


various peoples who live in the
Muslim World - from Nigeria to Top: Performing the ritual ablution
known as wudhoo is obligatory
Bosnia and from Morocco to before commencing the
Indonesia - it is easy enough compulsory prayers.
to see that Muslims come from
many different races, ethnic Above: During the prayer Muslims
prostrate (sujood in Arabic) before
groups, cultures and nationalities. Almighty God.
Being a Muslim entails complete
acceptance and active Opposite page: Spectacular view
obedience to the revealed from one of the minarets of the
Sacred Mosque in Makkah as a
teachings and laws of God the
million worshippers stand for the
Exalted. A Muslim is a person who night-time prayer. According to
freely accepts basing his beliefs, Islamic tradition, the Kaaba was first
values and faith on the will of built by Prophet Adam. Generations
Almighty God. later it was rebuilt by Prophet
Abraham and his son Prophet
Ishmael (peace be upon them).
30
31
Islamic Teachings
The foundation of A common misconception is the
claim that God cannot forgive
the Islamic faith is His creatures directly. By over-
emphasizing the burden and
belief in absolute penalty of sin, as well as claiming
Monotheism (the that God cannot forgive humans
directly, people often despair of
Oneness of God). the Mercy of God. Once they
become convinced that they
This means to believe that there cannot approach God directly,
is only ONE Creator and Sustainer they turn to false gods for help,
of everything in the Universe, and such as heroes, political leaders,
that nothing is divine or worthy saviours, saints, and angels.
of being worshipped except We often find that the people
for Him. Truly, believing in the who worship, pray to, or seek
Oneness of God means much intercession from these false
more than simply believing that deities, do not consider them to
there is “One God” - as opposed be a ‘god’.
to two, three or four.
They claim belief in One Supreme
There are a number of religions
God, but claim that they pray
that claim belief in “One God”
to and worship others beside
and believe that ultimately
God only to get closer to Him. In
there is only one Creator and
Islam, there is a clear distinction
Sustainer of the Universe, but
between the Creator and the
true monotheism is to believe
created. There is no ambiguity
that only the One True Deity is to
or mystery in issues of divinity:
be worshipped in accordance
anything that is created does
to the revelation He sent to His
not deserve to be worshipped;
Messenger. Islam also rejects the
only Allah, the Creator, is worthy
use of all intermediaries between
of being worshipped. Some
God and Man, and insists that
religions believe that God has
people approach God directly
become part of His creation, and
and reserve all worship for Him this has led people to believe
alone. Muslims believe that that they can worship something
Almighty God is Compassionate, created in order to reach their
Loving and Merciful. Creator.
32
Muslims believe that even
though God is Unique and
Exalted beyond speculative
comprehension, He definitely
has no partners, associates,
peers, antagonists or offspring.
According to Muslim belief,
Allah “neither begets, nor was
He begotten” - neither literally,
allegorically, metaphorically,
physically or metaphysically. He
is Absolutely Unique and Eternal.
He is in control of everything and
is perfectly capable of bestowing
His infinite Mercy and Forgiveness
to whomever He chooses. That
is why Allah is also called the
All-Powerful and Most-Merciful.
Allah has created the Universe
for man, and as such wants the
best for all human beings.

Muslims view everything in


the universe as a sign of the
Benevolence of Almighty
God. Also, the belief in the
Oneness of Allah is not merely
a metaphysical concept. It is a
dynamic belief that affects ones
view of humanity, society and
all aspects of practical life. As
a logical corollary to the Islamic
belief in the Oneness of Allah,
is its belief in the oneness of
mankind and humanity.

33
Living Islam
The family in Islam When Muslim parents reach old
The family, which is the basic age, they are treated mercifully,
unit of civilization, is now with kindness and selflessness.
disintegrating. Islam’s family In Islam, serving one’s parents
system brings the rights of the is a duty second to prayer,
husband, wife, children, and and it is their right to expect
relatives into a fine equilibrium. it. It is considered despicable
It nourishes unselfish behaviour, to express any irritation when,
generosity, and love in the through no fault of their own,
framework of a well-organized the old become difficult.
family system. The peace and
security offered by a stable Neighbours
family unit is greatly valued, It is reported that the Prophet
and it is seen as essential for the Muhammad (peace be upon
spiritual growth of its members. him) said: “Whoever believes in
A harmonious social order God and the Last Day (the Day
is created by the existence of Judgment) should do good to
of extended families and by his neighbour” (Narrated Saheeh
treasuring children. Al-Bukhari, No. 6019).

How do Muslims treat the How does one become a


elderly? Muslim?
In the Islamic world, one rarely One becomes a Muslim simply
finds “old people’s homes.” by saying with understanding
The strain of caring for one’s and conviction the declaration
parents in this most difficult time of faith, Laa illaaha ill Allah
of their lives is considered an Muhammad-ur Rasoolullah. This
honour and a blessing and an saying means
opportunity for great spiritual
growth. In Islam, it is not enough
that we only pray for our parents,
‘There is no god but
but we should act with limitless God (Allah) and
compassion, remembering that
when we were helpless children, Muhammad is the
they preferred us to themselves.
Mothers are particularly
Messenger (Prophet)
honoured. mic life is established of God’.
by having a healt
34
The first part, “There is no true god
but God,” means that none has
the right to be worshipped but God
alone, and that God has neither
partner nor son. The person has to
deny that there is anything else
worthy of worship except God
(Allah) alone. This includes denying
and rejecting those people who
overstep the limits set by the Creator
or those people who wish to take an
attribute of Allah upon themselves,
such as the ‘Forgiver’ or ‘Lawgiver’.

The declaration also needs to be


said with knowledge and certainty.
The person also needs to submit to
Allah with love and sincerity. When
someone converts to Islam, God
forgives all of his previous sins and
evil deeds.

To be a Muslim, one should also:

Believe that the Quran is the literal


word of God, revealed by Him.

Believe that the Day of Judgment


(the Day of Resurrection) is true and
will come, as God promised in the
Quran.

Accept Islam as his or her religion.

Not worship anything nor anyone


except God.

Accept all of the previous Prophets


send by God and believe that
Muhammad (peace be upon him) is
the Last Prophet of God.
35
The door to eternal paradise. The Prophet Muhammad (peace
God says in the Quran: be upon him) said: {Truly your
blood, your property, and your
“Race one with another for honour are inviolable.} (Narrated
forgiveness from your Lord and in Saheeh Al-Bukhari, No 1739,
for Paradise, whose width is as and Mosnad Ahmad, No 2037)
the width of the heavens and the
earth, which has been prepared Racism
for those who believe in God and Racism is not allowed in Islam,
His messengers....” for the Quran speaks of human
(The Quran, Iron 57: 21)
equality in the following terms:

Happiness and inner peace “O mankind, We have created


Real happiness and peace can you from a male and a female
only be found in submitting to and have made you into nations
the commands of the Creator and tribes for you to know one
and the Sustainer of this world. another. Truly, the noblest of you
God has said in the Quran: with God is the most pious. Truly,
God is All-Knowing, All-Aware. “
“...Truly, in remembering God do (The Quran, The Dwellings 49: 13)
hearts find rest.”
(The Quran, The Thunder 13: 28) Islam rejects certain individuals
or nations being favoured
because of their wealth, power,
Human rights or race. God created human
Islam secures and preserves beings as equals who are to
individual human rights. The be distinguished from each
following are some of these other only on the basis of their
human rights that Islam protects. faith and piety. The Prophet
The life and property of all Muhammad (peace be upon
citizens in Islam are considered him) said: “O people! Your
sacred, whether a person God is one and your forefather
is Muslim or not. Islam also (Adam) is one. An Arab is not
protects honour. So, in Islam, better than a non-Arab and a
insulting others or making fun of non-Arab is not better than an
them is not allowed. Arab, and a red (i.e. white tinged
with red) person is not better

36
Benefits of Islam
than a black person and a black
person is not better than a red
person, except in piety.” One
of the major problems facing
mankind today is racism. The
developed world can send a
man to the moon but cannot
stop man from hating and
fighting his fellow man. Ever
since the days of the Prophet
Muhammad (peace be upon
him), Islam has provided a
clear means by which racism
can be eradicated. The
annual pilgrimage (Hajj) to
Makkah shows the real Islamic
brotherhood of all races and
nations, when approximately
two million Muslims from all over
the world come to Makkah to
perform the pilgrimage.

Justice
Islam is a religion of justice. God
has said:

“Truly God commands you to


give back trusts to those to whom
they are due, and when you
judge between people, to judge
with justice...”
(The Quran, The Women 4: 58)

And He has said: “...And act


justly. Truly, God loves those who
are just.”
(The Quran, The Dwellings 49: 9)

37
Arabic: “Allah” ~ the God
Arabic: “ilah” ~ god or deity
Hebrew: “Elohim” ~ the God
Aramaic: “Elaha” ~ God
Syraic: “Alaha” ~ God

“He is Allah, besides


Whom there is no god; the
Sovereign, the Holy One,
the Source of Peace
(and Perfection), the
Guardian of Faith, the
Preserver of Safety, the
Exalted in Might, the
Irresistible, the Supreme:
Glory to Allah! (High is He)
above the partners they
ascribe to Him.”
(The Quran, Chapter 59, The Gathering: 23)

38
Who is Allah?
Often one hears the Arabic word It is Allah Who created the vast
“Allah” being used in discussions expanse of the universe with
regarding Islam. The word “Allah” countless galaxies containing
is simply the Arabic word for billions of stars and planets. He
Almighty God, and is the same created people, animals, plants,
word used by Arabic speaking trees, microscopic life, atoms and
Christians and Jews. As a matter sub atomic particles and many
of fact, the word Allah was in use other things of which we have no
far before the word God ever knowledge.
came into existence. If one were
to pick up an Arabic translation Allah is the Most High, the Most
of the Bible, one would see the Loving, the Most Merciful. He has
word “Allah” being used where no son nor partner and none has
the word “God” is used in English. the right to be worshipped but Him
In addition, the Arabic word for alone. He is the true Deity and every
Almighty God, “Allah”, is quite other deity is false. He is the Creator
similar to the word for God in other of all beings and thus is considered
Semitic languages. For example, to be the Lord for the atheists, the
the Hebrew word for God is “Elah”. Buddhists, the Christians, the Hindus,
the Jews, the Muslims, the Sikhs,
For various reasons, some non- and all others. Muslims worship and
Muslims mistakenly believe that put their trust in Him alone and they
Muslims worship a different seek His help and His guidance only.
God than the God of Moses Allah is characterised with attributes
and Abraham and Jesus. This is of perfection and described with
certainly not the case, since the qualities of magnificence. He is free
Pure Monotheism of Islam calls all from defects and deficiencies. He
people to the worship of the God is Ever-Living and will not die. He is
of Noah, Abraham, Moses, Jesus Self-Sustaining, supports everything
and all of the other prophets, in this world and does not sleep. He
peace be upon them. is Fully-Aware; not a single atom in
the heavens or the Earth escapes
The concept of the Creator is very Him. He is the All-Seer; He views
simple and easily understood in the crawling of a black ant upon
Islam. Allah is regarded as Unique a small rock in a pitch-black cave.
and the One true Lord. He is the And He is the All-Hearer; He hears
Sole Creator of everything and His the cries of the voices with the
power of creation is infinite. diversity of languages concerning
their various needs.
39
Muhammad

Jesus
John (Eesa)
(Yahya)

Zacharias
(Zakariya)
Elijah Elisha
(Elias) (Al-Yasa)
Jonah
(Yunus)

Solomon
Aaron Moses (Sulayman)
Ezekiel (Harun) (Musa)
(Dul-kifl)
David
(Dawud)
Joseph
Job (Yusuf)
(Ayub)
Adam
Jacob
(Yaqub)
Isaac
Shoaib (Ishaaq)

Lot
Enoch (Lut)
(Idris)
Salih
Hud
Noah Abraham Ismail
(Nuh) (Ibrahim) (Ishmael)

The Prophets of Allah mentioned in the Quran (peace be upon them all).
English versions of the names are given with the Quranic name in brackets
where applicable. However, it is clearly stated in the Quran that this list is not
exhaustive: “And certainly We sent messengers before you: there are some of
them that We have mentioned to you and there are others whom We have not
mentioned to you...” (Quran, The Forgiver 40:78).

40
Who is Muhammad?
The Last and Final Prophet In order to guard against
whom God sent to humanity these falsehoods, the Prophet
was the Prophet Muhammad, Muhammad (peace be upon
may the mercy and blessings him) always emphasized that he
of God be upon him. At the was only a human-being with
age of forty, he received the the mission of preaching and
revelation from God. He then obeying God’s message. He
spent the remaining portion of taught Muslims to refer to him
his life explaining, and living the as “the Messenger of God and
teachings of Islam, the religion
His Slave”. Through his life and
that God revealed to him. The
teachings, God made Prophet
Prophet Muhammad (peace be
Muhammad (peace be upon
upon him), however, was sent
him) the perfect example for all
as the final Messenger to all of
people - he was the exemplary
humanity.
prophet, statesman, leader, ruler,
Even though other religious teacher, neighbour, husband,
communities have claimed to father and friend. Unlike other
believe in One God, over time, prophets and messengers, the
some corrupted ideas entered Prophet Muhammad (peace be
into their beliefs and practices upon him) lived in the full light of
leading them away from the history, and all his sayings and
pure sincere monotheism acts were meticulously recorded
of the prophets. Some took and collected. Muslims don’t
their prophets and saints as need to have mere ‘faith’ that
intercessors with Almighty he existed, or that his teachings
God. Some even believed are preserved - they know it to
that their prophets were the be a historical fact.
manifestations of God, or “God
Incarnate” or the “Son of God”. He was an exemplary
All of these misconceptions prophet, statesman, leader,
lead to the worship of
created beings instead of
ruler, teacher, neighbour,
the Creator, and contributed husband, father and friend.
to the idolatrous practice of
Opposite background image: Masjid
believing that Almighty God
al-Aqsa in Jerusalem represents
may be approached through Islam’s third most holiest site.
intermediaries.
41
42
Prophet Muhammad’s Legacy
The life of Prophet Muhammad Prophet Muhammad (peace
(peace be upon him) is a great be upon him) did not just call for
example that all humanity can faith in One God but he brought
learn and benefit from. His social, a message for every individual
political, religious and economic to add value to his or her life
success was not because of and a message for every family
extraordinary miracles that made to be united and happy and
his life easy, on the contrary he a message for every society to
experienced fear, hunger and reinforce unity and a message
oppression at various times in his to every nation to emphasize
life. He achieved genuine success solidarity and development
based on hard work, struggle, and a message for humanity to
commitment, love and sincere strengthen knowledge, love and
faith in Allah. mutual collaboration.

He always encourag-ed people


to meet each other warmly with Sayings of the Prophet
a smile and exchange greetings Muhammad:
of peace. He emphasised good “None but a noble man treats
conduct and the kind treatment women in an honourable
of parents, neighbours and friends. manner. And none but
He was a great upholder of the an ignoble treats women
rights of women, orphans and the disgracefully”. (Tirmidhi)
poor. He abolished bad social
manners, and condemned lying, “Women are the twin halves of
cheating, backbiting, and spying men.” (Tirmidhi)
on one another.
“Cleanliness is half of the faith.”
He promoted sport, healthy living (Tirmidhi)
and hygiene, and was against
extremism and hardship. He “I and the person who looks
stressed the importance of literacy after an orphan and provides for
and gaining knowledge through him, will be in Paradise like this,”
learning. And throughout his life putting his index and middle
he encouraged his companions to fingers together. (Sahih Bukhari)
be warm and friendly and respect
‘If anyone travels on a road in
people of other faiths.
search of knowledge Allah will
Opposite: A beautiful evening at cause him to travel on one of the
Prophet Muhammad’s (peace be roads of Paradise...” (Tirmidhi)
upon him) Mosque in Madinah,
Arabia.
43
Views of western historians
Michael H. Hart A.S. Tritton
“My choice of Muhammad to lead “The lies (Western slander) which well-
the list of the world’s most influential meaning zeal has heaped round this
persons may surprise some readers man (Muhammad) are disgraceful to
and may be questioned by others, but ourselves only. A silent great soul, one of
he was the only man in history who that who cannot but be earnest. He was
was supremely successful on both to kindle the world, the world’s Maker
the secular and religious level. It is had ordered so.” (A. S. Tritton in Islam, 1951).
probable that the relative influence of
Muhammad on Islam has been larger Simon Oakley
than the combined influence of Jesus “The good sense of Muhammad
Christ and St. Paul on Christianity. ...It is despised the pomp of
this unparalleled combination of secular royalty. The Apostle of
and religious influence which I feel God submitted to the
entitles Muhammad to be considered menial offices of the
the most influential single figure in family; he kindled the
human history.” (The 100, A Ranking of the fire; swept the floor;
Most Influential Persons in History by Michael milked the ewes; and
H. Hart, New York, 1978, p. 33). mended with his own
hands his shoes and
Mahatma Ghandi garments. Disdaining
“I wanted to know the best of the life the penance and merit
of one who holds today an undisputed of a hermit, he observed
sway over the hearts of millions of without effort or vanity the
mankind.... I became more than ever abstemious diet of an Arab.”
convinced that it was not the sword (Edward Gibbon and Simon Oakley in
that won a place for Islam in those days History of the Saracen Empire, London, 1870).
in the scheme of life. It was the rigid Washington Irving
simplicity, the utter self-effacement “Serious or trivial, his daily behaviour
of the Prophet, the scrupulous regard has instituted a canon which millions
for pledges, his intense devotion to his observe this day with conscious
friends and followers, his intrepidity, his memory. No one regarded by any
fearlessness, his absolute trust in God section of the human race as Perfect
and in his own mission. These and not Man has ever been imitated so
the sword carried everything before minutely. The conduct of the founder
them and surmounted every obstacle. of Christianity has not governed the
When I closed the second volume (of ordinary life of his followers. Moreover,
the Prophet’s biography), I was sorry no founder of a religion has left on so
there was not more for me to read of solitary an eminence as the Muslim
that great life.” (Mahatma Ghandi, Indian apostle.” (Washington Irving ‘Mahomet and
independence movement 1869 -1948).
His Successors’).
44
Arthur Leonard Thomas Carlyle
“Four years after the death of Justinian, “Muhammad’s mission was to
A.D. 569, was born in Makkah, in Arabia, propagate the worship of the One
the man who, of all men, has exercised and Only God (in Arabic Allah), the
the greatest influence upon the human Creator and Sustainer of the Universe.
race... To be the religious head of many His mission was essentially the same
empires, to guide the daily life of one- as that of earlier Prophets of Allah.
third of the human race, may perhaps In the historical context, many such
justify the title of a Messenger of God.” terminologies about Muhammad,
(Arthur Glyn Leonard in ‘Islam, Her Moral Islam and Muslims were borrowed
and Spiritual Values’). from earlier European writings of the
eleventh to the nineteenth century, a
W. M Watt time when ignorance and prejudice
Mohammad’s career is a prevailed.” (Thomas Carlyle in Heroes and
wonderful instance of Hero Worship and the Heroic in History, 1840).
the force and life that
resides in him who
possesses an intense
faith in God and in the
unseen world. He will
always be regarded as
one of those who have
had that influence over
the faith, morals and whole
earthly life of their fellow men,
which none but a really great man ever
did, or can exercise; and whose efforts to
propagate a great verity will prosper. (W.
Montgomery Watt in ‘Muhammad at Makkah,’
Oxford, 1953.)

Edward Gibbon
“History makes it clear, however, that the
legend of fanatical Muslims sweeping
through the world and forcing Islam
at the point of sword upon conquered
races is one of the most fantastically
absurd myths that historians have ever
repeated.”
Internal view Prophet Muhammad’s (peace
(Edward Gibbon in The Decline and Fall of the be upon him) mosque in Madinah, Arabia.
Roman Empire, 1823).
45
Today the Quran is still
memorised and taught by
millions of people.

“Alif Lam Mim.


This is the Book; in it is
guidance sure, without
doubt, to those who fear
God.”
(The Quran, Chapter Al-Baqarah, 2:1-2)

46
What is the Quran?
The Quran is the final revelation The Quran was revealed in
of Allah to all of mankind, which a series of revelations to the
was spoken by Allah the Exalted Prophet Muhammad over a
Himself and conveyed to the period of 23 years. In contrast to
Prophet Muhammad (peace many other religious books, the
be upon him), in sound, word Quran was always believed to
and meaning. The Quran, be the exact Word of Allah. The
(sometimes misspelled Koran), Quran was recited publicly in
was then relayed to the Prophet’s front of both the Muslim and non-
companions, and they diligently Muslim communities during the
memorized it verbatim and life of the Prophet Muhammad,
meticulously compiled it into and thereafter.
written form.
The entire Quran was also
The Quran has been continually completely written down in
recited by the companions of the lifetime of the Prophet, and
the Prophet and their successors numerous companions of the
until the present day. In short, the Prophet memorized the entire
Quran is the revealed book of Quran word-for-word as it was
Divine scripture from Allah to all revealed. The Quran was always
humanity for their guidance and in the hands of the common
salvation. believers: it was always thought
to be God’s Word; and, due
Today the Quran is still memorised to wide-spread memorisation,
and taught by millions of people. it was perfectly preserved. It
The language of the Quran, has never been altered or had
Arabic, is still a living language changes to it decreed by any
to millions of people. Unlike the religious council.
scriptures of some other religions,
the Quran is still read in its original
language by countless millions
of people. The Quran is a living
miracle in the Arabic language,
and it is known to be inimitable in
its style, form and spiritual impact,
as well as the unique knowledge
that it contains.
47
The teachings of the
Quran comprise a
universal scripture
addressed to all of
mankind and not to any
particular tribe or ‘chosen
people’.
The message that it brings is the
same message of all of the prophets:
‘submit to Allah the One God and
worship Him alone and follow Allah’s
Messengers for success in this life
and salvation in the hereafter’. As
such, Allah’s revelation in the Quran
focuses on teaching human beings
the importance of believing in the
Oneness of Allah, and framing their
lives around the guidance which He
has sent, which is articulated in the
Islamic Law. The Quran contains
the stories of the previous prophets,
such as Noah, Abraham, Moses and
Jesus, peace be upon all of them, as
well as commands and prohibitions
from God. In our modern times, in
which so many people are caught
up in doubt, spiritual despair and
social and political alienation, the
Quranic teachings offer solutions to
the emptiness of our lives and the
turmoil that is gripping the world
today. The Quran is a universal
book that touches upon philosophy,
sociology, psychology, law and
science.

48
49
The Quran & Science
To determine if a religion is true or The Quran uses a simple but clear
false should not depend on our language when stating these
emotions, feelings or traditions. facts. The most important point is
Rather, we should depend on that the Quran does not contain
reason and intelligence. So when any of the inaccurate theories,
God created mankind He did not myths and superstitions that were
leave us alone to fumble blindly widespread at the time. Quranic
after the truth. He sent Prophets verses include information on
and Messengers to guide man- topics such as astronomy and
kind and He supported them with embryology, conveyed in a simple
miracles and evidence so that and comprehensive manner.
it would be clear that they were The information contained
truly sent by God. During the 7th in the Quran provides further
century, God sent Prophet Mu- overwhelming evidence that a
hammad (peace be upon him) human being did not author it.
as the last of these Prophets and Furthermore, the Quran can be
Messengers. God revealed the regarded as a ‘book of signs.’
Quran, for the guidance of all It provides an insight into the
mankind irrespective of race, and workings of nature. The study of
time through the Angel Gabriel to the natural world and the ‘signs’
the Prophet Muhammad (peace in the Quran lead us to conclude
be upon him). The Quran is re- that the Universe was created by
garded by Muslims as the ‘spoken an All-Knowing and All-Powerful
word of God’ and has remained Creator.
unchanged since its revelation
over 1,400 years ago. These ‘signs’ which guide the
reader to the path of discovery
There are many aspects to the
and deeper understanding of the
Quran’s miraculous nature. Al-
sciences has provided enormous
though not a scientific reference,
inspiration to Muslims for centuries.
the Quran contains an abun-
The extent of this contribution to
dance of accurate scientific
world civilisation was so great
information that was not known to
that it inspired the scientific
man at the time of revelation, sim-
renaissance of ‘Dark age’ Europe.
ply because the technology was
not available in the 7th century to
verify it.

50
The information contained
within the Quran has proven
to be remarkably accurate in
the light of modern science.

“Have you not seen how


God merges the night into
the day and merges the
day into the night.”
(The Quran, Chapter 31, Luqman: 29)

51
The Quran on Astronomy The Quran also mentions the
existence of an intermediate
The creation of the universe creation between the Heavens
Today, there are various theories and the Earth.
that explain the existence of
the beginning of the universe. In “Who created the Heavens and
the Quran, revealed to Prophet the Earth and all that is between
Muhammad (peace be upon them in six days (periods of
him) over 1,400 years ago, we time)...”
are given a clue to the possible (Quran, The Criterion 25: 59)
beginnings. The Quran states
that the heavens and the Earth The existence of an intermediary
were one connected entity, creation would appear to
which were separated from correspond with the modern
each other. discovery of nebulae (clouds of
gas and dust). In fact the voids
“Have not those who disbelieved which separate the stars in our
known that the heavens and the Galaxy are not actually empty at
Earth were one connected entity, all, there is diffuse gaseous matter
then We separated them?” everywhere.
(Quran, The Prophets, 21: 30)

An Appointed term
Beginning of the universe The Quran highlights that the
The Quran also refers to the Sun and Moon have a limited
heavens as ‘smoke’ This suggests existence in the following verse:
that the heavens, which includes
the galaxies, stars and planets, “...He has subjected the Sun and
were nothing but a cloud of the Moon (to continue going
smoke or a highly dense and hot round), each running (its course)
gaseous mass. It is now possible for a term appointed...”
for scientists to observe new stars
forming out of remnants of that (Quran, The Thunder 13: 2)
‘smoke’.
Scientists now predict that the
“Then He turned to the heavens Sun’s hydrogen will start to
when it was smoke...” become exhausted after 5 billion
years. The main point to be noted
(Quran, Fussilat, 41:11)
from the above description is that
the existence of the Sun is limited.

52
Formation of multiple worlds The Sun and the Moon
According to modern science The Sun is a massive thermo-
there is a strong possibility that nuclear reactor generating a
the initial formation of the tremendous amount of light and
universe resulted in the formation heat with a core temperature of
of multiple worlds. Over one around 10 million degrees. The
thousand four hundred years Moon, on the other hand, is a
ago, the Quran already gave small inert body, which reflects
us this notion as in the following the light of the Sun. The fine
verse; distinction between the Sun and
the Moon was unknown in the
“Praise be to Allah, the Lord of 7th century. It was thought that
all the Worlds.” the Sun was the greater light
which lit up the day and that the
(Quran, The Opening, 1: 1) Moon was the lesser light which
lit up the night.
The expanding universe
In the 1920’s at the Mount
Wilson Observatory, Edwin
Hubble (1889 to 1953) used the
100-inch Hooker telescope to
show that there were celestial
bodies lying beyond our
own Galaxy and that these
were receding from us. This
led to further support for the
idea that the universe was
expanding. However, the
Quran, revealed centuries
earlier, has already mentioned
these recent findings by
scientists, telling us that the
universe is expanding all the
time.

“And the heaven We (Allah)


constructed with strength
and indeed, We are (its)
expander.”
(Quran, The Winnowing Winds, 51: 47)

53
This indeed is how the Sun and Orbiting Sun and Moon
the Moon were described in Today, it is common knowledge
books before the Quran. The that the Moon, like a satellite,
simplicity and comprehensive orbits around the Earth. It was
detail of the Sun and the Moon once believed that the Sun was
in the Quran is astounding. It stationary. However, modern
describes the Sun as a torch science has discovered that
(Siraj) and a blazing lamp the Sun also has an orbit. It is
(Wahhaj) ie. a source of estimated that the solar system is
generated light, whilst the Moon between 25,000 and 28,000 light
is described as a light (Nur). It years away from the galactic
has now been discovered that, centre.
this is the true nature of the Sun
and Moon as first revealed in the We know today that the Sun
Quran. revolves around the centre of our
Galaxy, taking 225 million years
“Blessed is the One Who placed to complete one circular orbit.
the constellations in heaven and Remarkably, the Quran mentions
placed therein a lamp (Siraj) and both of the orbits of the Sun and
a moon giving light (Nur).” the Moon each travelling with
their own Motion.
(Quran, The Criterion, 25: 61)

“The Sun must not catch up the


Moon, nor does the night outstrip
the day. Each one is travelling in
an orbit with its own motion.”
(Quran, Ya-Sin, 36: 40)

The Quran revealed this


piece of information over
1,400 years ago. It would
be centuries later before
modern technology
discovered these
facts of the Quran. For
Muslims, this provides
further support for the
Quran’s divine origin.

54
The most widely held view during
Prophet Muhammad’s (peace
be upon him) time was that, the
Earth must be flat and located
at the centre of the universe. It
was further thought that the Sun
travelled around the Earth once
every day. So, why weren’t these
theories mentioned in the Quran
if it indeed originated from man.

These erroneous theories


existed for many centuries but
were finally abandoned after
the publication of Nicolaus
Copernicus’ book ‘On the
Revolutions of the Heavenly
Spheres’ in 1543. There is also
Quran would
substantial evidence to support not have failed to
the notion that Copernicus relied refer to the Sun’s apparent
heavily on the translated works movement around the Earth
of the 13th century astronomer when discussing the sequence of
Nasir al-Din al-Tusi and the 14th the night and day.
century astronomer Ibn Shatir.
Before Copernicus, these two “Have you not seen how Allah
Muslim astronomers were the merges the night into the day
most influential astronomers in and merges the day into the
the world. night.”
(Quran, Luqman, 31: 29)
Rotation of night and day
In the Quran, there are a In view of the state of knowl-
number of verses that refer to edge in Prophet Muhammad’s
the sequence of the night and (peace be upon him) day, it is
day, yet no mention is made inconceivable that the state-
of the movement of the Sun ments in the Quran which are
connected with Astronomy
around the Earth. When it is
could have been the work of
considered that the most widely
a man, further highlighting the
held view at the time was that
Divine origin of the Quran.
the Earth was the centre of the
universe and that the Sun moved
around it, a human author of the

55
The Quran on Biology to Prophet Muhammad (peace
be upon him), God had already
The Importance of Water mentioned this fact. In the verse
It is common knowledge that opposite, the Quran uses a female
cells make up the biological word, al-Nahl, when describing
structure of all living things. the bee (Arabic words can have
Through modern scientific male or female genders). We
discovery, we also know that a know that the Quran is referring to
large percentage of the living the worker bee because the bee
cell is composed of water. It is is said to leave it’s home to gather
remarkable to read the following food.
verse from the Quran that gave
mankind a clue to the essential The bee is also known to collect
role of water. nectar from various kinds of
“And We (God) made from flowers and form honey within
water every living thing. Will they its body, which it then stores
then not believe?” in wax cells. The process of
honey production was
(Quran, The Prophets, 21: 30)
discovered only a few
centuries ago.
The Honey bee
It was once believed
However, a clue to this
that worker bees were
mechanism was given
male soldiers
and answered in the Quran, which
to a King. In informs us that honey
1637 however, is made within the
Richard Remnant bee itself. Furthermore,
discovered that worker we are now aware that
bees were in fact females honey has healing properties.
(Richard Remnant; A Discourse This is also mentioned in the verse,
of Historie of Bees, London: R. further highlighting the miraculous
Young for T. Slater, 1637). Over nature of the Quran.
one thousand years before this
discovery, during the 7th century
when the Quran was revealed

56
“And your Lord inspired the bee “And there were gathered before
(al-Nahl), “Take for yourself Solomon his hosts of jinn and
among the mountains, houses men and birds and they were
and among the trees and (in) set in battle order (marching
that which they construct. Then forward). Till, when they came
eat from all the fruits and follow to the valley of the ants, one of
the ways of your Lord laid down the ants said: O ants! Enter your
(for you).” There emerges from dwellings, in case Solomon and
their bellies a drink, varying in his hosts should crush you, while
colours, in which there is healing they perceive not.”
for people. Indeed in that is
(Quran, The Ant, 27: 17-18)
a sign for a people who give
thought.”
(Quran, The Bee 16:
68-69)

Communication
Between Ants
In the past people
would probably
have mocked the
idea that ants can
communicate with each other
using sophisticated messages. Wind Pollination
However, recent research has Between 1760 and 1766, Joseph
shown that ants do in fact Koelreuter carried out various
communicate. It is remarkable plant breeding experiments.
therefore, that in the Quranic During this period, he was the
verse below, it mentions ants first Western scientist to discover
communicating with each other. the role played by wind in
It is also known that ant colonies flower pollination. However, this
have complex divisions of process was already familiar to
labour, composed of managers, Muslims over one thousand years
supervisors, before these experiments were
foremen, workers carried out, as in the Quran Allah
and even had mentioned the winds as
soldiers. ‘fertilising’.
“And We (Allah) have sent the
winds fertilising...”
(Quran, The Rocky Tract, 15: 22)
57
In the previous verse the Quranic
The Quran on Embryology
term Amshaj means a ‘mixture’
What will come as a surprise and the whole verse refers to
to many people is that many a mixture of male and female
centuries before the invention germinal fluid. Hence, the Quran
of the microscope and other refuted all of the earlier theories
modern instruments, the Quran about the beginnings of human
contained accurate statements development because these did
regarding embryology, which not take into account the dual
have only recently been verified nature of fertilisation.
by science. Many different
aspects of embryology are
discussed in the Quran, using
a simple yet comprehensive
Blastocyst cavity
language, which is easily
understandable at all times by
all people. Embryo development
in the Quran is divided into three
main areas.

1. Drop stage - Nutfah ICM


Human development begins at
fertilisation when a male sperm
combines with a female egg
(ovum) to form a cell called the
‘zygote’, which has the form Trophoblast

of a drop of fluid. The Quran


describes in simple language
that the basis of creation is a The embryo is also known to
Nutfah (drop). develop only from the inner cell
mass (ICM) of the zygote, the
“Verily, We created man from rest becomes nutritive and pro-
mixture of germinal drop (Nutfah tective in function. The following
Amshaj).” Quranic verse accommodates
(Quran, Man, 76 : 2) this fact, implying that only part
of the Nutfah takes
part in embryon-
ic formation.

58
“He created him from (a part of) “Then (thumma) We made the
Nutfah.” drop into a leech-like structure
(Quran, He Frowned, 80: 19) (Alaqah)”
(Quran, The Believers, 23: 14)
The Quran further informs us that
the embryo is not pre-formed but i) Alaqah (Leech-like structure)
develops in stages, and in three The first sub-stage is termed
veils of darkness. Alaqah and it can either mean
a) to attach, cling or hang on
“He created you in the wombs of to something (opposite image),
your mothers, from one stage to b) a leech-like structure . After
another, and all along three veils twenty days, the embryo loses
of darkness surrounded you.” its drop-like shape as it becomes
elongated and segmented
(Quran, The Troops, 39: 6)
rather like a leech (Figure 1).
The three veils of darkness would Both of these meanings describe
seem to refer to: the appearance of the embryo
(1) the outer muscular wall of the and its relationship with the
abdomen, (2) the wall of womb with stunning precision.
the uterus, The embryo resembles a leech-
(3) and the fluid like organism surrounded by
bag (choriono- fluid, that is attached to a host
amniotic and feeds on its blood. The
membrane) shaping stages follow in quick
in which the sequence with relatively little
embryo floats. delay between them. However,
the fairly slow change from the
2. Shaping stage drop-like Nutfah to the leech-
After the drop stage, the Quran in like Alaqah is described by the
chapter 23 (The Believers), verse use of the Arabic term thumma
14, mentions a number of distinct (thereafter), which indicates a
shaping stages. This period begins time lag. The subtle indications
from the 3rd week until the end of of time frame throughout
the 8th week of embryo growth the Quranic descriptions of
and is characterised by rapid cell embryology point to an author
growth over four distinct sub- who has a very detailed and in
stages. Note that the terms used depth knowledge of the subject
are also the main characteristics at hand.
of the embryo at that precise
moment in its development.

59
and give the embryo the
appearance of a chewed
substance as in the images
A.

below.
B.

C.

D.

Figure 1: Photographs of human


embryos (A & B) at 22-25 days old. iii) Izam (bones) & iv) Lahm (flesh)
Note the remarkable segmented
leech-like appearance. “Then we made out of that
C: A dissected leech showing
Mudghah (chewed-like
remarkable similarity to a human
embryo. D: A medicinal leech in a substance) Izam (bones), then
tank of water showing similarity to a we clothed the Izam with Lahm
human embryo. (flesh)”
(Quran, The Believers, 23: 14)
ii) Mudghah (chewed-like
substance) The C-shaped and irregular
appearance of the Mudghah
“And then We changed the starts to change during the 6/7th
‘Alaqah into a Mudghah”. weeks as the bones in the form of
a soft skeleton start to develop.
(Quran The Believers, 23: 13-14)
The above verse explains that
the bones are formed first and
The Quranic term Mudghah
that this is followed by the
literally means a piece of formation of flesh or muscles
substance which has been which take up positions around
chewed and precisely describes the bones. We now know that
the features present on the the precursors of bones and
embryo. At about 26-27 days muscle are both formed within
old the embryo has curved the first 40 days. These do not
and the main external features have the shape of bones or
are distinct pharyngeal arches muscles, but during the 7th week
and somites. These indentations the embryo starts to appear
closely resemble teeth marks human as the skeleton begins
60
to spread throughout the body
and the bones take up their
positions. By the 8th week the
muscles take up their positions
around the bones throughout
the body and therefore ‘clothe’
the bones. During this time the
embryo also starts to straighten,
the surface becomes more even
and smooth and various parts
such as the head and limbs start
to become more proportioned.
The Quran refers to these
developments by using terms
such as sawwa (straightened/
smoothen, Quran 75:38) and
addalak (to make straight & well
proportioned, Quran 82:8).

3) The Growth Stage

“Then We developed (Ansha’a)


out of him another creation.”
(Quran, The Believers, 23: 14)

In the above verse the Quran


mentions ‘another creation’.
This refers to the fact that the
developing embryo only begins
to look human from about the
7th week.

The verb Ansha’a has two


meanings; i) to initiate and ii) maturation and rapid growth
to grow and develop. Both of of the body. The most obvious
these can be applied to the difference with the embryonic
foetal period of development. period is that the foetus has
At 9 weeks old the foetal period acquired definite signs of human
begins. It is characterised by appearance.

61
King or Pharaoh?
The Quran on Egyptology
Recent research shows that
Knowledge of Hieroglyphs the kings of Egypt were not
Hieroglyphics is a system of writing always called Pharaoh which
that uses pictures to represent means ‘great house’ in Ancient
words and ideas. It is important Egyptian. Only in the New
to note that when the Quran was Kingdom during the 18th Dynasty
revealed to Prophet Muhammad (c.1552 - 1295 BCE) was this
(peace be upon him) during the title applied to the king himself
7th century, knowledge of Ancient (Encyclopaedia Britannica).
Egyptian hieroglyphs had been Remarkably, this fine distinction is
totally forgotten. Furthermore, no mentioned in the Quran.
one could read hieroglyphs until
after the discovery of the Rosetta Prophet Joseph (peace be upon
Stone was made centuries later in him) lived during the Middle to
1799 CE. Second Intermediate Ancient
Egyptian Kingdoms, during which
time the Ruler of Egypt would
have been referred to as a King.
However, the Prophet Moses
(peace be upon him) lived dur-
ing the New Kingdom, when the
Egyptian ruler would have been
referred to as Pharaoh. Other
religious scriptures make no dis-
tinction and all of the Egyptian
kings are referred to as Pharaoh,
regardless of the era. However,
over 1,400 years ago during a
The discovery of the Rosetta Stone time when the knowledge of
(a bilingual text dating from 196 hieroglyphs had been totally lost,
BCE) was to provide the key to the Quran made this fine distinc-
unlocking the mystery of Egyptian tion. The Quran correctly de-
hieroglyphics. The Stone, pictured
above, is 114.4 centimetres high at scribes the ruler of Egypt at the
its tallest point, 72.3 centimetres wide time of Prophet Joseph (peace
and 27.9 centimetres thick. Weighing be upon him) as a ‘King’ (Arabic,
approximately 760 kg, it was originally Malik) in the following verse; he is
thought to be granite or basalt but is never once addressed as Phar-
currently described as granodiorite.
aoh.
The Stone has been kept at the British
Museum in London since 1802.

62
“And the king (of Egypt) said: During the 7th century at a time
“Verily, I saw (in a dream) seven when knowledge of Ancient
fat cows, whom seven lean ones Egyptian mythology had been
were devouring...” totally lost, the Quran accurately
informed us that Pharaoh
(Quran, Joseph, 12: 43)
considered himself to be a god.
As for the king who ruled during
the time of the Prophet Moses Pharaoh said: “O Chiefs! no god
(peace be upon him) the Quran do I know for you but myself.”
repeatedly calls him ‘Pharaoh’
(Quran, The Narration, 28: 38)
(Arabic, Fir’awn). The Quran
never once addresses this Pharaoh’s desire to ascend to the
monarch as King. For example, skies
The Quran accurately describes
Moses said: “O Pharaoh! I am a another concept of the Ancient
messenger from the Lord of the Egyptian religion; the idea of
Worlds.” the Pharaoh climbing a tower
(Quran, The Heights, 7: 104) or staircase to reach the God of
Moses. This concept is again in
This further highlights the amazing line with the mythology of Ancient
historical accuracy of the Quran Egypt (see Egyptian Magic: 1985,
and utterly refutes the claim that Aris & Phillips Ltd). The Quran says
Prophet Muhammad (peace that the Pharaoh, ordered his
be upon him) copied the Quran close associate Haman to build a
from other religious scriptures. sky-high tower in order to see the
God of Moses face-to-face.
Pharaoh as god
The Ancient Egyptians believed Pharaoh said: “O Haman!
their Pharaoh to be a god, light me a (kiln to bake
identifying him with the sky god bricks) out of clay, and
Horus and with the sun gods build me a lofty palace
Ra, Amon, and Aton. Even after (Arabic: Sarhan, lofty
death, the Pharaoh remained tower or palace), that
divine, becoming transformed I may mount up to the
into Osiris, the father of Horus and God of Moses: but as
god of the dead, and passing on far as I am concerned,
his sacred powers and position to I think (Moses) is a
the new Pharaoh, his son. liar!”

(Quran, The Narration, 28: 38)

63
The Quran accurately described
The Quran on Mountains
the structure of mountains as
Structure of mountains follows;
Mountains are important
components of the Earth’s crust “Have We (Allah) not made
and together with highland the earth as a bed, and the
and hill country they cover mountains as pegs?”
approximately 36% of the
(Quran, The Tidings, 78: 6-7)
Earth’s surface. Scientists have
discovered that mountains have
underlying roots and only a small The roots of a mountain can
part of the mountain actually reach several times their
thrusts up above the surface; elevations above the surface
the remainder of the structure of the ground. So ‘peg’ is a
is hidden deep underground very suitable word to describe
(Earth, Press and Siever, 1982, mountains, as most of a properly
p.435). set peg is hidden under the
Continental crust
surface of the ground.
Depth (km)
0-
10 -
Sediment Diagram showing that huge
Ocean
mountain-like continents
can have deep roots
50 - under the surface of the
ground (Earth, Press, F. and
Siever, R., 1982 3rd ed., San
Francisco: W.H Freeman &
Company: p.413).
Mantle

64
The role of mountains “And He has set firm mountains
Earth scientists have also in the earth so that it would not
discovered that the rock which shake with you.”
makes up the root has a lower
(Quran, The Bee, 16: 15)
density than the rest of the
mountain. Therefore, the root 0
British Isles N.Germany Alps Europe Russian Platform Caucasus

acts as a foundation providing 10

buoyancy and support for the 20

Depth (km)
mountain as well as hindering
30

40

the shaking of the Earth and 50

stabilising its crust (Geological 60

Concept of Mountains in the


70

Quran, p.5). Schematic cross section showing the


peg-like shape of continental land
Similarly, the modern theory masses extending deep underground
of plate tectonics holds that (Anatomy of the Earth, Cailleux, A.,
1968, London: World University Library:
mountains work as stabilisers for p. 220).
the Earth. The stabilising role of
mountains in the framework of
plate tectonics has just begun
to be understood since the late
1960’s. During the 7th century
Allah revealed in the Quran the
following verse regarding the role
of mountains;

65
3) When the small clouds join
The Quran on Clouds
together updrafts within the
Formation of clouds larger cloud increase. The
There are a number of steps updrafts near the centre of the
involved in the formation cloud are stronger than near
of most types of cloud. For the edges because they are
instance meteorologists have protected from the cooling
studied how cumulonimbus effects by the outer portion
(thunderstorm) clouds are of the cloud. These updrafts
formed and are able to reveal cause the cloud body to grow
how they produce rain, hail, and vertically, so the cloud is stacked
lightning. Cumulonimbus clouds up.
go through the following steps to
produce rain: The vertical growth causes the
cloud body to stretch into cooler
1) Cumulonimbus clouds begin regions of the atmosphere,
to form when wind pushes some where drops of water and hail
small pieces of clouds (cumulus form and begin to grow larger.
clouds) to an area where these When these drops of water and
clouds converge. hail become too heavy for the
updrafts to support them, they
2) The small clouds join together begin to fall from the cloud as
forming a larger cloud (The rain, hail etc. (see figure 2: The
Atmosphere. Anthes et al., p.269: Atmosphere, Anthes et al., p.269,
Elements of Meteorology, Miler & & Elements of Meteorology, Miller
Thompson, p.141: see figure 1). & Thompson, pp.141-142).

Figure 1: (A)
A. B. Isolated small
pieces of cumulus
clouds. (B) When
the small clouds join
together, updrafts
within the larger
Clouds converge
cloud increases,
so the cloud is
Isolated clouds stacked up (The
Atmosphere. Anthes
et al., p.269).

66
and its direction, to measure
humidity and its variations,
and to determine the levels
and variations of atmospheric
pressure.

Hail and lightning


Water drops The Quranic verse, after mention-
ing clouds and rain, speaks about
hail and lighting as follows:

“ ...And He sends down hail from


mountains (clouds) in the sky,
and He strikes with it whomever
Updrafts He wills, and turns it from
Rain
whomever He wills. The vivid flash
of its lightning nearly blinds the
Figure 2: A Cumulonimbus cloud. sight.”
After the cloud is stacked up and (Quran, The Light, 24: 43)
the drops of water become too
heavy for the updrafts of wind then Hail is produced by convective
they begin to fall as rain (Weather
clouds, such as the cumulonim-
and climate, Bodin, 1978: p.123).
bus. Meteorologists have found
Over fourteen hundred years ago that these types of clouds can
Allah revealed in the Quran the reach heights of up to 25-30,000
following verse; in chapter 24, ft. The Quran refers to these types
verse 43: of clouds as mountains in the
sky when describing the forma-
tion of hail and lightning. It is also
“Have you not seen how Allah
interesting that the Quranic verse
makes the clouds move gently,
mentions lightning with reference
then joins them together, then
to a hailstorm. In fact we know
makes them into a stack, and
today that oppositely charged
then you see the rain come out
particles of hail and ice crystals
of it”.
(Quran, The Light, 24: 43)
play an important role in produc-
ing lightning.
Meteorologists have only recently Hence, for Muslims, the fact that
come to know the details of God had already provided an
cloud formation, structure and insight into the cause of lightning
function by using advanced over 1,400 years ago, further high-
equipment. Aeroplanes, satellites, lights the unique and miraculous
computers and weather balloons nature of the Quran.
67
The Quran mentions the
The Quran on Sea & Rivers
existence of a barrier between
Modern science has discovered two seas that meet and which
that in the places where two they do not transgress in the
different seas meet, there is following verse.
a barrier between them. This
barrier divides the two seas “He has let free the two seas
so that each sea has its own meeting together. There is a
temperature, salinity, and density barrier between them. They do
(Principles of Oceanography, not transgress.”
Davis R., 1972, p.92). (Quran, The Mercy Giving 55: 19-20)

For example, Mediterranean sea In another verse when God


water is warm, saline, and less speaks about the divider
dense, compared to Atlantic between fresh and salt water,
ocean water. As Mediterranean He mentions the existence of
sea water enters the Atlantic “a forbidding partition” with the
over the Gibraltar-sill, it moves barrier:
several hundred kilometres
“He is the One who has let free
into the Atlantic at a depth of
the two bodies of flowing water,
about 1,000 metres with its own
one sweet and palatable,
warm, saline, and less dense
and the other salty and bitter.
characteristics (see figure 1). The
And He has made between
Mediterranean water stabilises
them a barrier and a forbidding
at this depth. Although there are
partition.”
large waves, strong currents, and (Quran, The Criterion 25: 53)
tides in these seas, they do not
mix or transgress this barrier.
Figure 1: Mediterranean
Depth Atlantic Ocean
sea water enters the
(m) Atlantic over the
0-
200 -
Gibraltar sill with its own
400 - Atlantic Ocean water characteristics, because
600 -
Salinity lower than 36.0 %%
10.0 oC
of the distinguishing
800 -
Mediterranean barrier. Temperatures
1000 -
1200 -
o
11.5 C
Salinity higher Gibraltar-sill
sea water are in degrees Celsius
1400 -
10.0 oC
than 36.5%%
and salinity is in parts per
thousand (Modified from
Marine Geology, Kuenen,
H. 1960).

68
Partition
Fresh river water (zone of
Figure 2:
Estuary separation) Longitudinal
section showing
0 salinity (parts per
10
20 thousand % in
30
33 an estuary). We
can see here the
Sea water
partition (zone
of separation)
between the fresh
and the salt water
In the above verse the (slightly modified
from Introductory
Quran refers to the existence
Oceanography,
of a barrier which prevents the Thurman, p.301).
mixing of fresh water when it
meets sea water. One may
ask, why did Allah mention the
partition when speaking about
the divider between fresh and This partition (zone of separation)
salt water, but did not mention it has a different salinity from
when speaking about the divider the fresh and salt water (figure
between the two seas? 2). This information has been
discovered only recently,
In estuaries (e.g. Nile, Tigris, using modern instruments to
Euphrates) where fresh (sweet) measure temperature, salinity,
and salt water meet, the density, oxygen solubility etc.
situation is somewhat different The human eye cannot see
from what is found in places the difference between the
where two seas meet. It is now two seas that meet, rather the
known that the mixing of the two seas appear to us as one
fresh with the salty water only homogeneous sea. Likewise,
occurs very far out at sea. It the human eye cannot see the
has also been discovered that division of water in estuaries into
in estuaries, between the fresh the three kinds: the fresh water,
and salt water, there exists a the salt water, and the partition
“pycnocline zone with a marked (zone of separation). As we
density discontinuity separating have seen, Allah revealed this
the two layers.” (Oceanography, phenomenon in the Quran over
Gross M., 1993, p.242). 1400 years ago.

69
Jesus in Islam
Muslims respect and Jesus was born miraculously by
the command of God, the same
revere Jesus (peace command that had brought
Adam into being with neither a
be upon him). They father nor a mother. God has
consider him one said:

of the greatest of “The case of Jesus with God


is like the case of Adam. He
God’s messengers to created him from dust, and then
mankind. He said to him, “Be!” and he
came into being.”
The Quran confirms his virgin (Quran, The Family of Imran 3: 59)
birth, and a chapter of the
Quran is entitled ‘Maryam’ During his prophetic mission,
(Mary). The Quran describes the Jesus performed many miracles.
birth of Jesus as follows: God tells us that Jesus said:

“(Remember) when the angels “I have come to you with a sign


said, “O Mary, God gives you from your Lord. I make for you
good news of a word from the shape of a bird out of clay, I
Him (God), whose name is the breathe into it, and it becomes a
Messiah Jesus, son of Mary, bird by God’s permission. I heal
revered in this world and the the blind from birth and the leper.
Hereafter, and one of those And I bring the dead to life by
brought near (to God). He will God’s permission. And I tell you
speak to the people from his what you eat and what you store
cradle and as a man, and he is in your houses....”
of the righteous.” She said, “My (Quran, The Family of Imran 3: 49)
Lord, how can I have a child
when no mortal has touched
me?” He said, “So (it will be).
God creates what He wills. If
He decrees a thing, He says to it
only, ‘Be!’ and it is.”
(Quran, The Family of Imran, 3: 45-47)

70
Abu Huraira reported: The Messenger of God, peace be upon him, said,

“I am the closest of people to the son of Mary. The


prophets are brothers from different mothers, and
there is no prophet between him and I.”
(Saying of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him),
Sahih Muslim, Book 30, No. 5834)

71
Women in Islam
What makes one gain value the status and role of women, it is
and honour with God, is not the important to address this topic in
level of one’s prosperity, position, a clear manner.
intelligence, physical strength
or beauty, but rather one’s In Islam, women are highly
consciousness and awareness of protected, favoured and
God Almighty. However, due to respected by the Divine law.
the social disparity between men This can be ascertained when
and women in the West and other one considers the rights and
cultures influenced by it, and the freedoms endowed upon
common lack of understanding women by Islam.
about Islamic teachings regarding

Prior to Islam women Men could divorce


were denied any part women at will and
of inheritance, Islam take them back at will,
gave them their share. Islam diminished this
practice and decreed
Women did not have that if a man was to
the right to choose a divorce, he had to
husband, Islam put an sustain the women
end to this inequality. for four successive
months.

Women were given Islam declared that


complete rights of even if women were
owning property by wealthy, it was the
Islam and in addition responsibility of the
to that they could husband to provide
spend their wealth sustenance.
when they liked while
previously this was not
the case.

72
The teachings of Islam are based Islam considers kindness to
essentially on the Quran (God’s parents next to the worship of
revelation) and hadeeth (sayings God. “Your Lord has decreed
of Prophet Muhammad, peace that you worship none save Him,
be upon him). Women have and that you be kind to your
always enjoyed a very high status parents. . .” (Quran 17: 23).
in Islam, indeed the very first
person to become a Muslim after Moreover, Prophet Muhammad
the Prophet Muhammad (peace (peace be upon you)
be upon him) received revelation recommended the good
was his wife, Khadija bint treatment of mothers by saying:
Khuwailid. Moreover, some of the
most learned Islamic scholars have
been women. History records “Paradise is at the feet
few scholarly enterprises, at least
before current times, in which
of mothers.”
(Ibn Majah, Ahmad).
women have played an important
and active social, economic and
intellectual role alongside men.

The science of hadeeth literature


And we have
forms an outstanding exception
in this respect. Since Islam’s
enjoined
earliest days, women took a upon man
prominent role in the preservation
and cultivation of hadeeth, (to be good)
and this function has continued
through centuries. At every to his parents:
His mother
period in Muslim history, there
lived numerous eminent women-

bears him in
traditionalists, treated by their
brethren with reverence and
respect. Biographical notices
on very large numbers of them weakness upon
are to be found in biographical
dictionaries. weakness...
(The Quran, Chapter 31, Luqman: 14)

73
Muslim Women’s Dress
Suppression or Liberation? The question of Hijab for Muslim
women has been a controversy
“Why do Muslim women have to in the West for centuries and will
cover their heads?” This question probably continue for many more.
is one which is asked by many The word “Hijab” comes from the
people. For many women, how- Arabic word “hajaba” meaning
ever, it is the truest test of be- to hide from view or conceal. The
ing a Muslim. The answer to the Quran says:
question is very simple - Muslim “Say to the believing man that
women observe HIJAB (covering they should lower their gaze and
the head and the body) because guard their modesty; that will
God has told them to do so. make for greater purity for them;
and Allah is well acquainted with
“O Prophet, tell your wives and all that they do. And say to the
daughters and the believing believing women that they should
women to draw their outer gar- lower their gaze and guard their
ments around them (when they modesty; and that they should not
go out or are among men). That display their beauty and orna-
is better in order that they may be ments except what must ordinarily
known (to be Muslims) and not appear thereof; that they should
annoyed...” (Quran, 33:59). draw their veils over their bosoms
and not display their beauty ex-
Other reasons include the require- cept to their husbands...”
ment for modesty in both men (Quran, 24: 30-31).
and women. Both will then be
evaluated for intelligence and These verses from the Quran con-
skills instead of looks. A Muslim tain two main injunctions: A wom-
woman who covers her head is an should not show her beauty or
making a statement about her adornments except what appears
identity. Anyone who sees her will by uncontrolled factors such as
know that she is a Muslim and has the wind blowing her clothes, and
a good moral character. Many the head covers should be drawn
Muslim women who cover are so as to cover the hair, the neck
filled with dignity and self-esteem; and the bosom. Islam has no fixed
they are pleased to be identified standard as to the style of dress or
as a Muslim woman. type of clothing that Muslims must
wear. However, some require-
ments must be met.

74
The first of these requirements is the
parts of the body which must be
covered. The second requirement
is looseness. The clothing must be
loose enough so as not to describe
the shape of the woman’s body.
One desirable way to hide the
shape of the body is to wear a
cloak over other clothes. However,
if the clothing is loose enough, an
outer garment is not necessary.
Thickness is the third requirement.
The clothing must be thick enough
so as not to show the colour of the
skin it covers or the shape of the
body. Another requirement is an
over-all dignified appearance. The
clothing should not attract atten-
tion to the woman. It should not be
shiny and flashy so that everyone
notices the dress and the woman.
The clothing should be modest,
not excessively fancy and also not
excessively ragged to gain others
admiration or sympathy.

The Islam Hijab is both modern and


practical. Muslim women wearing
Islamic dress actively participate
at work and education. They feel
confident to engage with wider
society without any problems or
constraints. Hence women, should
be allowed to choose what they
wear, and if they choose to wear
modest clothing, veil their face or
cover their head with a scarf, then
society should appreciate that that
choice is entirely their right.
75
One of the misconceptions about There are some, who believe that
this mode of dress is that it implies the face veil, the Niqab or Burqa
that Muslim women are submissive is a threat to social integration
or inferior to men. Muslim women or security. Muslims and many
actually argue that on the proponents of women’s rights
contrary, Islamic dress is one of and personal freedom believe
many rights granted to Islamic otherwise. The Niqab or Burqa are
women, empowering them to not a threat to social integration
impose their intellectual identity since Muslim women have been
in the public sphere. Modest donning the Niqab for decades
clothing is worn in obedience to in Europe and this issue has not
God and has nothing to do with caused any controversy until only
submissiveness to men. recently.

Muslim men and women have There is an increasing feeling


similar rights and obligations within the Muslim community
and both submit to God. Jewish, that mounting hostility to the
Christian, Sikh and other faith Niqab and Hijab have got little
groups also instruct their women to to do with ‘womens liberation’ or
dress modestly and in some cases integration, but more to do with
cover their heads with scarves, the rise of Islamophobia in modern
however they are not deemed to Europe. One of the problems
be ‘inferior’ but instead perceived in the discourse surrounding
as ‘pious’. ‘integration’ is that whilst often
referring to integration, many
The Muslim community in Europe of its proponents actually mean
and America is growing rapidly. assimilation, a totally different
As the community grows, more concept and certainly not one
Muslim women enter and to be expected in secular, liberal
participate into the mainstream and democratic Europe in a post-
society and workforce. In many colonial era that has prided itself
cases, these women wish both on its multiculturalism.
to play their role in society
and to maintain their religious
conviction and individual identity.
It is completely plausible to be
able to fulfil both goals as Islamic
dress is not indicative of individual
competence.

76
Conclusion
The fact is that modern ‘Western’
dress is a new invention. Looking
at the clothing of women as
recently as seventy years ago,
European clothing was similar to
what Muslim women wear today.
These active and hard-working
women of the West were not
inhibited by their clothing which
consisted of long, full dresses and
various types of head covering.
Muslim women who wear Hijab
do not find it impractical or
interfering with their activities in
all levels and walks of life.

Narrated by Abu Hurayrah, The Prophet (peace be upon him) said:

‘Among the Muslims the most perfect, as regards his


faith, is the one whose character is excellent, and the
best among you are those who are best to their wives.’
(Saying of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), Al-Tirmidhi Hadith 628)

77
An invitation to think
The question of why mankind Think about the fine-tuning of the
came into existence has universe; our universe is governed
been contemplated by every by constant numbers, untune
civilisation since the beginning or alter any one of them and
of creation. However, in this age the stars, planets and humans
of science and technology we would then not exist at all. The
do not give much thought to first crucial number D (=3) is the
actually finding out the purpose number of spatial dimensions:
of our existence. From the cradle we live in a three-dimensional
to the grave we strive in some universe. Life couldn’t exist if
way to obtain the material D were two or four. Time is a
goals that society has set for fourth dimension, but distinctively
us. No longer do we have the different from the others in that
time or are we encouraged to it has a built-in arrow: we ‘move’
ponder about questions of life for only towards the future.
ourselves. Instead, we place our
trust in scientists and theologians The cosmic number omega (W)
who claim to know the answers measures the amount of material
to life. in the universe - galaxies,
diffuse gas, and ‘dark matter’.
For example, have you ever A universe within which W was
wondered about the perfect too high would have collapsed
order of the universe? Look at long ago; had W been too low,
the world around you. Why is no galaxies would have formed.
pure water tasteless, and why The inflationary theory of the Big
does it have such life-giving Bang says W = 1.
qualities to plants and animals,
that no other liquid has? Man
Another number, epsilon
has discovered that water boils
(e=0.007) defines how firmly
at 100 degrees, and that the
atomic nuclei bind together
speed of light is 3.0 x 108 metres
and how all the atoms on Earth
per second. However, he did not
were made.
Opposite The
page: Onevalue ofmany
of the e
make these laws to be so. Man
controls of
wonders the powerand
creation fromarguably
the
did not design the earth to be
Sunmost
the and,famous
more sensitively,
dark nebulahowin the
spherical nor did he design the night sky, the Horse Head Nebula.
stars transmute hydrogen into
universe as we know it. Man has Located in the of
Orion
all the atoms theconstellation
periodic
no power whatsoever to change 1,500 light years from Earth.
table. Carbon and oxygen are
these laws.
78
D=3 E = 0.007 N = 1036 Q = 1/100,000 W=3 I = 0.7

common, and gold and uranium If Q (= 1/100,000) were even


are rare, because of what smaller, the universe would be
happens in the stars. If e were inert and without structure; if
0.006 or 0.008, we could not exist. Q were much larger, it would
The cosmos is so vast because be a violent place, dominated
there is one crucially important by giant black holes. The last
huge number N (=1036). This number l (=0.7) controls the
is the ratio of the strength of expansion of our universe.
the electrical force to the Fortunately for us, l is very small.
gravitational force. The fabric - or Otherwise its effect would have
texture - of our universe depends stopped galaxies and stars from
on the number Q, and represents forming. Hence, the existence of
the ratio of two fundamental a life permitting universe is due to
energies. conditions that must have been
fine-tuned to a degree that is
literally incalculable. The reality
“And among His rationally points to the decisive
fact that there must have been
(God’s) Signs is an intelligent Creator.
the creation of
the heavens and
the earth and
the variations in
your languages
and your colours;
verily in that are
Signs for those
who know.”
(The Quran, Chapter 30,
The Romans: 22)

79
“...Truly, in the
remembrance of Allah
do hearts find rest. ”
(The Quran, Chapter 13, The Thunder: 28)

80
The Purpose of Life
Since the teachings of Islam However, since human beings
encompass all aspects of life have also been created innately
and ethics, God-consciousness is weak and regularly fall into sin,
encouraged in all human affairs. they are in need of continually
Islam makes it clear that all seeking guidance and
human acts are acts of worship repentance, which is, in itself,
if they are done for God alone also a form of worship loved by
and in accordance to His Divine Allah. The nature of the human
Scripture and Law. As such, being as created by God in
worship in Islam is not limited to His Majesty and Wisdom, is not
religious rituals, and for this reason inherently ‘corrupt’ or in need of
it is more properly known as ‘way repair.
of life’ than a religion.
The avenue of repentance is
The teachings of Islam act as always open to all. Almighty
a mercy and a healing for the God knew that humans were
human soul, and qualities such as going to make mistakes, so the
humility, sincerity, patience and real test is whether they seek
charity are strongly encouraged. repentance for their sins and
Additionally, Islam condemns try to avoid them, or if they
pride and self-righteousness, since prefer a life of heedlessness and
Almighty God is the only judge of sin, knowing well that it is not
human righteousness. pleasing to God.

The Islamic view of the nature


of man is also realistic and well-
balanced in that human beings
The avenue of
are not believed to be inherently
sinful, but are seen as equally
repentance is
capable of both good and evil;
it is their choice. Islam teaches always open to all.
that faith and action go hand-
in-hand. God has given people
free-will, and the measure of
one’s faith is their deeds and
actions.

81
The Islamic view of the nature
of man is also realistic and
well-balanced in that human
beings are not believed to be
inherently sinful, but are seen as
equally capable of both good
and evil; it is their choice. Islam
teaches that faith and action
go hand-in-hand. God has
given people free-will, and the
measure of one’s faith is their
deeds and actions.

82
The true balance of an Islamic Muslims believe that all human
life is established by having a beings will ultimately be judged
healthy fear of Allah’s rightful by Allah, for their beliefs and
punishment for crimes and sins, actions in their earthly lives. In
as well as a sincere belief that judging human beings, Allah the
Allah, in His infinite Mercy, takes Exalted will be both Absolutely
pleasure in bestowing His reward Just, by only punishing the truly
for our good deeds and sincere guilty and rebellious unrepentant
worship to Him. A life without criminals, and Absolutely Merciful
fear of Allah leads to sin and for those people who He, in His
disobedience, while believing wisdom, judges worthy of mercy.
that we have sinned so much
that God will not possibly forgive None will be judged for that
us only leads to despair. which was beyond their
capacity, or for that which they
The Noble Quran as revealed to did not actually do. It is sufficient
the Prophet Muhammad, peace to say that Islam teaches that
be upon him, also contains life is a test designed by Allah,
many teachings about life in the Creator; and that all human
the hereafter and the Day of beings will be accountable
Judgment. before Allah for what they did
with their lives.

A sincere belief in the life of the hereafter


is the key to leading a well-balanced
and moral life. Otherwise, life is viewed
as an end in itself, which causes people
to become more selfish, materialistic and
immoral by their blind pursuit of pleasure
even at the expense of reason and ethics.

83
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