THE MAGNA CARTA OF MANKIND

 

            Generally the religious books claim that they take men closer to God, but what we see in practice is that they take them closer to kings, landlords and priests, and compel them to bow before them.  Those are such books that handcuff them and make them helpless.   Rulers were honoured with titles of Avtar, representatives and shade of God.  Some books carry the message of liberty, but in words only.  They failed to emancipate man form slavery of man.  On the other hand, the Quran repeatedly asks man of refrain form obeying and worshipping ‘man’.  It prohibits to invoke other men.  The Quran reiterated it so forcefully that the idea spread like blood in the veins of its followers.  The Quran has, thus centered all obedience, supplication and worship to One Allah.  This teaching and its practice in real life brought a sea change.  It ended man’s rule over man  as well as the excesses and oppressions.  It removed all barriers from human thought and development.  Man got real and full freedom.  Human ego awakened.  Darkness disappeared and a new light dazzled the surroundings.

            A freshening spring descended on the valley of human thought and man began to breathe freely.  The book that earned the exemplary success in removing man’s subjugation to man was none other than the Quran.

            Mankind never came across a better manifesto for itself.  A manifesto, greater than the Magna Carta, is the Quran. This manifesto, helped in breaking the shackles of the slaves.  It helped in demolishing the cult of discrimination and brining mankind into an array of equality.  This manifesto addresses man as human beings and tells them:

O mankind! We created

You from a single(pair) of a male

And a female, and made you into                                                                    

Nations and tribes, that

Ye may know each other

 (Not that you may despise

Each other).  Verily

The most honoured of you

In the sight of Allah

Is (he who is) the most

Righteous of you.   (Quran 49:13).

            The Book declared that the mankind is a family.  All racial and tribal discriminations were uprooted.

            Man is born free. All men deserve equal treatment and equal rights.  The Quran granted them all that man deserves, but it never allowed them to turn irresponsible after getting their rights.  It asked them to fear Allah and only Allah.  Creating in them the fear of Allah alone it asked them to bow only before the divine law.

            The Quran turned men into a brave, respectable and honourable being by teaching and training them to stand steadfastly and fearlessly against oppressive rulers, exploiters; and in the face of death, poverty, disease and loss of life and property.

            The Arabs of the desert were engaged in infighting and tribal wars.  The air of culture had not touched them.  This book taught them manners, civilised them, gave them the wisdom and insight and courage to rule the world.  This Book turned them into heroes.  I can proclaim unhesitatingly that this tremendous transformation was the outcome of the revolutionary teaching of the Quran.

            At every step this book has enthused its followers to hold strongly the scale of justice and to never waver from righteousness.  To those who leave the path of justice it warns of the punishment in the Hereafter.  It asks its followers to stand firmly on the side of justice even if it goes against their own relatives.  The result of these teachings is spread over the pages of human history in the form of shining examples of dispensation of justice during Islamic rule.  The Quranic society is firmly based on the foundation of freedom, equality and justice.

            There are many more unique features of this Book.  Many religious books call man’s life a sin and therefore encourages to escape from it and live an ascetic life.  The Quran, on the other hand, calls that ‘man’ is the finest creation of God.  It highlights man’s obligations and gives respect to man’s deeds.  It exhorts man to fully discharge all human obligations which will beautify life.  The Quran looks at human life with respect and never advocates escape from it.  It tells that struggle is the essence of life.

	A book with such distinguishing characters is definitely Al-Kitab ( the Only Book).
	A book loaded with such blessings is definitely the Holy Book.
	A book leading man to such heights is beyond doubt the Great Book.

 

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PROPHETS WERE HUMAN BEINGS

 

            Prophet Muhammad was sent by God to inculcate in man lofty qualities like truth, high moral conduct and modesty etc.  He conveyed these great teachings –full of wisdom-to man in the most simple and direct way.

            We see that some religions declared someone as incarnation of God or part of God, and people accepted him and followed him.  But the followers of Islam neither worship Muhammad nor call him son of God or incarnation of God .  Muhammad’s life was very simple.  He was modest and an embodiment of morality.  The Quran tells Muhammad:

            Say, I am but a man

            Like yourselves. (but)

            The inspiration has come

            To me that your Allah is

            Only one Allah.                                                        (18:110)

            At many places the Quran says that Muhammad(PBUH) is a man, a modest man.  The last prophet established the religion of Allah with the following claims.

·                    I do not demonstrate a miracle out of my own power;

·                    I do not posses the treasures of the earth and skies;

·                    I do not know the unseen (Ghaib);

·                    I am a man like you.

Thus he performed a unique feat.

The Quran says:

            Truly thou canst not cause

            The Dead to listen, not canst thou cause

            The Deaf to hear the call,

            (Especially) when they

            Turn their back in rejection.

            Nor canst thou be a guide

            To the Blind, (to prevent them)

            From straying; only those

            Wilt thou get to listen

            Who believe in Our Signs,

            And they will bow to Islam.     (27:80-81)

              So, it is quite clear that the Prophet never intended to show miracles.  He never claimed to be part of God.  (His claim that he was a human being was approved in words of God).  Born in Makka he guided mankind towards the simple straight path of Islam.

            The Quran goes further to warn the Prophet of the possible consequences of deviation from the path of Allah.  The Quran says:

Were thou to follow their (Jews’

And Christians’) desires

Disregarding the knowledge

Which has come to you,

You shall find no protector or

Helper against Allah.                                                          (2:120)          

And Even if thou wert to bring

To the People of the Book

All the Signs (together),

Thy would not follow

They Qibla; nor art thou

Going to follow their Qibla;                                                                            

Nor indeed will they follow

Each other’s Qibla.  If thou,

After the knowledge hath reached thee,

Wert to follow their (vain)

Desires, -- then wert thou indeed (clearly)

In the wrong.  (2:145)

             Our hearts tremble when we go through these verses.  Can one who was proclaimed as the model for mankind, ever leave the path of Allah, follow his own desire and thus invoke punishment! No, never.  Yet the Quran very clearly warns that if the Prophet ever errs no one can save him from the grip of Allah.  No other book so clearly warns the person on whom it was revealed.

            Muhammad (PBUH) was the only Prophet who went to the people with his message and told them:  ‘I am a man like you, if I err I shall be accountable to Allah.’  He, even though a Prophet, was not above accountability.

             Such was the Prophet of Islam.

            One more astonishing reality, untraceable in the history of  other religions, is that the last Prophet was known as a man in his life-time, he is a man to us today and he would be known as a man till doomsday.  We know that many religious personalities were born as men, lived as men worked in their societies as men but after their death they became deities.  Take Buddha for example.  He was born as man.  He followed the right path, did good deeds and preached for virtue and goodness.  His death turned him into a God for his followers.

            But  in Islam Muhammad (PBUH) was never put in the place fof God.  He is just a man – virtue personified and the best model for humanity.

            For the last fourteen hundred years all praise are conferred upon him, but he is never placed in the position of God, not even by his followers.

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