Article appeared Friday, April 27th, 2012 in The News Today, Bangladesh

The Revelation (226)

yousuf mahbubul Islam, PhD

Should a believer follow Revelation, i.e. Guidance sent by the Creator through His Messengers in all ages? To help find an answer to this question, it must be placed in its context. An analogy may help to setup the context. Asking this question to a human is like asking a car and its driver, Do you follow the guidance provided by the manufacturer? Additionally, one might ask, Why would it be unwise not to follow the guidance given? To drive the point home, one may ask, How many drivers look for logic or excuses not to follow the guidance provided by the manufacturer? The same reasoning applies to Revelations sent by the Creator. How many look for logic and excuses not to follow guidance provided in the Revelations? What could be the logic behind such rejection of the guidance? Are humans better informed than the Creator? Or is it simply, we-know-what-is-best-for-us individually? How can such logic be classified? Qutb {1}, in page 90 of his translation of the most recent Revelation, the Quran, explains this issue briefly. God (limitless is He in His glory) says that this whole issue is one of faith or unfaith, Islam or non-Islam, Divine Law or human prejudice. No compromise or reconciliation can be worked out between these two sets of values. Those who judge on the basis of the Law God has Revealed, enforcing all parts of it and substituting nothing else for it, are the believers. By contrast, those who do not make the Law God has Revealed the basis of their judgment are unbelievers, wrongdoers and transgressors. Rulers can either implement Gods Law(s) in total and, thus, they remain within the bounds of faith, or they may enforce some other (man-made) law. In the latter case, all three descriptions of unbelief, wrongdoing and transgression apply to them. If people accept Gods rule and judgment, administered by rulers and judges, then they are believers. Otherwise, they are not. There is no middle way between the two, nor can any justification or claim of serving legitimate interests be admitted. God, the Lord of mankind, knows what serves peoples interests and He has enacted His Laws for that very purpose. No law or system of government is superior to His. No servant of God may reject Gods Law(s) or claim to have better knowledge than God with regard to what serves peoples interests. If he makes such a claim, by word or deed, then he pronounces himself an unbeliever. {1} Just as each Revelation in turn has confirmed previous Revelations, each Messenger has confirmed the truth of previous messengers, while some have predicted the coming of future messengers. The main testimony of each messenger has been that there is only ONE Creator and everything else is His Creation. Being so, the question is not about finding the correct religion; it is simply whether we believe that the Creator best knows the purpose of creation as well as knows how to get the best from our created lives. Allah enlightens us about the fear of those who disbelieve: Those in whose hearts is a disease you will see how eagerly they run about amongst themselves saying: "We do fear lest a change of fortune bring us disaster" [5.52] So, in addition to saying they believe in the Creator, such people run about equally assuming that created things have power over their lives and fortunes. As this duality or hypocrisy in the attitude of such people saddened the most recent prophet, Allah points out,

5.41 O Messenger, be not grieved by those who race each other into unbelief; such as those who say with their mouths, We believe, while their hearts do not

believe. Among the Jews are some who eagerly listen to falsehood, eagerly listen to other people who have not come to you. They tamper with words out of their context, and say, If such-and-such [a precept] is given to you, accept it; but if you are not, then be on your guard. If God wants to put anyone to a test, you shall not be able to avail him anything against God. Such are the ones whose hearts God is not willing to purify. They will have disgrace in this world, and a terrible suffering in the life to come. As to them created things have an assumed implicit power, 5.42 They eagerly listen to falsehood and greedily devour what is unlawful. Hence, if they come to you (for judgment), you may either judge between them or may decline to interfere. If you decline, they cannot harm you in any way. But if you do judge, then judge between them with fairness. Allah loves those who deal justly. 5.43 But how (and why) is it that they ask you for judgment when they have the Torah which contains Allahs judgment, and they still turn away? For certain, they are not true believers. 5.44 Indeed, it is We who revealed the Torah, containing guidance and light. By it did the prophets, who had surrendered themselves to God, judge among the Jews, and so did the divines (doctors of Law) and the rabbis: [they gave judgment] in accordance with what had been entrusted to their care of Gods Book and to which they themselves were witnesses. So, have no fear of men but fear Me; and do not barter away My Revelations for a paltry price. Those who do not judge in accordance with what Allah has revealed are indeed unbelievers. As an example of Law given in the Torah or Old Testament,
But if there is serious injury, you are to take life for life eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, wound for wound, bruise for bruise. [Exodus 21:2325, NIV] {2}

This Law previously given by the Creator is again confirmed in the Quran, 5.45 We ordained therein (in the Torah) for them: "Life for life, eye for eye, nose for nose, ear for ear, tooth for tooth and wounds equal for equal." But if anyone remits the retaliation by way of charity it is an act of atonement for himself. And if any fail to judge by (the light of) what Allah has Revealed they are (no better than) wrong-doers.
-----{Notes}: {1} Qutb, S. (1999). In the Shade of Quran. Translated by M.A. Salahi and A. A. Shamis, Vol.4, Markfield, Leicester and Nairobi, Kenya: The Islamic Foundation. {2} http://bible.cc/exodus/21-23.htm