In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful
Chapter 2:
They are like those who kindled a fire, but as soon as it lit up all around them God took away their light leaving them in darkness, where they could not see. Deaf, dumb and blind, they shall never return to the right path. Or like those who, beneath a dark storm-cloud charged with thunder and lightening, thrust their fingers in their ears at the sound of every thunder-clap for fear of death (God thus encompasses the deniers). The lightening almost takes away their sight: whenever it flashes upon them they walk on, but, as soon as it darkens, they stand still. Indeed, if God pleased, He could take away their sight and hearing: He has power over all things. (Quran, 2:17-20)
In a dark room black and white will appear the same, but as soon as the lights are turned on, black appears as black, and white as white. So it is with the message of God revealed unto the Prophets. The divine scriptures are God’s lights to the world. When this light is revealed, guidance and error clearly appear for what they are. It becomes evident what good and evil deeds consist of, and what their consequences are. But some people, instead of being subservient to the truth, want the truth to be subservient to them. The light of God only serves to confuse them. Their hidden jealousy and pride take hold of them. As soon as they see themselves in the divine mirror, their negative sentiments are aroused. The prejudices within them overcome their senses. They have eyes but cannot see; they have ears but cannot hear; they have tongues but cannot speak. They can neither hear the call of truth, nor respond to it in any way, nor by any sign from God can they find their way. Instead of reflecting upon the call of truth, as they should do, they evade it either by attaching no importance to it, or by not listening to it at all.
Fear is another factor which prevents them from acknowledging the truth. Rain is a wonderful blessing of God. But with rain comes thunder and lightening, which terrifies nervous people. So it is with God’s word revealed unto His prophets. On the one hand it holds promise of great success to man, but on the other there are temporary risks involved: there is the fear of losing one’s worldly positions; the dilemma of clashing with the conventional set-up; the necessity to face up to reality as far as one’s fate in the next life is concerned, rather than on wishful thinking. Fear of these things sometimes makes one halt, and sometimes makes one move hesitantly on. But such caution cannot help one. Those who do not respond to God’s call openheartedly are simply inviting severer punishment from God.
Mankind, serve your Lord, who has created you and those who have gone before you, so that you may guard yourselves against evil; who has made the earth a bed for you and the sky a dome, and has sent down water from the sky to bring forth fruits for your sustenance. And do not knowingly set up rivals to God. If you doubt what We have revealed to Our servant, produce one chapter comparable to this Book. Call upon your helpers besides God to assist you, if what you say is true. But if you fail (as you are sure to fail) then guard yourselves against the fire whose fuel is men and stones, prepared for the unbelievers. Proclaim good tidings to those who have faith and do good works. They shall dwell in gardens underneath which rivers flow: whenever they are given fruit to eat they will say: ‘This is what we were given before,’ for they shall be given the like. Therein they will have pure spouses, and shall abide there forever. (Quran, 2:21-25)
God alone has created man and all that is in the heavens and on earth. He has invested the world with profound significance and is always watching over it. The proper course for man is to take God as his Creator, Master and Sustainer, and not attempt to set up with Him as a partner; that is, he should give himself up entirely to God. But since He is invisible, it often happens that man gives importance to some visible object and worships it instead of God. He equates creation with the Creator. Partially or totally, at times calling it by the name of God and at times not.
Therein lies man’s basic error. The prophets taught man to glorify God alone, and forsake the other things that he had elevated to positions of glory. People whose hearts are attached to others besides God consider the call of true religion repugnant. They have become so attached to their false gods that they cannot believe that they are unreal. They cannot believe that the truth is what is being proclaimed by a mortal like themselves.
God’s revealed word is indisputably marked with a divine radiance. Its style cannot be imitated; its reasoning cannot be refuted. This goes to show that this is the word of God. Those who deny it, irrespective of this, will find no other abode in God’s, universe, but Hell. Those who find, God in the word of God are already glimpsing the next world. They are the ones who will be admitted into the gardens of Eden.
God does not hesitate to give us parables about gnats or even smaller creatures. Those who believe know that it is the truth from their Lord, but those who disbelieve ask: ‘What could God mean by this parable?’ By it God misleads many and enlightens many. But He misleads none except the evil-doers, who break His covenant after accepting it, and sever what He has bidden to be joined and make mischief in the land. These are the losers. How can you deny God? Did he not give you life when you were dead, and will He not cause you to die and then restore you to life? Will you not return to Him at last? He created for you all that the earth contains; then, turning to the sky, fashioned it into seven heavens. He has knowledge of all things. (Quran, 2:26-29)
Man’s first duty to God is that, true to the promise made between the Creator and His creatures at the beginning of the world, he should remain God’s servant. Then, he should live among his fellows consolidating all the ties that God wishes. Thirdly, when God appoints any mortal to preach His word, he should not turn others away from his preaching by inventing groundless arguments against it. The message of truth seeks to harmonize man with his own nature: those who prevent others from receiving it are guilty of making mischief in the land.
God has created man from nothing. This is a favour great enough to make man humble himself before God. But God has not just created man and left him to his own devices: He has given him an earth made in perfect accord with him. And that is not all. There is much more to the matter: man is constantly living under peril of death: suddenly, he will be brought before the Lord of the universe to be judged. This should make devote himself entirely to God; it should make him remember and obey God throughout his life; it should make him remain God’s humble servant.
When the divine message is so clear and reasonable, why do people not accept it? Deliberate fault-finding is the chief cause of this. One who is not willing to learn from something does not think seriously about it. When some argument is presented to him, he looks at it superficially and sets about finding some flaw in it. In this way he makes the message seem irrational, for if it were the true word of God, how could it include such trivial matters? But those who are willing to learn are able to give the matter serious thought. They do not take long to realize that it is the truth. It does not make any difference to them that the truth has been explained in parables of mere gnats, and such-like insignificant creatures. □
