Аль-Фуркан 25:32–61

When the Quran was revealed, it was not revealed all at once, but part by part over a period of 23 years. Those who denied the truth made this an excuse to say that this was a man-made book and not the book of God, because it would not have been difficult for God to prepare the whole book at one time. It was clarified that the Quran was not simply the work of any author. It was a divine proclamation of the Truth. One of the strategies of preaching God’s will is that it is presented to people gradually, so that it progressively takes root in society. Every objection against such activity—which is based on perfect Truth—is a false one. Whenever such an objection is raised, but then is properly clarified, the authenticity of the preacher’s call is reinforced; it is never in doubt at any stage.

The names of many of the prophets to whom the Quran refers again and again do not find a place in the recorded history of humanity. This shows that the scholars who were their contemporaries did not attach any importance to them. They wrote zealously about kings and military heroes, because there was political colour in their lives, but they ignored the prophets, because there was nothing in their lives to feed their political tastes. Surprisingly, this attitude is prevalent even today. Those who attain prominence on the political platform, immediately find a place in the media. Those who work in non-political fields are not considered either mentionable or memorable. The most important thing required of a man is that he should learn lessons from events, but this is exactly what he fails to do. This is as true now as it was in the past.

The response of those who fail to accept the truth shows that the reason for their being steadfast in their faith, was their prejudice and not the force of any argument. They had become defenceless in the matter of arguments, but they adhered to the religion of their forefathers on the strength of prejudice. This is the position of the majority of the people. The majority are simply swayed by prejudice, though they profess that their case rests on sound arguments. There are two methods of opposing a mission. One is to reject it on the basis of arguments, while the other is to ridicule it. The first method is legitimate, while the second is quite improper. Those who heap scorn on a mission, actually demonstrate that they have lost the game when it comes to arguments, and that they simply want to cover up their defeat by falling back on ridicule.

According to a tradition the Prophet is reported to have said, ‘Among all the deities besides God being worshipped under the sky, the most serious before God is that desire which is followed.’ It is a fact that the greatest object of worship is the ignoble desire of man; Many deities have been devised simply to justify the religion of desire-worship.

Responding to the lure of desire, a man descends to the level of an animal. Animals do not act as a result of thinking, but simply submit to the pressure of their natural instincts. Now, if a man does not utilise his thinking capacity and simply follows the dictates of his base desires, what is the difference between him and an animal?

The phenomenon which in the present age is known as the axial rotation of the earth has been set down here in layman’s language. The earth rotates on its axis once in twenty-four hours, due to which day and night follow upon each other. This is a wonderful miracle of Almighty God’s power. Had there been no axial rotation of the earth, half of it would have been continuously under the blazing sun, while the other half would have been continuously enveloped by night. Thus it would have been extremely difficult to live on the earth. There are many lessons in this system of the earth. Just as the light of day necessarily follows the darkness of night; in the same way untruth will be followed by Truth. Similarly, waking up in the morning after sleeping at night is symbolic of resurrection in the life after death. Likewise, there is a lesson hidden in the system of the rains. Just as the dead earth is revived thanks to the rains, so also does God’s guidance instil faith and fear of God in a heart which otherwise would have become as lifeless as an arid land.

In the Quran, the topics of the unity of God and the Hereafter have been described again and again in a number of different ways. If a man is serious, these discourses are enough to arouse his interest. But one who is unheeding is not influenced by any argument. Undertaking the great jihad by means of the Quran means a peaceful struggle to spread the word of God. That is to say, peaceful struggle is the real jihad—nay, the greatest jihad. Even if opponents try to divert the attention of the believers from the realm of peaceful efforts, it should then be the endeavour of the believers to concentrate upon the field of preaching based on the teachings of the Quran. However, if, due to the distraction caused by opponents, the field of action appears to be changing at any time, then all possible efforts should be made to bring it back to the field of peaceful activity aimed at conveying the message of the Quran.

When two rivers meet or a river flows down into the sea, at the point of confluence, in spite of coming together, the two waters remain separate and a line of demarcation can be seen for quite a distance. The writer of these words has witnessed this scene at the meeting place of the rivers Ganges and Yamuna at Allahabad. This happens under the natural law which in the present age is known as ‘surface tension’. Similarly, at the sea coast when the tides are rising the salt sea water rides over the coastal river’s fresh water. But the surface tension keeps the two waters separate, and when the tide goes out, the saltish water withdraws from above (without affecting the water below), and the fresh water below maintains its natural character. Due to this surface tension law, it has been possible to find reservoirs of fresh water in the very midst of salt sea waters to meet the needs of voyagers.

The main constituent of the human body is water. That wonderful creation, called the human being, came into existence with water. Then by the natural process of procreation, generation followed upon generation. If we identify and study similar events which take place on the earth, we will find symbols of God’s power hidden in them.

God has placed man in a world in which every thing and indeed the entire atmosphere bear testimony to the unity of God. But man does not avail of the light of guidance from it. He goes so far astray that he builds the system of his life on the basis of polytheism instead of the unity of God. If a servant of God takes up the task of proclaiming the unity of God, he meets with dire opposition. However, the preacher of Truth is not allowed to go to the extent of indulging in violence. He has to pursue his mission keeping himself within the sphere of advice and admonition or persuasion. If his call is not being effective, it is not his duty to add violence to his preaching. The only additions he can make consist of praying to God, ending all material or worldly quarrels unilaterally and influencing people’s hearts by selflessness and good behaviour.

Here ‘six Days’ means six Days of God. In the language of human beings, it may be called six stages or six periods. The Creation of the Universe in six stages indicates that it was done in a well planned manner. Whatever is brought into existence on the basis of a plan and a specific arrangement cannot be futile. In the question the stress is on the subject matter and not on the person to whom the question is put. The idea is that if a man is acquainted with God’s wonderful marvels, he will be able to tell you how High and Mighty is the Merciful God. The research undertaken by scientists in modern times partially fits the meaning of this verse. If a man learns the secrets of the universe which have come to light as a result of scientific research, he will become extremely excited, his hair will stand on end and his heart will spontaneously bow down before the Might of the Creator.

This passage possibly refers to what is known as the solar system. The original Arabic word buruj literally means a castle or fort, but scholars differ as to its exact meaning in this context.