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June 24th, 2014

Quran – the Motivator for Writing of this Book

Quran – the Motivator for Writing of this Book

8:42. … he who perished by clear argument might perish, and he who lived by clear argument might live.[1]

17:36. And do not follow that of which you have no knowledge. Surely the hearing and the sight and the heart, all of these will be asked about it.[2]

4:51-52. Have you not seen those to whom a portion of the Book was given? They believe in sorcery and diviners and say of those who disbelieve: These are better guided in the path than those who believe. Those are they whom Allah has cursed. And whomever Allah curses, you will not find a helper for him.[3]

11:88. He [–Shuaib i.e. Jithro] said: My people, do you see if I have a clear proof from my Lord and He has given me a goodly sustenance from Himself?And I do not desire to act in opposition to you, in what I forbid you. I desire nothing but reform, so far as I am able. And with none but Allah is the direction of my affair to a right issue. In Him I trust and to Him I turn.[4]

12:108. Say, `This is my path. I [–Muhammad] call to Allâh. I am on sure knowledge verifiable by reason and (so are) those who follow me. (I believe that) Holy is Allâh. I am not of the polytheists.' [5]

47:24. Do they not reflect on the Quran? Or, are there locks on the hearts?[6]

13:03. Verily, in all this there are messages indeed for people who think [7]

30:30. So pay your whole-hearted attention to (the cause of) faith as one devoted (to pure faith), turning away from all that is false. (And follow) the Faith of Allâh (-Islam) to suit the requirements of which He has made the nature of mankind. There can be no change in the nature (of creation) which Allâh has made. That is the right and most perfect Faith, yet most people do not know (it).[8]

54:40. And indeed We have made the Qur'ân easy for admonition and to understand, follow and remember. But is there anyone who would take heed?[9]

The Holy Quran establishes in a pragmatic manner the truth of the basic principles of Islam which form a basis for one's salvation. Its teachings are grounded in a convincingly philosophical reasoning. It proves to the point of conviction every argument advanced by it. For instance, it proves the existence of the Creator of the Universe. It establishes the truth of the Unity of God. It also marshals decisive arguments to vindicate the supreme need of the Divine Revelation. It is never at a loss to distinguish truth from untruth. This by itself is an incontrovertible proof that Furqan Majeed is the Revealed Word of God. This point also establishes its Divine reality and its supremacy. No revealed book before the Holy Quran nor any thinker or philosopher, who exercised his talents in search of truth, had ever been able to highlight false beliefs by luminous reasoning nor had they ever been able to banish doubts and apprehensions from the human mind by radiant arguments. This glorious task has been accomplished in a unique manner by the Holy Quran. The Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) never attended any school even for half a day. He never learnt any knowledge, logical or practical, from any philosopher or logician nor did he come into contact with any sage or scholar. Still he based the divine philosophy on rational arguments and expounded such beliefs as guaranteed lasting salvation, in such an illuminating manner as has no precedent anywhere in the whole history of mankind. This is an accomplishment of such a high order as is no possible or even thinkable without Divine help. Here human reasoning has perforce to bow before the Holy Quran which was revealed by Allah Who has no rival. Hence human knowledge can never be equal to divine knowledge – (Baraheen Ahmadiyya, Vol. I)[10]

The Holy Quran was revealed at a time when mankind faced all such exigencies as it was; destined to face. There was moral degradation all round. There was anarchy of creeds. There was spiritual deterioration which vitiated every sphere of human life, chaos and confusion of every hue and colour had reached the nadir. At this critical juncture, the teachings of the Holy Quran were revealed. Thus it marked the crown and completion of Divine Law for the guidance of mankind. The previous Laws; were incomplete because when they were revealed, the disorder and mischief had not reached its climax. Hence the scriptures were just enough to meet the needs of the times. Thus the marked difference between the past scriptures and the Holy Quran is that the former, even if they had remained immune, would have proved sadly inadequate. This emphasised the need that a complete and immutable scripture like the Holy Quran, should come. Thus the Holy Quran leaves no room for any book to supplement its teachings. The possibility of any type of scripture is completely ruled out, because there is no further point after the highest degree of excellence and completion attained in the Holy Quran. Its replacement is thinkable only when one wishfully presumes that the principle of the Unity of God like the Gospels and the Vedas will give way to idolatry and the crores [–hundreds of millions] of the True Believers will become idolatrous and animist. But all this is a sheer fictitious presumption as the events falsely envisaged shall never come to pass. (Baraheen Ahmadiyya, Vol. II)[11]

Islam at its origin meant allegiance to the word of God first of all but at the present day the Holy Book is relegated to the background and the Muslims seek for guidance from books of law (fiqah) which were compiled hundreds of years afterwards by learned men, no doubt, but which only answered the need of the day and were not meant for all ages. The service which these great men rendered to the cause of Islam in their own day is now abused as a hindrance to the progress of Islam, The Holy Quran was revealed to answer the needs of men of all ages, and the door to understanding its import and to deduce laws from it to answer new needs of the coming ages was never shut upon men. In fact to close that door means practically to transfer allegiance from the word of God to man-made law, to seat men on the throne of Divinity. It is due to this servile attitude to the great and the learned that the Muslim priest today has come to reconcile himself with the Christian idea that the realm of religion is beyond the flights of reason, that reason has no place in religion. Now such an idea is not only foreign but quite opposed to the spirit of Islam. Islam from its very birth freely appealed to reason and the Holy Quran again and again reproves man for not using his reasoning faculty. Why do you not think, why do you not ponder, why do you not reflect this – is the ever recurring burden of its various exhortations. The Holy Prophet himself encouraged his companions to give fervent to their reasoning power, and they were fully conscious of the great gift of reason which God had bestowed upon them and which He had allowed them to use in matters temporal as well as religious. Thus towards the close of his life, when he appointed Mu'áz, a famous companion, to the governorship of Yemen, and asked him as to how he would decide cases, he readily replied that he would resort in the first place to the Holy Quran then to the Sunnat (practice of the Prophet) and failing to find light on the point in hand in either of these, he would use his own reason. Such was the view of the immediate disciples of the Holy Prophet as regards the free use of reason. But the prevailing idea in the Muslim world today is that in all religious matters we must accept the reasoning of this great man or that, as final and the result is that the Muslims who once led the world in great ideas are now living in an abject condition of mental slavery, and their reasoning faculties are quite stunted, almost dead. "Back to the Qur'an!" is the clarion call of the Ahmadiyya; back to the pure Islam of the Holy Prophet and his companions, back to the free use of reason and to a free interpretation of the Holy Book in the light which new conditions in the world have brought about; back to the freedom which our great and learned forefathers enjoyed. In going back to these things is the real advancement of Islam; these are not so many steps backward but steps forward, for they take the Muslims back from the darkness and mental slavery into which they have fallen, to the light and freedom which is their birth right as Muslims.[12]

The purity of Islam has again been affected seriously by the over-importance which is attached in some quarters to the reports of the sayings and doings of the Holy Prophet. Tradition, as it is generally called, no doubt, plays an important part in the religion of Islam in so far as it casts light on many of the details of the religion of Islam. It also preserves much of the history of Islam. But there is not the least doubt that "tradition" is only a secondary source; it is after all an explanation of what is contained in the Holy Qurán; it has moreover the defect that it was in the main transmitted orally for a long time and has therefore undergone changes and alterations. Nor could the first or subsequent reporter be expected to transmit the very words that he heard. In most cases it was the import which he transmitted and the import would no doubt, more or less, be affected by the state of mind and understanding capacity of the reporter. Hence it is that if "tradition" is not read under those limitations, it is likely to do more harm than good to the cause of Islam.[13]


[1] Al-Anfal – Voluntary Gifts: Muhammad Ali – Zahid Aziz
[2] Bani Israil – The Israelites (also: Al-Isra – The Night Journey): Muhammad Ali – Zahid Aziz
[3] Al-Nisa – The Women: Muhammad Ali – Zahid Aziz
[4] Hud – Hud: Muhammad Ali – Zahid Aziz
[5] Yusuf – Joseph: Nooruddin
[6] Muhammad – Muhammad: Muhammad Ali – Zahid Aziz
[7] Ar-Rad – The Thunder: Muhammad Asad
[8] Al-Rum – The Byzantines: Nooruddin
[9] Al-Qamar – The Moon: Nooruddin
[10] ‘Graces, Excellencies and Surpassing Merits of The Holy Quran” by Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, pub: Ahmadiyya Anjuman Ishaat-I-Islam (Lahore) UK
[11] Ibid
[12] “Back to Quran, Back to Muhammad” by Maulana Muhammad Ali, p.3-5, Ahmadiyya Anjuman Ishaat Islam, Lahore, 1926
[13] Ibid, p. 6-7

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