universal myths mistaken as universal realities by g a parwez

8/9/2019 Universal Myths Mistaken as Universal Realities by G A Parwez

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Universal Myths Mistaken As

Universal Realities By

G. A. Parwez

IDARA T O L U - E - I S I ~ A M (REGD.)25-B, Gulberg 2, L a h o r e - ~ 5 4 6 6 0

PAKISTAN


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Universal Myths MistakenAs Universal Realities(Late) Ghulam Ahmad ParwezKhalid M. SayyedIdara Tolu-e-Islam25-B, Gulberg 2, Lahore-54660,Pakistan,Phone 92 42 571 4546.Idara0)toluislam.CQnlhttp;//'.N\vw,totuislam.comYamani Printers, J.ahorc.June 2007Bazm To l u ~ e - I s i a m J,ondon76-Park Road, lIford, Essex, 1GI ISF,UK.44208553 [email protected]
http:///reader/full/http;//'.N/vw,totuislam.commailto:[email protected]://www.islam2linfo/http:///reader/full/http;//'.N/vw,totuislam.commailto:[email protected]://www.islam2linfo/


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CONTENTSTRANSLATOR'S NOTE 4 UNIVERSAL MYTHS MISTAKEN AS

Islam a Challenge to Religion Quranic Laws Islamic Way of Living Reasons for the Decline ofMuslims Letters to Tahira

Its Beliefs and Objecti yes

UNIVERSAL REALITIES 5 Myth 1: The oldest, original myth 5 My1h 2: The Status of Woman 9 Myth 3: Obedience to parents is obligatory 12 Myth 4: The Reality ofthe Universe 13 Myth 5: Human Nature 15 Myth 6: Human Conscience 17 Myth 7: Destiny 18 Myth 8: Capitalism 19 Myth 9: Religious Leadership (The Clergy) 21 Myth 10: The Distinction ofShari a and Tariqa 23 Myth 11: Spiritual power of the Dead 26 CONCLUSION 27 GLOSSARY 29 NOTES & REFERENCES 33 OTHER PUBLICATIONS 37

Exposition ofthe Holy Quran, Volume I THE TOLUEISLAM MOVEMENT 43

Quranic Lectures (DarseQuran in Urdu) Abroad 45 PAMPHLETS & BOOKLETS 47


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THE TRANSLATOR'S NOTE

Universal Myths Universally Mistaken as UniversalRealities is a translation of Alamgeer Afsaaney JillheinHaqeeqat Samajh Liya Gaya, a brief essay written in Urduby Chaudhri Ghulam Ahmad who wrote under the penname Parwez. He was the founder of the Tolu-e-!sam ('TheNew Dawn of Islam') Movement, and the Idara (centraloffice) which operates from Lahore, Pakistan. Parwez wasa highly controversial but intellectually unignorable figure,respected by men of knowledge in the field of Islamicresearch, especially, interpretation ofThe Quran.In this essay, Parwez deals with about a dozen notionswhich Muslims have accepted as facts-and as articles ofFaith-for centuries and exposes them as anti-Quranic. Ihave attempted to the best of my ability to represent theoriginal essay accurately while making it more suitable fora Western readership.References to the Quranic verses have mostly been givenunder Notes & References at the end of the document; inaddition to the Sura (Chapter) name, I also give thenumerical reference thus: the Sura number followed by theverse number; for example, 2: 219 means it is verse number219 from the second Sura.Translation rendered by: Khalid M Sayyed B Sc; BEd; M A (Punjab), PGCE (London), M Ed - Applied Linguistics (OU, UK).


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UNIVERSAL MYTHSMISTAKEN AS UNIVERSAL REALITIES

(G.A. Parwez)

The human mind is a hewilderingly magical world. A childquickly gets bored of a factual narration but never tires ofbedtime fairy tales night after night. However, the samechild loses interest in fiction when it !,'TOWS up. In a similarpattern, the human mind, in its 'childhood', found fictionmore attractive than fact. But, the similarity between thedevelopment of the human mind at the individual and thegroup levels ends there and we notice a startling differencebetween the two. An individual ultimately grows out oftaking fiction as fact, but mankind never does so, even afterhaving had repeated logical explanations to the contrary. Itnot only continues to believe in the reality of certain mythsbut also, sadly, resents very strongly any academic andlogical attempt to expose their falsehood. In this essay, Ipropose to discuss a few of those myths that haveuniversally been mistaken as realities.Myth 1: The oldest, original mythWe accept the birth of a human child as a routineoccurrence of everyday life, Everyone knows that a child isborn of a pregnancy which is the result of sexualintercourse between a man and a woman. But the questionof the birth of the very first human - or the original couple- is a complex one. The human mind, during its infancy,was unable to come up with a satisfactory answer 10 it.Perplexed, it sought refuge in a myth, The source of the


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6 fictional story of the origin of Man is the Torah, the mostsacred ancient text of JudaismmThe Creation orManThe Torah states that, after having created the Earth, andpopulating it with the Plant and Animal Kingdoms,

'the Lord God formed the man from the dust of theground and breathed into his nostrils the breath oflife, and the man became a living bcing:11lThat is to say that God created the first man by making thehuman form from dust and putting life into it, But a solitary

human could not procreate; the woman was needed. Shewas created thus:

'So the Lord caused the man to fall into a deepsleep; and while he was sleeping, he took one of theman's ribs and closed up the place with flesh. Thenthe Lord God made a woman from the rib he hadtaken out ofthe man, and he brought her to the man.The man said, "This is now bone of my bones andflesh of my flesh; she shall be called 'woman' forshe was taken out of a man."'W

Thus was solved one of the greatest riddles of life'Fascinating as it was', this myth became universally popularas it satisfied the human mind in a big way. It is verydifficult now to establish the original source of the story.The Quranic viewThis myth had established itself as a reality when, around1500 years ago, the last divinely appointed prophet(Mohammed) appeared in Arabia. He announced throughRevelation that the afore-mentioned concept of the originof Man is a fabrication, being a figment of imagination bythe human mind. Mankind is the latest link in the longchain of biological evolution on Earth. Briefly, according to


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7 God's scheme of things, the first living cell came about as aresult of interaction between inorganic matter and water(teene laazib in the Quran's termino\ogy).W As it grew, theoriginal life-cell split into two parts having male andfemale sexual characteristics. Life evolved from cells toinsects, to marine and then to land animals, and eventuallyto the species we call Man. Since this revelation by theQuran, the discoveries of Science have only gone to provethe Quranic view.Still, the 'child' in the human mind clings to the ancientmyth of creation of Man. Moreover as it happens with allmythical stories - passing time has added colour to it. Evenmore amazingly, this kind of story-telling has become apart of the religious literature of Muslims in the face oftheir belief that the Quran is God's word. To make mattersworse, such myths are attributed to the great personage ofMohammed who gave the world a glitteringly realisticbook of knowledge and truth, the Quran.Commentaries on the QuranThe commentary by Ibn KathirW holds a prominent andrespected place in early Muslim religious literature. Itstates:

'Angels were created on Wednesday, animals onThursday and Adam on Friday.'About the creation ofAdam it says:

Then smooth and good clay was taken lor Adam(pbuh)LJ After it had fermented, God created Adam(pbuh) with His own hand(s). He remained just aform for forty days. fblees (the Devil) would comeand kick it whereupon the form resounded as if itwere hollow. He [fbleesJ would enter the mouth andcome out of the back opening, and vice versa. Later,when God breathed life into him [Adam], ittravelled from the head downwards, creating blood


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8 and flesh on the way. When the breath of lifereached the navel, he was very pleased to see hisbody. He promptly tried to get up but failed becausethe lower body was still lifeless. When the entirebody had been breathed alive, he sneezed and said,"All praise be to the Sustainer of all worlds." Godresponded: "God be kind with you."m

Adam's wife:

The book goes on to state:'He was all alone. One day, he was overtaken bysleep and Evel!U was created from his left rib.Waking up, he saw her and asked, "Who are youand why have you been created?" She replied, "I ama woman and have been created to keep youcompany and to please you.'"

About Woman's creation from Man's rib, it comments:The authentic Tradition [Hadith] has it that Womanhas been created out of a rib. The top-most rib is themost bent. Therefore, if YOll try to straighten it, youwill snap it. You can benefit from it only if youleave it a little bent. ' t91

The myth was made more colourful thus:'When Adam reached out to touch her, God'srevelation arrived forbidding him to do so before hehad paid her dower. Adam asked, "My Lord! Whatis her dower')" God replied, "It is to praiseMohammed and his family ten times." Adam didprecisely that and the two were married with angelsstanding as witnesses. Towards the end of thatFriday, angels were instructed to decoratively clotheand make Eve up in genuine diamonds and pearlsand enter both in Paradise."


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9 The story of Man narrated by the Quran refers not to anindividual, or a couple, but to mankind. The term 'Adam'appears in only one other location in the Quran: 'Weexalted among peoples of the world, Adam, Noah, thefamily ofAbraham and the family of Imran.' llQ] Surely, theAdam in this verse - if he was indeed an individual and aprophet- cannot be the same as the one in the symbolicstory of Man. It is beneath a prophet of God to go againstdivine instruction and be punished for it by expulsion fromParadise. No messenger of God would have done so,Therefore, the myth of Adam just cannot be the story of aprophet.Myth 2: The Status ofWomanAnother part of the same myth says that, according to theTorah, God put Adam and Eve up in the Garden of Edenand provided them with everything, but forbade them to eatthe fruit from the Tree of the Knowledge ofGood and Evil.The woman was duped by the Snake (the Devil/Satan) intoeating it and she, in tum, tricked her husband into doing thesame. God responded to this sin committed by the womanby saying to her:

I will greatly increase your pains in childbearing;with pain you will give birth to children. Yourdesire will be for your husband, and he will ruleover you. WJ

Woman, the root of all evilThe woman was deceived by the devil and she deceived herman, This led to the conclusion that Woman is the root ofall sins. Furthermore, it was said that every human child isbom with the burden of that original sin. In other words,Man (both men as well as women) is naturally a sinner anda wrongdoer. History testifies to how this myth hasdegraded human life and disgustingly debased women. Half


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of all humanity no longer remained funy human and theworld became a forced imprisonment for mankind.The Quran's versionThe Quran negated this universal myth by asserting that itwas a fabricated non-truth. It said that Woman is not thesource of all sins nor did she dupe Man; they are bothequally human, and by dint of that fact alone, equallyworthy of respect. The two are mutual partners in life.The Muslim contribution: Thus the Quran replaced fictionwith fact. But soon the childish mind of man reverted to themyth. Subsequently, Muslims too, adopted the anti-Quranicview, i. e. Woman has a low intellect and an eternallycrooked nature because of her origin (Adam's rib), and iscreated to be subservient to Man. This view was supportedby fabricated reports in the Prophetic Tradition (Hadith).For example:

'He (Mohammed, pbuh) said, "If I could orderprostration to someone other than God, I wouldhave ordered wives to prostrate to theirhusbands.",[!1JOr:

'Ash'as reports: "Once I stayed with ('Vmar)F arooq, the Great. There happened some disputebetween him and his wife and he hit her. Then he('Vmar) said to me, 'Ash'as! Remember threethings which I took, and have memorized, from theProphet, pbuh - one, a husband is not to be askedwhy he has hit his wife; two, don't go to bedwithout offering wilr [additional] prayer'; and three,the narrator forgot.'" U1l

Elsewhere, it is reported that the Prophet said,"During the night of Ascension I saw that womenformed the majority ofHell people."


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The book also states:'When Cain slew Abel, the devil infonned Eve andshe began to scream and wail. Adam came alongand asked Eve as 10 what had happened. Despiterepeated queries by Adam, Eve did not reply andcontinued to weep and cry. Then Adam said to Eve,''That's it, then. Go ahead if you want to CIY. Yourdaughters are doomed to cry for ever." That is whyWoman is destined to cry.' till

Fabricated Tradition was followed by some poets whoportrayed Woman in a similar light. Even sages and saintsdid the same.All this continues to this day in the name of religion and, ina11 probability, will go on. The irony is the kind ofstatements made about Paradise being 'under the mother'sfeet'. LW Well, a mother is a woman after all' But that,being logic, has no place in a myth. That is precisely whywe have another myth which states: 'Religion needs nologic.'Discriminated at birthMuslims have adopted the myth of the Original Sin withsome differences. Infants born to the poor and the rich arenot equal. The fact that a poor child is looked down uponthroughout his life appears to be a punishment for the 'sin'of his 'low' birth while a rich child is rewarded withenonnous wealth just because of his 'high' birth. Thesemythical concepts degrade humanity even more than theone about the original sin. The practical fact that Muslimsaccord less respect and importance to women than menseems to be an echo of the myth of the original sin.The Despicable WorldMuslim religious literature contains fabricated Traditionslike the one in which the Prophet is reported to have said:


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12 'The world is a prison and the faithful are prisoners.Nothing is more despicable for God's chosenpeople than this world.'

One finds it very strange that in order to get close to Godone has to despise the world, a creation He is so proud of!Myth 3: Obedience to parents is obligatoryAll religions have pronounced the myth of subordination toparents as divine instruction. All societies regard it as ahigher value to be preserved. In Hindu mythology, Ramawas elevated to be an {Maar (apostle) of Ishwer (God)solely because he readily obeyed his father. The young wifehad asked the older husband to give her his word to dowhatever she would ask. When he had, she demanded thather own son, instead of Rama, be declared heir to thethrone. Despite the fact that both the father and the sonknew the absurdity of the demand, they both carried it out.Rama, because he had obeyed his father, became not onlyan apostle but also an incarnation of God Himself.The Quran rejected this myth too by presenting its viewthat children need their parents' guidance until they mature,which is when they should make their own decisions, Theymay benefit from other people's experiences but are by nomeans obliged to follow them. Fortunately, this unrealisticview of children being subordinates of their parents haslargely been theoretical and limited to individual cases. Ifmen had actually adopted this approach of every newgeneration slavishly carrying out practically the wishes oftheir elders, mankind would not have taken even one stepforward on the path of progress. According to the Quran,life is evolving progressively, making every subsequent eradifferent from the preceding one. Therefore, eachgeneration ofmen must run their affairs as they see fIt. Menare obliged to follow Divine Values only according to


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which the role-model is not Rama (the Hindu god) butAbraham who frankly told his father:

'How can you consider these statues your gods? AsI sec it, you and your people are obviouslymistaken I ' UtijThe Quran wants one to treat onc's parents nicely but notbe subservient to them.This myth extends itself into the view that one's forefathersare also to be followed blindly. The Quran rejected thisuniversal myth of ancestor worship and said that that wasthe Unbelievers' way:

'When they arc told to follow what God has sentdown, they say, "No, we'll follow the path of ourancestors,"

It went on to comment:...despite the Devil beckoning them toward ahellish tomlent: Ull

The Quran said all that but, sadly, we (Muslims)rediscovered the 'sacred' myth of subservience to ancestorsand continue to cling to itMyth 4: The Reality of the UniverseIt is widely believed that myths arc only a product ofreligious superstition and are not to be found in philosophy.But, it is not so. The most conspicuous example ofphilosophical mythology comes from Plato who is widelyconsidered to be the original thinker.Plato's illusionHe maintained that the physical universe around us docsnOI really exist The real universe is the 'World of Ideas' ofwhich the physical world is a mere shadow. Plato's highlyconvincing argument and captivating logic spellbound


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humanity. His concept of our universe became the basis ofa variety of philosophical movements, paralyzing thefunctional potential of mankind. The concept of theUniverse as being unreal renders it unattractive andunworthy ofhuman conquest.The Quranic ViewMankind was under the sleepy hypnosis of Plato's theorywhen the Quran shook it awake by announcing loudly andclearly:God created the Heavens and the Earth in reality.

WU

It is also said that the creation of the Universe has adefinitive purpose and those who believe it to be an illusiondeny the tmtt>. Practically, people who hold this view of anunreal world have their efforts wasted (burnt away). L!.2.1 TheQuran stated that the fact is:

Whatever there is among the hif:hs and lows of theUniverse is conquerable by you. l!ilThis great proclamation by the Quran jolted Man out ofslumber and the very first group of men to adopt it becamethe founder of a great empire in the span of a few years;they established a civilization based upon a revolutionaryideology serving as a divider between the ancient and themodem worlds.Sadly once again, despite the Quran having done away withthe Platonic view of the Universe, the same philosophyovercame Muslims this time in the garb ofmysticism.The Mvth of MvsticismThe entire mystic literature of Islam is nothing but arepresentation of the magical and misleadingPlatonic view hiding behind the veil of similes.Consequently, Muslims, who eradicated every false


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and unrealistic system around are now dependentupon those very systems for their livelihood andexistence.Myth 5: Human Nature

Yet another myth from the world of philosophy, accepteduniversally as reality, is the one about human nature.'Nature' has been defined as a constant, unchangingcharacteristic, or a group thereof, which something orsomeone possesses. In other words, one's nature cannot bealtered. For instance, fire bums, fluids keep their level,lions are beastly, sheep are not, and so on. These naturalcharacteristics are intrinsic to things. That is why things donot need messengers (prophets) from God, as humans do,to teach them how to behave. A goat needs no coaching inits food selection, i.e. yes to vegetation, no to meat; a snakepoisonously bites (humans, for instance) not out ofconscience choice but is driven by Nature. Such, then, isthe state of affairs of all things non-human. But themystery-loving human mind invented the myth that Man,too, has a nature. This view has been accepted as factthroughout history although no one has been able to define'human nature.'The Quranic ViewThe Quran appeared on the scene and dismissed as false thenotion ofMan having a nature. It says that Man does have aphysical life and, like all other life forms, has somebiological necds. These may be put into two categories:self-preservation and self-reproduction. Thesecharacteristics are animal instincts not human nature.Above the physical life, Man has the human life. He is notintrinsically programmed with human behaviour. He getsthat information not from within but without. Thai isDivine Revelation. Man is entirely frec to adopt or rejectthis guidance. WJ Thus the Quran declared Man to be


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different from the rest of Creation in having FREEDOMOF CHOICE, an attribute he shares with God albeit withhuman limitations.What we (Muslims) didSoon after the Quran havi ng declared man to be possessorof FREE WILL, Muslims adopted the old concept of'human nature' as an article of faith. Furthermore,following the Torah, they formed the view that 'Islam is thereligion of Nature and God has created Man in His ownimage.''Religion of Nature'Despite repeated pronouncements of Islam being the'religion of Nature', one fails to find an interpretation ofthe tem1. The concept appears to be nothing more than'(mere) words (names) which you and your ancestors(have) coined: lill At best, the concept is illustrated by ahypothetical case of a child who, if shielded from allindoctrination and allowed to develop naturally, will surelygrow up to be a Muslim. Akber, the great Mughal emperorof India, is reported to have tested the theory by actuallyhaving an infant scnt to the wilderness. The child is said tohave grown up mto a beast. Apart from this uneonfinnedreport, some time ago a human child was found in anIndian jungle. The 'animal' child was hospitalised in theIndian state of Utter Pradesh. Despite expe11 endeavours to'humanize' him, the kid remained and eventually died -an 'anin1aL'The fact of the matter is that Man has no nature. He is free.He has certain potentialities which he, of his own choice,can manifest into reality. God has given Man the guidingprinciples of life. If man follows that divine guidance torealize his potential, he will achieve individual welfare aswell as collective success. Otherwise, life becomes a hellish


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existence which, incidentally, is amply evident from thecurrent state of affairs of our world.Myth 6: Human ConscienceThe myth of 'human nature' begot the myth of 'humanconscience' ' . an innate ability to distinguish right fromwrong. Universally accepted as fact, it has also been called'the voice of one heart' and 'the inner light, among others.People who digress from the 'right' path are believed tohave a 'dead' conscience whereas the 'righteous' ones aresaid to possess a 'living' heart.The Quranic ViewRejecting this false notion, the Quran maintains thatanimals do possess an innate ability to tell the safe frol11 thedangerous; for instance, young chickens do not have to betaught to avoid water while ducklings naturally adapt to it.This is termed 'animal instinct.' But Man has no suchability:

'And he (Man) beckons Evil as though it was Good;Man is hasty!' llJJThat is why Man needs divine help to tell right from wrong,bad from good. He is hom into the world with his slateblank. He becomes what his environment makes him. Hisattitude regarding Good and Evil is determined by hissocial upbringing. That is his conscience. In other words,human conscience is the 'internalized society.' A Hinduchild cannot stand even the thought of meat whereas aMuslim child thrives on it. That is why the Quran says thatthings are right or wrong not because Man sincerelyconsiders them 50. Fur that, an objective standard is neededwhich is there in the fonn of Divine Revelation containedin the Quran.What we (Muslims) didMuslims readopted the notion of human conscience which


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had been so clearly rejected by the Quran. The majority ofMuslims continue to believe in it, ignoring the fact that'right' and 'wrong' is decided by God's Book (the Quran)and not by human 'conscience.' The Divine Word isconsistent whereas human conscience varies from oneperson to another. If human conscience was to decide thevalidity of an action, no criminal would fall liable forpunishment; no capitalist may be blamed for exploiting theworker; no man may be put to shame for subjugatingwomen, and so on. Therefore, the concept of humanconscience is a myth. The reality is preserved in the Quran.Myth 7: DestinyFrom Christianity came the myth that every human child isborn with the burden of its parents' (Adam and Eve) sinsand cannot achieve salvation on its own. It was concludedthat Man is helpless and is not frec. The Hindu philosophymodified this view and, borrowing the notion ofReincarnation from Greek thought, maintained that everyhuman child undergoes suffering as punishment of sinscommitted in a previous life, being absolutely unaware ofhis activities of the past existence! This gave rise to theconcept of Pre-determination, i.c. whatever happens to anindividual is pre-determined and unchangeable. In additionto religion, this concept influenced the world of philosophyas well and gradually came to be regarded as reality.The Quranic ViewExposing the falsehood of this concept, the Quran said theMan is born with a clean slate on which he writes hisdestiny himself. His predicaments are a consequence of hisown actions. [lA] This is made very clear by thecomprehensive expression of 'whatever your hands sendon.' LW Obviously, actions precede results. Therefore,according to the Quran, all results faced by Man arc a


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19 consequence of an action previously taken (not in aprevious 'life the Quran does not recognizeReincamation); it is all a result of his own deeds (4:62).Shaping the FutureThe basic question is: Is Man's destiny pre-determined forhim, or does he shape it himself as he wills? The Quranstates:

'0 the Faithful! You must follow the divine laws,and each of you must be watchful of what he sendson for tomorrow.' W1l

The Concept of Pre-destinv is anti-QuranicSome hold the view that all events occur as God wills them.According to the Quran, this view is incorrect:

'When asked, the polytheists say, "If God wanted itso, we or our ancestors would never havecommitted polytheism!' WJ

Thus, the Quran rejects Pre-determination and maintainsthat Man is the architect of his own future. Obviously, tobuild one's own future, one needs consistent efforts andhard work, physically as well as mentally. The lazy, goodfor-nothing parasites of society do not find this acceptable.Therefore, purposefully and deliberately, they replaced theQuranic view with the old myth of Pre-determination. Andit was done subtly as well. The Quran has listed FIVE'Articles of Conviction' -- God, Angels, the (Holy) Books,the Divine Messengers, and the Doomsday. l1Jlj But nowMuslims believe in a sixth one - Pre-determination!Myth 8: CapitalismBut, why invent the myth of Pre-destiny in the first place?The answer lies in history, in another myth. The story isvery interesting and worthy of attention.


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20 Before creating Man, God had already stocked provisionson Earth for his sustenance - air, water, light, heat, food,etc. God told Man that sustenance on Earth was to beavailable to all, free and readily. Mankind started their lifeon Earth in the socialistic atmosphere referred to by theQuran as Adam's Paradise - without any question ofownership. The situation was this:

'And ate satisfactorily whenever, wherever theywanted.' tmBut, though air, water, light and heat were readilyavailable, man had to toil to procure food from land. Therewere men who did not want to work hard and looked forways to live off others. Their search culminated in the

notion of private ownership of land. With that, 'Adam'(mankind) lost his 'Paradise' (peaceful, worrilesscoexistence). Sustenance was free and easily available nolonger. Men became exploiters of fellow-men. The Earthbecame a hell. Now, there were rulers and the ruled,masters and workers, exploiters and the exploited. Humandignity was crushed under the owner-slave system!The Quran's ProclamationThe myth of private ownership of land .- the primary sourceof sustenance for Man - remained accepted as fact formillennia but then the Quran made the earth-shakingproclamation:

'Everything in the heavens and on Earth belongs toAllah.' Il.QJMan's assertion of owning land is tantamount to playingGod. Therefore, the entire mankind was told:

'So, do not put God in competition ... WJAnd, men were told to keep the earth (land) 'open and freefor the needy.' un


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This great proclamation revolutionized humanity in anunprecedented manner. It uprooted the old myth of privateownership and founded human society anew.Consequently, Prophet Mohammed, on the occasion of theLast Pilgrimage, put it briefly but eloquently:"Verily, time has come to the same as the day whenAllah created the heavens and the Earth."

That meant that sustenance was once again freely andreadily available to all. But, once again, the lazy, parasitic,good-far-nothing men started working against this systemand succeeded in gradually replacing it with the older,previous system of capitalistic oppression.The following myth should explain and elaborate on thesepoints further.Myth 9: Religious Leadership (The Clergy)Is it not surprising how a handful of people successfullyexploit the vast majority of men? How is it possible tbat,under the capitalistic system of economy, the masses workhard and a small 'elite' live off and control them? No manin his right mind is likely to submit to this unfair set up,right? Absolutely right' That is why men need to be dupedinto it. They have to accept the 'validity' and the 'truth' ofit. That is achieved through hypnotizing them hy the mosteffective of all agents - the clergy. The Quran refers tothem as 'Haamaan's (the Biblical Amon Pharaoh's highpriest) hordes.' Q.lJ They peddle their ideology as 'God'sWill', going against which is punishable first hy torture inone's grave and, later on, by a permanent ahode in Hell.They invented false notions like: 'God Himself directlycontrols the distrihution of wealth; every individual's shareof worldly possessions is pre-decided hy the Almighty; andthat is one's destiny, pre-determined and unchangeable,beyond human control; therefore, one must resign to one's


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fate, never complain about it, and be grateful for whateverGod has given him.'Thus was the notion of Pre-determination peddled toconsolidate the principle of Capitalism - an inhumanesystem in which masses toil for the crafty few, and remainpsychologically docile. That is why we see non-Islamic(anti-Quranic)fiuaawa (religious decrees - plural ofJatwa)such as the following:

'Just as Islam doesn't restrict private ownership ofmoney, residences, businesses, cattle, cars, boats,etc, it doesn't restrict ownership of land. Islam hasnot put any restrictive limits on any ownership.Anything legal, obtained Icgally, may be ownedlimitlessly as long as its legal religious dues are

'd ' Lillal.The CoalitionOne may ask: What do the clergy get by supporting acapitalistic arrangement? The answer lies in the lastsentence of the mling above: ' ....as long as its legalreligious dues are paid.' Of course, the clergy pockets the'religious' dues. That is why the Muslim priests stronglyobject if zaka Lill is referred to as 'income tax.' Theymaintain that 'income tax' is for the worldly governmentwhile zaka is for the Divine Kingdom. And, who else arebetter managers of 'divine' money than 'divine'representatives the priests? That is precisely why theQuran classes capitalists and priests together:

'0 the Convinced' Surely, the majority amongpricsts and religious scholars eat up people's moneyimproperly, and block the way to God. And as tothose who hoard gold and silver and not spend it inGod's Way, give them the news of a painful,UQItorture.


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23 The fact of the matter is that, in the Quran's view, the tenn'capitalist' applies not only to one who hoards wealth butalso to one who, despite being able-bodied, live off others,even a beggar. Such individuals are tenned nllItre/een bythe Quran. Hoarders of wealth as well as the clergy havebeen tcnned 'capitalists' by the holy Book. Actually, the'capitalism' of the clergy is far more powerful than that ofthe moncy people. The latter at least do so much as investmoney to exploit others whereas the fonner do not do eventhat! They live off the workers as well as, ironically, thewealthy. Bulley Shah, a mystic poet of the last centuryfrom the Sind area in southern Pakistan, very aptly l a b e l l ~ x l these self-proclaimed representatives of God 'robbers ofrobbers.'Myth 10: The Distinction ofSflaria and TariqaPlease refer hack to the verse from Sura AI-Tallba (9:34)where the Quran mentions two groups of people: ahbaar(priests) and ruitbaall (spiritual guides). This dualitysprings from ,mother interesting myth.God revealed His system (set of eternal values. meant to hethe basis of human societal life, enshrined in the Quran) toMan for his guidance in a very clear and simple languageand style, The code of life needed to be implementedpractically in a system in which men obeyed God and nottheir fellow-men. But power-hungry men succeeded inoverthrowing the divine system and establishing their ownrule over men, thus degrading human honour and respect.In addition to these temporal mlers (kings and emperors) ofmen, there emerged the 'religious' rulers .. They claimedtheir authority on the premise that: 'a political set-up is forearthly life alone; the Hereafter can only be taken care ofby following God's Law; so, men have to obey Godthrough obeying priests; otherwise, men will end up inHell.' Scared, the simple-minded masses submitted inQbedienee to these ahbaar (religious scholars). Thus, free


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24 Man was doubly shackled by temporal as well as religiousrulers (men of sharia - scholars who have the self-claimedright to interpret religion). This situation prompted yetanother group of ambitious men strive for their share ofsupremacy and control over fellow men. These were themen of lareeqa [the mystics (the sufi's)]. They assertedtheir claim on the thesis that: 'the state deals with worldlymatters while the priests deal with religious affairs, but thething that really matters is the SOUl/spirit which neither ofthe two groups mentioned know anything about; thedomain of the soul is dealt with through arcane knowledgewhich cannot be obtained through conventional education;this can be done through private tutelage of men, dead orliving, who arc 'close to God'; one can avoid the longerroute of religious rituals to God and take the direct - andthe shortest - way; for that, one needs the blessings of alIIurshed (spiritual guide). Lazy men were strongly attractedto this idca and submitted themselves to shackles of thethird kind, the spiritual guides -- dead or living!Originally a Judaic practice (their mystics were calledruhbaan), this tradition was termed tareeqa [literally, a'path' (to God)] in Islam. Thus were established, inaddition to the temporal government, two rivalgovernments in the realm of religion. The sharia rulers keptthe masses bound by the carrot of hourics (beautifulmaidens) in Paradise and the stick of Hellfire. But, thatpertained to the Hereafter. The tareeqa people, on the otherhand, performed 'miracles' right here in this earthly life tocater for the masses. Naturally, the common man wasattracted more to lareeqa than to sllaria. Tombs andmonasteries became more popular than mosques. Thesharia people possessed, as their best tool, the practice ofsupporting their views by the sayings of renowned imC/ants(religious scholars), or even the Prophet himself. Thetareeqa people did one better on them by claiming to have


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25 direct communion with God! Thus was created the myth ofkashf[or ilhaam (the Lesser Revelation)].The Arcane Knowledl!eAccording to the Quran, God sent His messages to Hisprophets through a process termed wahy (Revelation). Thereception of wahy is exclusive to God's chosen men(prophets) and this mode of communication between Godand Man was permanently suspended with the death ofMohammed, the last of the divine messengers. Now, theonly way for men to know God's Will is to read the Quranbecause the finality of Mohammed's prophethood meansthat no man after him will ever receive wahy (directmessages from God). Mystics, however, claim to receivemessages directly from the Creator, essentially in the samemanner as wahy but term it kash! (discovery) or ilhaam(inspirational thOUght). Moreover, they insist that LesserRevelation is to continue till the end of the world. Thus, thedoor of Revelation, closed shut by the Quran, was re-opened. One of the top leaders of tareeqa, Elder SheikhMohicddin ibn Arabi, the great mystic of 11th centurySpain, writes in his Fusul al Hakam (Bezels of Wisdom):

'The sharia people rule by the Quran and the[Prophetic] Tradition. [ i l l When they cannot findclear instructions there, they conjecture and conferbut their basis remains the same. On the other hand,among us [mystics] there are those who can ohtainthe same thing directly from the Almighty via kash!and ilhaam. Therefore, in a way, the source of kash!and ilhaam, and that of the Prophet's wahy is oneand the same. This puts the kaslif man in the samecategory as the Prophet as far as obtainingknowledge from God is concerned.'

Thus the great reality of Divine Revelation was replaced bythe most sacred myth of kash! / ilhaam. By terminating the


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26

line of prophets, God had blessed Man with unprecedentedintellectual freedom but, the mystics managed to enslaveMuslims anew so successfully that even to this day a vastmajority of 'believers' so very sincerely bow to theirmagical spell. The mystics are successful because theyclaim to fulfil people's desires in return for offerings, Theprospect of having one's wishes granted without having towork for it is simply magnetic. That is why a great numberof Muslims all over the world have taken to amassingwealth by unfair mcans in an effort to become millionairesovernight. That is one big reason for the proliferation andsuccess of sacred tombs and monasteries in certain areas ofthe Muslim world.Myth 11: Spiritual power ofthe DeadAs mentioned, mystics became popular mainly because ofthe 'miracles' they perform. This ability elevates them inthe eyes of the public and enhances the intake of offerings.But the problem was that this set-up discontinued with thedeath of a 'spiritual leader.' One way out was to have thedead leader succeeded by a living one. To make thecontinuation of the system certain, they invented the beliefthat spiritual leaders never die; their spiritual powersremam potent as before. Consequently, we find the tombsof dead mystics more crowded with devoted visitors thanare the seats of the living ones. Thus, these graves becomeregular estates.The Quranic ViewThe Quran negated this myth too, when it announced thatno man has the power to harm or benefit another. Everyindividual action of man bears its own result according toGod's determined, ullchanging Jaws. L!$l That is why theProphet, the greatest spiritual leader, announced:


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27 'Say, "I cannot hann or benefit my own self (letalone others) save by the Will (Law) of Allah...",'i l l l

As far as miracles are concerned, the Qman reports atseveral places that the Prophet, when challenged to perfonna miracle, always stated that his miracle was the Quran, orhis own personal character. Therefore, anyone who claimsto have the power of perfonning miracles puts himselfabove the Prophet. The 'miracles' perfonned by themystics have absolutely nothing to do with ad-Deen (theQuranic code of life). As to the dead, the Quran veryclearly states:

'If you call out to them, they don't hear your call;and even if they did, they would not respond toyou .. .' l:llliAnd also:' ... and they are unaware of their invocation.' ! i l lThat is why God told men, ' ...and don't invoke (anyone)other than Allah; they cannot benefit or harm you ... l ~ l l because harm and benefit come to men according to theLaws of Allah.What Muslims didDespite the Quran saying all that Muslims did exactly theopposite - they readopted the spellbinding myths of old,mistaking them as their religion.CONCLUSIONI started with just a few topics in mind but had to includemany more. In a nutshell, then, ad-Deen was simple somepennanent values and unchanging principles given to Manby God; these were to be implemented in human society asan all-encompassing system. The result was to be man'sreal freedom - freedom from kings, capitalists, priests,


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28 spiritual leaders, and even his own animalistic urges. Manwas to evolve into a better being. He was also warned tobeware of 'magic weavers.' But alas, the magicians havesucceeded in making Muslims addicts to the opium of(traditional) religion. Sad'ly, Muslims also believe thataddiction to opium - or any other addiction, for that matter.- is incurable. That, of course is another myth as we knowthat it is not true and addictions are curable. Let me citeyou the example of China which shed off the opium habitIt happened as follows:It is reported that, after the Chinese Supreme Council hadpassed the Opium Prohibition Law, it was sent to the primeminister for final signing. He was an addict himself. Puttingthe paper aside, he flung away the opium box he had, gotinto a boat and went out to a secluded stretch of open sea.He stayed in the boat for a month. He returned when hewas confident that he had kicked the habit and signed thebill into law.That is exactly what the Quran says:'It is a big vice when you say to people what you(yourselves) don't do.' LmThat is the only way to deal with an addiction .. the rulersmust do it first


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29 GLOSSARY

Ad-Deco.Linguistically, the word deen (pronounced with asoft 'd') springs from the three-letter root DYN,which is the source 0 f several well-knownderivatives such as deen (system), medina (city),diyaana (behaviour, specifically in religiousmatters), mudun (cities), dain (loan), etc. The Quranhas used the word ad-deen (literally, 'the' deen) todenote the set of values and principles, which formthe basis of this divine message, called Islam,contained in the book known as the Quran (SuraAal-e-'Imran, 3: 19; Sura al-Maaeda, 5:3).

AhbaarFrom HBR, such as al-hibr (ink); ahbaar (singularal-hibr) means 'scholars' specifically, of the Peopleof the Book (Sura al-Maaeda, 5:44).

HouriesIt is the Anglicised form of Hoor-en- 'eell whiehsprings from HWR and is plural of ahwar(masculine) or hawra (feminine). Al-hawra is thesharpness of black and white in the eye, and fairnessof skin. Therefore, both men and women, who havethese characteristics, are hoor.The word 'eell is derived from 'YN, which means'an eye' (Sura al-Ambiyaa, 21:61) or 'a spring'(Sura as-Saaffaat, 37:45). 'A eell (masculine) issingular of 'eell which means someone with big andbeautiful eyes like those of a wild bull. Thefeminine singular of 'een is 'ainaa. Therefore, hooren 'eell ell - in Sura Ad-Dukhaan (Sura 44:54) or


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30 Sura AtToor (52:20), etc means 'companions whoare good to look at as well as good of character.'

I1haamFrom LhM, with the basic notion 'to (makesomeone) swallow or to gulp;' as in Sura ashShams, 91:8 - the potential of going right or wronghas been put in every soul (person). However, in theconventional sense of mystical Islam, it refers to themode of receiving divine information directly fromGod as claimed by Sufi's (the Mystics).

ImamLeader; literally, 'one who is in front'; from AMMwith, the basic idea of 'to lead', as in Sura Baqara,2:124.

KashfFrom KShF , with the basic idea of 'to reveal, toremove (take away)'; as in Sura Q, 50:22, and SuraalA'raaf, 7:134. However, in mystic Islam the termis used for a Sufi to observe Reality and Truth ofthe Universe as well as things which are hiddenfrom ordinary people.

MurshedGuide; from RShd meaning 'to find the right way;'as in Sura Hood, II :87. Again, in Mysticism theexpression is the title for a spiritual teacher.

MutrefeenThe indulgent; from tRF which has the basic notionof 'opulence' and 'luxury' as in Sura alWaaqc'a,56:45.


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31 Anchorites; religious hennits of the Judeo-Christiantradition; from RhB meaning 'to be extra careful;'as in Sura at-Tauba, 9: 11.Sbaria'It is another tenn for deen, i.e. the Islamic Systemreferring more to its practical aspect; from ShR'meaning 'to clarify, to show the straight path;' as inSura ash-Shoora, 42:13, and in Sura al-Jaathia,45:18.SufiOne adhering to the Islamic mystic tradition.

TareeqaPath; from tRQ as in Sura Taaha, 20:77. In Islamicmysticism, the term is used for the mysticalpractices Sufi's adopt to attain their goal ofspiritually reaching God.

Teclle laazib'Teen' (clay), and 'laazib' (wet and clinging); thebasic material from which Life originated; as inSura as-Saaffaat, 37: I I.

WabyRevelation; from WHY with the basic notion of 'aquick and sharp signal', or 'a gesture'; as in SuraMaryam, 19: 11; in the meaning of 'propheticrevelation', see Sura ash-Shoora, 42:51.

ZakaIt is derived from the three-letter root ZKW with thebasic meaning of 'to grow, to thrive;' as in Sura a1-Kuhar. 18:19; also, 'clean and pure' as a secondary


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32

meaning; however, the basic meaning remains 'togrow, to thrive.'It is commonly accepted that zaka is the amount ofmoney (or equivalent in kind) paid annuaIly to thepoor and the needy. It is a certain percentage of thesurplus wealth which lies unused at the end of agiven year. The percentage varies with theparticular tradition of any given sect but the mostwidely known figure is 2 Y, %. Although in someMuslim countries there is a rudimentary centralsystem in place for collection and spending thisamount, it is in principle left to the discretion of theindividuaLThe Quran, however, has used the tcnu to refer tothe entire system of meeting people's needs so thatthere is universal growth of body, mind, and soul.

=----=====


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33

NOTES & REFERENCES II I The present Torah is no longer the original divine book revealed byGod; Man has tampered with it.ill Genesis 2:7.i l l GCllesis 2;21.23.HI The Quran 37:1 I.i l l From an Urdu translation of Commentary by Ibn Kathir, part I,pages 90, 98, and 101.WThe acronym pbuh stands for 'peace be upon him' which is a literaltranslation of the Arabic 'aleih essalaam, the appellation usuallyreserved for revered religious figures such as prophets, The sameEnglish appellation is used for Mohammed, the Prophet of Islam,though the Arabic expression is djfferent in his case, i,e. salaHahu'alelhe wasaHem. in essence carrying the sa01t


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34 Il!J Ibn Kathir, part 6, page 85,@ h refers to a popular saying in Urdu which says, 'Paradise lies underthe feet of one's mother.' It emphasises the imponance oflooking afterand being nice to one's parents, especially mother. It originates from aProphetic Tradition which says the most worthy of a Muslim's respectand love is hIS mother. Il!J The Qur.n, Sura AI-An'aam The Cattle 6:74, l!2! The Quran, Sura Luqmaan - The Wise 31:21, l!!l The Quran, Sura Az-Zumar - The Groups - 39;5, It! l The Quran, Sura Sa.d - Saad 39: 27, llillThe Quran, Sum AI-Jathiy. Bowmg the Knee -45:12, i l l! The Quran, Sur. AI-Kahaf - The Cave - 18:29, ! i l l The Quran, Sura AI-A ' r .af - The Heights - 7:71. LUI The Quran, Sura Beni Israaed - The Children oflsrael ' 17; II, Il!J The Quran, Sur. Ash-Shur. - Consultation - 42:30, l.12I The Quran) Sura An-Nisaa - Women - 4: 62.llill The Quran, Sura AI-Hashr- The Gathering" 59: 18, LUI The Quran, Sura AI-An'a3m - The Cattle - 6:148, l!!l The Quran, Sura AI-Baqara - The Cow - 2: 177, lllI The Quran, Sura Af-Baqara - The Cow" 2:33, llill The Quran, Sura AI-Baqar. - The Cow - 2:284, Ll!l The Quran, Sura AI-Bagara ' The Cow" 2:22, Ill i The Quran, Sum Fusselal (The) Explainer (Book)- 41: 10, lllt Haamaan, in the Quran's version of the story of Moses, was thePharaoh's advisor and chief priest.l l i l Syed Abul 'Ala Maudoodi; The QuestIOn of Land Ownership,pp52-nIl l i Commonly referred 10 as 'poor tax' by the West; the author takesthis term to mean the management of the entire monetary system.l l i l The Quran, Sura At-Tauba - Repentance 9:34,i l l! Hadilh, the record of Mohammed's sayings and actions,


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35 Ll!l The Quran, Sura Faater - Originator [of Creation] - 35:43.ll2! The Ouran, Sura Younis - Jonah - 10:49.

The Quran. Sura Faater - Originator [!l rereation] - 35: 14.C!ll The Quran, Sura AI-Ahqaaf - The winding Sand-tracts - 46:5.! i l l The Quran, Sura Younis - Jonah - 10:! 06.

The Quran, Sura As-Saff - The Battle Array - 61:3.*****************


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37

OTHER PUBLICATIONSISLAM: A CHALLENGE TO REUGIONBy

G. A. ParwezThe very name of the book strikes one as a paradox for it isuniversally accepted that Islam is one of the major religionsof the world. So how could a religion challenge the veryinstitution to which it subscribes? The author has indeedmade a successful bid to prove this strange aphorism for thefirst time in the history of Islamic thought and his researchdeserves careful study. It is thought provoking; it isrevolutionary, opening new vistas and hold horizons ofintellectual endeavors. It is the outcome of life-long studyofone of the renowned Quranic thinkers ofour times.The author has not, however, taken a purely a negativeattitude. Having proved his claim that Islam is NOT areligion, he has very lucidly explained what Islam really is,and how it offers the most convincing and enduringanswers to those eternal questions which even thinking manasks about the meaning and purpose of life and how it canbe achieved. The book is thus a unique attempt at therediscovery of Islam: scholarly written and exquisitelypresented.For details of availability of this and other publicationslisted on succeeding pages, please contact:Tolu-e-Islam Trust25-B Gulberg 2Lahore - 54660PAKISTAN


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38

QURANIC LAWS

Quranic Laws was written under pressing demands. Itprovides the code of laws for an Islamic State, and as suchit may be considered a precursor of "Tabweeb-ul-Quran"- a grand, magnificent, and marvelous classification of theQuran by (Late) Allama Ghulam Ahmad Parwez (R.A) inthree big volumes.There is no denying of the fact that in this book, the purportof the Quranic verses has also been given prolifically.Along with this, inferences have also been drawn, thoughthis right belongs to the Legislative Assembly of an IslamicState. However, (Late) Allama Ghulam Ahmad Parwez(R.A) emphasizes that his inferences are not more than justa pointer in this direction.Although this collection of Quranic Laws shall bebeneficial to all the Muslims in general, it shall, inparticular, be useful to those connected with legal affairs,i.e., judges, advocates, those working with the law sectionsof the government, members of the legislature, theconstituent assemblies, and those concerned with themedia.The chapters of this book deal with topics such as StateAffairs, Government Agencies, Justice, General Injunctionsfor Family life, Inheritance and Testament, Protection ofLife and Property. And the other chapters pertain toEconomy and Basic Human Rights etc.

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39

ISLAMIC WAY OF LIVING

The history of mankind, engravings of human character,and the realities of the Quran stand witness to the fact thatthe fate of a nation rests with the ways of living with whichthe heart and mind of its rising generation is disciplined.This measure alone determines the specific rank a nationenjoys in the comity of nations and even the extent towhich it can espouse its cause with the caravan ofhumanity. If that nation inculcates Islamic Ways of Livingin the behaviour of its younger generation through teachingand training on firm footing, properly and adequately, thepotentialities of the heart and mind of the youngsters of thatnation, the vigor of their zest, the fountain spring of theirlife blood, and the vehemence of their character rise liketumultuous storm and dwindles away every thwarting forcelike a hay. Since the future of a nation depends on the wayits younger generation is brought up, so (Late) G. A.Parwez (R. A) wrote Islamee Muasharat in Urdu.Muslims living abroad, especially the Pakistanis, feltapprehensive of their children going astray under theinfluence of foreign culture. They contacted Dr. SyedAbdul Wadud in his lifetime to write a book on the"Islamic Way of Living" which could be useful for theyoung.This work - ISLAMIC WAY OF LIVING - that heproduced is not the exact translation but a reproduction inEnglish of that Urdu book Islamee Muaslzarat. Itcomprises such Quranic instructions, which guide the wayto the formation of an Islamic Society. It is not aphilosophical treatise but a description in simple terms,meant for children, as well as for those who neither havethe time nor the aptitude to go into details.


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40 REASONS FOR THE DECLINE OF MUSLIMS

For the last two centuries or so, the Muslims have beenemotionally and mentally preoccupied with what has beennow classically bandied about as their favorite theme: "TbeRise And Fall of Tbe Muslims". The glorious past hasbeen lamented and wailed upon endlessly. While somehave done just this, the others have attempted to moveaway from it all, alienated and disgusted. The fall anddisintegration of the Mughal Empire, leading to thedethronement of Bahadur Shah Zafar in the last century,followed by the fall and disintegration of the Ottomans anddethronement of Sultan Abdul Hamid II during and afterthe First World War was a trauma that the Muslims havenot got over.Even a cursory glance over the world makes it amply clearthat the fall of any empire mId civilization does not happensuddenly. It is preceded by a prolonged phase of decay,with Nature watching, as if hoping against hope thathumankind may yet see the edge of the precipice and turnback. In the Quranic tenninology this is the "period ofrespite".The Muslims, however, like many others before them,reached a point of no return. Allama G.A. Parwez is one ofthose who objectively and scientifically attempted ananalysis of the causes of the decline and fall of the Muslimsfrom the Quranic perspective of the philosophy of history.This little book in Urdu has been very much in demand andvoraciously read by all and sundry. For a long. time theneed was felt for the English rendering a f this book. Therehad been a demand for it from those who were not veryproficient in Urdu or those whose children were born andbrought up abroad. We are greatly indebted to Mr. IsmailAtcha from Bolton, Lancashire, Britain, for fulfilling thisdire need. He has, in real sense, put in the best of his effortsand potentials to rcnder this book into English.


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41

LETTERS TO T AHIRA

"Letters to Tabira" is essentially a collection of letterswritten to a mature and inquisitive young lady with cleanintellect. This was in response to the queries the author hadreceived from many of the female readers of his earliersimilar book "Letters to Saleem".These letters, in right earnest, bri ng forth the trials,tribulations and the vexing problems that the unfortunateand helpless girls of our society have to face today.Some letters highlight those maladies that are currentlyrampant amongst our modem educated class. These are theresults of following the West blindly. The nation isgradually pushed towards destruction, and if the orthodoxsection of the society needs to change, the modernists, too,are not to be exempted. It is imperative that both extremesbe brought to the middle path, in the light of the Quran.It is a stark fact that women can train, discipline and build asociety more easily and effectively than men. Thepublishing of these leiters will hopefully initiate thereformation process at home. G. A. Parwez hopes that ifthis effort of his can light a few Quranic candles in somehomes; he believes his endeavours will have borne fruit.

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42

EXPOSITION OFTHE HOLY QURANVOLUME -I , II

It was in 1983 that Allama Ghulam Ahmad Pmwezundertook the project of rendering into English hiscelebrated work titled "Mafhum-ul-Quran". He could onlycomplete up to Surah "AI-Kahaf (No. 18)" - slightly morethan half of the text of the Quran, when death overtookhim.The reader would notice that some of the Quranic tenns areretained as such (in Arabic) in this exposition e.g. Allah,Deen, Nabi. Rasool, Momin, Kafir etc. These concepts havespecial significance in the Quran and it is just not possibleto translate them in a few words in English; so Glossary oftenns has been added.The reader would find a new approach in this presentation,which is different from all other translations in English. Asthe title explains, this presentation is not the translation ofthe Holy Quran, but it's Exposition.It is an honest and serious human effort to convey to thehumans the pristine concepts of the Holy Quran. lbeoriginal Arabic text of Wahi (Revelation), however, iseternal and its understanding during any span of timecalIDot be taken as the last word, which shall have to be leftto the last man on this earth,

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43

THE TOLU-E-ISLAM MOVEMENTIt's Beliefs lind Objectives

We believe tilat

1. Reason alone is not enough to solve the problem oflife. Reason needs revelation (Wahi) just as eyesneed the light of the sun.2. This revelation is preserved in the Quran in its final

and complete fonn. Mankind, therefore, cannotreach its desired destination without the Quran.

3. The Quran is the criterion for judging between truthand falsehood. Everything that agrees with theQuran is correcl. That which is at variance with it, isfalse.

4. From the viewpoint of the Quran, all human beingsinhabiting the earth, are individuals belonging toODe universal brotberhood. The practical aspect ofestablishing this brotherhood would be that allmankind may lead their lives according to ONEdispensation.

5. This universal organization of life may befomlUlated in such a manner that people of everyera according to the requirements of their time, maycompile the details of law in the light of the Quran.(These are called SHRIA LAWS). The details oflaw will keep changing according to circumstances,


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44 but the principles of the Quran shall forever remainunalterable.

6. From the point of view of such an organization, theQuran envisages a society in which the latentabilities of ALL individuals are developed, and noone in such a society will be deprived of his life'snecessities - food, shelter, health care, educationetc. this is the Quranic Organization For thePreservation of Mankind. This is called TheQuranic Socia! Order. Once human's latentpotentialities arc fully developed, the world willthus become resplendent with the light of theEternal Nourisher.

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45 Quranic Lectures (Dars-e-Quran in Urdu)

AbroadPlace Day TimeCanada Bazm Coordinator: Abdul Rasheed Qureshi590 Rathburn Road, First Sunday l lAM

Elobicoke Olympum, of Ihe Month 10 12 PME-mai1: [email protected]: Hasan Khan, Phone: 416-621-9387Denmark Balm Coordinator: Zalar Khan

Hemmggade 8 sl th, 2100 Copenhagen OEPhone: +45 35 38-25950,+4535814545E-mail: bazmdenmark@gmaiLcom

England Balm Coordinator: Maqbool Mahmood Farhatlondon 76 Park Rd, liford, Essex, First Sunday 2.30PMIG 1 1SF, UK of the monthPhone & Fax: +44 208 5531896E-mail: [email protected] Website: www.islam21.comBack Up: Rubina Khawaja, 0208 550 3893,E-mai: rubinakhawai.@hotmail,com

Crawley Bazm Coordinator: Mohammad Khalil53 Downland Drive, last Sunday 2 PMSouth Gate West, Crawley of the monthWest Sussex RH 11 80ZPhone: 01293-446258Back Up: Arshad Mahmood: 01293419784MiQdles- Balm Coordinator: Muhammad Hani!

orouqh 24 Eastboume Rd, Linthorpe, 'Middlesborougth, Cleveland. TSS 6QW,Phone: +44 01642-821118, E-mail: [email protected] Bazm Coordinator: Rashid Qureshi"Broadways" Chester Rd, Mere, Knutsford, WA16 6lFPhone & Fax: +44 01565 830 278E-mail: rashid g95@hotmaiLcom

Monthly Dars-e-Ouran: Quranic Study groups weeklymeeting every Thursday between 8 P M, to 9 P.M.NQUingham Bazm Coordinator: Mrs" Robina A2jz

101 Grassington Rd., Aspley, Nottingham, NGB 3PA,Phone: +440115-8495281Back Up: Ms Farzana lone: +44 0115-916 4352
mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]


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46 E-mail: [email protected]

India Bazm Coordinator: Abdul Haq SalimHyderabad Quranic Education Sodety - Quran House,Flat # 106, (B) Block, Skill Estate, Vijay Nagar Colony, Hyderabad 500028, AP. Phone: +91 9849281224, Email: [email protected] Weekly Darse-Quran: Every Sunday in Quran House from

11 A.M. to 1.30 P.M. Gulbarga Bazm Coordinator: Aqeel Ahmad MAHouse # 7 12021D5, Rizwan-ul-Aloom Arabic School,Khawaja Qadeer Colony, Gulbarga 585104, Karnatka.Phone: +91 8472327930.Backup Contac!: Abdul Qadeer InshaMobile: +91 0934 322 3720Kuwait Bazm Coordinator: Ubedur-Rehman ArainTahir Abu Hamid Complex, Floor 3, Apt# 6, Hawaii, Kuwait.Phone: + 965 531 6273, Fax: +965484-9532E-mail: [email protected] Dars-e-Quran: Every Thursday at65.30 P.M.Norway Bazm Coordinator: Dr. Syed Nadeem HussainHaugerudhagan 23 H, 0673 Oslo.Phone: +47 22 30 3277, Mobile: +4792861121E-mail: l@.[[email protected] Dars-e-Quran: At 15:00 on every 1" Sunday of theMonth.Pakistan Idara Tolu-e-Islam25-8, Gulberg-II, lahore, Pakistan.Phone: +92 42 571-4546, 576-4484, 575-3666.

Fax: +92 42 576-4484E-mail: idara@toluis/am.comSouth Bazm Coordinator: A.S.K. JoommalAfrica P.O. Box 1925, lenasia 1820, South Africa.Phone: +2711852-1436, Fax: +2711852-1436Mobile: 00 27 791 448 346USA Toledo Bazm Perrysburg, Ohiotoledo Dr. Mensoor AlamPhone: 419-530-8161, Fax: 4195308146

E-mail: [email protected] publications & Iilerature published byIdara Tolu-e-Islam (Regd.) LahoreTolu-e-Islam Trust (Regd.) Lahorearc also available from the above overseas addresses

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PAMPHLETS & BOOKLETS Idara Tolu-e-Islam, Lahore, in cooperation with LondonBazm has produced the following English pamphlets ingood print and on better quality paper especially forEnglish speaking readers, These pamphlets on varioussubjects are useful to disseminate the true message of theQuran,I) Why Do We Lack Characte('2) Why Do We Celebrate Eid'lJ) Man & War4) Quranic Permanent Values5) FamIly Plannmg6) Woman in the Light of Quran7) Who Are The Ulema?8) How Sects can be Dissolved?

Quranic Constitution in an Islamic State10) Individual or the State!11) Economic System of the Holy Quran12) Unity of FaithI J) Human Fundamental Rights14) As-Salaat (Gist)15) Universal Myths Mistaken As Universal Realities16) Rise and Fall of NationsContact the following for availability of the above literature:Idara Tolu-e-Islam BazmLondon25-B, Gulberg-2, 76 Park Road,L.hore-54660 liford,Pakistan, Essex IGI ISFPh: 92(42) 5714546 & 5753666 Ph & Fax: 00 44 (208) 553 1896Email: idara(vtoluislam.com Email: [email protected]: WWW.loluislam.com Website: www.islam2Linfo

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AL-BALAAGH"And our duty is but piain conveyance (of the Message), "(Quran,36:17)

AI-Balaagh is edited by A. S. K. Joommal and publishedquarterly in South Africa.The Quran commands and encourages the use of the Godgiven faculty of thinking and reasoning. AI-Balaaghconveys the message of the Quran in its pristine purity.AI-Balaagh is an open forum that entertains ALL shades ofreligious opinion without prejudice or favour. This paper'spolicy and Quranic beliefs are always reflected in itseditorials. Opinions expressed by writers of articles andletters need not necessarily be those of the editor.

SUBSCRJPTlON (ANNUAL)South Africa Rand 40-00United Kingdom - 5.00USA & Other Countries $10.00Please write to: AI-BalaaghP.O.Box 1925, LEN ASIA 1820, South AfricaSubscribers in the UK can order through:Maqbool Farhat, 76 Park Road, liford, Essex, IGl 1SFTel & Fax: 0208 553 1896

universal myths mistaken as universal realities by g a parwez

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