THE WORD OF GOD

From The Scriptures

The Quran is the book of God. It has been preserved in its entirety since its revelation to the Prophet of Islam between 610 and 632 AD. It is a book that brings glad tidings to mankind, along with divine admonition, and stresses the importance of man’s discovery of the Truth on a spiritual and intellectual level. Translated from Arabic and commentary by Maulana Wahiduddin Khan

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COMFORT
In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
Have We not lifted up your heart, and removed your burden that weighed so heavily on your back, and have We not given you high renown? So, surely with every hardship there is ease; surely, with every hardship there is ease. So, when you are free, strive hard, and to your Lord turn [all] your attention. (94: 1-8)

The Prophet Muhammad went tirelessly in the quest of knowledge about reality and Truth. God blessed him with this knowledge, which opened his heart to the deep realization of Truth (ma'rifah). Then he started preaching the oneness of God in Makkah, where he had to face stiff opposition, but it was thanks to this opposition, that he became known throughout the country.

This is God’s law in the present world. Hence, a man has to face difficult conditions (usr) in the beginning, but if he perseveres with patience, this usr or hardship becomes a stepping stone to new and easy circumstances (yusr). Therefore, a man should always look towards God and continue to struggle according to his capacity.

THE FIG
In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
By the Fig and the Olive, and by Mount Sinai, and by this secure land, We have indeed created man in the best of mould, then We cast him down as the lowest of the low, except for those who believe and do good deeds—theirs shall be an unending reward! What then after this, can make you deny the Last Judgement? Is not God the greatest of the judges? (95: 1-8)

Fig (Tin) and Olive (Zaytun) are the names of two hills in the vicinity of Jerusalem where Jesus’s field of action was situated. Mount Sinai (Tur Sinin) refers to that hill where God made His revelation to Moses. The ‘secure land’ (al-Baladu-ul-Amin) refers to Makkah where the Prophet Muhammad was born.

God has created man with superior capabilities. These capabilities have been given to man so that he should be able to recognize the Truth conveyed to him through the prophets, and to shape his life in accordance with it. Those who do so, will reach a high position of honour, which will be theirs for all eternity. On the contrary, those who do not make their God-given capabilities subservient to God’s will, will have even the existing blessings taken away and they will have no place to take refuge. Their lot will be total deprivation. The raising of prophets and the end-results of their mission, bear testimony to the veracity of this fact.