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 A.D. 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

We created man — We know the prompting of his soul, and are closer to him than his jugular vein — and the two recording angels are recording, sitting on the right and the left: each word he utters shall be noted down by a vigilant guardian. (50: 16-18)

The study of this world shows that there is an unerring system of ‘recording’ in operation here. Man’s thoughts are impressed on the membrane of his brain. Every utterance a man makes is permanently preserved in the shape of sound waves in the air. Man’s actions are preserved in the external world by means of heat waves in such a way that they can be repeated at any time.

All these are known facts of today, and these known facts are what make the Quran’s claim credible that man’s intentions, his utterances and his actions, are all in the knowledge of his Creator. All affairs of all human beings are entered in the registers of the angels.

The trance of death will come revealing the truth: that is what you were trying to escape. The trumpet will be sounded. This is the Day [you were] warned of. Each person will arrive attended by an [angel] to drive him on and another to bear witness. You were heedless of this, but now We have removed your veil, so your sight today is sharp.

His companion attendant will say, ‘I have here his record ready.’ ‘Cast into Hell every ungrateful, rebellious one, hinderer of good, transgressor, causing others to doubt, who has set up another god besides God: cast him into severe punishment’ — and his associate [Satan] will say, ‘Lord, I did not make him transgress, he had already gone far astray himself.’ God will say, ‘Do not quarrel in My presence. I gave you the warning beforehand and My word shall not be changed, nor am I unjust to My servants.’ (50: 19-29)

A picture of death and Doomsday thereafter has been drawn in these verses. It shows what will happen to those who, finding themselves free in this world, became arrogant. This pictorial description is so terrible as to cause extreme unease in the minds of all living beings.

On that Day, We shall ask Hell, ‘Are you now full?’ Hell will answer, ‘Are there any more?’ Paradise will be brought near to the righteous and will no longer be far away. This is what you were promised—this is for everyone who often turned to God and kept Him in mind, who fears the Compassionate One, though He is unseen, and comes to Him with a penitent heart; so enter it in peace. This is the Day of everlasting life. There they shall have all that they desire, and there is even more with Us. (50: 30-35)

Who are entitled to the eternal Paradise of God? They are the people who, in this world, went in constant fear of God’s punishment. Those who were afraid before they actually came face to face with their Maker will be the ones who will be safe from fear and grief on that Day, whereas others who knew no fear will be terror-struck. Fear of God creates heavenly attributes in man, while a lack of fear creates the attributes of Hell.

How many a generation, far greater in prowess, have We destroyed before them! They searched the entire land: but could they find a refuge? There is truly a reminder in this for whoever has a heart, whoever listens attentively. (50: 36-37)

Nations of the world progress and rise until they reach their zenith. But, when they are afflicted by God’s scourge, as a result of their misdeeds, they are reduced to such a condition that they cannot find any place in the world to which they can run away or in which they might take refuge.

There are great lessons in these events of history. But lessons can be learnt only by one who is mentally alive so that he may derive their unspoken message from events, or by one in whom the capacity to hear is unimpaired, so that when divine messages are conveyed to him, they go straight to the core of his innermost being unimpeded.