Absolute Justice, Kindness and Kinship — Page 160
Islam as the Ultimate Goal of Religious Teachings 159 Say, 'If mankind and the Jinn gathered together to produce the like of this Quran, they could not produce the like thereof, even though they should help one another. ' (S u rah Ban i Isr a ’ i l; Ch. 17: V. 89) This challenge stands unaccepted even today! Guidance for Mankind Having discussed the notion of inherited sin, we now turn to a positive aspect of religion; and that is the concept of God’s guidance for mankind. The world has witnessed many religions which were specific to a particular age or nation. Although they had a great role to play in the history of mankind, yet their blessings were confined to a small number of societies who themselves had a limited life span. Hence, the religions and the teachings of those bygone people were not intended to be applicable for all times. New and changing circumstances gave rise to the need for new teachings. When the old teachings lost their relevance, God would modify them and lay the foundation for a new religion. Once this happened, a new lease of life was given to the religion because for some time to come the teachings would remain applicable to the requirements of the age.