Absolute Justice, Kindness and Kinship — Page 22
The Three Creative Principles Defined 21 devoid of this attribute can be termed as righteous. This is the least that is expected of those who hope to qualify for the journey of eternal progress. Yet there is more to it and many factors, when added to the attribute of justice, contribute to the improvement of the quality of righteousness raising it to higher levels of excellence. In the light of what precedes, Ajrun Ghairu Mamn u n (S u rah al-T i n; Ch. 95: V. 7) will mean that so long as man observes righteous deeds, he will not be denied his reward—the reward being that he will continue progressing towards higher goals of attainment. This aspect of the matter under discussion has now been clarified to some extent. But when we agree with this viewpoint, a question that arises naturally is: what is meant by man’s reversion to the lowest stages of his origin? According to some medieval Muslim scholars, man can indeed physically revert to some lower orders of life and taking some verses of the Holy Quran too literally, they conclude that he can definitely be reverted to the stage of monkeys and pigs and perhaps even asses! Several bizarre stories based on this view are in circulation. For example, the medieval Muslim scholars misconstrue some verses of the Holy Quran and some traditions, and tell the tale of an imaginary township where some of the rebellious Jews were turned into apes, while some others were turned into pigs. Of course, they cannot name that township