Ahmadiyyat or The True Islam — Page 281
281 should be deprived of his freedom and forced to live as a slave. As to how a slave should be treated I have already briefly set forth the teachings of Islam in this connection. It would appear that, short of freedom, in many cases a slave under Islam lived more comfortably than he had done before. The Relations between the Rich and the Poor, and the Power and Authority of Officials The question how a first balance can be maintained between the rights of different classes of people is one of the most complicated social problems of the day, and I shall deal briefly with it to indicate the solution which Islam offers. Islam teaches that the whole universe, including the earth, the sun, the moon and the stars, has been created for the service and benefit of man. All these things, therefore, are, according to Islam the common property of mankind. On the other hand, Islam pro- claims another principle viz. , that God has granted full scope to man for the exercise of his faculties and talents, and that every man is by nature endowed with the spirit of competition and the desire to outstrip others in the race for progress. Islam encourages such competition. The Holy Quran says, 'Compete with and try to outrun each other in good deeds. ' 135 In a competition some would deserve greater re- wards than others, and some would deserve no reward at all. Islam takes note of this disparity. Indeed, it claims 135 Al-Baqarah, 2:149.