Islam and Human Rights — Page 203
Future Relationship between Islam and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights 203 of the Declaration. This divergence of approach leaves open the possibility of conflicting provisions for the regulation of a specific detail. Should this happen, and the conflict prove irreconcilable, then it is obvious that so far as Islamic society is concerned, the Islamic provision must continue to have priority. Subject to this somewhat remote contingency, the re vival and strengthening of true Islamic values would only help and further the achievement of the objectives of the Declaration. As already indicated, Muslim thought, in all its aspects, has now been experiencing a healthy revival for close upon a century. The most helpful feature of this revival is that attention is being directed more and more to the Quran in the search for light and guidance in the fast-growing com plexity of the conditions and values with which man is confronted today, and that the effort is proving abundantly, richly, extravagantly fruitful and rewarding. This is indeed in accord with the assurance contained in the Quran that its treasures of light and guidance are inexhaustible. “Proclaim: If the ocean became ink for the words of my Lord, surely the ocean would be exhausted before the words of my Lord came to an end” (18:110). And even more explicitly: “If all the trees that are