Islam and Modern Life — Page 28
ISLAM AND MODE RN LIFE 28 can never be closed, or deemed to be closed. It has to remain open. Otherwise, how is one going to gather that guidance from this source? And wherever in Islam it has been contended, that because a certain jurist has said a certain thing on that subject, t hat’s the last word, that is a mistake. That is shutting the door of beneficence upon one. Life is dynamic, and guidance which becomes static will fall behind. It’s a matter. And the Quran is not static. Quran is dynamic, and the universe is dynamic, being the work of God. The Quran, the word of God, is also dynamic, and keeps ahead of the universe, never falls behind. And the Quran itself, I do not want to take up too much more time, the Quran itself points out to that. It says, here it is, the reference i s chapter 3, verse 8 , ُﻫ َﻮ ا َّﻟ ِﺬ ۤۡي َا ۡﻧ َﺰ َل َﻋ َﻠ ۡﻴ َﻚ ا ۡﻟ ِﻜ ٰﺘ َﺐ ِﻣ ۡﻨ ُﻪ ٰا ٰﻳ ٌﺖ ُّﻣ ۡﺤ َﻜ ٰﻤ ٌﺖ H ere it is who has revealed this book and guidance to you, that is to the Prophet. In it there are verses that are decisive in their meaning, that is fundamental and operating all the time in that sense only. They are the basis of the book. But there are ot hers that are capable of several interpretations. Now several interpretations because repeated interpretations, and the Arabic language has that quality, that on the etymological basis, taking the root, you can spread out the whole tree from the meaning of the word. And those interpretations with regards to the philosophy contained in the Quran, will be found adequate at each stage in life. There is a certain, or there is a great deal of rigidity in Islamic