The Contribution of Islam to the Solution of World Problems — Page 33
33 needful will then be added. In other words, to him who has faith in the One God, all else shall be added; while from him who hath not this faith that shall be taken which he hath. Before we proceed to state these indications it is necessary to remind ourselves that revelation often speaks in parables and similitude. In this connection it is of particular significance that Jesus Chris t (as) himself often spoke in parables. One reason that these parables often contain prophecies of great import, and it is of the nature of prophecy, which is designed to create and strengthen faith in the unseen, that it should be subject to interpretation. The import of what we are about to consider is however, clear that in today’s circumstances there is not much risk of error in interpretation. We should also remember that the events of the very brief period of his ministry spent by Jesu s (as) in the Holy Lord have come down to us in very meagre form. A great deal must have passed between him and his disciples which is not recorded in the Gospels. Towards the end of the fifth chapter of the Qur’an we read as follow: When the disciples said, ‘O Jesus, son of Mary, is thy Lord able to send down to us a table spread with food from heaven?’ he said, ‘Fear Allah, if you are believers. ’ They said, ‘We desire that we may eat of it, and that our hearts be at rest and that we may know that thou hast spoken truth to us, and that we may be witness thereto. ’ Said Jesus, son of Mary, ‘O Allah, our Lord, send down to