Revelation, Rationality, Knowledge & Truth — Page 690
THE AIDS VIRUS pestilence is made to spread and such other diseases, the like of which have never been witnessed by their forefathers. . The word faḥshā means 'permissiveness' with the connotation of audacity and shamelessness, resulting in open display of sex. It should be noted that mere permissiveness does not warrant so severe a chastisement from Allah; but when it exceeds all bounds and is acknowledged as a commonly accepted social behaviour, then that society is affected with some completely new sexrelated disease as a sign of God's displeasure. . The accusing finger of this hadith seems to be pointing at the sinfulness of the present age rather than that of any other. Such shamelessness as has been described in the hadith is displayed these days on television, in newspapers and in magazines, day in and day out, to the extent that it has never been witnessed before in human history. Consequently, absolute justice requires that the punishment must match the crime. Sensual indulgence with flagrant shameless display is central to the chastisement prescribed. The prophecy of the Promised Messiahas specifically picks out Europe and other Christian countries. . The earlier prophecy of the Holy Founders of Islam does not mention people of any country or religion, but confines itself to the nature of the crime, warranting a corresponding punishment. . Both prophecies read together make up the whole story. Among Christian countries the United States of. America answers the description perfectly. But according to the latest census, sub-Saharan Africa leads the world in this particular type of permissiveness, with the Caribbean lagging only a few lengths behind. ³ In the census we have referred to, it is the Christian African countries which lead 648