Testimony of the Holy Quran — Page 29
H A D R AT M IR Z A GHU L A M AH M AD A S 29 much so that man shall exclaim: What is this happening and how do these new and modern sciences, new arts, and new industries keep coming into being? Then will the earth, that is, the hearts of the people, effectively realize that ‘we do not bring about these innovations that are currently taking place;’ rather, they are the work of some kind of divine inspiration, because it is impossi - ble for man, through his own effort, to invent such wonderful sciences in abundance. Bear in mind that certain other verses of the Holy Quran, relating to the Hereafter, which have been included along with these verses, are actually in keeping with the same divine practice which has been mentioned earlier. But there is no doubt that the true and primary meaning of the verses is the one I have just pre - sented. And a very cogent and decisive argument vindicates this; as the verses, if taken literally, would necessarily entail great disor - der. That is to say, it is quite impossible and out of the question to interpret the verses to mean that at some point in time such dev - astating earthquakes would strike as would turn the earth upside down, and that, in spite of these earthquakes, people would con - tinue to inhabit the earth. The afore-mentioned verse states clearly that men will ask, ‘What is the matter with the earth?’ Now, if it were really true that the earth would be turned upside down by extremely severe earthquakes, where would man be to question the earth? He would have already been buried into nothingness with the first quake. Empirical sciences can in no way be disregarded. Therefore, to interpret the Holy Quran to mean something which is demon - strably false and inconsistent with available evidence will only lead to Islam being held up to ridicule and will afford the opponents an