Essence of the Holy Qur’an — Page 7
Al-Baqarah 7 drinking, and in order to collect money to meet the expenses of war, they have recourse to gambling. Islam condemns these evil practices. Next, we are told that war leaves behind many orphans who should be properly looked after, and in this connection, Muslims are enjoined not to contract marriage with idolatrous women because it is calculated to disturb the harmony of their domestic life. In sections 28th, 29th, 30th and 31st, we are told not to have sexual intercourse with women in their monthly courses which is a sort of temporary separation. These instructions are followed by laws that govern divorce which is more or less a permanent separation and then by laws that concern suckling and also treatment of widows. Sections 32nd and 33rd deal with principles that have a special bearing on national awakening and by observing which alone a people can make real progress, and Muslims are told that a people who seek to occupy an honoured place among the powerful nations must be prepared to face death to promote the cause of truth and righteousness. In section 34th it is mentioned that man’s stay on earth is but temporary and he should spare no effort to establish real connection with his Creator, and this is only possible by deep meditation on Divine attributes. Then in A yatul-Kursiyy, which the Holy Prophet has termed as one of the best and most exalted Qur’ a nic verses, a brief but very comprehensive mention is made of God’s attributes and it is said that no compulsion is needed to exhort a person to establish his connection with the Possessor of such noble and sublime attributes. Then in the 35th section it is stated that whereas moral righteousness takes place in an individual directly through God’s own grace, moral transformation comes about among nations through the instrumentality of Divine Messengers, and hints that both these kinds of reformation are decreed to take place four times among the progeny of Abraham. Next, it is said that both collective effort and national cooperation are essential for moral transformation to take place on national scale; the results in this respect of the concerted and collective efforts and mutual cooperation of true believers are far in excess of their sacrifices. Then all transactions based on interest are strictly forbidden and the giving and taking of interest has been denounced as tantamount to waging war against God and His Prophet because transactions based on interest are against the spirit of mutual help and cooperation and of doing good to fellow beings. Muslims are further told that they should entertain no apprehension that no progress is possible without interest. God has decreed that eventually destruction will overtake nations which give or take interest. Next, it is stated that one way of rendering mutual help and cooperation is to advance money on loan but all transactions dealing with lending and borrowing money should be properly written down. The S u rah ends on the beautiful note that whereas the above-mentioned directions are necessary for bringing about moral transformation among a people, the best, the safest and the surest means to raise their moral standard and to effect real and true righteousness and purity of character among them is that they should