Essence of the Holy Qur’an — Page 40
Essence of the Holy Qur’ ā n 40 themselves the object of Divine wrath by imitating the iniquitous ways of the Jews. An answer has also been supplied to yet another question, viz. what connection is there between these matters and the story of the Dwellers of the Cave, and of Dhul-Qarnain and Gog and Magog and the parable of "Two Gardens" and the Isr a ’ (Spiritual Journey) of Moses? The answer which this S u rah gives to this question is that these parables describe in metaphorical language the rise and fall of Christian nations and also the hardships and tribulations which the Muslims were to suffer from them on account of their own iniquities. In order to expand the subject and give it more clarity, the Isr a ’ (Spiritual Journey) of Moses has been mentioned after the parable of the "Two Gardens. " This Spiritual Journey of Moses describes in metaphorical language the great material and moral progress which his followers were to make just as the phenomenal progress of the followers of the Holy Prophet has been described in his own Isr a ’ , mentioned in Chapter Ban i Isr a ’il. The Isr a ’ of Moses describes in detail when and how this great advancement would commence and where it would stop and when the Israelites would become deprived of Divine favours which would be transferred to the House of Ishmael. After this we are told that the Ishmaelites, after having inherited God’s favours, would, in their turn, incur His displeasure by defying His commandments and would be punished by Gog and Magog who would, at one time, spread over and dominate the entire world. Towards the end of the S u rah mention is made of one—Dhul-Qarnain, who stood in the way of the domination of the whole world by Gog and Magog. Thus light is thrown on the material and spiritual conditions of Christians both in the early stages of their Faith and in the Latter Days. The Dwellers of the Cave symbolize early Christians in the period of their weakness, and Gog and Magog represent them in the heyday of their glory in the Latter Days. The S u rah closes with an assurance to the followers of Islam that God would break and shatter the forces of irreligiousness unleashed by Gog and Magog, and would bring about the deliverance of Muslims by means of a second Dhul-Qarnain. This second Dhul-Qarnain is the Holy Founder of the Ahmadiyya Movement who is a follower of the Holy Prophet. The S u rah being very important, some additional details of its subject- matter may be mentioned. It states that God has revealed the Qur’ a n in order to remove the errors that had crept into previous heavenly Scriptures. It warns those who ascribe a son to God that by so doing they incur Divine displeasure. These people hate Islam, and their beginning is not like their end. In the beginning they were very weak and were subjected to bitter persecution. God had mercy on them and delivered them from their trials and tribulations and put them on the road to progress and prosperity. But when they grew rich and prosperous, they resorted to idolatrous practices, and instead of turning to God they turned to the world and became entirely lost in it. Muslims are warned to take a lesson from their fate and in the day of their own power and glory to be