The Holy War — Page 267
Proceedings—Debate 5 June 1893 267 Meaning that, there are some from among the Muslims who are over- whelmed by their carnal passions and some who are in a middling state, while some are those who have advanced to the highest perfection of faith. Thus, if Allah the Exalted—conceding that the group of Muslims who are weak, cowardly, and defective in faith—said that if such people, fearing for their lives, were to deny their faith verbally while remaining firm at heart, then such individuals are deemed excusable. Notwithstanding, along with this, it was additionally stated that there are also such believers who bravely lay down their lives for the sake of their faith and do not fear anyone. The account of St. Paul is not hidden from anybody when he said that, ‘I am a Jew among the Jews, and I am a Gentile among the Gentiles. ’ Moreover, St. Peter even denied [ Jesus] three times, fearing the enemies; nay rather, on one occasion—imitating blasphemy and alleging blasphemy—he hurled a curse upon the Holy Messiah as ! I have also heard from reliable sources that some Englishmen in Muslim coun- tries, for the sake of expediency, try to show themselves as Muslims. A— It is written in the Quran that Dhul-Qarnain saw the sun setting in murky water. G— This is only a description of the ecstatic state of Dhul-Qarnain. If you happen to be travelling on a ship, then you will also see that the sun rises from the sea and also sets in the sea. The Holy Quran has not stated this according to the science of Astronomy. Hundreds of similes and metaphors are used in everyday conversations. For instance, if you said that you had a plate of rice today, should we understand that you ate the plate? Or if you say that some person is a lion, should we under- stand that his hands are like the claws of a lion and there is, of necessity, also a tail? It is written in the Bible that ‘they came from the end of the earth to listen to the wisdom of Solomon,’ whereas the earth is round so what is meant by ‘end of the earth’? Then, in Isaiah 14:7 is this verse,