The Life & Character of the Seal of Prophets (sa) – Volume III — Page 178
Seal of the Prophets - Volume III 178 Moreover, He states at another place: لِلظَّالِمِينَ نَارًا اَعْتَدْنَا فَلْيَكْفُرْ اِنَّا َ ء شَا وَمَن فَلْيُؤْمِن َ ء شَا رَّبِّكُمْ فَمَن وَقُلِ الْحَقُّ مِن “Let him who will believe, and let him who will disbelieve. As for those who disbelieve, thus becoming wrongdoers, we have certainly decreed for them a punishment of the fire in the hereafter. ” 1 Then, whilst expounding another aspect of this beautiful subject, Allāh states that faith, which is produced as a result of compulsion, possesses no reality whatsoever. Rather, the truth is that it is not worthy of being called faith at all, because in such a case, the tongue professes something with which the heart is quite at odds. Then what to talk of being worthy of reward, two- faced hypocrites of this type are deserving of a twofold punishment, for their crime of disbelief, is further compounded by the crime of fabrication and deception as well. They are disbelievers, because in their hearts is disbelief; they are liars and impostors, because they falsely profess Islām by their tongues, against the belief of their heart, in order to deceive the Muslims. As such, Allāh states: ِ الدَّرْكِ الْاَسْفَلِ مِنَ النَّار اِنَّ الْمُنَافِقِينَ فِي “Hypocritical people who profess Islām by their tongues, but their hearts are full of disbelief, shall surely be in the lowest and most severe depth of the Fire in the hereafter. ” 2 Universal Message of Islām At last, Islām addresses the issue that unlike past prophets (i. e. , Prophet Moses, Jesus and Krishna, peace be on all of them, etc. ) the mission of the Holy Prophet sa was not confined to his own people, that is, the Arabs alone. Nor was it specific to any era in time. Rather, it is a message for all peoples and for all times. For this reason, Muslims should equally pay attention to all peoples. As such, God the Exalted states in the Holy Qur’ān: 1 Al-Kahf (18:30) 2 An-Nisā’ (4:146)