The Light of the Holy Qur'an — Page 60
T HE L IGHT OF T HE HOLY Q U R’AN—NUM BE R ON E T HE L IGHT OF T HE HOLY Q U R’AN—NUM BE R ON E 60 being should die and thus pay one’s own expiation. This alone is the way that God Almighty has ingrained in the nature of the seekers of truth from the very beginning. Since ancient times, and ever since man was created and granted the means of this spiritual sacrifice, and with his nature being inherently endowed with these means, the physical sacrifices, too, have been ordained in order to remind him of this. This is the true reality which the short- sighted and ill-fated Hindus and Christians have not understood. They did not reflect upon spiritual realities and fell into extremely evil, abominable and dark thoughts. Nothing has ever surprised me more than the plight of these people who have abandoned the Perfect and Living God, the Self Subsisting One and the Sustainer of all, only to follow these absurd beliefs and take pride in them. To return now to the basic issue, as I have already pointed out, the reform that was carried out by our lord and master, the Holy Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, is very sweep- ing and general and is acknowledged by all. This degree of reform had not been achieved by any previous Prophet. If anyone stud- ies the history of Arabia, he will come to know how bigoted the idol worshippers, Jews, and Christians of the time were, and how much their reform had been despaired of for centuries. Then, look up and see how the teachings of the Holy Qur’an, which were wholly opposed to them, proved so effective that they swept aside every false doctrine and every vice. Drinking, which is the mother of all evils, was abolished, gambling was discarded, female infan- ticide was ended, and everything that was opposed to compassion and justice and purity was rectified. Moreover, the criminals were suitably punished for their crimes. No one can, therefore, deny the greatness of the reform that was carried out.