Barahin-e-Ahmadiyya Parts I & II — Page 118
118 BARĀHIN-E-AHMADIYYA the power of speech was lost after the revelation of the Vedas and Parmeshwar became permanently incapable of communicating with or sending revelations to his creatures. * Such are the beliefs FOOTNOTE NUMBER At this stage, someone might think that as the Muslims believe that revelation started with Hadrat Adam and ended with the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, it proves that the revelation ceased for all times to come after the advent of Hadrat Khatamul-Anbiya' [the Seal of the Prophets]. Be it clear that we do not believe, like the Hindus, that God had only so many words to reveal and has now run out of revelations. According to Islam, God's words, His knowledge and His wisdom are boundless, just as His own Being is boundless. Allah the Almighty says Himself [in the Holy Quran]: قُلْ لَّوْ كَانَ الْبَحْرُ مِدَادًا لِكَلِمَتِ رَبِّي لَنَفِدَ الْبَحْرُ قَبْلَ أَنْ تَنْفَدَ كَلِمَتُ رَبِّي وَلَوْ جِئْنَا بِمِثْلِهِ مَدَدًا That is: if the oceans were to be made into ink for writing the words of God, surely, the ocean would be exhausted, but the words of my Lord would not suffer any decrease even though other similar oceans were brought as further help. (Sūrah al-Kahf, Part no. 16) The question remains: in what sense do we consider divine revela- tion to have ceased after the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him. God's words are limitless-that goes without saying-but the evils that beset the world, or the needs that divine rev- elation fulfils, are not limitless. Therefore, God only sends down His words to the extent that they are required for the reformation of man and fulfilment of his needs. Now, when we look at the age in which the Holy Quran was revealed, we find that mankind stood in need of every kind of guidance because all human affairs, whether related to ethics and morals, or doctrine and practice, had deteriorated, and every kind of excess and corruption had become rampant. Therefore, the teachings of the Quran were revealed at the highest point of per- fection. Consequently and in this sense, the teachings of the Holy Quran are established to be final and perfect. All past scriptures are * Sürah al-Kahf, 18:110 [Publishers]