The Essence of Islam – Volume I — Page 377
The <mark>Holy</mark> <mark>Qur'an</mark> 377 eye for an eye. This is a detail. In another place, the principle is set forth: وجزُوا سَيْنَةٍ سَيِّئَةُ مثلها 228. On reflection we find that this principle is laid down for the widening <mark>of</mark> the law in cases where the specific law cannot be carried into effect. For instance, if a person who has lost his own teeth breaks the tooth <mark>of</mark> another, he ceases to be amenable to the rule <mark>of</mark> a tooth for a tooth, for he has no teeth himself. In the same way, if a blind person should destroy the eye <mark>of</mark> another person, he cannot be deprived <mark>of</mark> his own eye, for he has none. The. <mark>Holy</mark> <mark>Qur'an</mark> lays down general principles to meet such cases and by doing so encourages everyone to deduce rules suitable to every case. It is a pity that the Torah does not follow this method and the Gospel is wholly deprived <mark>of</mark> this teaching. It only lays down a few moral exhortations, but they are not part <mark>of</mark> any code or system <mark>of</mark> law. The statement <mark>of</mark> the Christians that the Gospel has left legal matters to the intelligence <mark>of</mark> people is not a matter <mark>of</mark> pride, but one <mark>of</mark> remorse and shame, for whatever is not laid down as universal law and is not spelled out in terms <mark>of</mark> any regulatory principles, is liable to be misused and become an evil, however good its purpose might be. [Kitāb-ul-Bariyyah, Rūḥānī Khazā'in, Vol. 13, pp. 87-88]. <mark>God</mark> Almighty, Who knows the secrets <mark>of</mark> the hearts, is witness that if anyone is able to point out a defect in the teaching <mark>of</mark> the <mark>Holy</mark> <mark>Qur'an</mark> to the extent <mark>of</mark> a thousandth part <mark>of</mark> a particle, or is able to point out an excellence in 228 'The penalty for an <mark>of</mark>fence is chastisement in proportion thereto. ' al-Shūrā, 42:41 [Publisher]