Did Jesus Redeem Mankind? — Page 50
? 43 stands for a steep way comprising ascent. In another place the Holy Quran observes that a man finds an uphill way difficult to negotiate. He suffers from heavy breathing and his feet get blisters. It is this condition to which, Allah the Excellent has made a reference here. Obviously, as has been explained in the highway in a physical sense is not meant here. For, the context that follows says: the man did not give alms, nor charity, nor did he care for the orphans and the destitute. This clearly therefore, establishes that the highway referred to here is not in a physical sense. On the contrary, the two ways, stand for the way of virtue and the way of sin. As a rule, what one gets through heredity does not call for any hard work. For example, our eyes are a hereditary gift. We had no hand in the matter. We, therefore, have to undergo no exercise in seeing with our eyes, nor does the process entail any labour or hard work. We start seeing automatically. Similarly, the tongue is a hereditary gift to us and speech is an automatic function with us. Or, look at hands and feet; they start moving of their own accord, for, we received them as hereditary gifts. VIRTUE AND VICE SELF-ACQUIRED If sin were an hereditary acquisition, it should have not entailed any physical exertion on the part of man and thus the way of sin would have not been an uphill task.