A COMPARISON

Not only that, but the philosophy presented in the interpretation under discussion of practical testimony has itself changed the very idea of bearing witness to the truth. It has shifted the focus of testimony away from the reward and punishment in the Hereafter and instead directed it toward the reward and punishment of this world. The true purpose of testimony is to reveal the realities of the Hereafter. However, this interpretation has turned testimony into something whose goal is simply to demonstrate the realities of worldly life. Consider once more the passage I quoted earlier: if this utopia were to be realized and you truly testified in all aspects of human and international life as described in that passage, then tell me—what would you actually be testifying to? Only this: that Islam sets morals and dealings right; that it brings about prosperity and justice; that it establishes social welfare and political integrity. You would be testifying that if people do not adopt the Islamic system, their politics and society will decay, and they will destroy themselves through conflict. But think carefully—is this really the testimony we are commanded to give before the world? Were thousands of messengers sent only to show people the worldly results of theistic belief? According to the Quran’s