THE RELIGION OF HUMANITY: Islam’s Ethical and Spiritual Outlook

FREEDOM OF THOUGHT These words of the angels were apparently meant as an objection to God. However, God did not rebuke or reprimand them for it. Instead, He explained the details of the actual plan. As a result, their objection naturally resolved itself, and doubt was replaced with certainty. In this way, at the beginning of human history, God established a model from His own perfect being, man: that if someone raises an objection or expresses doubt about a matter, they should not be blamed merely for raising it. Rather, the matter should be clarified so that the complete picture becomes clear. It is as if the event that was going to occur in human history later was enacted between God and the angels to practically demonstrate the attitude that human beings should adopt in such situations. This incident also sets an example that once the matter is clarified, the objector should accept it sincerely and wholeheartedly. In this event, if on the one side, there is a model of objection, on the other side there is also a high example of acceptance. AN EXAMPLE FROM THE PROPHET The Battle of Badr was the first major battle in Islamic history (624 CE), near a place called Badr, southwest of Madinah in present-day Saudi Arabia. It marked a pivotal turning point for the early Muslim community. Among the early events of the battle, one incident is recorded by