THE WORD OF GOD

THE WORD OF GOD From The Scriptures T HE Quran is the book of God. It has been preserved in its entirety since its revelation to the Prophet of Islam between 610 and 632 A.D. It is a book that brings glad tidings to mankind, along with divine admonition, and stresses the importance of man’s discovery of the Truth on a spiritual and intellectual level. Translated from Arabic and commentary by Maulana Wahiduddin Khan Put your trust in the One who is the Ever-Living [God], who never dies, and glorify Him with His praise. He is fully aware of the sins of His servants; it is He who created the heavens and the earth and all that is between them in six Days [periods],a then settled Himself on the throne—the Gracious One. Ask any informed person about Him.b When they are told, ‘Prostrate yourselves before the Gracious One,’ they ask, ‘Who is this Gracious One? Shall we prostrate ourselves before whatever you will?’ This increases their aversion. (25: 58-60) a The ‘six Days’ refer to six Days of God, or it may be called six stages, indicating that the Creation was done in a systematically planned manner. All that was brought into existence as part of a deliberate plan cannot be futile. b In the question the stress is on the subject matter and not on the person to whom the question is put. The idea is that a man who is acquainted with God’s wonderful marvels will be able to tell you how High and Mighty is the Merciful God. Research undertaken by modern scientists partially fits the meaning of this verse. Should a person learn the secrets of the universe as a result of scientific research, he would grow extremely excited, his hair will stand on end and his heart will spontaneously bow down before the Might of the Creator. Exalted is He who put constellationsa in the heavens, a radiant lamp and an illuminating moon—it is He who has made night and day succeed each other, a sign for those who would take heed and would be grateful.b (25: 61-62)