THE WORD OF GOD

THE WORD OF GOD From The Scriptures The 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 CE. 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 Believers, be strict in upholding justice and bear witness for the sake of God, even though it be against yourselves, your parents, or your kindred. Be they rich or poor, God knows better about them both. Do not, then, follow your own desires, lest you swerve from justice. If you conceal the truth or evade it, then remember that God is well aware of all that you do. (4: 135) In life it often happens that man is confronted with a situation where, on the one hand, lies the path of desire and self-interest, and on the other hand, lies the path of justice. Now those who are unmindful of God, those who have no conviction that God is watching them on all such occasions follow the path of their desires. They consider it an achievement to ignore the call of truth and take to the path of self-interest and worldly considerations. But those who fear God, who regard God as their guardian, have their eyes always set on truth and justice and act according to their demands. They sincerely desire that they may leave this world having done no injustice to anyone, having fully adhered to the path of truth and justice. This desire for truth and justice is so heightened in them that it becomes impossible for them to tolerate any behaviour which does not measure up to the standard of absolute justice. When confronted with wrongdoing, they dare to proclaim the demands of truth and justice, even if such a stand amounts to adversely affecting the interests of their family or goes against their own worldly considerations. They say only what justice would demand. It is also very wrong from the standpoint of justice to give influential persons their due while denying the rights of those who are weak and without influence. A true believer is one who deals justly with everyone, whether weak or powerful.