THE QURAN AND SUNNAH

THE QURAN AND SUNNAH Its Relevance in Modern Times E VERY religion revealed by God was, in its original form, eternal in character, just as the sun and the moon have a timeless character about them. Religion, in fact, is another name for eternal values, which in their nature are timeless and uniformly applicable in all situations and at all times. A religion loses its relevance in succeeding ages when it is no longer preserved in its pristine form owing to human additions and interpolations. The Prophet of Islam, who came in the 7th century, did not bring a new religion. His mission in fact was aimed at sifting the divinely revealed parts from the human additions which had crept into the ancient religions over the ages. The divine religion thus needed to be established in its original form. This reality has been expressed thus in the Quran: “Also for those who follow the Messenger—the unlettered prophet they find described in the Torah that is with them, and in the Gospel— who commands them to do right and forbids them to do wrong, who makes good things lawful to them and bad things unlawful, who will relieve them of their burdens and of the shackles that weigh upon them. Those that believe in him and honour him those that aid him and follow the light sent down with him, shall surely triumph." (7: 157) In this verse “burden” and “shackles” mean human addition. It is these human additions which make a religion irrelevant in succeeding ages. When a religion is purified of human additions, the question of irrelevance with time automatically vanishes. Since Islam is free from additions, there is no possibility of Islam being irrelevant at any time or in any situation. In fact the commands given in Islam are totally timeless in character. As the Quran says: God has ordained for you the same religion which He enjoined on Noah, and which We have revealed to you, and which We enjoined upon Abraham and Moses and Jesus, so that you should remain steadfast in religion and not become divided in it. (42: 13) A religion loses its relevance in succeeding ages when it is no longer preserved in its pristine form owing to human additions and interpolations.