Ch 17.1: Duty of Islamic Government

The Muslims had learnt the details ofthe secret meeting which was convened by Christians and that Isabella’s letter had cooled down all their ambitions. After four or five days in the company of Ziad b. Umar eminent exponents of Islam and divines assembled. Isabella and her friends were also present there when one of them said.A person: Respected sir! the Christians have been secretly trying to defraud Isabella and reconvert herto Christianity, but the Muslim government has not taken any actionin this respect so far. When Isabella has become a Muslim it is the duty of the Muslim government to release her from the clutches of Christians, but it did not do that. Even now Christians are’ doing mischief but the Muslim government is taking no action against them.Ziad b. Umar: All the efforts of the Christians have so far been secret, so how could the Muslim government take cognizance of it? Then there is another thing. It is true that when anyone becomes a Muslim it is the duty of the Muslim government to protect him from the oppression of the non-Muslims and stand by anyone openly declaring Islam. But we deliberately prevented the Muslimgovernment from taking such action for we thought the persecution suffered by Isabella and her friends will make them used to suffer troubles in the path of truth and their belief and faith will be put to the test. If we wanted we would have openly released Isabella from their clutches.The same man: But for the future, the Christians should have been warned to refrain from doing this in the case of anyone else.Ziad b. Umar: You need not worry. In future the government will be more active to support freedom of conscience. In this connection we have informed Christian priests about all the details of Isabella and her whereabouts and told them that we do not in the least want to concealIsabella as the government is responsible to take action against anyone trying to make her an apostate and that if they took any action in future against Isabella they will be liable to answer before the government.Umar Lahmi: Respected sir, Isabella’s friends request that they may be taught the tenets of Islam andconverted to Islam.Ziad b. Umar : Well, do it in the name of Allah and convert them.Umar Lahmi: Have Mirano, Mertha and Hanana any doubt about any tenet of Islam? Mirano for her own satisfaction wants to clarify some points. We do not want to stop her from further inquiry and not to answer her questions.Ziad b. Umar : Very well. Ask Mirano to put up questions and I depute you to answer her.Mirano: Respected sir, first let us be converted to Islam and then I will askone or two questions just because I wish I could give silencing answer to Christians. God forbid! I do not have the least doubt in my mind about Islam.Then the three girls were converted toIslam and all those present congratulated them and after accepting Islam they covered their faces while Mirano proceeded to ask her questions.Mirano: According to the Christians, Taurat is the law and Bible the perfection. Obviously after the law and perfection there is no need of anything else, so the Quran was also not needed. Since the Quran has confirmed Taurat and the Bible, the objection gains further strength.Umar Lahmi: If Christians attribute certain qualities to their books, how does it become necessary to believe that they are actually so? This claim must be proved by argument. But taking for granted that Taurat is the law and Bible the prefection, then the Quran is the preserver. As a preserverthe Quran covers both the law and the perfection. The word preserver the Quran itself has used. It says in Surah Maidah (v.), verse 48 : “(0 Prophet!) this Book (the Quran) has been revealed to you with the Truth which confirms previous books and is their preserver.” But the Bible, never uses the word perfection for itself. It is thus proved that the Quran covers both the law and the perfection.Mirano: The Taurat and the Bible have been mentioned in the Quran and it is necessary for every Muslim to accept them. Then why do not the Muslims believe in them?Umar Lahmi: Because Christians do not have the real Taurat and Bible with them.Mirano: If Taurat and Bible do not exist, why does the Quran confirm them ?Umar Lahmi: The Quran has confirmed the original Taurat and Bible and not these forged and manufactured ones.