Isabella did not say anything after this and all those present were struckdumb. The Christian women put theirheads down in humility, while Muslims seemed to be pleased in their minds. The Christian woman herself sat silent and found no word to say. When Isabella noticed her helplessness she spoke again.Isabella: Well, you must be tired now.Let us put off the discussion till tomorrow. Now, say at what time willyou be able to come?Christian woman: I will not rise without finally deciding about truth and falsehood right now. But probably you are tired.Isabella: From me you are at ease to continue the talk day and night and do not go till truth and falsehood are sorted out. What I said was for your convenience.Christian woman: In fact, I am resolved to carry the discussion till the last point. Now, just say what was the need of Islam when Christianity prevailed.Isabella: If Islam had not come, truth would not have been brought here to the world. It was Islam which revivedthe teachings of Apostles and taught people purity and cleanness. I tell you briefly a few reasons for the coming of Islam :(1) Islam by its advent perfected religion, for teaching of previous revealed Books were suited for their own time and had no universal appeal. The Quran filled the gap.(2) True teachings of Prophets were corrupted by their followers which the Quran purified. For instance, Christians, by deifying Jesus Christ, had built up the rotten structure of assigning partners to Allah which was pulled down first. Islam broughtthe light of the sun of God’s unity andpresented the true form of God’s Glory and Mercy to the world.(3) Ahl-i-Kitab (People of the Book) had attributed many shameful acts to Prophets, calling some of them liars, cheats and adulterers and thus making all Prophets sinners. Islam strongly refuted these charges and restored the real nobility and dignity of Prophets.(4) Ahl-i-Kitab (People of the Book), by interpreting their sacred Books, had manipulated them and so people’s trust on all revealed Books was lost. The Quran exposed their mischief and fraud and presented all the real teachings of previous Books anew, and now we have no need of any other book as the Quran includesteachings of all the Books revealed toProphets.(5) Since previous Prophets and their revealed Books were for particular periods and particular people, so they did not contain laws which wereneeded by men till the last day. The gap was filled by the Quran and, aftercompleting the code of religion, proclaimed that needs of all humanity are served in it by which men will be benefited till the Day of Judgment.Do you now realise why Islam came to the world?Christian woman: All these are mere claims without arguments, you neither mentioned any miracle of your Prophet nor proved his Prophet-hood. The question of his teachings comes after these problems are resolved.Isabella: You asked me to say what was the need of the advent of Islam and I briefly narrated some of the needs. Now it is for you to meet these arguments. I have already given you the proof of miracles and have put upto you such a living miracle which can be seen by all the world today, that is, the Quran and its challenge. Ifthe Quran is not the” Word of Allah, then bring just one verse to compare with it. But it is just this which the world could not accomplish. As to the Prophet being a Messenger of Allah its proof is in this very miracle. When not even one verse can be produced to compare with it, then it is established that it is the Word of Allah and the person who brought it can only be True Apostle of Allah. Another proof is that the Prophet, after his getting Prophethood, gave such a reform to the world and in his own lifetime made entire Arabia to bow before Allah. Can an example of this type be found in any false prophet? Just name even one fraudulent man who would have performed this great reforming task.Christian woman: Whatever you say, your Prophet is not fit to be obeyed. How can a person who had shed blood all his life and married so many women be ever a reformer? Look at the purity of our Lord, that he never married all his life.Isabella: Well, your lord was God and did not need married life, for it is man who needs marriage. As our Prophet was a human being like others, he contracted marriages. But just name any other Prophet who, in spite of being a human being, had not married.Christian woman: The perfect man is one who is distinguished from others.Isabella: But you believe your Lord to be God, Son of God.Christian woman: But along with thisour Lord was also a perfect man.Isabella: Did he eat and drink ?Christian woman: Why not? His eating and drinking was not in his capacity of God but in the capacity of man.Isabella: Then, how was your Lord distinguished? What is the definition of perfect man?Christian woman: The perfect man is one in whose obeying there is no difficulty.Isabella: Quite right. Now, you yourself have clarified the point. Howcan a Christian who has wife and children follow his Lord in his home life? Similarly, how can Christians who are fighting against Muslims and idolaters follow their Lord in military matters?Christian woman: Our Lord neither fought any battle nor married. So the question does not arise.Isabella: You have defined perfect man as one in following whom no difficulty arises. But here a great difficulty has arisen, for a man with awife and children has no model for him in your Lord because he remained unmarried all his life. In the same way for the man staking hislife in a battle, for him Christ cannot be a model.
No comments:
Post a Comment