English PDF - Ahmadiyya Gazette Canada

principle laid down by the HolyQur’ān is of universal application,and the believers are mentionedin the tradition because thisexplanation was given in answer totheir question.What has been described above isan apt illustration of the teachingsof different religions concerningthe attributes of God. Islām definesthe attribute of beneficence in oneway and other religions define it inquite another way. Some of themhave had to import the doctrine oftransmigration of souls in order tosupport the beneficence of God. Buteven a brief consideration wouldshow that the explanation givenby Islām is perfectly reasonableand in accord with the laws ofnature, whereas the doctrineof transmigration ofُsouls is based on mereُsuppositions.ا ‏لْمَل ذحَ‏ دُ َّThe working of theDivine attributes ofjustice and mercy alsorequires attention. Allreligions describe God both as Justand Merciful, but there is a vastdifference between their respectiveexplanations of the working ofthese attributes. Islām says thatthere is no conflict between thesetwo attributes and that both of themcan and do operate simultaneously.Mercy is not op- posed to justice butis above it. The Holy Qur’ān says:‘Whoever does a good deedwill have a tenfold reward, andwhoever does an evil thing,will be recompensed only inproportion thereto, and theywill not be unjustly dealt with.’(Al-An‘am, 6:161)This shows that according toIslām it is not unjust to rewarda person in excess of his deserts,but that it is unjust to inflict on aman punishment greater than hedeserves.Surely, injustice meansto reward a man ina measure less thanthat he has earned,or to punish a man ina measure larger thanthat he deserves, or to giveto one man that which is due toanother, and God never does any ofthese things. All that He does is thatHe forgives a repentant creaturewho, having realized the error ofhis ways, gives up his evil course oflife and presents himself before thethrone of Divine mercy supplicatingfor forgiveness with a beatingheart, trembling lips,یَ‏ُّ و ‏می صا ‏ل ‏ْحَیَُّ‏ ا ‏لْ‏ا ‏لْوَا ‏حذَ‏ دص ‏مَدُا ‏لْوَا ‏حَ‏ دُ‏ ا streaming eyes, a headbowed with shame, amind bursting withtumultuous thoughts,and a determinationto lead a pure andunsullied life in future.God enables such a person tostart on a new course of life. Heis like the father whose son goesastray and comes home humbledand repentant after a long time,unable to lift his eyes to his father,who, overcome by natural affection,draws him to his breast, and doesnot reject him, but on the contraryproclaims his joy at thereturn of his son. Wouldُthis be an occasion forhis other sons who hadremained at home andserved him, to complainof the injustice of theirfather?No doubt punishment is one ofthe instruments of reform, but thetortures of hell are not a greaterpunishment than true remorse.What the fire of hell can affect inthe course of a hundred thousandyears, true remorse mayeffect in the courseof a few minutes.ْ ی ا لْمُ‏َ When a man appearsْbefore God trulyrepentant and with adetermination to leada pure life in future, theMerciful God must take pityon him. Shall the Merciful andForgiving Lord turn away from,and reject a servant of His whothrows himself down at the door ofHis mercy, all remorse for the pastand hope for the future? Surely, No!ا ‏لْ‏ یَل دَرُ‏ ا ‏لْمُیْ‏ یَدَ‏ رذُ ا لْمُ‏ و ؤَرا لْمُ‏ یَدَ‏Lastly, I shall refer to the attributewhich is better known than any otherattribute of God, but concerningwhich there is greater disagreementamong the different religions thanin the case of any other attribute,that is, the attribute of Unity. Thereis not a single religion in existencewhich teaches plurality of Gods:as a matter of principle all of themproclaim the Unity of God. Nay, thefollowers of one religion charge thefollowers of another religion withnon-belief in a perfect Unity. I haveseen it stated in some books writtenby Europeans that the Muslims arepolytheists, and I am told that manypeople in Europe and America whoare ignorant of Islāmic teachingsand literature, imagine thatthe Muslims worshipthe Holy Prophet sa .This indicates thegeneral feeling that thedoctrine of plurality ofGods is impossible ofacceptance in this age. Butnotwithstanding the agreementof all religions in their professedbelief in the Unity of God, every14 The Islāmic Conception of Godُا لْمُح ذْدَ‏ یُ‏ ؤ ا لْمُ‏ یْد َ یُ‏ا لْمُھ‏ ی ا لْمُمَ‏ یْ‏یَ‏ُ ّّ ‏م َ