Islam and Christianity

cut off the hand or foot of those who commit a grave sin.
Medicine given by a doctor may be found bitter by an
unhealthy person. He may think that it is of no use and may even
believe that it is dangerous for him to use it. But, when he trusts
the understanding of his doctor and thus uses the medicine, he
gets well. Allâhu ta’âlâ, the Almighty, being a specialist on all
kinds of diseases of the heart, soul and body, commands handmutilation
as a cure for the disease of stealing. When every
Muslim knows this commandment, and when it is heard that some
hand-mutilations have been executed on a couple of thieves, there
won’t be any further habits of stealing due to the fear of its
punishment. The disease of stealing will disappear. Thus, people
will no longer experience the sorrow of having their property
stolen, and none will suffer from hand-mutilation.
4- “Islam takes ‘will-power’ away from man, attributes
everything to ‘fate’ and thus renders men lethargic, supine and
inactive,” they say.
This assertion is completely wrong, too. On the contrary, Islam
commands people to work incessantly, to use their minds well, to
learn every kind of novelty, to have recourse to every sort of
lawful means for success, and never to get tired or bored. Allâhu
ta’âlâ expects His slaves to decide on and perform their own
actions to the best of their ability.
The meaning of the word “fate” is totally different. Only in
case a Muslim cannot attain success after using his mind, having
recourse to all means and working with his utmost energy to
perform some action, should he then not feel sorry but be
contented with his fate, admitting that the result is something
which Allâhu ta’âlâ deemed to his advantage. Otherwise, it is a
grave sin to wait for one’s “luck” by taking one’s ease and opening
one’s mouth without working, learning or striving. Allâhu ta’âlâ
declares in the thirty-ninth verse of Chapter Najm: “Man can have
nothing [in the hereafter], but what he strives for [in the name of
Allâhu ta’âlâ].” In the following discourse on knowledge and
science in Islam, we shall see how highly Muslims esteem learning
and working.
Sometimes men cannot attain exactly what they want
howsoever hard they work and have recourse to every means.
This is the time for them to admit that some power above their
own plays a major part in their work, affects men’s life and
success, and guides them. That is what we call “fate.” Fate is at
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