Article appeared Friday, March 21st, 2014 in The News Today, Bangladesh

The Revelation ( 20!

yo"s"# $ah%"%"l &sla$, 'h(

&s there only one type o# %elie# or can there %e $"ltiple types) *hen people say they believe, can the concept o# %elie# $ean di##erent things to di##erent people) 'hilosophers, thin+ers, writers, poets, scientists as well as those who wor+ #or religion have given tho"ght to this and co$e "p with insights into how the concept o# %elie# changes #ro$ person to person, The British poet -a$"el B"tler (1. / 0 1102! s"ggested that %elie# is a convenience, Belie#, li+e any other $oving %ody, #ollows the path o# least resistance, {1} 2ow can %elie# go with the flow, li+e water, or so to spea+) For e3a$ple, when part o# a co$$"nity, it $ay %e convenient or %ene#icial to appear to believe as others do 0 so that one is identi#ied as part o# the co$$"nity, 4r, when in tro"%le or %e#ore events li+e e3a$s, one $ay p"t on 5l"c+y char$s6, strings tied with religio"s phrases, pray to idols as well as pray to the 7reator 0 whichever or whatever $ay wor+8 The -o"th A#rican philosopher and social critic, Mo+o+o$a Mo+honoana, %rings o"t the hypocrisy %"ilt into religio"s convenience9 Alcohol is evil : "ntil yo"r loved one gets e$ployed %y a %rewery, {2} -o, can %elie# si$ply %e a convenience) 7an %elie# or religion %e tailored to s"it one;s convenience, as and when each sit"ation de$ands) The pertinent <"estion is9 have we created the concept o# %elie# as a $atter o# convenience or has the 7reator created intelligent h"$an %eings to esta%lish 2is Tr"th) The &talian astrono$er, $athe$atician and philosopher =alileo (1/>4 0 1>42! said a%o"t the 7reator, Mathe$atics is the alpha%et in which =od has written the "niverse, {3} By asserting that the 7reator has "sed $athe$atics to 5write6 or create the "niverse, what has =alileo in #act done) =alileo has 5discovered6 and testi#ied to the e3istence o# the 7reator as well as co$$ented on a <"ality o# the 7reator "sing his intelligence, 2e "sed his intelligence to research the #act that everything in the "niverse #ollows precise $athe$atical laws and as s"ch there $"st %e a -"pre$e Being who has created and ordered the created things to #ollow these laws with precision, The French writer -tendhal (1?. 0 1.42! cleverly asserted that, Mathe$atics allows #or no hypocrisy and no vag"eness, {4} =alileo convinced hi$sel# and testi#ied that the e3istence o# the 7reator is a $athe$atical tr"th, *hile on earth, li+e =alileo, each h"$an has a$ple opport"nities to %eco$e personally convinced o# the tr"th o# the 7reator as well as stand testi$ony to 2is @3istence and =reatness, To in#or$ $an+ind a%o"t the p"rpose o# creation and provide Man"#act"rer;s ="idelines, the 7reator has repeatedly sent Revelation thro"gh the ages, Revelation addresses intelligent h"$an %eings, 2owever, as pointed o"t in the A"r;an, the $ost recent and #inal Revelation, *hen it is said to the$9 B7o$e to what Allah has Revealed and to the ApostleB9 yo" will see the 2ypocrites t"rn their #aces away #ro$ yo" in disg"st, C4,>1D Allah, o"r 7reator, +nows what is in each heart, regardless o# what is said with one;s lips, Those $en Allah +nows what is in their heartsE so +eep clear o# the$ %"t ad$onish and address the$ "sing words to reach their very so"ls, C4,> D 2e points o"t that we need to %elieve with conviction, i.e. witho"t hypocrisy, vag"eness or as a $atter o# convenience, B"t no, %y yo"r Ford they can have no (real! Faith "ntil they $a+e yo" (the words o# Revelation and what the 'rophet said! G"dge in all disp"tes %etween the$ and #ind in their so"ls no resistance against yo"r decisions %"t accept them with the fullest conviction. C4,>/D The $ilitary e3pedition o# Ta%"+ (> 0 A(! {5} provided an opport"nity #or o"r 7reator to practically de$onstrate the di##erence %etween those who %elieved with conviction and those who pro#essed %elie# o"t o# convenience, The #ollowers o# 'rophet M"ha$$ad (p%"h! were

tested with a co$$and to Goin %attle #orces and s"pport hi$, The #ollowing Herses o# -"ra AtI Ta"%a detail how the %elievers and hypocrites were identi#ied and separated,

9.40 If you do not help him (the Prophet, p uh! (it i" no m#tter!$ for %ll#h indeed helped him &hen the un elie'er" dro'e him out( he h#d no more th#n one )omp#nion (% u *#+r!$ they t&o &ere in the )#'e #nd he (,uh#mm#d, p uh! "#id to hi" )omp#nion, "Have no fear, for Allah is with us": then %ll#h "ent do&n hi" pe#)e upon him #nd "tren-thened him &ith for)e" ( i.e., #n-el"! &hi)h you did not "ee #nd hum led to the depth" the "#yin-" of the un elie'er", &hile the &ord of %ll#h &#" e.#lted to the hei-ht"$ for %ll#h i" /.#lted in ,i-ht #nd 0i"e. 9.41 1o forth, (&hether e2uipped! li-htly or he#'ily #nd "tri'e #nd "tru--le &ith your -ood" #nd your per"on" in the )#u"e of %ll#h. 3h#t i" e"t for you if you only +ne&.
The %elievers are as+ed to tr"st Allah 0 it is 2e that gives s"ccess and not the e<"ip$ent8 &n doing so we are as+ed to convince o"rselves o# 2is -"pport and stand testi$ony to 2is Tr"th,

9.42 If there h#d een immedi#te -#in (in "i-ht! #nd the 4ourney e#"y they ( i.e., the hypo)rite"! &ould (#ll!, &ithout dou t, h#'e follo&ed you ut the di"t#n)e &#" lon- (#nd &ei-hed! on them. 3hey &ould indeed "&e#r y %ll#h, 5If &e only )ould, &e "hould )ert#inly h#'e )ome out &ith you,5 de"troyin- their o&n "oul" (throu-h f#l"e o#th"!( for %ll#h indeed +no&" they #re )ert#inly lyin-.
&# the Go"rney were easy or convenient, so$e hypocrites $ay have agreed to s"pport the 'rophet (p%"h!,

9.43 ,#y %ll#h -i'e you -r#)e (6 ,uh#mm#d!, &hy did you -r#nt them permi""ion to rem#in ehind7 (8ou "hould not h#'e! until it &#" e'ident to you &ho &ere truthful #nd &ho &ere pro'ed to e li#r"7 9.44 3ho"e &ho elie'e in %ll#h #nd the 9#"t :#y do not #"+ for e.emption from fi-htin- &ith their -ood" #nd per"on". %nd %ll#h +no&" &ell tho"e &ho do their duty. 9.45 It i" only tho"e #"+ for e.emption (or relief from you! &ho elie'e not in %ll#h #nd the 9#"t :#y ; &ho"e he#rt" h#'e dou ted (<i" /.i"ten)e, i.e. they #re not )on'in)ed!, "o their he#rt" he"it#te. 9.4= If they h#d intended to )ome out they &ould )ert#inly h#'e m#de "ome prep#r#tion for -oin- # ro#d &ith you( ut %ll#h di"li+ed (th#t the hypo)rite"! -o &ith you( "o <e m#de them l#- ehind #nd they &ere told, 5>it &ith tho"e &ho "it (in#)ti'e!.5 9.4? If they h#d )ome out &ith you they &ould not h#'e #dded to your ("tren-th! ut only &ould h#'e )re#ted )h#o" #nd )onfu"ion, hurryin- to #nd fro in your mid"t #nd "o&in- "edition #mon- you #nd there &ould h#'e een "ome #monyou &ho &ould h#'e li"tened to them. But Allah knows well those who do wrong.
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