Protestants are trying to prove that the Biblical commands and injunctions are superior to the commands and injunctions of the religion of Musa 'alaihis-salam' (Mosaic Laws) by comparing them from their own unilateral viewpoints. Then, attempting to test whether the commandments in Qur'an al-karim are superior to the Biblical commandments and injunctions, they say:"The value and the significance of any cause is proportional to the soundness and the convincing power of the evidences put forward [to prove the cause]. All the owners of wisdom have adapted their daily affairs to these rules. For instance, if an expert claims that he has invented a new weapon which is stronger and has a longer range than the old ones, a country that must improve her weaponry will not accept the weapon without testing it. The assertion that Islam is superior to Christianity is exactly like this. It is unreasonable, unwise to accept Islam blindly in haste without giving it a test on a weighing apparatus. Therefore, it is necessary to subject the commandments in Qur'an al-karim to accurate experimentation to see whether they are superior to and better than those declared in the Bible. If the result is that Qur'an al-karim is greater as has been presumed, it will be necessary to abandon the Bible and to embrace Qur'an al-karim."

ANSWER: If we knew that the person who wrote these statements wrote them with the sheer purpose of revealing the truth instead of carrying out the duty assigned to him by the Protestant missionary organization, we would thank him for his final words, which are rather reasonable. But, as everyone knows, and as he himself admits, we must warn him not to add any dissimulation to his real motive, which is to earn a living by working for the Protestant missionary society. Nevertheless, since the gauge he propounds is true, it is a pleasure for us to agree with him. Yet some ayats in Qur'an al-karim must be collated with their counterparts in the Bible in such a manner as their comparison will indicate the following evidences.

If we leave aside the episodes and statements in the four Gospels, their teachings on ethics, on worldly affairs [muamalat], on the knowledge pertaining to the heart and to next world consist in the following:

"Turning completely away from the world, being contented with poverty and destitution. Loving Allahu ta'ala with all your heart and more than your own life and wishes. Loving your neighbor as well as your own self and sympathizing with him in times of sorrow and trouble. Pitying the oppressed. Sympathizing with children. Repelling evil thoughts from the heart. Reconciling two estranged believers to each other. Putting up with troubles patiently for the sake of your faith. Not committing homicide. Not stealing. Not getting angry. Not saying bad words. Not uttering expletives or profanities. Being aware of your own faults, even if they are small, and ignoring others' faults, even if they are big; not blaming others. Being patient when you are pelted by others because you give them advice. Not defiling or changing the commandments of Allahu ta'ala; not hurting your brother in religion; not committing fornication; not looking at women [except your spouse] lustfully; not divorcing your wife without any reason; not swearing; not standing against malice; when you are slapped on one cheek, offering your other cheek (to be slapped); when you are asked to give your shirt, giving your coat, too; uttering benedictions on people who utter maledictions on you; in short, doing favors to everyone who bears malice against you; avoiding hypocrisy in alm giving, fasting and praying; not praying too long; not saving money so much as to keep your heart busy with it; not worrying about your subsistence or clothing. Whatever you ask sincerely from Allahu ta'ala He will give you. He who obeys the commandments of Allahu ta'ala will enter Paradise." The Gospels contain the following pieces of advice, too: "Do not take money for teaching others their religious commandments. When you enter someone's place greet (people being there). Do not stay where you are not wanted. When teaching a commandment, (remember that) the commandment is given by Allahu ta'ala, not by you. Do not fear anyone when you teach the (religious) rules; do not try anyone or pass judgement on anyone. Forgive any fault and be modest. I have come to make peace among people; I have not brought faction or word; I have not come to make dissension or war. He who loves his parents more than me is not with me. In the next world good deeds will be rewarded and bad deeds will be punished with torment. He who obeys Allahu ta'ala is my brother. He who admits the true word upon hearing it shall be rewarded in the next world, and he who denies it shall be tormented. Be good to your parents. A person will not become foul or dirty with the dirty words he utters. But he will be dirty if he actually does the dirty acts he utters, i.e. if he kills someone or commits adultery or bears false witness. Do not refuse to give tax when you are asked to. He who is modest will be exalted Allahu ta'ala. The conceited one will be downgraded. Give alms from your property, and you will be paid back by Allahu ta'ala; entering Paradise will be difficult for those rich people who hoard property. We have come not to be served, but to serve.

All the commandments, prohibitions, and the rules of good and bad conduct in the Gospels consist in the matters written above. Qur'an al-karim, the highest, the most superior of the heavenly books sent down by Allahu ta'ala, also covers all the teachings in the Bible in the most immaculate style. If we were to collate all the commandments, prohibitions, and the rules pertaining to worldly matters and ethics with those in Qur'an al-karim, we would need to mention and explain only a minority of the rules in Qur'an al-karim. We will therefore exemplify just a few of them:

Qur'an al-karim, the highest, the most superior of the heavenly books sent down by Allahu ta'ala, also covers all the teachings in the Bible in the most immaculate style. If we were to collate all the commandments, prohibitions, and the rules pertaining to worldly matters and ethics with those in Qur'an al-karim, we would need to mention and explain only a minority of the rules in Qur'an al-karim. We will therefore exemplify just a few of them:

1 - It is written in the Gospel of Matthew: "Glad tidings be to those who are poor in soul. The heavenly domination belongs to them." [Matthew: 5-3. Here good news is given to those who do not esteem the world and it is stated that the world is worthless].

In Qur'an al-karim, on the other hand, this fact is expressed in the best and the most compendious style and in such a choice of vocabulary as will be understood by anyone:

The twentieth ayat of Hadid sura purports:"Be it known that worldly life is la'b, which means playing and lahw, which means revel and adornment, that is, ornamentation and arrogance, that is boasting, and increasing (one's) property, money and progeny."

The thirty-second ayat of En'am sura purports: "Worldly life is playing and trivialities. For those who fear Allahu ta'ala the life to come is certainly auspicious. Why don't you realize this?"

The forty-sixth ayat of Kahf sura purports:"Property and children are the ornaments of worldly life. The rewards for those good deeds that are to survive eternally are more useful in your Rab's (Allah's) presence."

"It is purported in the thirty-ninth and fortieth ayats of Muminun sura:"O human beings! This worldly life consists in a life and utilization that ends rapidly. But the next world is the place where to stay eternally. A person who commits a sin shall be punished only with the equal (of his sin). Of men and women, any believer who does a good deed shall enter Paradise and shall be rewarded with sustenance beyond estimation there."

The twelfth ayat of Shu'ara sura purports:"The keys to heavens and to earth [to the treasures of rain] belongs to Allahu ta'ala. He gives sustenance scantily to some and abundantly to others, as He wills. For He knows best what will be useful for His born servants (men) [whether to give little or plenty]."

The thirty-sixth ayat of Shura sura purports:"What has been given to you of property and of the world is (intended for you) to utilize it only as long as you live. For those who have iman and who put their trust in Allahu ta'ala there are rewards that are more useful and everlasting in the presence of Allahu ta'ala in the next world." Besides these ayats and many other similar ayats stating that the world is evil, there are quite a number of hadith ash-Sharifs uttered by our Prophet, Muhammad 'alaihis-salam'. [The (Arabic) words dunya (world) and adna, which are written in (the original versions of) the ayats that we have quoted above and the hadiths that we shall quote below, mean harmful, evil things. In other words, Qur'an al-karim and hadith-i- Sharifs (the blessed utterances of our Prophet, Muhammad 'alaihis-salam') prohibit from harmful and evil things. People who have aql-i-Salim (real common sense) recognize harmful and evil things. People with imperfect wisdom, especially if they are short-sighted, cannot distinguish harmful and evil things from useful and good ones. They confuse them with one another. Allahu ta'ala and His Prophet 'sall-allahu alaihi wasallam', being extremely merciful upon human beings, have also explained what the world they have prohibited from is, that is, they have stated clearly what the harmful and evil things are. Accordingly, world (dunya) means things that are prohibited by Allahu ta'ala and which are said to be makruh by our Prophet 'sall-allahu alaihi wasallam'. As it is seen, those worldly matters that are not prohibited by Allahu ta'ala, and some of which are even commanded by Him, are different from the world that is harmful and evil. Hence, it is not worldly to work and earn as much as you can, to learn and utilize science, medicine, arithmetics, geometry, architecture, means of war and, in short, to make and earn all sorts of means of civilization that will provide ease, peace and happiness for mankind. It is a worship to make and use all these things in manners, ways and conditions prescribed by Allahu ta'ala. Allahu ta'ala likes Muslims who do so. He will give them endless blessings and felicities in the hereafter]. The following are some of the hadiths (mentioned above):

Rasulullah 'sall-allahu alaihi wasallam' states in a hadith ash-Sharif, which is narrated by Abdullah Ibn 'Umar 'radi-allahu anh':"If a person is given a small worldly thing [which is more than he needs],he will lose some of his esteem in front of Allahu ta'ala, even if he is a valuable person according to Allahu ta'ala."

Another hadith ash-Sharif declares:"Setting one's heart to the world is the origin of all sins."

Our Prophet 'sall-allahu alaihi wasallam' invokes in a hadith ash-Sharif, which is narrated by Abu Huraira 'radi-allahu anh': "Ya Rabbi (O my Allah) Send the subsistence of Muhammad's household as much as will suffice for them."

Another hadith ash-Sharif declares:"Be like a destitute person or a wayfarer in the world; consider yourself dead."

There are other hadith ash-Sharifs, as follows:

"The fortunate is the person who has forsaken the world, that is, dismissed its love out of his heart, before the world has forsaken him."

"If a person wishes the next world and works for the next world, Allahu ta'ala makes this world his servant."

"If a person believes that the next world is eternal, it will be extremely consternating if he sets his heart to this world."

"The world has been created for you, and you have been created for the next world! In the next world there is Paradise and Hell fire, and no other place."

"Curse the person who worships money and food!"

"I am not anxious about your becoming poor. But I fear that, as was the case with your predecessors, taking possession of plenty of the world, you will disobey Allahu ta'ala and become hostile to one another."

"The damage of greed for wealth and fame to a person is more than the harm of two wolves attacking a flock of sheep."

"Do not be inclined to the world so that Allahu ta'ala will love you. Do not envy others' property so that people will love you."

"Life in this world is like a bridge to be crossed. Do not try to adorn this bridge. Cross it fast and go on your way!"

"Work for this world as much as is necessary for your stay here; and work for the next world as much as will be necessary for your stay there!"

Beside those ayat al-karimas and hadith ash-Sharifs which prohibit from setting the heart on the world and advise sparing more energy for the hereafter, the Islamic religion contains numbers of commandments, ayat-i- karimas and hadith ash-Sharifs promoting knowledge, science, techniques, sculpture, arts and commerce and encouraging to work for them. For the salvation and welfare of a civilized society or nation is not possible in poverty. On the contrary, wealth is indispensable for establishing institutions of charity, public kitchens, schools, madrasas, cookhouses, hospitals, for helping the disabled, the poor and the destitute, [and for serving humanity by making fountains and bridges and founding factories]. As a matter of fact, the twenty-ninth ayat of the Nisa sura of Qur'an al-karim purports: "O believers! Do not spend your wealth on corruptions [such as interest and gambling, which are forbidden by Islam].It should be done only by mutual consent [by trade]."

The two hundred and seventy-fifth ayat of Baqara sura purports: "Allahu ta'ala has permitted buying and selling and prohibited riba [interest]."

The fourteenth and the fifteenth ayats of Al-i-'imran sura purport, "Sensuous desires and loves, such as inclination towards women, weighty golds and silvers, most beautiful horses, sheep, [cattle and camels], and corps, have been adorned for mankind. These things are the transient advantages of worldly life; man's final destination, on the other hand, is the presence of Allahu ta'ala. O My Messenger, say to believers: Shall I inform you on what is better than these worldly ornamentations? For those who refrain from those worldly ornamentations, there are Gardens containing trees with streams flowing below [in front of] them, in the presence of their Rab (Allahu ta'ala). They shall stay there eternally. Therein are immaculate and extremely clean wives, and the love of Allahu ta'ala, which is the greatest blessing. Allahu ta'ala sees perfectly how His born servants are and what they are doing."

The eleventh ayat of Naba' sura purports: "We have made the day the time for earning [so that you may earn your living during the day]."

The tenth ayat of Araf sura purports: "We have placed you on the earth and prepared very many means of living for you there. [We have created sustenance necessary for you to live by agriculture, trade and working]. You pay little gratitude for the blessings you are given."

Our Prophet 'sall-allahu alaihi wasallam' stated: "The best, the most auspicious food a person eats is that which he earns with his wrist. Dawud 'alaihis-salam', who was a Prophet of Allahu ta'ala, ate what he earned with his hands."

"For a devout person who spends (his property) for beneficial purposes, property earned through halal (through means prescribed to be legal by Islam) is so beautiful."

"The righteous merchant shall be included in the assembly of Siddiqs and martyrs on the Day of Judgement."

"For those who make things easy in selling and buying, Allahu ta'ala will make things easy in whatever they do."

And another: "May Allahu ta'ala have mercy upon those who make things easy in selling and buying."

One early morning, Rasulullah 'sall-allahu alaihi wasallam' was talking to his Ashab 'Companions), when a robust youngster walked by and made for his shop. Some of the company said he might as well join them and learn a few things instead of going to work so early in order to earn what is worldly. Upon this Rasulullah 'sall-allahu alaihi wasallam' stated: "Do not say so! If he is going lest he, his parents and household be in need, each of his steps is worship. If his purpose is to assume an arrogant air to others or to live in luxury, he is with the Shaitan (Satan)."

Another hadith ash-Sharif declares:"If a Muslim earns through halal and does not need anyone's help and helps his neighbors and relations, on the Day of Judgement he will be as luminous as the full moon."

[It is declared in (other) hadith ash-Sharifs:"Allahu ta'ala likes a skilled believer." and "The most halal(legal) things is an artisan's earning." and "Do trade! Nine-tenths of (your) sustenance are in trade." and "If a person makes himself so poor as to beg others for alms, Allahu ta'ala will inflict seventy kinds of needs upon him."

It is declared in other hadith ash-Sharifs: "Those who suffer hardships for earning through halal deserve Paradise." and "After performing the daily five prayers of namaz, it is incumbent on each Muslim to work and earn through halal." and "The best trade is drapery, selling textile fabrics. The best handicraft is that of a tailor."]

Rasulullah 'sall-allahu alaihi wasallam' has commanded and promoted craftsmanship and trade, and lots of ayat al-karimas and hadith ash-Sharifs have explained in full detail the prohibitions and the permissions in trade together with the reasons for each of them.

In the Bible, on the other hand, trade or working for the world is never permitted; on the contrary, you are commanded to sell whatever you have and donate the earnings as alms.

2 - It is stated in the Gospel of Matthew: "How lucky for those who are sad and grieved! For they shall be consoled." [Matthew: 5-4]

As for Qur'an al-karim; there are numerous ayat al-karimas that were revealed to explain the rewards that will be given to those who put up with the distress that befell them. For example:

The hundred and fifty-fifth, the hundred and fifty- sixth and the hundred and fifty-seventh ayats of Baqara sura purport: "O believers! I test you with [a little] fear [of the enemy in the Holy War], with hunger [caused by fasting or famine], with insufficient property [caused by catastrophes and damages], with lack of health [because of illness or weakness], with deficiency in your crops, [in your fruits or in your children, which are like fruits; which may have been caused by celestial or terrestrial catastrophes]. O May Beloved One; give the good news [of May blessings and kindnesses] to those who are patient. They are the kind of people that meet a calamity befalling them with submission and contentment and say: We are the born servants and creatures of Allahu ta'ala and [after death] we shall return to Him. There is forgiveness and compassion [and Paradise] from their Rab (Allah) on those who submit and commit themselves to their Rab and they have attained salvation."

3 - Again, it is written in the Gospel of Matthew: "How lucky for those who are meek [soft]. For they shall attain the eternal inheritance." [Matthew: 5-5]

The hundred and thirty-fourth ayat of the Al-i-'imran sura of Qur'an al-karim purports:"Those who overcome their wrath forgive people's faults. Allahu ta'ala loves those who show kindness."

[The fortieth ayat of Shura sura purports: "He who forgives and makes peace with a person who has been cruel to him shall be rewarded by Allahu ta'ala." The forty-third ayat purports: "If a person is patient and forgives his oppressor, Allahu ta'ala will give him a great reward."]

The hundred and fifty-ninth ayat of Al-i-'imran sura bears the following meaning:"Your treating your companions gently and mildly is a kindness and mercy which Allahu ta'ala has bestowed upon you. If you were bad tempered and treated them harshly, people around you would disperse."

Our master Rasulullah 'sall-allahu alaihi wasallam' would say this prayer: "O my Rab (Allah)! Make me rich with knowledge, adorn me with hilm [mildness], bless me with taqwa, and beautify me with health." [We shall quote some hadith ash-Sharifs about mildness below].

4 - Again, it is stated in the Gospel of Matthew: "How lucky for the merciful, for they shall be mercied." [Matthew: 5-7]

[There are many ayats about mercy, compassion and tenderness] in Qur'an al-karim. The hundred and twenty-eighth ayat of Tawba sura purports: "O human beings! A Prophet has arisen from among you; your sins and foul deeds hurt Hilm; He is very affectionate over you; He is very merciful over believers and asks blessings on them."

[Rasulullah 'sall-allahu alaihi wasallam' stated: "Allahu ta'ala is suave. He likes blandness. He gives to the soft-mannered believer as He has not given to the rough-mannered or to anyone else."

It is stated in hadith ash-Sharifs: "He who does not behave gently is not beneficent." and "A believer who has been endowed with softness has been gifted with the goodnesses of this world and the world to come." and "I am pronouncing the person who is forbidden from Hell and whom Hell is forbidden to burn. Pay attention! This person is the believer who makes things easy for people and shows them affability."

Another hadith ash-Sharif declares: "If a person is able to do anything when be gets angry and yet does not get angry, Allahu ta'ala will call him among all other people. He will say unto him: Go to the houri you like." Another hadith ash-Sharif: "As aloes will decompose honey, so anger will spoil iman."

When a person asked Rasulullah 'sall-allahu alaihi wasallam' for a piece of advice, He stated: "Don't get angry [don't get nervous!)." When he repeated his question several times, He (Rasulullah) gave the same answer, "Don't get angry!"]

It is written in Qur'an al-karim that Ashab al-kiram loved one another and were kind and compassionate to one another. The final ayat of Fateh sura purports: "Muhammad' sall-allahu alaihi wasallam' is the Messenger of Allahu ta'ala. His companions [Ashab al-kiram] are very severe against unbelievers and yet very merciful [very compassionate] towards one another."

Rasulullah 'sall-allahu alaihi wasallam' stated in a hadith ash-Sharif: "He who does not respect our elders and is not compassionate to our youngsters is not one of us."

5 - It is stated in the Gospel of Matthew: "How lucky for the pure hearted. They shall see Allahu ta'ala. [Matthew: 5-8).

[Many ayats in Qur'an al-karim and very many hadith ash-Sharifs of our Prophet's 'sall-allahu alaihi wasallam' command beautiful moral qualities and being pure hearted. Islam assigns great emphasis to purity of heart.]

The eighty-eighth and the ninetieth ayats of the Shu'ara sura of Qur'an al-karim purport:"On the Day of Judgement no one will get any use from his property or children. Those who come to Allahu ta'ala with a pure and faultless heart are excepted. [They shall attain blessings]."

Rasulullah 'sall-allahu alaihi wasallam' declared: "Pay attention. I am informing (you)! There is a piece of flesh in man's body. If it is good all the (other) limbs are good. If it is evil all the (other) limbs are evil. This piece of flesh is the heart." [This piece of flesh is the home of an essence that is called the heart and which cannot be seen or perceived through the sense organs. Purity of this piece of flesh means purity of the heart. This piece of flesh has been metaphorically called the heart, too].

6 - It is stated in the Gospel of Matthew: "How lucky for those who make peace and conciliate people. They shall be summoned: You who are the beloved servants of Allah." [Matthew: 5-9]

Qur'an al-karim declares in the tenth ayat of Hujurat sura: "All believers are brothers. When there is disagreement between them conciliate them, and fear Allahu ta'ala so that you will be mercied."

The hundred and fourteenth ayat of the Nisa sura purports: "Their secret deeds will do no good. Yet the believer who advises giving alms, doing good and reconciling (other) people from hostility is exempted. Whoever performs these deeds in quest of the approval of Allahu ta'ala, We shall give him a great reward in the world to come."

The fortieth ayat of Shura sura purports: "The retribution for malefaction is the same amount of injury (caused by the malefactor). If a person forgives (the malefactor for his) injury and makes peace [with his adversary], his reward is up to Allahu ta'ala."

7 - It is stated in the Gospel of Matthew: "How lucky for those who are persecuted on account of their goodness. They belong in the spiritual dominion (of Allah). How lucky of you when they treat you inimically, tyrannize, slander and abuse you for me. Be happy. For there is abundant compensation for you in the heavens. First of all, polytheists did the same persecution to Prophets "alaihimus-salam'." [Matthew: 5-10, 11]

Qur'an al-karim contains many ayat al-karimas that were revealed (to inform) on the kinds of patience and the reward for each of them. The hundred and seventy-seventh ayat of Baqara sura purports: "It is not benediction or piety to turn your face to the east or west. The (real) benediction and piety is to believe (the existence and oneness of) Allahu ta'ala, the hereafter, the angels, the (heavenly) Books revealed by Allahu ta'ala, and Prophets; and to give your property to your poor relations, to poor orphans, to the needy, to stranded travelers [and guests], to poor people who ask for it, to the slaves called mukatab [those slaves who have made a contract with their owner and will be free when they pay a certain amount of money], and to captives [in order to set them free], willingly and for [the sake of] Allahu ta'ala; and to perform (the daily prayers of) namaz correctly, and to give the alms called zakat, and to keep your promises in contracts, and to be patient in times of poverty, destitution and straits and in Holy War; and to be loyal to those who have these qualities. Such people are the Muslims with taqwa."

The two hundredth ayat of Al-i-i-'imran sura purports: "O believers! Be patient [with the persecutions of the enemies of religion]. Race your patience against that of your enemies in order to beat them in Holy War. Keep guard along the borders (of your country) in order to perform jihad (Holy War) against disbelievers, and fear Allahu ta'ala so that you attain salah salvation]."

The ninety-sixth ayat of Nahl sura purports: "Allahu ta'ala will certainly give the rewards of those who are patient, (and these will be) more than what they deserve, (both) in amount and in beauty."

The tenth ayat of Zumar sura purports: "believers who are patient shall attain countless rewards [on the day of Judgement]." The hundred and fifty-third ayat of Baqara sura purports: "O believers! Ask for help from Allahu ta'ala by patience and salat [namaz]. Certainly [the help of] Allahu ta'ala is with patient believers."

The twenty-second ayat of Rad sura purports: "They are the people who are patient in order to attain the approval of Allahu ta'ala. They perform their (daily prayers of) namaz correctly. They give alms secretly and overtly from the sustenance We have given them. They do favors to those who have wronged them. There is felicity and comfort for those believers [in return for their deeds] in the hereafter."

Allahu ta'ala declared in a hadith-i-qudsi: "O sons of Adam! If a person does not approve My qadha (fate), does not endure the misfortunes coming from Me with patience, does not thank for the blessings I have given, is not contented with the worldly blessings I have bestowed, let him look for another Rab (Allah),O the son of Adam! If a person endures My pestering (him) with patience, he has approved Me, that is, he has accepted Me as (his) Rab."

8 - The Gospel of Matthew states about justice: "I say unto there: if your justice does not excel the justice of the scribes and the pharisees, you cannot enter the celestial spiritual domain (of Allah)." [Matthew: 5-20]

Qur'an al-karim contains very many ayats about justice, too.

[The lexical meaning of justice is allocation of something to its right place. There are two definitions of justice. Firstly, "justice is to act within the laws, regulations and limits which a ruler or a sovereign has put and prescribed in order to govern the country. And injustice is to trespass the circle drawn by these laws." The more realistic definition of justice is "to use one's own property." Accordingly, injustice is transgression of someone else's property. Allahu ta'ala, who has created (all) the worlds, is the supreme sovereign of all (other) sovereigns, the real owner, the one and only one Creator of all. Allahu ta'ala is the absolute owner of justice. For He does everything within His property. For this reason, the final and the most perfect religion He has sent upon mankind consists in immaculate justice. And what is beyond this justice is injustice.

Qur'an al-karim not only commands justice, but also prohibits injustice, which is the opposite of justice. There are many ayats pertaining to this. In fact, a person is even prohibited from doing injustice to himself.]

The fifty-eighth ayat of Nisa sura purports: "When you act as a judge between people, Allahu ta'ala commands that you judge with justice."

The ninetieth ayat of Nahl sura purports: "Allahu ta'ala commands you to act with justice, to do kindness [17], and to give (alms) to your relations [who are in need]. He prohibits you from obscenity [from fornication], from munkar [from wrongdoing], and from injustice."

[Doing kindness, according to our Prophet's 'sall- allahu alaihi wasallam' definition for this occasion, is "To worship Allahu ta'ala in such a manner as if you saw Him. He sees you though you do not see Him." Doing kindness is first abstaining from the haram (the forbidden acts and then doing the fardh (the commandments)].

The eighth ayat of Maida sura purports: "O believers! Be judges who keep justice upright and people who bear witness with justice in your deeds and words for Allah's sake. The grudge you feel against your adversaries should not lead you to injustice, (thus making you responsible. That is, do justice even to your enemies]. Do justice [to your friends and enemies alike], and this is very close to taqwa. Fear Allahu ta'ala. For Allahu ta'ala is aware of your deeds [whatever you do]."

The thirty-first ayat of Insan sura conveys the following meaning about those who do injustice: "Allahu ta'ala has prepared painful, bitter torment for the cruel." The subject of justice and injustice in Qur'an al-karim is not briefly explained, as it is in the Bible. It is explained in detail in Qur'an al-karim and through hadith ash-Sharifs. It would therefore take a huge book to recount all the examples.

9 - What is told from the twenty-first verse through the twenty-seventh verse of the Gospel of Matthew consists in: "Do not hurt your brother, stop what you are doing (for yourself) and help him when he needs (you), be friendly with him even if he is your enemy; in short, always have beautiful morals, behave gently and do good."

The thirty-sixth ayat of Nisa sura contains all these things, and even more. The ayat purports: "Worship Allahu ta'ala. Do not attribute any partner to Him. Do kindness to your parents [by words and actions], to your relations [by sila-i-rahim, by visiting them], to orphan [by pleasing them], to the poor [by alms], to your neighbors who are (at the same time) your relations [by mercy and compassion], to your neighbors [by doing them favors and protecting them against harams], to your friends and acquaintances [by observing their rights and by being affectionate towards them], to your guests and visitors [by offering them food and drink and by facilitating their ablution and praying], to your slaves and jariyas [by clothing them and treating them gently]. Certainly Allahu ta'ala does not like those who assume an arrogant air and boast instead of doing kindness [to creatures]."

The thirty-fourth ayat of Fussilat sura purports: "Virtue and vice are not equal [in rewarding and punishment], Dismiss vice in the most beautiful manner. [That is, dismiss your indignancy with patience, and vice with forgiveness. If you do this], you will see that your enemy has become like a close friend."

The eighth ayat of Mumtahina sura purports: "Allahu ta'ala does not prohibit you from being kind and doing good, or from doing justice, to those who do not fight you on account of (your) faith and who do not evict you from your land. Certainly Allahu ta'ala loves those believers who do good and justice."

Ubada bin Samit 'radi-allahu anh' stated: Rasulullah 'sall-allahu alaihi wasallam' said to the Ashab al-kiram 'alaihimur-ridwan': "Shall I inform you on things that will make you distinguished in the opinion of Allahu ta'ala?" When the Ashab al-kiram said, "Yes, o Rasulullah", He 'sall-allahu alaihi wasallam' stated: "If you want to be distinguished in the opinion of Allahu ta'ala and attain high grades, behave gently towards a person who gets angry with you. Forgive a person who has been cruel to you. Visit also those who do not visit you."

Abu Huraira 'radi-allahu anh' narrates: Rasulullah 'sall-allahu alaihi wasallam' asked the Ashab al-kiram 'alahimur-ridwan': "Shall I teach you a few words [give you some advice]? Who among you will act upon it and learn it?" When Abu Huraira 'radi-allahu anh' said, "I will, o Rasulullah", Rasulullah 'sall-allahu alaihi wasallam' held him by the hand and stated: "Refrain from things made haram [forbidden] by Allahu ta'ala, and you will become the best worshipper among men. Be contented with what Allahu ta'ala has given to you [however little it may be], and you will become the richest of those people [to whom Allahu ta'ala has given richness of the heart]. Be kind to your neighbor and help him [both in your heart and actually], and you will become a mature believer. If you desire something for yourself, desire it for all others, and you will become a [perfect] Muslim."

10 - It is stated in the Gospel of Matthew: "Fornication is forbidden, and looking lustfully at a woman other than your spouse is fornication, too." [Matthew: 5-27, 28]

[Qur'an al-karim not only prohibits fornication definitely but also prohibits everything that may cause fornication. For instance, it is forbidden to look lustfully at a woman who is not your wife, and also women are forbidden to look at other men. In addition it is forbidden to stay together with a na-mahram woman in private, to listen to a na-mahram woman's voice, and to talk to na-mahram women without any good reason or in a charming manner. Capacity of our book is not convenient to include (all) the commandments of Allahu ta'ala and the hadith ash-Sharifs of Rasulullah 'sall-allahu alaihi wasallam' in this respect. We shall write some examples, however].

The thirty-second ayat of Isra sura purports: "Do not approach adultery. For adultery is a very loathsome deed and an extremely atrocious way."

[The sixty-eighth ayat of Furqan sura purports: "They [believers] do not worship anyone other than Allahu ta'ala, they do not unjustly kill the self forbidden by Allahu ta'ala (they do not commit murder), they do not commit adultery."]

It is noteworthy that the Sharia of Musa 'alaihis-salam' has forbidden fornication clearly by stating, "Do not commit fornication"; and the Sharia of Isa 'alaihis-salam' has not only forbidden fornication but also stated that it is fornication also to look lustfully.

As for Islam, the most superior and the most perfect religion; it has prohibited from approaching fornication, thus covering both (of the two previous religions) in the most comprehensive way. For when you are prohibited form approaching, you are naturally prohibited from the act of fornication and from looking. Another ayat al-karima gives good news to those who refrain and keep away from fornication. This ayat al-karima, namely the thirty-fifth ayat of Ahzab sura, comprehends five to ten verses of the Bible. The ayat al-karima conveys the following meaning: "Men and women who obey the decree [commandment] of Allahu ta'ala; believing men and believing women; men and women who are steady in their worships; faithful men and faithful women [in their actions and promises]; patient men and patient women; men and women who fear Allah; men who give alms and women who give alms; fasting men and fasting women; men and women who protect themselves from fornication; men and women who mention Allahu ta'ala very much; Allahu ta'ala has prepared forgiveness and a great reward for them."

[The thirtieth ayat of Nur sura purports: "O My Messenger 'sall-allahu alaihi wasallam'! Tell believers not to look at haram and to protect their awrat parts from haram! And tell those women who have iman (who believe) not to look at haram and to protect their awrat parts from haram!"]

The following hadith ash-Sharifs would suffice to show that it is like fornication and forbidden to look at na-mahram women with lust: "May Allahu ta'ala curse those who commit fornication with both eyes" and "A man who looks lustfully and the woman who makes (him) look!"

[Abu Said-i-Hudri 'radi-allahu anh' narrates that Rasulullah 'sall-allahu alaihi wasallam' declared: "A man should not look at (another) man's awrat parts, and a woman (should not look) at (another) woman's (awrat parts)!"

Aqaba bin Amir narrates: Rasulullah 'sall-allahu alaihi wasallam' declared: "Do not stay alone with a na-mahram woman in a room!"

'Umar ul-Faruq 'radi-allahu anh' narrates: Rasulullah 'sall-allahu alaihi wasallam' declared: "If a man stays together in private with a na-mahram woman, the third person in their company will be Shaitan (Satan)."

Burayda 'radi-allahu anh' narrates: Rasulullah 'sall-allahu alaihi wasallam' said to hadrat Ali: "O Ali! If you see a woman turn your face away from her. Do not look at her again! It is not sinful to see (a woman) unexpectedly, but it is a sin to look at her again."

Rasulullah 'sall-allahu alaihi wasallam' declared: "May Allahu ta'ala curse him (or her) who opens his (or her) awrat parts or who looks at someone else's awrat parts."

He declared in another hadith ash-Sharif: "A person who commits fornication is like one who worships idols."]

The punishment of hadd (the lash) for fornication is explained clearly in Qur'an al-karim. [The second ayat of Nur sura purports: "Flog each of the adulteress and the adulterer a hundred times [if they are single]. If you have iman in Allahu ta'ala and in the hereafter, do not have mercy on them in carrying out the commandments of Allahu ta'ala."

In the act of fornication, which has to be proven by four eyewitnesses or by the confession of the delinquents themselves, the punishment to be given to a married male or female Muslim for this abominable offense is stoning to death in an open space of ground. This is called Rejm. This punishment is for spreading this ugly deed. This punishment is intended to deter from adultery. This punishment is for jeopardizing a nation and its State. Adultery is nuisance that will destroy and annihilate nations and states. Considering the damage of being a dishonest man's wife, the (probable) damage that the wife also may lose her chastity, the damage that will be given to the husband of the woman with whom the husband has entered into relations, if she is married, the damage that will be caused to the wife of the man with whom the wife may venture into relations, if he is married, the damage of the children that will be destroyed and the healths that will be endangered during all these events, we cannot consider, the penalty given by Islam to those who commit adultery to be too much or unjust. For such pestilences as syphilis and gonorrhea, [and especially the recent years' fearful, fatal and incurable disease, namely AIDS], which are the results of illegitimate relations, have been threatening the whole world. Isa 'alaihis-salam', who is called Son of God by Christians (may Allahu ta'ala protect us against this belief), prohibited from fornication; yet the parts of the world where fornication is most widespread today are Christian countries.

It is reported in the 11 March 1987 issue of (the daily Turkish) newspaper TURKIYE: "In America, events of AIDS disease have been seen among some members and monks of the Catholic church. Newspapers such as National Catenalic Reporter and New York Times have reported that at least twelve priests died of AIDS." AIDS is a fatal and epidemic disease, which appeared in 1980. It has been found out that the disease originates from those who practice the abominable act of the people of Lut (people of Sodom and Gomorrah) and from prostitutes, and spreads rapidly. Its spreading among priests divulges the fact that they have taken to dishonest, shameless practices. It is reported that today great numbers of men, women and girls have desisted from going to church and confessing their sins lest they should catch this disease. The fact that this fatal, infectious and terrifying nuisance has never been seen in Islamic countries or among Muslims is a strong document distinguishing between the right and the wrong. We should not believe those lewd egoists who try to deceive Muslim children by giving such names as modernism and fashion to the immoral and shameless practices of Europeans and Americans. Today research on the treatment of AIDS carried out by spending billions of dollars from state budgets prove fruitless. Fornication it so widespread in America and in England that there are projects to open birth clinics within university campuses for university students. AIDS has become such a nightmare for humanity that tourists from Christian Europe can leave their country only after taking a medical certificate proving that they do not bear AIDS. Please note the greatness of the hikmat of Allahu ta'ala: He has sent the worst, the most dangerous diseases upon practices without Islam. The children lost in these illegitimate practices should not be considered as children not born. They are killed, murdered children. Islam's command in this respect is very subtle. The command of Rejm, stoning the married adulterer (or adulteress) to death, is the penalty for an intercourse which will bring about an illegitimate child deprived of its right of family and honor as a human being.

We will quote a few more hadith ash-Sharifs which prohibit from doing things that will cause fornication:

Rasulullah 'sall-allahu alaihi wasallam' declared: "If a person looks at a na-mahram woman with lust, his eyes shall be filled with fire, and he shall be thrown into Hell. If a person shakes hands with a na-mahram woman, his hands shall be tied to his neck and he shall be put into Hell. Those who talk to na-mahram women lustfully without any good reason to do so shall stay in Hell for a thousand years for each word."

He 'sall-allahu alaihi wasallam' declared in another hadith ash-Sharif:"If a person sees a na-mahram girl and turns his head away from her out of his fear of the torment of Allahu ta'ala, Allahu ta'ala will make him enjoy the taste of his worships." Like in every respect, Islam has made the best and the most correct judgement in this respect, too. How lucky for those who read the books of Islamic 'Ulama and who adapt themselves to those great religious men].

WARNING: In the existing copies of the Bible, all the laws of the Taurah (Pentateuch) were abrogated, and only the prohibition of adultery remained. Because the Bible did not declare a certain punishment for those who committed fornication, Christians looked on the prohibition of fornication as an abrogated law; this fact is known by those who are informed on the facts about Europeans. Although Isa 'alaihis-salam' declared clearly that looking (at na-mahram women) with lust is the same as fornication. Christians have not covered their women, [but left them open so that others may look at them with lust. It is haram (forbidden) to do things that will cause haram (forbidden act). Women's showing themselves to men without covering themselves, by ornamenting themselves or putting on perfumes cause men to look at them with lust. Then, today's existing Gospels command Christian women to cover themselves. It is for this reason that girls and nuns in all churches and monasteries cover themselves like Muslim women]. But now priests have allowed women to dance tightly with youngsters they like, let alone sitting together with na-mahram men. Therefore, every Christian may be said to be an adulterer or adulteress according to the statement of Isa 'alaihis- salam'. Yet if they answer that "those are ignorant people, uneducated Christians. Advice has no effect on them. Christian men of religion and priests are displeased with these habits of women"; then why do they not prevent men and women from coming together in churches, wearing all sorts of ornamentations and flirting with one another under the name of worship? Furthermore, when hearing confession, young priests and young women with bare faces sit together in private, knee to knee, the women recounting the sins they have committed and the priests listening to them; and when leaving church young lads offer holy water to young women; such things show that no priest, let alone ignorant common Christians, can escape fornication of the eyes.

These explanations clarify the fact that priests, who have legitimized many a deed that was forbidden by all heavenly books [by all heavenly religions] by their personal interpretation afterwards, should have legitimized fornication likewise. In Islam, on the other hand, a woman is prohibited from showing herself to na-mahram men, with the exception of her face and hands, and from staying with them in private. Those women who obey the commandment of Allahu ta'ala shall be under the divine protection of Allahu ta'ala in this world. [And in the world to come they shall attain the countless blessings of Jannat-i-ala (the noble place called Paradise). Thus Muslims women are in peace and comfort in the world and shall be given many a blessing in the hereafter]. They are not subjected to the humiliation of being lascivious men's objects of pleasure like European women.

[No other religion, no other system of belief, no other cult, no other doctrine has given the woman the value as has been endowed by Islam. Islam has crowned the woman by honoring her as the mother and the sultan of the home. Europeans, who claim to be civilized, employ women in factories, offices, workshops and stores, thus depriving them of their real office of duty.

In Islam, the woman does not have to work within or without the house or to earn money. If she is married, her husband, if she is not married, her father, and if she does not have father, her closest relative, has to work and meet all her needs. If a woman does not have anyone to take care of her, the house of treasure of the (Islamic) State, which is called Bayt ul-mal, has to subsist her and meet all her needs. In Islam the burden of earning has not been divided between man and woman. A man cannot force his wife to work in the field, in a factory or any other place. If a woman wishes she can, with the permission of her husband, work at places offering work for women without getting mixed with men. But the woman's earnings belong to herself. Her husband cannot seize anything from her forcibly. He cannot even force her to buy what she needs. Nor can he compel her to do housework. A woman does housework as a gift, kindness to her husband. Each of such things is a virtue, an honorable property possessed by Muslim women. In communist countries today women are forcibly employed with men in the heaviest works in return for food, like animals. In the so-called world, i.e. Christian countries, being told that "life is common", women are made to work in factories, fields and commercial businesses like men, and they live in grievances. As it is seen very frequently in daily newspapers, most of them regret having married and law courts teem with divorce suits. If women knew the value, the comfort and peace, the freedom, the right of divorce that Islam recognized for them, women all over the world would become Muslims and endeavor to spread Islam in every country. Islam's giving women very many rights and protecting them against being slaves or playthings in men's hands shows that Allahu ta'ala values women greatly].

After all that has been said so far, we request people with wisdom and reason to say for the sake of Allah which one is compatible with heavenly books and with the proprieties and necessities of humanity; Christianity or Islam?

11 - It is written in the Bible: "It has been said that if a person divorces his wife he should give her a written declaration of divorce. But I tell you this: if a person divorces (his wife) for any reason other than adultery he will have made her an adulteress. And if a person marries a divorced woman he will become an adulterer." [Matthew: 5-31-32]

We shall give detailed information on Christians' criticisms of divorce as prescribed by Islam and their answers in the section sub-titled DIVORCE. Yet we shall direct a few questions to all Christians for the time being:

a) Since it was declared by Isa 'alaihis-salam' that looking (at a na-mahram woman) with lust is the same as committing adultery according to the twenty-eighth verse of the fifth chapter of the Gospel of Matthew, which we have quoted earlier; when the reason of adultery takes place it becomes necessary to divorce (the wife) according to, again, the thirty-second verse of the fifth chapter of Matthew. Because there is no question of na-mahram men and women's not seeing one another among Christians today, it has become a daily matter-of-fact event for any Christian woman to see any young man she likes, and vice versa, in public or secretly; Then do Christians manage to shun the looking which is (said to be) fornication?

b) As is written in European histories, (some) European kings divorced their wives [and some of them even married a number of women] though their wives mostly did not commit adultery. Why did priests allow those kings to divorce their wives despite the limitless authority they had?

c) Divorce is written and valid in today's European laws, which recognize other reasons for divorce in addition to fornication, such as exceeding incompatibility and anger, and even agreement between the woman and man (to divorce); and yet they cannot divorce. In the divorce actuated by the husband, by keeping his new woman in his house or by the agreement of husband and wife, the husband and wife can establish a new marriage with someone else only three years later. Yet in the divorce caused by the guilt of adultery it is possible to marry someone else only after at least men months has elapsed. These are some of the articles of European laws. Now, what has become of the Biblical statement: "Divorce the adulteress at once"?

12 - It is written in the Bible: "You have heard that your predecessors were told: Do not swear falsely; you will pay your swearing to Rab (Allah). But I tell you this: Never swear; neither by the heaven, for it is the throne of Allah; nor by the earth, for it is the foothold of Allah; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Archangel. Do not swear 'by your head', either. For you cannot even make a hair white or black. Let your only word be 'yes, yes', or 'no, no.' For what is more than this is vile." (Matthew: 5-33 and onwards]

As is understood from these verses of the Gospel of Matthew, it is an absolute commandment not to swear at all. Since it would be unreasonable and incompatible with the Hikmat (Divine Wisdom) to annihilate altogether such a means of security, which is one of the greatest media of social dealings, this (verse) is presumably one of the interpolations in the Bible. Like in the religion of Musa 'alaihis-salam', there is swearing in Islam. There are three sorts of swearing in Islam:

a) Yamin-i-Ghamus: To swear falsely for something in the past although you know (that is not true). It is one of the gravest sins. Kaffarat is not necessary for this type of swearing. [It is necessary to repent at once and say istighfar (beg Allahu ta'ala for forgiveness)].

b) Yamin-i-Laghw: To swear by mistake thinking that you did something (in the past, though you did not do it). When it becomes clear that you did not do it, the swear lapses. [That is, it is not a sin, nor is it necessary to do kaffarat].

c) Yamin-i-Mun'aqida: To swear falsely to do or not to do something in the future. If a person promises to do something the next day and swears "by the name of Allah" and then does not abide by his promise by doing it, he becomes Hanis (liar), and it is now necessary for him to give kaffarat. Qur'an al-karim contains clear declarations stating that kaffarat is necessary for this type of swear. The eighty-ninth ayat of Maida sura purports: "Allahu ta'ala will not reprove you for yamin-i-laghw, [He will not punish you]. But He will reprove you for swearing by promising [yamin-i- mun'aqida). Its kaffarat (expiation) is to nourish ten poor people by giving each of them the average clothes that you would give your household, or to emancipate a slave; or, for a person who cannot do any of these three, to fast successively [one right after another] for three days. These are the expiations for your swears. Protect your tongues from [swearing falsely] and breaking your swears." As for swearing by something other than the name of Allahu ta'ala, such as (swearing) by the earth, by heaven, by your head or by your children; it has been prohibited through various hadith ash-Sharifs and therefore is not permissible canonically.

13 - As it is written in the Gospel of Matthew, after Isa 'alaihis-salam' narrates the ayat of retaliation in the Taurah, it is stated in the thirty-ninth and later verses of the fifth chapter: "But I tell you this: do not return evil; when someone slaps you on the right cheek, offer him (to slap you on) your left cheek, too. If someone wants to take away your shirt, give him your overcoat, too. If someone forces you to go a mile's distance with him, go two miles' distance with him. If someone asks from you, give him (what he wants). Love your enemies, and utter benedictions for those who utter maledictions against you. Greet everybody," and it is advised to forgive those who are harmful and cruel to others. Retaliation, that is, punishing the guilty person, it altogether denied.

Retaliation (lex talionis) is legalized in heavenly books and commanded in Qur'an al-karim. The forty-fifth ayat of Maida sura purports: "There is life for a life, an eye for an eye, a nose for a nose, an ear for an ear, a tooth for a tooth, and retaliation for injury." The hundred and seventy-ninth ayat of Baqara sura purports: "O owners of wisdom! There is life [and health] for you in talion." Yet there are also ayat al-karimas and hadith ash-Sharifs stating that it will be better and very beneficent for the inheritors of the victim (of murder) or the injured or mutilated person to forgive (the offender) instead of demanding retaliation. Yet the Bible's forgiving retaliation altogether is a strong evidence of the fact that it his been interpolated. For talion existed in every religion, in every canon. In fact, retaliation was executed even in Christian countries. If Christians had admitted the soundness, the correctness of this Bible, they would not have done retaliation.

Also, the commandments, "If someone slaps you on one cheek offer him your other cheek, too. If someone asks for your shirt give him your overcoat, too. If anyone asks you to go with him, go with him," should be interpolations like the matter of retaliation. For no nation, no society can survive with such a canon as that. The most evident proof of this is the fact that Europeans take no heed of these principles of Christianity.

[The material well-being, the scientific and technical improvements in Europe appeared in the wake of turning away from Christianity. The reason for those developments were the reformations in Europe. The agents of those reformations were those Europeans who had been educated in the Andalusian (Spanish) madrasas. These people took to the field against Christianity, which was an impediment against all sorts of improvement, and proved through mental and scientific evidences that Christianity hinders progress. They wrote books repudiating Christianity and proving the fact that it is an obstruction for improvement. Some ignorant people who did not know Islam read these books written by Europeans and thought that it was the case with Islam, too. This gave them the idea of reforming Islam, which commands knowledge and all sorts of improvement. They deviated from the lightsome way of Islam and caused others to deviate, too, thus showing how ignorant and stupid they were. As we have pointed out before, Muslims have improved as long as they have adhered to Islam, and the farther Christians have withdrawn from Christianity the more progress they have made].

14 - The Gospel of Matthew commands: "Sell whatever you have and give (the earnings) as alms." [Matthew: 15-21]

Qur'an al-karim, on the other hand, encourages alms and favors. [Instead of commanding to give all your property as alms, Qur'an al-karim prohibits from making yourself needy and contemptible in the society by giving all your property as alms]. In fact, the twenty-sixth ayat of Isra sura purports: "Do right by your relations, [which means, depending on the situation, doing sila-i-rahim (visiting your relations), giving alms to the poor and needy ones, and getting on well with them]. Do right by the poor and travelers [by giving them zakat and food], depending on their situation." And the twenty- ninth ayat purports: "Do not tie your hand on your neck, [that is, don't be stingy]; and do not open your hand too wide, [that is, don't be extravagant]; otherwise you ill go bad and need others."

[Qur'an al-karim declares that giving alms will serve as an atonement for a lot of sins and will cause them to be forgiven].

15 - The third verse of the sixth chapter of the Gospel of Matthew states: "But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing! Your Father, who sees secret things, shall pay you."

Although it is specious to give alms secretly in order to avoid ostentation, it will not be wrong to give (alms) overtly, without any intention to make a show, in order to encourage others. Therefore, Qur'an al-karim does not forbid giving alms publicly, though it is declared in an ayat al-karima that it is better to give (alms) secretly. The two hundred and seventy-first ayat of Baqara sura purports: "How beautiful it is if you give alms openly. If you conceal it (that is, your giving alms), and if you give them [the alms] to the poor, this is better for you and will be kaffarat for your sins. Allahu ta'ala is aware of your deeds." [The alms (which we are) advised to give openly in this ayat al-karima is zakat, which is fard (one of the five commandments of Islam)]. It is not ostentatious to give zakat, which is a commandment, openly; there is more thawab (reward in the next world) in it, (in giving zakat openly). Yet it is better to give alms, which is tatawwu' [supererogatory], secretly. It is declared in a hadith ash-Sharif that the alms given secretly will be rewarded with seventy times as much thawab as will be given for the alms done openly]. The reward that will ensue from the property donated in the way loved by Allahu ta'ala is expressed in the two hundred and sixty-first ayat of Baqara sura, which purports: "Those who give their property as alms in the way of Allah are comparable to a grain which, when sowed, produce seven spikes each of which contains a hundred grains."

The alms must be given out of the property that one likes best. In this respect, the ninety-second ayat of Al-i-'imran sura purports: "You shall not attain khayr, goodness [Paradise] unless you give alms from things that you are fond of."

The two hundred and seventy-third and the two hundred and seventy-fourth ayats of Baqara sura purport: "Your alms are for those who perform jihad only for the sake of Allahu ta'ala and those who acquire knowledge and those who are busy with a useful deed such as worshipping and those poor people who do not have [the opportunity or] time to deal in a trade or art on the earth. Because they refrain from begging, ignorant people think they are rich. O May Messenger, you will recognize them by their features. On account of their chastity, they do not disturb people by begging. If you give them alms out of your property, Allahu ta'ala knows that you have given and why you have given. Those people who give their property as alms night and day secretly and openly; their rewards are rewards that will be [the Gardens of Naim] (that will be given) by Allahu ta'ala. There is no fear or sorrow for them." [Abu Bakr-i-Siddiq 'radi-allahu anh' gave a thousand golds in public, a thousand golds secretly, a thousand golds at night, and a thousand golds during the day. It has been narrated that the ayat al-karima (quoted above) was revealed upon that event].

Rasulullah 'sall-allahu alaihi wasallam' declared: "There are seven kinds of people whom Allahu ta'ala will shelter in the shade of the Arsh on the Day of Resurrection, when there will be no shade except that which will be bestowed by Allahu ta'ala. One of them is the person who gives alms so (secretly) that even his left hand is unaware of this right hand's giving (alms)." It should not be inferred from this hadith ash-Sharif that giving alms publicly is altogether forbidden. There are situations in which it is better to do something good and auspicious or give alms in public in order to encourage others, provided you will have pure intention and avoid riya. It is declared in a hadith ash-Sharif: "A person who guides to doing something is like one who does it." According to this hadith ash-Sharif, there are double rewards for giving alms or doing good publicly; one reward for giving alms and another for encouraging others. From both logical and canonical points of view, goodness or alms done publicly for such a pure intention is for certain more beautiful than concealing it. While the existing copies of the Bible command frankly that alms should be given secretly, most Christians give alms openly, thus disobeying the Bible in this respect, too. As a matter of fact, it is one of the old European traditions for some beneficent people and carefully dressed madams to drive around in streets in order to moderate their selves by collecting alms.

16 - It is written in the sixth chapter of the Gospel of Matthew that one should avoid riya when praying. [5 and later verses]

[Riya means to misrepresent something or, in short, it means ostentation. It is one of the illnesses of the heart. It is a had habit. It means to attain worldly desires by doing the actions pertaining to the world to come, and by pretending to have directed oneself towards the hereafter. The evils of riya have been stated by Allahu ta'ala in Qur'an al-karim, by Rasulullah 'sall-allahu alaihi wasallam' in his hadith ash-Sharifs, and by the Islamic 'Ulama in their books].

The fourth and the fifth ayats of Ma'un sura purport:"There is vehement torment for those who perform namaz in an oblivious or disrespectful manner and those who perform their (prayers of) namaz with evil thoughts and ostentatiously when they are in company and neglect the namaz when they are alone." The hundred and tenth ayat of Kahf sura purports:"He who wants to attain his Rab (Allahu ta'ala) should perform 'amel-i-salih (pious deeds) and should not attribute any partner to his Rab in his worshipping Him." According to this ayat al-karima, riya, that is, doing the worships for ostentation, is equivalent to shirk (attributing a partner to Allahu ta'ala). For the person who makes a show (of his worshipping) attributes someone else as a partner to the Mabud (the One who is to be worshipped, i.e. Allahu ta'ala). Confirming this meaning, Rasulullah 'sall- allahu alaihi wasallam' stated to the Ashab al-kiram: "What I fear most for you is your giving yourselves up to shirk-i-asghar [slight shirk]" When the Ashab al-kiram asked, "O Rasulullah! What is slight shirk?", he stated: "It is riya."

[He 'sall-allahu alaihi wasallam' stated in another hadith ash-Sharif:"The person who worships with riya in the world will be told on the Day of Judgement: O you evil person! There is no reward for you today. Whoever you worshipped in the world, ask them to give you the reward." The antonym for riya is ikhlas, which means to do your worships only for the sake of Allahu ta'ala without considering their worldly advantages. Rasulullah 'sall- allahu alaihi wasallam' states: "Allahu ta'ala declares: I do not have a partner. He who attributes a partner to Me should ask him (the partner he has attributed to Me) for the thawab [the rewards I have promised]. Do your worships with ikhlas! Allahu ta'ala will accept the deeds done with ikhlas." As he 'sall- allahu alaihi wasallam' was sending off Muaz bin Jabal 'radi-allahu anh' as the governor to the Yaman, he 'sall-allahu alaihi wasallam' stated:"Do your worships with ikhlas! Deeds done with ikhlas, few as they may be, will be enough for you on the Day of Judgement." In another hadith ash-Sharif he 'sall-allahu alaihi wasallam' declared: "good news to those who do their worships with ikhlas. They are the stars of hidayat (the right way of Islam). They will destroy the darkness of fitna (instigation)."]

17 - It is stated in the Gospel of Matthew: "As you pray, do not do unnecessary repetitions as idolaters do. For they expect their prayers will be accepted due to excessive repetition. He knows your needs before you ask from Him. You pray as follows: O our Father who is in the heavens; may your name be blessed. May your Supreme Dominion come about. May your will dominate the earth, as it dominates the heavens. Give us our daily bread today, too, and as we forgive those who are guilty, forgive us our gilts [debts]. Do not let us yield to temptation. Save us from evils, All the creation, the omnipotence, the glory are eternally Thine. Amin." [Matthew: 6-7 and later verses]

[Here, by saying, "May Thine will dominate the earth, as it dominates the heavens," powerlessness is imputed to Allahu ta'ala. And saying, "as we forgive those who are guilty, forgive us our gilts", means to put Allahu ta'ala under obligation. That is, it means to say, "As we have done, you also have to do." (May Allahu ta'ala protect us from saying so!) Again, only bread is asked for, whereas all blessings should be asked from Allahu ta'ala].

The Bible does not contain any prayers other than this. Therefore, Christians have to say this prayer daily. Muslims' daily prayer is Fatiha-i-Sharifa, which is recited at every rakatof the five daily prayers of namaz. Thus it is said at least forty times daily. The meaning of the sura of Fatiha-i-Sharifa is as follows:

"Bismillah-er-rahman-er-rahim: I begin by saying the blessed name of Allahu ta'ala, who is Rahman [18] and Rahim [19]. The highest of hamd-u-thena (praise, laud and thanks) belongs to Allahu ta'ala, who is the creator of all worlds, [and who has associated them with one another in perfect harmony]. Allahu ta'ala is very merciful upon His born servants in this world and in the world to come. He, alone, is the owner [and the ruler] of the Day of Judgement. We worship only You. [There is none except You who is worthy of being worshipped.] And only from You we ask for help. Keep us in the right way, [which is the medium way in our beliefs, deeds, words and morals]. [Keep us steady in the sirat-i-mustaqim, which is the Islamic religion and the sunnat-i-enam 'alaihis- salatu wasallam']. Keep us in the way of those whom You have blessed, [i.e. Prophets, Walis, and Siddiqs]; not in the way of those who have subjected themselves to Your Wrath [by not admitting the Truth] and who have deviated [from the right way)! [Ya Rabbi] Amin [O my Allah, accept this prayer)!" Qur'an al-karim contains hundreds of other prayers; books of tafsir (interpretation) explain them one by one.

18 - It is stated in the Gospel of Matthew: "When you are to pray, enter your inner room, close the door, and pray to your Father, who is secret! Your Father, who sees in secret, shall pay you publicly. Your Father, who is in heavens, will bestow very many gifts upon those who ask from Him."

There are numerous ayat al-karimas in Qur'an al-karim [explaining the rewards that will be given to those who pray and stating that it is necessary to pray and that prayers shall be accepted]. The sixtieth ayat of Mumin sura purports: "Pray to Me, and I shall respond to you [accept your prayers]." The hundred and eighty- sixth ayat of Baqara sura purports: " [O My Messenger]; If My born servants ask you of Me, I am close (to them) [in knowledge and in accepting]. When they pray to Me, I shall accept their prayers. They should ask for My accepting (their prayers), and they should believe in Me."

19 - It is stated in the Gospel of Matthew: "If you forgive people's faults, your Father in the heaven shall forgive you, too. But if you do not forgive people's faults, your Father shall not forgive you, either." [Matthew: 6-14, 15]

The twenty-second ayat of the Nur sura of Qur'an al-karim purports: " [Tell them to] forgive [people's faults], and give up revenging. Pay attention! Don't you like Allah's forgiving you? Allahu ta'ala is forgiving and merciful." The hundred and thirty-fourth ayat of Al-i-'imran sura purports: " [The people of Taqwa] are those who [give alms and] subsist (people) in abundance and in paucity; in richness and in poverty. They do away with their anger; [that is, they are patient enough to give up their estrangement while they have the choice and] forgive [those who deserve punishment]. Allahu ta'ala loves those who do kindness." [Muslims have always acted upon these ayat al-karimas. Here is an example of this: As Rasulullah's blessed grandson Husain bin Ali 'radi- allahu anh' sat at the (meal) table with his guests, his slave, who was bringing in some hot food in a container, tripped over something on the floor and poured the food he was holding on Husain's 'radi-allahu anh' blessed head. When he looked hard at his slave's face in order to warn him to be more careful, the slave said the part stating, "They do not get angry," of this ayat al-karima. When Husain the Imam 'radi-allahu anh' said, "I have done away with my anger," the slave recited the part stating, "They forgive those people who are in fault." Imam-i- Husain 'radi-allahu anh' said, "I have forgiven (you)" Upon this the slave recited the part, "Allahu ta'ala loves those who do kindness." And Imam-i-Husain 'radi- allahu anh' said, "I have emancipated you from slavery. You can go wherever you like."] The seventeenth and eighteenth ayats of Beled sura purport: "Then they become believers and advise patience and mercy to one another. They are among the Ashab-i-yamin, that is, the people of Paradise." Rasulullah 'sall-allahu alaihi wasallam' declared: "He who does not have mercy upon others is not to be shown mercy to."

20 - It is stated in the Gospel of Matthew: "When you fast do not sulk like hypocrites. For they sulk so that people will see that they are fasting. Indeed, I tell you that they have received their rewards. But when you fast, put some cover on your head and wash your face, so that you will show that you have fasted not for people but for your Father who is in concealment." [Matthew: 6-16, 17, 18]

Isa 'alaihis-salam' commanded to fast only for Allah's sake and prohibited from ostentation. Since we have already explained the wickedness of ostentation according to Islam and quoted some of the ayat al-karimas and hadith ash-Sharifs prohibiting from ostentation, we need not repeat them here. It must be noted, however, that while fasting is commanded clearly in these verses of the Bible, many years after Isa 'alaihis-salam', Paul, who had not even seen his face and who, as it is confessed even by Christians, had done many a treason to his companions, changed this (commandment of) fasting, as he changed other commandments in the Bible.

21 - It is stated in the sixth chapter of the Gospel of Matthew: "Do not bind your heart by amassing property. Do not be anxious about what you will eat and drink. Put your trust in Haqq (Allah): "And these statements are reinforced with some examples such as lives of birds and natural garments of lily of the valleys. [Matthew: 6-25 and later].

We have already quoted some ayat al-karimas of Qur'an al-karim and hadith ash-Sharifs of our Prophet about not esteeming the world. There are also many ayat al-karimas about tawakkul (putting one's trust in Allahu ta'ala). We will mention only a few of them here.

The second and third ayat al-karimas of Talaq sura purport: "If a person fears Allahu ta'ala, Allahu ta'ala will bless him with a way off (from poverty to well-being) and will give him his subsistence through means that he does not expect. If a person puts his trust in Allahu ta'ala, Allahu ta'ala is sufficient for him."

[If all the ayat al-karimas concerning tawakkul were put together, they would make up a volume bigger than the whole Bible. The twenty-third ayat of Maida sura purports: "If you have iman put your trust in Allahu ta'ala." The hundred and fifty-ninth ayat of Al-i- 'imran sura purports: "Allahu ta'ala loves those who have tawakkul." The eleventh ayat of Ibrahim sura purports: "Those who have tawakkul should have tawakkul only in Allahu ta'ala."

Rasulullah 'sall-allahu alaihi wasallam' stated: "They showed me some of my ummat (Muslims). (They were so many that) they covered mountains and fields. I was astonished and pleased to see that they were so numerous. I was asked if I was pleased. When I said, 'Yes', I was told that only seventy thousand of them would enter Paradise. And when I asked who they were, I was told: They are those who do not mix their doings with magic, sorcery, cauterization or augury and those who do not put their trust in anyone except Allahu ta'ala." One of the listeners, Uqasha 'radi-allahu anh', stood up and said, "O Rasulullah! Pray for me so that I shall be one of them." He (Rasulullah 'sall-allahu alaihi wasallam') prayed: "Ya Rabbi (o my Allah)! Make him one of them!" And when another stood up and asked for the same benediction, he 'sall-allahu alaihi wasallam' declared: "Uqasha has forestalled you."

He (Rasulullah 'sall-allahu alaihi wasallam') stated in a hadith ash-Sharif: "If you had full tawakkul in Allahu ta'ala, He would send you (your sustenance) as He gives birds their sustenance. Birds go out with empty stomachs, hungry, in the morning, and come back with their stomachs filled, fully fed in the evening." In another hadith ash-Sharif he stated: "If a person entrusts himself to Allahu ta'ala, Allahu ta'ala will reach him in everything he does. He will give him sustenance through places that he does not expect. If a person puts his trust on the world, He will leave him on the world."

In Islam, tawakkul does not mean to expect everything from Allahu ta'ala by not working at all. The divine law of causation of Allahu ta'ala is such that He creates everything through some means. He is the creator of the means, and He, again, creates the occurrence of events through the means. Islam commands us to find out the means that cause (the creation of) each event and hold fast to the means. In everything we do, we have to hold fast to the means that are known (to cause the creation of that thing) and then pray and supplicate to Allahu ta'ala for the creation of the causative effect in the means. To expect that Allahu ta'ala will make that thing without our holding fast to the means will means to disobey Allahu ta'ala and to attempt to suspend His law of causation. There is extensive information about the meaning of tawakkul and its kinds in the (Turkish) book Tam ilmihal SE'ADET-I EBEDIYYE (Endless Bliss).]

22 - It is stated in the Gospel of Matthew: "Why don't you see the beam in your eye while you see the straw in your brother's eye?" [Matthew: 7-3]

The twelfth ayat of the Hujurat sura of Qur'an al-karim purports:"O believers, beware from extensive supposition. For some suppositions are sinful. Do not try to find out [others' faults], and do not backbite one another. [That is, do not make a slanderous statement about someone in his absence]. Would any of you like to eat his dead brother's flesh? You would feel disgusted [if you were offered it]. Fear Allahu ta'ala. Surely, Allahu ta'ala will accept the tawba (repentance) of those who make tawba, and He is very compassionate." Rasulullah 'sall-allahu alaihi wasallam' declared: "If a person conceals people's faults and defects, Allahu ta'ala will conceal his faults and defects." In another hadith ash-Sharif he stated: "Search for the faults of your own self. Do not search for others' faults."

[Another hadith ash-Sharif declares: "Backbiting is a sin which is graver than fornication." Backbiting is forbidden vehemently in Islam. As fire destroys wood, so backbiting destroys hasanat [good deeds]. A hadith-i- Sharif declares: "On the Day of Judgement a person's book of thawab will be opened. He will say: Ya Rabbi (O my Allah)! I did such and such worships when I was in the world. They are not recorded on the page (appointed for them). He will be told: They have been erased from your book and recorded in the books of those whom you backbit." And another hadith ash-Sharif declares: "On the Day of Judgement a person's book of hasanat will be opened. He will see worships that he did not do there (in the book). He will be told: These are the thawabs of those who backbit you." There are many hadith ash-Sharifs that forbid backbiting and command to prevent backbiting. Rasulullah 'sall-allahu alaihi wasallam' stated: "The person who helps his brother-in-Islam without his (his brother's) knowing about it shall be helped by Allahu ta'ala in the world and in the hereafter." Again, he 'sall-allahu alaihi wasallam' stated: "If a person's brother-in-Islam is backbitten in his presence and yet he does not help his brother, [that is, does not prevent his brother's backbiters], his sins are enough for him in the world and in the hereafter."]

23 - It is stated in the Gospel of Matthew: "Enter through the narrow door, for the door or the way that leads to destruction is wide, and many people enter through it. But the door of the way that leads to life is small in width. And few people have

discovered it." [Matthew: 7-13, 14]

"It is purported in Qur'an al-karim, in the fourteenth ayat of Al-i-'imran sura: "Love of the nafs's (self's) desires has been made attractive to men." Inclination towards something is natural, and therefore it is a wide way. Rasulullah 'sall-allahu alaihi wasallam' stated: "Paradise has been surrounded with things that the nafs does not like, and Hell (has been surrounded) with the desires and lusts of the nafs." In short, the way to Paradise is narrow and onerous, and they way to Hell is wide and adorned.

24 - It is written the Gospel of Matthew that Isa 'alaihis-salam' said: "Not every man who addresses himself to me, "O my Lord, o my Lord's, can join the heavenly domain of Allahu ta'ala. Only he who carries out the commandment of my Father in the heavens can join them. That day many people will say to me: O Lord, o Lord, didn't we prophesy in Thine name? Didn't we call out genies in Thine name? And didn't we make many miracles in Thine name? Then I shall say unto them: I have never known Thee. Leave me alone, o thou cruel people!" [Matthew: 7-21 and later]

The meaning of the word 'domain' mentioned here is not church organization as Protestant priests interpret it; on the contrary, its meaning is the Mahkama-i-kubra (the Grand Judgement), which will be seen on the Day of Resurrection, and the justice and vengeance of Allahu ta'ala, which will take place meanwhile. Qur'an al-karim contains many ayat al-karimas similar to these verses of the Bible. The two hundred and fifty-fifth ayat of Baqara sura purports:"All the existence in the heavens and on the earth is the property of Allahu ta'ala. Who could intercede for someone or save him on the Day of Judgement unless Allahu ta'ala gave him the permission (to do so)?" [The forty-fourth ayat of Zumer sura is interpreted as, "Tell them; no one can intercede without the permission of Allahu ta'ala." The forty-eighth ayat of Muddassir sura purports: "If those who are permitted to intercede (use his permission to) intercede for disbelievers, their intercession will do them no good."] Rasulullah 'sall-allahu anh', who is the sayyidat-un-nisa: "On the Day of Judgement, I shall not give you any help unless Allahu ta'ala gives (me) permission (to do so)." [Rasulullah 'sall-allahu alaihi wasallam' is the owner of the Shafaat-i-uzma (the Grand Intercession). At the place of assembly for the Last Judgement, people will have recourse to (Prophets); Adam (Adam), Nuh (Noah), Ibrahim (Abraham), Musa (Moses), respectively; and finally to Isa (Jesus) 'alaihimus- salam'. And Isa 'alaihis-salam', saying that he feels ashamed before Allahu ta'ala because Christians made him a partner to Allahu ta'ala, will send them to Muhammad 'alaihis-salam', who is the hatam-ul-anbiya [the last Prophet], and Rasulullah, being Allah's compassion for (all) worlds, will intercede for rescuing all people from the torment of the Judgement Day, his intercession will be accepted (by Allahu ta'ala), and the torment of the Judgement Day will be raised from all people.

It is declared in hadith ash-Sharifs: "On the Day of Judgement, I shall intercede first." and "On the Day of Resurrection, I shall be the first to get out of the grave and the first intercessor." and "I can intercede for any Muslim, except those who calumniate my Ashab." and "Of my ummat, I shall intercede for those who have many sins."]

Such is the belief held by Muslims with respect to shafaat (intercession). Yet Christians believe that after Ascension, Isa 'alaihis-salam' sat on the right hand side of the Father, undertook all the divine powers, and will be the absolute ruler of the Day of Judgement. [Matthew: 28-19; Mark: 16-19, and the other Gospels] They do not notice that this credo is clearly contrary to the verses of the Bible. Whereas Isa 'alaihis-salam' said to the apostles, "I shall not be useful to those who disobey Allah's commandments. I cannot help those who call out my name and beg me" [Matthew: 7-21 and later], Christians hold the wrong belief that "Hadrat Isa has sacrificed himself for us. Thus we have been saved from Hell."

25 - Again, despite the command of Isa 'alaihis- salam', "Do not demand a price from anybody in exchange for preaching", it has been observed with dismay how Protestant missionaries strive to promulgate Christianity in return for thousands of pounds yearly and how priests of the other Christian sects have made a list of charges for various sins and deliver from each sin in return for a certain price; this practice has reached the extent that some Christians give their land property to priests, part by part, in return for deliverance from their sins, so that thousands of priests have been living in welfare and riches as a result of this trade. What is specially consternating here is the fact that this vicious belief is held by one-third of Europeans, who claim to be superior to other nations of the world in science, techniques and wisdom.

The hundred and eighty-sixth ayat of Araf sura of Qur'an al-karim purports: "If Allahu ta'ala has doomed a person to destruction and deprived him of iman, there is no one to guide him to the right way."

26 - According to the Gospel of Matthew, Isa 'alaihis- salam' made the following nuncupation to his disciples: "When you enter a house, make salam. If the person being there is worthy of it, may your salam be unto him. If he is not worthy of it, may your salam return to you; and if he does not accept you or listen to what you say, leave that house or city and clean your feet of dust." [Matthew: 10-12, 13, 14]

Qur'an al-karim and hadith ash-Sharifs contain many rules about how to make salam, how to knock on a door, and how to enter a house. The twenty-seventh and the twenty-eighth ayats of Nur sura purport: "O believers. Do not enter houses other than yours without getting the host's permission and without making salam. This [your entering with permission and salam] is better for you, [because (in this case) the host will (have time to) stop unsuitable things]. If you consider these you will understand their hikmat (ultimate divine causes). If there is no one in a house, or if you are not permitted, do not go in. If they [do not admit you and] tell you to go back, then go back. This is more beautiful for you [because it will represent your (beautiful) manners]. Allahu ta'ala knows all that you do."

27 - Also, in the tenth chapter of the Gospel of Matthew, it is stated that the apostles who are sent forth for calling (people) to Christianity will suffer trouble and persecution as they preach Gospel, that they should flee to another city if they are persecuted in one city, that they should not fear anyone except, Allahu ta'ala, that (when they preach) it is not their selves but it is the Spirit of Allahu ta'ala who speaks [May Allahu ta'ala protect us from believing or saying so], and that if they are killed, the body only shall be killed, the soul being beyond the reach of their (enemies') aggression.

The thirty-ninth ayat of the Ahzab sura of Qur'an al-karim purports: "Those people who preach the mission [commandments and prohibitions] of Allahu ta'ala to people; they fear Allahu ta'ala only, and they do not fear anyone except Allahu ta'ala. Allahu ta'ala, alone, is capable of paying for their deeds." The seventeenth ayat of Enfal sura purports: " [Ya Muhammad (O Muhammad) 'sall-allahu alaihi wasallam'! In the Gaza (Holy War) of Badr], You did not throw it [a handful of soil to the disbelievers' eyes]. But in reality Allahu ta'ala threw it." The hundred and fifty-fourth ayat al-karima of Baqara sura, whose blessed meaning is, "Do not say 'the dead' about those who have been killed in the way of Allah. In reality they are alive, yet you do not understand them. [Mind in incapable of comprehending how they live]", declares that martyrs' souls are alive, though their bodies are dead.

28 - In the fortieth verse of the tenth chapter of the Gospel of Matthew, Isa 'alaihis-salam' says to his apostles: "He who accepts you accepts me and he who accepts me accepts Him who has sent me."

In this verse, Isa 'alaihis-salam' confirms the fact that he has been sent by Allahu ta'ala and that he who obeys him obeys Allahu ta'ala (by doing so). In this respect, it is stated in Qur'an al-karim that obedience to Rasulullah 'sall-allahu alaihi wasallam' is obedience to Allahu ta'ala. The eighth ayat of Nisa sura purports: "He who obeys the Messenger will have obeyed Allahu ta'ala."

29 - It is written as follows in the forty-sixth and later ayats of the Gospel of Matthew: "Jesus was speaking to the people yet, when his mother and his brothers stood outside, wishing to conserve with him. And someone said unto him. There, your mother and brothers are standing outside in order to converse with you. Jesus replied to the person and said unto him: Who is my mother? Who are my brothers? And extending his hand towards his apostles he said: There is my mother and my brothers. For whoever acts upon the will of my father, who is in the heaven, is my brother and sister and mother."

In Qur'an al-karim, on the other hand, Allahu ta'ala commands to respect one's parents. The twenty- third and the twenty-fourth ayats of Isra sura purport: "Be kind to your parents. Do not say 'ugh' to them, [do not insult them or shout at them, and] say polite, kind, beautiful words to them. Be very compassionate to them and lower your wings in humiliation and humbleness. [That is, be kind and affable to them, do not be conceited], and pray for them as follows: Ya Rab (o my Allah), have mercy on them as they gave me (family) education when I was a boy."

30 - At the beginning of the second chapter of the Gospel of John, Isa 'alaihis-salam' and his mother attend a wedding feast given in the city of Kana. During the meal, "As there was little wine left, Jesus' mother said to Him: They don't have wine. Jesus said to her: Woman, what relation are you to me", thus replying (her) in a harsh manner. This woman is hadrat Maryam (Mary), who would be the topic of the discussions on "whether she was the mother of Isa 'alaihis-salam' or of God [may Allahu ta'ala protect us from saying so]", which were held several hundred years later in the ecclesiastical assemblies called Councils and which ended in the decision that she would be the mother of God.

The creed held by priests has been based on contradictory principles such as these. When the facts written above are seen and known, however much thanks Muslims might express to Allahu ta'ala, they would fall short of depicting the happy situation they are in on account of the gift of Islam they have been blessed with.

31 - In the third and later verses of the thirteenth chapter of the Gospel of Matthew, Isa 'alaihis-salam', giving various examples, classifies people who hear the commandments of Allahu ta'ala into four groups, and likens each group to a seed that is sown. Then he says, "Thus, as sower starts to sow the seeds, some of the seeds fall on the roadside, so that birds come and eat them. Some of them fall on rocky ground with little soil on it, and push forth too soon because the soil is not deep enough. So the rising sun scorches them and, having no roots, they wither up. Some of the seeds fall on shrubby ground, so that the growing shrubs choke them. And some of them fall on good soil. Some of them reproduce themselves a hundredfold, some sixty fold, and others thirty fold. Let those who have ears hear." Here, the first group, i.e. those seeds which are thrown on the roadside represent those people who hear the Divine Word but deny it and disbelieve it. The second group, i.e. the seeds that are sown on rocky ground and do not push out roots, represent renegades, who hear the Divine Word and first believe it but after a time deny it. The third group, i.e. the seeds scattered among bushes represent those who hear the Divine Word and believe it; but afterwards, being absorbed by the world and smitten with the desire of earning property, they neglect worshipping. The fourth group, that is, seeds that are sown on good soil are likened to those who hear the Divine Word, believe it, and act accordingly.

In the Islamic religion, the first group of these characters are called kafirs (disbelievers, unbelievers); the second group are called murteds (renegades) and munafiqs (hypocrites); the third group are called fasiqs [sinners]; and the fourth group are called muttaqi, or salih, Mumins (believers who fear Allahu ta'ala, or pious believers); and these terms have been used so far.

[Those who vie after the love of Allahu ta'ala are called MUTTAQI or SAALIH. Person who has already attained the love of Allahu ta'ala, (i.e. who is loved by Allahu ta'ala), is called WALI [20]. And the person who has attained the love of Allahu ta'ala and who strives to guide others in the way of attaining the love of Allahu ta'ala is called MURSHID.]

Qur'an al-karim contains many ayat al-karimas concerning these four groups of people and the rewards and punishments that will be given to them. Our book would be too small to compile them and to quote them all. We shall therefore content ourselves with the citation of the meaning of one ayat al-karima about each group. The sixth ayat of Baqara sura purports concerning disbelievers: "O My Habib (Most Beloved One). It is equal (it makes no difference) whether you give the warning of torment to disbelievers, [whose hearts are inaccessible to the light of iman, whose hearts have been suffocated by the darkness of disbelief]. They will not have iman. Allahu ta'ala has sealed up, curtained their hearts, ears and eyes. There is great torment for them." Concerning munafiqs (hypocrites), the eighth ayat of Baqara sura purports: "Some people say: We have had belief in Allahu ta'ala and in the Day of Resurrection. Yet they have not had iman." [In Qur'an al-karim there are thirty- two long ayats specially telling about munafiqs. In addition, many, ayats refer to nifaq (hypocrisy, and instigation caused by hypocrites). The fifty-third ayat of Zumer sura purports about sinners: " [O My Messenger!] Tell [believers from Me]: O My born servants who are extravagant of their selves, [that is, who exceed the due bounds], in sinning. Do no give up hope of the mercy of Allahu ta'ala. Certainly, Allahu ta'ala is Ghafur, that is, He is very forgiving. He is Rahim, that is, He is very compassionate." [This ayat al-karima was revealed after the conquest of Mecca. Most of the polytheists were in fear. They did not know what sort of treatment they would be subjected to. For they had persecuted many believers, and martyred many others. When these polytheists became believers, no penalty, not even a slightest one, was inflicted on them. They attained the honor of joining the Ashab al-kiram. In fact, even Wahshi 'radi-allahu anh', who had martyred Rasulullah's most beloved (paternal) uncle Hamza 'radi-allahu anh', was forgiven and became one of the Ashab al-kiram 'radi-allahu anhum ajmain']. Concerning the muttaqi believers, the fourth ayat of Baqara sura purports: "Those people who believe without any doubt in Qur'an al-karim and the Books sent to other Prophets, [that is, the Taurah (Pentateuch), the Zabur (the heavenly Book revealed to hadrat Dawud), and the Injil (Bible) in their original, unchanged forms], and in the world to come [the Day of Judgement]. These people are in the way of hidayat (guided) by Allahu ta'ala, which is the right way, and they shall find salah [salvation] from torment and punishment."

32 - Again, in the thirteenth chapter of the Gospel of Matthew, Isa 'alaihis-salam' illustrates with some examples the situations into which sinners fall because of the scruples caused and the seeds of instigation sown by the devil, and says that on the Day of Judgement they will be punished by burning in Hell on account of their sins.

In Qur'an al-karim there are many ayat al-karimas explaining these feats of the devil and the things that he does in order to mislead people and advising not to be taken in by his tricks. The sixth ayat of Fatir sura purports: "Indeed Shaitan (Satan) is inimical to you. So you should be inimical to him. For he tempts those who obey him [to follow their nafs and to be fond of the world and] to join the people of Hell." The two hundred and eighth ayat of Baqara sura purports: "O believers, do not follow Shaitan's way, [his scruples]."

[The hundred and sixty-eighth and the hundred and sixty-ninth ayats of Baqara sura purport: "Do not follow Shaitan's way. Certainly he is an evident enemy of yours. Shaitan orders you only fahsha, [which means evil, obscenity, being fond of the world, following your sensuous desires]." The two hundred and sixty-eighth ayat of Baqara sura purports: "Shaitan will intimidate you by saying that you will be impoverished [when you are to give alms in the way of Allah], and he will order you not to give alms." The sixtieth ayat of Nisa sura purports: "Shaitan wants to make them fall into a heresy far from hidayat [by tempting them to excess]." The sixtieth ayat of Yasin sura purports: "Do not obey Shaitan. Have I not given you the advice that he is your evident enemy? O sons of Adam!..." The ninety-first ayat of Maida sura purports: "Shaitan wants to leave enmity among you by (means of) wine and gambling. He wants to deter you from making dhikr of Allahu ta'ala and from namaz. Don't you beware from these [after knowing that they are faults)?" The thirty-sixth ayat of Zuhruf sura purports: "When a person obeys his nafs and turns away from the religion of Allahu ta'ala, we send him a shaitan to pester him in the world." Qur'an al-karim contains more than eighty ayat al-karimas telling about the Shaitan (Satan) and intimating his vices].

Now we shall quote a few hadith ash-Sharifs concerning the Shaitan:

Rasulullah 'sall-allahu alaihi wasallam' stated: "The inspiration coming through angels is compatible with Islam. The doubt coming from the Shaitan causes one to leave Islam." and "The Shaitan gives doubts to the heart. When the name of Allahu ta'ala is uttered he runs away. If (the name of Allahu ta'ala) is not mentioned, he goes on causing doubts." and "The compassion of Allahu ta'ala is on jamaat (congregation of Muslim). The Shaitan is with the person who does not join Muslims' congregation and who dissents from them." and "Like the wolf carrying off a sheep that has quit the flock, the Shaitan is man's wolf. Beware from forming separate groups. Get together in jamaat. Run to mosques."

Allahu ta'ala commanded the Iblis (Satan) to go to Rasulullah and give correct answers to all the questions that he (Rasulullah) would ask him. The Iblis appeared before Rasulullah 'sall-allahu alaihi wasallam' in the guise of an old person. Rasulullah 'sall-allahu alaihi wasallam' said: "Who are you?" "I am the Iblis," was the answer. Rasulullah 'sall-allahu alaihi wasallam' said: "Why did you come(here?" "Allahu ta'ala sent me forth and commanded me to answer your questions correctly," replied the Iblis. Rasulullah said: "Then, describe the people whom you dislike and to whom you are hostile." The Iblis answered: "Of the (whole) world, I dislike you most, and next (I dislike) equitable sultans (rulers), those rich people who are modest, those tradesmen who tell the truth, those 'ulama (savants, scholars) who have ikhlas and who act compatibly with their knowledge, mujahids who try to promulgate Islam, those who have mercy upon people, those who make tawba (repenting for one's sins and supplicating to Allahu ta'ala for forgiveness) with tawba-i-nasuh (sincere determination not to sin again), those who refrain from harams, those who always have abdest (ritual ablution), those Muslims who always do pious, charitable deeds, those Muslims who have beautiful moral qualities and who are useful to people, those hafizun (people who have committed Qur'an al-karim to their memory) who read Qur'an al-karim in tejweed (rules for reading Qur'an al-karim correctly), those who perform namaz while others are asleep." Rasulullah 'sall-allahu alaihi wasallam' said: "State the people whom you like and the Iblis answered: "Cruel sultans, conceited rich people, treacherous merchants, those who have alcoholic drinks, those who sing songs at bad places, those who commit fornication, those who use orphans' property for their personal benefits, those who slight namaz and are late in performing namaz, those who bear tool-u-emel [long term worldly aspirations], people who get angry easily and cannot get over their anger are my friends, I like them."

[There are many hadith ash-Sharifs about the Shaitan. Those who wish may consult books of hadith ash-Sharifs].

33 - In the eighteenth chapter of the Gospel of Matthew, Isa 'alaihis-salam' prohibits his Apostles from being conceited and commands them to be modest.

[The harms of being conceited and the virtues of modesty have been explained in Qur'an al-karim by Allahu ta'ala and in hadith ash-Sharifs by Rasulullah 'sall-allahu alaihi wasallam'].

The thirty-seventh and the thirty-eighth ayats of Isra sura purport: "Do not swagger about, [that is, do not walk in an arrogant and pompous manner], on the earth! For you cannot cleave the earth, nor can you increase your stature so as to equal mountains. All of these are makruh, repulsive before your Rab (Allah)." [The hundred and seventy-second ayat of Nisa sura purports: "If a person refrains from worshipping Allahu ta'ala because of vanity, Allahu ta'ala shall get (him and other) such people together [in order to punish them] on the Day of Resurrection." The forty-eighth ayat of Araf sura purports: "The people of Araf shall recognize the chiefs of unbelievers by their faces and shall say unto them: Abundance [of your property and your helpers] and your vanity did not protect you against the torment of Allahu ta'ala."]

Our Master, Rasulullah 'sall-allahu alaihi wasallam' stated:

"A person with the tiniest mote of vanity in his heart cannot enter Paradise." and "Allahu ta'ala declares: Pride and grandeur are My properties. If a person (attempts to) share these two with Me, I shall hurl him into Hell without showing any mercy on him." and "On the Day of Resurrection, those who are arrogant in the world shall be resurrected from their graves in a despicable and contemptible manner like ants. Everybody shall despise them. They shall be put into the pit called Bolis, which is the deepest place of Hell and whose torment is the most vehement."

Another hadith ash-Sharif states:"In(one of) the former ummats, (there was) a conceited person (who) walked dragging his skirts along the ground. This (manner of his) annoying the Divine Honor, the earth swallowed him up."

[Modesty is the opposite of arrogance. Modesty means to deem oneself as equal to others, neither superior nor inferior to others. Modesty is a very good manner for a person.] Rasulullah 'sall-allahu alaihi wasallam' stated: "If a person is modest for the sake of Allah, Allahu ta'ala shall exalt him. If a person is arrogant, Allahu ta'ala shall disgrace him."

[It is stated in hadith ash-Sharifs: "How lucky for a person who is modest." and "A person who is modest, who earns (his living) through halal, who has beautiful moral qualities, who is affable to everybody and who never hurts anyone, is a very good person."]

34 - The eighteenth and the nineteenth verses of the nineteenth chapter of the Gospel of Matthew states: "Thou shalt not steal and thou shalt respect thine parents and thou shalt love thine neighbor like loving thine self."

The thirtieth ayat of Hajj sura of Qur'an al-karim purports: "Beware from idols, which are filthy, and from giving false testimony and lying." The seventy-second ayat of Furqan sura purports: "They are (the people) who do not give false testimony, [who do not attend the festivals or revels of disbelievers and polytheists], and who turn away from them and pass by nobly without getting involved in their atrocities when they come across [their] mendacious and aberrant practices." Allahu ta'ala shall exalt such believers to the highest positions in Paradise on account of their patience. We have related some of the ayat al-karimas and hadith ash-Sharifs concerning rights of parents and rights of neighbors.

35 - It is written in the twenty-sixth verse of the twentieth chapter of the Gospel of Matthew that Isa 'alaihis-salam' stated: "If one of you wants to be great among you, may he be your servant."

The thirteenth ayat of the Hujurat sura of Qur'an al-karim purports: "The most superior, the highest person among you before Allahu ta'ala is the person with the most fear of Allahu ta'ala."

Our Prophet 'sall-allahu alaihi wasallam' stated: "The master of a community is the person who serves them." [Another hadith ash-Sharif declares: "He who rescues his brother in Islam from trouble will be given the thawab of hajj and 'umra." Another hadith ash-Sharif states: "He who does not help Muslims or work for their welfare and comfort is not one of them."]

36 - It is written in the twenty-first and twenty-second verses of the twenty-second chapter of the Gospel of Matthew that Isa 'alaihis-salam', upon being asked about paying tax to the kaiser, said: "Give what belongs to the kaiser to the kaiser and what belongs to Allah to Allah."

The fifty-ninth ayat of the Nisa sura of Qur'an al-karim purports: "Obey Allahu ta'ala and His Messenger and the ulul-emr from among you, [i.e. sultans, rulers, judges, savants, just and equitable commanders]." Yet the obedience to the ulul-emr mentioned here is not absolute obedience and is restricted with the hadith-i- Sharif, "Where Allahu ta'ala is disobeyed creatures are not to be obeyed." The hundred and fifth ayat of Maida sura purports: "O believers! The protection and improvement of your nafs (yourself) is [a duty] on you. After you show the right way [by commanding benefaction and prohibiting malefaction to the best of your abilities], a person's deviation (from the right way) will not do you any harm." For it is fardh in Islam to do emr- i-maruf, i.e. commanding benefaction, and nehy-i-munkar, i.e. prohibiting malefaction. As a matter of fact, the hundred and fourth ayat of Al-i-'imran sura purports: " [O believers!] Among you there should be a group (of Muslims) who invite people to khayr, that is, to obeying Qur'an al-karim and the sunnat of Rasulullah, and who prohibit (people) from munkar [malefaction], that is, from opposing Qur'an al-karim and the sunnat of Rasulullah. They shall attain salvation."

[Our Prophet 'sall-allahu alaihi wasallam' declares: "Teach Islam to one another. If you give up emr-i-maruf, [if no one among you does emr-i-maruf], Allahu ta'ala will molest you with the worst of you and will not accept your prayers."

Again, he (Rasulullah 'sall-allahu alaihi wasallam') stated: "The thawab given for all (kinds of) worships is like a drop of water in comparison with a sea when it is compared to the thawab given for jihad (fighting for Islam). And the thawab of jihad, (in its turn), is like a drop of water compared to a sea when it is compared to the thawab (that shall be given) for emr-i-maruf and nehy-i-munkar."]

It is stated in a hadith ash-Sharif narrated from Numan bin Bashir: "The case of those who obey the commandments of Allahu ta'ala and those who disobey them or who are slack in doing the commandments of Allahu ta'ala is like the position of a group of people who are on board a ship: these people threw lots on board the ship. The lot fell to some of them as the lower part of the ship, i.e. the hold of the ship; and the others were allotted the deck. Those who were in the lower part of the ship, whenever [they got thirsty and] wanted to use water, went up (on the deck) and worried the people there by treading on them. (Finally) they said (to themselves): We might as well make a hole in the hold and get the water we need through it without having to disturb those who are (living) above us. [One of them took an axe and began to make a hole in the hold of the ship. Those who were up (on the deck) ran down (to the hold) and said: What on earth are you doing? He replied: We have been troublesome to you. But we certainly need water]. If those who were upstairs allowed those who were downstairs to make a hole in the ship, they would be destroyed altogether. If they prevented them from holing the ship by holding their hands, all of them would attain salvation." [As is inferred from this hadith ash-Sharif, it is incumbent on every pious Muslim and also on the government to prevent evildoers from malefaction. If they neglect this duty of preventing, the good also shall be destroyed together with the malefactors. Therefore, doing emr-i-maruf and nehy-i munkar is the duty of all Muslims who have the necessary competence].

Another hadith ash-Sharif declares: "By the time you see my ummat (Muslims) being afraid to say to a cruel person: You are cruel!, khayr (benefaction, goodness, doing good) will have forsaken them."

It is declared in another hadith ash-Sharif: "If people see something, evil and yet do not change it, [that is, if they do not prevent it or turn it into goodness], Allahu ta'ala shall make His torment comprehensive of all of them." It is stated in another hadith ash-Sharif: "You must certainly command benefaction and prohibit malefaction. If you cease from emr-i-maruf and nehy-i- munkar, Allahu ta'ala shall make the worst of you (continuously) molest the good ones among you. Then, if the good ones among you pray (to Allahu ta'ala for the expulsion of the evildoers), theirs prayers shall not be heard." [The sixth ayat of Tahrim sura purports: "Protect yourself and your household against the fire." The hundred and tenth ayat of Al-i-'imran sura purports: "You [believers] are a beneficent ummat selected from among people. You command goodness and prohibit evildoing and have iman in the unity of Allahu ta'ala. If the ahl al-kitab [Christians and Jews] also had iman, it would be beneficial for them." And the hundred and fourteenth ayat (of the same sura) purports: "They have iman (belief) in the unity of Allahu ta'ala and in the hereafter, and command people maruf, [that is, to confirm Rasulullah's prophethood], and prohibit them from munkar, [that is, from denying Rasulullah's prophethood]. They race (one another) in benefaction. Lo! They are of the pious."

Rasulullah 'sall-allahu alaihi wasallam' stated: "Prevent the sinner with your hand. If you are unable to do this, prevent (him) verbally. If you cannot do this, either, dislike (it) in your heart. And this is the lowest (grade of) iman." There are many ayat al-karimas and hadith ash-Sharifs concerning emr-i-maruf and nehy-i- munkar. Those who want to read and learn about them may have recourse to the books of tafsir and hadith-i- Sharif and the books of Islamic 'Ulama.

37 - It is stated in the thirty-sixth, the thirty- seventh and the thirty-eighth verses of the twenty-second chapter of the Gospel of Matthew: "When Jesus was asked, "O teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the canon?", Jesus said unto him: You should love your Rab, who is your Allah, with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your thought."

On the other hand, it is declared in Qur'an al-karim, in the fifty-fourth ayat of Maida sura: " [Those believers]love Allahu ta'ala, and Allahu ta'ala loves them." The hundred and sixty-fifty ayat of Baqara sura purports: "believers' love of Allahu ta'ala is very strong and everlasting."

"Allahu ta'ala declares in a hadith-i-qudsi:"O thou, son of Adam! If thou wantst to love Me, expel love of the world from thine heart. For eternally I shall not bring together love of Me and love of the world in one heart. O thou, son of Adam! How couldst thou ever want love of the world together with love of Me! Then, search for love of Me in desisting from the world [from things prohibited by Allahu ta'ala]. O thou, son of Adam! Whatever you do, do it compatibly with My commandments, and I shall fill thine heart with loving Me."

38 - As Isa 'alaihis-salam' describes the events towards the end of the world in the twenty-fourth chapter of the Gospel of Matthew, he relates: "The sun shall darken, the moon shall not emit its light, stars shall fall down from the sky, the powers of heavens shall be shaken. Then the sign of mankind shall appear in the sky. Then all the tribes of the earth shall wail. They shall see mankind coming powerfully and with great dignity above the clouds of the sky. And He shall send His angels with the great sound of the trumpet, and the angels shall gather those whom He has chosen from the four winds from one end of heavens to the other. This generation shall not perish before all these happen. But no one except the Father knows that day, that hour; even the angels of heavens do not know."

If the ayat al-karimas of Qur'an al-karim concerning the events towards the end of the world were compiled, they would make up a book bigger than the sum of the four Gospels. We shall write a few examples:

The first and second ayats of Takwir sura purport: "When the soon loses its nur and becomes dark and when stars darken and fall down on the earth like rain (drops)." The first, second, third, fourth and fifth ayats of Inshiqaq sura purport: "When the sky hears the command of Allahu ta'ala, obeys the command and cracks, and when the earth rightfully hears the command of its Rab, Allahu ta'ala, and throws out its contents (the dead and treasures]and becomes empty, and when the earth becomes absolutely flat, [people will see their pious deeds and sins]." The eighth and ninth ayats of Naziat sura purport: "That day hearts are distressed with fear. Eyes [of the owners of these hearts]are in a contemptible manner with fear." The fifty-first ayat of Yasin sura purports: "When the sur (trumpet) is blown [the second time], people will get up from their graves and go fast towards their Rab." The sixth-seventh and eighth ayats of Zilzal sura purport: "That day, in order to see the rewards for their deeds, people will go to the place of Judgement in groups. Any person who has done the tiniest amount of good shall see it, [get its reward]. Any person who has done the tiniest amount of evil shall be punished for it." [Everybody, whether a believer or a disbeliever, shall see on the Day of Judgement what has been done in the world. If a believer is Sunni, that person shall be forgiven for the sins (committed and then repented and) made tawba for in the world, and shall be given thawab (rewards) for his or her good deeds. The good deeds of disbelievers and holders of bidat, i.e. those believers who have (blurred their belief with) aberrant tenets, shall be spurned, and they shall be punished for their atrocities. The gravest punishment to be inflicted on them shall be the eternal punishment on account of disbelief. Disbelievers shall stay eternally in Hell]. The sixty- third ayat of Ahzab sura purports: "O My Messenger! Disbelievers will ask you when the end of the world will come. Tell them: Allahu ta'ala, alone, knows it, [He has not intimated it to anybody]. Probably it is imminent."

Qur'an al-karim contains many ayat al-karimas about the rewards that will be given to those who have beautiful moral qualities, those who purify their hearts from vicious traits, those who perform pious deeds and the punishments that will be inflicted on sinners, about law, about ma'amalat [laws and regulations concerning the dealings and relations among people), about the properties of Paradise and Hell, about the events that will take place during the qiyamat (the end of the world, resurrection of the dead, the Last Judgement), and about the Person of Allahu ta'ala, His Attributes and Names. If these (ayat al-karimas) were classified in groups and interpreted, each group would make up a book more than several times as big as the existing Gospels. Comparing Qur'an al-karim to today's Gospels would be like comparing an ocean to a small pool of water. In fact, such comparison would be like that which is done between a person who has a small yard with forty or fifty trees whose branches are broken and leaves shed and another person who has several thousand fruitful trees in his orchard. The forty to fifty trees, which are the contents of the small yard, are, with their healthy, fruitful branches, only a tiny part of the vast orchard which has thousands of extremely green trees with strong branches. Being unaware of the big orchard, or because of the jealousy (that has suffused him) after seeing only a part of the orchard, the owner of the small yard normally brags about a few kinds of fruits he has and challenges: "The delicious fruits in my yard are not in yours. My yard is better-cared-for and more useful than yours. You, and also all people must believe this." What could be done against such an ignorant and imbecilic assertion? After all, the best thing we could do was be humane enough to pity that person because he was unaware of the fact and show him how his yard and the other one (the orchard) were. If he were still stubborn and insisted on his claim, he would deserve only a smile. [So is the case with Christians. Some of them, being deceived by priests and having no knowledge about Islam, refuse to accept Islam. Those who have true information about Islam become Muslims willingly. But others, being too headstrong and too bigoted to accept Islam and fearing that Islam's spreading will destroy, annihilate Christianity, stir up hostility against Islam. These people have deviated from the right way, and they mislead others, too].

He (Isa) went up to heaven before death,
For he wanted to be in his (Muhammad's) ummat.

Also, it was for his (Muhammad's) sake
That the rod of Musa (Moses) became a dragon.

They supplicated to Allah so earnestly
That they might become (Muhammad's) ummat.

No doubt they also are Prophets,
But (Ahmad) is the highest of them.

For he is the most worthy of being the highest.
He who does not know so must be dumbest."

FOOTNOTES

[17] The Arabic word used in the original text is ihsan.
[18] He has mercy upon both Muslims and disbelievers in this world.
[19] He has mercy only upon Muslims in the hereafter.
[20] Its plural form is AWLIYA.