| to his laws and commands. Consequently,
there is no reason why we should exempt the leaders
and pioneers of Islam from the general law of investigation
and criticism solely owing to their companionship with
the Prophet; for, they have not been of equal weight
from the viewpoint of justice. For instance, despite
intense insistence and desire of the Prophet for the
guidance of all human beings towards the path to perfection,
there were some individuals in whose heart Islam did
not easily find its way, and also there were some who
had hidden infidelity and hypocrisy behind the mask
of Islam.
The Qur'an clearly describes the lofty ideas of the
Prophet and his deep and sincere interest in guiding
people on to the path of truth, and it has, on several
occasions, spoken of his attitude and sacred ideals.
It says at one place:
"Therefore do remind, for, you are only a reminder.
You are not a watcher over them(3)
And elsewhere it says:
"Surely you cannot guide whom you love but Allah
guides whom He pleases."(4)
And at another place it says:
"Therefore do remind, surely reminding does profit.
"(5)
There are also many such verses in the Qur'an which
confirm the insistence of this great reformer of mankind,
and his deep desire to guide all people, and especially
his sympathy and kindness upon the order of God, towards
those persons who are still wayward and have not had
the privilege of finding the true path, having been
separated from the followers of the divine path.
Support of Islam
All the above points show that
the glory and greatness of Islam are based on its laws
and teachings, not on its followers, and this greatness
is not the product of the support and confirmation by
its followers so as to expose it to annihilation
I myself believe that if the entire world rises to fight
and joins hands to destroy it, there cannot be inflicted
the slights damage upon its glory and greatness. Similarly,
if the whole world join hands to glorify and support
it, nothing can be
|