11 October 2005
What are the Scriptures?
The Scriptures are the sacred books containing divine revelations from God which were conveyed through His messengers for the guidance of man. Prophets were sent to all peoples of all ages, to warn them and guide them to righteousness and virtue. The names of the four known scriptures are ‘the Torah’, ‘the Zabur’, ‘the Injeel’ and ‘the Qur’an’. ‘The Torah’ was revealed to Prophet Moses (Peace be upon him) and it is the greatest among the Israelites books. The Zabur was revealed to Prophet David (Peace be upon him). ‘The Injeel’ which Allah revealed to Prophet Jesus (Peace be upon him), is a confirmation of ‘the Torah’ and a complement to it. The Qur’an, which was revealed to the last of the prophets, is but a restatement of the faith delivered to the prophets before him. The more the Qur’an is studied with an unprejudiced mind, the more this truth emerges, that the Qur’an is a confirmation of all the earlier scriptures and messages sent by God through His messengers who lived and preached among various sects of humanity.
Who are the prophets?
Prophets are men, chosen by God at various stages and under varying circumstances of history, to lead men from darkness to light. The Qur’an repeatedly states the fact that prophets with the same message were sent to each and every community. The process of revelation continued unabated, sometimes in succession, at other times in broken sequences until the period in history, when the termination of Divine revelation and messengership, with the Qur’an and Prophet Mohammed (Peace be upon him) became a significant milestone in the history of mankind. It is true that the lives and mission of many a prophet has been made obscure and distorted by legends that grew around them or by people with vested interests, who used the names of these prophets to exploit men and mislead them from the right faith. No prophet of God has claimed himself to be divine. They were all mortals who lived and passed away from this earth after completing their mission of conveying the basic message to mankind, which was a call for the recognition and affirmation of God’s existence, uniqueness and Lordship over all creation. It is an integral part of Islamic faith to believe in all the prophets of God.
What does faith in destiny mean in Islam?
The Law of God, the Creator and Ruler of the worlds, is a powerful, all pervasive law which governs all that comprises the universe. No creation can lodge this Law and man’s position is no different. Even man’s environment and physical constitution are regulated on the basis of this divine law. The good and the bad that befall him happen on the basis of divine Destiny. How they befall on each one is in accordance with the predetermined decision made by the Omniscient Creator, who is aware of the ultimate good and evil of mankind. Hence, Islam directs man to believe in Destiny, whether good or bad, which Allah has measured and ordained for all creatures according to His previous knowledge and as deemed suitable by His wisdom.
Who are the prophets?
Prophets are men, chosen by God at various stages and under varying circumstances of history, to lead men from darkness to light. The Qur’an repeatedly states the fact that prophets with the same message were sent to each and every community. The process of revelation continued unabated, sometimes in succession, at other times in broken sequences until the period in history, when the termination of Divine revelation and messengership, with the Qur’an and Prophet Mohammed (Peace be upon him) became a significant milestone in the history of mankind. It is true that the lives and mission of many a prophet has been made obscure and distorted by legends that grew around them or by people with vested interests, who used the names of these prophets to exploit men and mislead them from the right faith. No prophet of God has claimed himself to be divine. They were all mortals who lived and passed away from this earth after completing their mission of conveying the basic message to mankind, which was a call for the recognition and affirmation of God’s existence, uniqueness and Lordship over all creation. It is an integral part of Islamic faith to believe in all the prophets of God.
What does faith in destiny mean in Islam?
The Law of God, the Creator and Ruler of the worlds, is a powerful, all pervasive law which governs all that comprises the universe. No creation can lodge this Law and man’s position is no different. Even man’s environment and physical constitution are regulated on the basis of this divine law. The good and the bad that befall him happen on the basis of divine Destiny. How they befall on each one is in accordance with the predetermined decision made by the Omniscient Creator, who is aware of the ultimate good and evil of mankind. Hence, Islam directs man to believe in Destiny, whether good or bad, which Allah has measured and ordained for all creatures according to His previous knowledge and as deemed suitable by His wisdom.
# posted by Wisdom @ 6:43 PM 
