Ch 17: Duty of Islamic Government

The Muslims had learnt the details of the secret meeting which was convened by Christians and that Isabella’s letter had cooled down all their ambitions. After four or five days in the company of Ziad b. Umar eminent exponents of Islam and divines assembled. Isabella and her friends were also present there when one of them said.

A person: Respected sir! the Christians have been secretly trying to defraud Isabella and reconvert her to Christianity, but the Muslim government has not taken any action in this respect so far. When Isabella has become a Muslim it is the duty of the Muslim government to release her from the clutches of Christians, but it did not do that. Even now Christians are’ doing mischief but the Muslim government is taking no action against them.

Ziad b. Umar: All the efforts of the Christians have so far been secret, so how could the Muslim government take cognizance of it? Then there is another thing. It is true that when anyone becomes a Muslim it is the duty of the Muslim government to protect him from the oppression of the non-Muslims and stand by anyone openly declaring Islam. But we deliberately prevented the Muslim government from taking such action for we thought the persecution suffered by Isabella and her friends will make them used to suffer troubles in the path of truth and their belief and faith will be put to the test. If we wanted we would have openly released Isabella from their clutches.

The same man: But for the future, the Christians should have been warned to refrain from doing this in the case of anyone else.

Ziad b. Umar: You need not worry. In future the government will be more active to support freedom of conscience. In this connection we have informed Christian priests about all the details of Isabella and her whereabouts and told them that we do not in the least want to conceal Isabella as the government is responsible to take action against anyone trying to make her an apostate and that if they took any action in future against Isabella they will be liable to answer before the government.

Umar Lahmi: Respected sir, Isabella’s friends request that they may be taught the tenets of Islam and converted to Islam.

Ziad b. Umar : Well, do it in the name of Allah and convert them.

Umar Lahmi: Have Mirano, Mertha and Hanana any doubt about any tenet of Islam? Mirano for her own satisfaction wants to clarify some points. We do not want to stop her from further inquiry and not to answer her questions.

Ziad b. Umar : Very well. Ask Mirano to put up questions and I depute you to answer her.

Mirano: Respected sir, first let us be converted to Islam and then I will ask one or two questions just because I wish I could give silencing answer to Christians. God forbid! I do not have the least doubt in my mind about Islam.

Then the three girls were converted to Islam and all those present congratulated them and after accepting Islam they covered their faces while Mirano proceeded to ask her questions.

Mirano: According to the Christians, Taurat is the law and Bible the perfection. Obviously after the law and perfection there is no need of anything else, so the Quran was also not needed. Since the Quran has confirmed Taurat and the Bible, the objection gains further strength.

Umar Lahmi: If Christians attribute certain qualities to their books, how does it become necessary to believe that they are actually so? This claim must be proved by argument. But taking for granted that Taurat is the law and Bible the prefection, then the Quran is the preserver. As a preserver the Quran covers both the law and the perfection. The word preserver the Quran itself has used. It says in Surah Maidah (v.), verse 48 : “(0 Prophet!) this Book (the Quran) has been revealed to you with the Truth which confirms previous books and is their preserver.” But the Bible, never uses the word perfection for itself. It is thus proved that the Quran covers both the law and the perfection.

Mirano: The Taurat and the Bible have been mentioned in the Quran and it is necessary for every Muslim to accept them. Then why do not the Muslims believe in them?

Umar Lahmi: Because Christians do not have the real Taurat and Bible with them.

Mirano: If Taurat and Bible do not exist, why does the Quran confirm them ?

Umar Lahmi: The Quran has confirmed the original Taurat and Bible and not these forged and manufactured ones.

Mirano: Christians say that these are the very Taurat and Bible which the Quran confirms.

Umar Lahmi: Well, now I will ask the Quran itself whether it confirms the existing Taurat and Bible or considers them false. The Quran says that Allah is one Who created the earth and the sky .. . and was not fatigued in creating them. But Taurat says that God created everything in six days and on the seventh day he rested.! Rest is taken by one who is fatigued So by Taurat it is proved that God fatigued, but the Quran says Allah is never fatigued. Now say whether the Quran confirmed or rejected the previous books. The Taurat says that the Prophet Solomon worshipped idols, but the Quran says Solomon never committed unbelief. Now is it confirmation or rejection of Taurat ?
Now take the Bible. In all the four Bibles it is said that Jesus Christ died crying on the cross, that he was actually crucified, but the Quran says that the Jews neither killed nor crucified Christ. Then the Bible says that Jesus Christ claimed to be God, but the Quran says that those who call Jesus son of Mary God are rejectors. Now let any Christian priest say with justice whether the Quran confirmed or rejected the Bible.

Mirano: No doubt, it is proved from the Quran that It does not confirm the existing Taurat and Bible but rejects them.

Umar Lahmi: It is now clear that the Quran does not at all confirm the existing Taurat and Bible but rejects them strongly and has called their statements and facts and beliefs as assigning partners to God and apostasy. Now I am giving a general principle from the Quran by which every book can be tested, as if the Holy Quran had given us a touchstone by which we can judge every book. The Quran says that if the Quran were not from Allah you would have found in it many contradictions. This verse of the Holy Quran asserts that except the Book of Allah no other book is free from contradictions, because man is not immune from errors and lapses and howsoever care a man takes in writing a book there must be some contradictions in it and a book which has contradictions cannot be from Allah, otherwise Allah will be taken to be committing lapses and lies. Can anyone dispute this principle?

Mirano: The principle is quite just and natural. Surely any book containing contradictions cannot be from perfect God. But are there contradictions in Taurat and Bible?

Umar Lahmi: Many, so many that the reader’s mind is puzzled. Now I test Christian books by this principle so that you may also see reality. Now, sister Mirano, tell me what is your age.

Mirano : Between twenty-one and twenty-two, say twenty-two.

Umar Lahmi: Very good. Now if you say that your age is twenty-two and an hour later that it is forty-two. Will both the statements be correct?

Mirano: How can both be correct? My statement that my age is forty-two will be quite wrong, twenty-two will be correct.

Umar Lahmi: Now, see it is written in 2 Chronicles 21:20. that Ahaziah’s age was thirty-two when she was enthroned, but in 2 Kings 8 :26 it is written that at the time that Ahaziah began to rule her age was twenty-two. Can both these statements be correct?

Mirano : Never, one of them will be correct and the other wrong.

Umar Lahmi: Now the question which of the statements is correct can never be solved and so both the books of the Bible have become doubtful and the seal of falsehood is affixed to both. Now see further. It is written in 2 Samuel 24:9 that there were eight lakhs of Israelites and five lakhs of Jews who took up swords, but in 1 Chronicles 5: 1’8 it is written that Israelites were eleven lakhs and Jews 440700. Now say if both the figures are correct.

Mirano : Never, one of them is incorrect.

Umar Lahmi: And can the book which gives such incorrect figures be from God?

Mirano: Never, God forbid ! God protect, fie, fie ! God’s honour is damaged by this and so it is better not to attribute them to God.

Umar Lahmi: Now, see further. It is written in 2 Kings 24 : 8 that at the time of coronation Jehoiachin was only of eighteen years. As if coronation was a miracle that his age was at the same time eight and eighteen. In the presence of these contradictions, can anyone call Taurat and the Psalms revelations from God ? Can (Allah forbid!) such inaccuracy be attributed to God ?

Mirano : Subhan Allah (Glory to God)! These are such patent arguments of unreliability of Christian Books which cannot be explained away. Even a child can understand it as two and two are four.

Umar Lahmi: In 2 Samuel 23 : 8 it is written about an incident that Adino the Eznite killed eight hundred enemies and against this in 1 Chronicles 11:11 it is written about the same incident that he killed only three hundred, and, strangely, both are about the same incident. In 2 Samuel 24:13 it is said : “Shall seven years of famine come unto thee in thy land?” but in 1 Chronicles it is said that the famine would be sent for three years. Probably in those days, there was no difference between the figures three and seven, as Christians did not discriminate between one and three Gods!

Those present: Surely, it looks like this.

Mirano: It is strange that Christians did not notice such errors.

Umar Lahmi: They could notice these errors if they had made enquiries and had resolved to reject inaccurate statements and confirm what is correct. But they hold on to these errors as one would adhere to the truth. And see in 1 Kings 4:46 where it is written that there were forty thousand stables for horses and carriages of Prophet Solomon and twelve thousand horsemen, but against this in 2 Chronicles 9 :25 it is written that there were just four thousand stables for horses and carriages of Prophet Solomon. Is there no difference between four thousand and forty thousand ? One book says forty thousand and the other book deducts thirty-six thousand from it and is contented with just four thousand, and what is strange is that both the books are regarded as revealed and from God. Did the Quran say it wrongly that there can be no contradictions in a book of God?

Isabella: Subhan Allah (Glory to God)! How great is the Quran! If this book had not come Christian books would have never been shown in their true colours.

Umar Lahmi: Now just see another interesting reference. It is written in 2 Samuel 10:18 that Prophet David cut down men of seven hundred carriages and forty thousand horsemen. Just keep in mind the figures of seven hundred and forty thousand horsemen. But against this it is written in I Chronicle 19:18 that Prophet David cut down seven thousand men mounted on carriages and forty thousand footmen. Both the books are said to be revealed and from God and both are supposed to be from men’s manipulation and satan’s interloping, but one book says men on seven hundred carriages and the other book says seven thousand men on carriages and forty thousand footmen, not horsemen. These books are said to be revealed and it is to these books that Muslims are called. Are these the books which God revealed to Prophets?

Mirano: Fie, fie! so many contradictions in these books! God forbid! How can they be accepted in Islam? The fact is that so thick curtains are drawn against the wisdom, conscience and love of unbelief that they do not see while they have eyes and do not hear while they have ears. May Allah give them guidance!

Umar Lahmi: So much about contradictions of Taurat and Old Testament which can admit no compromise. Now let us have a look at the Bibles. It appears after careful consideration that the condition of all the existing four Bibles is worse still. In the first place the Bibles were composed and written in different languages. The Bibles which were in olden times regarded as divine revelation are today regarded as apocryphal (of doubtful origin) and, instead of these, other Bibles came into use. As if Bibles were just school text-books which could be changed at will according to prevailing conditions and a new series of text-books introduced. Besides, different Bibles were used at the same time, such as the Bibles of the Eastern Church are different from the Bibles of the Western Church. Councils were held at various times in which different Bibles were chosen as if God’s revelation and word is dependent on the judgment of the Church.

Mirano: Yes, I also once heard from my father. (Michael) that in one of the Councils some of the revealed books were excluded from the list of revealed books.

Umar Lahmi: Now let us test the Bibles on the Quran and its principles and standard so that the unstability and unreliability of Bibles may be established. It is written in the Book of Matthew 27 : 3-8 that a disciple of Christ (Judas) taking a bribe of thirty pieces of silver surrendered Jesus Christ to the government and when (God forbid!) Jesus Christ was killed on the cross, Judas was very repentant and went to the chief of fortune-tellers and left after throwing the thirty silver pieces before them and committed suicide on reaching home. But in the Bible of Acts it is written that Judas purchased a field with the bribe money and, while he was going to this field, stumbled and his entrails came out. In the first Bible it was said that Judas returned the thirty pieces to the chief of fortune-tellers and committed suicide on returning home, while the Bible of Acts says that Judas purchased a field with the bribe money and while going to it he stumbled there and his entrails came out.

These are two different statements of the different Bibles both of which are accepted as revealed by Christians, and the Holy Ghost got them written according to revelation. That is when the Holy Ghost went to the author of the Book of Matthew he dictated one thing, and something quite different when he went to the author of Acts. Now either you should take the Holy Ghost as a liar and cheat or refuse to take the books as revealed. It is, however, preferable that, instead of accusing the Holy Ghost, you should declare all these Bibles as forged and false, otherwise neither God nor the Holy Ghost can be exonerated from evils.

Mirano: Obviously it is the existing Bibles which are forged and false and the enemies of Christ have forged them to serve their ends.

Umar Lahmi: This was the contradiction of two different Bibles, but let us see the contradiction in one and the same Bible. The story of the conversion to Christianity of Saint Paul, who, inventing the creed of Trinity, made all Christians guilty of assigning partners to God, is mentioned in three places in the Book of Acts and all the three are different. How strange that (God forbid!) the Holy Ghost lies at three places in the same book about the same incident. In chapter 9 verse 3 of the Book of Acts it is written that Saint Paul was going somewhere with his companions when he saw a light in the heaven and heard a voice on which he fell on the ground, but the companions remained standing. The companions heard the voice but did not see anything, while in chapter 22, verse 4 of the same book it is written that the companions saw the light but did not hear the voice and in the same Bible, chapter 26, verse 13, it is written that Saint Paul and all his companions fell on the ground. Now just fancy in one Bible three lies have been told about the same incident at three places. Can all these three be correct?

Mirano: Never. All the three are false and if anyone is correct it cannot be specified.

Umar Lahmi: You have seen contradictions in two different Bibles and contradictions in the same Bible. Now see the wonder of contradiction in one and the same verse. In Luke, chapter 21, verse 16, Jesus says to his disciples that men will kill them and drive them out of their homes but they will not be able to injure them in the least. It means that enemies will kill the disciples but would not cause any injury, as if killing is not contradictory of not causing any injury. One may wonder whether the compilers of Bibles had any sense. In one and the same verse there is such a ridiculous contradiction.

Isabella: After all, how do the unlucky Christians explain this?

Umar Lahmi: What explanation can they give ? They evade the question by irrelevant talk and attribute the error to the copyist. This does not lessen the importance of the matter. Even if this answer is taken for granted the question remains as to what the real passage was and which are the errors of the copyist? For instance, the age of a person is said to be twenty-two years and forty-two years at one and the same time; which of them is the copyist’s error and what is the correct figure ? No Christian can say now that the real passage was this but the copyist made it thus. And when the copyist’s error cannot be located, then the explanation and the reply are nonsense. So it proves that even according to Christians these books are suspicious. When at one place the copyist’s error has been admitted, there could be no belief or faith in the whole book.

Isabella: Is it not possible to correct these errors of the copyist’s by a comparison with the original?

Umar Lahmi: Had the original books been available, why should have there been all this trouble? Original books do not exist; only the translations from translations and copies from copies are relied upon. And what is more strange is that it has not yet been ascertained about these Bibles as to when they were written or who were their authors. Some say that the original Bibles were written in the Greek language which was current in Palestine at that time. Some say they were written both in the Greek and the Hebrew languages. But in whatever languages they were written they should have been available, but they are not found anywhere ; the translations from translations cannot be trusted. Then there is also the difference of opinion about the period during which they were written, nor is anything known about their authors. Some say that the Disciple Jonah wrote his own Bible and some say it was written by another person whose name was also Jonah. What is worse is that there is no internal evidence in the books about their authors; in the Bible of Matthew his name is mentioned in absentia.

Mirano: Christians say that whichever books have been certified by the Church they alone are Books of God and revealed ones.

Umar Lahmi: So for the book to be taken as revealed we have to depend on the Church and the books themselves are deaf and dumb.

Isabella: Christians assert that the decision of the Church is free from errors and so their decision is also revealed.

Umar Lahmi: If the decisions of the Church are free from error, why then are there differences in the decisions of different Churches. In the Council of Nice held in Constantinople some of the Books were treated as revealed ; these were excluded from the revealed books by the Councils of Trent and Philadelphia, while some books which were excluded from the list of revealed books were again included in the revealed books by the Council of Trent. As if the revealed books are noses of wax which may be turned to any side.

After this meeting the participants dispersed. Arrangements were made for the training of Isabella and her friends and they all devoted themselves in acquiring religious knowledge. Four years later all the girls began to speak Arabic fluently and gained direct knowledge about Islam. Isabella after some time became the refuge of women of Cordova after acquiring religious knowledge. She became a model of Islamic injunctions and she was taken as a Muhaddithah (Traditionist) in Cordova as she became an expert in the knowledge of Traditions and the related matters and she continued to advance in piety, prayerfulness and attachment to Allah, and many women were benefited by her vast learning.

Isabella – A girl of Islamic Spain
Next Chapter