38 IBRÂHÎM VOO (Malayan) Before becoming a Muslim, I was a Catholic Christian. I had been Christianized by Catholic missionaries. Yet I had never warmed to that religion. For the priests asked me to believe in three gods and commanded me to worship the Eucharist, [the ceremony where Îsâ’s ‘alaihis-salâm’ flesh is represented with bread and his blood is represented with wine.] They tried to impose a number of irrational teachings such as that the Pope was sinless and that it was necessary to obey all his commandments, and threatened that denial of those tenets would lead one to perdition. Whenever I asked the priests to explain their teachings more clearly so that I could get a clearer picture to convince my mind, none of them could explicate the tenets, but they only dismissed the matter by saying, “These things are heavenly secrets beyond the mind’s grasp.” How could a person accept something – 112 – beyond his mental grasp? Gradually, I began to sense that there was something wrong, that Christianity was not a true religion, and to feel a bitter resentment against it. Any mention of other religions, such as Islam, would be enough to exasperate the priests; they would shout themselves hoarse, saying, “Muhammad is —may Allâhu ta’âlâ protect us from saying— a liar. Islam is a concoction.” When I asked why that religion was a mendacious one, they would falter, fumbling for an answer. This detestable state they caused themselves into motivated me to examine the Islamic religion more closely. I made contact with Muslims living in Malaya, and requested them to enlighten me about their religion. These people were quite dissimilar to the priests. They gave me very beautiful information about Islam. Let me add that in the beginning I had heated discussions with them. Yet, so convincing were their answers to my questions, and so infinite was the patience and the firmness they showed to me, that I began to feel as if a curtain was being raised from before my eyes, and a great feeling of peace and satisfaction began to stir in me. In contrast with Christianity fraught with superstitions, everything in this new religion was rational, logical and reasonable. Muslims believed in one Creator. That great Creator did not say that mankind was sinful, but, on the contrary, He bestowed plenty of blessings on human beings. Among His commandments, there was not a single dot that I would not understand. Muslims’ acts of worship were intended only to pay hamd (thanks and praise) to Allâhu ta’âlâ. They did not worship a number of images or shapes. Deep in my soul I felt the flavour of each and every âyat (verse) of the Qur’ân al-kerîm, their holy book. One did not have to go to a temple for worship. A person could do his acts of worship in his home as well as in any other place. All these things were so lovely, so true, and so humanistic that I accepted the fact that Islam is the true religion of Allah, and I embraced Islam willingly. 39 ISMÂ’ÎL WIESLEW ZEJILERSKY (Polish) I was born in the Krokov city of Poland in 1900. I am from a famous family recorded in Polish history. My father was a compulsive atheist. Yet he allowed his children to be given Catholic education. There were many Catholics in Poland. Being – 113 – a devoted Catholic, my mother wished that we be raised with a Catholic education. I had very deep respect for religion. I believed in the fact that religion was the most important guide both in individual life and in social life. My family had frequent foreign relations. My father had made many journeys in his youth, and therefore he had numerous foreign friends. Consequently, we had respect for other races, civilizations and religions. Without discriminating one person from another, we respected every nation, every race and, in short, every individual. I considered myself not as a Polish citizen, but also as a citizen of the entire world. My family held moderate views concerning temporal matters. Although my father was a born aristocrat and therefore must have been a person without any practical skills, he hated laziness and inactivity, and recommended that everybody should have a job. He was totally against dictatorship. Yet he would never approve a social revolution that would demolish the world’s order. He had deep respect for traditions coming from earlier times. He was against their being degenerated. In short, my father was a modernized and moderate prototype of the knights of the Middle Ages. The liberal education that my father had given me had made me a researcher and I had embarked on a research into social matters. The world had quite a number of social, political and economical problems that awaited solution. What had to be done to solve them and to find the right path? I saw that humanity had been parted into two polar opposites in those matters. Capitalism on the one side, and communism on the other. In other words oppression and terror on the one side, and a thoroughly uncontrolled society on the other. These two opposites would have to be brought together and integrated into a moderate system so that the entire humanity could attain peace and happiness. In my opinion, the human society would have to be based on essentials that were liberal, but at the same time disciplined, in conformity with today’s conditions, but at the same time respectful of the old customs. As a person who had been educated with the principles of ‘walking exactly on the intermediate path’, it was natural for me to think so. We were nicknamed ‘Progressive Traditionalists’. By the time I became sixteen years old, I had already begun to wonder whether the Catholic religion could establish those essentials. Subsequently I examined the Catholic religion more – 114 – closely. Then I realized that my mind could never accept some of the credal tenets with which they had tried to indoctrinate me in the church. Ahead of all those tenets was trinity. Then came the Eucharist [where bread and wine are supposed to have changed into Îsâ’s ‘alaihis-salâm’ flesh and blood, respectively]; the compulsory intermediation of a priest between Allâhu ta’âlâ and the born slave, which had been made a stipulation for the acceptance of one’s prayers; attributing innocence and divinity to the Pope, who was a mere human being like us; worshipping some shapes, images and icons; making some strange signs; all these absurdities gradually made me take an aversion to Christianity. I began to think that that religion was, let alone a saviour to rescue humanity from disasters, a groundless and worthless heretical belief. I was now completely indifferent about religion. After the Second World War, I began to feel a need for a religious belief again. I realized that humanity could never be without a religion. The human soul needs religion. Religion is the greatest guide and the most profound source of consolation. An irreligious person is doomed to perdition. The worst evils come to humanity from irreligiousness. Leading a perfect social life requires people’s being attached to one another, which in turn is dependent upon religion. I realized that today’s progressive man could not accept a religion that could not cope with today’s living conditions or scientific improvements, which consisted of some grotesque ideas, and which ran counter to common sense. Such was the Christian religion. To know how the other religions were, I decided to examine all the world’s religions. I studied the American Quakers[1], the Unitarians[2], and even the Bahâîs[3]. But none of them seemed satisfactory to me. Eventually, I somehow found a book entitled ‘Islamo Esperantiste Regardata’, written in the Esperanto language. The book had been published by a British Muslim named Ismâ’îl Collin Evans. That book was the guide that led me to Islam, in – 115 – [1] A group of Christians called Society of Friends. They are known for their opposition to violence and war. They perform their religious services in silence, and call them Meetings. [2] A Christian religious group, who believe in the unity of Allah. [3] One of the heretical sects founded for the purpose of demolishing Islam from within. For further information, please see Endless Bliss, Second Fascicle, 36th chapter. 1949. I read it. I consulted the Islamic organization called ‘Dâr-ultablîgh- ul-Islâm’[1] in Cairo, and requested them to give me information about Islam. They sent me a book entitled ‘Islâmo Chies Religio’, which, again, was in the Esperanto language. That book completed my îmân, and I became a Muslim. Islam fully answers all my thoughts, aspirations and wishes that I have had since my childhood. Islam comprehends both freedom and discipline. Islam, while listing our duties towards Allâhu ta’âlâ on the one hand, prescribes the ways of leading a comfortable and peaceful worldly life on the other. Islam recognizes rights not only for the entire humanity, but also for each and every living creature. Islam has brought the most correct solutions to the most critical problems. As a sociologist, I have admired the greatness and the perfection inherent in the Islamic precepts ‘Zakât’[2] and ‘Hajj’[3]. [Zakât], which means for a person who has been given a larger share from worldly goods to mete out a certain percentage of his property to the poor, and [Namâz in jamâ’at (congregational prayer) and Hajj], which mean all Muslims’ coming together, worshipping Allâhu ta’âlâ and knowing one another, the rich and the poor, the seniors and the juniors, the old and the young, merchants, artisans and, in short, the rank and file, indicate that Islam attained long ago the elevations that today’s social sciences have not reached so far despite all the painstaking endeavours. Owing to this accomplished character, Islam has shown the most perfect medium way between capitalism and communism and provided the conveniences coveted by all people. Islam is a tremendous religion which brings together all the people in the world regardless of their race, nation, social status, colour and language, which gives them equal rights, which balances their economical discrepancies by means of a well-calculated social-aid system, and which provides a material and spiritual discipline by infusing the fear of Allah. Even the Islamic polygamy, Islam’s most criticized aspect, bears some biological considerations and is a principle more honest than the hypocritical monogamy of the Catholics, who never live with one woman. – 116 – [1] Please see the fifty-eighth paragraph in The Religion Reformers in Islam, for the Tablîgh-i-jamâ’at. [2] Endless Bliss, fifth fascicle, first chapter. [3] Endless Bliss, fifth fascicle, seventh chapter. In conclusion, I pay hamd-u-thenâ to Allâhu ta’âlâ, who has guided me to the right path and blessed me with the path that will lead me to His approval. 40 MU’MÎN ABD-UR-RAZZAQ SELLIAH (Sri Lankan) Formerly, I was an arch enemy of Islam. For, all the members of my family and all my friends were telling me that Islam was an absurd and concocted religion that would lead man to Hell, and they were even preventing me from talking with Muslims. As soon as I saw a Muslim I would turn and walk away, and I would curse them behind their back. In those days, if I had dreamt of myself examining that religion closely, admiring it, and finally embracing Islam, I would not have interpreted it optimistically. Why did I become a Muslim? I shall give a short answer to this question. The greatest Islamic virtue that attracted me towards it was that Islam is an extremely pure, very logical, and easily intelligible religion which contains very profound pieces of advice and divine wisdom. As soon as I began to examine the Islamic religion, it impressed me very strongly and I felt that I was going to accept it. I received a Christian education. I thought that there was not another religious book more valuable than the Bible, which had been handed to me. Yet, when I began reading the Qur’ân alkerîm, I saw with amazement that that book was far an away superior to the Bible in my hand, and that it taught me so many beautiful facts that the Bible had not taught me. There were many preposterous legends and grotesque credal tenets in the Christian religion. The Qur’ân al-kerîm rejected all such things and taught men facts that they would understand and accept. I gradually took a dislike to the Bible, and held fast to the Qur’ân al-kerîm with both hands. Whatsoever I read in it, I understood it, liked it, and admired it. So Islam was the true religion. When I realized this fact, I decided to accept Islam, thus attaining îmân and the religion of peace and love. What I like best in Islam, and what attracted me to it most strongly, is the fact that Muslims look on one another as brothers. Without any discrimination with respect to colour, race, vocation, – 117 – nationality, or country, Muslims all over the world know one another as brothers, love one another, and consider it as a sacred duty to do favours to one another and to help one another. The rule, “... Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.” (Matt: 22-39) which remains in theory in the pages of the Bible, has been put into practice only by Muslims. And no other religion contains it even on the theoretical level. The Islamic brotherhood is not only in words. Always and everywhere, Muslims throughout the world cooperate and run to help one another, no matter whether they know one another or not. The second feature of Islam that I admire is that that religion does not contain a superstition or an unintelligible principle. Islam’s tenets are logical, practical, reasonable, and up-to-date. The Islamic religion recognizes one Creator. The expression Rûhul- quds (the Holy Spirit) exists in the Qur’ân al-kerîm. Yet its meaning is ‘the divinity of Allâhu ta’âlâ’, or ‘the angel named Jebrâîl’. It does not mean ‘another godhead’. Islam’s principles, i.e. its commandments and prohibitions, are extremely simple, logical, and adaptable to modern life in every respect. Islam is the only true religion that the entire world could accept. EXPLANATION: The expression ‘Rûh-ul-quds’ exists in a few different sûras (chapters) of the Qur’ân al-kerîm. It is written in books of tafsîr (explanations of the Qur’ân al-kerîm) that it has varying meanings, depending on the context in which it appears. In short, it has meanings such as ‘The angel named Jebrâîl’, ‘the lifegiving and protecting attributes of Allâhu ta’âlâ’, ‘the soul of Îsâ ‘alaihis-salâm’, and ‘The Injîl (the original, unchanged Bible)’. Its lexical meaning is: ‘The Pure Soul’.
Posted on: Wed, 18 Sep 2013 08:37:26 +0000
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