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 he
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 com-pilers 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.