g
      we
      can
      do,
      they
      are
      autonomous
      Ti
     
     
      ne
      Student
      Union
      stood
      on
      its
      feet
      instead
      of
     
     
      ng
      on
      the
      fence,
      and
      did
      something
      about
      this
     
    
   
   
    
     
      en
      ain,
      a
      womyn
      for
      equal
      rights
      for
      all
      on
      this
     
     
      anet!
     
    
   
   
    
     
      awn
      Ambler
     
    
   
   
    
     
      author,
      in
      terms
      of
      literary
      merit,
      in
      the
      whole
      of
     
     
      Arabic
      literature?
      How
      could
      he
      then
      pronounce
      truths
     
     
      of
      scientific
      nature
      thatno
      other
      human
      being
      could
      -
     
     
      Possibly
      have
      developed
      at
      the
      time,
      and
      all
      this
     
     
      without
      making
      the
      slightest
      error
      in
      his
      pronounce-
     
     
      ments
      on
      the
      subjects?’’
      This
      is
      the
      glorious
      Qur’an,
     
     
      a
      Guide
      for
      humanity.
      Moreover,the
      Qur’an
      is
      the
     
     
      only
      book
      that
      has
      come
      to
      usin
      an
      unadulterated
     
     
      form.
      Since
      humanity
      was
      unable
      to
      preserve
      the
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ea
      Mr.
      Editor:
     
    
   
   
    
     
        
     
     
         
     
     
        
     
     
         
     
     
          
     
     
         
     
     
       
     
     
          
     
     
         
     
     
       
     
     
         
     
     
         
     
     
       
     
     
         
     
     
       
     
     
         
     
     
         
     
     
       
     
     
         
     
     
        
     
     
         
     
     
         
     
     
         
     
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      his
      is
      in
      response
      to
      your
      supplement
      on
      religion
      in
     
     
      :
      X-press
      dated
      March
      26,
      1992.
      Itis
      encouraging
     
     
      See
      the
      interest
      and
      efforts
      to
      understand
      various
     
     
      igious
      beliefs
      and
      practices
      in
      this
      Global
      Village.
     
     
      dwever,
      the
      appropriate
      approach
      should
      have
      been
     
     
      contact
      the
      people
      who
      practice
      these
      religions
      and
     
     
      «
      them
      to
      present
      the
      basic
      teachings
      in
      an
      authentic
     
     
      nner.
      The
      segment
      on
      Islam
      was
      so
      brief
      that
      it
      did
     
     
      tconvey
      any
      idea
      about
      Islam
      except
      to
      give
      the
     
     
      pression
      that
      Muslims
      are
      interested
      only
      in
      eating
     
     
      iod
      food
      and
      drinking
      soft
      drinks
      and
      procreating.
     
    

    
     
      im
      is
      much
      more
      than
      that.
      Volumes
      have
      been
     
     
      itten
      on
      the
      topics
      Islam
      deals
      with.
      So
      to
      present
     
     
      ewhole
      of
      Islam
      in
      about
      twelve
      lines
      in
      one
      col-
     
    

    
     
      n
      does
      not
      do
      the
      justice.
      Instead
      it
      create
      the
     
    

    
     
      dng
      impression.
      I
      do
      not
      know
      who
      wrote
      those
     
     
      elve
      lines.
      Here
      I
      will
      try
      to
      outline
      very
      briefly
      the
     
     
      in
      ideas
      or
      teachings
      of
      Islam.
      Islam
      is
      not
      a
     
    

    
     
      igion
      in
      the
      ordinary
      sense
      of
      the
      word
      and
      the
     
     
      tan,
      the
      revealed
      book
      of
      Islam
      is
      not
      a
      Book
      on
     
     
      igion
      alone.
      The
      Qur’an
      is
      the
      foundation
      of
      Is-
     
    

    
     
      lic
      way
      of
      life.
      From
      this
      book
      springs
      all
      encom-
     
     
      Sing
      Islamic
      culture.
      What
      is
      the
      subject
      matter
      of
     
     
      ‘Qur,an?
      It
      isa
      book
      of
      Guidance.
      It
      is
      not
      a
      book
     
     
      ‘conomics,
      politics,
      sociology,
      philosophy,
      escha-
     
     
      ogy,
      history,
      culture,
      law
      and
      jurisprudence,
      inter-
     
     
      ional
      relations,
      physics,
      biology,
      creation
      (the
     
    

    
     
      ince
      of
      embryology
      and
      creation
      of
      the
      universe
     
     
      example),
      astronomy,
      animal
      and
      vegetable
      king-
     
     
      n,
      Yet
      it
      deals
      with
      all
      of
      them
      at
      some
      length
      in
     
     
      ition
      to
      dealing
      with
      prayer,
      forgiveness,
      piety,
      sin
     
     
      avarice.
      In
      other
      word
      the
      Qur,an
      deals
      with
      the
     
     
      lity
      of
      human
      situation.
      It
      certainly
      goes
      beyond
     
     
      ng
      and
      drinking
      as
      is
      the
      impression
      given
      by
     
    

    
     
      ¢
      twelve
      lines
      in
      the
      X-Press.
      In
      the
      words
      of
      Dr.
     
     
      urice
      Bucaill,
      a
      French
      Physician
      ‘*
      What
      initially
     
     
      kes
      the
      reader
      confronted
      for
      the
      first
      time
      with
      a
     
     
      of
      this
      kind
      is
      the
      sheer
      abundance
      of
      subjects
     
     
      ussed,.,
      What
      human
      explanation
      can
      there
      be
      for
     
     
      ervation?
      ...
      How
      could
      aman
      (Muhammad),
     
     
      ing
      illiterate,
      become
      the
      most
      important
     
    
   
   
    
     
      RESS
      |
      April
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Books
      given
      to
      other
      prophets
      before
      Muhammad,
     
     
      God
      took
      upon
      Himself
      to
      preserve
      the
      Qur,an
      in
      its
     
     
      purest
      form.
      “‘It
      is
      for
      Us
      to
      collect
      it
      and
      to
      promul-
     
     
      gate
      it’’?(75:
      17).
      What
      is
      the
      basic
      message
      of
      the
     
     
      Qur,an?
      God
      is
      the
      Supreme
      Owner
      of
      the
      Uni-
     
     
      verse
      and
      we
      are
      His
      trustee
      on
      this
      earth
      .We
      are
     
     
      supposed
      to
      execute
      our
      affairs
      according
      to
      His
      will.
     
     
      Just
      like
      in
      our
      daily
      dealings
      with
      each
      other
      we
     
     
      expect
      the
      trustee
      to
      carry
      out
      the
      instructions
      of
      the
     
     
      person
      who
      owns
      the
      estate
      (i.e
      the
      person’s
      estate
     
     
      should
      be
      handled
      according
      to
      his/her
      will),
      God
     
     
      expects
      us
      to
      do
      the
      same
      when
      dealing
      with
      Him.
     
     
      God
      has
      revealed
      His
      Will
      to
      all
      the
      prophets
      from
     
     
      Adam
      to
      Muhammad.
      The
      Qur,an
      contains
      the
      same
     
     
      Will
      as
      was
      revealed
      to
      Adam,
      Abraham,
      Noah,
      Isaac,
     
     
      Moses
      and
      Jesus
      (peace
      be
      upon
      them
      all),
      but
      in
      its
     
     
      final
      form.
      What
      is
      His
      Will?
      His
      Will
      is
      reflected
      in
     
     
      the
      basic
      beliefs
      of
      Muslims.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      A
      Muslim
      believes
      in
      God,
      His
      Angels,
      His
      Prophets,
     
     
      His
      Books
      given
      to
      these
      prophets,
      Day
      of
      Judgement
     
     
      and
      fate,
      good
      or
      bad
      is
      from
      God.
      These
      are
      called
     
     
      Articles
      of
      Faith.
      A
      Muslim
      also
      believes
      that
      **God
     
     
      is
      Unique
      and
      there
      is
      nothing
      like
      Him.(i.e.,
      we
      are
     
     
      not
      created
      in
      His
      image).
      He
      is
      inimitable.
      He
      is
      the
     
     
      Creator
      of
      the
      Universe.
      Muhammad
      was
      a
      human
     
     
      being
      whom
      God
      inspired
      to
      guide
      people
      to
      His
     
     
      worship;
      for
      God
      has
      absolute
      authorities
      in
      all
      mat-
     
     
      ters
      in
      this
      world
      and
      in
      the
      hereafter.
      God
      is
      not
     
     
      triune
      (three
      in
      one).
      He
      does
      not
      beget
      nor
      was
      He
     
     
      begotten.
      Muhammad
      is
      not
      an
      anthropomorphic
      god,
     
     
      nor
      was
      he
      aprophet
      on
      earth
      and
      a
      god
      in
      heaven.”’
     
     
      Islam
      means
      submission
      to
      the
      Will
      of
      God.
      Anybody
     
     
      who
      submits
      to
      His
      will
      is
      called
      a
      Muslim,
      Since
      all
     
     
      the
      Prophets
      of
      God
      from
      Adam
      to
      Muhammad
      will-
     
     
      ingly
      submitted
      to
      His
      Will,
      they
      are
      all
      described
      in
     
     
      the
      Qur’an
      as
      Muslims,
      Without
      going
      into
      more
     
     
      details
      let
      me
      point
      out
      the
      Major
      Commandments
      as
     
    
   
   
    
     
      mentionedinthe
      Quran;
     
     
      Say:
      ‘‘Come,
      I
      will
      recite
      what
      your
      Lord
      has
      forbid-
     
    
   
   
    
     
      den
      you;
     
     
      1).
      Do
      not
      associate
      anything
      with
      Him;
      2),
      And
     
     
      [show]
      kindness
      towards
      both
      [your]
      parents;
      3).
      Do
     
     
      not
      kill
      your
      children
      because
      of
      poverty;
      We
      shall
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ovide
      for
      you
      as
      well
      for
      them.
      4).
      Do
      notindulge
      :
     
     
      9,
      1992
      age
      5
      a