If one follows his true nature and common sense he finds the truth. Truth is beautiful and eternal; it needs no justification or explanation. Like the sun and the moon, which keep at their work undistracted, continuously without us ever bothering about their rise each day. Winds bring clouds of all colours, sometimes filled with life-giving water and sometimes with magnificent snow. Plants continue to grow and populations of ants and bees thrive in a delicate balance. All this carries on without human assistance yet it is only the human, who plans its future and remains most scared and uncertain of it.
Gary Miller studied religion and mathematics and adopted Christian missionary work for salvation. At a point in his life, he started reading the Holy Quran as a study in comparative religion. This study opened to him new meanings of the world and life in it. He found it to be closer to his natural beliefs and common sense. He concluded that he had been a Muslim already for many years without even knowing it; such is the appealing force of the Holy Quran.
One interesting story is told by Gary Miller in his delightful book, The Amazing Quran. Some years ago, the story came to us in Toronto about a man who was in the merchant marine and made his living on the sea. A Muslim gave him a translation of the holy book to read. The merchant marine knew nothing about the history of Islam but was interested in reading the Holy Quran. When he finished reading it, he brought it back to the Muslim and asked, “This Muhammad (P.B.U.H), was he a sailor?” He was impressed at how accurately the Holy Quran describes a storm on a sea. When he was told, “No as a matter of fact, Muhammad (P.B.U.H) lived in the desert,” that was enough for him. He embraced Islam on the spot.
The message is present in every Muslim household, yet it is kept on a high podium or on top of a cupboard doubly covered in plush and beautiful cloth. It is not as frequently read or referred to as is desire of Allah Almighty. It is the need of the hour that the Quran is read and understood by Muslims and non-Muslims alike to clear our perceptions about life, death and the benevolence of our Creator.
FARRUKH SHAHAB
LAHORE
