We have discussed the Qur'aanic Verses addressed specifically to the believers in Islam. Let us now turn our attention to the Verses addressed to mankind in general as يا أيها الناس.
The earlier Prophets were sent to sections of mankind living in different parts of the world. In those prehistoric times, there were no communication facilities, and hence separate Prophets had to be sent to those different parts.
But Prophet Muhammad was sent at the threshold of the historic time in which faster and faster means of communication became available. So, Muhammad (peace on him) was sent as the last Prophet for the entire mankind! The Qur'aan, therefore, contains Verses addressed to mankind in general.
The first such Verse to appear from the beginning of the Qur'aan is 2:21. Its translation: 'O mankind! Worship your Lord Who created you and those before you so that you achieve piety.'
Allah Almighty has sent mankind to this earth, for a limited period, to test them out in their belief in His existence. He has given them the freedom of belief but has endowed them with the intelligence and the ability to acquire knowledge with which to recognize His existence. He has, moreover, sent His Messengers to them, with divine Scriptures, to guide them to the right decision.
Verse 2:21 is one such guidance! It tells them to ponder over their own bodies and over those who preceded them. Every bit of any such body has the unmistakable stamp of a super-intelligent Creator, possessing absolute knowledge on everything, creating it.
It must have been clear to everyone that it is not one's parents that are one's creators. The parents are just tools used in one's creation.
But the modern intelligentsia has come up with the bizarre, unscientific idea of things getting created/evolved by themselves! What nonsense!! They have come up with this mad idea because they do not see the Creator. They tend satanically to ignore the overwhelming evidence establishing His existence!
The Qur'aan speaks about some such evidence in the very next Verse 2:22. HE tells us how He has ingeniously arranged to make this earth habitable and our lives sustainable therein!
Then in Verse 2:23, He offers an open challenge to anyone, doubting the divinity of the Qur'aan, to come up with even a single Chapter like any in the Holy Book!
No one has accepted this challenge, and no one can accept it as reiterated in Verse 2:24.
Let us here examine, in this context, the smallest Chapter, 108, of the Qur'aan. In 3 short Verses, it tells us that Allah has bestowed on the Prophet a very high position. This was at a time when he was virtually persecuted in his hometown Makkah. His infant son had died, and he was chided for being without a male heir to carry forward his legacy. But see what happened: his followers, the Muslims, now form the 2nd largest block of the world population. And he is considered the greatest leader ever of mankind. On the other hand, his fiercest opponent - his own uncle - died an ignominious death! Can any human writing foresee such a prophecy?
Even after being given all the facilities and opportunities for leading a life of piety, a human being refuses to take the Right Path, he/she is destined to be doomed!
5th January 2022.