The Essence of Islam – Volume I — Page 9
Islam-the True and Living Faith 9 Thus, Moses confessed the incompleteness of the Torah and drew attention to the teaching of the Prophet who was to come. In the same way, Jesus admitted the in- completeness of his teaching and said that the time had not yet come for the perfect teaching to be disclosed but that when the Paraclete arrives he would set forth the perfect teaching. In contrast the Holy Qur'ān does not, like the Torah and the Gospel, leave the matter for an- other book to complete but announces the perfection of its teaching in the words: الْيَوْمَ أَكْمَلْتُ لَكُمْ دِينَكُمْ وَاتْمَمْتُ عَلَيْكُمْ نِعْمَتِي وَرَضِيتُ لَكُمُ الْإِسْلَامَ دِينًا 10 . . . . . Here is thus a great argument in support of Islām that by virtue of its teaching it prevails over every religion and no religion can compete with it in respect of the perfec- tion of its teaching. The second kind of success, which is peculiar to Islām and not shared by any other religion, and which fully testifies to its truth, is that it manifests its living blessings and miracles of which other religions are wholly de- prived. The signs that Islām exhibits not only establish its superiority over other religions but also enable it to draw the hearts of the people by exhibiting its perfect light. The first characteristic of Islām, which we have stated above, that is to say, the perfection of its teaching, is not quite conclusive in establishing that Islām is a true religion revealed by God. A bigoted opponent who is not far- sighted may assert that it is possible that a teaching might be perfect and yet it may not proceed from God Al- 10 This day have I perfected your religion for you and completed My favour upon you and have chosen for you Islām as religion. '- al-Ma'idah, 5:4 [Publisher]