WORDS  
 
In God's scheme of things words are important. Words ("kalimah" in Arabic or "logos" in Greek) are the means by which God conveys guidance to mankind. The story of Adam is very apt.

Adam lived in paradise. He had everything. Among the abundance the only discipline imposed on Adam was to avoid a certain tree. This was a commandment given to Adam in words ("kalimah" or logos)

We said, "O Adam, live with your wife in Paradise, and eat therefrom generously, as you please, but do not approach this tree, lest you sin. "- AI-Baqarah 2:35

Unfortunately the devil duped them and Adam went near the tree. And for this mistake, Adam was evicted from Paradise.

"Adam thus disobeyed his Lord, and fell' - Ta ha 20:121.

However, since Adam survived the incident, we know that the tree did not cause him any bodily harm. The only mistake Adam made was that he disobeyed God's words ("kalimah").

The moral of Adam's story is Do not disobey God's words, the Kalimah.

But God is always kind. He forgives our wrongdoings.

"Say to My servants who exceeded the limits, "Never despair of God's mercy, God forgives all sins, for He is the forgiver, the merciful"- Al-Zumar 39:53.

Hence God redeemed Adam. How did He do it?

"Then Adam received from his Lord WORDS ("kalimah"), whereby He redeemed him. He is the redeemer, the merciful. " A1 Baqarah 2:37.

The Redeemer gives unto us His words (kalimah). The disobedience, if any, is
towards those same words. And the redemption is again through the same words.

"God supports the Truth with His WORDS, no matter how averse the guilty might be" Younas 10:82.

"You shall recite what is revealed to you from your Lord; nothing shall abrogate His WORDS, and you shall not find any other source besides it. " Al-Khaf 18:27.

"..Therefore you shall believe in God and His messenger, the Gentile prophet, who believes in God and His WORDS, and follow him that you may be guided" AIAraaf7:158.

It is therefore crucial that we obey the WORDS (kalimah) that was revealed to the Prophet i.e. the Quran.

This has been the message being put forward by Signs magazine. This is the second anniversary issue of Signs magazine. We urge all our regular readers and anyone else this magazine may reach to carefully consider this.

Our message is simple - read the Quran and understand what you read. Live your life according to the Quran. The Quran represents God's WORDS (kalimah) talking to us.

If you are not a Muslim, you will still find the Quran a wonderful book. It has no nonsense in it. It has no contradictions in it whatsoever (perhaps a challenge ?).

If you are a Muslim you will find the contents of the Quran totally at odds with the "Islam" that is known today which has nothing to do with the message that was revealed to the prophet Muhammad.

Fortunately for us, the message that was revealed to the prophet is preserved very carefully only in the Quran. Nowhere else.

For Muslims to uphold the Quran today would mean a radical departure from the accepted norms. But the Quran is the Truth. There cannot be two or three Truths. There is only the Quranic Truth.

" God is able to seal your heart, erase any falsehood and reestablish the Truth with His WORDS.. " Al-Shoura 42:24.

Indeed God is able to reestablish the Truth again and again with His WORDS. God's WORDS are important.

And we must take comfort in the fact that it is yet to be proved if following the Quran alone causes any harm to ourselves, our family or friends. It does not.

Whether the same can be said for all the other sources of "guidance" is best left to the readers' own judgement.
 
"God supports the Truth with His WORDS, no matter how verse the guilty might be" Younas 10:82.