Ch 6: The Third Round

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Let us see what Isabella had been doing in connection with these
discussions and what were her activities in the meantime. In fact, all
this time her mind was filled with the subject-matter of these
discussions and all other engagements and social entanglementswere
relegated to the background.
After 'the discussion' between the priests and Umar Lahmi she had come
to the conclusion that the priests had no answer to the objections of
Muslims and her belief in Christianity had been shaken and no argument
could keep her firm on it.During this time she had often secretly met
Umar Lahmi and sought information about the Muslim creed. The talk
between Umar Lahmi andher father (the head priest) had also concluded
at her house and more than a month had passed on it. Nevertheless she
continued her enquiry. She had also met several times Ziad b. Umar,
the Qazi of Islam in Cordova, through Umar Lahmi and got consolation
from him.
Ziad b. Umar, besides being a profound scholarof Islam, was a
Godfearing man of piety. Muslims of Spain revered him as a Wali Allah
(Friend of Allah). Isabella's mind was greatly affected by several
visits to him and she became attached to Islam and fully realised that
Islam is the true religion while Christianity is a mixture of
misguidance and disruptions.
The head priest had asked Umar Lahmi in the cathedral to come to his
house next day and had also invited all the priests. So early next
morning Umar Lahmi with some of his associates and divines reached the
house of the head priest and was treated with respect and given
refreshments in a separate room. Then more than forty Christian
divines also arrived and the head priest then addressed Umar Lahmi.
Head Priest: I know the questions which you will ask, but I do not
want to go into details and prolong the talk. I will say just a word
or two which may lead to the result in minutes instead of hours. What
I mean is that Islam and Christianity may be testedby their basic
teachings and whichever teaching is best the religion whichtaught it
will be true. Is itnot so?
Umar Lahmi: I have no objection to anything and I am prepared to
discuss on any lines that you choose. Surely it is bythe teachings of
Christianity and Islam that truth and falsehood can be known.
Head Priest: Bravo, bravo! Surely the help of the Holy Ghost is on
your sideand you will soon come from the wrong path to right guidance.
Now that you have agreed to the lines suggested by me, letme proceed.
In every religion there are basic principles and matters of detail. I
want to put before you the essence ofChristianity in just one word and
desire that youwill also give the essence of your religion in one
word. Do you agree?
Umar Lahmi: Yes, you mayproceed. I agree to whatever you say.
Head Priest (to the priests) : See, this is the way to talk! Just one
word decides the issue. (To Umar Lahmi:) Now listen. The essence of
Christianity is "Love". Christianity has been condensed in a single
word. Now, you have also to give the essence of Islam in one word.
Umar Lahmi: I am proud to say that Islam has also condensed the
essence ofits teachings in a single word which covers all basic
principles and details. The root of Islamic principles and teachings
is Tauhid (unity).
Head Priest: If the essence of Islam is Tauhid(unity), then love has
been excluded from it. Besides, we also say "unity" to be the essence
of our religion.
Umar Lahmi: If Tauhid were the essence of your religion, you should
havesaid so. Why did you say that love is the essence ofyour religion?
Now, it is quite wrong to say that by accepting "unity" as the essence
of religion, "love" is excluded from it.On the other hand, the fact is
that "love" comes from "unity". If "unity" is not taken with all its
requisites, love will be a meaningless word. To accept "love" as the
essence of religion means total denial of "unity," cr not to take it
as the essence of religion.
Head Priest: The thing is that "unity" comes from "love" and not
"love" from "unity".
Umar Lahmi: This is an example of perverted logic. If unity comes
fromlove, then love is quite a meaningless word. Because without
unity, that is, want of knowledge of Allah, love of Allah will be
excluded from it as love of Allah depends on the knowledge of the
divine, and unity is but the true recognition of the divine.Mere love
does not provelove of Allah.
Head Priest: You have started a long discussion. What I mean is that
love has no place in Islam.
Umar Lahmi: If love has no place in Islam, then love does not exist at
all in the world. It can, on the other hand, be said that there is not
the least trace of love in Christianity. Where love ismerely a verbal
claim, it has neither any standard nor proof.
Head Priest: Look here. It is a well-known slogan ofour Scriptures
that God islove. Is it not the proof oflove ?
Umar Lahmi: It is nothing but merely a verbal claim.Unless there is a
standardof love, the prescribed theory of love will not be acceptable.
Head Priest: Now, you define the standard of love. Have not our
Scriptures called God father? Does not father love his children?
Umar Lahmi: Mere repetition of the word love leads us nowhere unless
all its conditions are fulfilled. If anyone loves another, he should
prove it by the sacrifice of his life and possessionsand then only can
he be said to have loved truly. Therefore Islam has prescribed
obedience and service as the criterion of love which is another name
of sacrificeof life and possessions. The Quran says to the Prophet:
"Qul in kuntum tuhibbun Allah fat-tabi'unl yuhbibkum Allah" [Say: If
you love Allah, follow me: Allah will love you].* Thus this verse has
prescribed a standard of love which has discriminated between true and
false love. But in your religion there is no criterion of love. Any
pretender can stand up and say that he loves Allah.
Head Priest: You have again started a long discussion. I want that
everything should be comprehensive so that the decision may be arrived
at quickly. However, if your Qur'an has also called God father, which
is the highest position of love?
Umar Lahmi: If the Qur'anhad used the word fatherfor God, it would
have been the greatest proof of its deficiency. Islam never used this
misleading word for God but, on the other hand, has used such words as
have the most
sublime significance as compared to the term father.
Head Priest: You are very impudent, calling the word "father"
misleading. Now, tell me quickly what better wordIslam has used
instead of father. (The head priest's neck at this time became stiff
and foam came from his mouth in great anger.)
Umar Lahmi: There is no reason for the loss of temper. I have called
the word "father" misleadingbecause it has become the basis of
assigning partners to Allah, and people invented a son to Allah.
Christians also believe in the divinity of Christ. As to the better
word in place of father used by Islam, that word is Rabb (fosterer),
which implies a Being who fosters from beginning toend and his
fostering care never ends. So by using the word "fosterer"Islam has
taught that Allah's. fostering love is never withdrawn. But the
concept of father implies that father will care for his child up to a
certain time and will then become indifferent. Besides, a father can
carefor his child only in optional matters but not in matters beyond
his control. If the child falls ill, father cannot cure his illness
while the fosteringof Allah is. not so; He has power over everything
and in nothing is He helpless and His fosteringcare is everlasting.
This proves that, instead of father, fosterer is more suited to the
Dignity of Allah and, besides, fosterer is indicative of "Unity of
Allah," while father is the source of assigning partner to Allahin the
world.
Head Priest: The effects ofthe fosterer as indicated by you find no
proof in the world while you cannot shut your eyes to father's love.
So how can one accept a word without meaning which has no proof in the
world, while you cannot ignore the effects of father's love.
Umar Lahmi: Unfortunately, the creed of Atonement has clouded your
vision, otherwise you could not have said so. We see every day that a
child is fostered in its mother's womb and in childhood and youth and
old age the fostering care continues. That is, his fostering continues
from beginning to end. Is it not he work of the Rabb (fosterer) which
we see very day?
Head Priest: The Holy Bible says that God has such a love with the
people of the world that He sacrificed His only child for the sake of
men.What better proof can beof love that father secrifices his dearest
thing for love.
Umar Lahmi: This very statement of the Bible refutes your claim. You
mean that the father is one who sacrifices his pure and innocent son
for the sake of impure and sinful men. That is, father's love was
manifested thus that he killed his innocent son. But the fosterer is
one who is not unjust to anyone. On the other hand, He punishes the
unjust. The Quran says: "Wa la tuziru waziratun wizra ukhra" [And no
burdened soul can bear another's burden].* But your father killed his
own child. If to crucify and kill one's innocent and sinless child is
love we cannot touch such love with a pair of tongs.
Head Priest (to other priests) : I had thought that this man was
inclined to Jesus Christ, but he is a stiff "unbeliever". Everything
that I have said is of high order but how can these people understand
them? (To Umar Lahmi:) Your heart has turned black. Christ does not
want to accept you. Now, you go away from here. I have nothing to do
with you. You just came to annoy me. (To the priests:) You should also
have no concern with these people. You have seen that they are so
hot-headed, they would not agree to anything.
Uinar Lahmi But, sir…
Head Priest: Shut up, now. I have seen for what purpose you came here
and with what object you talk to us.
So saying the Head Priest,exhibiting his Christian manners, left for
his room on the upper storey. Umar Lahmi and other Muslim divines came
out raising the cry of "Nasrun min Allah wa fathun qarib" [Help from
Allah and victory is at hand].
Voicing the slogan of victory, Umar Lahmi and other Muslim divines
repaired to their respective homes. Isabella had attentively listened
to the talk of both sides. With her wereher friends and other
respectable Christian ladies. In the evening when Isabella's friends
gathered again comments started on the morning talk. Whatever little
faith Isabella had in Christianity was shattered and she fully
realised that the Christiancreed was just a sham which had neither any
basis nor any principle. Earlier meetings had left her with the
impression that Michael, Peter and others were not well informed, but
her father, the head priest, had profound knowledge of the reality of
Christianity and, therefore, if these people were unable to meet the
questions of Muslims, she had thought, her father would be able to
silence them. But after listening this last talk she was thoroughly
disappointed and had left no alternative but to conclude that the
basis ofChristianity was no betterthan the spider's web.
A month had passed and a great revolution had come in the mind of
Isabella. She had secretly been meeting Umar Lahmi and, through him,
other divines like Ziad b. Umar in Cordova. She wasnow more devoted to
thestudy of the Holy Quran and the truth of Islam was taking deep root
in her mind. She made a comparative study of the Quran and the Bible
to find out which of the twohad greater truth and which was just a
mixture of superstitions. She had given thought according to her
lights to the problems of Unity of Allah, Prophethood, the Quran,
salutation, atonement, intercession, meaning of sin and human acts and
their consequences.
She was no longer a devotee of Christianity, but had bowed her head to
Islam. But often she was perturbed with the idea of giving up a
religion she had followedfrom her birth. What trials and tribulations
shemight have to face on going over to Islam. She will have to forsake
her father, mother, sisters and relatives. How shall be her future
life. But immediately it struck her that trials and troubles have to
be encountered in the path of truth and if, after recognising the
truth, she did not openly declare it she will be guilty in the sight
of Allah.
When Umar Lahmi learnt of her perturbation he secretly sent word to
her to recite ten times each morning and evening theverse of the Holy
Quran: "Rabbi adkhilni mudkhala sidqin wa akhrijni mukhraja sidqin
waj'al-li min-ladunka sultaman nasira" [My Lord! make me enter a
truthful entering, and make me go forth a trouthful going forth, and
grant me from Thy presence an authority to help (me)].* Allah
willing,her anxiety will be relieved.
So Isabella followed this advice. By reciting this verse morning and
evening she felt as if some mysterious power was giving strength to
her heart and removing her fears. This prompt effect of the verse
furtherstrengthened her faith inIslam and she became more devoted to
the Quran and Islam.
Isabella – A girl of Islamic Spain