took to the road which led straight to the Qasrul Shuhada (Palace of
Martyrs). The Muslim government of the day had lavishly beautified the
whole of Spain. The roads of Cordova were wide and well planned and
beautiful lamps at short distances lighted them and, as Dr Draper
says, one could walk twenty miles in their light. Isabella walked
slowly and gracefully on the wide and bright roadof the Palace of
Martyrs towards her home and her pace today was thoughtful and
dignified.After her evening stroll she used to call on her friends on
the way while returning, but today she was heading straight to her
home and seemed to be absorbed in some thought. In half an hour she
reached her palatial house, where her maidservant was waitingfor her
at the door and greeted her. Giving someoff-hand answer to the maid's
question as to her delayed return; she entered her room and, sitting
in an easy chair, began to read a book. In the meantime the
maidservant laid the dinner table and called her. But she was so
absorbed in the book that she did not respond and continued in her
study. The book she was reading was the Holy Bible and she was
particularly studying Saint Paul's Epistles with great care in which
the religious law was denounced as a curse. She read the letters again
and again but could not find a solution to her doubt, which became
more and more firm as she went on reading. When her mind was tired she
put away the Bible and resolved to ask her father who, she thought,
could explain it.
She did not think that the problem was insoluble. If she could notfind
the solution, her father would easily find it as there was no man
inSpain so learned as her father. So eased in her mind she took her
dinnerand began to read the Bible again. Sometime after she went to
her bed.
Next morning rising earlyshe went to the church, itbeing a Sunday. On
her return her father called her and asked her what chapter of the
Bible she had read last night as shewas engaged in comprehending the
inner meanings of metaphysics. If she had any difficulty in solving
any problem she might ask him.
Isabella (kissing his hand): Father, I have read today 1 John, Chapter
3, and if you permit me I may ask a question as I have not yetbeen
able to solve the problem.
Priest: Surely, surely, my child. Do ask it and I will resolve your difficulty.
Isabella: Our Lord has given us Twelve Commandments in the Old
Testament through Prophet Moses. Are they not about religious law?
Priest: Yes, they all relate to religious law.
Isabella: The next thing isthat Saint Paul has said inone of his
letters that religious law is a curse.
Priest: Yes, religious law is a curse and it was to relieve us from
this curse that Jesus Christ came to the world and was crucified.
Isabella: It is clear that religious law is a curse and so grave a
curse that Jesus Christ came to the world to remove it and was
crucified. It, therefore, means that to follow religious law is also a
curse.
Priest: Surely it is a curse and now Christians, instead of following
the religious law, should have faith in Jesus Christ, as religious law
was effective until our lord was not crucified.
Isabella: Now, is stealing permissible for us?
Priest: What has this got to do with the religious law? My child, you
shouldthink carefully before asking a question as anyone else who
bears this question will take you to be quite foolish.
Isabella: Forgive me. Probably I could not make myself clear. What
Imean is that among the Commandments, which you have just said are
part of religious law, onecommand is that you should not steal and
another that you should not oppress your neighbour and the third that
you should not disobey your parents. Now, these commandments are still
parts of the religious law which, according to SaintPaul, is a curse.
So to obey the Commandmentsof Old Testament (that is not to steal, not
to fornicate) is abominationand not to steal and not to molest your
parents are a curse.
Priest: My child, you have not yet understood the position of the
religious law. But, first tell me whoput this foolish question in your
mind and what devil put this doubt in you?
On this Isabella reported all the talk between Umar Lahmi and Muaz
which she had heard in the garden.
Priest: My child, you know it well that these accursed Muslims are
"unbelievers" and have always been inimical to our sacred religion.
Criticism of our holy books is the result of satanic thinking. My
child, you should repent at once and in future do not give ear to the
talk ofMuslims. They are irreligious and castigate the true religion
of others. Do you know, my child, what is their religion? Bloodshed is
creditable in their religion. Just see, they invaded our country Spain
and killed hundreds of innocent people and are forcibly imposing their
religion. Now, I know that these objections you have heard from
Muslims. If they were from your own mind I would have cleared them,
but what reply can we give to them?
Isabella was sorry to have mentioned Muslims;otherwise her problems
must have been solved. Now I will ask this question, she thought, from
my teacher whom I ask questions which I do not understand in the
course of my studies.
Next day Isabella put the same question to her teacher who also failed
to satisfy her by some convincible answer. Up to this time Isabella
had thought that her difficulty was due to her lack of understanding
and the religious leader will solve it easily, but now she realised
that it was not an easy but an important matter and her doubts were
strengthened and continued to grow.
Isabella – A girl of Islamic Spain
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