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rebel. 758 48. To thee We sent the Scripture In truth. confirming The scripture that came Before it. and guarding it759 In safety: so judge Between them by whilt Allah hath revealed. And follow not their vain Desires. diverging From the Truth that hath come To thee. To each among you Have We prescribed a Law And an Open Way.7611
If Allah hild so willed, He would have made you'l,l A single People, but (His Plan is) to test you in what He hath given you: so strive As in a race in all virtues.
75S. S.:.: n. 756 anov.:. 759. After th.: corruption of the older revelations. the Our-fill com.:s with a twofold purpos.:: (I) 10 confirm the true and original Message. allli (2) to guard il. or acl as a ch.:ck to ih interpretalion. The Arabic word Mllhaimitl is very comprchensive in meaning. It means one who safeguards. watches over. stands witness. preserves. and upholds. The Our-;In safeguards "the Book". for it has preserved within il Ihe teachings of all the former Books. It watches over these Books in the sense that il will not let their tru.: t.:achings 10 h.: lost. It supports and upholds these Books in the sens.: that it corronorates th.: Word of Allah which has remained intact in them. It stands a wiln.:ss necause it nears t,:slimony III the Word of Allah contained in these Books and helps to sort il out frum Ih.: interpretations and commentaries of the people which were mixed with il: whal is confirmed ny th.: Our-an is Ihe Word of Allah and what is against it is thai of the people. 7(,(1. Lmv: .~/tir¡al = rulcs of practical conduct. Opel. Way: Mitlhaj = Thc guidance of the I'rophet in all aspects of life.
761. By origin mankind were a single people or nalion: so Allah could have kept us all alike. with one language. on.: set of physical conditions (including climate) to live in. us diversity in these Ihings. not only at any given time. hut This tesls our capacily for Unity (Wa~daniyat) still more. Unily and Islam.
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iv, I. and ii. 213. That being one kind of disposition. and But in I-lis wisdom. lie gives in different periods and ages. and accentuales the need of