Page 243 - Islam and Far Eastern Religions
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Allah does not wrong people in any way; rather it is people who
wrong themselves. (Surah Yunus: 44)
In reality what people are expected to do is to refrain from the few
things that are forbidden to them and then enjoy all the rest of Allah’s
gifts in the purest and finest manner, not forgetting that it is our most
gracious Lord Who provides these and to be grateful to Him. People
should not unnecessarily deprive themselves of the beautiful things in
life, nor should they crush their desires or cause themselves suffering.
Allah reveals:
(Allah said,) “Those who follow the Messenger, the unlettered
Prophet, whom they find written down with them in the Torah and
the Gospel, commanding them to do right and forbidding them to
do wrong, making good things lawful for them and bad things for-
bidden for them, relieving them of their heavy loads and the chains
which were around them. Those who believe in him and honor him
and help him, and follow the Light that has been sent down with
him, they are the ones who are successful.” (Surat al-A‘raf: 157)
It is revealed in these verses that our Prophet Muhammad (may
Allah bless him and grant him peace) “eased the burden and broke the
chains of people” and freed them from the pressures and prohibitions
of their false beliefs.
The self-inflicted cruelty of Jainism is not just limited to destitu-
tion and hunger. A Jain, when physically incapacitated, or when desir-
ing to supposedly “free” his soul has reached such a state where he can
no longer abide by his vows, must die by starving himself happily to
death, because according to Jainism, death by starvation is the alleged
highest virtue. The Catholic Encyclopaedia explains this peculiar aspect of
Jainism in the following way:
According to Jain ethics a monk who has practiced twelve years of severe as-
Harun Yahya (Adnan Oktar)