Page 34 - Spirit of Islam-May'17

WESTERN CIVILIZATION
Age of Peace

HERE are several verses in the Quran which
make predictions of future events. For
Tinstance, the prediction of the victory of the
Romans over Sassanid Persia (30: 1-2). This prediction
was fulfilled within ten years, but of greater
significance is the prediction in the Quran which
clearly applies to the rise of western civilization—a
pro-human civilization—in the later period of human
history:
‘We shall show them Our signs in the universe and within
themselves, until it becomes clear to them that this is the Truth.’
(41: 53)
This verse clearly foretells the developments which took place in
western nations one thousand years after the revelation of the Quran.
This civilization of the West was, in reality, based on science. There are
two aspects to this: the theoretical and the practical, or applied aspect.
The applied aspect of western civilization may also be called the
technological aspect. It is this aspect which is mentioned in the following
tradition of the Prophet:
God will certainly support His religion with
The greatest benefit the fajir or non-believer. (Sahih Bukhari)
of these modern
developments is that Fajir here means a secular person. This saying
for the first time in of the Prophet is, in fact, a prediction of the
emergence of western civilization which, in
human history the essence, was pro-human. That is, it would
age of peace has benefit all of mankind as well as the divine
been ushered in. religion.

Western or modern civilization is not the
property of a certain race or community. It owes itself entirely to
the discovery of hidden natural laws and the development of a
technology which benefitted and still benefits the whole of humanity.
For example, the discovery of the laws of nature introduced a new
age of communication, from which everyone benefitted, including the
proponents of the religion of Islam.

32 Spirit of Islam Issue 53 May 2017