Page 61 - The Vision of Islam

The Vision of Isla m

desires—he was like a dog that pants whether you chase it away or
leave it alone. Such are those who reject Our Signs. Tell them this
story so they may reflect.” (7:176)
Such verses as have termed people blind, deaf and dumb are
not meant in the physical sense. Neither they were lying in some
abysmal state of insanity. These people who are called deaf, dumb
and blind were actually men of great learning and wisdom of
their times. They built great houses and forts and were experts in
business, agriculture and the cultivation of orchards. They were
leading their nations.
In connection with the above verse (7:176) the name of Arabia’s
Umayyah bin Abi al-Salt is referred to. He was famous not only
for his leadership and generosity but also for his poetry and
wisdom. Similarly, a man of the later days of Moses, Bala’am, Son
of Beor, is described in such terms, although he was one of the
most distinguished men in Iraq, in learning and piety. According to
Ubadah ibn As-Samit, this verse was also applied to the leaders of
Quraysh, who were, in effect, leaders of the whole of Arabia, being
custodians of the Kabah.
That being so, why were they called blind and deaf. To understand
this one should study the difference between man and animal.
Apparently, animal has all that a man has and can do all that a man
does. He moves about, eats and drinks, sees and hears, and feels
pain and happiness. Wherein lies the difference? Biologists tell us
what differentiates man from animal is his capacity for conceptual
thought. That is to say that animals don’t possess this capability.
This explains the difference between the human and the animal
level. The animal state is to remain unmoved except by material
realities, that is material loss and material gain. On the contrary,
human level is that once the truth of something is established at
the intellectual level, that should be accepted and life should be
planned accordingly. The Quran says: This is the Book: There is
no doubt in it. It is a guide for those who are mindful of God, who
believe in the unseen’ (2:2-3)
That is, the Quran cannot be a guide for those who are never
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