hajimokhtar1@hotmail.com 
The Position Of Logic & Reasoning In Islam -
12th August 2002
The Sufis declare that the Father of Logic is Iblis (Lucifer, Satan etc). This is based on the Qur'an, where Iblis argued with Allah, using reason and logic to support his argument why he should not acknowledge Adam. Rationally his argument is valid but from Allah's perspective it holds no ground.
Iblis's argument was that he was created out of smokeless fire while Adam was created out of fermenting mud, meaning that he (Iblis) was far more superior to Adam. His second argument was that he was placed in charge of the spiritual-angelic world even before Adam was created, so how could he submit himself to this lump of clay.
His arguments were valid. They would have been accepted in a court of law. In fact many human adopt this approach to rationalising and justifying their actions. If observed closely this line of approach deals with personal goals, objectives and ambitions. It does not possess an overall view of things.
One of the main reasons why Islam rejects pure logic and reasoning because it leads to disbelief (kufr), disobedience and loss of submission to Allah and His Commands. However, Islam does not reject logic and reasoning outright but requires that it occupies a place after the Qur'an (Revelation from Allah) and the Ahadith (Sayings of the Prophet s.a.w.). Logic and reasoning thus becomes a tool working within a specific framework, supporting righteous goals as they have been defined by Allah. This prevents Satan from inspiring us with useless and fruitless notions of freedom and independency in a total sense when such does not exist. For example, Iblis may have been right from his point of view but from Allah's point of view it merely represented his (Iblis) arrogance, pride and disobedience.
Since Allah is the Creator and Supreme Being, it is within His power and His right to determine the direction that creation should take. This however does not mean that He is unjust or acts as He pleases, because this too is not in keeping with His nature. It has to be further noted that as the Creator of the Angels, Satan and Adam, He knew their natures and how they would respond to His actions, while they in turn merely acted according to their own natures. So to be just Allah offered every one according to his nature the opportunity to make amends so as to not to be unjust.
To understand this one has to take a few steps backwards. Having created Iblis out of smokeless fire, Allah knew how he would act and respond when the time came for Adam to be created. If Allah did not know this then He would not be the Supreme Being. Iblis in turn merely acted according to his nature which he failed to subdue and bring into submission to Allah.
Allah in turn not to be unfair or unjust offered Iblis the opportunity to repent but he refused. Instead he sought postponement of his punishment to the Last Day. Not only that, he also sought permission from Allah to lead mankind astray. This too was in Allah's knowledge. However, his request of leading mankind astray was confined in scope. All this is in the Qur'an. Now if we look up Sahih Bukhari, we will come across an incident involving the Prophet Moses as he was going up the mountain to communicate with Allah. Iblis approached him seeking a favour from him concerning himself. The Prophet Moses agreed to do so.
When communicating with Allah, Moses enquired concerning Iblis. He was told that all Iblis had to do was to go to Adam's grave and make prostration, meaning making acknowledgement of Adam superiority and he (Iblis) would be forgiven. On being told this Iblis got angry and replied, "No! Never!" and rushed off. Iblis was once again behaving in accordance with his nature, which he had failed to subdue and bring into submission to Allah, and as a result of it he continues to this day be in bad shape. Just how many people behave like him in this manner, where they remain adamant in their views without wanting to even consider the slightest possibility that they could be wrong?
In the case of Adam, having been made of clay, he was more softer in nature, so when he fell from grace which was also a part of Allah's Master Plan, he too was shown the way to salvation and forgiveness and could accept it, for he knew he was wrong even though it was intended by Allah. This is where our Qada' & Qadar (Pre-destiny, the good and bad therein) comes into play, where as believing Muslims, we must submit ourselves to Allah's Will.
It is thus obvious that Iblis, being the created being, had no choice but to submit to the decisions of Allah, but since he enjoyed a degree of freedom like us, he chose to exhibit his skills (intelligence), thus becoming the Father of Logic. These days we have many such people around fighting for their rights when in truth they are only meaningful when one submits himself or herself to Allah completely. This is what Islam is all about. This is what the word ISLAM means.
Islam does not give us the right to feel logically right or wrong just because we feel so when it is explicitly clear in the Qur'an and Ahadith. This approach to modernity, freedom of expression and freedom of rights is misdirected and could lead to disbelief and lack of submission to Allah. The only time an objection or a view can be presented logically or rationally for acceptance is when it is guided by the Qur'an and Ahadith. q Haji Mokhtar Stork
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How
Do You Define God? -
24th August 2002
Is there a God? Do you believe in God? How do you define God? Has anyone seen Him? If you are one of those people who do not believe in the existence of God, then know that denying His existence means to acknowledge His presence. And if you believe in God, then how do you define Him? Is He a man, woman, thing or it? Has anyone seen God for that matter?
Most of us believe in a Supreme Being, a Creator. We refer to Him as God, Jehovah, Allah and as host of other names, and then give Him all kinds of definitions, but the point is, 'Has anyone seen Him?'. The answer is 'No!'. No one has seen Him. The prophet Moses (a.s.) tried to but ended up in a swoon as he gazed upon God's majesty reflected upon a mountain face. The Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.) in turn only came within the presence of God. He too did not see Him.
For God to be God, He has to be unique, very much unlike us or creation. This is significant because if He were of this creation then He would be no different from us or any created thing. The example of the Prophet Abraham (a.s.) is worthy. When he saw the sun rising, he said, 'This is my Lord'. But later when it set, he realised that it was not. The same he found of the moon, the stars. Then he observed his father worshipping idols, so he said to Him, 'O my father, why worship that which hears not and sees not, and can grant you no profit?' (Surah Maryam 19:42). When Abraham questioned his father and his people concerning the worship of idols, they acknowledged that their idols could not hear them nor do good or harm them. However, they did so because they found their fathers doing so. (Surah Angkabut 29:16-17). Note: This is a common occurrence with most human beings. They merely comply with religion, following blindly whatever they are told, without using their intelligence which has been bestowed upon them by God as a precious gift. Abraham then invited them to seek sustenance from God, to serve (only) Him and to be grateful to Him, because to Him is our return.
The Prophet's Abraham's arguments were rational and logical. Why take for worship that which your own hand have created? Why not believe in someone who is Supreme and above everything else? Most of us acknowledge God as being Infinite. In Islam the Qur'an declares that He is Allah, the One and Only; Allah, the Eternal, Absolute; He begetteth not nor was He begotten; And there is none like Him. (Surah Ikhlas 112:1-4).
If no one has seen God, not even His Prophets and Messengers, how can we say that He is a man, woman, or thing? How can we take for worship that which He Himself created or brought into existence? This is illogical. And if we view Him as a Transcending God, a Trinity, a God Incarnate, this would reflect a state of weakness on His part, because all it takes is a command from Him for a thing to become a reality. So why would He want to descend from His lofty position of being Infinite and Supreme just to have a task fulfilled in another form or state? This is illogical and irrational. Take the example of Jesus, who is God and the Son of God at the same time, being sacrificed just to redeem man of Adam's sin. Would it not be easier for God just to forgive everyone who turned to Him directly, after all He created us and intended things to go the way they did especially in the case of Adam, Eve and Lucifer. In Islam, all one has to do is to turn to God sincerely for forgiveness and one is forgiven. No one is the bearer of another person's sins, nor can he intercede for another except by God's permission. If we view this situation there is a dimension and perspective to things, where God remains Supreme while everything else revolves around Him.
The Islamic definition of God whom we refer to as Allah is viewed in the following terms: 'Allah! There is no god but He - the Living, the Self-subsisting, Eternal. No slumber can seize Him nor sleep. His are all things in the heavens and on earth. Who is there can intercede in His presence except as He permits? He knows what (appears to His creatures as) before or after or behind them. Nor shall they compass aught of His knowledge except as He wills. His throne does extend over the heavens, and He feels no fatigue in guarding and preserving them for He is the Most High, the Supreme (in glory). (Surah Baqarah 2:255).
The Noble Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.) said that God said, 'In the beginning I was a hidden treasure and I desired to be known, thus I created creation.' (Sacred Hadith). The Qur'an declares that Allah created both Jinn and mankind that they may serve Him. So the whole objective and direction of creation is to serve none but Him. Tawheed or the Oneness of God is the unification of everything with Him, that is to say, it is unifying everything in one conception, that the Supreme Being is the source of everything. There is none more worthy of worship than Him.
God is everywhere. When we admire creation, we admire His beauty expressed in it. When we say that a part of God is in Man, this is true, however it does not make man God or God man. If you stand in front of a mirror you see yourself in it as a reflection. One is real while the other is not. God sees, hears etc so do we but we only enjoy a degree of His sight etc. This is what it means when we say 'Man was created in God's image'.
A most common mistake made by many is to turn an Attribute or Quality of God into a god, or to view a relationship as in the case over the creation of Adam as a platform for a transcending god, where man is god and god is man (interchangeable). God remains God while His Qualities or Attributes are manifestations. For example, God (Allah) has ninety nine names. These are His Attributes or Qualities i.e. The God of Mercy. Mercy itself does not become a God. It is also equally wrong to take which He created to be idolised or worshiped. This is shirk - attributing a thing to Him. The desert Arabs in pre-Islamic times told the Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.) that they believed in Allah but they also believed in their idols as a means of drawing closer to Allah. This argument appears to be rational but in fact it is shirk and a weakness on the part of man to visualise God directly.
God remains God, the One and Only, the Infinite, the Supreme Being, the Sustainer and Provider to all. Nothing takes place without His permission. There is not a single second that goes by that is not sustained by Him. Our whole existence belongs to Him for better or worse. In Him lies all our hopes and aspirations. We turn to Him because we believe in Him and by believing in Him we are comforted and given strength to sustain ourselves through all kinds of trials and tribulations. So why would you want to reach Him through someone else? q Haji Mokhtar Stork
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Adam & Eve : Was It God's Plan For Them To Sin? - 26th August, 2002
The Bible and the Qur'an provide us with two differing views concerning the events surrounding Adam and Eve in relation to Satan and subject of Sin.
The Bible blames Eve for the downfall of Adam because she was the first to partake of the forbidden fruit after which she offered it to Adam. Christianity as such looks upon women as the root cause of all evil. The Qur'an on the other hand does not make any mention as to who ate the forbidden fruit first and then offered it to the other. The Qur'an only states 'that by deceit he (Lucifer/Iblis/Satan) brought about their downfall. When they tasted of the tree, their shame became manifest to them......" (Surah A'raf 7:19-23).
According to Michelangelo, the snake that tempted Eve was itself female. Christianity as a whole depicts a coiled serpent around the forbidden tree while the Qur'an projects a disgraced Satan who having been expelled from the Garden promises with anger to lead both Adam and Eve astray. This evidence come from Surah Nas, the last chapter of the Qur'an, where Satan adopts 'telepathic transmissions' by 'whispering in the hearts of mankind', a common phenomenon with Radio Moscow, The Voice of America, CNN, BBC etc.
The Qur'anic version does not have a serpent coiled around a beautiful tree. What it presents is a straightforward affair, where Satan was created prior to Adam, and when it was announced by Allah to the Angels that He intended to create Adam, there was some concern amongst the Angels. However, the Angels being obedient servants of Allah, submitted themselves to His wisdom and the knowledge that Adam possessed which was far more superior to theirs. It was Iblis (Satan) who refused to acknowledge Adam superiority and as a result of it was expelled from the Garden. Having been expelled he began plotting Adam and Eve's downfall.
According to Christianity, as a result of Adam's sin Jesus Christ, the Son of God, sacrificed himself so that mankind may be redeemed of Adam's sin, thus the concept of Redemption and Salvation. The Qur'anic view is quite different. These events were preordained by Allah. It was part of His Greater Plan to bring mankind into existence. If we view verses from the Qur'an, Iblis was given a fair trial and even granted the opportunity to repent but instead he preferred a postponement of his punishment to the Last Day, and also sought permission from Allah to mislead mankind. Adam in turn responded quite differently. He sought Allah's forgiveness and guidance as was granted it. As such, there is no concept of redemption of sin or salvation as it has been projected in Christianity over Adam's sin. Islam holds the view that everyone is held accountable for his own actions and that no one can bear the burden of sin of another person. Islam also holds the view that every sinner can approach Allah directly for forgiveness and he or she will be granted it.
It will be further noted that Allah as the Creator and Initiator of events also knew fully well how each participant would act and respond to His commands. However even here, He did not deny all the chance to repent. Even Iblis continues to enjoy this opportunity to this day but he refuses to do so out of pride and arrogance. So what we are having here is two approaches running along parallel lines. The first is viewed from a human perspective through cause and effect, while the second is related to the divine will of Allah (Qada' and Qadar).
Perceiving this can be quite complicating or confusing at times, but in general it can be said that we are not mere 'puppets on a string' pulled at will because we do enjoy some degree of freedom, but ultimately we are required to submit ourselves to Allah over whatever He decides upon us, with the knowledge that there can be no loss over it. As such, it can be said that it was part of Allah's Greater Plan to bring mankind into existence that caused Adam and Eve to lapse into a state of forgetfulness. This is so because all Prophets and Messengers of Allah do not sin but may error. Surah Abasa is one such example in the Qur'an where the Prophet overlooked a blind man in preference to some leaders of Quraish. q Haji Mokhtar Stork
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Allah has made known to us right from wrong through His Prophets and Messengers, and He has granted us freedom of choice to some extent.
He does not will all our decisions but they are all in His knowledge.
He executes our decisions (bad ones) not because He likes them but because of our freedom of choice. In fact man makes complete the Divine Decree of Allah through his bad actions. This is valid because only good comes from Allah, while the evil that befalls us is a result of our own actions.
Man is held responsible for his own decisions and is punished or rewarded according to his intentions. Those actions that fall under the jurisdiction of Allah, where man has no control over them, are forgiven by Allah because man has no control over them. Man is also rewarded if he bears patiently the Divine Decree of Allah, which at times can be quite painful physically. However those evil actions that are performed willingly and knowingly by man, whether on his own or through the instigation of Satan, will be held against him. There is a Hadith which clearly states that Allah has allotted man a number of sins. Of course this does not mean that it is an opportunity to sin. What it signifies is that Allah knows man better than he knows himself.
We know from the Qur'an that Man was created weak and that He is given to hasty decisions. We know that every created thing turned down the position of Vicegerent of Allah except Man. Under this setup, it is obvious that Man will habitually sin, a fact acknowledged by the Angels. As for Satan (Iblis), it must be remembered that he was there years before Adam appeared on the scene. He survived on his ego and cunning intellect. Having trotted the Path of Righteousness for years do you think that he will be easily outwitted? If so, how come Satan has more control over man than Allah? Don't we all supplicate Allah daily over many things and at the end still end up doing what we knowingly know is wrong? We do so because we are powerless. We declare that it is due to a lack of Iman (faith) and Taqwa (fear of Allah). Yet, don't we all possess knowledge of such but yet seem to be uncaring about it?
Others have said that sinning is Allah's way of causing a person to draw closer to Him. It is interesting to note that Allah's attribute of Forgiveness existed even before Adam sinned, which means that it was already part of creation.
If you take a look at Adam, did Allah create Him to sin? Or did He know that Adam would in the end succumb to sin? And having sinned, did He not then show him the way to forgiveness? Take the example of Moses. Did he not kill an Egyptian? And what was said to him by Allah in later times? So did he do so willingly or was it intended for him to do so? Do we not declare that Prophets do not sin? So can we say that Qada' and Qadar is the pre-determination of situation which came about or took place beyond your control, similar to situations where one is often misunderstood, and where one thing leads to another? Adam did not intend to sin. So too did Moses, but it did happen. Scholars say that this was a lapse in concentration, the spur of the moment, and as such is a state of forgetfulness.
Sheikh Abdul Qadir declared that taqdir is one step ahead of you and that it is constantly undergoing change in accordance with our direction. So a person on the brink of disaster, if he realises and makes tawbah (repents) his taqdir can take on a new direction. The Noble Prophet Muhammad s.a.w. said that "supplication can avert the Decree of Allah." However, it must also be realised that Allah is not to be visited only when in need, just like a person who uses a toilet (in an emergency). If you remember Allah, Allah will always remember you.
Even a person who enjoys kashf the 'unveiling of events' cannot be sure that they will remain so the next minute. Therefore silence is often preferred except in extreme cases.
Finally, a common response by scholars is that we cannot raise questions concerning the position of Allah in relation to this subject. To do so would reflect a lack of belief and submission. The Noble Prophet (s.a.w.) in turn advised us not to indulgence too much in it as it could lead to kufr (disbelief). Allah is our Creator and He knows best. It is our duty is to submit ourselves to Him, seeking His forgiveness and mercy, accepting whatever He has destined upon us. This view however does not necessarily mean that we are mere robots or puppets on a string, but rather it indicates that we have limitations while Allah has none. What may appear to us to be a disaster may have its wisdom and reward with Him. q Haji Mokhtar Stork
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Allah is recognised in the Qur'an through the following:
"Say: He is Allah, the One and Only. Allah the Exalted, Absolute. He begetteth not nor was He begotten. And there is none unto Him." (Surah Ikhlas 112)
"Allah! There is no god but He - the Living, the Self-subsisting, Eternal. No slumber can seize Him nor sleep. His are all things in the heavens and on earth. Who is there can intercede in His presence excepts as He permits? He knows what (appears to His creatures as) before or after or behind them. Nor shall they compass ought of His knowledge except as He wills. His throne does extend over the heavens, and He feels no fatigue in guarding and preserving them, for He is the Most High, the Supreme (in glory)." - Surah Baqarah 2:255).
Just these verses from the Qur'an will suffice to provide us with a picture of God or Allah as He is recognised in Islam (See article on "How Do You Define God?" ). This view clearly places Him above everything else, even the views of other religions.
Added to this the Qur'an also describes the beautiful names of Allah, of ten referred to as Attributes or His Qualities. These have been listed as the 99 Names of Allah. Scholars however are of the view that it extends beyond this. For example Time (Surah Asr) also belongs to Allah. Allah is Timeless, Infinite.
All this is common knowledge to all Muslims, but let us take this a step further. If you study the Qur'an in detail you will come across this Qur'anic verse: "We have sent you not but as a Mercy for all creatures." (Surah Ambiyah 21:107). This verse is generally understood to mean that the Prophet Muhammad s.a.w. as Allah's Messenger, was sent as a Mercy to all creatures i.e. human beings, jinn, animals, plant life etc. However take a second look. If Allah is Ar-Rahman (Most Merciful) how come we find the Prophet s.a.w. as Rahmatul-lil-'alamin? What we have here is a manifestation of Allah's Attribute of Mercy in the form of the Prophet Muhammad s.a.w.. In another sense we might say that the abstract is given form i.e. negative to positive.
Have you noted that in Prayer (Solat), notably during Tashahud, we recite the following words: "As-salamu'alaika anyuhan nabiyu....". What this actually signifies is that you are offering salam (greetings) to the person (The Prophet s.a.w.) in front of you. The words "As-salamu'alaiKA". "KA" denotes the "second person" in Arabic Grammar - the "male second person in your presence" - "the person in front of you". So without realising it you are offering slams (greetings) to the Prophet s.a.w. who is in front of you while in prayer." Does this not sound odd? How can you do so in the second person when that person is not seen? The truth is: Just as you utter "Allahu Akbar" (Allah is Great) and are at once ushered into the presence of Allah so too do you come into the presence of His Messenger.
Now this is the tricky part. The Shari'ah of Islam does not permit shirk (attributing a thing to Allah). Therefore we don't utter anything of this sort, because in a way we are saying that there are two person being worshiped i.e. Allah and His Messenger. But in reality, we only worship Allah, while His Messenger merely bears witness to us doing so. Otherwise, why should we have a Shahadah, the Witnessing of both Allah AND His Messenger? Why would the Prophet s.a.w. himself declare that if anyone visits him during his lifetime or their lifetime (after his death) and offer salams, they will receive a response as if they were meeting him when he was alive? Don't we all do this when we visit the Prophet's grave at Medinah? In fact we do so even as we approach his mosque.
So the truth is that even in Prayer, we acknowledge the Prophet's presence because he continues to also bear witness of our witnessing of Allah and himself as the leader of this Ummah. There is no explicit evidence of all this and from the point of Shari'ah one may be accused of bid'ah (innovation), but theoretically and logically there is validity to this argument. In summing up it can be said that the Prophet Muhammad s.a.w. is the "sum total of Allah's qualities manifests", otherwise how could Allah have revealed: Say (O Muhammad): If you love Allah follow me. Allah will love you and forgive you your sins....." (Surah Ali Imran 3:31-32). Did not Jesus utter in the Bible, "I am the Way, the Truth. No man comes unto the Father except by me?" What Jesus a.s. meant was that as a Prophet of Allah, only Allah's Way is valid. He did not intend for the people (Christians) to look upon him as the Son of God and that by only believing in him (through him) will one be saved. What he intended was no different to that which the Prophet Muhammad s.a.w. intended i.e. Submission to Allah.
One of the major reasons why the Shari'ah is strict is simply to keep things in order. If it did not do so then we would end up like Christians, where God is the Father, thus legitimising Jesus as His Son; where God created Adam in His likeness, thus making Man a part of God and God a part of Man. Therefore when indulging in the metaphysics of Islam one has to take exceptional care because many formulas and theories have arisen to give credence to mystical approaches under the disguise of Islam. (There has never to my knowledge been an article like this.). q Haji Mokhtar Stork
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Like Allah's attributes or qualities, the Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.) too has a similar list. Take for example the Prophet's name of Muhammad, meaning the Praised. And yet Allah Himself is The Praised (Al-Hamd). In short, everything that Allah is, is manifested in the personality of the Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.). So if one is Infinite the other is Finite. This means that the sum total of Allah is manifest in the form of Muhammad. Now don't get me wrong and accuse me of shirk. Allah remains Allah, the Almighty etc, while Muhammad remains a human being, a created being, but what we have here is proof of what Allah is expressed in the form of Muhammad. If you can't picture Allah in every way, then all it takes is to view the personality of the Prophet Muhammad who is His Beloved and Lover at the same time. In fact there is a Hadith which states that "had it not been for you O Muhammad, I would not have created creation". In the Qur'an one will find this verse, "If you love Allah follow me: Allah will love you and forgive you your sins..." (Surah Ali Imran verse 31). And though we are not allowed according to the Qur'an to make a distinction between the Prophets, countless Ahadith will tell otherwise i.e. about the superiority of Muhammad over all other Prophets of Allah.
In this respect one will also note that the Prophet, though he was Allah's Messenger, enjoying special right, did not use them as in the case of Taif, where he first went to preach the Message of Allah. He was pelted with stones until he bled, even the Angel Gabriel (a.s.) which was dispatched by Allah and place at his disposal was not used. Instead, the Prophet (s.a.w.) preferred to submit himself totally to the Will of Allah. This state of submission is described in the Qur'an as Mutmainnah (The Submitting Soul), which is a clear indication of total submission of the self to Allah, because in reality the "I" within you does not exists, only Allah does. The reality is Allah. According to the Qur'an, "Only His Face remains". We come and we go, only to return to Him. He is Eternal. So the quicker a person gets rid of his ego or state of I-ness the better. Human beings have this habit of saying, "I did this" or "I did that" with arrogance etc., when in reality it was through the power (qudrat) of Allah that they were able to do anything. If this were to be removed and individual would collapse and just die off on the ground.
Thus every attribute or quality of Allah will be found manifested in the personality of the Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.). And this in turn is divided in the personalities of the Righteous Caliphs i.e. Sydinah Abu Bakr, Sydinah Umar, Sydinah Uthman and Sydinah Ali (may Allah be pleased with them always). This can be viewed in the Sayings of the Prophet (s.a.w.). For example, the Prophet (s.a.w.) is reported to have said to this effect, "If there were to be a prophet after me it would be Umar." On one occasion when A'ishah was lying on the Prophet's lap, she asked him as to who was greater, whether it was Abu Bakr or Umar? The Prophet (s.a.w.) knowing her well replied, "Umar", and on noticing her facial appearance added, "But all of Umar's deeds make one of Abu Bakr's". This has been verified by Umar (r.a.) himself, where he used to lament about not being with the Prophet during his migration (hijrah) from Mekkah to Medinah. The Qur'an too bears testimony to this event. In the case of Sydinah Ali (r.a.) we find the Prophet declaring, "I am the gateway to knowledge and Ali is its key". In the case of Sydinah Uthman (r.a.), he is the only person to enjoy the benefit of having married two daughters of the Prophet (s.a.w.). His nature was so soft with kindness and compassion that he was often abused and deceived.
If you add the sum total of these four personalities, they will represent what the Prophet (s.a.w.) was in totality and completeness. This in itself put to an end the fruitless discussion of Ahlul-Bait, where some people try to make things exclusive. These four personalities excelled in their own right as human beings but from a spiritual perspective, each had his own dimension and niche in the order of created things. q Haji Mokhtar Stork
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