SPIRIT OF ISLAM NOVEMBER 2019

6 Spirit of Islam Issue 83 November 2019 FROM THE EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Dr Farida Khanam is an author, editor, translator, public speaker and former professor of Islamic Studies at Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi. Among her books are ‘A Simple Guide to Sufism’ and ‘A Study of World’s Major Religions’. She has translated into English many books authored by Maulana Wahiduddin Khan. Currently the chairperson of CPS International, she is a regular contributor of articles to various publications. Dr Khanam has edited Maulana’s English translation of the Quran and has also translated his Urdu commentary of the Quran into English. She can be reached at hub@thespiritofislam.org ISLAMIC PERSPECTIVES L IFE: According to Islam life is a creation of God. God desired to create life and there was life. Creation falls into four categories— inanimate matter, plants, animals, and human beings. No category has evolved from any other. Islam states that all four have been produced as a separate creation. Similarly, of living things, there are a great number of species, right from amoeba to human beings. Again, none of these living species has been produced from any other through the process of evolution. Rather they have all been created separately. There is no doubt that there is some similarity in their physical system, but each has a permanent, separate existence. There is no concept of a missing link in Islam. MAN: The Prophet Muhammad said: “God created man in His own image.” This does not mean that life in the form of man is a part of God. Islam believes in dualism. As per the Islamic concept, God and human beings are two separate entities. It simply means that man is endowed with certain special qualities. We know that mountains cannot walk, but humans can. The ocean cannot hear, but humans can. The moon cannot see, but man can. No two trees can enter into a dialogue, but two persons can. No planet can organize a seminar, but human beings can. No stars can invent a machine, but life in the form of man can. These are the unique qualities of the human being.