http://www.arabnews.com/?page=5§ion=0&article=115080&d=8&m=10&y=2008
Friday 3 October 2008 (03 Shawwal 1429)
E-mailed photos
Adil Salahi | Arab News
Q. Some people circulate through e-mail some photos which they say
support the truth of Islam. Recently I received a photo of the moon which shows
a clear line in the middle. It is said to confirm the Qur'anic statement that
the moon was split during the lifetime of the Prophet. Do these photos prove
anything of the truth of Islam? Should we circulate them to all people,
particularly non-Muslims as a proof of the truth of Islam?
A. God gave prophets and messengers He sent prior to the message of Islam
different miracles as signs they showed to their people in support of what they
preached. He gave Moses nine of these signs, such as the way his stick was
turned into a quick moving snake which swallowed the objects of sorcery used by
Pharaoh's sorcerers. He gave Jesus the ability to cure the blind and the albino
and to bring the dead back to life. He, however, did not associate the message
of Islam with any such miracle or sign. The proof of Islam as a message from
God is there within the message. It only needs to be studied and carefully
examined for its truth to be clearly seen by all. The Qur'an is there for all
people to read. It is a book of truth that admits no falsehood. Human progress
and increased knowledge always show the truth of every Qur'anic statement.
Besides, it lays down a code of living that can be easily adapted to any
society, community and generation, bringing out the best in all people.
There were numerous signs and 'miraculous' events that took place during
the lifetime of the Prophet (peace be upon him) and by his actions, such as a
small amount of food being served to an army of people, each eating his fill
with the food left at the end being more than it was at the start; a small
quantity of water turning into a spring at which a large army replenishes its
full stock; a man whose eye was dislocated by an enemy shows it to the Prophet
who puts it back in place; and many similar events. However, none of these is
taken as an ultimate proof of the message of Islam. We say that they serve to
confirm that the Prophet was certainly God's messenger, but he never suggested
that these were his proofs. The real proof is in the message itself; in the
Qur'an. We need no other proof.
Those people who circulate this photo showing a line in the middle of the
moon claim that it supports the Qur'anic statement that the moon was split
during the Prophet's lifetime. To start with, the photo does not prove
anything. Nowadays, it is very easy to produce any photo one wishes, using some
computer software like Photoshop. If you have a fine picture of the moon, like
the ones captured by spacecraft, you can easily introduce a line in it or
superimpose something else to prove what you wish. So, if you hold such a photo
to a non-Muslim and tell him that it proves the Qur'anic statement in the first
verse of Surah 54, he only needs to look at other photos of the moon that do
not show that line to realize that it was superimposed. He will then think that
you are resorting to deception. This does not serve Islam.
Some years back, a photo was circulated showing two lines of trees,
claimed to be in the middle of a forest in Germany, with the inscription of the
first article of the Islamic faith clearly seen on them. People celebrated this
as if it was all that was needed to convince the world population of the truth
of Islam. However, they realized that this was not the case. Sometime later, it
transpired that it was all fake. The question that escaped almost all people
was that why would such trees in a German forest bear an inscription in Arabic,
when few Arabs would see it, if it was meant to deliver a message to the German
people or to the world at large. God says in the Qur'an: "Never have We sent a
messenger otherwise than speaking the language of his own people, so that he
might make (the truth) clear to them." (14: 4) Would it not have served a
better purpose if the inscription on those trees was in German, so that every
passerby would read and understand it? Similar photos of vegetables, fish and
animals were circulated bearing a similar message. They are all fake and serve
no purpose. The way to preach Islam is to abide by its truth and explain it to
people clearly, in the way they understand. We do not need to resort to
deception because it will certainly harm our cause.
