Prophets The Perfect Models for Humanity (2/4)

Read the scripture of any religion or the homilies teaching moral lessons and you would see that the same drama of conflict between knowledge and ignorance, between tyranny and Justice has been enacted in different ways. You would find faith and righteousness arrayed against the forces of darkness and ignorance, tyranny and disbelief: it is always the story of those upholding higher human virtues locked in battle against the wicked and the iniquitous. What are, after all, the great epics like the Iliad of the Greeks, the Parallel Lives of the Romans, the Shahnama of the Iranians and the Ramayana and Mahabharata of the Hindus?

Every nation has had similar events in its life or that of the founder of an era who had enkindled and kept alive the heroism and the urge of the people to fight the evil. These epics speak of these great events so as to teach every nation that it should give up the ways of wickedness and take to the path of virtue and goodness.

What do the major portion of the Torah, the Psalms, the Gospels and the Qur'an consist of? They tell us the stories of ruination of the wicked and disbelieving people spreading corruption on the earth, and of the rise of virtuous and pious in their place, so that we may take a lesson from them and become virtuous, just and God-fearing. This is why all the prophets and saints of yore were sent by God— they taught the ways of virtuous living to the nations of old— and then came the last of them, as a mercy for the whole mankind, so that his life may serve as a beacon of light and guidance for mankind to the end of time. This is what the Qur'an declares in these words through the Prophet of Islam:

"I dwelt among you a whole lifetime before, it (came to me). Have you then no sense”[1]

The revelation from God sets forth, in this verse, the life of the holy Prophet as an intrinsic evidence of his prophethood.

History has, however, preserved the life-stories of men, thousands in number, who had achieved eminence in one field or the other. All of them have left their imprints on the pages of history. There are amongst them emperors surrounded by the splendour of royal courts, an army of military commanders and generals, philosophers lost in their thoughts, mighty conquerors intoxicated with power, poets singing to cheer their own solitude with sweet songs and the affluent rolling in riches. All of them have an attraction of their own for the sons of Adam. Whether it be Hannibal of Carthage, or Alexander of Macedonia, or Caesar of Rome, or Darius of Iran, or yet Napoleon of France, the life of each has a fascination for the posterity. Similarly alluring are the lives of all philosophers from Socrates, Plato, Aristotle and Diogenes of the ancients to Spencer of England. Even the lives of Nimrod and Pharaoh, Abu Jahl and Abu Lahab and Korah depict yet another trait of human nature and character; but the question is, who, amongst these, can be deemed as a model of goodness and virtue fit to be followed by other human beings?

Great generals and conquerors, indeed, were they, who swept everything before them by their sword, but did they also succeed in leaving an ennobling example of their lives to be followed by others? They had won brilliant victories, but were they able to cut the shackles of superstition and credulous beliefs? Did they solve any social problem besetting equality and brotherhood of human beings? Did they succeed in restoring our moral and spiritual health and happiness or in eradicating the faults and failings of our desires? Did they present any model of moral rectitude and decorous behaviour for the posterity?

World has given birth to great poets. But, these were painters of fantasy, merely starry-eyed Utopians unfit to be assigned any place in the Republic of Plato. They have solved no problem of man, since Homer to this day, save feeding the fire of human emotions and helping man's imagination to run riot with their visions and dreams. No practical model of righteous action could they ever produce with their musical thoughts and rhythmical creations. How correctly the Qur’an brings in its verdict on the poets:

"As for the poets, the erring follows them. Hast thou not seen how they stray in every valley, And how they say that which they do not? Save those who believe and do good work.”[2]

The Qur'an also tells us why the exquisite expressions of the verse-makers have been of little use to humanity. They run after every idea aimlessly without any set purposes more often sinking to the depth of human folly rather than soaring in the height of divine light The poetry emanating from minds steeped in faith can, sometimes, be effective and enlightening and a restorer of truth and justice. History of the world, however, bears ample proof of the unprofitableness of the poets.

There have been sages and philosophers who have plumbed the secrets of nature beyond the ken of perception and changed the concept of things and materials. They have, nevertheless, failed to produce any blueprint for the practical guidance of humanity. For their flight of imagination lacked practical wisdom, they could never provide man with any guidance in the discharge of his obligations.

Aristotle was the precursor of ethical philosophy now studied in every university. His brilliant exposition of ethical impulsions is esteemed highly both by the learned and the learners, but how many, of them have been able to betake the path of virtue by reading his dissertations? Teachers well-versed in ethical philosophy can be found almost in every institution of higher learning, who knows all about its premises and principles, but has their impact been ever felt beyond their class-rooms? On the contrary, we find that very often heir conduct and behaviour are no better than those of the man on the street. To walk in the right path one has not to hear the sermons but to see the living examples of cardinal virtues.

Powerful kings and emperors have also appeared on the stage of this world. They have extended their dominions, played with the life and property of their fellow beings, extracted wealth through taxes and tithes from some and bestowed their bounties on others. They have demeaned one to exalt the other. The Book of God presents, in the words of the Queen of Sheba, this rare picture of their doings on the earth:

"Lo! kings, when they enter at ownship, ruin it and make the honour of its people shame."[3]

 (Continued)