1987-December-18

Muslim Journal

"An Islamic Formula for a Successful Life" Cleveland: Part 3

Imam W. Deen Muhammad

Bible Is A Dangerous Book

Even though, it's a dangerous book, very dangerous book, and I don't have to take long to prove that to you. You perhaps saw it in the news where some preacher, testing the words of the Bible, went and struck his hands down in a viper's pit, and was bitten by snakes and died. You perhaps read in the news, where some preacher, influenced by the crucifixion, nailed himself upon a cross; this is self-abuse.

And I said this twenty-five years ago, and I say it today — there wouldn't be so much problem with alcohol if the Bible didn't say take a little bit for your stomach's sake. You don't tell the ignorant masses to take a little bit of alcohol for their stomach's sake. They are going to be the judge on how much their stomach's sake is.

Hell, man, you're talking about your own stomach, 'I know my stomach best.' And then God's way is not to tempt man to do sin. How does our Holy Book deal with problems of that kind? It says, 'do not approach it.' Not take a sample, or take a little bit, but do not approach it. Because approaching it is an indication that you are weak for it. You see me going to a fine sister's house, and I don't live there, by myself, in night time, in the wee hours? You call me a lie if I say something different, because I'll be deserving it, because I shouldn't have gone there if my intentions were good.

Al-Islam Is Religion Of Original Order

So Allah says in His Holy Book to us, that this religion is the religion of the original order. What is the original order? The nature created by God. He says that upon which He fashioned man, and man here means all people. "An-nas, ma-rajl,""rajl"means man, one man; "an-nas" means man as all people.

It is the nature upon which He fashioned man, so our Holy Book tells us clearly that God approves the inherent nature of man, and not only does He approve it, He directs man to accept and respect that nature, and do his best not to violate that nature, but to live in accordance with his natural urges. And the natural urges in the inherent nature of man, is toward excellence. In fact, this is no thing exclusive for man, the natural urge is in the universe — urges toward excellence. And science bears witness to that, when they come up with the concept or idea of evolution. Evolution means a process that's continuous, from inferior to superior, from rough to smooth, from uncultured to cultured; from raw to finished, from incomplete to completion. That's what the idea suggest from emptiness to fullness, from want to satisfaction; from no value to esteem. This is the movement of evolution. And it testifies to the truth of the Holy Book. Oh yes.

God Has Given Us Resources Toward Excellence

And God then cautions us, after bringing this before us, that He has given you great resources, a nature and a will in it towards excellence. So when a man tells a lie, that's not the aim of his nature. That's a possibility of his nature. You don't describe me by a possibility in me, you describe me by the tendency in me. And God said Adam did not have a tendency to do wrong; he slipped into it.