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What is the evidence in favour of the Quran being a
practicable book?
The greatest proof for the Quran being a practicable
book is the very revolution that has been wrought by
it. If we examine the condition of Arabia before and
after the revelation of the Quran, we will be
convinced of the practicable nature of the Quran.
A society which was steeped in the darkness created by
blind superstitions; which was drugged in the
addiction to wine and intoxicants; which showed not
the least hesitation in the spilling of blood over
senseless conflicts to assert tribal superiority;
which was nowhere in the matter of knowledge and
learning; which was ignorant in the field of health
care; which remained backward in the field of
agriculture; which lacked cohesiveness as a political
and military bloc. This was the history of Arabia
before the revelation of the Quran.
When we look upon the Arabia after the revelation of
the Quran, however, it is the picture of the standard
bearers of a civilization that challenged, in its
greatness, all the other civilizations of the day,
which we witness. Indeed, they had attained to such
prominence as to stand higher that the Greeks who were
the masters of the day in the fields of science and
technology. Alexandria was soon replaced by Baghdad as
the greatest centre of learning and culture.
Furthermore, they now caused to tremble even the
empires of Rome and Persia both of which had enjoyed
the legacy of political leadership that was centuries
old. The Arabs, who engaged in internicine tribal
warfare and the wanton spilling of blood, had now
emerged as the flag bearers of unity and cohesiveness.
Not having known what morality and immorality were,
they now became the chief propagators of a moral code.
The Holy Quran had truly succeeded in remoulding
Arabian society into one which would prove to be
exemplary for the whole world; and that too within the
span of a mere 23 years.
The Quran has, thus, been a book that enabled an
entire race, which had been nowhere in the fields of
culture and civilization, to attain to the very
pinnacle of human development within the short span of
twenty three years. In fact, there has not been
another book that equalled it in so transforming the
whole world. The fact becomes abundantly clear here
that there has not been any other writing like the
Quran which has proved to be as practicable in guiding
humanity to the path of righteousness.
In reality, none of the critics of the Quran has been
able to prove the non-practicability of any of the
laws enshrined in it, in an impartial and factual
manner.
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Do not the other religions scriptures, too, offer a
legislation that is as practicable as well ?
As all the religious scriptures were influenced by the
process of Divine revelation most of the righteous
codes of conduct are practicable. But these scriptures
have, nevertheless, been subjected to human
manipulations. It is for the same reason that these
compositions will contain, in the legislations made
within, the shortcomings in the vision of those who
had composed them. Indeed, such legislation will have
been relevant in the age in which it was composed or
it will find its relevance in the vision of its own
composer alone. In fact, legislations of such nature
can never claim for themselves the status of
applicability for all time.
For instance, consider the recommendation of the New
Testament of the Bible on the issue of divorce:
"...... anyone who divorces his wife, except for
marital unfaithfulness, causes her to commit adultery,
and anyone who marries a woman so divorced commits
adultery." (Mathew 5:32) "To the married I give this
command (not I, but the Lord): A wife must not
separate from her husband. But if she does, she must
remain unmarried or else be reconciled to her husband.
And a husband must not divorce his wife." (I
Corinthians 7:10, 11)
The legislation that is inherent in these statements
are as given below:
1. The wife should not be cast aside except for the
reason of being unfaithful.
2. The wife can not, under any circumstance, divorce
her husband.
3. If, however, she has to separate from her husband,
she must, thenceforth, live alone.
4. None should marry a divorced woman.
5. The sexual relation with a divorced woman even if
it be after marriage, is tantamount to an act of
adultery.
It need not be mentioned here that these laws are, in
themselves, not practicable. In fact, those who
advocate the cause of these laws have failed to
produce the solution to the problems that have been
mentioned hereunder :
1. Family relations are built but on the firm
foundations of the emotional attachment between
husband and wife. Apart from lack of fidelity, there
are numerous other problems that may arise between
husband and wife. The Bible does not provide for any
legislation, whatsoever, for the solution of such and
similar problems. Is it correct to cast forever, into
a virtual state of hell, individuals who have been so
separated in the domains of the mind and the spirit as
to never come together again, solely for the reason
that they have been married to each other? What,
indeed, will be the mentality of the children who grow
up with parents who have separated from each other in
the domain of the mind and spirit? Has it been
possible for the Bible to provide solutions to the
grave problems that may arise between men and women by
way of making of the marriage wedlock a bond that can
in no way be broken? What, indeed, is the solution ?
2. It is the instruction of Paul that if the wife,
under compelling circumstances, were to disassociate
from her husband, she is not to marry again. However,
the New Testament does not teach as to who it is that
must then protect her. In a strictly humanitarian
sense, is not the commandment of Paul that "she must
remain unmarried" a great cruelty considering the fact
that nothing else has been mentioned by way of a
practical solution in satisfying her yearning for
sexual fulfillment as well as her longing to love and
to be loved after divorce? Has the Bible any solution
for these problems ?
3. What is the justification for the commandment which
prohibits one man from marrying a woman who has been
divorced by another? Supposing that a Christian woman
has been divorced by her cruel husband who is, for all
practical purposes, a rejector of God. As far as he is
concerned, the ruling of the Bible is not applicable
in his case. If such a woman then desires to lead a
family life of purity, will not the ruling of the
Bible become impracticable before her? Which other way
can the Bible put before her in this predicament?
4. What justification can there be for the claim that
if a divorced woman is married to another man, it
would be equal to committing adultery? If, however,
such a marriage does take place what alternative can
the Bible show by recourse to which the sexual
relationship between them can be made legal ?
This is, in fact, the condition with some of the
rulings in the other religions scriptures as well.
They contain, within themselves, laws which are not
practicable. The Manu Smrithi deals with the case of
widows in this fashion: "When her husband is dead she
may fast as much as she likes, (living) on anspicious
flowers, roots and fruits, but she should not even
mention the name of another man. She should be
long-suffering until death, self-restrained, and
chaste, striving (to fulfil) the unsurpassed duty of
women who have one husband." (Manu Smrithi 5:157,
158).
The cruelty to which this law makes subject the women
who have become widows owing to the death of their
husbands in the prime of their youth need not be
further mentioned here. That she is refused the right
to remarry will ultimately lead her to a life of
immorality. Thus the consequences of this law will
have to be borne forcibly by both individual and
society. Indeed, such laws will stand as an obstacle
in the creation of a sound society and, for that
reason, and that reason alone, will remain as
impracticable as ever.
This, however, is not the case with the injunctions of
the Quran. None of its rulings are impracticable.
Going by any of the standards of human reckoning
nothing, whatsoever, that is of an impracticable or
immoral nature can be deciphered from the Quranic
laws.
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"O
mankind! There has come to you a good advice from your Lord (ie,
the Qur’an), and a healing for that (disease of ignorance, doubt,
hypocrisy and differences, etc) in your breasts,-a guidance and a
mercy for the believers." 
