Before I ask you my question, I would like you to read the following conversation of Mr. Ghamidi with a caller in a TV program ‘Live with Javed Ahmed Ghamidi’.
Caller: Why are the birth and the death of Jesus exceptional to the laws defined by Allah?
Mr. Ghamidi: The birth of Jesus is very clearly stated in Qur’an that he was born without father, and you can read my book for the issue of death of Jesus. Anything can be exceptional. Allah defined these laws and HE can break them whenever HE would like to.
This conversation has raised a question in my mind and I think the answer of this question will either promote the beliefs in our society or those beliefs will be no more acceptable. I respect Mr. Ghamidi and I rarely find him giving baseless answers.
My Question is:
Can laws defined by Allah be modified or not?
If you say ‘NO’ then many of the concepts can be no more acceptable like the one discussed above.
If you say ‘YES’ they can be modified as clearly stated by Mr. Ghamidi then I have few more questions.
Where should I put the following verses?
Theirs are good tidings in the life of the world and in the Hereafter – There is no changing the Words of Allah – that is the Supreme Triumph. (Qur’an; 10:64)
Perfected is the Word of thy Lord in truth and justice. There is naught that can change His words. He is the Hearer, the Knower. (Qur’an; 6:115)
The sentence that cometh from Me cannot be changed, and I am in no wise a tyrant unto the slaves. (Qur’an; 50:29)
(Shown in their) behaving arrogantly in the land and plotting evil; and the evil plot encloseth but the men who make it. Then, can they expect aught save the treatment of the folk of old? Thou wilt not find for Allah’s way of treatment any substitute, nor wilt thou find for Allah’s way of treatment aught of power to change (Qur’an; 35:43)
There is another law defined by Allah and that is called ‘Khatam-e-Nabuwwat’. If Allah can break the rules defined by HIMSELF then I think, HE can send another prophet after Mohammad PBUH. Can’t HE?
Please contact Mr. Ghamidi and discuss this issue with him in detail. I will be waiting for your response eagerly.
Answer
I was able to talk to Ghamidi Sahib on the issue and the following is what I understood from his response:
What the Almighty describes as His Sunnah are His promises He has made in His book. He never promised that He would always follow the laws of nature. That understanding was given by Sir Syed Ahmad Khan. God Almighty says that He has the ability to do everything (Hua Ala Kulli Shai’in Qadeer). If the natural world is following a certain pattern, that in no way is a reason for us to believe that God, the Designer of that pattern can’t go against it. Where did He say that He can’t do that? The verses you have quoted are all suggesting that God’s rules and His decisions – like the hereafter would take place, that He is going to do justice, and that His messengers would always prevail – cannot be violated. He never suggested that the pattern which nature follows are also promises which He has bound Himself to always follow. In fact, He has Himself clarified that He created Adam in an extraordinary way; it was a way very different from the way we are accustomed to observing human babies being born now.
Since the Almighty has promised that there will be no prophet after Muhammad, alaihissalaam, that promise, too, like others, shall not be violated.