in search of meaning: reflections on living by the quran

ALIGARH JOURNAL OF QURANIC STUDIES • VOLUME NO. 2 • ISSUE 1 MARCH 2019

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In Search of Meaning:

Reflections on Living by the Quran in the Contemporary Times

Raja Raies Ahmad Shah Doctoral Candidate

1

Abstract

he Qur’an, according to the Muslim belief, is the word of God revealed to

the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) in the 7th

century. The

pertinent question is how the Quranic guidance is important for the

contemporary man. This paper, therefore, seeks to elaborate on the nature of

Quranic guidance for the present day and age. It attempts to understand the absolute

needs of man without which his incomplete. If man misses on certain things, he

ceases to be man and what this paper intends to show the importance of the Quranic

guidance in preserving the essence of man in what it means for him to act upon its

teachings. If he acts according to the Quranic guidance, man achieves emotional,

intellectual and spiritual stability; if he does not, he harms himself and the world

around him. Since this paper is about the meaning and nature of Quranic guidance,

it also tries to elaborate on some of the relevant aspects important for preserving the

meaning and nature of Quranic guidance. The paper thus seeks to contribute certain

important points to the theme of Quranic guidance.

Key Words: Contemporary, Divine, Guidance, Man, Qur’an.

1 Shah-i-Hamdan Institute of Islamic Studies, University of Kashmir, Hazratbal Srinagar-190006 Jammu and Kashmir,

India.

Mobile: +91 9797197417, Email:[email protected]

T

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Introduction

The Qur’an is the word of God revealed to His last Prophet of God, Muhammad

(peace be upon him). It was revealed in the 7th

century in order to bring mankind

out of darkness into the light. Darkness and Light symbolize Satan and God

respectively. God is the source of life and in the absence of divine guidance, life

loses its meaning and when it loses the meaning which, in turn, results in man

harming himself and the world around him this happened in the 7th

century and this

continues to happen in the 21st century man cannot transgress the limits of God and

then expect to live a peaceful life. There are consequences of not following the

guidance of God in life on the spiritual level as well as the social level for every

action done by man has its own definitive results among whom consequences only

are appreciable that enrich the individual and the community at large in spiritual,

intellectual and social realms. The present elaborates on this theme in the light of

Quranic guidance and relates it to the contemporary world. This interaction between

these two is a spiritual and intellectual requirement of Muslims and this paper gives

a modest proposal in this direction as discussed below.

God revealed the Quranic guidance to the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him)

in the 7th

century. The important question is: what is the relevance of the Quranic

guidance in the 21st century? The answer to this question is the subject matter of

this paper. A contemporary reader of the Quran can appreciate the importance of

Quranic guidance if and when he practices it. The Quran answers the fundamental

question about the meaning of life. The meaning of life is to engage with the divine.

It is to live by the principles revealed by God in the Qur’an. The answer to this

fundamental question has a bearing on all the activities of the contemporary man

and woman. The divine principle is everywhere. Man becomes godly everywhere in

the presence of the divine principle because it engages all the spiritual and

intellectual faculties of man and directs his life. Man will achieve peace,

contentment and success in the contemporary era if he knows the direction of his

life. He will harm himself and the world around him if he does not know the

meaning of life. This is a sad reality to a large extent in the contemporary era.


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The Quran wishes to preserve the sacred character of man and this applies to all

human beings irrespective of time and space. Man will always be man and man

should remain as man and this is only possible in the light of divine principle.

Accordingly, the Quran tells man what to do and what not to do. The fundamental

contribution of the Quran to the human consciousness is that it brings a balance to it

which helps man to live his life fully and ethically.i

The contemporary problems that are facing humanity in the form of global

warming, war, racism, etc. are essentially human problems. In other words, man is

the creator of these problems. The Quran educates man and thus has an important

bearing on these problems. The Quranic guidance prepares the heart of man for a

godly life. The fundamental importance of the Quran is that it creates a balanced

personality which avoids conflict with fellow human beings and the natural world

in which he lives.ii This has tremendous scope for the contemporary man and the

contemporary situation. The Quranic guidance can thus bring about a fundamental

change in the situation that leads to these problems.

The importance of society to the overall development of man cannot be

overemphasized. Society is disrupted when man does not respect man. This is a

contemporary reality to a very large extent. This harms the concerned individual

and the society at large. The Quran nurtures feelings of love and compassion for all

life.iii

This is the need of the hour. Contemporary life in all its forms desperately

needs love and compassion. The Quran can give such a heart to the contemporary

man. This is the greatest gift to the contemporary man. Man can thus improve

himself and the world around him. If man understands himself, he will know how to

live. He will contribute positively wherever he may be.

Man always needs to be reminded that his actions have a meaning for the world. He

can either benefit the humanity or harm it. The Quran tells man to benefit the

humanity.iv

The Quran condemns acts such as killing, adultery, economic

exploitationv etc. This makes the Qur’an one of the important sources of ethical

transformation of the contemporary world.

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The inspiration of the Quranic guidance has produced a great humane culture in the

past. Muslims can contribute to the contemporary humanity in the light of Quranic

principles. Muslims have to live by the Quranic principles, propagate and practice

them in conjunction with fellow human beings for creating better and integrated

societies. This is especially important where Muslims are living as minorities.

The spirit of the Quran is universal. It teaches us to be good to our parents, relatives

and neighbors. Such teachings are always important irrespective of time and space.

We cease to be human if we sideline our parents, relatives and neighbors.vi

Muslims

have to practice these teachings in their respective societies. This will be a very

positive contribution to the world. The world needs Muslims who live by the

Quranic guidance.

The Quranic guidance is practical. Muslim cannot be Muslim without putting the

Quran into action. The Quran guides the action of man. Man acts in the world. But

actions divorced from divine guidance create havoc upon humanity and nature.vii

Man often forgets that he is the servant of God. This brings harm to himself, fellow

beings and the world at large, as such man continuously needs this reminder about

his reality which is to say that he is the servant and in a sense representative of God

and as such has to act as if he were a blessing. In the words of Prophet Jesus, “God

has made me a blessing wherever I may be”viii

, this is true of all the prophets of God

and this should be true about every Muslim, that is to say, a Muslim should serve

God, his parents, his relatives, his neighbors, his society and the world at large.

Since Muslim as a man is also an intellectual entity he has to bring his spiritual side

to the contemporary knowledge about man and the world so that he can direct the

course of knowledge towards God and the service of humanity. Muslims, in the

light of Quranic guidance can enter into dialogue with people belonging to other

faiths as well as contribute the Quranic worldview in the exploration of man and the

world by entering into a communicative dialogue with scientists, politicians, artists,

and academicians’ etc. This is especially important since Muslims have to be active


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in this world, which is nothing in the absence of action, that is to say, the world is

not just there; rather it is to be created daily and continuously and this is only

possible in the light of knowledge coming from the divine revelation and the

knowledge coming from the effort of humans themselves.

Muslims have to seriously engage with the divine guidance and evaluate their

actions in the light of its principles. This is easy said than done. Muslims have to

start from the beginning by taking into account all the lessons of history and what

Muslim scholars have said about the Quranic guidance, and then implement and

study it in relevant institutions so that a critical culture can nurture in our

institutions in which the implications of the Quranic guidance are delineated and its

importance and relevance and their modalities be emphasized for the contemporary

world.

Muslims need to be intellectually and spiritually able to know the meaning of

living the Quranic guidance in the contemporary world. Our understanding of the

world is being continuously shaped by various events around the world. This

reaches to us in the form of modern media. This has an effect on our relationship

with our family members and the society at large. This is not necessarily a negative

development, but its impact upon the Muslim conscience is to be understood. The

point is to understand the infusion of knowledge in the form of movies, serials,

documentaries etc. and their interaction with the Quranic worldview and how

Muslims should respond to this. On the one level, it is happening naturally. Modern

media is readily available and it naturally enters into the worldview of Muslims,

and Muslims who become conscious of the meaning of Islam, have to see its

positives and negatives and accordingly interact with their fellow human beings in

the light of what they have learned from the modern media and how do they view it

in the light of Quranic guidance and what impact it has upon the concerned

individuals and what it does to the meaning of Islam for the contemporary world.

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There are verses upon verses in the noble Quran that are relevant to the

contemporary man in that they tell him that he should take care of his soul and body

and that he should always respect and care and be just to what is there in his

surrounding in the form of human beings, wild animals and plants. All this is

Quranic guidance and a great number of books have been written to highlight the

ethical orientation of the Quranic discourse. This is a positive development and this

is to be made more systematic and more true to the spirit of the Quran and what

according to the great majority of Muslim scholars distorts the meaning of the

Quran in the form of extremist groups and also those people who may quote the

Quran out of context is to be taken into account so that the new generations of

Muslims are brought up in a pure Quranic atmosphere where they breathe its

sublime teachings.

Muslims on the individual level cannot forget about their responsibility towards the

Quran. They have to read the Quran. They have to understand the Quran and then

have to live by the Quran in their respective spheres in schools, college,

universities, government offices, etc. even in the market place the Quran has

relevance in that it makes its conscientious reader observant of what is going on in

the market place which is not always positive and maybe it is negative most of the

time, and brings to his heart the meaning of the Quran which puts emphasis on

moderation in all the activities of life and in the market place the importance of

moderation cannot be overemphasized. If one could count all the waste that is done

in the market place, the disappearance of money, which could have been spent on

more sublime projects, all this once again brings to the fore the importance of the

Quranic guidance.

This is just one aspect of its guidance. If one could really understand man in all his

depth and also the life in depth, one could only then appreciate the importance and

significance of the Quran, this is not just the statement coming from a believer but

has been observed rationally and spiritually by a great number of human beings


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with strong spiritual and intellectual background around the globe in the past as

well as the present.

Earlier the reference was made to the importance of putting the Quran into action,

this is especially important because a believer in the Quran has to realize in his

consciousness that he is following the Quran and all his activities have some of the

fragrance of the Quran sprinkled upon them. This has to be a realization in word

and deed.

What is happening around the globe can be commented upon in the light of the

Quranic guidance be it war, poverty, racism, Islamophobia, extremism and all sorts

of problems from the perspective of justice as indicated by the Quran which

basically means that every wrong perpetrated by human beings is disliked by God

and Muslims should feel responsibility in dispersing justice in their multifarious

capacities in societies around the world; this is not just an exercise for its own sake

rather it is very basic to the purpose for which human beings were created by God

which is that human beings have to strive for the purification of their souls while

living in this very world and challenging its injustices and difficulties.

The elaboration of Quranic guidance is being done on daily basis in the

commentaries of the Quran, in the talk shows of the Muslim scholars, on the pulpits

of the mosques and many other places. This is very natural and a positive

undertaking by the Muslims. It is not that Muslims are not doing any constructive

work; they are in fact doing it and it is helping many Muslims in leading a life

based upon the Quranic guidance.

In the age of social media, Muslims have the opportunity to disseminate Quranic

guidance to human beings around the world and many Muslims are in fact using

these tools for the propagation of Quranic guidance. This is helping Muslims as

well as non-Muslims in having a better understanding of Islam and Muslims. The

Quranic guidance takes off from the individual who has to live according to it and

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improve himself as much as possible and then and simultaneously he spreads the

Quranic guidance to his parents, siblings, children, relatives, friends and where he

works. This is essential for the Muslim believer for in it lays his success in this

world and the next world.

The Quranic guidance is not just useful in practical terms; in the sense of, directing

the progress of materialism but also that it keeps preserved the essence of man and

does not allow it to get diluted in the difficulties and temptations of the world.

Man takes the Quranic guidance, without man, the Quranic guidance won’t be

there, therefore man is the fundamental addressee of the Quranic guidance. There is

a necessary relationship between man and the Quranic guidance. Man is incomplete

without the Quranic guidance. Man committed very horrible crimes in the 7th

century Arabia in the absence of the Quranic guidance, this situation changed after

the coming of the Quranic guidance; it guided them in the right direction. Man

continues to commit horrible crimes in the present times. This calls for the Quranic

guidance and any positive word or deed said or done by any human being in the

world is appreciated in the light of Quranic guidance because according to the

Quran human beings even if they differ on some points have to support each other

in the propagation of the goodix

and this has become very relevant and important in

the contemporary period when human beings are increasingly getting squeezed in a

global village and have to know how to live with mutual respect with fellow human

beings.

The Quranic guidance is universal in nature because it is intimately linked with the

human soul. Every book has some influence on its reader. The influence of the

Quran is very fundamental because it addresses the heart of man. It tells man who

he is. Why has he come into this world? Since the Quranic guidance addresses these

fundamental questions; its guidance is universal and very much needed since

without knowing answers to these fundamental questions Man will lose himself

resulting in the horrible crimes committed by man against man. Racism, for

instance, is responsible for a great number of human beings killed in history; the

Quranic guidance cuts the root of this problem by proclaiming that every human


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being is sacred, that all human beings are brothers and sisters, that all human beings

have come from the same parents, and that there is only one God.x

This is such an important principle for the welfare of life in all its diversity; imagine

if this principle were really followed by human beings, what would the condition of

the world be? Won’t this principle deal a death blow to all the major problems and

evils found in the world? Why are these problems in the world in the first place? Is

it not because that I have a problem with my fellow human being because he comes

from a different religion, has got a different skin color, so on and so forth? All these

problems are addressed by the Quran in the light of truth revealed by God.

The Quranic guidance essentially deals with moral questions. It has a specific

subject matter, and arguably the most important one: the question of man. Not

taking this into account at times distorts the message of the Quran and is a

disservice to the nature of Quranic guidance.

The moral balance of man is the fundamental purpose of the Quranic guidance

which is the most important purpose that exists for without it man becomes very

evil and since the problem of evil can never be really rooted out; it will be there

more or less, therefore the Quranic guidance is always relevant till the end of times.

The Quranic guidance is not free, man has to strive for it and for that God has given

man faculties to make use of and benefit from the Quranic guidance. This point is

important to emphasize because the Quranic guidance is very precious and every

precious thing deserves our utmost attention and since the heart is the most precious

thing found in a man; the most precious Quranic guidance takes care of the most

precious heart, in other words, the Quran takes care of the center of man and we

know if the centre is working properly everything will fit in its proper place and

there would be overall progress of man.

The Quranic guidance is effective in nature that is to say if it is acted upon then

human actions are oriented towards the right direction and it can lead to the

preservation of the essence of human beings individually as well as collectively.

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Everything that man does or can do becomes more meaningful and beautiful in the

light of the Quranic guidance. According to the Prophetic Tradition, “God is

beautiful and he loves beauty”xi

and the attribute of beauty when it gets absorbed in

the consciousness of a person makes all his actions beautiful. There is dignity

found in the actions of such a person. It is interesting to consider that what would

the attributes of God as found in the Quran mean for the contemporary man since

man becomes what he lives and if he lives in the light of the attributes of God such

as merciful, compassionate and all the other attributes; this would surely bring a

revolution in the life of the contemporary man and make him a source of life for the

world and what is therein.

When man, for instance, lives according to the attribute of mercy, he will surely

help everyone around him and since there are other attributes as well which when

put all together would lead to a balanced personality which is surely the only key to

happiness and blissful life in all time and space; of course there will be human

weakness; man will certainly falter at occasions but the Quranic guidance will

always guide him and will never leave him alone until he meets God.

There are millions of human beings who are not educated in natural sciences but

they cannot exist without being human and it is this their human aspect that is the

most essential aspect to a human being and this is what the guidance of God is

concerned about and wants to keep intact without which man will lose the sense of

his reality and all that makes him human.

The Quran is the source of hope for the contemporary man in that it brings him

back to the source of peace which is God and accepting the nature as it is, living in

it naturally and escaping from the traumas of technology which has disturbed the

internal peace of man and contributed to the present day chaos faced by humanity in

what technology can do to the natural disposition of man and the world.


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There is no end to the Quranic guidance, every verse of the Quran, has some

implication for the contemporary man in spiritual and intellectual terms. They keep

on reminding the spiritual and intellectual responsibilities that man owes towards

God and fellow human beings, for instance that there is only one God is an eternal

guidance of the Quran and embedded in every verse of the Quran and it tells the

contemporary man that nothing great in the contemporary situation in terms of

money, status, profession can take the place of God and man must submit his

everything to God, of course this is particularly relevant for the believers in God,

and the point of responsibility can only be fully realized if the guidance of the

Quran is correctly appreciated, once the spiritual and intellectual entity of the man

thus formed, can man know the meaning and practice of responsibility in every era

including the contemporary era to everything that meets man in life.

The point of emphasis here is that the Muslim scholarship should always clarify the

nature of Quranic guidance, in order for man to live as godly as possible since many

things have been done in the history and in the present that has harmed human

beings because certain things are wrongly attributed to the Quran, for instance, the

actions of Muslim extremists against Muslims and non-Muslims alike and similarly

what distorts the spiritual and intellectual landscape of the reader of the Quran in

trying to interpret the Quran in scientific terms that is not always warranted and

thus is essentially a disservice to the Quran and the reader.

The Quranic guidance is in tune with the call of human heart. It has to do with the

feelings of love, compassion, friendship, sacrifice and all the qualities without

which human being is absolutely shallow, for no human can become human in the

absence of love, compassion, friendship, sacrifice etcetera from fellow human

beings and beyond human beings found in what is called the natural world in the

form of mountains, rivers, flowers, etcetera in the absence of which man cannot

conceptualize the meaning of life meaningfully.

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Take these out from the human experience which are really only practicable in the

presence of divine guidance because qualities such as compassion, love, friendship

etcetera become meaningless in the absence of God.

We are hardwired to follow these natural requirements as human beings but can

nature really exist without the creative energy of God and the answer is in the

negative. Whether we agree with the term “God” or not is a secondary question, the

fundamental question is that the universe and what is found in the world of humans

cannot do without engaging with the source that is behind all that exists and can

exist and as long as that is there the Quranic guidance which according to its own

claim is revealed by the same source, has a legitimate, intellectual and spiritual say

in matters to do with humans.

Conclusion

God revealed the Quranic guidance to the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him)

in the 7th

century. The Qur’anic guidance aims as the purification of the human self.

In order to achieve this aim, the Quran educated man in spiritual dimension and

social dimension of his life, and thus a balanced personality was realized. The

Quranic guidance gave moral direction to the action of man. He lived a good life in

true sense. The same is possible for the contemporary man in the light of Quranic

guidance and the society at large. Being spiritual is always important, more so, in

the present day and age. This is the most important contribution of the Quranic

guidance to the contemporary world. Every problem in the contemporary world

issues from a lack of spiritual discipline and it can be truly attained in the light of

Quranic guidance.


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References

i “Take not with Allah another object of worship; or thou (O man!) wilt sit in disgrace and

destitution. Thy Lord hath decreed that ye worship none but Him, and that ye be kind to

parents. Whether one or both of them attain old age in thy life, say not to them a word of

contempt, nor repel them, but address them in terms of honour. And, out of kindness,

lower to them the wing of humility, and say: "My Lord! bestow on them thy Mercy even as

they cherished me in childhood." Your Lord knoweth best what is in your hearts: If ye do

deeds of righteousness, verily He is Most Forgiving to those who turn to Him again and

again (in true penitence). And render to the kindred their due rights, as (also) to those in

want, and to the wayfarer: But squander not (your wealth) in the manner of a spendthrift.

Verily spendthrifts are brothers of the Evil Ones; and the Evil One is to his Lord (himself)

ungrateful. And even if thou hast to turn away from them in pursuit of the Mercy from thy

Lord which thou dost expect, yet speak to them a word of easy kindness. Make not thy

hand tied (like a niggard's) to thy neck, nor stretch it forth to its utmost reach, so that thou

become blameworthy and destitute. Verily thy Lord doth provide sustenance in abundance

for whom He pleaseth, and He provideth in a just measure. For He doth know and regard

all His servants. Kill not your children for fear of want: We shall provide sustenance for

them as well as for you. Verily the killing of them is a great sin. Nor come nigh to adultery:

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for it is a shameful (deed) and an evil, opening the road (to other evils). Nor take life -

which Allah has made sacred - except for just cause. And if anyone is slain wrongfully, we

have given his heir authority (to demand qisas or to forgive): but let him nor exceed bounds

in the matter of taking life; for he is helped (by the Law). Come not nigh to the orphan's

property except to improve it, until he attains the age of full strength; and fulfil (every)

engagement, for (every) engagement will be enquired into (on the Day of Reckoning).

Give full measure when ye measure, and weigh with a balance that is straight: that is the

most fitting and the most advantageous in the final determination. And pursue not that of

which thou hast no knowledge; for every act of hearing, or of seeing or of (feeling in) the

heart will be enquired into (on the Day of Reckoning). Nor walk on the earth with

insolence: for thou canst not rend the earth asunder, nor reach the mountains in height. Of

all such things the evil is hateful in the sight of thy Lord. These are among the (precepts of)

wisdom, which thy Lord has revealed to thee. Take not, with Allah, another object of

worship, lest thou shouldst be thrown into Hell, blameworthy and rejected.” (15: 22-39)

ii “O mankind! Fear Your Guardian Lord, Who created you from a single person, created,

out of it, his mate, and from them twain scattered (like seeds) countless men and women;-

fear Allah, through Whom Ye demand your mutual (rights), and be heedful of the wombs

(that bore you): for Allah ever watches over you. (4: 1); Behold! in the creation of the

heavens and the earth; in the alternation of the night and the day; in the sailing of the ships

through the ocean for the profit of mankind; in the rain which Allah Sends down from the

skies, and the life which He gives therewith to an earth that is dead; in the beasts of all

kinds that He scatters through the earth; in the change of the winds, and the clouds which

they Trail like their slaves between the sky and the earth;- (Here) indeed are Signs for a

people that are wise.(2:164).

iii “Praise be to Allah, the Cherisher and Sustainer of the worlds.” (1:2)

iv “Allah commands justice, the doing of good, and liberality to kith and kin, and He forbids

all shameful deeds, and injustice and rebellion: He instructs you, that ye may receive

admonition.” (16:90).

v “Those who invoke not, with Allah, any other god, nor slay such life as Allah has made

sacred except for just cause, nor commit fornication; - and any that does this (not only)

meets punishment.(25:68); Those who devour usury will not stand except as stand one

whom the Evil one by his touch Hath driven to madness. That is because they say: "Trade

is like usury," but Allah hath permitted trade and forbidden usury. Those who after

receiving direction from their Lord, desist, shall be pardoned for the past; their case is for

Allah (to judge); but those who repeat (The offence) are companions of the Fire: They will

abide therein (for ever).” (2:275)

vi Neighbors include nations as well in the present day and age.

vii

Examples include the World Wars and the present day global warming.

viii

The Qur’an- 19:31.


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ix

“… Help ye one another in righteousness and piety, but help ye not one another in sin and

rancour: fear Allah. for Allah is strict in punishment. (The Qur’an 5:2)

x The Quran, 4:1

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Sahih Muslim

Bibliography:

1. Falahi, Tauqueer Alam. The Quranic Directives For Ideal Society. Kanishaka

Publishers, Distributors New Delhi, 110001.

2. Mcauliffe, Jane Dammen. Encyclopedia of the Qur’an, Volume Five Si-2 / Two E-

1, Brill, 2006.

3. Nasr, Seyyed Hossein. The Need For A Sacred Science. Suhail Academy Lahore,

Pakistan, 2001.

4. Raywani, Seyyed Mushtaq Ali. Qur’an Aur Mazi, Hal o Mustaqbil. Markazi

Maktaba Islami, Delhi.

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