Page 188 - New English Book L

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in a word, to establish the religion of Islam as the
Kingdom of God upon the earth. In fact, when the Crier
in the desert shouted, aloud, “Prepare the way of the
Lord, and make straight His paths,” he was alluding
to the religion of the Lord in the form of a kingdom
which was drawing nigh. Seven centuries before, the
Prophet Isaiah had cried out and pronounced the same
words (Isa. xl. 1-4); and a couple of centuries later
Allah Himself paved the way for Cyrus by raising and
filling up every valley, and by lowering every hill and
mountain, in order to make the conquest easy and the
march rapid (xlv. 1-3). History repeats itself, they say;
the language and its meaning is the same in both cases,
the former being a prototype of the latter. Allah had
smoothed the path for Cyrus, subdued his enemies to the
Persian conqueror because of His House in Jerusalem
and His chosen people in the captivity. Now again He
was repeating the same providence, but on a larger
and wider scale. Before the preaching of Muhammad
(pbuh) , idols and falsehood disappeared; before his
sword empires tumbled down; and the children of the
kingdom of Allah became equals and formed a “people
of the Saints of the Most High.” For it is only in Islam
that all the believers are equal, no priest, no sacrament;
no Muslim high as a hill, or low like a valley; and no
caste or distinction of race and rank. All believers are
one, except in virtue and piety, in which they can excel
each other. It is only the religion of Islam that does not
recognize any being, however great and holy, as an
absolute mediator between Allah and man.