Prof. Baron HARUN MUSTAFA LEON (G.B.)
(Prof. Baron Leon comes from a prominent British family and possesses
the title of Baron. He owns a Ph. D. and other scientific titles.
He became a Muslim in 1882. He had memberships in numerous scientific
societies in Europe and America. Prof. Leon, who was a great authority
especially in the linguistic and literary sciences, sprang into
the universal limelight with his publication that was called 'Ethimology
of the Human Lexion'. Upon this publication, the Potomac University
of America gave him the degree of M.S. Prof. Leon is at the same
time an expert geologist. He was invited by many famous institutions
and gave conferences of these areas. He was elected as the Secretary
General for the Société Internationale de Philologie=International
Society of Philology, Science and Fine Arts, which had been founded
in 1875. He began to publish a magazine titled (The Philomeths).
He was awarded with various medals by the Ottoman Sultan Abd-ul-Hamid
II, by the Shah of Iran, and by the Emperor of Austria.)
One of the most perfect essentials of the Islamic religion is
that it never demands of Muslims to act against reason. Islam
is a religion whose teachings are quite reasonable and perfectly
logical. The other religions, on the other hand, force people
to accept the tenets of creed that they can never understand,
believe or find logical. In Christianity the church is the only
authority in this respect. Contrariwise, Muslims are commanded
to believe in anything only after mentally examining it (and finding
it logical). Muhammad a.s. states, "Allahu ta'ala has not
created anything irrational or illogical." He states in another
hadith ash-Sharif, "I tell you with certainty that even if
a person performs (his daily prayers of) namaz (regularly), fasts,
pays (the prescribed alms called) zakat, goes on hajj (Muslim's
pilgrimage to Mecca), and carries out all the other commandments
of Islam, he shall be rewarded in proportion to the degree of
his using the mind and logic Allahu ta'ala has endowed on him."
The pure religion preached by Issa a.s. also contained similar
rules. For instance, 'First try everything! Accept only the good
one." Yet, these rules were forgotten in the course of time.
The fifth ayat al-karima of Sura-t-ul-Juma of Qur'an al-karim
purports, "Those people who have been enjoined to learn the
Torah and to adapt themselves to it, and yet who do not obey it,
are reminiscent of an ass with a load of books on its back."
Ali 'radi-Allahu 'anh' states, "The world is dark. Knowledge
is a nur (light)! However, knowledge which is not correct is obscurity."
Muslims hold the belief that "Islam is the very truth itself,"
and they state that Islam's light shines only with the energy
it gets from knowledge and logic, that this knowledge ensues only
from truth, and that truth, in its turn, is discovered by men
owing to the common sense, which is a blessing Allahu ta'ala has
conferred upon them.
The last Prophet of Allahu ta'ala, Muhammad a.s., who is the greatest
blessing Allahu ta'ala has sent to humanity, showed them the path
that they were to follow. It was during his final days (in this
world), when the following incident took place:
It was a couple of days before Muhammad's a.s. passing away, and
he was resting, half conscious, his head on the knees of Aisha
r.a.a. his beloved wife. All the people of Medina were desperately
sad about Rasulullah's illness, which enervated him day by day
and against which they were helpless. Men, women, children were
crying loudly. Among those who were crying were grey-haired, sallow-complexioned,
aged warriors. Muhammad Mustafa al-amin s.a.s. was their commander,
guide, leader, companion, shepherd, an intimate friend with whom
they exchanged confidences, and, the most important of all, their
great Prophet who had rescued them from darkness and guided them
to the light of truth owing to the Islamic religion which he preached.
This great Prophet s.a.s., who had brought them peace and security
by means of Islam, was now bidding 'Farewell' to them. The lamentable
thought that their Prophet was dying was gripping their hearts
like an iron clamp, bringing tears into their eyes, and causing
them to despair deeply.
At last, they risked losing everything, and entered into his presence
in that mood of hopelessness. In tears they asked, "O the
Messenger of Allah s.a.s.! You are gravely ill. Perhaps Allahu
ta'ala will invite you to His presence and you will no longer
be with us. Then, what can we do without you?"
Our Prophet Muhammad a.s. stated, "You have the Qur'an al-karim
to consult." Then they asked, "O the Messenger of Allah
s.a.s.! It is certain that the Qur'an al-karim will be our guide
in many respects. Yet if we cannot find what we are seeking by
looking up in it, and if you have already left us, who will be
our guide?" Upon this, our Prophet s.a.s. stated, "Act
in accordance with what I have told you." This time they
asked, "O the Messenger of Allah s.a.s.! Since you will no
longer be among us, what should we do if we encounter altogether
new matters and cannot find anything about those matters in your
hadiths?"
Our Prophet s.a.s. raised his blessed head slowly from the pillow,
and said, "Allahu ta'ala has given a personal guide to each
and every one of His born slaves. This guide is the common sense,
and his heart, which embodies a conscience. If you use this guide
well and properly, you will never deviate from the right path,
and in the end you will attain to Allahu ta'ala." "Istafti
qalbek, Fe-innaha teskunu bi-l-halal." Here is the Islamic
religion which I boast of having chosen. This religion is the
true religion of Allah, which is entirely based on reason and
logic.
Beware boasting of wealth, nor say, "Who's there like me!"
Harvest-like, a cruel wind winnows all that belongs to thee.
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