Children’s Column

[256] There is no compulsion in religion. Truth has become clear from falsehood. Therefore, he who denies Shaytan and believes in Allah, holds firm a bond that does not break off. And Allah is All‑hearing, All‑knowing.

Understanding these verses:

The correct meaning of the words “There is no compulsion in religion” is that, “Islam should not be enforced on non-Muslims.” Having understood this, early Muslims only forced the people to submission. They did not force them to become Muslims. It is only those taken prisoners in the battlefields who were given the choice of either Islam or death. That is because those prisoners had killed lot of Muslims in the battlefields. Normally, they would be immediately killed instead of being taken prisoners. That happens everywhere. But Islam is a mercy. Such killers were given the choice to become Muslims, or face death.

The question is, when Islam was not forced on the people, how come such large number of people became Muslims? The answer is, firstly, if people are forced into any religion, they will abandon the enforced religion as soon as they get a chance.

To understand why such number of people became Muslim during the early days of Islam, one must understand the following: The universal practice of the time with reference to wars was that when a victorious army entered cities and towns, they would kill as many of the common people as they could, capture their women and distribute them among themselves, and loot the wealth of the conquered people. Sometimes the soldiers were allowed to kill, rape and loot in the fallen cities for several days. But Islam is a mercy. Muslim armies were not allowed to kill a single person, not allowed to capture women, and not allowed to loot. (Only those women were taken prisoners who were part of the enemy battalion.

Now, normally, those of the city populations who could manage, ran away with their women and children, emptying the city from fear of loot and murder. But when Muslim armies entered the cities of Syria, Iraq, Iran, etc., they did not loot or kill and did not force the remaining people to become Muslims. Gradually, those who had run away, got the news of the highly civilized behavior of the Muslim armies and came back to the cities along with their wives and children, and found to their great amazement that their goods and belongings at home and in markets were as they had left them. Impressed, they became Muslims in huge numbers. This is the reason why after the victories of early Muslims, force was not needed to convert people to Islam. In fact, some rulers even discouraged the populations from becoming Muslims.

Muslims do not need to force anyone to accept Islam. They did not use force in India or other places. In fact, Muslim armies never went to Malaysia or Indonesia. But still whole populations of these countries became Muslims. Thousands upon thousands of people are coming into the fold of Islam in Europe, United States, and, in fact, all over the world. Are they being forced into it, or they come in by free will? In fact, so many people are accepting Islam in the West that they are afraid that Muslims will take over from them in 50-100 years. So, they have declared war against Islam and Muslims, carrying it out on the pretext of terrorism, although they themselves are responsible for many terrorist activities.

The question is: how then it is that people become Muslims? The answer is, as soon as a man reads the Qur’an or ahadith, he immediately feels that his religion – any religion – is false, and the Qur’an and Hadith are true. The truth and conviction are in-built in them. All you have to do is to handover a copy of the Qur’an or a good collection of Hadith. The two will do their work.

So, the Truth is out. But, some people like to follow non-Qur’anic ways. Drugs, wine, free sex, gambling, homosexuality and other Satanic activities are dear to them. So, they say, “Why Islam has banned interest base banking? Why women have wear Hijab? But he who abandons Satan’s friends, and comes to believe in Allah, comes to hold Allah’s rope that can never be cut off. Holding on to this rope, he will enter Paradise.

(To be continued)

Amazing Creatures

Emperor Penguins

Emperor penguins are able to dive to depths of 500 meters (1,640 feet) for up to 20 minutes with no adverse effects to their respiration or blood pressure. They also possess the ability to adapt to these conditions in different ways. While diving, they are able to lower their heartbeats from 200 a minute to only 60, thus allowing them to store extra myoglobin.

How Can Penguins Hold Their Breath for So Long?

Myoglobin is a protein present at high levels in these birds’ muscles. These myoglobin proteins bind to themselves high numbers of oxygen molecules. In other words, the penguin conserves the oxygen it will need not in the air held in its lungs, but directly inside its muscles.  This lets penguins swim underwater for long periods and to dive as deep as they wish, without relying on the breathed-in air held in their lungs..

Why Do They Not Suffer from the Bends?

Penguins are able to continue swimming even when the oxygen in their blood drops to the lowest levels. Human beings suffer from the bends under such conditions. The level in question is 20 mm Hg for penguins and 25 mm Hg for humans. However, scientists have been unable to explain how penguins can to overcome this in the water without being affected by low levels of oxygen in the blood.

How Can They Go Without Food for 65 Days?

Male penguins have a secret that lets them survive without eating anything for 65 days, until the females arrive to take of the young in order to protect their eggs: they possess a structure capable of blocking their digestive systems..

Their Magnificent Diving Costumes

Adult penguins on the ice eat nothing for months until after they shed their coats in the summer. All their old feathers are shed, and new ones emerge from underneath. The result is a windproof, insulated and waterproof diving suit that prevents cold—whether from icy wind or frigid water— reaching their skin. The most striking feature of  their new plumage is that it appears just when the penguins need it most— when the time to migrate has arrived.

Brief Facts from the Pole

• In the middle of winter, daylight at the North Pole last for only three hours. In order to protect themselves from the freezing cold during the other 21 hours, penguins huddle up against one another in the dark.
• By huddling up to one another, the male penguins are able to raise their body temperatures to up to 20° C (68 oF).
• Since solitary penguins are unable to benefit from other penguins’ body heat, they cannot survive in temperatures any lower than -10° C (14 oF)
• Under Such Conditions, How Can Penguins Walk for Many Kilometers with Such Large Bodies and Short Legs?
• In order to conserve energy when they walk, penguins waddle from side, to side, which tires their muscles less. In this way, at the end of every step, they store up enough momentum for the next. If they employed a normal gait, their short legs would force them to expend twice as much energy as any other animal their own size. However, penguins exert the most energy only when they start to walk and when they want to stop.
• These features of penguins are some of the greatest proofs of Allah’s affection and compassion for living things. Walking in such a way as to conserve energy by using the conversion of kinetic and potential energy and back again is something no bird can learn on its own. No penguin can know about potential-kinetic energy conversion and develop such a gait as to take advantage of this, unless so inspired by Allah.

For all this astonishing behavior, there is only one explanation: These marine mammals behave in accordance with the inspiration of Allah, their Creator.

Traffic Penalty and the Secret of Success

A famous author of the sub-continent was once posted in Italy. He earned a traffic fine and because of his busy schedule was unable to pay it. As a result he had to go to court.

The judge asked him the reason. He replied that he was a professor and was so busy that he didn’t have the time do it. Upon hearing this, the judge announced loudly, ‘A teacher is in court.’

Then everybody stood up and asked for his forgiveness and cancelled his fine.

‘That day,’ He says, ‘I understood that nation’s secret of success.’