and man.
The Qur'anic concept of salvation is of a different kind, and, as it
will become clear in the course of this exposition, attuned to the
constructive and progressive forces in man. In the first place, the
world of matter is regarded as embodying a purpose – a purpose
which is consonant with the purpose inherent in the human self.
The following verse should be noted:
And We created not the heavens and the earth, and what is between
them, in sport (21:16).
It is a world which is responsive to man's needs, both physical and
human. It is a world which man, if he likes, can mould "nearer to his
heart's desire." It is a world which offers full scope for the
development and fulfilment of his being. Knowing that he can
engage in fruitful activities in the world, he has no excuse for
infirmity of purpose.
Moreover, in the Qur'an, the emphasis is on the positive content
of salvation. It is not conceived as a negation of pain and liberation
from evil. It consists in the sense of fulfilment, the feeling of
realisation and the thrill of expansion. Man is endowed with a
number of potentialities. By developing these he reaches his full
stature and qualifies for still higher stages awaiting him. Man must
discover in what direction his self can develop and then he must
create the conditions, physical as well as social, which favour the
development. His main task in this life is to develop his self by
conquering the forces of nature and employing them for the
development of mankind:
He is indeed successful who causeth his self to grow, and he is indeed a
failure who stunteth it (91:9-10).
III. Life – A StruggleLife is a constant struggle against forces hostile to it – forces
which would destroy it if they were not successfully opposed. In the
external environment, there are wide variations in temperature.
Sometimes it is too cold for man, sometimes it is too hot.
Homoeostatic mechanisms in the body usually keep the body
temperature at the normal level. Without them, the human body
would burn up or freeze to death. Again, the body is assailed by a
Salvation^160