variety of pernicious germs which tend to destroy it. As long as man
lives, he keeps up the fight against these destructive forces. The
struggle ceases only with death. It is, however, not only on the
physical plane that the struggle is carried on. On the moral plane
too, he has to struggle against forces of destruction which would
disintegrate and disrupt his self. Here the problem is more difficult
and complicated, as the self has to contend with the destructive
forces of the external world as well as the impulses of debasing
animality which rise in man if not checked. Man naturally looks
around for help as he very often finds it difficult to keep the enemy
at bay. The Divine Guidance in the Qur'an offers man effective help
in the moral struggle. This help is given according to a definite
programme. The first part of the programme may be characterised
as prophylactic. It helps man to guard himself against both the open
and insidious attacks of destructive forces. This form of help is
termed maghfirah in the Qur'an. Ghafrun means "to cover" and
mighfar, which is derived from it, means the helmet which protects
the head of the warrior from the blows of the enemy. The Qur'an
protects the human self just as effectively from the blows of
destructive forces. Man quails when he finds himself facing the
formidable array of the forces of destruction. He begins to weaken
and to give way to despair. The Divine programme prevents him
from yielding to baatil by replenishing his store of moral energy and
by inspiring faith in his heart that the haqq, though weak at the
moment, will finally prevail over baatil. Man may feel defenceless
against the forces of baatil but when the Divine Revelation has
instilled in his heart Eiman and courage, he enters the arena with
renewed confidence and hope. This is how the first part of the
programme helps him. The second part, tauba, in the terminology
of the Qur'an, is curative. Many may have yielded to baatil and may
have followed the wrong path. Even then, the Qur'an says, their case
is not hopeless. Tauba offers them a sure remedy. Tauba is derived
from the root taaba which means to return. Tauba, therefore, does
not mean vain regret or futile remorse. It means that when man
realises that he has been following the wrong path, he should have
the courage to stop and retrace his steps. In this sense tauba means
heart-searching, reappraisal of the situation and reassessment of
the policy he has been following. Suppose a man suddenly realises
Islam: A Challenge to Religion 161