we are told, when man proved weak against his own desires and passions, Divine help came to him in the form of certain “words from his Lord”, that is to say, in the form of Divine revelation which was granted to Adam. And as for his posterity, the Divine law was given: “Surely there will come to you a guidance from Me, then whoever follows My guidance, no fear shall come upon them, nor shall they grieve” (2:38). In these words man is told that, with the help of Divine revelation, he shall have no fear of the Devil’s temptings, and so the hindrance of his progress and the obstacle to the development of his faculties being removed, he will keep advancing on the road to perfection.
It has already been pointed out that revelation in its lower forms, in the form of inspiration or that of dreams or visions, is the universal experience of humanity, but even in its highest form, it is not, according to the Holy Qur’ān, limited to one particular man or to one particular nation. It is, on the other hand, most emphatically stated that just as God has given His physical sustenance to each and every nation, even so He has endowed it with His spiritual sustenance for its moral and spiritual advancement. Two quotations from the Holy Qur’ān will suffice to show that revelation in its highest form has been granted to every nation: “There is not a people but a warner has gone among them” (35:24). “And for every nation there is a messenger” (10:47). And thus the idea of revelation in Islām is as broad as humanity itself.
The religion of Islām, therefore, requires a belief, not in the Holy Qur’ān alone but in all the books of God, granted to all the nations of the world. At its very commencement it lays down in clear words: “And who believe in that which has been revealed to thee and that which was revealed before thee” (2:4). And again: “The Messenger believes in what has been revealed to him from his Lord, and so do the believers, they all believe in Allāh and His angels and His Books and His messengers” (2:285). A book was granted to every prophet of God: “Mankind is a single nation. So Allāh raised prophets as bearers