SPIRIT OF ISLAM AUGUST 2O13

35 Spirit of Islam Issue 8 August 2013 ARE MUSLIMS THE CHOSEN PEOPLE? M USLIMS today generally believe that they are the ‘chosen people’. This belief is completely alien to Islam. According to the true teachings of Islam, every man and woman is equal in the eyes of God. No one enjoys a special status. God’s blessings in this world are given to people to test them, regardless of their beliefs, race or sex. God’s blessings are given to people on the basis of merit, not on the basis of group or race. This concept of the ‘chosen people’ is a phenomena of degenerated societies. This is just wishful thinking; it has no base in the religion revealed by God to Muhammad. Those who claim such special positions for themselves will be asked by God as to where they derived this notion from. The Quran refutes this kind of thinking, and clearly says: It is not your desires, nor the desires of the People of the Book, that shall prevail. Anyone who commits evil will be rewarded accordingly. He will not find any protector or patron for himself besides God. THE QURAN 4: 123 This Quranic verse tells us without any ambiguity that those who do wrong will receive the results of their bad deeds, with no mention of any qualifying beliefs, race or sex. It is only merit that will determine who are the blessed and who are not. Salvation in the hereafter will be given to those who prove, in terms of their actions, that they are deserving candidates for it. These people are the ones described in the Bible as ‘rejected silver’ (Jeremiah, 6: 30 ). The Quran is very clear about this. For example, the Quran says: And that man shall have only that for which he strives. THE QURAN 53: 39