230. When ignorant people attempt to trace the history of 'religion' they
tend to the view that man began his life in the darkness of polytheisrn and
that in the course of time, corresponding to man's progress, this darkness gradually
receded and light increased till man arrived at monotheism.
The Qur'anic version, however, proclaims that man began his life in full light
of the Truth. God revealed this Truth to the very first man He created, one
to whom He intimated the right way of life for man. Thereafter the human race
remained on the Right Way for some time and lived as one community. Later, however,
people invented deviating ways. This did not happen because Truth had not been
communicated to them. The cause was rather that some people wilfully sought
to acquire privileges, benefits and advantages beyond their legitimate limits,
and thus subjected others to injustices. It was in order to enable people to
overcome this corruption that God sent His Prophets. These Prophets were not
sent to found separate religions in their own names and bring new religious
communities into existence. Rather the purpose of the Prophets was to illuminate
before people the Truth which they had allowed to be lost, and once again make
them into one community.