"And if you are in doubt as to what We have revealed to Our servant, then produce a surah (chapter) like it, and call your witness besides Allah, if you are truthful." (11 :23)*

Islam encourages reasoning though and personal opinion. The Prophet is reported to have said (peace be upon him): "The differences of opinion among the learned of my followers are Allah's mercy". Islam has great respect for learning science for man's exploration of the secrets of nature and of creation. In fact Allah challenges man on many occasions in the Quran to deepen his faith, know ledge, and wisdom from study and contemplation of the natural world its harmony, symmetry and beauty. For ex ample: "He it is who created the seven heavens in harmony. Never can you see a lack of symmetry in the creation of the Compassionate (Allah). So look yet again: can you perceive any flaw? Then look again, and still another time, your vi sion will return unto you weakened and dim" [67:3-4].

The individual capacities and unique abilities of people are a gift of Allah, to be developed, perfected, and used for the benefit of humanity. Islam does not try to crush the individuality of its believers, but rather to guide each believer to perfection and purify his own uniqueness. This multiplicity of expressive and developed personalities enriches society and places it on a high level, like the beauty of an intricate but unified arabesque.