character, in social relations, etc. To produce a person like this is the main target of Islam. All other aspects of Islam hinge on the fact that man lives in a society, and the greater the number of such individuals

leads to what may be called the social system of Islam. This revolution among individuals and society goes on developing until, conditions being favourable, it culminates in what is termed the Islamic State

manifestation of a number of trees. This is true also of man. In the Islamic scheme, it is the individual—who is a real part of the body of Islam while society and the State are only its relative part. Those

“incline towards those who do wrong,” i.e., the Prophet of Islam was strictly forbidden to show any kind of leniency towards the unbelievers, because what God desired more than anything else in the matter of

this cannot be done where inclinations are yielded to or compromises are made. This is what made the Prophet of Islam old before his time. The truth is that in the present world the communication of the

age prematurely.Despite VictoryMakkah was the birthplace of the Prophet of Islam. Yet the Makkans compelled him to leave what was his own hometown. That was the beginning of a bitter

experiences in this world what an unbeliever will experience in the next world. An unbeliever will humble himself on seeing God; a believer does so without seeing Him.AUGUST 2 Islam—A Culture of PeaceThe

Model World according to Islam, is a world of peace. Islam in itself means a religion of peace. The Quran says: And God calls to the home of peace. This is the message of Islam to mankind. It means that

a world of peace in your eternal life in the Hereafter.’ Now what are the basic elements of building a culture of peace? According to Islam, to be brief, these are three—compassion, forgiveness and respect

In fact, if the deeds of the Prophet of Islam were to be subtracted from history, such examples would be eliminated, where not only the external political structure is transformed but also the very innermost

innermost recesses of human beings. One important part of the sunnah of the Prophet of Islam is trust in human nature. We find examples of his following this principle throughout his entire life. Man is

part of a human personality. This is what is referred to in the Quran in the following verse: By the soul and how He formed it, then inspired it to understand what was right and wrong for it. (The Quran

purifying people was to translate their thinking into action (those who had accepted the teachings of Islam were enabled to act accordingly) to awaken their spiritual feelings and to inculcate in them the real

were told what the practical form of worship was and how the etiquette of worship had to be observed. The instruction of the book is also an education in fiqh (law). What is known as Islamic jurisprudence

jurisprudence began with the Prophet himself. When people accepted Islam, they asked the Prophet to explain the commands of Islam on different matters. When the Prophet answered their queries, he was actually training

RABBANIYAT : ISLAMIC SPIRITUALITYRabbaniyat means one’s inner personality may acquire godly qualities by becoming immersed in thoughts of God and the Hereafter. This level of spirituality is produced

spirituality in Islam and what, from the Islamic viewpoint, the method was of attaining spirituality. I said that the word ‘spirituality’ (or ruhaniyat) began to be used later in the history of Islam. In the Quran

renunciation. But that is not true. What we achieve by renouncing the world is not spirituality but mysticism (rehbaniyat) and, according to a tradition mysticism is not desirable in Islam. (Musnad Ahmad, Hadith No

reform in Islam are on the increase, as the ‘old’ version of Islam cannot apparently keep pace with the modern world. But, in reality, it is not reformation which is urgent, but revival. What is needed

as superficial and erroneous the militant and political interpretation of Islam, and to adopt the original, ‘old’ version of Islam based on peace, mercy and the love of mankind. The so-called Muslim Mujahideen

It is up to right-thinking people everywhere to reject the militant version of Islam, and to start seeing and accepting Islam as it is truly represented by the Quran. Wahiduddin Khan January 4, 2002 New

the women of today. There are many such incidents which show that Islam accords equal freedom to a woman and a man. The Prophet of Islam said: Men and women are two equal halves of a single unit. (Sunan

14.AS AN ISLAMIC SCHOLAR, HOW WOULD YOU DEFEND ISLAM AND THE QURAN FROM THE ILL REPUTATION THEY HAVE GARNERED FROM TERRORISTS WHO BASE THEIR ACTIONS IN ISLAM?One does not need to defend Islam. We need

right teachings of Islam to create an understanding of the peaceful message of Islam. Terrorism has no linkage to Islam. It is an undeniable fact that due to wrong interpretations of Islam, some sections of

age Islam is being represented by Jewish scholars?” What he wanted to point out was that in modern times a new style or idiom had been created. But that Muslim scholars had failed to produce Islamic literature

performed by educated Jews. They wrote books on various aspects of Islam in the modern idiom, although in many of these books Islamic teachings have been presented in a distorted form. But because in style

who wanted to study Islam in the English language often studied these books written by Jewish scholars. I listened intently to Professor Mujeeb. I did not answer him but on hearing what he had to say a tempest

age Islam is being represented by Jewish scholars?” What he wanted to point out was that in modern times a new style or idiom had been created. But that Muslim scholars had failed to produce Islamic literature

performed by educated Jews. They wrote books on various aspects of Islam in the modern idiom, although in many of these books Islamic teachings have been presented in a distorted form. But because in style

who wanted to study Islam in the English language often studied these books written by Jewish scholars. I listened intently to Professor Mujeeb. I did not answer him but on hearing what he had to say a tempest