Maulana Wahiduddin Khan (1925-2021) was an Islamic scholar, spiritual guide, and an Ambassador of Peace. He authored over 200 books and recorded thousands of lectures giving the rational interpretation of Islamic concepts, prophetic wisdom, and the spiritual meaning of the Quran in the contemporary style. His English translation, The Quran, is widely appreciated as simple, clear and in contemporary style. He founded Centre for Peace and Spirituality (CPS) International in 2001 to re-engineer minds towards God-oriented living and present Islam as it is, based on the principles of peace, spirituality, and co-existence. Maulana breathed his last on 21 April, 2021 in New Delhi, India. His legacy is being carried forward through the CPS International Network.
The End
THE ROLE OF WOMEN IN COMMUNICATING THE WORD OF GOD
An Interview with Dr Naghma Siddiqi
Dr Naghma Siddiqi is the editorial director of Spirit of
Islam. She has been associated with the CPS mission for
close to two decades. Her role in bringing out the teachings
of Maulana Wahiduddin Khan to the world through the
use of technology has been instrumental. She has designed
and produced books and teaching material which highlight
the message of peace and spirituality based on the Islamic
Scriptures. She has dedicated her life to this mission. Her
passion has permeated to her family. Dr Naghma Siddiqi along with her
family members has been tirelessly working to spread the message of
peace. We interviewed her to know the inspiring story of her journey. She
lives in New Delhi. She can be contacted at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Will you please enlighten our readers with some details about
your formative years?
I was born in a modern Muslim household. My father Dr M. N. Siddiqi
(d. 2013) and my mother Prof. Najma Siddiqi were both educationists.
They provided us with good education and gave us the freedom to
pursue our interests. We are three siblings. My elder sister Seema Jalal
is an interior designer in Dubai. She is involved in the CPS mission. My
younger brother, Faisal Siddiqi lives in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. He is an IT
professional and helps with our technology needs. When my husband,
Navdeep Kapur, and I joined the mission, both my parents also started
attending CPS classes.
I received my education primarily in Delhi, first in a convent school and
later in a premier English-medium school. In the early ‘70s, I studied in
the USA where my father went for his doctoral studies for five years. I
graduated from Delhi University in 1983 in Zoology Honours. I always
wanted to study more and even took admission to pursue my master’s
in MBA and Psychology but was unable to complete these courses.
In 2007, I decided to do my master’s in Islamic Studies. Though I felt
I would not be able to complete even this programme, God sent His
angels and enabled me to complete my master’s in Islamic Studies from
Jamia Millia Islamia in 2008 and my doctorate from Jamia Hamdard in
2017. These courses gave me the background to understand Maulana’s
writings better in comparison.
Through campus recruitment, I was selected for a management
programme at one of the premier corporate organizations of India
immediately upon graduating from Delhi University in 1983. I joined
the organization and received excellent training in the fields of
advertisement and media there. Upon getting married, I ventured into
business in the same field. My business flourished. I gained fame and
fortune. During the next two decades, my material life was flourishing.
But I was living in a sense of dissatisfaction. I wanted more from life.
I always felt I had a higher calling and was wasting my life in material
pursuits.
What did you think of religion before you met Maulana Wahiduddin
Khan?
My parents brought us up to be good Muslims and good human beings.
We prayed five times a day, kept all the fasts, paid the zakat, all of us
performed our Hajj early in life and tried to be good Muslims. However,
my life and my religion seemed like two separate compartments of my
life. Islam was never integrated into my life. Wanting to understand
Islam better, I started asking questions from my elders. But neither
did I receive any answers nor any encouragement. So I stopped
questioning, while continuing ritualistic Islam, though I had always had
an inner urge to stand for God and Islam.
In the early 2000s, I was jolted out of my spiritual slumber, through a
health setback. It was one shock after another. Both my grandmothers,
who had been the source of my religious strength passed away. Later
my sister-in-law died within just a few months of an illness at the age
of 52. I regularly prayed to God not to let me die till He had shown me
my purpose and role in life and helped me to perform it. I even got up
for tahajjud prayers and started reading material on Islam that I could
get my hands on.
As I only knew English, I first went through all the material on Islam
in English. I have fond memories of my father visiting the Urdu Bazar,
Jamia Masjid to buy books on Islam. I often visited the Goodword
Bookstore at Nizamuddin, though I had not yet been introduced to the
writings of Maulana Wahiduddin Khan. Over time, I collected more than
500 books in my home library, all of which I then read. But tragically, I
had not found my answers or the purpose of my life.
The 9/11 incident in 2001 made me start questioning Islam itself. I went
to one scholar after another asking them about the Islamic position
on the issue: Was Islam a religion of violence or peace? Was this jihad?
Unfortunately, not even a single scholar gave any clarity on the Islamic
position on the issue. I stopped questioning and prayed to God for
guidance.
In efforts to stand up for God’s mission, whenever I met scholars and
people associated with Muslim organizations, I requested them to give
me an opportunity, even at an assistant level, to serve Islam. When I
found that an organization was publishing an English translation of the
Quran, I offered my services as a proofreader. But I did not find any
opportunity. In time, I realized that there was no real scope for women
in Islamic circles and organizations. I continued to read material on
Islam and I would spend hours in prayer. My prayer was only one: God,
guide me to the purpose of and role in life!
How were you introduced to Maulana? Kindly describe your first
meeting?
I realized there were others like me who wanted to find answers to
questions and learn about Islam. Finding no place to go, we decided to
set up a library where we could get together and interact to find our
answers. With this thought, in May 2004 a friend of mine and I decided
to set up a library and interaction platform and named it ClearLight. To
ask for support for the same we visited some people, one of whom was
Dr Saniyasnain Khan, whose bookstore I often used to visit. Patiently
listening to our plans, he recommended Maulana Wahiduddin Khan as
the scholar, donated a set of books to set up our library and gave us
contacts for our endeavours. He also sent his daughter Sadia Khan to
join us. During the summer of 2004, ClearLight received a tremendous
response. Thereafter we realized the need for a scholar to guide us
further in our search. I decided to visit Maulana to request him to
provide guidance.
Through Sadia, we contacted Prof Farida Khanam to arrange a meeting
with Maulana. I then found out that he was a world-renowned scholar
who had written more than a hundred books. I had read his book
The True Jihad till then and thought that this book gave a completely
different picture of jihad from other books. I was very intrigued to meet
him and understand his thoughts better. This is how I was introduced
to Maulana.
As arranged, a colleague of mine and I from ClearLight went to
Maulana’s office at C-29. I remember as we sat in the small office on the
ground floor when Maulana came down the stairs. My first impression
of Maulana was that he was different from all the other scholars I had seen or met so far. He did not have an all-knowing air about him. He
seemed approachable, spiritual and most importantly very humble.
When he sat down with us, the first thing he asked me was, “Do you
have any questions?” I was spellbound that an Islamic scholar of such
renown, for that matter any Islamic scholar was allowing me to ask
him questions. Hesitatingly I asked him the same question I had asked
so many scholars: “Was the incident of 9/11 jihad?” His prompt reply
was: “It is not jihad, it is fasad—terrorism. Islam does not sanction such
acts.” He went on to define terrorism from the Islamic perspective: The
use of arms by any individual or organization, except for an established
state. Then he went on to clarify the position of Islam.
I listened enthralled to finally receive the answers to questions I had
been looking for so long. In my mind, I knew Islam was a religion of
peace, but the information I had received before this was completely
different. I wanted to know more. Maulana asked me to come to his
Sunday lectures. I decided to go to Maulana’s lecture to seek further
guidance. I realized that ClearLight had only been a stepping stone to
get me here. I requested my other colleagues to also start coming to
Maulana, which many did.
How did Maulana influence your thinking?
I went to Maulana’s room for his Sunday Class and I sat by the entrance
of the door waiting for the lecture to start. Seeing me from afar he
called me towards him where the other CPS members were sitting.
That day Maulana gave a lecture on the Creation Plan of God, that God
created eternal Paradise and then created man for Paradise. But as
Paradise needed to be earned, God divided man’s life into two parts:
a small portion to give a test on this earth so he could show that he
was deserving of inhabiting Paradise and an eternal part in which he
could live eternally in Paradise, if he proved himself deserving of it. This
made complete sense to me. It completely addressed my mind.
While listening to this lecture I was reminded of a dream I had had
when I was in my early teens. Every night before sleeping I used to
read some chapters of the Arabic Quran and prayed to God to guide
me towards Him and what He expected from me. One night I had a
dream which made me feel close to God. I felt that God was calling me
towards some higher mission.
I found the similarity between the dream and Maulana’s lecture.
After the lecture, I approached Maulana and mentioned the dream.
He explained that at that young age when I had had the dream, I
was immature. Now that I had reached the age of maturity, I was in
a position to understand the meaning of a calling towards a higher
mission. This gave me the conviction that CPS was that mission. This
made complete sense to me.
In the thrill, I continued to thank God for guiding me towards Maulana.
Then I remembered that I had had that dream at my cousin’s house in
Nizamuddin East in the mid-seventies and this dream was realized in
September 2004 in Nizamuddin West. This was another indicator that
my dream was to become a reality at CPS.
Maulana also gave an interpretation of one part of my dream which I
had not understood. He said that it means you will receive Islam in the
modern idiom which addresses today’s man. These words of Maulana
made me realize that God had finally guided me to what I had been
waiting for all my life. I felt that I had been guided to the place where
God would help me to understand Islam. I decided to continue on this
journey with renewed confidence.
When my husband Navdeep heard of my experience in Maulana’s
class, he asked me to explain it to him. Maulana had advised me to
write my experience in a diary, which I had done. I read out my notes
of Maulana’s Creation Plan of God lecture to my husband. He was so
enamoured just listening to a summary of Maulana’s lecture, and said,
“This scholar thinks like me. I want to meet him.” From then on we
became regular attendees of these classes.
I started to read Maulana’s books and we regularly attended his lectures.
Slowly, I realized how Islam and life could be integrated, by applying
Islamic teachings in life. Maulana’s teachings started changing my
thinking, speech and actions. Seeing the change coming in my life, my
parents also started attending the Sunday Classes. Through them, the
mission started spreading in our family. We all realized that Maulana’s
lectures and books were different. They gave us a general introduction
of Islam in the scientific framework. Maulana's books address modern
minds and become the voice of their hearts and minds.
I feel that if I had not met Maulana Wahiduddin Khan my life would be
completely wasted. Through Maulana, God answered my prayers. He
guided me towards the purpose of life, my dream was realized and I
was blessed with a meaningful role in God’s Mission. I cannot ask for
more from God, but that He helps me to perform my role in His Mission
with steadfastness and accepts it.
What inspired you to devote yourself wholly to the mission?
When we had attended Maulana’s lectures for a few weeks, I approached
Maulana and asked him, “Maulana why are you giving lectures to only
a few people in this room? The whole world needs to understand Islam
in the universal way you explain.” He smiled at me and replied: “Who is
stopping you? You take it to the world.”
I was spellbound again. When I had earlier contacted many religious
scholars and senior members of various religious institutions I had
come in contact with and asked them if I could help them in any way,
I was never encouraged. And here, Maulana Wahiduddin Khan was
giving me—a woman—an open invitation to take his message to the
world. I felt that through Maulana God had given me an open invitation
to join His mission and play a role in it.
My husband and I decided to dedicate ourselves to this mission. After
a few months, we realized that Maulana had prepared a corpus of
material. What we could do was, organize and make soft copies of
the material, and develop a website to take it to the world. Under the
guidance of Prof Farida Khanam and Dr Saniyasnain Khan, we initiated
efforts to computerize Maulana’s English books. Navdeep put his office
people on this task. Helped by the CPS team, we started making soft
copies of Maulana’s books, articles and Al-Risala English magazine. I
volunteered to proofread the material along with Raazia Siddiqui,
Maulana’s granddaughter.
When I was going through this material, I immediately realized that this
material was different. It was clear; it explained Islam in a simple and
rational manner and was easily understandable for modern educated
people. While going through the material we realized that not only
was the English of the books at par with international publications, so
was its publishing. This is Dr Saniyasnain Khan’s contribution, who had
set up Goodword Books to print and publish books of international
standard.
We also decided to start recording Maulana’s Sunday lectures, so the
message can be shared globally. For this, we brought a small Sony
Handycam recorder to the next class. Dr Saniyasnain Khan understood
the importance of this task and took the video recordings to a whole
new level. He started recording with a better camera, and in time
developed the CPS Centre as a studio and started regular classes there.
All of us in the CPS Team worked under the guidance of Farida Aapa
and Dr Saheb to take Maulana’s material to the world.
The next step was to take the message to the world. The CPS Team
developed the website, www.cpsglobal.org and started placing all
of Maulana’s books and material there for the world. An exercise of
preserving the material for online consumption has been ongoing for
more than a decade: Quran translations, commentary, magazines—
Al-Risala, Spirit of Islam, books, FAQs, audio and video lectures among
others. With the help of God today most of the material is available
online.
People from all over the world who were already a part of Maulana’s
mission, and many new people joined the CPS Team thereafter. Not
only did the mission give us all a purpose in life, but it also gave us a
divine mission whereby we could share our discovery with others. All
of us realized that if we wanted eternal Paradise for ourselves, we had
to involve ourselves in the mission of proclaiming the divine truth to
all humankind.
Maulana’s central teaching was about being connected to God.
Kindly share with us the most inspiring teaching of Maulana which
helped you in this connection.
From early in my life, especially after my dream, I always felt close
to God. But I did not know how to connect with Him and stand for
Him. What Maulana’s writings and lectures helped me to do was that I
realized my Creator and understood His Creation Plan.
I think my realization of God grew deeper when Maulana’s book Kitabe-Marefat was published and Aapa started translating it into English.
At that time, I was helping Aapa to organize the English translations. I
was involved in proofreading. Going through the English translations of
Discovering God and The Purpose of Creation, I realized that perhaps one
of the greatest contributions of Maulana is to help people realize God,
i.e. marifah and connect with Him. I had heard Maulana say we need to
live in Alhamdulillah (being grateful to God) culture. Now I realized how
to do it so as to have a deeper realization of God. God Almighty is the
source of all the blessings we receive in the world: our existence, our
life-support system, food, water and so much more. Maulana helped us
to realize everything we receive as a blessing of God and acknowledge
Him as the Giver, while we are all simply receivers.
Maulana used to say that the strongest feeling is the emotion of love.
The Quran says that “those who believe love God most” (
that if we realize that God is the Giver of each and everything we
receive, we will develop a deep love of God. Then we can make God our supreme concern. This, in religious terminology, is known as making
God one’s deity, (mabud). By making God our supreme concern, we
make God the object of our worship and then we are involved in the
continuous remembrance of God. When I drank water, when I ate food,
when I breathed in oxygenated air, I thought of how God had not only
created me but also gave me all that I needed. And all that He wants in
return is acknowledgement and thankfulness (shukr) for these blessings
and voluntary submission to Him. This is truly a very small price.
Although I personally feel that I have not achieved even an iota of the
level of acknowledgement and devotion that God deserves, I constantly
seek forgiveness from God for my shortcomings. And I pray to God that
He will help me develop the sort of personality out of His mercy that he
can find eligible of inhabiting in eternal Paradise.
What is your message to the women members of CPS in particular?
I had mentioned earlier that during my seeking phase, I asked whoever
I met, be they Islamic scholars or people associated with Muslim
organizations, to give me an opportunity, be it minuscule to come to
the service of Islam. Receiving no encouragement, I felt that there was
no real scope for women to stand for Islam. Maybe God only wanted
men for the Islamic mission. Though it saddened me, I accepted it.
Receiving an open invitation from Maulana to take his mission to
the world, I realized that it was not God who had closed the doors
for women to get involved in the Islamic mission, it was Muslims who
were standing in the way. Later when I read Maulana’s book Islam
Rediscovered, I realized that what Maulana called Islam was what is
mentioned in its original sources, Quran and Sunnah. He called for a
distinction to be made between Islam as presented by the Prophet
Muhammad, information about which is available to us in the Quran
and the Sunnah and Islam as practised by later Muslim generations—
both in theory and practice. Maulana gave us the formula: differentiate
between Islam and Muslims.
I recalled another guidance that Maulana had given me soon after
I came to CPS. Once we were sitting with him. After listening to my
life story Maulana told me that I have to change. He told me that this
change would alter 99% of the learnings I have had. I was shocked when
he said that. But he explained that I had received Islam from Muslim
culture. I must unlearn this understanding of Islam and learn what is
given in the Quran and the Sunnah. From then on I decided I will strive
to decondition myself and try to apply the real teachings of Islam in my
life. It has been a long and ongoing struggle.
Over time I realized that not only did Maulana encourage me to work
for the mission, but he also encouraged all women to get involved in
conveying God’s message to others. Giving arguments through the
examples of Prophet Abraham’s wife Hajira, Maulana explained that all
women can perform a revolutionary role to come to the service of the
Islamic mission. He said we have to follow in the footsteps of Hajira.
She sacrificed her entire life as well as that of her son Ishmael for the
Islamic mission. Today, God has given us an opportunity to stand for
His mission. He advised, “You must follow in the footsteps of Hajira.
You must also work for the Islamic mission at the point of sacrifice.”
This greatly inspired me and other female members of the CPS who
dedicated themselves to this mission.
In February 2020 just before the Coronavirus lockdown, Maulana
specifically called me up and told me to initiate more efforts to organize
women members of the CPS. Subsequently, the CPS Ladies Interaction
Forum was initiated. Today women from all over the world are part of
the CPS Ladies Group. The platform is helping women to do a regular
study of Islamic material in the modern idiom, apply it in their own
lives and share their learning with others. All the women are doing
this with great passion. As I was motivated to work for the cause of
Islam when Maulana gave me an opportunity, others also work with
full enthusiasm. I advise more and more ladies to join the CPS Ladies
Group if they want to understand Islam that addresses their minds and
inspires them to stand for God.
What are the tasks you are shouldering post-Maulana Saheb’s
demise?
God took Maulana away from us on April 21, 2021. Each member of
the CPS Team worldwide felt completely lost. However, I am sure each
was and will continue to be guided by God. As for me, it was a great
shock, a personal loss. I was in complete silence. Thinking, crying, I
was a bundle of emotions. However, Maulana’s last advice to all of us
helped me to realize that while God had taken Maulana away from us,
God Himself was alive and would always be with anyone who calls out
to Him and stands for His mission. God has made arrangements for
our continued guidance through Maulana’s lectures and writings. We
just need to rededicate ourselves to the mission. That is what I did.
Then I was reminded of Maulana’s telephone call to me before the
Coronavirus lockdown in March 2020. He said:
Do whatever needs to be done to call people towards God and a
God-oriented life which is a life of peace and spirituality.
I took this as guidance from God through Maulana. Thinking of these
words, I have since felt a sense of urgency and as if we were all always
standing in front of God. The first thing the CPS Team did was organize
the ongoing tasks of the mission meticulously. The CPS Team had
been placing material on www.cpsglobal.org to take God’s message to
the world. We first decided to make more efforts to consolidate and
revamp the site for easy accessibility.
We remembered the task Maulana gave us during the Quran Conference
in April 2019, To Take the Quran, a book for all humanity, to the
World, in fulfilment of the following prediction of the Prophet: “There
will be no home remaining–big or small–into which God will not have
caused His word to enter.” (Musnad Ahmad)
We realized that this was possible partially through e-Dawah. Through
Maulana, God had arranged the explanation of God’s message in simple
language and in rational terms. If we wanted to take this to the world,
the Internet was the only place this vast resource of information could
be made accessible for seekers of truth. We began developing a Quran
website www.quranforyou.org as a desktop and mobile website as well
as an app, where the translations and commentary of the Quran can be
placed in all major languages. Presently we have translations in nearly
40 languages; there is a translation even in braille both English and
Hindi, and a commentary of the Quran in five languages. The English
translation of the Quran is accepted worldwide as simple, clear and in
the contemporary idiom.
The websites will showcase the material in an organized form under
major headings. These can be searched for specific Quran verses
as well as for a topic. They will enable easy searches for visitors to
find specific topics and find answers to questions in their search for
truth. Those who want to study the Quran deeper can go through the
commentary and supporting material: articles, videos, audios, books,
magazines, etc. that are being placed verse-wise and topic-wise.
In the traditional age, we had to go to places where people gathered
physically to convey God’s message to them. Today, God has created
social media as an online platform for people to gather. CPS has
been availing of these social media opportunities through Facebook,
Instagram and YouTube to preserve and showcase our video library.
We are now organizing our social media handles so that seekers after
truth can easily access these resources through LIVE lectures, short videos, posters and by showcasing our complete library of magazines,
articles and books.
What kind of inspiration do you draw from Prof Farida Khanam?
When I think of Aapa: Prof Farida Khanam, I first thank God for her
role in the mission. The role of women as presented by Islam was
revived through her role in this mission. She was the one to bring
to the world the English version of the mission. If it was not for her
dedication, English-reading people like me and my husband, and many
CPS members could have never had access to Maulana’s writings. We
would have been spiritually deprived and without purpose. Maulana
had advised us: “After I am gone if you want to know what I would say
in a particular situation, ask Aapa.”
This advice of Maulana is really coming to our rescue. We are striving to
preserve the ideology of the mission and take it globally. Many times,
when we have questions from the ideological perspective, Aapa’s
guidance comes as a blessing.
What I find most inspiring about her is that she always maintains
such an unassuming stance. But, when we ask her anything, she is
immediately able to grasp the situation and give us direction. This
makes me realize that while she has a storehouse of knowledge of the
mission, she considers this as help from God. She does not attribute it
to herself.
By maintaining complete modesty, Maulana had made himself deserving
of God’s continued guidance, by which he was able to perform his role
as the guide for a divine mission. If anyone of us wants to perform
our role, we also have to discover our modesty, our helplessness in
comparison to God’s All-Powerfulness. We must realize that it is God
who is getting everything done. We are only the stones that God is
making speak.
I pray to God to help us maintain our modesty and to help us to discover
and perform our role with His help. And through His Special Mercy,
He admits us into Gardens of eternity. May God guide all towards the
divine mission!
THE POWER OF SPEECH
Islamic Guidance on the Use of Tongue
THE tongue is a great blessing for humankind. No creature other
than man possesses such an asset. Meaningful speech is a very
rare phenomenon in the universe. No two astronomical bodies,
no two trees, no two animals, and no mountain or river can enter into a
meaningful conversation. It is only human beings who have this unique
capacity.
Being an important organ of a human being, it is like a double-edged
sword. It has plus points as well as minus points. In terms of use, this
unique blessing can be described in two different ways—healthy use
and unhealthy use. The right use of the tongue can produce a healthy
atmosphere in society. Conversely, the wrong use of the tongue is so
baneful that it may destroy the whole social fabric. The right use of
the tongue can create the spirit of love among
people, while the wrong use of the tongue will
create hatred and intolerance in society.
One who uses his tongue along healthy
lines will receive a double reward. This will
help develop his personality and then he
will receive more and more blessings from
the Creator. Make your speech the result
of positive thinking, rather than an abrupt
expression of ill-considered ideas.
Make your speech
the result of positive
thinking, rather than
an abrupt expression
of ill-considered
ideas.
The Quran says: There is no good in most of their secret talk, except
in the case of those who enjoin charity and kindness or reconciliation
between people. If anyone does that, seeking the pleasure of God, We
will give him an immense reward. (
This Quranic verse sets the standard for secret as well as open talk,
namely, soundness and utility. One can only live up to this standard
by being sincere in what one says and speaking only after analyzing
the matter at hand, and what one says should stem from a positive
mind. According to this verse, a person must refrain from futile talk.
He should never indulge in talking just for the sake of talking. Now the
question is, what is the best manner of speaking? And what content of
one’s speech may be regarded as worthwhile? The Quranic criterion
for proper social interaction is based on three principles. All three
principles are described in the above verse of the Quran, which sets
them forth as follows:
Charity: speaking with the true giving spirit
Kindness: speaking with the spirit of well-wishing towards others
Conciliation: speaking in such a way as to create an atmosphere of
harmony among people
This is what constitutes well thought-out speech and is the only
legitimate use of one’s tongue. This kind of speech is useful to both
the speaker as well as the listener. For the speaker’s part, it conveys
sincerity and positivity, while for the listener it is also fruitful in all
respects.
An article published in the Time magazine web portal brings out in vivid
detail the importance that is given to measured and guarded speech
in Islam:
The tongue is called “the mirror of the
heart.” What appears on our tongue is a
chief indicator of what is in our hearts. This
becomes even truer in those unguarded
moments when anger, frustration, or stress
gets the best of us and our tongues lose any
sense of discipline.
The Prophet Muhammad said that one of the
ways of knowing if there is hypocrisy in our
hearts is to examine what we say with our
tongues when we become angry. If it is foul
and vile words, then that is a measure of how much purification of the
heart remains.
The Prophet once
remarked that Lord
had commanded
him nine things.
One of them was
to speak the truth,
in prosperity and
adversity
The Prophet Muhammad said that “anyone who believes in God and the
Last Day should either speak well or remain silent.” Silence is golden,
so goes the saying. Thinking before you speak is the key. (Ramadan, Day
The following is a selection of Quranic verses, Hadith reports and
prayers that highlight how to use the ability of speech to good effect.
• The Merciful who taught the Quran. He created man and He taught
him speech. (
• (O God!) Loosen the knot in my tongue so that they may understand
my speech. (
Teachings of the Prophet
• If the observer of a fast does not give up false utterances and their
pursuit, then God does not require him to give up his food and
water.
• Fasting is like a shield. When one of you is observing a fast, neither
should you indulge in indecent talk nor should you create an uproar.
And if someone talks ill of you, or fights with you, you should just
say, “I am observing my fast.”
• A man may speak of God’s pleasure without giving it much
importance and yet be raised in status by his Creator. A man may
say something which is abhorrent to God, without attaching any
importance to it, and it may sweep him straight into Hell.
• A person once said to the Prophet, “O Messenger of God, a certain
woman is said to offer prayers, observe fasts and give alms
generously, but she hurts her neighbours by the way she speaks.“
The Prophet replied, “She will go to Hell.” Then the man said, “O
Messenger of God, a certain other woman says fewer prayers, keeps
fewer fasts voluntarily and offers little in the way of alms. She only
gives a few pieces of cheese. But she never hurts her neighbours
with her tongue.” The Prophet replied, “She will enter Paradise.”
• According to a Companion of the Prophet, the Prophet forbade
not only indulgence in slander and backbiting, but even listening
to such talk.
• The man who indulges in backbiting will not enter Paradise.
• God! I seek from You a tongue that speaks the truth and a heart
which is pure and clean.
• The Prophet once remarked that Lord had commanded him nine
things. One of them was to speak the truth, in prosperity and
adversity.
• A supervising angel remains vigilant to preserve on record every
speech that is uttered by a person’s tongue.
THE JOURNEY OF RELIGIOUS TOLERANCE
Bright Future Ahead
RELIGIOUS differences have always existed between people.
That is why interreligious dialogue has been found in one form
or the other since ancient times. Fourteen hundred years ago,
the Prophet of Islam held in Madinah a three-religion conference—
in modern terminology, a trialogue—to exchange views on religious
issues.
Such attempts have repeatedly been made in history. The circumstances
that unfolded following the Second World War led the Christian
Church, in particular, to pay great attention to this matter. Through its
continuous efforts, dialogues of this nature are regularly being held in
various countries, between Muslims and Christians in particular. I have
been fortunate to participate in several of these dialogues.
These efforts have borne fruit, at least
partially. For instance, it is as a result of these
efforts that on the one hand, a Church has
appeared once again in Ben Ghazi (Libya)
while on the other, a mosque has been built
in Rome for the first time in recent history.
If the Quran is consulted to find its guidance
on this matter, we find two main principles on
which to hold dialogues. One is derived from
this verse of the Quran:
Say, ‘People of Book, let us come to a word
common to us that we shall worship none but
God. (
Whenever common
grounds for
agreement between
two or more parties
cannot be arrived
at on an ideological
basis, then the way of
practical coexistence
must be adopted.
The first and foremost principle for any dialogue held to discuss
two or more religions is to strive to find a mutual basis for peaceful
coexistence.
It is a fact that finding a common ground in secular matters is
comparatively easy, for nothing is held as sacred in secularism. On the
contrary, everything acquires a sacred character in religion. Therefore,
it becomes a difficult task to find a basis for agreement in religious
matters. However, despite all difficulties, we must continue our efforts
peacefully, irrespective of the results.
The second principle given by the Quran is purely a matter of
pragmatism. That is, matters should be settled on practical grounds
by avoiding their theoretical aspects. This principle is derived from this
verse of the Quran:
You have your religion and I have mine. (
In today’s context, this principle is generally referred to as religious
coexistence. This means that whenever common grounds for agreement
between two or more parties cannot be arrived at on an ideological
basis, then the way of practical coexistence must be adopted.
The Community of Saint Egidio provides a good example of a continuing
dialogue of this nature. This promotes interaction on a mass scale
between adherents of different religions. In view of its vastness, it may
be rightly termed a super-dialogue. The religious meet held under the
auspices of the Community of Saint Egidio on a large scale each year
makes a considerable contribution towards the achievement of the
goal targeted by interreligious dialogue.
Here I would like to add another point. We should not judge our efforts in
this matter only by the results of meetings held in the name of formally
arranged interreligious dialogue. The truth is that “interreligious
dialogue” is not now limited to specific meetings held in the field of
religion. It has rather assumed the form of a vast historical process—
spontaneous, ongoing and perhaps never fully recorded. Discussion
on controversial matters is in tune with the spirit of the age. Today, it
has permeated all walks of national as well as international life.
The modern industrial revolution and modern communication have
added such vast dimensions to human relations that now the entire
world has been converted into a global village. People of various
persuasions are coming closer on a universal scale. This interaction
serves as an ongoing dialogue of an informal nature. In this way, with
distances narrowed, the confrontational attitude now gives way to
adjustment.
Interaction in itself is a form of dialogue. When, as a result of
circumstances, interaction between people of different persuasions
increases, the purpose of the dialogue is served.
Today, in educational institutions, offices, and factories, in travels, on
playgrounds and in national and international activities, adherents
of different religious traditions are meeting one another on a scale
hitherto unwitnessed.
In the course of this continuous and vast interaction, for the first time
in human history, people seem less like strangers to one another.
A great gap has been bridged. People are learning one another’s
languages. They are becoming familiar with one another’s culture.
Making concessions to one another has become a need of the people
themselves.
These factors have brought people closer right across the world. And
it is a psychological truth that closeness and interaction in themselves
serve the purpose of practical dialogue. In this way, a natural dialogue
has come into existence and has become an ongoing process at all
times and in all places.
Probably the most signal result of this historical process is that after
a long intellectual struggle, religious intolerance has been universally
rejected. Religious intolerance has now been replaced with complete
religious freedom. Today under the auspices of the United Nations,
all the nations of the world have signed the universal declaration of
human rights.
In accordance with this declaration, religious freedom has been
accepted as the natural birthright of all human beings. As opposed
to practices in ancient times, no one now has the right to persecute
anyone on the basis of religion. This is the change which has confined
the sphere of religious difference to peaceful negotiation.
The effects of this can be seen in all walks of life, whether religious or
secular. Every one of us, consciously or unconsciously, plays a part in
making religious coexistence a reality.
Interfaith dialogue becoming a part of the historical process holds great
promise for us, as in this case its success is assured. This is how every
great revolution of history has got underway. Whenever a movement
goes beyond the stage of individual or group efforts and joins the
historical process itself, then the continuity of that movement is ensured
and ultimately nothing can stop it from reaching its destination.
In short, the interreligious dialogue had its beginnings in individual
interaction, paving the way for discussions held in religious gatherings.
Ultimately, the time came when it became a part of a world movement.
Now, if the course of events is any indication, God willing, that day too
will dawn when the world is no more ridden with religious disputes,
and we are able to live in a peaceful and harmonious world.
LIVING IN A WORLD OF PROFESSIONS
Set Your Priorities Right
WE are living in a world of professions. In the present world, it
is mostly your profession that defines your identity. Everyone
is Mr Profession or Ms Profession. The profession-oriented
life is the generally accepted lifestyle of every man and woman.
Having a profession means living according to the dictates of the “money
market”. Everyone tries to develop a professional skill that enables
them to be a sharing partner in the flow of money in the market. This
culture has resulted in a new phenomenon that was absent in former
times, that is, living in accordance with external requirements and
setting aside internal requirements. In other words, you no longer live
according to what is required by your inner nature.
The result is that while everyone is a developed
personality in terms of their profession, in
terms of their own nature, everyone is an
underdeveloped personality.
It is the lack
of intellectual
development which
has resulted in all
those problems that
are common in our
present age, for
example, tension,
unnecessary disease,
lack of peace of
mind, and lack of
happiness.
Choose a person at random and ask him
about his profession. He will readily give you
specific answers. If you speak to him about
his professional subject, he will give you a
detailed answer to every question. But, if you
ask him about those issues which pertain to
human life, that is, non-professional issues,
then you will find that he is not mentally
prepared to discuss this subject.
Once I was in a European city where I
happened to meet a learned man. When
I asked him about his profession, I found that he was well-disposed
to share information with me. I learnt a lot from him regarding his
professional field. But, at the same time, he was uncomfortable with
his wife and admitted that he had decided to separate from her. I asked
him the reason. He replied with some confidence: “She is an adamant
person and I don’t like adamant people.” I said that his wife was doing
a very tough job and so she had to be adamant to be successful at it.
But, I failed to convince him. The reason was that he knew the science
of profession, but was quite ignorant of the science of life.
This is true of every man and woman. Every person is living in a culture
of duality. When it comes to their profession, everyone is well-equipped.
But, as far as the science of life is concerned, everyone is ill-equipped.
This is so common that finding an exception is very difficult.
It is not a question of balance; it is a question of priority. I am not saying
that everyone should keep a balance between these two requirements.
I am saying that everyone has to rightly set, or reset his priorities.
The problem is that when you try to reset your priorities, you fear
that you are going to damage your commercial interests. You fear
that when your mind is engaged in intellectual issues, it will not be
able to engage in money-related issues. You gain one thing, but at the
same time, you lose another. But, this is not a genuine excuse. You
should not think in terms of money; you should think rather in terms
of intellectual development. Intellectual development is so important
that no excuse for neglecting it is acceptable. Adopt a simple formula:
make intellectual development your priority and then try to manage all
other aspects of your life.
A lack of intellectual development is not a very simple matter. It is
the lack of intellectual development which has resulted in all those
problems that are common in our present age, for example, tension,
unnecessary disease, lack of peace of mind, and losing that very thing
that man so desperately wants—happiness.
THE MONTH OF RAMADAN
For Introspection
RAMADAN—the month of fasting, is a special and blessed month
for Muslims. It is a month of restraint and worship; of caring and
thanksgiving; of repentance and piety. The multitude of benefits
of this month inspired the Prophet to exclaim: “Welcome to the one
who purifies!”
It is a month of spiritual activism when believers endeavour to awaken
their spirituality. It is a scheme to improve human beings; to weaken
man’s dependence on material things and strengthen his spiritual
resolve, so that he may enter the higher realms of piety. The month
which encourages all to ask for higher things from God; to ask for His
forgiveness; for His blessings and for success in the Hereafter. Ramadan
is also the month of patience.
One has to have patience to live a life of
restraint and be self-controlled. The most
important thing required to lead an Islamic
life in this world is patience. Unlike other
months this month provides more time and
a congenial atmosphere to help the believer
to contemplate on the meaning of the Quran.
Therefore it is also known as the month of
contemplation. Believers turn away from
many activities and spend time in peace and
tranquillity which creates an environment for
moral rectification.
Ramadan is the
month of patience.
One has to have
patience to live a life
of restraint and be
self-controlled. The
most important thing
required to lead an
Islamic life in this
world is patience.
The month of Ramadan serves as a training
course in humility. Humility refers to fear of God which means realization
of a person’s helplessness vis-a-vis God’s greatness. This ensures the
spiritual growth of a person thereby cleansing him of feelings of pride
and ego which lead to his being distanced from God.
The above aspects of the month of fasting were fully observed by
the Prophet and his Companions. Today, if we compare the culture
followed in society during the month of Ramadan what do we see? One
cannot deny that there are individuals who observe this worship in full
earnestness in its spirit. However, the general tendency is more towards
lavish food at Iftar and Sehri time. Spending more time in shopping
centres, purchasing material gifts for others and for oneself. More
people begging on the streets, excessive sleeping during the day and continuous activity during the night without taking into consideration
the needs of the sick, elderly, children and people of other communities.
Then how about the eve of Eid-ul-Fitr and the day of Eid itself? A portion
of a Hadith pertaining to the day before Eid is as follows: During the last
night of Ramadan, the sins of all the believers who have been fasting are
forgiven. It was asked, ‘O Prophet of God, is this night the one known as
the ‘night of power? The Prophet replied, ‘No, but as soon as the deed
is done, the reward for the deed is immediately bestowed’.
According to this Hadith, on the last night of Ramadan, those amongst
the followers of the Prophet who have fasted in the true spirit will be
rewarded for their deeds, and this will be noted in their records. This
night of Ramadan is referred to in other Hadith literature as the ‘night
of reward’ (Al Bayhaqi). God rewards His believers for every good deed.
Due to the special significance of worship during Ramadan, this reward
has been specifically mentioned by the Prophet.
It is so unfortunate that the night before Eid is spent by most people in
careless indulgence and entertainment. They throng shopping centres
and market places. The above Hadith is a warning against all such
frivolities.
Another Hadith regarding the day of Eid-ul-Fitr is reported as: When the
day of Eid-ul-Fitr dawns on them, then God is pleased and proclaims
to the angels. ‘O my angels, what is the reward for the doer who has
completed his deed, The angels reply, ‘Our Lord, such a person should
be given the complete reward for the deed done.’
The day of Eid is a day of glad tidings and its true spirit is to promote
spiritual values among people and create a peaceful environment
in society. This day should be celebrated with praises of God,
thankfulness, while refraining from causing any kind of inconvenience
to fellow citizens irrespective of what inconveniences one faces during
celebrations by others in society.
WHERE DO WE STAND
Recognize the Greatness of God
A GREAT Islamic figure died on September 22, 1979. Newspapers
and magazines were then flooded with adulatory articles about
this person. These articles eloquently stated the great respect,
love and adulation their writers had for the deceased, and how the
death of this person had filled their hearts with sorrow. After reading
many of these articles, I asked one of the admirers of the deceased
that these newspapers and magazines of theirs had been coming out
for more than a quarter-century, could he cite some articles from these
that mentioned God with similar zeal and enthusiasm?
A believer is characterized by the fact that he is ever-conscious of the
greatness of God. The name of God produces thrill in his very soul. I
asked him whether the same newspapers and magazines ever carried
articles expressing these extraordinary feelings about God that they
had expressed about their leader. He responded in silence.
It is not just a matter of one Islamic movement. The fact is that today all
Muslim institutions and movements are overflowing with the adulatory
mention of some of their elders. Their assemblies are filled with the
mention of their leaders. Everyone has made someone their elder
and leader, and when the names of these elders come up, it seems
that their tongues and pens have gone into
a state of ecstasy. On the contrary, in no
circle does it appear that people receive
contentment by the discussion of God. A
mention of God’s name does not evoke the
sentiments of adulation. God has become just
a dry creed. On the other hand, when their
beloved personalities are mentioned, their
entire beings are shaken with sentiments and
respect. The vents of their hearts and minds
are torn open. The memory of their leaders
enlivens their memories.
A believer is
characterized by
the fact that he is
ever-conscious of the
greatness of God.
The name of God
produces thrill in his
very soul.
God gives light to the whole world through the sun, but observing the
sun does not create any extraordinary feelings. However, a person takes
great pride in proclaiming to the world that his beloved personality has
bestowed rays of hope to the whole world with his speeches. Seeing
the system of winds, they are not thrilled by the handiwork of God.
However, to convey the achievements of his leaders, he uses glorious words to the effect that the leader has driven the winds carrying his
great deeds all over the world. In the earth and in the heavens, observing
the great wisdom of God at play does not uplift his spirits. However,
he finds all the words of the dictionary inadequate to convey the
greatness of his beloved leader’s thoughts and wisdom. God controls
the earth and the heavens with His immense power but observing this,
he does not tremble with awe. However, his elders seem to him as
if they were holding all countries and nations together. The strange
management of water that has made the earth an exceptional planet in
the whole known universe does not surprise him. In order to describe
the achievements of his leaders, he says enthusiastically that the whole
world is being saturated by the fountains of their wit. Perhaps man
wants to make some visible thing the centre of his love and devotion,
and when he does not see the Creator, he makes a creation his centre
of love and adulation.
TOWARDS GLOBAL PEACE
We often talk of peace in the context of war. But this is
a very narrow and restricted notion of peace. Peace is
deeply linked with the entirety of human life. Peace is
a complete ideology in itself. Peace is the only religion
for both—man and the universe. It is the master-key
that opens the doors to every success. Peace creates a
favourable atmosphere for success in every endeavour.
Without peace, no positive action—small or big—is possible.
THE KEY TO PEACEFUL LIVING
EVERYONE likes a house surrounded by green trees. Verdant
foliage beautifies our world. It is this idea that has brought
farmhouses—houses in gardens—into being.
However, it is difficult to find anyone who can listen to the silent
message of the trees or who tries to adopt the culture of the tree in
their own lives. The culture of planting trees is widespread but adopting
the culture of the tree is seldom in evidence. Trees beautify our homes
but they do not beautify the person living in that house.
A tree lives in the same world as the one in which we live. Nonetheless,
there is a difference. People’s lives are marred by tension, malice, hate
and violence, whereas all these negative features are missing from the
tree culture. Man is like a walking tree, but he fails to follow the culture
of the tree in his own life. Trees share our world. For man, this world
has become a source of complaint, hate and stress; this same world
has a different meaning for a tree. The beauty we see in the tree has
come from this very world. It has not been imported by it from outer
space. How was this possible for the tree? The reason is that the tree,
by nature, has adopted the art of conversion: converting things to one’s
advantage.
What does the tree do? It takes minerals and water from the soil and
converts them into food for itself. The tree, through the process of
photosynthesis, takes light energy from the sun and converts it into
chemical energy, which is then used to fuel its activities.
This is the result of the art of conversion. In doing so, every tree gives
a silent message to man: Learn the art of conversion and the whole
world will become a means of spiritual food for you. Make the whole
world a global source of your personality development. You will be able
to live in this world as a complaint-free person.
For example, if a person says something that goes against what you
think, then turn it into a point for discussion. If somebody speaks ill of
you, then make that a source of self-discovery. If you are discriminated
against, then draw the lesson from this instance that you need to
develop in yourself that missing quality on the basis of which you have
been discriminated against. If someone provokes you, you should
defuse the issue through unilateral avoidance. If someone makes you
angry, you should calm yourself down by forgiving him. If a person
differs from your point of view, then enter into a discussion with him
and thus increase your intellectual development.
There is a story that tells us that once
someone hit Rama with a stone. In return,
Rama embraced the person and in this way,
he made the throwing of a stone a means to
inculcate in him a positive quality, that is, love
for humanity.
Spirituality is not
a mysterious term.
It is only another
name for positive
thinking. Positive
thinking means living
in positivity despite
all kinds of negative
experiences. This is
the key to spirituality
This story teaches us a lesson on how to
adopt the culture of the tree in one’s own
life. If you throw a stone at a tree, it will give
you fruit in return. This is the highest kind of
positive behaviour. By adopting this positive
behaviour, you can make the whole world
turn in your favour, just as the tree does.
Everyone is free to act. This culture of freedom has filled the world with
differences. It is these differences that lead to negative thoughts about
others. Then what is the art of living in such a situation? It is in some
way or the other to convert every difference into something positive
which will be in your favour.
Spirituality is not a mysterious term. It is only another name for positive
thinking. Positive thinking means living in positivity despite all kinds of
negative experiences. This is the key to spirituality. Any man or woman
who wants to live as a spiritual person must adopt this formula, that is,
the art of conversion: converting negativity into positivity. Spirituality is
not a natural gift: it is an acquired attribute.
Learn the art of
conversion and the
whole world will
become a means of
spiritual food for
you. Make the whole
world a global source
of your personality
development. You
will be able to live
in this world as
a complaint-free
person.
Spirituality makes you tension-free and gives
you a peaceful mind. Spirituality in itself
is a non-material quality, yet it is the basis
of all kinds of success, including material
success. If you want to live as a successful
person and die as a successful person, then
you have to learn the art of spiritual living.
Spirituality makes one a super person, i.e. a
superior version of themselves. Spirituality
enables you to unfold the hidden treasures
of your nature. Spirituality is the secret of
super-achievement in this world. It is the only
key to peaceful living. A peaceful individual
will be a peaceful global citizen in every way.
Peace at the individual level will result in
global peace.
A READYMADE WORLD
Acknowledge Your Creator
IF a person were to be transported to the moon or if he found
himself on some planet other than the earth, it would be a very
shocking experience for him. He would see that none of those
things exists on the moon or on other planets which are necessary for
a human being’s survival. We call this life-support system. This system
is nowhere to be found in the known universe. Look at the example of
the fish out of the water which wriggles about on dry land.
On the contrary, when a man takes stock of his life on earth, he
finds that all those things are available here in abundance which are
necessary for him to survive. For example, light, water, air, food, etc.
Why is it that for human beings all the favourable conditions of life
are already present on this earth? And does man understand the price
of acknowledgement expected from him, for
what has already been provided on the planet
earth for him?
There are so many amazing phenomena
in the universe. For instance the stars, the
planets, the oceans, the mountains, etc. All
these things are the creations of God. They
all acknowledge God, but this is compulsory
acknowledgement; it is not by choice.
O God! I believe
in Your existence
without seeing
You; O God! I
surrender myself
before You without
any compulsion;
O God! I admit my
helplessness in the
face of Your power.
Exceptionally, God has created man as a free
creature. Man is required to acknowledge
God by his own choice. He should stand on
the planet earth and say: “O God! I believe in
Your existence without seeing You; O God! I surrender myself before
You without any compulsion; O God! I admit my helplessness in the
face of Your power.” That is the acknowledgement expected from a
human being. Those who measure up to this acknowledgement will
find that these blessings will continue to increase for them, but those
who failed to acknowledge these blessings will be deprived of them
forever.
THE GOAL OF CPS
Self-reform & Well-wishing
A GENTLEMAN once told me, “You have made statements about
some national and community-related issues that have made
you isolated from the Muslim community. This approach is not
helpful for your mission.” He then went on to advise me to carry on
my mission while paying due respect to and taking into consideration
the sentiments of the Muslim community. He further stated that by
ignoring one’s community, no one can succeed in his cause. I said,
“It is probably not clear to you what my goal is. You are aware of the
goals of others and you have assumed that I harbour similar ambitions.
There is a fundamental difference between the goal I have set for my
mission and the goal of other movements. Other movements aim to
bring about practical tangible results while my goal is communicating
and conveying the message of Truth. The success of others is possible
only if they get the support of the community so that they can achieve
the result they want. To get the support of the community, they deem
it necessary not to say anything that might
go against the popular sentiments of the
community. They cannot afford to lose this
support.
We aim to convey the
message of God to
people as it is. It is
our responsibility to
convey the message
of God to people in
its pristine form and
as their true wellwishers.
On the contrary, our case is that we have
risen purely for the task of calling people to
God. For this purpose, our vision is only to
convey (
message of God to the people as it is. It is
our responsibility to convey the message of
God to people in its pristine form and as their
true well-wishers. Then it is the responsibility
of others how they receive this message and what they do with it. I
told him that there are two types of people in the Muslim community.
One type runs the politics of rabble-rousing in the name of Muslim
interests. Some people in this group are involved at the level of thinking
and some people are practically involved. Their view is that the Muslim
community is surrounded by enemies and conspirators. Therefore, it is important to fight these people. I am undoubtedly cut off from this
class.
However, at the same time, there is another section in the community
which is serious, which gives importance to reforming itself instead of
starting negative turmoil against others, which believes in the peaceful
task of calling people to God instead of violence in the name of jihad.
This other section of the Muslim community is with me all over the
world, and through the cooperation of this section, our mission is
running successfully everywhere. Then I read this couplet of an Arab
poet:
Of the rabble-rousers, I have but a few support,
Of the sincere people, my numbers are many
FROM THE EDITORINCHIEFS DESK
Prof Farida Khanam is an author, editor, translator,
public speaker and former professor of Islamic Studies
at Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi. Among her books
are ‘A Simple Guide to Sufism’ and ‘A Study of World’s
Major Religions’. She has translated into English
many books authored by Maulana Wahiduddin Khan.
Currently the chairperson of CPS International, she is a
regular contributor of articles to various publications.
Prof Khanam has edited Maulana’s English translation of
the Quran and has also translated his Urdu commentary
on the Quran into English. She can be reached at
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THE RECIPE OF SUCCESS
TWITTER is a microblogging website. In November 2021, Indian
American Mr Parag Agrawal (b. 1984) was elected as the new
CEO of Twitter. While making this announcement to elect
Mr Parag as CEO of Twitter, the reasons for doing so were also disclosed.
According to the outgoing Twitter CEO, Jack Dorsey (b. 1975):
"He (Parag) understands the company and its needs. Parag has been
behind every critical decision that helped turn this company around.
He’s curious, probing, rational, creative, demanding, self-aware, and
humble. He leads with heart and soul and is someone I learn from
daily."
What is the secret of success in any field? This is exactly what Mr Jack
has mentioned for Mr Parag. This principle of success holds good not
only for the secular field but also for the religious field. The fact is that
success and progress are the names of realizing and actualizing the
potential that lies dormant in a human being. To realize this potential,
a person needs to inculcate and develop these same traits that were
mentioned by Mr Jack. This is the secret of achieving a goal. Without
this kind of total commitment, no great work can be accomplished,
neither in this world nor in the Hereafter.
Success and
progress are the
names of realizing
and actualizing the
potential that lies
dormant in a human
being.
The Prophet Muhammad has enumerated
the secret of success in these words: A
person gains knowledge through learning,
even-mindedness; and serenity comes from
exercising patience; one who strives to
find good, receives good and who desires
to protect oneself from evil is protected
from evil. (Al-Mujam al-Awsat by Tabarani) In
another Hadith, the Prophet said, “A deep
understanding is developed through sincere
striving.” (Al-Mujam al-Kabir by Tabarani)
Prof Farida Khanam
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YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED
The remedy for ignorance is asking questions. (Prophet Muhammad)
The spirit of enquiry is the hallmark of an open society and the above
saying of the Prophet aptly illustrates this principle. A culture of
curiosity and open-mindedness will foster development in any society
by motivating its members to learn enthusiastically and enrich their
knowledge. This is because awareness of one’s ignorance is half of
knowledge, as it becomes a stepping-stone to seeking and finding
answers. A questioning mind is like a flowing river that is replenished
with fresh thoughts and ideas and continues on its journey.
YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED
How does the Quran describe God?
The Quran says: “He is God the One, God, the Self-sufficient One. He
does not give birth, nor was He born, and there is nothing like Him. (
This chapter, entitled Ikhlas (Oneness), gives us the essence of
monotheism. Not only does it tell us of the oneness of God, but it
also makes it clear what the oneness of God means. He is one and
all depend upon Him. He depends on none. He, in His own being, is
all-powerful. He is a unique being who has no equal or compeer. The
concept of One God and its discovery is the actual beginning point and
the supreme concern of Islam.
What is the goal of Islam?
The goal of Islam is to induce man to give up his ungodly ways, so that
he may lead a totally God-oriented life. A life that is not God-oriented
will be concerned with just worldly materialistic issues. Man will
become subservient to his desires attaching importance to immediate
interests; he will fall prey to negative feelings such as anger, hatred,
jealousy, egoism, etc. or he will simply run in any direction he finds
open before him, without giving his destination much thought.
On the other hand, a God-oriented path is one on which he earnestly
considers God’s commands. He sets his course after serious deliberation
on the basis of accountability, instead of pursuing immediate gains or
temporary satisfactions.
Describe the relationship between God and man. According to the
relationship, how should man behave?
Man is God’s servant. Man has been created by God with a plan, that is,
to place him temporarily on earth in order to test him. Those who pass
this test will be rewarded, while those who fail will be rejected.
For the purposes of this test, man has been granted freedom in this
world. Whatever man receives in this world is not a matter of right but
only a matter of trial. Every situation in this world is a test, and in all
situations, man must give a proper response, as is required of him by
God.
The proper attitude for man is not to take the path of his desires, but
to try to understand the divine plan of creation, and then after being
convinced of its ineluctability, he should build his life accordingly.
Man may deviate from the divine plan by misusing the freedom given
to him by God, but he cannot save himself from the consequences of
this deviation.
How would you describe a good character?
Good character is the sum of personal virtues. Good character
guarantees correct and agreeable behaviour in daily social interaction.
A person of good character will invariably conform in his behaviour to
a strict code of ethics.
The underlying principle of this strict code of ethics is explained in the
following teaching of the Prophet of Islam, ‘You should like for others
what you like for yourself.’ It means you should treat others just as you
want to be treated by others.
Everyone likes to be addressed with good manners and pleasing
words. Everyone wants others to deal with them in a sympathetic and
cooperative manner. So, what everyone ought to do while dealing with
others is to give them their sympathy, cooperation and respect.
The above standard of ethics is very simple and natural to follow.
According to another teaching of the Prophet, the best of us is one
who is best in moral character.
In the previous answer, you said good character is the sum of personal
virtues. Amongst all the virtues which one is the most important one
when it comes to our dealings with people?
In social life, friction between people tends to occur quite often. The
reasons for this are the differences arising from culture, religion, tradition, personal interests and personal tastes, etc. In such a situation,
the virtue of tolerance becomes very important.
Tolerance refers to giving consideration to others. It implies
unswerving respect for others, whether in agreement or disagreement
with them. The tolerant person will always consider the case of
others sympathetically, be they relatives, friends, or opponents, and
irrespective of the treatment he is given by them, be it of a positive or
negative nature.
A person of good character should be a person of principle as far as he
himself is concerned but should be tolerant towards others. He should
judge himself in the light of ideal character but in the matter of his
fellow-men, he should show tolerance and broad-mindedness. This is
the teaching of Islam.
THE WORD OF GOD
From The Scriptures
The Quran is the book of God. It has been preserved in
its entirety since its revelation to the Prophet of Islam
between CE 610 and 632. It is a book that brings glad
tidings to humankind, along with divine admonition,
and stresses the importance of man’s discovery of the
Truth on a spiritual and intellectual level.
Translated from Arabic and commentary by
Maulana Wahiduddin Khan
They say, ‘What kind of a messenger is this who eats food and walks
about in the market-places? Why has no angel been sent down with
him to warn us?’ Or a treasure should have been sent down to him,
or he should have had a garden from which to eat.’ The wrongdoers
say, ‘You are surely following a man who is bewitched.’ Observe what
kind of things they attribute to you. They have surely gone astray and
cannot find the right way again. (
Every preacher giving the call for Truth has had to face the same
experience, as that of a prophet. While his contemporaries looked down
upon him with contempt, the people of succeeding ages venerated the
preacher like a god. This is so because during his lifetime, a prophet
lives the life of an ordinary human being and his contemporaries
therefore fail to appreciate the wisdom he propagates. They see him
cast in an overly idealized form, wearing the halo conferred by legend,
and therefore, feel obliged to pay homage to him and glorify him in an
exaggerated manner.
The minds of succeeding generations develop such deep-seated
notions about the extraordinary greatness of the prophet, that nobody
is held superior to or even at par with him. A living prophet, however, is
treated scornfully by the majority of his contemporaries. The few who
develop a reasoned understanding of his message are also ‘advised’
to disassociate themselves from one who is “possessed”. Having no
rational arguments, the unrelenting contemporaries of a prophet,
resort to unfair vilification of his image so as to curb the preaching of
his message.
Blessed is He who, if He please, can give you better things than that;
gardens watered by flowing streams, and palaces too. They deny the
Hour. For those who deny that Hour, We have prepared a blazing fire.
When it sees them from afar, they will hear its raging and roaring.
When they are thrown into a narrow space, chained together, they
will plead for death. But they will be told, ‘Do not call today for one
death, call for many deaths!’ Say, ‘Which is better, this or the Paradise
of immortality which the righteous have been promised? It is their
recompense and their destination.’ Abiding there forever, they shall
find in it all that they desire. This is a binding promise which your Lord
has made. (
The opponents of Truth frequently make the character of the preacher
of Truth their target. In order to prove him untrustworthy, they indulge
in all sorts of slander.Thus they give the impression that they would
have accepted what the preacher had to say, had he been up to their
standard. But this is not correct. Their real problem is not that they do
not find the preacher of truth trustworthy. Their real problem is that
they have no fear of the reckoning of Judgement Day. Therefore, they
go on casting aspersions in an irresponsible manner.
The matter of Truth and untruth is important because they will be
examined on this basis in the life Hereafter. Those who are fearless
about being censured in the Hereafter are consequently not serious
about Truth or untruth. And when a man is not serious about something,
he does not realize its importance, though numerous arguments may
be advanced in its support. The meaningless utterances of such people
will cease only when the terrible roar of Doomsday snatches away their
words.
INTERNATIONAL WOMENS DAY
Discovering the Role of Women in Islam
International Women’s Day is celebrated annually on March 8 to
commemorate the cultural, political, and socioeconomic achievements
of women. The theme for International Women’s Day, March 8, 2022, is
“Gender equality today for a sustainable tomorrow”. Ms Subia Kausar,
from Bengaluru has penned her thoughts on how a Muslim woman can
discover her role in the family and society.
MY first introduction to Maulana Wahiduddin Khan was through
Ms Fathima Sarah’s classes. We would attend her weekend
classes as children and borrow books published by Goodword
Books. We had heard distorted Islamic stories and the children’s books
were the first authentic literature we got.
It was during my first year of Pre-University that I was introduced to
Maulana’s books. Sarah Aunty, as we would fondly call her, started a
six-month course called ‘VISION’. Each month, we were assigned to
read a book of Maulana. After reading the book, we were encouraged
to write an essay outlining our understanding of the book. We would
submit the essay at the end of the month.
One of the books I read was ‘Women between Islam and Western Society’.
I’ve read this book over and over many times since. It has helped me
make important life decisions, helped me in being true to the nature
bestowed upon me by God. This book has shown women in Islam in
its true light. It has described the qualities of a believing woman, the
constructive role that she plays in the spheres endowed to her by God.
These lessons will stay with me for life.
Maulana’s teachings have helped re-engineer the minds of my family
members, particularly me and my mother’s. Maulana would urge
women to divert their emotions to God and develop themselves
intellectually. His advice for parents to not pamper their children
helped us immensely. He would urge us not to become bitter when
faced with challenges of life and always, always look at the positive
aspect of things. By the grace of God, I am sharing these learnings with
many others in my circle of family and friends.
I’m a homemaker, a mother to two little girls. Once a person in the
family made a very snide comment that God has created women and
given them half the intelligence of a man. This was a very upsetting comment coming from a very educated person. When I told this to
Sarah Aunty and expressed my disappointment, she played the audio
of that week’s Sunday class where a similar question was asked.
Maulana replied, Hajira nahi hoti to Islam hi nahi hota (There would be
no Islam if not for Hagar). Hagar was the wife of the Prophet Abraham
who played an instrumental role in bringing about God’s scheme. This
statement ignited my mind and made me even more firm in my resolve
to educate myself, my family and also help other women my age in
their intellectual development.
The women members of CPS are an inspiration to all women who
want to tread the path of intellectual development and participate in
the activity of communicating the Word of God and doing their bit in
the way of God. May God reward them immensely! May God reward
Maulana saheb for helping women discover their role! He used to say
that men and women were different in role but equal in respect. May
God guide us all in doing His work and accept our deeds. Aameen!
BOOK REVIEW
Name of the Book: The Reality of Life
Author: Maulana Wahiduddin Khan
Published by: Goodword Books, New Delhi
First Published: 2007
ISBN: 93-91481-24-8
Pages: 50
Reviewed by: Faheem-ul-Islam
This booklet is extraordinary in the way that it transforms thoughts and
insists readers to ponder over the universe and on “Self”.
The book starts with a question of whether man has been made for the
world or vice versa. This makes a reader ponder over a very important
question.
Maulana had rightly answered this question in different ways to make
our conscience aware of the happenings of life. As we all are known to
the fact of being alive, the question is why we have been here and why
without our own will we are being taken back to the place of origin?
Why we have been sent to face the atrocities and difficulties without
any benefit? These questions are addressed when we understand the
creation plan of God.
We are living in an era where things are accepted only when they are
observed. We find it hard to believe in those things which we cannot
observe. The terms like Paradise, post-death life, Hell, angels and other
things are not visible or sensed by naked eyes, it becomes impossible
to believe in them.
Human life is eternal but God has divided it into two phases, one the
life here on earth (pre-death) and the second one the life after death
(post-death). God has created this plan to test human beings whether
they will fit in the criteria of goodness to enter the second phase of
life where there is no death. Human desires are uncountable and
unsatisfied in the first phase of life as this world is just the trial room;
you have to be obedient to the superpower in this world.
The book starts with the creation plan of God. Without being acquainted
with the “Self”, no one will be able to get familiar with the creation
plan of God. Man is a unique creation in the entire known universe.
Therefore, when the Quran calls human beings as created on the best
of mould, this life cannot be without a purpose or meaning.
According to the creation plan of God, man must spend a period of
trial in this present, imperfect world and after this, according to his
deeds, he will receive the right to inhabit the perfect and eternal world,
another name for which is Paradise.
Now, let’s come to the era of present tremendous development in the
human fields, the negative and adverse conditions still prevail there
but due to the lack of understanding of the creation plan of God, we
easily give up and respond negatively to the situations. We thus prove
ourselves wrong in the eyes of God and we prove to be failures in the
examination He has set for us.
We should know that this life is a test. We have been blessed with not
only two eyes but the third one is also there. The two eyes are to be
used to observe the world and the phenomenon occurring around us,
but the third one is called “intellect”. It is the most important for us as
we can understand the unseen world with the help of intellect. This
eye helps us to ponder over the invisible world which has been kept
hidden.
Now let’s move to another important topic “Death”. Everyone whether
religious or not believes that one day death will occur and we have to
be buried or cremated according to the different customs. But at the
final stage of this first phase of life, we are still bound to the questions
like what will happen to my children after my death? Who will take the
charge of my business?
If we only realize that when we are buried we are actually being ushered
into another world, we would be more worried about ourselves rather
than about the future of our children and business.
There may be two factors that make us less serious and even forgetful
towards the Hereafter. Firstly, we doubt when we die we will turn to
dust and how can we be revived? Secondly, life after death is not visible
to us.
Our physical body is made up of tiny particles called cells and these
cells are continuously destroyed in the course of our daily life. By eating
food, we compensate for them and put balance in our bodies. In the
course of 10 years, our body cells are completely renewed and the old ones get destroyed. We nonetheless remain the same, this indicates
that another portion is there which is immortal and that is soul.
The last portion of this amazing book talks about “God-oriented life”.
Just like the rest of the universe follows the command of God, in the
same way, we should fashion our lives in accordance with the guidance
provided by God. We must ponder over the universe to find the symbols
of Almighty God to make our belief stronger. We should work for the
second phase of life to fulfill the eternal quality of being obedient to
God. Submission to God is the only way of life for both man and the
universe.
CHILDRENS CORNER
Selections from All About Akhlaaq
Goodword is an award-winning publishing company with a
splendid range of Islamic Books in many languages. It offers
innovative products for children, including Quran stories,
moral stories, craft and activity books, gift packs, Islamic
games, Arabic and Islamic readers for home and school.
Dear kids,
It is difficult to find a fun way to teach children akhlaaq, that is, moral
values and good manners in Islam. All About Akhlaaq, being a fun
book, will aid them in this. Colourful and story-filled, with an easy-touse format and short skits, it will give a better understanding of each
moral by encouraging children, parents and teachers to engage in
role-playing. Each theme, listed alphabetically, is expressed in simple
language and has attractive illustrations on every page. Here, we
reproduce one moral Cleanliness from this book.
The author Sr. Nafees Khan has a special interest in children’s education
and played a key role in the establishment of two full-time Islamic
schools, Islamic Foundation School and Al-Falah School in Toronto.
Name of the Book: All about Akhlaaq
Author: Sr Nafees Khan
First Published: 2012
ISBN: 9788178989969
Pages: 58
Published by: Goodword Books, New Delhi
CLEANLINESS
Two friends are going for Juma Prayers. Before entering the masjid,
Imad twitches his nose.
Imad: Basheer, did you brush your teeth and take a shower before
putting on clean clothes?
Basheer: Ummm, I was in a rush.
Imad: It is very important to do so, especially when you come to the
masjid. The Prophet told us to be clean. This way people will not be
bothered by anyone’s bad breath or smelly body.
Basheer: I’m sorry! Now, I feel embarrassed.
Imad: I did not mean to embarrass you. We are responsible for keeping
one another on the ‘siratul mustaqeem’. Cleanliness is half of ‘Imaan’
which means half of faith and is therefore very important. You should
brush your teeth as soon as you get up and before going to bed. Allah
loves clean people.
While coming out of the masjid, they see a boy slip on a banana peel.
They rush to help him.
Boy: Aow!
Basheer: Are you okay?
Boy: I think so! Thank you.
Imad: This is why it is so important to throw things in the proper place.
Basheer: My mother says that Allah gets happy if I remove a broken
piece of glass from a path to protect even a stranger from getting hurt.
Imad: Yes, that is correct. It is also regarded as an act of worship. Islam
teaches us to be clean and thoughtful. We have to be clean at all times
and in all places. That is why we do Wudu at least five times a day.
Wudu keeps our hearts clean.
Basheer: How?
Imad: When you do Wudu you must think of Allah, and the thought of
Allah keeps our hearts clean.
Basheer: Thank you, I have learned so much about cleanliness from
you today.
LET’S SAY
C is for ‘cleanliness of body, mind and soul’. Keeping surroundings
clean and tidy should also be our goal.
LET’S REMEMBER
The Prophet said, “Cleanliness leads towards faith, and faith leads its
possessor to Paradise.” (Tabarani)
What God most earnestly desires from human beings is worship. The Quran says: “I have not created jinn and mankind except to worship Me.” ( 51:56 )
