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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HIJAB: A COMPREHENSIVE TERM
THESE days, the Hijab has become a topic of debate, discussion
and serious contention on print and TV media. Through social
media, the public has taken an active interest in the discussion
on the Hijab. It is pertinent that we understand the meaning and
connotation of the Hijab. This article will enumerate the Islamic
teachings and directives on this subject.
Hijab is a comprehensive concept. It is not the name of a scarf or a veil.
The idea of Hijab starts from simplicity in one’s attire and then extends
to the person’s behaviour and character. Its primary purpose is to lay
the foundation of pure societies. It is a concept to guard the security
and sanctity of relationships. It is to ensure that everyone operates
within their sphere, and when it comes to relationships, no one should
misuse their freedom to infringe upon others’ rights. Human beings
do face temptations and desires for various things. Islamic teachings
guide their followers to keep control over such desires. To this effect,
it gives clear commandments meant to help us to not go near it. Islam
prohibits indecency and immoral acts and those things that may lead
one to commit indecent acts. It is known as the principle of Sadd-eZariya (prohibiting seemingly harmless acts that eventually lead to
grave sins).
The Quran, while laying the foundation of a pure society, talks of the
following:
Believers, avoid much suspicion. Indeed some suspicion is a sin.
Moreover, do not spy on one another and do not backbite. (
The verse mentioned is of a general kind so that we all stay pure in our
dealings with others. More specific injunctions are given for various
aspects, leading to wrongdoing and evil in society. It is the Hijab that I
would like to draw your attention to.
The physical attraction between a male and a female is a part of nature.
However, granting unrestricted freedom for the opposite sexes will lead
society to a situation where the family institution will become weak.
The goal of Islamic teachings is the prevention of such situations. Both
men and women have specific physiological and psychological traits.
They are guided to follow certain principles that ensure a modest
appearance and behaviour. These guidelines are meant to ensure
respect for relationships with their elders, youngsters, relatives, friends,
neighbours, and those whom they are eligible to marry. Different rules
are laid out clearly about each category.
The principles and set of guidelines are elementary to follow. The
following verses of the Quran and the teachings of the Prophet
Muhammad outline the fundamentals of Hijab:
Tell believing men to lower their gaze and remain chaste. That is purer
for them. God is aware of what they do. (
Say to believing women to lower their gaze and remain chaste and
not reveal their adornments—save what usually is apparent, and they
should fold their shawls over their bosoms. (
At the end of the verse, believers are asked to ‘turn to God, every one
of you, so that you may prosper.
Do not flaunt your charms as in the former times of ignorance. (
Indeed for men and women who have surrendered to God—(...) men
and women who guard their chastity, men and women who are ever
mindful of God—God is ready with forgiveness and an immense
reward. (
There are broad principles for a modest dress code for both men and
women in Islam. Additionally, there is practical advice regarding those
actions that threaten the quality of modesty among people. Islam is
strict about the free mixing of men and women in an atmosphere of partying and entertainment as it is a cause of promiscuity that leads to
permissiveness. In such a society, one’s loyalties keep changing.
Hijab in Islam extends to our character and right down to our thinking
which no one can know except God. The Prophet Muhammad said,
“Only a man of noble character will honour women, and only a man of
base intentions will dishonour them.” In another of his teachings, the
Prophet encouraged believers to select their spouses based on piety.
Simplicity, dignified behaviour, refraining from relationships outside
of marriage are all an integral part of Hijab. The learned amongst the
Muslims should guide the community on these crucial issues of Hijab
and maintain peace in the society.
Every organization has a right to have its own rules and regulations.
In many Muslim organizations, non-Muslim staff are asked to wear a
scarf as a part of the rules of that institution. There is no restriction for
Muslims to run their schools with rules they want to concerning their
syllabus and uniforms.
May God guide us to the right path and help us contribute positively to
society! May He give us the ability to raise a virtuous generation who
will take the lamp of learning and wisdom to every nook and corner of
the world!
Prof Farida Khanam
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PAGES FROM MAULANAS DIARY
The following is a selection from the diary of Maulana Wahiduddin Khan.
January 1, 1986
Today Advocate Daniyal Latifi came to my office (Nizamuddin, New
Delhi). During our conversation, I found out some very interesting legal
anecdotes. He said that even the best of lawyers cannot manipulate
an honest witness, provided he says only what he has seen without
adding or deleting a single word. He reported some incidents in this
regard.
Then he told a funny incident. A UK court decided to hand death
sentence to a criminal. The words of the court were: He shall be hanged.
When the magistrate saw the verdict, he said, “I can’t hang him. The
verdict only says that he should be hanged, but it is not said how. Now
I am not sure whether I should hang him from neck or feet.” Such
incidents took place in courts of different countries. So the words of
the law were made more comprehensive. I asked Mr Daniyal to write
this incident in my diary.
I gifted him an audio cassette of my Urdu Book Jadeed Imkanat. The
same evening, he telephoned me saying he had heard the cassette
twice and liked it. I also presented to him my latest Urdu book Hal
Yahan Hai.
January 2, 1986
Abu al-Tayyib Ahmad ibn al-Husayn al-Mutanabbi (d.
Arabic poet. His verses are famous for wisdom and philosophy of
life. I met an elder in Delhi today. I said to him that a thriving nation
possesses the quality of acknowledgement, and a nation on the decline
lacks this quality of acknowledgement. I gave some examples in this
regard. He listened silently. He then read a couplet of al-Mutanabbi:
If you honour a gentleman, you will make him your servant,
And if you honour a degenerate man, he will rebel against you January 4, 1986
A Muslim leader came to Delhi and met me. He had prepared a
memorandum in English. He gave me a copy of it. He wanted to present
this memorandum to the Indian Prime Minister. The memorandum
mentioned the economic backwardness of Muslims. The government
was then asked to provide special concessions to Muslims until they
become equal to the majority community in the economic field.
I already knew the leader. I knew he had his own business and rented
houses. These earned him at least 10,000 rupees per month. On the
other hand, his brother barely earned five hundred rupees a month.
I said to the leader, "Your brother is way behind you in terms of making
his livelihood. Therefore, you should keep giving half of your income
to your brother every month until he becomes economically equal to
you."
When he heard this, he started laughing. With a heavy heart, I said:
I am surprised that you cannot offer the same concession to your own
brother that you are asking the Hindu Prime Minister to offer.
What the Muslim leadership is unaware of today is that this world is
not a world of concessions but a world of competition. The one who
searches for concessions can find nothing for himself in this world. We
must not entangle Muslims in the above kinds of false slogans, but tell
them that they are living in the world of competition. Here you can gain
something only when you prove your ability. If you cannot prove your
ability, you will not find anything here.
January 5, 1986
Mr Shah Wasif Imam came to Delhi for some work. He came to my
office (Nizamuddin, New Delhi) to meet me today. He has been studying
Al-Risala monthly (Urdu version of Spirit of Islam) for two years. He is
also a distributor of both Urdu and English magazines. I gave him two
Urdu books “Haqeeqat ki Talash” and “Hal Yahan Hai”.
I asked him what his learnings from Al-Risala were. His reply in his own
words is reproduced here:
“Before I was introduced to Al-Risala, I would see a city, I would think
about its glory and the people who created it. After reading Al-Risala,
I am lost in the greatness of the Creator who gifted human beings
with the ability to build such awe-inspiring cities.” He added, “Earlier
I thought I was Shah Wasif Imam. Now I think I am a servant of God.”
It is the grace of God that there are thousands of people today within
whom this kind of thinking has been created after reading Al-Risala.
May God spread the voice of Al-Risala further and make arrangements
to convey it to the world through every language!
We receive letters almost every day and meet people who express
similar sentiments. Muslim leaders, however, have not yet given
importance to the voice of Al-Risala. In contrast, leaders of other faiths
have appreciated the message of Al-Risala. This turn of events is no
surprise. This is always the case with the unadulterated and pure call
towards the truth.
January 6, 1986
A Muslim elder came to meet me. As he sat down, he said: “The judgement
given by the Court of India concerning the provision of a divorced
woman is an aggressive interference in the Islamic jurisprudence. Why
don’t you write against it.” He was referring to the case of Shah Bano
Begum v. Muhammad Ahmad Khan.
I asked him to first correct his sentence. This sentence is not correct as
per my knowledge. The real thing that has happened is that a Muslim
woman (Shah Bano Begum) went to an Indian court. She claimed that
she should be given maintenance from her husband under one specific
law of the country. The court accepted the claim of the Muslim woman
after hearing the matter in detail and ruled that the defendant should
pay her Rs 180 per month as per her demand.
You cannot call it the aggression of the court, because the aggressor
is the one who takes the initiative. Here, the court did not take any
action on its own in the matter. And it could not take any action in this
regard of itself. If there is aggression in this case, it is from the Muslim
woman. It was the Muslim woman (Shah Bano Begum) who went to
court herself and presented the case. It was she who asked the court
to get her the said money under the law of the country.
The fact is that in this case, calling the court aggressive is to blame others
for your mistake. If you are pained to see Islamic law being interfered
with, then reform Muslim men and Muslim women. Train them not to
take their disputes to court. When the hypocrites of Madinah took their
disputes to the Court of the Jews, the Quran accused these hypocrites,
not the Jewish courts.
FROM HUMBLE BEGINNINGS TO GREATNESS
An Incentive, not a Drawback
ALTHOUGH his beginnings were humble, Albert Einstein
succeeded in revolutionizing 20th century science. Born on
March 14, 1879 in the German city of Ulm, Einstein grew up and
was educated in nearby Rotterdam. He was not, as many might expect,
a “Teacher’s Pet.” He had been no infant prodigy; indeed, he was so late
in learning to speak that his parents feared he was a dullard. (Reader’s
Digest, March 2020) An ordinary son of an ordinary father, he showed
no signs of having even average abilities in his childhood. He was even
once expelled from school because his teacher feared that his poor
academic performance coupled with his endless shenanigans might
have a bad influence on other pupils.
On completion of his school studies, he failed
his entrance examinations at the Swiss Federal
Polytechnical School in Zurich. It was only on
his second attempt, after due preparation,
that he met with success.
Up to the age of twenty, Einstein showed no
exceptional potential. In fact, ‘Albert was a
lazy dog,’ was how a teacher once described
him. Later, by dint of sheer hard work, he rose
to such heights as no other modern scientist
has been able to surpass. He was one of the
greatest scientists the world has ever known.
His biographer writes: “We may take heart
that it is not necessary to be a good student
to become Einstein.”
Einstein’s first scientific book was published
when he was 26 years of age, after which his
fame spread far and wide. He led a simple life,
ate simple food, but often worked late into the night. A hefty financial
reward was put on his head for severe criticism of Nazi regime of
Germany. At one stage, he was offered the presidentship of Israel,
but he declined. He believed, in fact, that politics was the cancer of
humanity.
Countless instances have been recorded in history which show that to
achieve greatness, it is not necessary to be born great. A man can rise to
greatness from the most obscure of beginnings, provided he is willing
to strive for it. It is worth remembering that those who have to put up
a struggle in the face of severe difficulties are more likely to develop in
estimable ways, because adversity calls forth their hidden potential. It
throws down a challenge which the aspirant to greatness must accept,
failing which, he will sink into oblivion, if not actually perish. Where
the comforts and convenience of prosperity will cause him to become
sluggish and unenterprising, the whiplash of adversity will drive him
into purposeful action. In short, it will bring out the best in him. As
Sir Francis Bacon observes in his essay, ‘Of Adversity’: “Prosperity doth
best discover vice, but adversity doth best discover virtue.”
In the realm of God’s creation, there are no limits to the humanly
possible. Having had an undistinguished start in life should never,
therefore, be a cause for despair. The ordinary circumstances of life
—if we could but realize it—are the stepping stones to success. But
before we launch ourselves on this path, we would do well to listen to
Sir Francis Bacon’s final words of caution and consolation: “Prosperity
is not without many fears and distastes, and adversity is not without
comforts and hopes.”
ONE MAN TWO MISSIONS
An Interview with Mr Navdeep Kapur
Mr Navdeep Kapur is a senior member of the CPS
International, New Delhi. He had been associated with
Maulana Wahiduddin Khan and CPS Mission from the
very beginning. He plays a critical role in the functioning
of CPS. His tireless efforts for this cause make the
mission stronger day by day. He chooses to remain in the
background even while accomplishing very important
tasks for the CPS mission. Interacting with him reminds
us of the spirit of the Companions of Prophet who were
so focused on God’s work that they wished to be forgotten and unknown in
this world for the sake of God
Will you please enlighten our readers with some details about
your formative years?
I was born in a Punjabi business family that migrated from Lahore,
Pakistan after the partition. My family had lost their entire wealth
which was to the tune of hundred crores at that time. They still
were very humble and positive towards life. I never heard my family
members complain. They started their publishing business again after
settling down in Delhi. We were never forced to do anything and were
encouraged in whatever we wanted to do as long as we never hurt
or humiliated anyone. Our mother was instrumental in making us
morally strong. She devoted her life to our upbringing and wellbeing.
Our parents never made us feel for want of money. Though we lived in
a joint family with our cousins, all the children were treated the same.
We never knew the difference between our father and our uncle. In
fact, my uncle was instrumental in my becoming a sportsperson. He
encouraged me and the other family children to excel in whatever they
wanted to do.
Ours was a close-knit family which always believed in doing good deeds
and working hard. In fact, my father used to always say ‘work is worship’
and wanted all the family members including the ladies to work in the
family business. My aim in life was to excel in the sport which I had
chosen as a career. I was not interested in joining the family business
which had expanded by sheer hard work of my father, brother, and
uncles. I had decided to leave for Germany for higher studies after
graduating from college. And I had told my father that although I am
going to do a course in printing technology, I will not come back as I wanted to pursue my career in professional tennis. But God had other
plans. My father passed away in May 1982 just prior to my completing
my graduation. In fact, my final examinations had started. So, I had no
option but to get totally involved in the family business immediately
upon graduation.
When did your spiritual journey start?
I was not a spiritual person but believed in One God from the very
beginning. After joining the family business, I was completely involved
in it. Such was my conditioning in business that when Naghma and I got
married in 1985, I even got her engaged in business, though she never
had any business background. I think my spiritual journey started in
2002 when my sister-in-law passed away at the age of 52 due to cancer.
She was the healthiest person in our family who had never taken any
medication in her life. In fact, she did not even know what a headache
was. She passed away after an illness of nine months in which we tried
every treatment which money could buy. I remember that some of her
medicines were even imported from other countries. This made me
realize that money had no power and that is when I started asking
questions. This incident also made me think about the purpose of life.
Before this, purpose of life for me meant working hard in my business.
When I thought that my sister-in-law had dedicated her entire life to
the family business, and just as the business had got established, God
took her away. Then I felt that there had to be more to life. Then I
fervently started looking for answers pertaining to life.
What did you think of religion before you met Maulana Wahiduddin
Khan?
I was never spiritual as I never got answers to many of my questions.
My family used to call me a nastik (unbeliever) as I used to always doubt
the existence of so many gods. I used to ask a lot of logical questions as
I had a logical mind. But I never got any answers. All people used to say,
this is the way it has always been, so accept it. This never addressed
my mind, and hence I lost interest in religion or spirituality. After
marriage, I had the opportunity of meeting some religious scholars.
After interacting with them I found their answers to be unconvincing.
I also found out that what they spoke and how they acted did not
match. So, I told Naghma that from now onwards I will never meet
any other religious scholar as none is able to give me logical answers
to my questions. Religion was the last thing on my mind before I met
Maulana. I always believed in doing good deeds and working hard to
achieve success in business.
How were you introduced to Maulana? Kindly describe your first
meeting.
It was Naghma who first heard about Maulana Wahiduddin Khan and
when she tried to contact him for her centre as a speaker, he asked her
to first attend his Sunday Lecture and see if what he spoke addressed
her mind. When Naghma asked me whether I would like to accompany
her, I replied, “Not another Maulana.” So, she went alone for the first
class. She has a habit of writing down everything. So, she took notes of
the entire class. When she came back, she asked me whether I would be
interested in listening to what Maulana said. I very reluctantly agreed.
And she read out the lecture to me, which was on the Creation Plan of
God. On hearing that lecture, I immediately said, “This man thinks like
me. And I will go with you to the next class.” And this is how my journey
with Maulana started.
I still remember that the first time we met Maulana he asked both
Naghma and me to tell him something about ourselves. After giving us
a patient hearing he said, “You must change 1% while you must make
thought that she is the one who has to change 1% but then he said,
“Ma’am,I am addressing you. You need to make 99% of the changes
because Islam that you have received is through culture and tradition.
You must unlearn this Islam, then you have to make a renewed effort to
understand what Islam is. As of now, the only correct thing about Islam
that you know is the concept of God.” Then, turning to me, Maulana
said, “You need to change your concept of God, otherwise, you are on
true nature.”
From the beginning, I never missed a class come what may. I used to
look forward to every lecture. His lectures addressed my mind and I
got answers to all my questions when he explained the Creation Plan
of God.
How did Maulana influence your thinking?
Maulana made things very simple and explained the purpose of life so
beautifully that my entire goals in life changed. My focus was now on
attaining Paradise in the Hereafter, rather than trying to make paradise
in this world. Maulana realized that I had a logical mind but used to do
things in a hurry which often resulted in my making mistakes in taking
the correct decision. He made me realize that I have to change this habit
and take my time to think logically before taking a decision. Overall,
Maulana has been a very positive influence in my life. He addressed my mind. It was only after coming to the CPS that I received answers to
questions regarding spirituality and religion.
What inspired you to devote yourself wholly to the mission?
Once when asked by Naghma why your message is not being taken to
the world when people really need this guidance, Maulana replied, “Who
is stopping you? You do this work.” This is when we decided to dedicate
ourselves to the mission, and started supporting Dr Saniyasnain Khan,
Farida Aapa and the CPS members in the mission. This was the starting
point of our association with CPS International, the NGO founded by
Maulana Wahiduddin Khan.
Maulana advised me that from now on you have become 'one man,
two missions' as it will be difficult for you to be one man one mission.
The two missions being, my livelihood and thereafter, all time should
be devoted to the mission as it is a case of reward and punishment for
each one of us. And this being a testing ground, we cannot afford to
waste our time in any other activities. He always said that you should
fulfil your duties as a good son, brother, and husband, but make sure
that you do not waste your time in worldly matters. My association with
Maulana lasted for a period of 17 years in which he really changed me,
not only as a person but also taught me the purpose of my life. My faith
in God and the teachings of Maulana about Islam were getting stronger
by the day.
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.
Maulana made things very simple. He believed in mind-based
spirituality. In this connection, he always used to say look around and
you will find God’s signs everywhere. All you have to do is contemplate
on those signs and discover the Creator, God and His magnanimity.
Seeing the creation, one can discover and remember the Creator, God
Almighty. Everything in the universe seems to convey a divine message.
I feel each creation of God is in itself a full industry. Take a tree for
an example. You will learn that despite humans creating so much
pollution, a tree still provides us with fresh air. It does not complain,
nor does it react. But keeps on doing its work quietly. This is how God
wants us humans to live our life without any complaint and be a giver,
rather than a receiver.
How has your companionship with your wife helped in your
journey of God-realization?
Maulana always used to say that husband and wife are a part of a whole.
That means that each is equal in all respects but performs different
roles. This one teaching of Maulana changed our lives and we became
intellectual partners to each other. Each appreciates the others’ role
and guides the other wherever necessary. Guided by Maulana, we
have intellectual exchanges. We have a beautiful garden in front of
our home. Our interactions during our walks in it become a source of
discovering God.
What is your understanding of the CPS mission?
I have seen this mission grow under the guidance of Maulana. Our
mission is to take the word of God to all humankind in a contemporary
style. I truly believe that this is God’s mission and each person in this
mission has been picked by God Almighty to perform a specific role.
Maulana’s role was to provide the ideology of the mission of explaining
Islam as it is in the modern, scientific idiom so that it addresses the
mind of the modern man. It is now our duty to translate all his works
from Urdu to English and other languages and develop a website
where all this material can be easily accessible to all. So, we should first
understand our role and perform it till our last breath. I pray to God to
unite us with Maulana in Paradise.
What are the tasks you are shouldering post-Maulana Saheb’s
demise?
My role as defined by Maulana is to protect the mission administratively
and support each department whenever required. I am directly involved
in the legal, administrative, and financial aspects of the mission. I work
with the other CPS Team members in taking care of these aspects of
the mission.
CPS movement is spreading very fast across the world with its
peaceful ideology of Islam. What is the reason behind its success
in addressing the minds of people of all faiths, especially youth?
With God’s grace, CPS has become a movement. Today people are
looking for a logical explanation of religion. Since nobody can see
God, people have different questions about Him. Maulana has
logically explained the existence of God through examples of nature
and science. Here I want to mention that the book The Seeker’s Guide
has answered most of these questions. The answers in this book in particular address the modern mind and give the rational explanation
of religion that everyone is looking for. When CPS members worldwide
present this to people, it is as if their nature gets addressed.
What is your message to the members of CPS?
My only message to CPS members is that I believe that this is God’s
mission, and we have an opportunity to be a part of this. Although
Maulana is no longer with us physically, he has prepared a complete
repository of wisdom in the form of literature and multimedia material
demonstrating the relevance of Islam in the modern age. He has trained
us to take this material to the world.
Now we have to just stand for God, completely relying on Him and
discover and perform the role God has given to us. I have seen that God’s
guidance comes to people who are actively involved in this mission.
Maulana told us that this mission is standing on dua, i.e. supplication.
So, we all must do a lot of dua while doing the work of the mission.
As Maulana said, either become one man one mission or at least, one
man two missions as our eternal life depends on what we do on this
earth. And as Maulana used to say this mission is an opportunity for
us. And we should dedicate our lives to take this message of God to all
humankind.
THE EXISTENCE OF GOD
A Self-evident Phenomenon
THE greatest proof of the existence of God is the existence of man
himself. It is just as far-fetched to believe in a being like man as it
is to believe in a being of the nature of God. If we believe in man,
then there is nothing to stop us from believing in God.
The Quran tells us that God breathed His spirit into man (
means that the attributes of God are manifested, in mortal form, in
man. Existence, life, knowledge, power, determination and freewill are
all attributes that are found in complete form in God. Essentially, these
are all divine qualities. God has not given man a share in His attributes,
but He has created man in His own image; that is, He has made man’s
being a reflection of God's power. Man cannot, in any way, be said to
be a part of God, but he is certainly living proof of God’s existence. The
very same qualities that make God what He is, also constitute man. In
God these qualities are invisible and infinite; in man they are visible
and finite. In order to find God, then, man has only to examine his own
being.
Man has a separate existence of his own. He
is able to see, hear and speak; he thinks and
makes plans; he acts on his own initiative; he
converts basic matter into the various forms
of advanced machinery; he operates spaceships by remote control. He is a conscious
being, fully aware of his own existence. All
these attributes, which man possesses in
limited form, are present in unlimited and
perfect form in God.
The difference
between man and
God is that man is
a part of creation,
whereas God is the
Creator. Man owes
his existence to
God, but God owes
His existence to no
other. Man is finite,
God is infinite. Man’s
power is an illusion,
whereas God’s is a
reality
The difference between man and God is
that man is a part of creation, whereas God
is the Creator. Man owes his existence to
God, but God owes His existence to no other.
Man is finite, God is infinite. Man’s power is
an illusion, whereas God’s is a reality. Man
is mortal, God is immortal. Everything man possesses has been given to him, but that which is God’s is His very
own; none has bestowed it on Him.
To accept man’s existence is to accept the existence of one totally
unlike God, and yet uncannily like Him; it is to accept the existence of
a mini-God, so to speak. What is there then to stop us from believing
in a great God? To believe in God is to confirm one’s own existence. If
one believes in oneself, there is no reason why one should not believe
in God. For man, to accept his own existence is to accept the existence
of God, even if he claims to be an unbeliever.
To deny the existence of God is to deny one’s own existence. How
strange, then, that there are many who claim to disbelieve in God, but
no one who would go so far as to disbelieve in his own self.
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.
A SOLUTION-ORIENTED APPROACH
PROBABLY the most important event of the year 1988 was the
inception of a new spirit of accommodation between the USSR
and the USA. Time magazine (May 30, 1988) aptly termed it a
‘grand compromise.’
Reckoned as superpowers, the USSR and the USA were rivals of 70 years
standing, with a long history of repeated confrontations. The media of
both blocs, in keeping up a steady flow of reciprocal condemnation,
played a significant role in aggravating the situation. After this
marathon of accusation and counteraccusation, both powers—
miraculously—began to talk of peace. Instead of relentlessly pursuing
the arms race, they started at last giving their much-needed attention
to what appeared to be fruitful negotiations on the de-escalation of
international tensions.
A Soviet official described this new policy as ‘solution-oriented’. Where,
hitherto, each bloc had been out to paint the iniquities of the other in
the blackest of hues, both were now glossing them over in their new
fervour of finding solutions to mutual problems.
This thaw, which took place in the long-standing cold war between the
USSR and the USA, has a great lesson in it for other nations. Surely,
if the policy of headlong confrontation has become such a costly
procedure that even the superpowers can no longer afford it, it should
be obvious that the smaller nations are even less well-equipped to
pursue so ultimately destructive a course.
Towards Realism
While Nikita Khrushchev was First Secretary of the Central Communist
Party of the USSR (1958-1964), he made known his, and his countrymen’s
feelings towards the capitalist world when he uttered his now wellknown threat: “We will bury you.” (Hindustan Times, June 28, 1988)
In the same vein, American President Ronald Reagan dubbed the
Soviet Union an ‘evil empire’ and American officials boasted that
they would push the Soviet Union into the sea. However, in spite of
these periodic, aggressive face-offs, and after 70 years of socialist
revolution, the countries of both blocs at last saw a change of outlook
as an overwhelming imperative, and American leaders began visiting
Moscow for negotiations. Ronald Reagan
himself visited Moscow from June 28 to July
2, 1988, despite his previous view that such a
visit was out of the question. Before his visit,
he went on record as saying that US relations
with Moscow “must be guided by realism”.
(Hindustan Times, May 26, 1988)
If the policy
of headlong
confrontation has
become such a costly
procedure that even
the superpowers can
no longer afford it,
it should be obvious
that the smaller
nations are even less
well-equipped to
pursue so ultimately
destructive a course.
The arms race had been going on between
the two countries for decades. While both
countries had been going all out to make the
deadliest weapons in history with the avowed
intention of destroying one another, today
they are themselves placing curbs upon their
own manufacture and acquisition of weapons,
and are even destroying certain categories of
weapons which are already major items in their
respective stockpiles. The Times of India of August 3, 1988 reported that
the Soviet Union destroyed four shorter range missiles, OTR-22, at the
test range in Saryozek, 200 km north-west of Alma Ata. The dismantling
was carried out in accordance with the INF treaty signed between
Mr Mikhail Gorbachev and President Reagan. The missiles were
destroyed in the presence of a US inspection team. Representatives
from various countries, including India, and other international nongovernment organization were also present.
The Soviets planned to dismantle 1752 deployed and stored missiles,
having a range of 500 km to 5500 km, in three years. The US planned to
eliminate 859 such missiles.
Change of Heart
We do not have to go far to find the reason for this dramatic change
in the superpowers’ policy. It is simply that in their attempt to gain
the upper hand in all that has to do with arms supremacy, they had—
wittingly or unwittingly—allowed the progress of their respective
countries to come to a standstill. After a relentless weapons race,
which a fear-ridden, blame-oriented psychology had prolonged for half
a century, they came to the conclusion, when all is said and done, that
the continued adoption of such a course could produce only negative
results. It finally dawned on them that, in attempting to destroy the
‘enemy’, they had brought their own countries to the very brink of
annihilation.
A Reversal of Policy
It is ironic that the USA’s insistence on arms superiority caused it to
fall behind its old, conquered enemy, Japan, in the economic field. In
1988, the US was the world’s largest debtor with a net foreign debt
of $400 billion, while Japan was the world’s largest creditor, with a
net foreign investment of $240 billion. That year, Japan had budgeted
for $10 billion as foreign aid, displacing the US as the world’s most
generous donor. The American dollar, which
once reigned supreme in the economic world
no longer enjoyed that position. Economists
began asking, “Can America maintain its
superpower status?”
After a relentless
weapons race, the US
and the USSR came
to the conclusion
that, in attempting to
destroy the ‘enemy’,
they had brought
their own countries
to the very brink of
annihilation.
In an interview (Times of India, August 9,
1988) Mr Henry Kissinger observed that “the
fundamental new fact will be the emergence
of new power centres. China and India will
become more powerful. Japan is daily growing
stronger.... so the United States will have to
adjust to having other countries that in the
past it had a tendency to ignore, pursue more
active policies.”
The 19th All-Union Conference of the Communist Party, held in the last
week of June, 1988, in Moscow, was attended by 5000 delegates from
all over the Soviet Union. On this occasion, the Soviet Prime Minister,
Mikhail Gorbachev made a three and a half hour speech, which has
been ably summarized by Mr Quentin Peel, a journalist who not only
heard the speeches of the Soviet leaders, but also had meetings with
them. Peel says, “The message seemed plain enough, the party would have to renounce its stifling role in the administration and economy of
the country. Power and privilege would have to be curbed, and science
and initiative given their head if the Soviet Union were to compete with
the rest of the world, let alone be a superpower.” (Times of India, July
5, 1988)
Perestroika
Repeated failures to achieve, or even identify such production targets
as would satisfy the requirements of the many peoples who make up
the Soviet Union compelled Mr Gorbachev to bow to economic realities.
Setting aside notions of socialistic superiority, (the Soviets considered
themselves superior to others because of their socialistic set-up) he
launched a campaign to change the prevailing system in the USSR.
The keynotes of this policy are glasnost and perestroika, Russian words
which mean respectively ‘openness’ and ‘restructuring’. Mr Gorbachev
goes into the practical details of this policy in a book which has been
published in English under the title of Perestroika: New Thinking for Our
Country and the World.
This new movement brought about changes in the Socialist structure
of the USSR, which could only be described as revolutionary. Its basic
policy included everything from religious freedom to the development
of friendly relations with the Soviets’ traditional arch enemy, the USA.
This trend of thawing of strained relationships between age-old
opponents, agreements for disarmament and settling for diplomatic
solutions of international disputes is quite heartening. Roy Gutman’s
account, originally published in the Los Angeles Times—Washington Post
News Service, and relayed to Indian readers by the Hindustan Times
(January 16, 1988) is entitled ‘Kremlin, White House Now Realistic’ (p.20).
This report reveals just how historic had been the shift in US-Soviet
relations. New thinking having emerged in both countries, the Kremlin
and the White House have both become more open-minded about
each other’s affairs.
The extent to which attitudes softened is illustrated by Mr Bessmertnykh,
a veteran diplomat who served 12 years in the United States. In an
interview with Newsday he said that the American administration had
been fond of making such statements as: ‘We shall draw the line, we
shall go to the source, we shall stop the advance of Communism.’ “But
now,” said Mr Bessmertnykh, “people have realized that the world
has changed. You can’t do it any more that way. It’s impossible. Now
both sides are becoming realistic. Their team and our team are both
solution-oriented.”
Conclusion
This change in the relationship between the USSR and America has been
of incalculable importance. The dropping of the policy of confrontation
as being untenable from all points of view—moral, social, religious,
economic, political—is one of the best lessons modern history has to
give to humankind.
If the passing of unfavourable judgements on,
and eternally remaining at loggerheads with
the ‘enemy’ have ultimately been recognized
as utterly futile pursuits by the world’s two
superpowers, is it not the most basic common
sense for the less developed countries to try
to improve the general tenor of their relations
with disaffected nations who could, with
a more rational approach, be won over as
friends?
Wisdom, in today’s
global context, lies in
being constructive,
rather than in
constantly plotting
the downfall of
others.
Wisdom, in today’s global context, lies in
being constructive, rather than in constantly
plotting the downfall of others. Raising a great hue and cry over issues
which could be peaceably resolved at the negotiating table means
the squandering of precious time and energy, which would be better
devoted to bringing about national uplift.
It is high time we scrapped all blame-oriented policies, whether internal
or international, in favour of solution-oriented policies. Herein lies the
secret of success and progress.
IMPORTANCE OF TIME
A Way of Life
THE ruling on prayer in the Quran is described in these words:
Verily, the prayer is enjoined on the believers at fixed hours.
(
It means that a believer should not only offer the daily five prayers at
their appointed times, but also perform other tasks on time. A Muslim
is one who has included punctuality in his life, who performs every
chore on time just as he performs prayer at its appointed time.
Punctuality is not a simple matter. Punctuality
is related to the discipline of life. A responsible
person should perform every task with
discipline and punctuality. Punctuality means
not just organizing your time, it has a social
aspect as well. Man is a social being. When
a man systematically does his work, he
cooperates with others to do their work
systematically without any obstacles.
Punctuality is a sign
of a responsible
person. A responsible
person cannot afford
to be forgetful of
time.
Punctuality is closely related to wellwishing for fellow human beings.
Punctuality is a sign of a responsible person. A responsible
person cannot afford to be forgetful of time. The fact is that when
you waste time, it is no simple matter, but it is a dual error. It
means you are wasting the time of others along with your time.
The importance of time is so great that it is dangerous to underemphasize it.
TODAYS YOUTH
Employing a Reason-based Approach
WHEN it comes to religion, today’s Muslim youth lives in
confusion. This is because answers to their questions are
provided to them in a traditional way, that is, religious
guidance is provided to them based on the principle of “dos and don’ts”.
Such a response does not address the minds of today’s youth. This
has practically taken the youth of today away from religion. And the
number of people who have drifted away from religion is increasing
day by day.
The Quran says: Speak to them in such terms as will address their
minds. (
styles of address. The style and idiom of the address will be governed
by the kind of addressees. The addressees
will be studied first, and then according to
their mindset, a style that appeals to them will
be adopted.
One must adopt a
style that makes
religious beliefs
understandable
to people on the
basis of reason in
the present Age of
Reason. One must
not employ the
method of “dos and
don’ts”.
This verse of the Quran means one needs
to couch his words in such a manner that
addresses the minds of the youth. Dayees
(those who call people to God) must prepare
themselves according to the need of the time
so that they can speak in the language that
would address the mind of the addressees.
An address that does not have this attribute
is an address that does not fulfil the demands
of the times.
The present age is called the Age of Reason. To address the modern
mind, it is necessary that whatever needs to be said should be reasonbased. It means one must adopt a style that makes religious beliefs
understandable to people on the basis of reason in the present Age of
Reason. One must not employ the method of “dos and don’ts”. Instead,
religious beliefs should be presented in the light of rational arguments.
This is the age of reason-based understanding and explanation. No
other style can be effective for today’s human beings.
CLARITY IN DISCOURSE
Separate the Relevant from the Irrelevant
ONE of the special features of speech or writing is that it contains
clarity. Experience shows that the least found quality in a piece
of speech or writing is clarity. Many people can be found who
speak or write quite academically, but there will be very few who will
display the quality of clarity in their discourse.
The clarity in discourse has one condition. The condition is that the
speaker or writer should know the difference between relevant and
irrelevant. He should have developed the quality of clarity in his thought
before starting to speak or write. A person who develops clarity in his
thoughts in advance will find the virtue of
clarity in his words, otherwise, this quality will
elude him. For example, you go on to write an
article on the end of the Ottoman Caliphate
of Turkey, and the only reason for its end
you find is this: Kamal Ataturk declared the
abolishment of the Ottoman Caliphate after
becoming commander in 1921.
The clarity in a
discourse becomes
manifest when the
speaker or writer
makes his point
by separating
the relevant
and irrelevant
components of a
topic from each
other.
But this is not the whole picture. In fact,
before this declaration of abolishment,
the concept of the nation-state had gained
universal acceptance throughout the world.
Under its influence, Arab countries under the
Ottoman Caliphate had started a movement
of Arab nationalism in a powerful manner.
Then, in 1922, when Kamal Ataturk (1881-1938) abolished the Ottoman
Caliphate, it was an announcement of an incident, not a cause of the
event itself. In such a situation, if a writer or speaker attributes the
abolishment of the Caliphate to Kamal Ataturk only, this will mean that
his discourse lacks clarity.
The clarity in a discourse becomes manifest when the speaker or writer
makes his point by separating the relevant and irrelevant components
of a topic from each other.
THE LIFE AND WORK OF MAULANA WAHIDUDDIN KHAN
Dr Rafique Anjum (b. 1962) is a well-known
linguist, poet, a Doctor of Medicine and a
Doctor of Philosophy. He is a multifaceted
litterateur who has earned recognition from
beyond borders for his creative, analytical, and
critical literary works. Dr Anjum is now working
as Assistant Professor of Islamic Studies and
Coordinator of Centre for Research in Gojri,
Pahari & Kashmiri Languages in the school of
Islamic Studies & Languages at BGSB University
Rajouri. He has extensively written on the
various subjects of his expertise. His most recent
book, titled “Revisiting Islam: The Reformist
Thought of Wahiduddin Khan”, is reviewd
here by Khalid Hussain Mir. He is a Doctoral
Fellow of Islamic Studies at the Baba Ghulam Shah Badshah University
Rajouri, Jammu & Kashmir. He can be reached at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
The book is divided into seven main chapters. It begins with a foreword
by Prof Akhtar ul Wasey, followed by the introduction which provides
the gist of the reformative thought and admirable scholarship of
Maulana Wahiduddin Khan.
The book “attempts to classify and summarize the Religious Thought
of Maulana Wahiduddin Khan, expressed in his over 200 works on the
different aspects and themes of Islam”. Below is presented a summary
of each chapter.
Chapter 1: “Revival and reform in Islam: An overview”
The author has presented an overview of the ‘History of Revival and
Reform in Islam’ and an account of the response of various revivalists
to modern challenges and changes. The author while highlighting the
challenges facing by the Muslim world quotes Shireen T. Hunter, who
said that “Historically, reform movements in the Islamic World have
emerged in response to two challenges or in combination of them: 1)
external threats especially foreign conquest; and 2) departure from
moral and religious observance, often followed by a period of overall
decline of Muslim societies”.
According to Dr Anjum, “The revelation of the Quran, as embodied in
the figure of the Prophet, intervened to mend, resolve, and reform
that disorder which was prevalent in the society” and “the concept of
reform in Islam therefore means that reform in the sense of application
of Islam in society, revitalizing the Muslim community and making an
endeavour to return into the path of Islam afresh”.
Chapter 2: “Islamic Thought in India in Early 20th Century”
In this chapter the author has detailed the background of Islamic
political and intellectual thought of the early 20th century and the
approaches and efforts of Indian Muslim scholars like Sir Syed,
Mohammad Iqbal, Shibli Nomani, Maulana Maududi, Ali Miyan Nadwi,
Maulana Wahiduddin Khan and others
A number of reformist movements emerged in these times to cope with
the challenges, especially those coming from outsiders. The majority
of the reformists advocated a policy of isolation and noncooperation,
especially with western educational institutions, western language,
ideas and values, to preserve Islamic culture and heritage under nonMuslim rule.
The ‘Call for return to Quran’ by Maulana Azad made Muslims more
comfortable in a pluralistic society. On the other hand, Muslim
modernists like Sir Syed advocated for Ijtihad to seek ways to respond
to the situation. They advocated for internal reform and selective
adaptation of western education, ideas and technology. However, the
general condition at the time was that “Muslims had lost their ground
in polity, services and education which made them powerless and
demoralized”, the author writes.
Chapter 3: “Biographical Survey of Maulana Wahiduddin Khan”
This chapter deals with the life, literary career, and the contributions of
Maulana Wahiduddin Khan. The author has highlighted the Maulana’s
affiliations with different movements and his presentation of Islam in
a modern scientific idiom as a response to contemporary issues faced
by Indian Muslims. The Maulana highly regarded the contribution of
Muslims to the development of education and educational institutions.
According to the author, the Maulana believed that “The credit of
democratising education goes to Islam” and “It was Islam that delivered
the knowledge from restricted spheres and gave a concept of mass
education to the world history”. The author has further presented a
detailed sketch of the Maulana’s works, which are almost 200 in number,
including his commentary on the Quran. Among his notable works are God Arises, The Vision of Islam, Islam and Socialism, Commentary of the
Quran, Muhammad: The Prophet for All Humanity.
Chapter 4: “Contemporaries of Maulana Wahiduddin Khan”
In this chapter the author has given a brief account of some prominent
contemporaries of Maulana Wahiduddin Khan, like Badiuzzaman
Nursi, Maulana Maududi, Ali Miyan Nadwi, Fazlur Rahman and others,
to understand the Maulana’s thought in light of convergence and
divergence with his contemporaries.
According to the author, “Maulana Wahiduddin Khan like his
contemporaries is in favour of reform in Madrasa education including
need for changes in curricula, bringing Hadith to forefront and relegating
outdated Ilm-e-Kalam”.
Chapter 5: “Contribution of Maulana Wahiduddin Khan to Modern
Islamic Thought”
This chapter deals with the major themes in the Maulana’s writings and
gives a detailed introduction to some of his selected works related to
Islamic Thought.
The major themes of the Maulana’s works, according to the author,
are “Scientific Theology, Peace and Dawah, Islam in the Contemporary
world, Revival and Reform in Islam, Islamic Studies: Need for Ijtihad,
Indian Muslims, Woman in Islam and Spirituality & Philosophy of life”.
For his Peace Theory, Maulana Wahiduddin Khan was awarded with a
number of prestigious awards, both in India and abroad, including the
“Demiurgus Peace International Award”, “National Amity Award” and
“Padma Bhushan”.
His writings aim “to present Islam as a comprehensive world view
and the only ideology that can fill the vacuum of future world and his
concern about the importance of Ijtihad (independent reasoning) is
much considerable as he stresses for the reinterpretation of primary
texts and reapplication of Quranic principles to find answers to modern
challenges”.
Chapter 6: “Critique of Maulana Wahiduddin Khan”
There remain always possibilities of contradiction in a scholar’s views
on some aspects. In this chapter, the author has dealt with criticism of
the Maulana’s views by different scholars around the globe. The author
presents the views of the Maulana’s opponents and then provides the
counter arguments of the Maulana. At the end, a fair assessment of
both the viewpoints has been attempted.
The author has highlighted the Maulana’s view about those who
narrowly make criticisms on the basic notions of Islam in particular and
on Muslims in general. The author mentions the Maulana as saying in
this regard: “It is essential that Muslims be judged in the light of Islamic
ideals; Islam should not be judged in the light of what Muslims do in
the name of Islam”.
Chapter 7: In this concluding part of the book, Dr. Anjum has made a
summary of the entire discussion so far.
According to the author, “Maulana Wahiduddin Khan has divided the
Muslim response movements to western dominance in four categories:
independence movements, conservative movements, revivalist
movements and reconstruction or positivism.” The author further says,
“Maulana Wahiduddin Khan analyzed the causes of Muslim decline
and could very well visualize the future situation” and “He has made
monumental efforts to resolve a universal and profound dilemma: ‘the
conflict between science and religion’.”
Dr. Anjum in his book has adapted a balanced approach and has
truthfully presented Maulana’s thought as reflected in his works,
which makes his research worthy and deserving of appreciation. I have
gone through this work a couple of times and I hope the work will be
definitely beneficial and an updated source of information for scholars
of social sciences as well.
WRONG ARGUMENT
See Things in Totality
WAKI IBN AL-JARRAH (745-812) was one of the greatest scholars
of Hadith (a record of the sayings and deeds of the Prophet
Muhammad) literature of his time. He was an extremely
pious person. Caliph Haroon al-Rasheed offered him the position of
Qazi, i.e., a judge, but he refused. He dedicated all his life to collecting
and compiling of Hadith. He set out for Makkah from his native city
Kufa to perform Hajj. He died during the journey.
One of his contemporaries, while talking highly of Waki ibn al-Jarrah,
said, “I saw Waki. He didn’t have any book with him. He was a Hafiz of
Hadith.” (Al-Tahdhib by ibn Hajar, vol.
person who has memorized a great number of Hadith reports.
Ignac Goldziher (d. 1921) was a Hungarian
scholar of Islam. Mentioning this statement, he
writes that Imam Waki did not use books and
paper, he only listened to the Hadith reports
and then narrated them. Goldziher meant to
say that Hadith reports were unreliable as they
were based on oral tradition, not on written
record. By this argument, Goldziher casts
doubt over the veracity of Hadith reports. It
is because in comparison to written record,
memory is indeed an unreliable source.
To form an honest
and true opinion
about someone, we
need to be unbiased
and we should take
into account things in
totality
However, this way of reporting by Goldziher appears to be incorrect
when we see in the same book that Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal (780-855)
used to advise his disciples: You must read books of Imam Waki. (alTahdhib, Vol.
Ahmad ibn Hanbal have given such advice?
Some of the books of Imam Waki are:
Kitab-ul-Zuhd
Tafsir al-Quran
The events from the life of Waki ibn al-Jarrah show that his memory was
exceptionally good. Though he would write down and record the Hadith
reports, he would often narrate them from his memory. Looking at the
events of Imam Waki in totality, the fact that he would narrate Hadith
reports from memory does not cast any suspicion over the veracity of his narrations. Goldziher overlooked other relevant facts from the life
of Imam Waki and emphasized on just one aspect of it. This aspect was
enough to convince him that the present collection of Hadith literature
is doubtful, and this collection cannot be entirely relied. To form an
honest and true opinion about someone, we need to be unbiased and
we should take into account things in totality.
THROUGH THE EYES OF THE INTELLECT
Looking beyond the Obvious
UNDER the biographical note of Qazi Abu Yusuf (738-798), noted
historian Al-Khatib al-Baghdadi (1002-1077) in his book Tarikhe-Baghdad (History of Baghdad) writes a first-person account of
Abu Yusuf: My father Abraham ibn Habib died. My mother put me to
serve a washerman. I would often skip going to the washerman and
went to attend the academic discourse of Imam Abu Hanifa (699-767).
I studied Hadith and Fiqh (Islamic jurisprudence) there. Whenever
mother came to know about my discursions, she would grab my hands
and pulled me to the washerman. When this became frequent, my
mother was greatly aggrieved.
She met Imam Abu Hanifa and said, “You are the sole reason my son
is getting spoilt. He is an orphan boy. He doesn’t possess anything. I
make my ends meet by working on a spinning wheel. I wish my son
could learn something practical so that he
might earn his bread and butter.” Imam Abu
Hanifa said to my mother, “The knowledge he
is acquiring will earn him pistachio faloodah
(porridge)." My mother went back saying,
“It seems that old age has diminished your
intellect.”
The profound truths
are discerned
by a person who
surpasses visible
phenomena. Distant
objects can be seen
only when our gaze
is diverted from the
objects near and
apparent.
Imam Abu Yusuf says, “Imam Abu Hanifa
helped me financially and I continued to
learn from teaching classes. I became so
well-grounded in Islamic jurisprudence that
the Abbasid government appointed me to
the position of Qazi. Now I began to sit in the
company of the Caliph Harun al-Rashid (763-809). I would partake of
food with him. One day, I was offered pistachio porridge. Harun alRashid asked me to eat it. I asked: O leader of the faithful, what is it?
He replied, “This is a pistachio porridge.” Upon hearing this, I started
laughing. The Caliph asked, “Why do you laugh?” I related to him my
story from beginning to end.
The story surprised Harun al-Rashid greatly. He said, "I swear by the life
I possess, knowledge elevates a person and benefits him in this world
and in the Hereafter. May God bless Abu Hanifa, he could see with the eyes of his intellect those things that others failed to see with the eyes
on their heads."
God has blessed human beings with two beautiful eyes with which
they see all things. However, man sees only external things with the
help of these eyes. To see things which are hidden and internal, man
needs another set of eyes. This is the eye of reason or intellect. Looking
at things using just the eyes on one’s head is akin to looking at the
lid of a machine without understanding the parts of the machine.
Such a superficial vision is just fractionally better than not seeing.
The old woman could only see his boy to be a good apprentice to the
washerman in the future because she used only her physical eyes. The
same young man was seen by another person who possessed the eyes
of the intellect as one who would counsel kings.
How can one attain this eye of the intellect? The answer is very simple.
To develop this eye, a person needs to rise above the superficial
observation. The facts lie behind the visible phenomena. Therefore,
the profound truths are discerned by a person who surpasses visible
phenomena. Distant objects can be seen only when our gaze is diverted
from the objects near and apparent. Similarly, profound truths are
seen when we rise above the superficialities. The one who is lost in the
visible form of the objects cannot look at their inner value.
NATURAL SIMPLICITY
A Simple Religion
THE Prophet of Islam performed just one Hajj during the period
of his prophetic mission. This Hajj of the Prophet is known as his
Farewell Pilgrimage. He performed it a few months before his
death, in the year AD 632.
A detailed account of the Farewell Pilgrimage has been given in
teachings of the Prophet. We are told how, after circumambulating the
House of God in Makkah, he performed Sa’i, which consisted of running
seven times between the hills of Safa and Marwah. He commenced
the Sa’i from the hill of Safa, saying as he did so: “Safa and Marwah
are among the symbols set up by God.’ (
started.”
In this verse of the Quran mentioning Safa and
Marwah, Safa comes first and Marwa second.
The Prophet considered it natural to start
his Sa’i at Safa, and then proceed to Marwa,
because that was the sequence mentioned in
the Quran.
Islam is based on
simple realities of
life. It puts aside
intellectual polemics
and analogical
intricacies. There is
nothing artificial or
forced about Islam.
This apparently trivial incident contains great
significance, for it shows Islam’s preference
for simplicity. For the Prophet to have
commenced his Sa’i from Marwah would have
put people to unnecessary inconvenience.
They would have had to keep two sequences in mind—that in the
Quran and the one followed during the rites of pilgrimage—instead
of just one. So, the Prophet adopted the same sequence in pilgrimage
as had been followed in the Quran, thus saving people the trouble of
remembering two different orders.
Simplicity is a factor essential to the spirit of Islam. We can see it in
every aspect of Islamic teachings. Islam is absolutely free of perplexing
complications and unwarranted formalities. Emphasis has been laid on
the spirit of worship; the form which worship takes has been given
secondary importance.
A distinction has been drawn between fundamentals on the one hand,
and subordinate matters on the other. Fundamental importance
has been attached to the basics, with subordinate issues occupying a subordinate position in the Islamic structure. Islam is based on
simple realities of life. It puts aside intellectual polemics and analogical
intricacies. There is nothing artificial or forced about Islam. It is an
absolutely natural event, as simple as adopting air and water.
CHILDRENS CORNER
The Quran Explorer for Kids
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,
Time will fly by with this amazing book of stories and activities.
The Quran Explorer for Kids is an exciting new way to learn about the
Quran. Along with stories, prayers and teachings, this book is also
packed with crosswords, jigsaw puzzles, mazes, colouring activities,
spot the differences and much more. Some of the features of the book
are:
• Quran reference for each story and prayer
• Bright and colourful illustrations
• More than eighty stories
• Exciting activities
The book is authored by Dr Saniyasnain Khan. He is an award-winning
author and also recognized as one of the world’s most influential
Muslims.
Here, we reproduce a selection from the book along with an activity.
Name of the Book: The Quran Explorer for Kids
Author: Saniyasnain Khan
ISBN: 978-81-7898-860-3
Page: 180
Binding: Hardbound
Availability: www.goodwordbooks.com
The Power to Perform Miracles
Allah gave the Prophet Isa power to perform miracles. So, when he
grew up, he performed many miracles with the leave of Allah.
He made little birds of clay and made them fly like real birds. He made
a blind man see again. He restored a dead man to life. It was Allah who
helped Isa to perform all these miracles.
Allah loved him and looked after him. The Prophet Isa had many
disciples. They went everywhere with the Prophet Isa. They travelled
from village to village and from town to town.
The Quran says: “Such was Isa, son of Maryam.” He was a great prophet
and he taught people how to love Allah.
Let’s Remember
The Prophet Isa or Jesus was a messenger and a prophet of Allah. His
birth was miraculous and he did many miracles with the leave of Allah.
The Prophet Isa was a messenger of Allah and his every action was the
command of Allah.
Let us pray “Praise be to Allah, who has created the heavens and
the earth and brought into being darkness and light. (Al-An’am 6: 1)
BOOK REVIEW
Name of the Book: The True Face of Islam
Author: Maulana Wahiduddin Khan
(compiled and edited by Raamish Siddiqui)
Published by: Harper Element, NOIDA
First Published: 2015
Pages : 222
ISBN: 978-93-6177-592-8
Reviewed by: Suleiman Khan
Over time, religious traditions come to be understood in multiple ways
by those who claim to be their followers. This explains the proliferation
of sects within every such tradition, each claiming to be the religion’s
sole authentic representative. This interpretive diversity is not always
simply a harmless intellectual phenomenon. Sometimes, it can be
marshaled to fuel sectarian antagonisms, which can even take violent
forms—as has happened down the centuries.
Like many other religions, Islam has been and continues to be,
interpreted in diverse ways. Different Muslim sects and ideologues
claim that their understandings of Islam represent the ‘true face’ of
the faith. As there is no living human authority that can conclusively
judge between these conflicting claims in a manner acceptable to all
sides, one can only say, as traditional Muslim scholars wisely used to,
that ‘God knows best’. This does not mean hopeless relativism, though.
One could contend that interpretations of religion that reflect God’s
attributes such as love, justice, wisdom, compassion and generosity,
are truer than others, in that they reflect vital truths about God and
goodness.
Maulana Wahiduddin Khan, the well-known New Delhi-based Islamic
scholar, has for decades been engaged in promoting an understanding
of Islam that reflects these values—an interpretation of the faith that
is rooted in love, compassion, and commitment to universal peace and
harmony. In this engaging book—a collection of 38 short essays on various aspects of Islam—the Maulana deals with numerous issues
that are central to discussions about Islam today, issues such as Islamic
teachings about relations between Muslims and people of other faiths,
religious pluralism, madrasas and ‘modernization’, religious freedom
and freedom of speech, Islam and politics, and Islamic norms about
gender.
There are also chapters on Sufism, the spiritual goal, the purpose
of knowledge, and the role of Muslims in India. Much of the book
is devoted to countering the claims of Islamist extremists on issues
related to war and peace and the concept of jihad. The Maulana
insists that terrorism, including the violence engaged in by self-styled
jihadists, has no sanction at all in Islam and that it does not reflect the
true Islamic understanding of jihad. In addition to rebutting, on the
basis of Islamic arguments, the radicals’ hate-driven discourses about
Islam, the Maulana highlights valuable Islamic scriptural teachings
about peace and inter-community harmony.
One issue on which a reader can differ with Maulana is his understanding
of the relationship between human beings and nature. In a chapter on
Muslims and scientific education, he speaks of monotheism leading its
adherents to look at nature not as something to be worshipped, but,
rather, as ‘a thing to be exploited’, something ‘to be conquered’, an
‘object’ of ‘conquest’. This differs markedly from how many ecologicallysensitive religious scholars, monotheists among them (including
several Muslims), perceive nature. To them—and rightly so—nature is
a gift from God, not a thing to be worshipped, but, still, something to
be respected, to be taken good care of by man and to be wisely and
kindly harnessed. This reflects the understanding that man is God’s
vicegerent on earth, charged with the responsibility of managing nature
in the most caring, loving and responsible way—a vision of the mannature relationship that starkly contrasts with the belief that nature is
something that man must conquer and exploit. This latter belief is a
major factor for the environmental crisis that besets the world today.
Overall, however, this book excels as a valuable resource for an
understanding of Islam that is rooted in the sources of the faith—the
Quran and the practice of the Prophet Muhammad—and that is of
considerable relevance in the contemporary context.
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
It is God who has subjected the sea to you so that you may sail thereon
by His command, and so that you may seek His bounty, and so that
you may be grateful. He has subjected whatever is in heaven and on
the earth to you; it is all from Him. In that are signs for those who
ponder. (
God has made water subject to such natural laws that large ships
may sail back and forth across deep oceans and safely reach their
destinations. Such is the case with the entire universe. The universe
has been created in such a way that it is completely subservient to
man’s interests. Man may harness its resources in whatever manner
he likes. It is thanks to the serviceability of this world that it has been
possible for man to develop glorious civilizations.
We assume that the existing structure of the universe is unique and that
it has taken its final shape. Yet it could have been created in a variety
of other ways. What is truly miraculous is that, out of all the possible
alternatives, it has taken a form which is useful to humankind. This is
a sign of God which, if given deep consideration, will demonstrate a
glorious lesson.
Tell the believers to ignore those who do not believe in the coming
of the days of God. He will requite people for what they have done.
Whoever does what is just and right, does so for his own good; and
whoever does evil, does so to his own detriment, and you shall all
return to your Lord. (
Those who do not firmly believe that the Day of Judgement is going to
dawn on them, venture to oppress others. They harass the preacher
of Truth in every possible way. At that time feelings of revenge may develop in the heart of the preacher, but he should be forgiving towards
his addressees. He should concentrate all his attention on the work of
his mission and leave the matter of dealing with others’ evil deeds in
the hands of God.
The value of the preacher’s efforts is not assessed on the basis of the
number of persons he has influenced and brought on to the path of
Truth. The value of his performance in the eyes of God depends upon
the extent to which he remained steadfastly dedicated to the Truth;
and to what degree he himself exemplified the behaviour expected of
him.
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
Why should man accept God as His Creator and Sustainer?
Man is a creature who cannot survive on his own. At all times he requires
many types of support to maintain his existence in this world: an earth
whose gravity keeps him upon its surface; an atmosphere to provide
him with a constant supply of oxygen; a sun, which unfailingly gives
him heat and light; an abundance of water, without which no human
life is possible; a variety of foods to give him continual nourishment.
God, therefore, as the Creator of man, and of all the other things
in the heavens and on earth, has made lavish provision of all these
innumerable other things for man’s existence in this world. Indeed,
God has brought into existence the entire universe and everything is
under His constant surveillance. That is why the only proper course
for man is to accept God as his Creator, Sustainer and Lord, without
associating anyone or anything in His godhead. But since God is not
visible, it sometimes happens that man comes to attach importance
to something visible and perhaps tangible and then accords to it the
status of divinity. A creature or a thing, comes, partly or wholly, to be
regarded as the Creator’s equal and is sometimes even given the name
of God.
This is where man falls into serious errors. For the Prophet’s call to
man is to accord the status of greatness to God alone. Any thing or
creature seated on the pedestal of divinity must therefore be unseated
and divested of this status of greatness. It is only fitting, and in the
true nature of things, that man should worship God alone, without
associating any other object with Him.
Explain reformed behaviour and corrupt behaviour of man on this
earth.
Human activity was initially designed by God to create no excessive
clamour. Here God has arranged for breathing in fresh air, so man
must not indulge in activities which may pollute the atmosphere. The
birds and animals flourish in their separate spheres, so man should
remain in his own sphere, instead of encroaching on those of other
creatures. Since everything is functioning in a planned way, man should,
moreover, refrain from adopting any such emotional, hasty course as
will lead to social disruption.
All the things of this world are functioning in complete coordination
with one another, so man must also lead his life in harmony with others,
wishing them well and seeking what is profitable for his brethren. The
benefits of such a world are manifold.
There are only two possible kinds of behaviour for men on this earth
created by God. Reformed behaviour is the conscious following of the
perfect order already established by God in the universe. As opposed
to this, corrupt behavour is deviation from that order and the adoption
of a self-made system. But the latter course ill befits God’s creatures,
for the earth has already been reformed by God. This had not been left
for man to do. Man has only to follow the path of nature and build his
society on the same pattern. This reformed earth of God is not only
the best place for human habitation, but it is also the best model for
human conduct.
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.
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 )
