FROM THE CHIEF EDITORS DESK
Maulana Wahiduddin Khan, born in 1925, in
Azamgarh, Uttar Pradesh, is an Islamic spiritual
scholar who is well-versed in both classical Islamic
learning and modern disciplines. The mission of his life
has been the establishment of worldwide peace. He has
received the Padma Bhushan, the Demiurgus Peace
International Award and Sayyidina Imam Al Hassan
Peace award for promoting peace in Muslim societies.
He has been called ’Islam’s spiritual ambassador to the
world’ and is recognized as one of its most influential
Muslims
. His books have been translated into sixteen
languages and are part of university curricula in six
countries. He is the founder of the Centre for Peace
and Spirituality based in New Delhi.
ARAB SPRING
GULF countries are witnessing a turbulent phenomenon that is
generally called the Arab Spring. Arab people themselves called
it sahwa (resurgence). Everywhere there is debate regarding its
result. Arab people are generally hopeful, but I am not.
According to my experience, every future result needs present preparation.
Only a prepared society or educated society is the guarantee that this kind
of upheaval may lead to a positive result. But I don’t think that the present
Arab society is a prepared society in that sense.
Secular-minded people generally believe that the present upheaval is a
journey from dictatorship to democracy. But this kind of notion can be
justified only through over-expectation. Democracy cannot be achieved
through a jump, that is, suddenly from dictatorship to democracy.
Democracy is not simply a change of persons from military activists
to political activists. The base of democracy are institutions. Before
establishing democracy we need to establish institutions and provide
educational training. Without education, democracy is bound to turn into
anarchy. But it is a fact that Arab countries are lacking such institutions.
Those who want to bring about democracy in Arab countries need to bring
about a pre-democracy revolution. Before democratic institutions, political
democracy will remain a distant dream.
Recent events in Egypt present a very relevant example. There was a similar
kind of Arab movement in Egypt against Farouk, former king of Egypt. It was
successful in dethroning King Farouk in 1952. But what happened was that
kingship was replaced by a chain of military dictators: first General Naguib,
then Gamal Abdul Nasser, Anwar Saadat and finally Hosni Mubarak. Now,
the leader of a political party, Mohamed Morsi, has managed to take the
same seat. But because the society was not educated in the democratic
sense, again Mr. Morsi is facing the same kind of problems that were faced by
the previous rulers. And, there is no sign that he will prove to be an exception.
Again democracy seems to be a distant dream. It is a fact that result is the
criterion. Any movement that leads to positive result is good, otherwise it
is not. Change is good, but when change results in worsening the situation
then change is not advisable.
First of all, people have to be educated and then institutions have to be
established; only then is it possible to hold free and fair elections. Only after
this can a democratic system be established in any country. And without a
doubt, the Arab world is no exception.
Arab Spring is nothing but a kind of political reaction. Reaction always leads to
anarchy and not democracy. The basis of democracy is democratic education
and non-governmental institutions. Through these non-political activities a
society is formed, and when there is a democratic society, a time comes to hold
fair and free elections. From this emerges a true democratic rule.
Democracy implies contesting of elections between two parties. It is but
natural that one would win and the other would lose. Then the party that
loses must accept this defeat by heart. This gives a chance to the winning
party to rule the country for a limited period as prescribed by law. This is
the spirit of democracy as demonstrated by developed countries, in that
the loser is the first to announce the acceptance of his defeat and sends his
best wishes to the winner.
Acceptance of defeat is the spirit of democracy. If this spirit is lacking then
what will result after elections is not a democratic rule but a new kind of
politics of opposition, and the whole democratic system will be shattered.
Going by the past of Egypt and also its present, one can say with certainty
that the coming of Mohamed Morsi to power does not mean the coming of
democracy. In terms of result, it means the coming of a new form of politics
of opposition. As far as nation building is concerned, it will surely remain a
distant dream in Egypt.
Maulana Wahiduddin Khan
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GOD THE GREATEST
THE distinguished British mathematician, Sir Michael Francis
Atiyah, has said that God is a mathematician. Likewise,
Nobel Prize winning physicist, Paul Dirac has said ‘God is a
mathematician of a very high order.’ This idea is not new.
Over fifty years ago, English physicist and mathematician Sir James
Jeans suggested that the universe was handiwork of a mathematician.
Centuries before him Pythagoras said that all things are numbers. To
Picasso, God was an artist. ‘God is really another artist,’ he said, ‘He
invented the giraffe, the elephant and the cat.’ Einstein once said that
the ‘Lord is subtle and—though not malicious—is very clever.’
God’s might is indeed manifest in a thousand ways.
One who observes the universe is confronted with the awesome feeling
that there is a being greater than himself at work in it. A mathematician
comes across such high mathematics as to make him aware of the
triviality of his grasp of the subject. “God is a great mathematician!”,
he exclaims. To an artist, the art displayed in the universe appears so
sublime as to make his art seem worthless and he spontaneously cries
out, “God is the greatest artist!”. The wisdom prevailing in the universe
is such as to astonish a genius; he in turn discovers that there is a
genius far greater than him at work.
The truth is that God is the greatest mathematician, the greatest artist
and the greatest genius. One who fails to find the manifestations of
God in the universe is blind, and one who does not believe in God after
having seen Him, is insensate.
God’s might is indeed manifest in a thousand ways, but it is only those
who open their minds and hearts to Him who can be truly aware of
His greatness.
VALIDITY OF A SUBJECTIVE ARGUMENT
ALBERT Einstein (1879–1955) was a great scientific mind. In
one of his letters dated January 3, 1954 to philosopher Eric B.
Gutkind, Einstein wrote about his concept of God. These are
his words: “The word 'God' is for me nothing more than the
expression and product of human weaknesses.”
This statement is undoubtedly an unscientific statement by a scientific
mind. This statement can be easily converted into another statement,
that is — ‘Belief in God is a natural urge of a man. Instead of being a
human weakness, it is truly a rational finding of man.’
Einstein, as a scientist, was a believer of the notion that only an objective
argument is a valid argument; a subjective statement may reflect one’s
belief but it has no credibility as a rational argument. In this sense,
Einstein’s statement was against his own stand.
Belief in God is a natural urge;
It is truly a rational finding of man.
If we take Einstein’s statement as a scientific statement, then it means
that it was a valid statement. It validates the veracity of subjective
thinking. Here we have only two options: either reject Einstein’s
statement as invalid, or if we accept it as a valid statement then we have
no right to reject those subjective statements given by religious people.
If one subjective statement is right, then all the subjective statements
are right, provided they stand rational scrutiny.
When Einstein made this statement, perhaps he was not aware that
by this he was demolishing the edifice of objective science. He was
equating subjective argument with objective argument. The above
example shows that this kind of contradiction in thought is widespread
amongst scholars, not only among artists, but also among scientists.
One can say that in principle, an objective statement and a subjective
statement can both be valid statements. The real criterion is whether
they stand rational scrutiny or not. If it stands rational scrutiny, the
subjective statement is as valid as the objective statement.
For example, if a person says, ‘I am thirsty’, one can say that this is a
subjective statement. If you scrutinize the statement, you will discover
that thirst is a natural need of man. No one, including Einstein can say
that thirst is a human weakness.
This analysis will lead you to believe that the statement of the person
was quite rational; consequently, a valid statement. Although, in
logical categorization it was a subjective statement—that is, it was not
demonstrable objectively.
Not a minute to spare
When a man has a specific and
worthwhile goal before him,
he sets a great value upon his time,
but when bereft of a goal,
time hangs heavily
upon his hands.
It is then that ceremonial gatherings
and vain pursuits become
welcome occupations.
He makes no real life for himself,
but depends upon others
for occupation and distraction.
In this way, he drifts along,
like a ship without a rudder,
to the end of his useless life.
On the surface, he has led a full, busy life,
but, on closer inspection, he discovers, too late,
that his achievements are nil, and that he has
frittered away his precious existence in
empty, meaningless diversions.
GLOBAL WARMING OR WARNING
GLOBAL warming is regarded as the greatest problem besetting
mankind at the present time. Scientific investigations have
revealed that the earth’s life support system dependent upon
the balance of nature is fast falling apart. It is greatly feared
that soon a time will come when nothing will be left on earth to ensure
the survival of life.
To mitigate the horrors of this forecast period, many strategies are
being planned in advance. Since it is feared that—as a result of climatic
change—all food crops may be wiped off the face of the earth, one of the
strategies has been to build a vault for the safe storage of the different
varieties of seeds in Norway. It will then be possible to cultivate crops
at a later stage to fulfil the world’s food requirements.
Soon, a time will come when nothing will be
left on earth to ensure the survival of life.
The Global Seed Vault was established in 2008. On its inauguration,
important international personalities were present, including the
President of the European Commission, Jose Manuel Baroso, as well
as Wangari Matai, the Nobel Prize winning environmentalist, besides
others. The event was widely reported with one report titled: ‘Doomsday
Vault Comes to Life’.
That is to say that the vault is a safe storage ready for doomsday.
The report also tells us that out of fear of general crop devastation,
the global seed vault has been built on a mountain on the island of
Svalbard in Norway, 1000 km from the North Pole. Three spacious
cold chambers—provide storage for some seven hundred and fifty
thousand samples of seeds from all over the world. A Global Crop
Diversity Trust has been formed to oversee this venture. One media
report calls this storage facility, ‘’a Noah’s Ark of food in the event of
a global catastrophe, an Arctic ‘Doomsday Vault’ filled with samples of
vital seeds.”
It would be more appropriate to compare the food storage vault built
in Norway atop a mountain not with Noah’s Ark but with the fate of
Noah’s son Kan’an.
The Quran states that in the last days of Noah’s life, when the floods
came Kan’an, the rebellious son of Noah, said:
'I will betake myself for refuge to a mountain that shall protect me
from the water.' Noah replied to his son that the flood was a divine
matter—'the flood waters are sent by God'—and no mountain could
protect him from this.
THE QURAN,
People make full use of divine blessings, but they fail to
acknowledge the Giver of these blessings.
Events showed that what the Prophet Noah had said about the flood
was true, and no one was saved from this flood except for the Prophet
and his small group of companions. The same is true of the flood
of Doomsday, from which no mountain top or Foodgrain Vault will
be saved. The oncoming flood is going to alter the face of the world
completely. After the onset of this flood no one will find any refuge.
In ancient times, human beings inhabited only the Mesopotamian
region, situated between the rivers Tigris and Euphrates. When
perversion set in amongst these people, God sent them His messenger,
Noah, to whom He granted a very long life.
He had a very long struggle trying to communicate God’s message to
his people. But with the exception of a few, the majority did not accept
his message or mend their ways. Finally, the Prophet Noah gave them
the last warning and told them that if they did not reform themselves,
they would be destroyed by a flood. But they ignored his warning.
Finally the great Flood came and drowned them all.
The present age has been one of an explosion of divine blessings.
But the abundance of these blessings has only increased people’s
arrogance. People have made full use of these blessings, but they
have become distanced to a very great extent from the Giver of these
blessings. Perversion in the name of freedom has become the general
culture of the present times.
Just as the Prophet Noah had given a prior warning of the ancient flood,
now also modern science is giving a prior warning of the imminent
flood of the present era. For the past several years, scientists from all over the world have been giving us the news that as a result of global
warming, huge reservoirs of ice are continuously melting. The glaciers
and the ice of the North and South Poles are fast melting resulting in a
rise in global sea levels.
It is ‘Global Warming’ which is causing all this climatic change. Scientists
have also predicted that, very soon, all the ice will melt, resulting in
a severe flood, which will be of a far greater magnitude than Noah’s
Flood. This flood will engulf the earth and the entire population of the
world will be destroyed.
The Prophet made it clear that human beings had not been settled
on earth for all eternity; that a time would come when the present
inhabited world would come to an end and be replaced by another
world. Here good will be rewarded and evil will be punished.
A time will come when the present inhabited world will
come to an end and be replaced by another world.
In the 7th century, the Prophet of Islam said that the distance between
him and Doomsday was only that between his two fingers (Sahih al
Bukhari, Kitab ar Riqaq).
The phenomenon of global warming shows that this distance has
now been covered and that the climatic change, as the scientists have
predicted, has now reached the point of being irreversible.
What was to happen has already happened. The final day has come
very close. Now the time has ultimately come when man has to change
himself: he has to abandon the way of disobedience to God and opt
for the path of obedience to Him. Nature is silently calling upon man
to mend his ways before he finds that he has no further opportunity
to do so.
ISLAMIC SPIRITUALITY
What is Spirituality, or Rabbaniyat?
It is the elevation of the human condition to a plane on which the mind
is focused on the higher, non-material realities of a godly existence.
The opposite of spirituality is materialism, a course followed all too
often in this world. One who takes this course, giving all his attention to
worldly things; or one who centres his attention on mere appearances
is regarded as being materialistic. Conversely, one who rises above
material things or appearances, who finds his focus of interest in nonmaterial
things, is regarded as being spiritual or godly. The latter is one
who obeys the injunction of the Quran:
O people, be devoted servants of God.
THE QURAN,
A materialistic person is kindled with the desire to possess anything
that is attractive to him, and this is a clear indication that materialism
is a major motivating factor in his life. While, one who sees the same
things, but remains unaffected by the notions of luxury that they
convey, and feels no desire to acquire them, lives in a more rarefied
sphere in which materialism plays no part. He sees no attraction in the
lesser world of material appearances, being engrossed in the higher
realities of the supremely spiritual life. The truly non-material person
is never influenced by superficialities: his soul exists at a profound level
of spirituality.
The opposite of spirituality is materialism,
a course followed all too often in this world.
Those who live for worldly pleasures believe that gratification cannot
be had except from material things. Had they experienced spiritual
pleasure, they would certainly have forgotten material pleasure. The
pleasure derived from material things is limited in nature and very
short-lived; whereas spiritual pleasure may be eternally savoured.
The materialistic person can find pleasure only in something which he
or she actually experiences, but the spiritual person lives on a higher plane. For him, even seeing things in another’s possession, occasions an
outpouring of his gratefulness to God from the innermost recesses of his
heart. A materially-minded person sees only the creation, while a spiritually
inclined person sees the splendour of the Creator through creation. The
greatest source of pleasure is in the remembrance of God. It is this reality
which finds expression in the following verse of the Quran:
It is only in the remembrance of God that hearts are comforted.
THE QURAN,
Comfort means not just the temporary solace to be found in everyday
convenience, but the real comfort with its implications of peace of mind
that can stem only from God Almighty. Man by nature is an idealistic
creature. Anything short of ideal can attract only fitful attention from
him, whereas true and lasting comfort can be achieved only through
the Perfect Being. If materialism is to live a life of limitations, spirituality
is to live in limitlessness.
The pleasure derived from material things is limited in
nature and very short-lived; whereas spiritual pleasure
may be eternally savoured.
The universe has been fashioned by God in a way that it may become
a source of spiritual inspiration for man. According to the Quran, it
is the quality of ‘tawassum’ that enables one to find inspiration in the
universe. Tawassum is the ability to understand the signs of nature.
That is, to observe the phenomena of the universe in order to draw
lessons from them and receive spiritual nourishment from physical
events. God is so generous that He has created the whole universe to
be at our service, day and night.
A verse of the Quran:
And He gave you all that you asked for.
THE QURAN,
This means that whatever is needed for Man to live a good life on this
Earth has been prepared in advance by God, directly and indirectly. The
only price to be made for these endless blessings is thankfulness; which
is man’s recognition from the depths of his heart, that God is the Giver
and Man is the receiver. All these blessings of the Almighty are silently
conveying the following message: “O man! Are you seeking something greater than all this? Do you want spiritual peace in addition to material
peace? Do you want a world of perfection after this imperfect world?
Would you like to taste the blessings of God in the world of eternity
after you have tasted them in this ephemeral world?"
God created a perfect and complete world as an eternal abode for
man. This life is only a test, and man is under the observation of his
Lord. With every utterance and movement, man is writing his own
eternal destiny.
A materially-minded person sees only the creation, while
a spiritually inclined person sees the splendour of the
Creator through creation.
God has revealed himself in two books—The Quran and the Universe. The
Quran is the literal version of God’s word, while the universe or nature
is a practical demonstration of it. These two are the basic sources of
spiritual inspiration for a man who seeks to live a life according to the
divine scheme.
The Quran says:
God is He who raised the Heavens without visible supports,
then He ascended the Throne. He has compelled the sun and
moon to be of service, each pursuing an appointed course;
He controls the Affairs (of the universe).
THE QURAN,
When man sees the universe with its varied parts functioning in an
absolutely coherent manner, he will spontaneously say: “There is no god
but one God!” When he observes that the various parts of the universe
function with absolute harmony, he realizes that, in like manner, he
should also live in complete harmony with society, without hatred
or malice towards anyone. When he sees the events of the universe
always proceeding towards a meaningful result, he realizes that man’s
life too, must have a meaningful end.
From the Quran we learn that, in the very creation of the universe, the
signs of God lie hidden all around us. A person, who is in a state of
keen awareness when he reflects upon the things of the world, comes
to see the Creator in the creation. The meaning of the creation of the
universe is laid bare before him. Ultimately, the universe becomes a permanent source of spiritual inspiration. In brief, the universe is a
manifestation of the attributes of Almighty God. Hence, it is a source of
spiritual nourishment for those who want to lead a divine life on earth.
There is nothing mysterious about spirituality in Islam. It is rather the
direct result of the kind of intellectual development that takes place when
a believer ponders over the Creator and His creation: he gains something
in the process that may be termed spirituality. The source therefore,
of Islamic spirituality is perusal and reflection rather than any sort of
mysterious exercise. The Prophet Muhammad said: “God plants wisdom in
the heart of one who shows disinclination for the world.”
There is life for man, in spirituality: this is indeed the real life for man.
Knowledge and Truth
There are two kinds of knowledge:
knowledge of things and knowledge of truth.
So far as 'things' are concerned, they display no attribute
which cannot be elucidated by direct argument.
But where truths are concerned, it is only
indirect argument which can throw any light upon them.
Indeed, in the case of scientific truths,
the validity of indirect, or inferential argument
is a matter of general acceptance.
Since religious truths are proved by the logic of similar
inferential argument, it may legitimately be argued that
they fall into the same intellectual bracket
as scientific truths.
PROPHETIC WISDOM
ONE of the qualities of the Prophet of Islam was his great
vision, as a result of which he urged his followers to adopt a
wise approach in all their dealings. A number of sayings on
this subject have appeared in books of Hadith. For instance
he observed: ‘We must not feel envy except for two kinds of people:
those who, when given wealth, spend generously in the path of Truth,
and those who, when given wisdom, judge accordingly and shed its
light upon others.’ A companion of the Prophet, Abdullah ibn Abbas
said that the Prophet of Islam embraced him and prayed to God to
grant him wisdom. (Fathul Bari,
A large number of traditions have been recorded which underscore the
importance of wisdom. For instance, the Prophet of Islam said: ‘How
good is the gathering at which wise sayings are uttered.’ Similarly, he
said: ‘There is no better gift than words of wisdom.’ (Ad Darmi)
The importance of wisdom is so great that we are urged not to
hesitate in accepting any words of wisdom, even from other nations
or communities.
The Prophet once observed: ‘A piece of wisdom is a believer’s own lost
possession, so wherever he finds it, he should adopt it as if he is the
most deserving of it.’
In some traditions, wisdom and a deeper understanding have even
more importance attached to them than worship. As recorded in the
Hadith (sayings of the Prophet);
One learned religious scholar carries more weight
than one thousand worshippers.
AI-TIRMIDHI and IBN MAJAH
The Prophet’s entire life was filled with examples of wisdom. While
discharging his responsibilities, he adopted the way of wisdom on all
occasions and at all stages. Here is one example from his life:
On the occasion of confrontations
When the Prophet was thirty-five years old, before the time of his
prophethood, a situation arose in Makkah, which called for tactful
handling. The walls of the Kabah, which had collapsed for some reason, were being rebuilt by the Quraysh tribe, and in the process a problem
arose as to who should be given the privilege of laying the revered
black stone in its place, in the Kabah wall. Since it was a matter of great
prestige, everyone wanted this honour for himself.
The dispute on this question continued for several days without there
being any amicable solution in sight. Finally, all the tribesmen concerned
showed their willingness to accept a suggestion made by one of their
senior members; namely, that the person who first entered the Kabah
the following morning would be appointed as their arbitrator. The next
morning when they all saw that the first person to enter the Kabah was
the Prophet, they all chorused: “He is the trustworthy one (Al-Ameen).
We shall all abide by his decision.”
The Prophet then asked the people to bring a sheet of cloth. When it
was produced, he spread it on the ground and placed the black stone
on it. Then he asked the people to hold the sheet by the edges and
carry it to the wall of the Kabah. The Prophet then placed the black
stone in the wall with his own hands.
This act of the Prophet serves as a fine example of how a controversial
matter can be amicably solved, and to everyone’s entire satisfaction, by
having everyone participate. Such matters often turn into prestige issues.
But if the matter is wisely handled and people are assured that they will
not lose face, no difficulty will be faced in addressing the problem.
Avoidance
Reacting to provocation brings nothing but negative results;
whereas ignoring provocation leaves the way clear to
embark on planned construction and consolidation.
It is the law of this world that those who act make progress,
while those who react are doomed to failure.
THINK THINK THINK
IF a living human being were to come out of a cave, where no
living creature had previously entered, everyone would find that a
breathtaking event. Everyone would start wondering how such a
thing could happen. A live child born from its mother is an equally
breathtaking event. People see this event happening every day, yet
they do not give it a second thought.
Why is there this difference? The reason is that a child born to a mother
is a daily occurrence. People have become used to this sight. They take
it for granted. They do not see any need to think about it.
The freedom conferred upon man is for the purpose of
finding out who leads a principled life and who leads
an unprincipled life.
But if people were to think about this matter seriously, they would
discover the Creator in the act of creation. On seeing the birth of a
living, conscious human being, who can walk, see and speak, they would
feel that every human child is a sign of the existence of the Creator.
Every human being would appear to them as a living introduction to
their Creator.
Similarly, when a human being comes to the planet earth, he finds
that a whole life support system exists here for him. This life support
system is so comprehensive that, without his having to pay any price,
it fulfils all his requirements, both great and small. All of the earth as
well as the sun and the moon are pressed into man’s service in the
most exceptional way.
Then the time comes when, all of a sudden, death draws near. Man,
by his very nature desires an eternal life. But, within the span of a
hundred years, every man and woman, against their will, must leave
this world forever.
Every man born into this world has two major experiences: those of
life and death. If man thinks seriously about these experiences, he will
certainly discover a great reality, that is, that the settling of man on this
world was not meant as a reward but rather as a test.
Man feels himself free in this present world. The freedom conferred
upon him is for the purpose of finding out who makes proper use of
his freedom and who makes wrong use of it, who leads a principled life
and who leads an unprincipled life.
The pre-death period is for the purpose of
testing man, while the post-death period
is for reward or punishment.
If man thinks seriously, he will discover the reality that death is in fact
the day of standing before his Creator. Man, in essence, is an eternal
creature, but his lifespan has been divided into two parts—the predeath
period and the post-death period.
The pre-death period is for the purpose of testing us, while the postdeath
period is for reward or punishment, awarded on the basis of the
record of our deeds in this life.
Today man finds himself in this world as a living, conscious being. This
living, conscious existence is a permanent one. The day of death is the
day where this live, conscious existence is taken out of this present,
temporary world and is transferred to the next permanent world. Every
man and woman will arrive at this stage. This will be an unimaginably
grave moment. The present man will be resurrected after death, that
is, during the second half of his lifespan. But all his material, worldly
supports will have fallen away from him.
Behind him will be the world which is lost to him forever while, before
him, will be the world where he must now lead an eternal life.
The wise man is the one who prepares himself for this day.
WOMEN IN ISLAM
by Farida Khanam
IN Islam, a woman enjoys the same status as that of a man. There
is no difference between man and woman as regards status, rights
and blessings, both in this world and in the hereafter. Both are
considered equal participants in the carrying out of the functions
of daily living.
According to Islamic belief, both men and women are born as equal
partners in life. In a fine expression of gender equality, the Quran
declares:
Never will I waste the work of any of you, be they male or female:
You are members, one of another…
THE QURAN,
We find the same definition in one of the sayings of the Prophet of
Islam, (the Hadith):
Men and women are two equal halves of a single unit. (Al Tirmizi)
We see that both the sacred scriptures of Islam make it clear that
neither sex is inferior or superior to the other. However, studies in
biology and psychology show that the sexes are different in nature,
each being designed for a different purpose. So, the Islamic maxim for
men and women runs as:
Equal in respect, but different in role.
Men and women being equal, each has a different sphere of action. That
is, in making their contribution to social activity, the men undertake
whatever is physically harder, while the women deal with whatever
is lighter.
Men and women can be likened to a cart running on two wheels. Each
of the wheels contributes equally to the running of the cart. Even if only
one of the wheels goes out of order, the cart will stop. The way a cart
traverses its path with the help of the two wheels, exactly in the same
way, with mutual cooperation of men and women, the system of life
can be run efficiently.
It is a fact that women in general are not physically as strong as
men but their physical weakness in no way implies their inferiority
to men. The eyes are the most delicate parts of our body, while the
nails by comparison are extremely hard. That does not mean that the
nails are superior to the eyes. Just as two different kinds of fruits will
differ in colour, taste, shape and texture, without one being superior
or inferior to the other, so also do men and women have different
qualities which distinguish male from female without there being any
question of inferiority or superiority. They are endowed by nature
with different capacities so that they may play their respective roles in
life with greater ease and effectiveness.
This makes it clear that, although males and females differ from one
another biologically, they are equal in terms of human status. No
distinction is made between women and men as regards their respective
rights. This is all for the good if they are to be lifetime companions.
Men and women in the eyes of Islam then are not equal duplicates of
one another, but rather complement each other. This concept permits
the shortcomings of one sex to be compensated for by the strengths
of the other.
In respect of innate talents all individuals, be they men or women,
differ from one another. Yet their need for each other is equal. All
are of equal value. One is not more important or less important than
the other. Similarly when it comes to the establishment of a home and
raising a family, men and women have their separate roles to play.
But each is vital. Each is indispensable to the other; and for them to
come together, function in unison and live in harmony; there must be
mutual respect. The prevailing sense is that a difference of biological
function does not imply inequality. For the biological division of human
beings into males and females is the result of the purposeful planning
of our Creator.
In ancient times women had come to be considered inferior and were
deprived, among other things, of the right to inherit property. Islam for
the first time in human history gave them their due legal rights over
property. According to the Quran
Women shall have a share in what their parents and kinsmen leave;
whether it be little or much, it is legally theirs.
THE QURAN,
In fact, Islam grants even more respect to women than to men.
According to a Hadith, a man once came to the Prophet and asked him
who rightfully deserved the best treatment from him.
“Your mother” ,said the Prophet.
“Who next?”, asked the man.
“Your mother.”
“Who comes next?”, the man asked again.
The Prophet again replied, “your mother.”
“Who after that?”, insisted the man.
“Your father”, said the Prophet.
Another example concerns Hajira, Prophet Abraham’s wife. Hajj, one
of the forms of worship in Islam, entails the performance of Saiee, as
one of the main rites of the Hajj. This is accomplished by running back
and forth seven times between Safa and Marwah, two hillocks near the
Kabah. This running, enjoined upon every pilgrim, be they rich or poor,
literate or illiterate, king or commoner, is an imitation of the desperate
quest of Hajira, Prophet Abraham’s wife, for water to quench the thirst
of her crying infant four thousand years ago. The performance of this
rite is a lesson in struggling for the cause of God. It is of the utmost
significance that this was an act performed by a woman. Perhaps there
could be no better demonstration of a woman’s greatness than God’s
command to all men, literally to follow in her footsteps.
We can see that the principle applied by the expression ‘ladies first’ in
modern times had already been established in Islam at the very outset.
If nature has decreed that man and woman should have different
attributes and functions, it is so that, rather than duplicate each other,
they should complement each other. And so long as they interact
in life complimentarily, the dictates of both nature and society are
satisfactorily fulfilled.
SCIENCE AND THEOLOGY
Part 2
Our universe is based on very firm laws. It is custom made for our habitation.
The order, organisation and design evident in it is extraordinary. All of
these compulsively lead us to accept that some agency outside the universe
is responsible for its creation and functioning. Denying God’s existence
because of His being invisible is an anachronistic argument in the age of
modern science. The choice does not lie between the universe without God
and the universe with God; but rather between the universe with God and
no universe at all.
................ Part 1 appeared in the previous issue ................
The Observation of Space
ONE of the new developments of modernity is space travel.
A number of people have travelled into space and have
studied the earth and many galaxies through high-powered
telescopes, discovering many things which were hitherto
unknown. One of these discoveries is that there is no planet similar to
the earth anywhere in the vast universe. There is life on our earth with
its totally balanced life support system. On the subject of how entirely
appropriate this system was for human life on earth, one scientist
typified it as “the right type of material at the right place.”
The unique quality possessed by our earth is the life existing upon
it, the highest form being that of human beings. In this respect the
earth, where the existence of man is an exception, is a singularity in the
vast universe. The existence of this kind of life is not a simple matter.
Innumerable factors, making up the life support system, are essential
to its survival and all of these factors must co-exist in exactly the
right proportion to each other. This meaningful exception in the vast
universe is undoubtedly the result of purposeful creation and proof of
there being a Planner. The earth and its life support system could only
have come into being as a result of Divine Intervention.
Earth: the Exception
If a space traveller could make a thorough survey of the entire universe,
he would find that it was totally lifeless. In limitless space, he would encounter terrible darkness, huge rocks and immense balls of fire
— all in constant, frenzied movement. After passing through such a
frightful scenario he would reach planet earth, where he would find an
astonishing exception. Here, quite uniquely, there is water, vegetation;
living things like fish, birds and animals, and human beings who are
capable of thought. Even more astonishingly, there exists on Earth that
factor which favours all these life forms — the ‘Life Support System’.
Here exists a complete civilization which does not exist anywhere else
in the vast universe. In other words — in a totally meaningless universe,
here exists a highly meaningful world.
The meaningful exception of the Earth’s life support is
undoubtedly the result of purposeful creation.
This set of circumstances tells us that planet Earth is a unique exception
in the vast universe. This exception is no simple matter. This observation
is proof of a great reality: the existence of God Almighty. This exception
proves intervention; and intervention proves without doubt that an
intervener exists, and when the existence of an intervener is proved,
God’s existence is thereby also proved.
The Problem of Suffering Due to Evil
One of the problems regularly cited to cast doubt upon the existence of
God is the problem of evil. This objection to belief in God is the result
of the erroneous view: that evil in human life is God-made, whereas
this is not true.
The actual reason for this misunderstanding is that when people
observe human suffering due to evil, they seek an explanation. When,
in many cases, this explanation is not immediately observable they
allege that either there is no God controlling this world or, that if there
is a God, He is unjust. But this attribution is quite wrong. This suffering
which is found in human life is caused by people themselves, by others
and often by the social system of which they are a part. Sometimes
suffering has an immediate cause, and sometimes, the cause of the
suffering can be traced back over several generations.
Making a Wrong Reference
The reason for these misapprehensions is that people study situations
from the wrong angle. That is, they look at a phenomenon as if it is related to God rather than to man. This goes entirely against scientific
facts.
For instance, in modern times, there are many diseases known as
‘lifestyle diseases’ which are entirely man made. Corruption, pollution,
adulteration, crime, oppression, greed and such man made evils have
all been responsible for human suffering. Similarly, in the wake of
violence, a number of people die or become disabled, all of which is
due to human action.
The truth is that attributing entire human suffering to nature is
unscientific. The study of all the branches of science tells us that nature
is totally devoid of such evils. Laws of nature are so perfect that had it
not been so, scientific research would become rudderless and come to
an abrupt halt.
A Comparative Study
The first principle of the scientific study of the problem of evil is what
may be called ‘understanding in comparison’. This comparative study
shows that this problem is limited purely to the human world, an
extremely tiny part as compared to the entire universe. The rest of
the universe with all its vastness is entirely a zero-defect world. There
is evidence of innumerable happenings at all times throughout the
universe, but we cannot find evil anywhere.
The Earth is a unique exception in the vast universe.
Exception proves intervention and intervention
requires an Intervener.
The human world is marred by disease, accidents, corruption, injustice,
exploitation, hatred, war, enmity, arrogance, strife, crime, etc. In short,
all kinds of evils are found in the human world. But the rest of the
universe is totally free from such kinds of evil. It is this difference which
proves that the problem of evil is a product of man himself rather than
a product of nature. Had this problem been a product of nature, it
would certainly be found throughout the universe.
Scientific Study
Scientific studies show that there is a clear difference between the
human world and the rest of the universe. That is, the rest of the universe is controlled by the eternal laws of nature. Contrary to this,
man is free and leads his life according to his own free will. It is this
difference which is, in actual fact, the real reason for what is called the
‘problem of evil’.
A deeper study of this matter shows that all the evils of this human
world are the result of the wrong use of human freedom. Corruption in
social systems results in many kinds of diseases. Wars, global warming,
pollution, ecological problems, etc, are all the result of the misuse of
human freedom.
God’s Creation Plan
Why did the Creator give man this freedom? To understand this point,
we shall have to understand God’s Creation Plan. According to this Plan,
man has been given total freedom in this world. God has arranged this
for the purpose of putting man to the test.
Whenever there is freedom,
there is going to be the misuse of freedom.
God wanted to bestow upon man a great reward. This great reward is
Paradise – a place of eternal pleasure. Only those who make proper
use of their freedom will be entitled to a place in Paradise. Those will
be such individuals who practice self-discipline, in spite of having the
freedom not to do so. Whenever there is freedom, there is going to be
the misuse of freedom; but freedom is so precious that it cannot be
taken away merely due to the risk of it being misused by man.
The Explanation of the Meaningfulness of the Universe
Another aspect of the discussion regarding God’s existence relates to
the meaningfulness of the universe.
Acceptance of God not only provides the explanation for the existence of
this universe, but also gives complete meaningfulness to the universe.
Not accepting the existence of God means reducing a meaningful
universe to meaninglessness, whereas belief in God means having the
conviction that the universe is ultimately going to reach a meaningful
conclusion. The concepts of justice and injustice are part of a human
being’s mental make-up right from the moment he is born. Man has
the inherent desire that whoever leads his life in accordance with the
principles of justice should be rewarded and whoever leads a life of injustice should be punished. This natural demand or urge finds its
fulfilment only in acceptance of the concept of the universe with God.
A denial of this concept provides no answer to this innate urge in man.
Every man, by birth, has an ocean of desires surging within him. In the
present world, the fulfillment of these desires is not possible. According
to the concept of the universe without God, man is fated to never have
his desires fulfilled; but the concept of the universe with God, holds out
the hope that man will find total fulfillment of his desires in the next
stage of his life after death.
Consciousness of Time
The study of human psychology shows that man is a time-conscious
creature. Man is the only creature cognizant of his past, present and
future. But it is an undeniable fact that every one finds only the ‘present’
in his life. Deprived of his future, every man dies in depression. He acts
for a better future throughout his present life. But in his limited life
span, he cannot find his better future and he is forced to leave this
world in despair. An internet search for, ‘Risk Factor: Depression’, lists
over five hundred eminent people who have suffered depression, many
of whom have died in a state of despair. The concept of the universe
without God fails to provide any answer to the question of whether
there is an after-life or not, whereas the concept of a universe with God
provides satisfactory answers to all of man’s questions on this subject.
The Principle of Pairs
The study of the universe shows that, here, everything has been created
in pairs — negative electric particles are paired with positive electric
particles, the flowers in the trees are divided into male and female,
animals are both male and female, human beings are likewise male
and female. This is a universal law. In this world everything has its pair.
Only a concept of a universe with God provides
satisfactory answers to all of man’s questions.
On a parallel with this, human life must also have its pair. That is, the
incomplete life before death should be succeeded by a complete life
after death. According to the concept of a universe with God, this ‘pair’
of human life exists; but according to the concept of a universe without
God, this complementary pair does not exist.
The Failure of Idealism
All the philosophers and thinkers regard this present world as an
eternal world. They believe that they will be able to build their desired
world in this present world itself. The ideal society, the ideal state, the
ideal system – all these concepts have stemmed from such a belief.
These thinkers have been fascinated by such concepts all their lives.
They persisted with the belief that civilization was the realization of
this dream.
Acceptance of God not only provides the explanation for
the existence of this universe, but also gives complete
meaningfulness to the universe.
With modern industrial progress, people thought that civilizational
development was finally going to lead them to their destination, when
they would be able to build their paradise in the present world itself;
but this notion has proved to be totally wrong.
The End of the World
Sir Isaac Newton (1642-1727), the founder of modern science, studied
the laws of physics and predicted in 1704, that the modern world would
come to an end in 2060. On the basis of this observation, scientists all
over the world are saying that as a result of global warming, the end of
the world has become certain. The further development of civilization
is no longer possible. In his book, Future Shock, published in 1970, Alvin
Toffler wrote that now the world had passed through the industrial age
and was entering the super-industrial age. The next stage of civilization
would be a stage of complete automation. Push-button culture would
progress to the extent that everything would be done automatically.
But the problem of global warming has brought the message not of
the consummation of history but of the end of history. This turn of
events is undoubtedly the most crucial issue of today. A satisfactory
answer to the questions it raises is to be found only in the concept of
the universe with God. Without this concept, it is just not possible to
find a satisfactory explanation for this phenomenon.
This event is an argument in favour of the concept of the universe with
God; an argument which fully satisfies reason and logic.
Such examples clearly prove that the concept of a Godless universe has a very serious logical flaw. Such a concept would lead us to
believe that our perfectly meaningful universe will come to a totally
meaningless end.
On the other hand, the concept of the universe with God is totally free
of this flaw. It is only when we believe in the concept of the universe with
God that we can believe that this meaningful universe will culminate in
a meaningful future.
Therefore we can say that:
The option that we have is not between a ‘universe with God’ and a
‘universe without God’. The only option we have is between a ‘universe
with God’ and ‘no universe at all’.
Islamic Spirituality
Islam is a scheme of spiritual development.
Its goal is to establish direct communion
between God and man
in order that man may become
the recipient of divine inspiration.
In such a religion
it is moderation
which is of the utmost importance,
not extremism or fundamentalism.
It is peace
which is of the utmost importance
and not violence.
WORLD RELIGIONS AND THE SPIRIT OF TOLERANCE
The United Nations held the year 1995 as the year of tolerance. In a declaration
signed in 1995 by 185 member nations,
International Day for Tolerance. Tolerance was recognized as a permanent human
requirement. And tolerance became a political, legal and moral duty to protect and
preserve human rights.
ALL the great religions of the world can be broadly divided
into two categories: Aryan religions and Semitic religions.
Tolerance has been given equal importance in both these
types of religions. Religion makes a man a spiritually
developed human being. One who has elevated his spirituality cannot
afford intolerance. The behaviour of a truly religious person is always
one of tolerance.
As regards tolerance, the difference between the two types of religions is
that of rationale of tolerance, instead of tolerance itself. The philosophic
ground for tolerance in the Aryan religions is derived from their belief that
truth is an all-pervading reality. According to this concept, the psychology
of a religious person is that, ‘If I am in the right, you too, according to your
own tradition, are in the right.’ That is to say, tolerance in Aryan religions is
based on the concept of ‘manyness’ of reality.
The behaviour of a truly religious person
is always one of tolerance.
The philosophic base for tolerance in Semitic religions is different from
this, as these religions believe in the principle of oneness of reality.
However, so far as the question of human respect is concerned, Semitic
religions lay equal emphasis on this value. That is to say, the difference
in this regard in both the branches of religions is one of philosophy not
of practice. To put it differently the basis of tolerance in Aryan religions
is on mutual recognition, while its basis in Semitic religions is on mutual
respect. This difference is only one of philosophic explanation. So far as
practical behaviour in this regard is concerned, there is no difference
in either religion.
The spirit of tolerance is the essence of all religions. The man produced
by religion can never be divested of it. Intolerance appears to be directed
at others, but it is akin to killing man’s own religious personality. Then
how can a sincere person be willing to kill himself?
MAKING INSTANT HISTORY
IT is said that media is a powerful tool with respect to social
reform. It is certainly true that the media has achieved the status
of the greatest industry; It is present in every home, big or small.
But there is no social reform. Everyone complains about the
deterioration in human and social values. Why this failure of media
in social reform? In spite of great expansion, media has little positive
effect on our present society.
The reason lies in the very nature of media. The subject of media is to
write instant history, it has no interest in the past or the future. The
sole focus here is what is going on in the present. Due to this nature of
media, it has failed to bring about any positive change in society.
Thinking about the past means taking lessons from previous
experiences. The past is full of experiences and every experience has
a lesson; but when we are not interested in the study of the past, we
deprive ourselves from such lessons, and thus, reassessing our lives.
On the other hand, the future means thinking about tomorrow. The
best planning is only one that is future-oriented, but media has no
interest about future events.
In such a situation, media simply becomes a source of intellectual
enjoyment on a daily basis. One who is engaged in it—both, in print and
electronic forms, can only think about the present and their formula of
life becomes, ‘right here, right now’. This state of mind makes them
self-centred; they cannot think about social values. Social betterment
needs a mind that is socially-oriented but people of the above kind live
with a self-oriented mind, and these kinds of people cannot play any
role in social reform.
Another aspect of media is that it is not a mission; media is an industry.
This nature of media makes it impotent for playing any role in terms of
social reform. Social reform is a mission, it cannot be a business. And
media, being an industry, like any other business organization cannot
play a role in terms of social reform.
This is not a value judgment about media; it is simply an objective
assessment. If it is expected that media will play a role in social reform, that is an over-expectation; this kind of thinking will only create undue
criticism towards the media. We should not expect that media is going
to play any role in terms of social reform; but only take media as a
provider of news. For this purpose, the media is doing its job, so why
complain? Rather, we should say that anyone who has any complaints
against the media with regard to social reform must themselves start
a mission for that purpose. The media is not going to fulfil your hopes.
It is the duty of the complainant and not of the media to do this job.
Media cannot be blamed; blame goes to those persons who know
that it is our need to bring about reform in society, but they themselves
do nothing. It is like transferring your duty to the media, in the form
of a complaint. One has only two options in this regard; either take
media as a provider of news or try to discharge their duty regarding
social reform.
The above complaint is like asking for a third option, which is simply
not an option in this world of reality. It is the same as uttering words
which have no value.
The Will to Unite
The feelings of love which cement family life
can be brought into being in social life
through conscious deliberations.
Unity can spring from a human awakening
to its ultimate necessity.
Where family life is governed by the heart,
social life is governed by the will.
There is nothing that cannot be endured
for the sake of unity, provided
there is the will to achieve it.
RESERVATION A SUICIDAL APPROACH
AFTER India’s partition in 1947, the system of reservation was
applied to Government jobs and education, on the grounds,
ostensibly, that such a move was essential for the upliftment
of the backward classes. The total reservation percentage
in India is now about 52% with 27% towards OBC (Other Backward
Classes). Muslims have availed this reservation and have been
demanding for more. This system, however, has proved counterproductive.
It has only led to Muslims becoming more backward, as
they no longer had to compete to succeed.
RESERVATION MAKES US LETHARGIC
Such a policy implies ‘achievement without hard work’. This eventually
led to Muslim lethargy and the demand for privileged treatment. The
Government of India has even approved 50% reservation for Muslim
students in the Aligarh Muslim University. The reason? 'To promote the
educational advancement of the Muslims of India'.
It is the spirit of competition which is the ladder
to human progress.
It is illogical, however, to imagine that reservations will promote
advancement. Only if the spirit of hard work is inculcated will this
become a reality. In this age of meritocracy, any attempt to succeed
through reservations is anachronistic.
COMPETITION LEADS TO PROGRESS
We live in a highly competitive world—a world in which our success,
and sometimes our very survival, depends upon superior performance.
It is the spirit of competition which is the ladder to human progress
and without it, little advancement has been made in the history of
mankind. The atomic age would have come much later, had it not been
for America’s determination to attain world leadership. The electronic
age might not have seen such an exponential growth, had it not been
for Japan’s urge to climb to the top of the economic ladder. Imagine the
scene if the Japanese had resorted to complaints and protests, instead
of taking constructive action. Valuable time and energy would have
been wasted and they would ultimately have faced ruination.
Indian Muslims should learn from this. In the last sixty years, on this
predominantly Hindu sub-continent, the Indian Muslims, numbering
over 175 million, have failed to benefit from being the largest minority
group. At the time of partition, they opted to remain in India, but failed
to adjust to their new situation. Although they could have become a
truly creative minority, they missed the chance to prove their worth.
Despite being the largest minority, they have become the most deprived
of all the groups across the country.
With their creed, tradition, history and numbers, Muslims definitely
had the moral stature to make a major contribution to the new
India. The saying, 'in giving we receive', could well have been their
motto. However, for this, they needed a period of harmony—a
possibility only if they had unilaterally withdrawn all their grudges
and complaints against the majority and risen above the reactionary
psychology of the times. Unfortunately, however, they lacked dynamic
and visionary leaders. As a result, Muslims became known as 'takers',
rather than 'givers'.
AWAITING OPPORTUNITIES
Muslims have not yet realized that, from their ‘back seat’ position, they
are quite free to exploit their own considerable potential. By putting
aside notions of privilege and precedence, they could educate and
develop themselves to keep pace with the fast-changing times. It is
simply a question of getting their priorities right.
Reservation implies achievement without hard work.
Promod Batra, noted management author, when asked about the
secret of success, said - “Starve the problems, feed the opportunities”.
This is sound advice for the Muslims as well. History, after all, abounds
in examples of peoples who have successfully risen from the ashes
of their dead selves. A case in point is modern Japan. Its denizens
thought of themselves as ‘children of the sun’, genuinely superior to
all other races and well within their rights in attempting to dominate
other nations. Their slogan was ‘East Asia for Japan’. Such thinking was
responsible for Japanese aggression from 1937 to 1945, during which
period they captured Manila, Singapore and Rangoon. However, they
were finally crushed militarily with the atomic bombing of Hiroshima
and Nagasaki by America.
On September 2nd 1945, Japan signed a document ratifying America’s supremacy over Japan. Yet Japan’s subsequent success story is one of
the greatest of modern times.
STRATEGIC RETREAT
It is only those who accept defeat and then do something positive
about it that ultimately succeed. There is nothing to stop an individual,
community or nation from working towards regaining, or even
bettering its lost position, for a strategic retreat always makes it
possible to return to the fray. Such tactics were very well understood
by the Muslims 1,400 years ago while drafting up the peace treaty
of Hudaibiya. This approach, although apparently over-conciliatory
towards the opponent, ultimately facilitated the very positive progress
of the Islamic mission.
In this competitive world, our success and sometimes our
very survival, depends upon superior performance.
Sinking into a state of paranoid stagnation will achieve nothing. While
there is nothing to be gained from pessimism, there is everything to be
gained from a positive approach.
Flowers and Thorns
It is a fact of psychology that no single person can be
an amalgam of all good qualities.
It is no simple matter to label a person wholly good or wholly bad.
If there is to be harmony within a community, the bad side of its
members must be tolerated, while their good side appreciated.
If we want to pluck flowers, we have also to bear the thorns that
come with them. There is no way that one who cannot put up with
thorns will be able to possess the flowers of this life.
INTRODUCTION TO THE QURAN
EVEN before the Prophet Muhammad was chosen by God as His
messenger, he used to want to be all alone, so that he could
think deeply about life. To do this, he used to retreat to the Cave
of Hira on Mount An-Nur on the outskirts of Mecca. One night
in the year A.D. 610, the Angel Gabriel appeared to him in this cave. He
commanded him: “Read, in the name of your Lord!”. Astonished, the
Prophet replied: “I do not know how to read”. The angel repeated these
words three times, to which the Prophet gave the same reply. Then the
angel said:
Read, in the name of your Lord, who created, who created man from
a clot. Read! And your Lord is the most bountiful.
THE QURAN,
The joys of this life should be taken as a foretaste of
Paradise, and not as an unconditional blessing.
So began the revelation of the Holy Quran, in the Prophet’s fortieth year.
After memorizing each revelation, he instructed his companions to do
likewise. He also called for a scribe (katib al-wahy) to write down every
word. There were finally about twenty nine scribes all recording the
divine revelations. The entire Quran, which took 23 years to complete,
was later memorized by hundreds of the Prophet’s companions during
his lifetime.
The Earliest Copies of the Quran
The Caliph Uthman sent copies of the Quran to far-off places such as
Damascus, Kufa and Basra, keeping one for himself and returning the
original copy to Hafsa. Two of these very early copies, called Mushaf
Uthman, still exist today, one in the Topkapi Museum in Istanbul and
the other in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.
Until the tenth century, Kufic, with its square-shaped letters, was the
only script used to write the Quran. Later, in the eleventh century, the
master calligrapher, Ibn al- Bawwab, developed new styles of writing
based on the rules laid down by Ibn Muqla. During the twelfth and
thirteenth centuries, Arabic script continued to improve and often the pages would be intricately decorated with gold and silver. The
calligraphers were well rewarded for their work and this led to there
being different schools of calligraphy in Iraq, Egypt, Syria and Iran. It is
the modified Maghribi style of writing, developed in the period of the
Ottoman Caliphs, which is now mostly in use.
The Quran was revealed to give glad tidings to the
righteous and a warning to transgressors.
As early as the tenth century, wooden blocks were used to print the
Quran. Moveable type was first used to print the Quran in Arabic in
Germany in 1649. This was followed by copies printed during the 17th,
18th and 19th centuries by Muslims in Russia, Kazan, Iran and Turkey.
The Early Translation of the Quran
To introduce Islam to neighbouring lands, the Prophet Muhammad sent
to their various rulers, letters containing passages from the Quran. The
following was included in the letter to the Negus of Abyssinia:
He is God besides whom there is no other deity. He is the sovereign
Lord, the Most Pure, the Source of Peace, the Granter of Security,
the Protector, the Mighty, the Subduer, the Supreme. Glory be
to God, who is far above what they associate with Him.
THE QURAN,
These letters were translated either by the messengers; that is, the
Prophet’s companions, or by the kings’ interpreters. In this way, parts
of the Quran began to be translated during the Prophet’s own lifetime.
Salman al-Farisi, a companion of the Prophet from Persia, translated
the first Surah, al-Fatiha, into Persian. The first complete translations
were done in Persian in the tenth century under the rule of the Samanid
king. The first translation of the Quran into Latin was done in 1143
for Peter, the Abbot of the Monastery of Cluny, but was not published
until 1543 at Basle. Over the centuries, this was followed by translations
into German, Italian, Dutch, French and English. The first Muslim to
translate the Quran into English was Muhammad Abdul-Hakim Khan
of Patiala, India, in 1906. This was followed by a number of translations,
the best of these being the translation with commentary by Abdullah
Yusuf Ali (Lahore, 1934) and a translation by Muhammad Marmaduke
Pickthall (Hyderabad, India, 1938).
The Message of the Quran
The Quran, the true word of God, is an eternal guide for the whole
of mankind. It answers all such questions as: ’Why has God placed
humanity on earth? What is His scheme of things in creating such a
vast universe? How should we lead our lives? What will happen to us
after death?’ etc. In it, man meets his Lord, beholds His promises and
rejoices in His good tidings. It opens with the words: “Praise be to God,
Lord of the Universe.” This is a way of saying: “Thank You, God, Maker
and Sustainer of all the creatures in the world.” That is, He is One who,
truly caring for His subjects, provides for all their needs.
The Quran, the true word of God, is an eternal guide
for the whole of mankind.
One who discovers the Almighty in all His power and glory, suddenly
finds the Lord forever in his heart and thoughts. This leads to a
spontaneous outpouring of thanksgiving and adoration:
Inspire me, Lord, to render thanks for the favours.
You have bestowed on me and my parents, and to do
good works that will please You.
THE QURAN,
The Divine Scheme of Things
The Quran was revealed to give glad tidings to the righteous and a
warning to transgressors:
We have revealed to you this Book so that, by their Lord’s will,
you may lead men from darkness to the light; to the path of
the Mighty, the Glorious One.
THE QURAN,
Indeed, the Quranic mission is to make human beings fully understand
God’s plan. Although upright by nature, everyone must still undergo
a period of testing during his short time on this earth, so that in the
next world he may be justly rewarded or punished for his deeds or
misdeeds in this life. For this trial to be valid, everyone has been given
the freedom to choose either the right path, as is shown in the divine
scriptures, or the wrong path—that of his own desires.
According to the Quran, as a part of the test for man, Satan will spring
upon him from the front and from the rear, from the right and from
the left. (THE QURAN,
But if he reads the Quran with understanding, he will never go astray.
Moreover, the Quran shows that the joys of this life should be taken
as a foretaste of Paradise, and not as an unconditional blessing. Man’s
freedom to savour these joys should never, therefore, be misused.
A Spiritual and Moral Guide
The Quran gives us rules for what is right and wrong in every aspect of
daily life. It lays down man’s duties not only to his Creator but also to
himself and his fellow men. It defines true piety as belief in God, the
Last Day, the angels, the Book and the prophets and urges us to be
kind to those in need.
The Quran is an eternal book, warning man of the coming of the
Last Day. It is a verbal trumpet, blown before the actual last trumpet
announcing the Day of Judgment.
The successful are those awakened by it.
Eternity is Better
Successful is the person who purifies himself,
who remembers the name of his Lord, and prays.
Yet you prefer this life, although the life to come
is better and more lasting.
All this is written in earlier scriptures;
the scriptures of Abraham and Moses.
(
RELIGIOUS RESPONSES TO THE TROUBLES OF OUR AGE
WHY is there widespread social and political upheaval in our
present world? It is not due to injustice as is commonly
assumed. It is due to an unrealistic concept of justice
and an obsession with an unrealistic concept of human
rights. People are living in a state of over-expectation and when they
find that their expectations are not fulfilled, they react. This reaction
begins from negative thinking, and then it takes the shape of protest
and, finally, it takes a violent turn. The solution lies in reconsidering
and correcting the generally accepted concept of human rights. This is
where to begin. Without this, there can be no beginning at all.
The widespread social and political upheavals in our
present world are due to an unrealistic concept
of justice and human rights.
In the twentieth century, many movements were launched to champion
human rights. But perhaps, there has been no significant movement
based on the human duties. Through the print and electronic media,
these movements gradually spread all over the world. Now, everyone is
obsessed with the concept of human rights. With perhaps no exception,
individuals and societies have become rights-conscious.
This is against the law of nature. The law of nature is based on the
‘give-and-take’ principle. But, the human rights concept has gone in a
contrary direction, that is, ‘taking without giving’—if not consciously,
then unconsciously.
Under the influence of these movements, now everyone talks of
ideal justice. But, our world is a world of competition and in a world
of competition, ideal justice cannot be achieved. According to the law
of nature, only working justice is achievable in this world and not
ideal justice.
The only workable formula is that everyone should accept working
justice. This will give one enough time to direct one’s energies towards
more important issues.
This law of nature is based on high wisdom, that is, everyone should
be content with their needs and divert their ambitions to spiritual and
ideological development.
The best formula for peace of mind is—as regards
material things to remain contented and
in spiritual matters, to be idealistic.
Man is an ideal-seeking animal. But the fact is that our world is a
limited world. So, material idealism is not achievable in this world. On
the contrary, spiritual idealism is completely achievable. So, the best
formula for a successful life is; as regards material things, to remain
contented, and in spiritual matters, to be idealistic.
This is the only formula that gives one peace of mind. This is the only
formula that prevents a person from indulging in complaining and
negative thinking.
It frees one of the desire to complain and helps in developing positive
thinking. In other words, to live a successful life, a two point formula is:
material ‘status quoism’ and spiritual idealism.
The Spiritual One
One who is spiritually inclined
resorts constantly to his inner mental life —
something which no one can take away from him.
Such a man possesses inner contentment, and is
far above all material gain and loss.
THE WORD OF GOD
THE Quran is the book of God. It has been preserved in its
entirety since its revelation to the Prophet of Islam between
610 and 632 A.D. It is a book that brings glad tidings to mankind,
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 He who made the sun radiate a brilliant light and the moon shed
its lustre, and ordained for it stages so that you may learn to count
out the years and [to make other such] reckoning of time. God has not
created all these without a purpose. He makes plain His revelations to
men of understanding.
In the alternation of night and day, and in all that God has created in the
heavens and the earth, there are signs for a God-fearing people.
The sun is at the most appropriate distance from our earth. That is why
it has been a treasure-like source of light and heat for us. If a difference
were to occur in this alignment, the sun would not be the sun for us: it
would become the fire of hell. Instead of being the messenger of life,
it would be the messenger of death. The moon rotates in its orbit in a
precise, mathematical way. In spite of its being devoid of its own light,
it not only gives us cool light, reflected from the sun, but also provides
us with a natural calendar of months and days. These astronomical
signs prove that there is strong purposefulness in the universe, and
the fate of the purposeful universe cannot be purposeless.
Then, the appearance of day after night indicates, in the language
of symbolism, the moral fact that, according to the law prevailing in
this world of ours, light should prevail after the reign of darkness; the
brightness of light should follow upon darkness. Where, before, human
rights had been trampled upon, there will now ensue a system whereby
rights will be honoured. Divine justice will dominate in place of human
arrogance. Such a time is destined to come, when the prevalence of evil
will come to an end and the recognition of truth will prevail everywhere.
God has revealed the realities of the Hereafter by means of symbols.
Similarly, in the present world, God reveals Himself in the form of
arguments, and not as a tangible manifestation. So, we can find God
only in the manner and shape in which He reveals Himself and not in
any other form.
In this world, God has offered mankind His guidance. But only those
who are ready to follow it according to the godly plan are destined to
receive this guidance. Only those who are ready to understand the truth
presented in the language of reason and accept it will be inspired to
tread the right path. Those who do not bow down before true argument
fail to bow down, as it were, before God; it is like not accepting God.
Such people may expect nothing but Hell as their reward.
In the heavens and on the earth, there are countless signs which
become the elements of a lesson for those who are God-fearing. Fear,
or apprehension, is a thing which makes a man serious. Unless a man
is serious, he will not pay full attention to matters of importance and
will not understand their various aspects.
The whole universe is held together in a creative balance. This is a
clear indication of the fact that the Lord of the universe is One who
has absolute power over man. Similarly, the initial life which we are
now experiencing provides clear proof of the fact that a second life is
also possible.
The appearance of material results in the present world and the nonappearance
of moral results warrants the taking shape of another
world where the moral results will be clearly in evidence. This is an
unassailable truth, but this can be grasped only by one who looks at life
in fear and apprehension.
Those who entertain no hope of meeting Us, being pleased and contented
with the life of this world, and those who give no heed to Our signs, shall
have their abode in the Fire in requital for their deeds.
For whom is hell meant? It is for those who have forgotten that they
will have to face God; those who have contented themselves with the
temporary amenities of this world as opposed to the eternal bounties
of the Hereafter; those who are satisfied with the things that purely
as a matter of trial they have received in this world; those who attach
themselves to ungodly things to such an extent that they become completely unmindful of the realities revealed by God. All this amounts
to treading the path of hell in the eyes of God, and those who adopt the
way of hell will not arrive anywhere except in hell.
Those who believe and do good deeds will be guided by their Lord
because of their faith. Rivers shall flow at their feet in the Gardens of
Bliss.
In that [state of happiness] they will call out; ‘Glory be to You, O God!’,
while their greeting in it will be: ‘Peace!’ And the close of their call will
be, ‘All praise is due to God, the Lord of the Universe!’
Literally, ‘On account of their faith, God will lead them towards the goal
of Paradise.’ This shows that Faith is guidance for man; it prevents him
from taking wrong paths and makes him tread the right way until it
leads him to the real goal.
Faith is discovery of God. The thread of knowledge comes within the
grasp of one who is blessed with faith. He becomes capable of starting
his thinking from the right place on all matters. Never allowing his
thoughts to err, he attains correctness in his thinking. Furthermore,
belief in God is not simply acceptance of a bookish philosophy; it is
belief in God Who is alive and Who is going to finally assemble all
human beings before Him to take a final reckoning. In this way, Faith
inculcates in man a sense of anxiety or apprehension about his future
fate and this makes him extremely serious. He is forced to look at all
his actions in the light of their being right or wrong, so that he may
adopt only the right direction. In this way, Faith provides man with the
right way of thinking as well as the power to distinguish between right
and wrong, which acts as his permanent practical guide.
The Paradise of the Hereafter is for those who have, in this world,
proved themselves to be deserving of it. The Hereafter is a place where
one will directly experience and become directly immersed in the
glories of God. So, the opportunity to live in Paradise will be given only
to those who, in this world, had immersed themselves in the indirect
manifestations of the glories of God. In the Hereafter, human hearts
will be full of well-wishing and peace-desiring for each other. So, only
those who, in this world had proved that in their hearts they had only
such feelings for others, will find their abode in Paradise.
ASK MAULANA
When surrounded by problems, how can we
remain positive?
It is very easy. If you become negative when
you face problems, you become unable to
tackle those problems, while if you remain
positive you will be able to tackle it the right
way. It is, therefore, quite counterproductive to
become negative when facing problems. You
simply cannot afford to be negative.
What, according to you, is Spirituality?
Spirituality is a discipline by which we can
develop our personality along positive lines. Broadly speaking, there
are two schools of spirituality. According to one school, spirituality
is based on meditation; this spirituality may be called heart-based
spirituality. I, however, believe in the other kind of spirituality that is
based on contemplation. You may call it mind-based spirituality. Mindbased
spirituality is based on thinking.
Could you give an example of mind-based spirituality?
For example, in our life there can be negative experiences at any
moment. These experiences disturb our spirituality; but by applying
our mind we can cause all this negativity and the tension generated by
it to disappear and thus maintain our spirituality.
But, to develop ourselves spiritually, is it necessary to detach ourselves
from the physical world?
No. The physical world can be helpful in developing spirituality. If you
become a slave of material things, then the physical world becomes an
obstacle to developing spirituality but if you become the master of the
material world, you will be mature enough to squeeze spirituality from
material things. For example, if someone abuses you, don’t become
upset. It is better to shake hands with him and say: ‘My friend, there was
a news item in today’s paper and I would like to have your comments
on it.’ In this way, you can change the subject and so turn negativity
into positivity.
How important is anti-self thinking?
Anti-self thinking means constantly reassessing your activities,
constantly revising your own plan. It is said that ‘to err is human.’ This
being so, it is a must for everyone to discover his errors and concede to
having made wrong judgments. So, anti-self thinking is a self-correcting
process. It means finding out where you went wrong, how you missed
the bus.
It is often said that a person engrossed in spiritual issues is not very
concerned with success in the material world. What is your comment
on this?
I cannot subscribe to this notion. You know, Mahatma Gandhi was a
spiritual person but was totally involved in national politics. So, there is
no contradiction between these two areas. On the contrary, spirituality
may help to achieve great success in fields other than that of spirituality.
For spirituality makes you a mature person, and a mature person is in a
better position to deal with the affairs of life.
So, is spirituality then a human need?
Yes, spirituality is our greatest need. Spirituality being a tool for
normalizing a situation, it enables one to think positively and to live
as a tension-free person. Spirituality makes one a mature person, one
capable of taking healthy decisions.
Is science supportive of spirituality?
In a direct sense science cannot support spirituality, but in an indirect
sense, it can very well do so. It can be a great supporter of spirituality.
In every scientific discovery there are some implied spiritual lessons.
By pondering over these discoveries, you can find the spiritual aspects
of the lessons they teach.
Could you give an example?
For example, science has discovered that the heart is an organ for
pumping blood and that this pumping is directly controlled by our
unconscious mind. If it were up to me to cause the heart to pump by
applying my conscious mind, I certainly would become so busy that I
would have no time for anything else. This makes us realize the great
gift of nature. It has made our conscious mind free. So, spiritual aspects
in the discoveries of science are implied.
Please send your questions to
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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 )
