FROM MAULANAS 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
Muslims1
. 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.
THE AMERICAN ELECTION
On November 8, 2016 the media presented the news to the world
that Donald Trump, the Republican candidate, had been elected as
the 46th President of the United States of America.
ON hearing this news the whole world in general and the Muslims
in particular were aghast. Muslims, throughout the world began
speaking out against Mr. Donald Trump. Muslims feared that
the policies of the President elect would be anti-Muslim in nature.
This reaction by the Muslims however, is wholly against the teachings
of Islam: if you were to ask any Muslim why he was against Donald
Trump he would refer to his election speeches which were apparently
anti-Muslim in tone.
In terms of the culture of reaction, Muslims appear to be justified in
their stand. But Islam does not believe in the culture of reaction. On
the contrary, Islam advocates the principle of unilateral adherence to
Islamic ethics.
The Quran has commanded believers to “ignore their hurtful talk”
(da’a azahum) (
behave positively. This teaching of unilateral ethics has been referred
to in the Quran as ‘sabr’, or patience. The advocacy of patience is based
on the law of nature, according to which it is reality that must ultimately
prevail. The Quran teaches believers that unreal things have to be
ignored, for their existence is only temporary, and will very quickly be
replaced by matters of a permanent nature.
The truth is that, the system of this world functions on the basis of
interdependence. The interests of one group are inevitably linked
with those of other groups. Therefore no group can deny outright the
interests of others. By keeping away from reaction you give nature a
chance to work.
This principle of nature has proved true, in the case of Donald Trump.
If you go by media reports, you will find that during his election
campaign, Donald Trump made a number of negative statements. But
soon after the election results were made known, he started making
positive statements. Donald Trump’s victory speech hints to a softening
of his stance towards the minorities. This shows that his Muslim-ban
statement was just an election rhetoric. Even Donald Trump’s statement
on banning Muslims from the US has disappeared from his website.
Such incidents have a great lesson for Muslims. That is, they should
always remain patient in the face of adversity. If anything appears
undesirable, one should avoid reacting to it, for, according to the law
of nature, that ostensibly permanent state will very soon be replaced,
and Muslims will find this new state quite acceptable.
Here is a relevant verse from the Quran: “As for those who affirm,
‘Our Lord is God,’ and then remain steadfast, the angels will descend
on them, saying ‘have no fear and do not grieve. Rejoice in the (good
news) of the Garden that you have been promised.’” (
steadfast’ in this verse, means that when the faithful maintain their
positive attitude in spite of their having negative experiences, they
receive divine help through the angels and finally achieve success.
Muslims must place their full trust in this verse of the Quran. They must,
under all circumstances, adhere to this divine principle, enshrined in
the Quran. If they follow it they will find that very soon the course of
events will turn in their favour and that with divine planning, they will
manage to achieve their goals in a far better manner than they had
imagined.
Maulana Wahiduddin Khan
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ON JESUS CHRIST
Son of Mary
MANY Christians are unaware that in Islam Jesus is considered
a prophet of God just as he is in Christianity. Muslims also
believe in the miraculous birth of Jesus without a father.
Islam holds both Muhammad and Jesus as prophets, who brought the
divine message of God to mankind. Muhammad ibn Abdullah was born
in 570 CE in Makkah, while Jesus Christ was born 600 years earlier in
Jerusalem. The message that both Jesus and Muhammad brought from
God was essentially the same. This message has been preserved for
eternity in the form of the Quran revealed to the Prophet Muhammad
from God. One of the teachings of the Quran regarding prophets and
messengers is: “We make no distinction between any of them.” (
That is, each prophet has to be accorded the same respect and regard,
making no distinctions between them.
According to the Quran, Jesus Christ had a miraculous birth: none of the
prophets was born in this manner. This fact is mentioned clearly in the
Quran in these words: “The Christ Jesus, son of Mary, was a messenger
of God and His word, conveyed to Mary, a spirit from Him.” (
There are many references found in the
Islamic scripture with regard to Prophet
Jesus and the Christians. The character of the
followers of Jesus has been acknowledged in
the Quran in these words: “We gave him the
Gospel and imbued the hearts of those who
followed him, with compassion and mercy.”
(
Islam holds both
Muhammad and
Jesus as prophets,
who brought the
divine message of
God to mankind.
Similarly, there is a verse in the Quran which
indirectly tells Muslims to adopt the method of the followers of Jesus
Christ: “Believers, be God’s helpers, as Jesus, son of Mary, said to the
disciples, ‘Who will be my helpers in the cause of God?’ The disciples
said, ‘We shall be God’s helpers.” (
Many prophets were sent by God in previous ages, but only with regard
to Jesus Christ, the concept of the Second Coming is believed by both
Christians and Muslims. This belief accords a special status to Jesus.
There are many similarities in the teachings of Jesus and that of Islam.
I will quote an incident in this respect. I was once invited to a Church
in New Jersey on one of my visits to the US. There I spoke on the topic ‘Islam and Peace.’ At the end of the speech, a Christian professor asked
me: “In Christianity we believe in the principle ‘Love your enemy’ (Matthew
this teaching was indeed common to both Christianity and Islam. In
one of its verses the Quran observes: “Good and evil deeds are not
equal. Repel evil with what is better; then you will see that one who was
once your enemy has become your dearest
friend” (
Quran and the Bible have the same essence—
that is, Christianity and Islam do not believe
in the dichotomy of friend and enemy. Both
religions believe that all human beings have
been created on the same nature. Even if a
person appears as an enemy, he is potentially
a friend. It is upon you to convert this potential
into reality by means of positive behaviour.
Both Islam and
Christianity are
Semetic religions.
Peace is one of
the most important
teachings of both
religions.
Both Islam and Christianity are Semetic religions. Peace is one of
the most important teachings of both religions. The Bible says: “The
Lord blesses his people with peace” (Psalm 29: 11). In a similar vein, the
Quran says: “God calls to the Home of Peace” (
circumstances it would be best for both to work jointly, especially for
establishing peace in society.
Supplication
Supplication is not a mere utterance of some
words. Rather, it is the greatest action. Real
supplication is never without its results.
When someone beseeches God in genuine
supplication, it is as if he were making his
issue into God's issue. And when something,
becomes God's concern, then there is no one
who can stop it from being fulfilled.
HELP TO A SEEKER OF TRUTH
Observations in Nature
GOD created a perfect and complete world as an eternal abode
for man called Paradise. Then, He wanted to know who were the
ones worthy of inhabiting that eternal world. For this purpose,
He created the time-bound and imperfect abode in which we are now
living. This life, therefore, is only a selection ground. Man is constantly
under the observation of his Lord. With every utterance and movement,
man is writing his own eternal destiny. One who—during his pre-death
period—proves himself through his conduct deserving of that world,
will in his post-death-period, be rewarded with admission into it.
Others, however, will be flung into the universal junkyard, that is Hell,
condemned for eternity. They will lose both the worlds, the present
incomplete world as well as the next, perfect and everlasting world.
God has revealed Himself in two books—the Quran and the universe.
The Quran is a 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.
This dual source of divine inspiration is mentioned in the Quran in the
following verse:
It was God who raised the heavens with no visible supports,
and then established Himself on the throne; He has regulated
the sun and the moon so that each will pursue its course, for an
appointed time. He ordains all things and
makes plain His revelations, so that you
may be certain of meeting your Lord. (
Man is constantly
under the
observation of his
Lord. With every
utterance and
movement, man
is writing his own
eternal destiny.
So, the Quran is like a guidebook. It prepares
the mind so that one may properly understand
the universe and live in it as desired by God.
A true believer (Momin) has precisely that
kind of prepared mind. When he sees the
universe with its various parts functioning
in an absolutely coherent manner, he will
spontaneously say: “There is no god but one God!” and when he
examines it, he will find that there are so many complex happenings
in its vastness. Nevertheless, he finds that every part of the universe
is highly predictable. With this discovery, he realizes that it is as if God was suggesting that he himself should have a predictable character.
When he observes that the various parts of the universe function with
absolute harmony, he realizes that, in like manner, he should 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. Thus he exclaims:
“O our Lord! You have not created (all) this
without purpose. Glory be to You! Give us
salvation from the torment of Hellfire!” (
The Quran is a
literal version of
God’s word, while
the universe, or
nature, is a practical
demonstration of it.
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. For
them, the whole universe becomes a means
of reaching spiritual perfection. This spiritual
development continues incessantly throughout their earthly life. As
the ultimate result of this life-long developmental process, they attain
that degree of spirituality, which the Quran calls the ‘Rabbani soul.’ It
is such as these who, in the life Hereafter, will be told by their Most
Compassionate Lord: “Dwell in Paradise; you shall have no fear, nor
shall you grieve.” (
Controlling Anger
Anger is one of the major things that could
cause a relationship to go sour. Anger
stokes a quarrel, which, if pursued, leads to
personal dislike, and finally, to full-fledged
hatred. Hatred eventually leads to evil. In any
relationship, trouble is exacerbated by anger.
Anger is a natural phenomenon, and the only
solution is to control it.
MARRIAGE IN ISLAM
Social Contract & Sacred Bond
NATURE demands that men and women lead their lives together.
The ideal way of leading such a life according to the Shariah
(Islamic Law), is within the bonds of marriage. In Islam,
marriage is both a social contract entered into by mutual consent of
the bride and groom, and a sacred bond to which great religious and
social importance is attached. As an institution, it is a cohesive force in
society, and worth protecting and preserving for that reason. To that
end, detailed injunctions have been prescribed to maintain its stability
and promote its betterment.
However, in the knowledge that an excess of legal constraints can lead
to rebellion, such injunctions have been kept to a realistic minimum
and have been formulated to be consistent with normal human
capabilities. Moreover, their enforcement is less relied upon than the
religious conditioning of the individual to ensure the maintenance
of high ethical standards and appropriate conduct in marital affairs
and family life. The state of marriage not only lays the foundations
for family life, but also provides a training ground for individuals to
make a positive adjustment to society. When a man and woman prove
to be a good husband and wife, they will certainly prove to be good
citizens in the broad spectrum of their social group. This has been aptly
expressed in a Hadith:
“The best of you is one who is best for his family.”
The family being the preliminary unit for the training of human beings,
its disintegration has an injurious effect on the society. Human beings
must individually make a positive contribution, if collectively they are
to form a good and just nation. If the family no longer exists, it is the
whole of humanity which suffers. Once a man and a woman are bound
together in the bonds of matrimony, they are expected to do their
utmost, till the day they die to honour and uphold what the Quran calls
their firm contract, or pledge. To this end, the full thrust of the Islamic
law is levelled at preventing the occurrence of divorce; the laws it lays
down in this regard exist primarily, therefore, as checks, not incentives.
Islam regards marriage as an extremely desirable institution, hence its
conception of marriage is the rule in life. Divorce is only an exception
to that rule. According to a Hadith, the Prophet Muhammad said,
“Marriage is one of my sunnah (way). One who does not follow it, does
not belong to me.”
DIVORCE IN ISLAM
Permissible but Disliked
ALTHOUGH Islam permits divorce, it lays great emphasis on
it being a concession, and a measure to be resorted to only
when there is no alternative. Seeing it in this light, the Prophet
Muhammad said, “Of all things permitted, divorce is the most hateful
in the sight of God.”
When a man and a woman live together as husband and wife, it is but
natural that they should have their differences; it being a biological and
psychological fact that each man and woman born into this world are
by their very nature quite different from each other. That is why the
sole method of having unity in this world is to live unitedly in spite of
differences. This can be achieved only through patience and tolerance,
virtues advocated by the Prophet not only in a general sense, but, more
importantly, in the particular context of married life. Without these
qualities, there can be no stability in the bond of marriage.
In the marital
situation, the
best policy is for
each partner to
concentrate on the
plus points of the
other, while ignoring
the minus points.
If a husband and wife can see the value of this maxim and consciously
adopt it as the main guiding principle in their lives, they will have a far
better chance of their marriage remaining stable.
However, it sometimes happens, that unpleasantness crops up, and
goes on increasing between husband and wife, with no apparent
indication of their being able to smoothen things out themselves.
Their thinking about each other in a way that is conditioned by their
maladjustment, prevents them from arriving at a just settlement of
their differences based on facts rather than on opinions. In such a
case, the best strategy according to the Quran is to introduce a third
person who will act as an arbiter. Not having any previous association with the matters under dispute, he will remain dispassionate and will
be able to arrive at an objective decision acceptable to both parties.
For any arbiter to be successful, however, the husband and wife must
also adopt the correct attitude. Here is an incident from the period
of the four pious Caliphs, which will illustrate this point. When Ali ibn
Abi Talib reigned as the fourth Caliph, a couple complaining of marital
discord, came to him to request a settlement. In the light of the abovementioned
Quranic guidance, Ali ordered that
a board of arbiters, one from the husband’s
family and one from the wife’s family, be set
up, which should make proper enquiries into
the circumstances and then give its verdict.
This verdict was to be accepted without
argument by both sides.
A true believer should
wholeheartedly
accept the arbiters
and their verdict in
accordance with the
Quranic injunctions.
Once their verdict is
given, there should
be no further dispute
As recorded in the book, Jami al-Bayan, by
At-Tabari, the woman gave her consent, on
the book of God, whether the verdict was
for or against her. But the man protested
that he would not accept the verdict if it
was for separation. Ali said, “What you say is
improper. By God, you cannot move from here until you have shown
your willingness to accept the verdict of the arbiters in the same spirit as
the woman has shown.” This makes it clear that a true believer should
wholeheartedly accept the arbiters and their verdict in accordance with
the Quranic injunctions. Once their verdict is given, there should be no
further dispute.
TWO WAYS OF DIVORCING
However, it has to be conceded that life does not always function
smoothly. Despite all safeguards, it sometimes does happen that a
couple reach a stage of such desperation that they become intent on
separation. Here the Shariah gives them guidance in that it prescribes
a specific method for separation. The Quran expresses it thus: “Divorce
may be pronounced twice, then a woman must be retained in honour
or allowed to go with kindness”. (
This verse has been interpreted to mean that a man who has twice
given notice of divorce over a period of two months should remember
God before giving notice a third time. Then he should either keep his
spouse with him in a spirit of goodwill, or he should release her without
doing her any injustice.
This method of divorce prescribed by the Quran, i.e. taking three
months to finalize it, makes it impossible for a man seeking divorce
suddenly to cast his wife aside. Once he has said to his wife, “I divorce
you,” both are expected to think the situation over for a whole month.
If the man has a change of opinion during this period, he can withdraw
his words. If not, he will again say, “I divorce you,” and they must
again review the situation for a further month. Even at this stage, the
husband has the right to revoke the proceedings if he has had a change
of heart. If however, in the third month, he says, “I divorce you,” the
divorce becomes final and the man ceases to have any right to revoke
it. Now he is obliged to part with his wife in a spirit of good-will, and
give her full rights.
This prescribed method of divorce has ensured that it is a wellconsidered,
planned arrangement and not just a rash step taken in a
fit of emotion. When we remember that in most cases, divorce is the
result of a fit of anger, we realize that the prescribed method places a
tremendous curb on divorce. It takes into account the fact that anger
never lasts—tempers necessarily cool down after some time—and that
those who feel like divorcing their wives in a fit
of anger will certainly repent their emotional
outburst and will wish to withdraw from the
position it has put them in. It also takes into
account the fact that divorce is a not a simple
matter; it amounts to the breaking up of
the home and destroying the future of their
children. It is only when tempers have cooled
down that the dire consequences of divorce
are realized, and the necessity to revoke the
decision becomes clear.
The sole method
of having unity in
this world is to live
unitedly in spite of
differences. This can
be achieved only
through patience and
tolerance, virtues
advocated by the
Prophet.
When a man marries a woman, he has to say
only once that he accepts her as his spouse.
But for divorce, the Quran enjoins a three month period for it to be
formalized. That is, for marriage, one utterance is enough, but for a
divorce to be finalized, three utterances over a long period are required,
as prescribed by the Shariah. The purpose of this gap is to give the
husband sufficient time to revise his decision, and to consult the wellwishers
around him. It also allows time for relatives to intervene in
the hopes of persuading both husband and wife to avoid a divorce.
Without this gap, none of these things could be achieved. That is why
divorce proceedings have to be spread out over a long period of time.
All these preventive measures clearly allow frayed tempers to cool, so
that the divorce proceedings need not reach a stage that is irreversible.
Divorce, after all, has no saving graces, particularly in respect of its
consequences. It simply amounts to ridding oneself of one set of
problems only to become embroiled in another set of problems.
TRIPLE TALAQ (DIVORCE)
Despite all the preventive measures for a divorce, it does sometimes
happen that a man acts in ignorance, or is rendered incapable of
thinking dispassionately by a fit of anger. Then on a single occasion,
in a burst of temper, he utters the word “divorce” three times in a row,
“talaq, talaq, talaq!” Such incidents, which took place in the Prophet’s
lifetime, still take place even today. Now the question arises as to how
the would-be divorcer should be treated. Should his three utterances
of talaq be treated as only one, and should he then be asked to extend
his decision over a three-month period? Or
should his three utterances of talaq on a
single occasion be equated with the three
utterances of talaq made separately over a
three-month period?
The prescribed
method of divorce
over a period of three
months has ensured
that it is a wellconsidered,
planned
arrangement and not
just a rash step taken
in a fit of emotion.
There is a Hadith recorded by Imam Abu Dawud
and several other traditionists which can give
us guidance in this matter: Rukana ibn Abu
Yazid said “talaq” to his wife three times on a
single occasion. Then he was extremely sad at
the step he had taken. The Prophet asked him
exactly how he had divorced her. He replied
that he had said “talaq” to her three times in a row. The Prophet then
observed, “All three count as only one. If you want, you may revoke it.”
A man may say “talaq” to his wife three times in a row, in contravention
of the Shariah’s prescribed method, thereby committing a sin, but if he
was known to be in an emotionally overwrought state at the time, his
act may be considered a mere absurdity arising from human weakness.
His three utterances of the word talaq may be taken as an expression of
the intensity of his emotions and thus the equivalent of only one such
utterance. He is likely to be told that, having transgressed a Shariah
law, he must seek God’s forgiveness, must regard his three utterances
as only one, and must take a full three months to arrive at his final
decision.
In the first phase of Islam, however, a different view of divorce was
taken by the second Caliph, Umar ibn al-Khattab. An incident that
illustrates his viewpoint was thus described by Imam Muslim. In the
Prophet’s lifetime, then under the Caliphate of Abu Bakr and also
during the early period of the Caliphate of Umar, three utterances of
talaq on one occasion used to be taken together as only one utterance.
Then it occurred to Umar ibn al-Khattab that in spite of the fact that a
system had been laid down which permitted the husband to withdraw
his first, or even second talaq, men still wanted to rush into divorce.
He felt that if they were bent on being hasty, why should not a rule be
imposed on them binding them to a final divorce on the utterance of
talaq three times in a row. And he proceeded to impose such a rule. This
act on the part of the second Caliph, apparently against the principles
of the Quran and sunnah, did not in any way change the law of the
Shariah. To think that this led to any revision of Islamic law would be to
misunderstand the situation: the Caliph’s order merely constituted an
exception to the rule, and was, moreover, of a temporary nature. This
aptly demonstrates how the Islamic Shariah may make concessions in
accordance with circumstances.
Each law of the Shariah may be eternal, but a Muslim ruler has the power
to make exceptions in the case of certain individuals under special
circumstances. However, such a ruling will not take on the aspect of an
eternal law. It will be purely temporary in nature and duration. Various
traditions in this connection show that the second Caliph’s treatment of
certain persons was not in consonance with the Shariah. The rulings he
gave on these occasions were in the nature of
executive orders that were consistent with his
position as a ruler. If he acted in this manner,
it was to punish those who were being hasty
in finalizing the divorce procedure.
For marriage, one
utterance is enough,
but for a divorce to
be finalized, three
utterances are
required, between
which a long gap has
been prescribed by
the Shariah.
It is a matter of Islamic historical record that
when any such person was brought before
Umar for having uttered the word talaq three
times on one occasion, he held this to be a
rebellious conduct and would order him to be
flogged. Perhaps the most important aspect
of this matter is that when Umar gave his
exceptional verdict on divorce being final after the third utterance of
the word talaq on a single occasion, his position was not that of an
alim (scholar) but of a ruler invested with the full power to punish—as
a preventive measure—anyone who went against Quranic injunctions.
This was to discourage haste in divorce. By accepting a man’s three
talaqs on the one occasion as final and irrevocable, he caused him to
forfeit the right to revoke his initial decision, thus leaving him with no
option but to proceed with the divorce.
On the other hand, the Caliph had it in his power to fully compensate
any woman affected by this ruling. For instance, he was in a position
to guarantee her an honourable life in society and if, due to being
divorced, she was in need of financial assistance, he could provide her
with continuing maintenance from the government exchequer.
Today, anyone who cites Umar’s ruling as a precedent in order to
justify the finality of a divorce based on three utterances of the word
talaq on a single occasion, should remember that his verdict will
remain unenforceable, for the simple reason that he does not have
the powers that Umar, as Caliph, possessed.
Umar’s verdict was that of a powerful ruler of
the time and not just that of a common man.
It is necessary at this point to clear certain
misunderstandings which have arisen, about
the extent of agreement which existed on
Umar’s ruling. Of all the Prophet’s Companions
who were present at Madinah at that time,
perhaps the only one to disagree was Ali. As
a result of this, certain ulama (scholars) have
come to the conclusion that the Prophet’s
followers had reached a consensus on this
matter. But the consensus reached was not on the general issue of
divorce, but on the right of Muslim rulers to make temporary and
exceptional rulings, as had been done by Umar. It is obvious that the
Companions of the Prophet could never have agreed to annul a Quranic
injunction or to modify for all time, a prescribed system of divorce.
The prescribed
method of divorce
ensures that it is
a well considered,
planned arrangement
and not just a rash
step taken in a fit of
emotion.
All that was agreed upon was that exceptional circumstances
warranted exceptional rulings on the part of the Caliph. He was
entitled to punish—in any manner he thought fitting—anyone who
digressed from the Shariah. This right possessed by the ruler of the
time is clearly established in the Shariah. Many other instances, not
necessarily relating to personal disputes, can be cited of the exercise of
this right.
INTRODUCING THE QURAN
Creation Plan of God
IF you read the Quran, you will find that it deals with all the subjects
relating to human beings. But the basic theme of the Quran is the
Creation Plan of God. All other subjects touched upon by the Quran
are related to this theme, directly or indirectly. God Almighty created
the universe, and, it is God Almighty who revealed this book called AlQuran.
The primary purpose of the Quran is to reveal that divine plan
according to which the world was created and man was settled in it.
This theme, which is central to the Quran, is thus described in chapter
sixty-seven, Al-Mulk (The Kingdom): “He created death and life so that
He might test you, and find out which of you is best in conduct.” (
Here, the words life and death refer to two different periods of
humanity. The word life represents the pre-death period and the word
death represents the second period of life, which may be called the
post-death period. God Almighty created man as an eternal being but
He divided his life into two periods—the before-death period and the
post-death period. The pre-death period is very short, about hundred
years, while the post-death period has no such limit. It will continue for
eternity.
The primary purpose
of the Quran is to
reveal that divine
plan according to
which the world was
created and man was
settled in it.
In fact, God Almighty created an ideal world
that is called Paradise. The present world has
all those things that man needs or desires.
But, in this world everything, is imperfect
in its form. In Paradise, on the other hand,
everything is perfect and ideal. Paradise is free
of every kind of limitation or disadvantage.
Moreover, Paradise is an eternal world.
Paradise has a beginning but it has no end.
God Almighty created human beings with
freedom of choice and then settled them on earth. Through His
prophets, God Almighty gave guidance to humanity. In every age the
prophets told the people of all races about right and wrong. They told
them what was good and what was bad.
This was simply a matter of guidance; there was no compulsion for
people to follow it. People were asked to develop their thinking in such
a way as to bring about moral consciousness in themselves and to lead
a good life by their own choice. In this sense, everyone is being tested. Then God Almighty established a system of complete recording. This
recording system is managed by the angels. It is so comprehensive that
it can record the intentions, speech, behaviour and dealings of every
single person. This system is operative at all times, day and night. The
purpose of all these arrangements is to select the people who deserve
to gain entry into eternal Paradise. At the time of Doomsday, God will
appear with His angels and according to the angelic record; He will
select those people who passed the test. And then all of the others who
failed to mould themselves into heavenly personalities will be thrown
into the universal litter bin forever.
What are those qualities that are required for a person to be a deserving
candidate for Paradise? In a single word, it is spirituality. Paradise is a
spiritual world and only those who have developed spiritual qualities in
their personality will be blessed with entry into Paradise.
According to the Quranic description, “Paradise is the home of peace” (10:
kinds of pollution. The inhabitants of Paradise
will be positive thinkers in the complete sense
of the phrase. The environment of Paradise
will be free of all kinds of negative states, like
anger, malice, hate, revenge, wrong desires,
jealousy, fighting, exploitation and dishonesty,
for these negative factors cannot be part of
the psychology of the spiritual inhabitants of
Paradise.
God Almighty created
human beings with
freedom of choice
and then settled
them on the planet
earth.
The definition of spirituality given in the
dictionary is—the state of being opposed to worldliness. This definition
is partly true, for not being worldly is not just for itself, it is for the sake
of a higher goal. And that goal is to develop a spiritual way of life.
There are two kinds of spirituality—negative spirituality and positive
spirituality. Negative spirituality means renouncing the material world
while living in society, or leaving society and settling in some jungle
or mountain. This kind of negative spirituality has no creative role. It
suppresses all the natural qualities of a human being, who then dies
without having made full use of his potential.
The Quran calls us towards spirituality of the positive kind. It means
living in the world and trying to derive spiritual food from material
things as a matter of intellectual discipline. It means to control rather
than kill your desires.
The fact is that God Almighty has created man with great potential. It
is not good to suppress this potential. One should rather avail of this
potential for the sake of personality development. It means converting
every experience, whether good or bad into a positive experience
for ourselves. It means living a life of well thought out action and not
reacting to situations. This in turn results in developing our personality
on intellectual lines.
Positive spirituality can be termed creative spirituality. For example,
there is a verse in the Quran which says with reference to the believers
that, “they forgive people when they are angry” (
positive spirituality is based on the principle of anger management
rather than one trying to become a person who has no feelings of
anger. The principle for positive spirituality
can be summarized thus: turn your negative
sentiment into positive response; make
friends out of enemies. Adopt simple living
and high thinking. Simple living and high
thinking are complementary to each other.
Simple living saves you from all kinds of
distractions and high thinking saves you from
being the victim of negative experiences.
Simple living and high thinking are a sine qua
non of spiritual culture.
God Almighty created
man as an eternal
being but He divided
his life into two
periods—the beforedeath
period and the
post-death period.
Positive spirituality is mentioned as follows in the Quran: “You are on
the sublime character” (
is based on high thinking.
If you read the Quran, you will find that it lays great emphasis on sabr
(patience) (
(
What is the importance of these teachings? These teachings apparently
seem to advocate passivity. But that is not so, for they embody great
wisdom. The Quran tries to build that kind of mind which is able
to manage all the affairs of life on the basis of spirituality. It is not
passivity which is advocated but skill in the proper management of
life’s problems. The Quran's greatest concern is to concentrate on high
goals and one who wants to achieve high goals has no option but to
foster the afore-mentioned qualities. He has to try to effectively manage
all undesirable situations. Otherwise, he will become preoccupied by
trivial issues and will fail to continue his journey towards higher goals.
In the chapter of the Quran entitled Al-Shams (The Sun), you will find
these verses: “He who purifies it will indeed be successful, and he who corrupts it is sure to fail” (
importance of personality development, laying emphasis not on its
physical but on its spiritual aspects. It is no exaggeration to say that
this is the main theme of the Quran.
What is purification of the soul? It is to purify one’s mind of all kinds
of bias and negativity. In other words, it is to de-condition the wrong
conditioning. This is the mind the Quran tries to build. One who fails
in this de-conditioning process will become a corrupt or an unwanted
personality in the divine scheme of things.
Man’s personality is like an onion. An onion has a central core, but
this core is covered by many layers. If one wants to reach the core,
one has to remove all these covers or layers. The same is true of the
human being. A human personality is always subject to the process of
conditioning, which wraps it up in many layers.
The process of conditioning begins right from birth. Initially, it is an
unconscious process. The individual’s family, the institutions, the
society, the community, are all sources of this conditioning. From
childhood to adolescence, one is affected by this conditioning. Only
after reaching adulthood does one become capable of understanding
this problem consciously.
From here onwards begins what is called
personality development. It calls for an
awakening of the mind and a conscious
discovery of the problem. At this stage, the
individual must develop the capacity for antiself
thinking. He must engage in introspection.
He must try to de-condition his previous
conditioning with complete objectivity. This is
the most important task for a person. Without
carrying out this task, there is no one who is
quite complete. Everyone is like a sub-human
being.
The Quran calls us
towards spirituality
of the positive kind.
It means living in
the world and trying
to derive spiritual
food from material
things as a matter of
intellectual discipline
The Quran calls each one of us towards this de-conditioning. Deconditioning
is a process of analyzing what one has stored in one’s
mind with complete objectivity and then overhauling one’s personality
in a dispassionate manner. It is to remove the negative thoughts from
the mind and turn them into positivity.
Thus, one can say that the Quran is a book which calls people towards
their own personality development, so that they become eligible for
God’s perfect world of Paradise.
DESPITE DIFFERENCES
Harmony in Society
IF you read the lives of Islamic scholars of the early Muslim period,
you will find that they had considerable differences among
themselves on religious issues. Yet, despite this, they respected
each other. Consider in this regard two incidents.
Ibn Abdul Barr relates that Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal and Ali ibn alMadini
once had a discussion with each other on a particular issue, so
much so that they began to raise their voices. Ibn Abdul Barr says that
he feared that this would create bitterness between the two. But when
Ali ibn al-Madini was about to leave, Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal, in a
gesture of great respect, stepped forward and took hold of his stirrup.
Yunus Siddqi was among the illustrious
disciples of Imam Shafi. One day, he had a
long debate with his teacher on a particular
issue. When they met next, Imam Shafi took
hold of his hand and said: “Would it not be
better if we lived as brothers even if we cannot
agree on any issue?”
Where differences
of opinion are
respected, there will
be no intellectual
stagnation.
These examples illustrate mutual respect but
also something greater—and that is, respect
for differences of opinion: in other words,
viewing differences of opinion from the intellectual point of view, not
from the personal point of view.
Respect for differences of opinion is no simple matter. It is directly
related to our intellectual development. In a society where differences of
opinion are acknowledged and positively accepted, there will definitely
be an environment of discussion. People will articulate their respective
points of view, offering rational and academic arguments with evidence
for the same. Where differences of opinion are respected, there will be
no intellectual stagnation. The process of intellectual development will
continue. It is intellectual development, one must remember, that is
man’s greatest need.
FROM THE SPIRITUAL TREE
There is a tree beside my house. I call
it the 'Spiritual Tree'. I derive spiritual
inspiration from it. A tree is an evergrowing
being that was initially a seed
possessing the potential of becoming a
full-grown tree. A seed takes food from the
universe around it and then grows into a
tree. The same is true with spirituality,
the desire for which is intrinsic to, and an
integral part of, the very nature of, every
human being. To realize this spirituality,
Man must derive spiritual food from the
universe around him. A tree converts
carbon-dioxide into oxygen; a spiritual person is one who can take positive lessons
from negative situations. From this perspective, a tree is an embodiment of a
spiritual personality. —Maulana Wahiduddin Khan
THE DISCOVERY OF DIVINE BLESSINGS
MAN has been granted numerous blessings by God. The greatest
form of worship for man is the acknowledgement of these
blessings, which he expresses as thanksgiving. Thanksgiving
is, without doubt, the greatest act of devotion, whereas not thanking
God is the worst form of impiety.
None of these divine blessings come to man with any prior
announcement. For instance, the global supply of oxygen is continuing
at every moment. But man has never been verbally informed about
this. There are many such divine blessings that are received by man
at all times. But this whole process is going on without any fanfare
whatsoever.
Given this situation, how should man perform the act of worship which
expresses his genuine thanksgiving, or acknowledgement? There
is only one way of doing so. That is, man should constantly strive to
discover God’s blessings through contemplation, for the discovery of
divine blessings must perforce precede thanksgiving. One who has
made no attempt at such a discovery will certainly never experience
the profound satisfaction of thanksgiving.
That is why such great importance is attached to contemplation
in the Hadith. According to one Hadith, “There is no worship like
contemplation.”
Contemplation means deep thinking, a process which takes place in the
mind—the source of all our actions. The more a human being ponders,
the more profound will be the meaning discovered by him. And it is a
self-evident truth that the more regularly and sincerely one gives
thanks, the greater will be the satisfaction derived from this act.
God’s limitless blessings are discovered through cogitation and with
this discovery flows the stream of thanksgiving within man. It would
be correct to say that the more extensive the discovery, the more
intensified will be his thanksgiving. It is contemplation that leads man
to discovery and constant discovery leads man to more and more
elevated levels of thanksgiving.
UNIFORM CIVIL CODE
A Perspective
EVEN prior to independence, the concept of a uniform civil code
was a subject of discussion. Wide attention is still focussed on this
concept, but it is now seen in a larger context of the Constitution
of India. (Article No.
THE ORDER OF NATURE
Zauq Dehlavi (1789-1854) is a famous poet of the Urdu language. One
of his couplets reads:
Gul hae rang rang se hae zinat-e-chaman
Ai Zauq is jahan ko hai zeib ikhtilaf se
(A variety of flowers of different hues and shapes make up the beauty of
the garden. O Zauq, it is by diversity that this world has been rendered
beautiful).
This is the law of nature. If you stood in a
garden you would find each plant, each tree
different from all the others. The flowers
of each tree would show their splendour in
their own unique style. The whole garden
would appear to possess great diversity. Even
birds would be singing in different voices.
Everything in nature is a unique specimen of
variety.
Variety and
difference are a
common law of
nature that functions
throughout all walks
of life. No man has
it in his power to
change it.
This variety is present in all the things of
the universe, as well as in man. The study
of biology and psychology tells us that one human being is totally
different from another. Not just thumb impressions but even the cells
of one man are different from those of another. One man’s eyes do
not resemble anyone else’s. This difference and variety is not only for
beauty. There is great wisdom behind it. In truth all human progress
is associated with this variety and difference. This is what assists us to
make new discoveries. It is this factor which results in the materialization
of thinking which in turn produces intellectual development. Such
challenges act as a spur to intellectual awakening.
If the participants in a meeting were all of the same opinion, no new idea would be produced. In an industrial system, if all the engineers
were cast in the same mould, they would not be able to invent any
new technology. In a society, if all the writers had the same tastes, no
creative literature would be produced. If all politicians were fashioned
alike, they would not be able to bring about any significant political
advancement. Variety and difference are a common law of nature,
which functions throughout all walks of life. No man has it in his power
to change it.
UNI-CULTURAL NATION OR MULTI-CULTURAL NATION
For the last one hundred years, two different political groups in India
have tried to mould the country along the lines of their own thinking.
One favouring a secular ideology, and the other Hinduism. The ideas
of each are totally different from one another. The paradox is that
both are in agreement that India should have a common civil code for
all. When looked at impartially though, a uniform civil code is against
the concepts of both parties. If they are sincere in their ideology, they
should not support an idea such as a uniform code.
Secularism means
opting for a policy of
non-interference
by the state in
matters of religion.
Secularism means choosing a policy of non-interference by the state
in matters of religion. According to the principle of freedom of faith
and religion, the government administers
only common, worldly matters. This is the
internationally agreed concept of secularism.
It is along these lines that the Constitution of
India has been framed. The difficulty arises
when certain people interpret secularism as a
religion in itself that encompasses all aspects
of private as well as public life, so that the
prevalent religions can then be dispensed
with. But this is extremism, something which
is to be found in all religious groups and ethical systems. In Islam itself
extremists interpret Islam as if it were a religion purely of politics
and war. This is, however, an over-exaggeration and is far from being
Islam’s true representation.
It is a fact that secularism and a uniform civil code are at opposite
poles. The secular group of India, if it is so in the true sense of the
word, should not talk of a uniform civil code, since the basic principle
of secularism is religious freedom and freedom in the private sphere.
The other group, who wants to proceed on the basis of Hindu ideology,
should know that attempts to bring people belonging to various groups
under the same civil code is against its own cherished concepts. The basic principle of Hindu ideology is sarva dharma sambhava, that is,
all religions are true. One of the fundamental beliefs of Hinduism is
unity in diversity. To it, reality has many forms in appearance but the
inner essence is one and the same. Hinduism thus believes in seeing
oneness in manyness. A civil code, or any code for that matter, has to
do with externals and not with inner spirit. It therefore, goes against
the Hindu point of view to attempt to enforce a single civil code by
eliminating the personal laws of various groups.
All the developed countries of the West believe in and follow the
principle of a multi-cultural nation.
From tiny countries such as Singapore to
countries like the United States, all are making
progress by adopting this same principle.
The Soviet Union is perhaps the only country
where attempts were made at the state level
to develop a uni-cultural nation. State power
was employed to achieve this goal. But far
from achieving their goal, the Soviet Union
itself disintegrated.
What is actually
needed to make India
a united, peaceful
and developed
country is national
character.
The truth is that uniformity in these matters has to do with human
history rather than with the law. If through the historical process, a
uniform culture comes into existence in a society, a uniform code too
will follow. Legislation must follow upon and be in consonance with
natural trends.
THE ACTUAL NEED: NATIONAL CHARACTER
What is actually needed to make India a united, peaceful and developed
country is national character. All deficiencies and shortcomings, all
corruption in the country, are traceable to one cause—the inability to
produce national character among the people.
A national approach is just the opposite of a personal approach. In
the latter, importance is attached to individual interests rather than
national interests. Whenever there is a clash between the two demands,
individual interest ought to be subordinated to national interest.
If any foreign country wants to buy you, your love for your country
should stop you from selling yourself. Even if non-payment of tax is
to your individual interest, you ought to pay tax as it is in the larger
interest of the nation. Adulterated goods bring you more profit, but
you must refrain from adulteration as this will hamper the progress
of the country. Despite personal grievances, you should not harm state property. Nor should you attempt to stop the economic cycle, as
this would spell ruination for the country. If you lose an election you
should in your heart of hearts accept your defeat. A refusal to accept
defeat results in the perversion of the entire political system. If you
hold an office of responsibility, you must avoid reprehensible conduct
for monetary benefit, because such behaviour has an adverse effect
on the economic structure of the country. Once you have managed to
capture the seat of power, you should not wish to cling to it forever;
such political selfishness brings the democratic structure of the country
to the verge of annihilation. If you are a leader, you should not give your
entire attention to your own election interest;
if you stoop to arousing fear and hatred in
one group or the other to create your votebank,
you are in a sense reducing the country
to political bankruptcy.
Whenever there is
a clash between
personal demands
and the demands of
the nation, individual
interests must be
subordinated to
national interests.
True patriotism is essential for the
advancement of the country. But this is the
very thing which does not exist in our country.
It appears as though everyone has become
a self-lover instead of a lover of his country.
Everyone has allowed the interests of the
country to be eclipsed by his own personal
interests. It is this self-worship which has brought the country to the
ruination about which there is general lamentation. Patriotism can
never be produced from superficial steps like adopting a common civil
code. People’s thinking will rather have to be turned in a constructive
direction. For this we shall have to educate the public by availing of all
resources. We shall have to launch an ongoing and extensive campaign
of intellectual awakening and awareness. This is undoubtedly a
monumental task. But it has to be conceded that there is no substitute
for it. There is simply no alternative.
Islam
Islam is a scheme of spiritual development.
WORSHIPPING ONES CHILDREN
Losing Your Hereafter
The person who loses the most is one who loses the Hereafter
for the sake of acquiring for others’ a share of the present world.
—Prophet of Islam, Hadith recorded by ibn Majah
IN today’s age, this Hadith applies most particularly to those people
who have children. Today, their children have become the supreme
concern for them. Each and every person is busy trying to earn as
much worldly wealth as possible for their children and thus have no
time at all for doing any real work for their own future in the Hereafter.
Today, people have forgotten the fact that
children are simply a test for them. As the
Quran (
and children are a trial and that there is an
immense reward with God.” God has not
bestowed children to people to keep them
constantly busy with them and to spend all
their energies for their worldly success.
Each and every
person is busy in
trying to earn as
much worldly wealth
as possible for their
children and have no
time at all for doing
any real work for
their own future in
the Hereafter.
In this age of ours, there are many people
who appear religious. They look very pious
and are also very particular about performing
various ritual obligations. But in practice, they
spend all their time and abilities in earning
worldly wealth—only so that when they die, they can leave behind the
maximum possible worldly wealth for their children.
But such people are only deceiving themselves. All they will have to
offer God are some external rituals that they had performed while in
this world. And as far as their real life is concerned, they had devoted
it entirely to their children.
This is not worship of God. Rather, it is akin to worshipping one’s
children. And it is a fact that worship of children cannot earn one the
credit of worshipping God.
Worship of God is no mere appendix of life. True worship of God
encompasses the entire life of a person.
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.
ISLAMIC INSPIRATION FOR PEACE
THE Quran instructs us to avoid the ignorant (
avoidance is confrontation. Avoiding conflict is one way to maintain
peace. On the other hand, confrontation leads to violence between
opposing parties.
By avoiding
confrontation, he is
able to establish a
balanced relationship
with others, so
that his journey
progresses without
being blocked.
No one—whether individuals or groups—lives alone in this world.
People live in proximity with others who have their own aims and
purposes. Each one has their own agenda. Because of this, people and
groups often come into conflict with each other. There are two ways
to respond to this situation: avoidance of conflict, on the one hand,
and confrontation, on the other. There is simply no third option. If one
opts for confrontation, it will lead to fighting
and violence. The whole of human history
testifies to the fact that fighting and violence
do not produce any positive results. Hence,
one must abstain from and consciously avoid
confrontation. Avoidance not only prevents
further harm, but also gives us the opportunity
to carry on our journey of progress without
being stopped by any hurdles that may come
our way.
Patience, the Secret of Success
The Quran instructs us:
Have patience: God is with those who are patient. (
According to a Hadith report contained in the Musnad of Imam Ahmad,
the Prophet Muhammad is said to have declared that it is greatly
beneficial to exercise patience in the face of things we do not like.
Success goes along with patience. Along with difficulty, the Prophet
added, there is ease.
It often happens that when people are faced
with a difficult situation or undergo a bitter
experience, they get very worked up. In such
cases, they may even take to violence. But
this sort of reaction is contrary to nature. The
fact is that the law of nature always supports
those who are firmly established in truth and
justice. Such people, if they act with patience
will inevitably be successful. In most cases,
those who fail are those who act hastily,
driven by their emotions. On the other hand,
those who are patient are inevitably crowned
with success.
Whenever some
differences arise
between two parties,
they should be
resolved within the
limits of peaceful
dialogue.
According to the Quran (
means that a person who behaves in a patient manner acts according
to the pattern of nature. In contrast, someone who acts hastily goes
against this pattern—and because of this, he can be sure that it is
impossible for him to succeed.
No To Conflict
The Quran tells us:
Let them not dispute with you on this matter
Call them to the path of your Lord. (
From this verse we learn that whenever some differences arise between
two parties, they should be resolved within the limits of peaceful
dialogue. We must never let these differences go out of hand and turn
into violent conflict.
In this world, it is but expected that tensions will arise between
individuals or groups. This sort of tension is something quite natural.
It happens everywhere, and under all sorts of conditions. However, we
should make sure that these tensions or differences do not go beyond
certain acceptable limits. They must remain within peaceful limits and
not turn into confrontation and violence. Differences themselves are not wrong if they remain within the appropriate limits. They become
unacceptable when they transgress these limits.
The law of nature
always supports
those who are firmly
established in truth
and justice.
The above-quoted Quranic verse tells us how
a person who is inspired by a worthy and
positive purpose in life should behave. For
him to succeed, he must exercise patience
in his dealings with others, even if need be,
in a unilateral manner. In practical terms,
he simply has no other choice. By avoiding
confrontation, he is able to establish a
balanced relationship with others, so that his
journey progresses without being blocked.
The Right Comparison
Thinking of oneself in relation to others
might lead to arrogance, for it is possible
that one will be better off than them; one
might hold a higher status in life. But
when one thinks of oneself in relation to
the vast universe, arrogance disappears,
for it becomes apparent how small and
insignificant one is. God has created the
universe so that we may observe and ponder
over it; so that realization of its greatness
may lead us to a realization of what a small
part we ourselves occupy in it; so that we
may be imbued with the quality of humility,
which is the greatest and most realistic
quality that man can have.
ELIGIBILITY FOR PARADISE
Towards a Life of Restraint
THE Quran is a divine book revealed specifically for the purpose
of conveying 'good news' to the righteous. The good news is that
if man treads the path of good and right action in the limited life
of this world, he will find a place in eternal Paradise in the life Hereafter.
The Quran makes it clear that these glad tidings of Paradise are meant
only for the righteous.
That is, this good news is for those who adopt a God-oriented or
righteous life in this world. Paradise is not to be the destiny of all
and sundry, for Paradise is only for the Godfearing
(
basis only to those who are deserving of it.
To find a place in the ideal world of Paradise,
there is only one condition, and that is being
God-fearing, or righteous.
Taqwa means leading
a life of restraint
or guarding oneself
against evil. It is,
in actual fact, a
phenomenon of
sensitiveness.
Taqwa means leading a life of restraint or
guarding oneself against evil. It is, in actual
fact, a phenomenon of sensitiveness. When
one becomes highly aware of something,
then, naturally one becomes very sensitive about it. Sensitiveness
plays the greatest role in human life. One who is not sensitive about
something will ignore it, whereas if one is sensitive it will become one's
concern towards which the greatest attention will be payed.
The message of the Quran for man kind is that one should save oneself
from distraction. We should awaken our consciousness to the extent
that obedience to God becomes our sole concern. No other thing should
become the object or centre of our sensitiveness.
There is a verse in the Quran in which it is stated:
Do not follow what you do not know; for the ear and the eye and
the heart shall be called to account. (
This verse of the Quran commands us to adopt right thinking. For the
soundness of human life depends upon this. In both words and actions,
the righteous person fully conforms to the divine laws.
According to the Quran, this is in conformity to the creation plan for
which man has been created and settled on earth. The earth is no
luxury resort; in fact it serves as a testing ground for the purpose of selecting those individuals who—thanks to their superior qualities—
are worthy of being lodged in an ideal place like Paradise. This is what
is referred to when the Quran says:
He created death and life so that He might test you, and find out
which of you is best in conduct. (
All the things God has created can be broadly divided into two
categories; the material world and the human world. The material
world means the entire universe known as nature. The material world
is totally governed by the divine laws laid down by God. It does not
deviate to even the slightest degree from this law. But man’s case is
different. In this universe, man enjoys an exceptional position. That
is, man has been granted freedom of choice. Man has full freedom
to speak and act as he pleases. This finds
expression in different verses of the Quran,
two of which are given below:
An important
principle of human
life is avoidance of
arrogance. Arrogance
is the source of all
evil. By contrast,
modesty is the
greatest source
of all good.
“Do they seek a religion other than the religion
of God? When everything in the heavens and
the earth has submitted to Him, willingly or
unwillingly? To Him they shall all return.”(
“If anyone seeks a religion other than Islam
[submission to God], it will not be accepted
from him; he will be among the losers in the
Hereafter.”(
In the above verses of the Quran, the word
Islam, that is, submission, has been used with the implication that
while obedience to the Creator is required by the rest of the universe
compulsorily, the same obedience is required of man voluntarily.
Man has been granted the power of hearing, seeing and thinking,
so that by using these faculties, he may discover the right path for
himself—what is referred to in the Quran as ‘the straight path’ (sirat-emustaqim).
Deviation from the straight path is a proof of the fact that
he did not make proper use of the capabilities granted to him by God.
Such a man will be held accountable by God. No excuse whatsoever will
be accepted by Him. (
Moreover, an important principle of human life is avoidance of
arrogance. In this regard the Quran says: “Do not walk with pride on
the earth; for behold, God does not love arrogant and boastful people.”
(
This verse of the Quran gives us to understand that arrogance is the
source of all evil. By contrast, modesty is the greatest source of all good.
According to the Quran, the kind of man desired by God is one who is
totally free of arrogance and is a modest person in the full sense.
In the chapter al-Fajr of the Quran, we are told that all the pleasant
or unpleasant experiences faced by man occur solely as a means of
putting him to the test, but man takes such incidents in a negative
manner. Having pleasant experiences causes him to suffer from a
superiority complex (akraman), whereas unpleasant experiences give
him an inferiority complex (ahanan). (
According to the Quran, both the above
mentioned complexes affect man in an
extremely adverse way. The right thing for
him to do is that in both sets of circumstances,
pleasant or unpleasant, he should consistently
tread the path of moderation. Those who
prove to be moderate in personality and
conduct are described in the Quran as souls
at peace (nafs al-muthmainnah) (
complex-free souls.
The Quran tells us that the greatest success for man is his gaining
entry into Paradise in the eternal life after death. “Truly, this is a great
victory! It is for the like of this that all should strive.”(
clear indication that, according to the Quran, man’s goal should be one
and only one, and that is, Paradise. The greatest feature of Paradise
is that it is the realm of the Lord of the universe. And without doubt,
there can be no success greater than finding oneself in close proximity
to one’s Lord in the eternal life after death. This unique desirability of
Paradise is expressed in this verse of the Quran which gives voice to a
sincere and heartfelt human longing:
“My Lord, build me a house in nearness to You in Paradise.”
Conscience
One who chooses to be insincere
first kills his conscience.
NEARNESS TO GOD
Greatest Happiness
The Quran (
According to a Hadith, the Prophet of Islam said:
The nearest a person comes to his Lord is when he is in prostration,
so make supplications to God in this state. (Sahih Muslim)
THIS nearness to God is not just about the physical form of
prostration, but also about the spirit of prostration. The following
incident illustrates this point well.
A boy once developed certain habits, because of which his father was
very angry with him. The father threw him out of the house. For some
time, the boy roamed about here and there. Finally, he met with a man.
This man told him, “If you want your father to accept you again, there’s
only one way. Go quietly back to your house, and when you get there,
knock on the door. When the door is opened and you find your father
in front of you, then at once you should fall at his feet and say, ‘Father,
I made a mistake. Please forgive me."
The boy did just as the man had suggested. When he fell at his father’s
feet sobbing, his father, too, began to cry. He lifted him up and hugged
him. He pardoned him and took him back inside the house.
Nearness to God is
not just about the
physical form of
prostration, but also
about the spirit of
prostration.
Prostration before God is something like this.
It is not some ritual action. True prostration is
when someone, overwhelmed with emotion,
lays his head on the ground. It is like placing
one’s head before God’s feet. This sort of
prostration is the highest form of surrender
and acceptance of God’s will. When a person
surrenders to God in this manner, God’s mercy
demands that He forgive him and bestow His
grace upon him.
Creativity
Problems increase creativity.
THE POLITICS OF PARTITION
Leading to Culture of Hatred
IN politics, a partition is a change of political borders cutting through
at least one territory considered a homeland by some community.
Perhaps the first partition in modern history was that of Poland in
1772.
Ostensibly, partition offers a better prospect for the reduction of
conflict. But what is the result of the politics of partition? Experience
tells us that almost all the cases of partition have proved to be counterproductive.
In the period of pre-partition, people were living with high
hopes that partition would improve their lives. But in the post-partition
period they found that this was not so and suffered the frustration
of having to settle for a lesser degree of well-being than they had
anticipated.
Sudan, in north eastern Africa is a case in point. The Sudan liberation
movement started in 1983, with intense fighting between two groups
right up till 2011. The final outcome was that Sudan was separated into
South Sudan and North Sudan.
But what was the result of this partition? In neither country has there
been any substantial development. According to the latest international
survey, both parts of Sudan have been declared failed states. Two other
countries, namely, Somalia and Congo, fall into this same category.
Experience tells us
that almost all the
cases of partition
have proved to be
counter-productive.
In reality, the whole idea of partition is
wrong. There have been a number of cases
of partitions throughout history but events
have shown that no such step has ever led
to any positive outcome. Territorial divisions
of countries have repeatedly had negative
consequences. Why does partition lead to an
undesirable result? It is because, as a political
strategy, partition is unnatural, and in this
world, any scheme which is unnatural has
little chance of success. If developed countries have achieved great
things, it has been by following the laws of nature and not vice versa.
From the very outset, the politics of partition is wrong, because it
stems as a rule from hatred, and any plan conceived in hatred for other
people is bound to result in an intensification of that hatred. It may
safely be said that opting for partition can only lead to unending hatred and perpetuating the culture of hatred means that once the seeds of
negativity have been sown, it will become impossible in this world to
reap the fruits of positivity.
Trend setting is one of the most important factors in the building of
nations, but adherence to the politics of partition is a bad example
to follow. Any country that was founded through partition inherits a
deleterious tradition and that in itself is a bad trend to emulate. Trend
setting has a beginning but it is difficult to see how and where it will
end, or if it will end at all. If a country inherits a
bad trend, it will continue on the wrong path,
with all kinds of development being derailed
or brought to naught.
Opting for partition
can only lead to
unending hatred
and perpetuating
the culture of
hatred means that
once the seeds of
negativity have been
sown, it will become
impossible in this
world to reap the
fruits of positivity.
The only salvation in the face of impending
ruin is to openly admit failure. Admission
of having taken a wrong turn is the surest
way to arrive at the point of initiating new
planning. Any country born of the politics of
partition has only two alternatives; either to
acknowledge how flawed its policy was and
make a U-turn, or to refuse to admit its error
and, in consequence, rush headlong towards
national disaster.
Diligence & Determination
Even without money, material
resources or guidance, a man can
achieve success provided his desire to
do so is keen enough and his diligence
matches his determination.
ENJOINING GOOD AND FORBIDDING WRONG
Replace Evil with Good
IN various parts of the world today, Muslims are engaged in acts of
violence. If they are told to stop this, they claim: “We are only doing
what the Prophet of Islam commanded us to.” In this regard, they
cite a Hadith that orders the believers to rectify a wrong:
He who amongst you sees something wrong should try to rectify
it with the help of his hand; and if he has not strength enough
to do so, then he should do it with his tongue, and if he has not
strength enough to do so, then he should abhor it in his heart,
and that is the least of faith. (Sahih Muslim)
This Hadith is cited by some people in order to claim sanction for
violence, although actually the Hadith does not mention violence. This
Hadith speaks about reforming or rectifying a wrong. If one does not
have the ability to rectify the wrong, then the Hadith says, one should
speak out against it. The Hadith certainly does not say that on seeing
something wrong one must begin to unleash violence against people
or resort to suicide-bombing. One cannot derive sanction for violent
activities from this Hadith.
This Hadith talks about taghayyur-e-munkar, which means rectifying or
remedying a wrong. The Arabic word taghayyur means ‘replacement’.
Hence, in the above Hadith, the word
taghayyur means replacing a condition of evil
or wrong with a condition that is not evil or
wrong. In other words, this Hadith ordains the
reforming of a certain condition, not engaging
in conflict and causing destruction.
The well-known Arabic dictionary Lisan alArab
explains the word taghayyur as follows:
‘Taghayyur means to change something. That
is, to change it into something that it had not
been earlier’. The eleventh-century Muslim
scholar of Quranic exegesis and the Arabic
language, Raghib al-Isfahani (died 1108 CE) has written a dictionary of
Quranic terms, Al-Mufradat fi Gharib al-Quran, in which he explains the
word taghayyur thus: “It is said ‘I changed (taghayyur) my house’, which means that I changed the construction of my house and constructed it
anew.”
Today, in various parts of the world violence is taking place in the
name of jihad. This so-called ‘sacred violence’ is being led by selfstyled
Muslim leaders. And in this, almost all Muslims are involved in
some way or the other, because those Muslims who are not directly
engaged in this violence are silent about it.
From the Islamic point of view, this silence of
theirs is tantamount to indirect involvement.
Hence, according to Islamic principles, the
entire Muslim ummah will be considered to
be engaged in this violence—some directly,
others indirectly.
Reforming a situation
requires that one
analyze it with an
unbiased mind and
then undertake
efforts to reform it
through constructive
planning
Facts tell us that this violence has produced
no positive results at all. There is only one
result that is ensuing everywhere from this
violence—and that is, destruction. In this
situation, then, one can, without any doubt say that these violent acts
are definitely not taghayyur-e-munkar or rectification of any wrong.
Rectifying a wrong means changing an undesirable situation and
bringing in a desirable situation in its place. In contrast, any action that
proves counterproductive is definitely destruction, and in no way an
Islamically-desirable action.
A negative reaction to an unwanted situation leads to violence
and conflict. Rectifying a wrong is a completely positive action. It is
undertaken to bring about reform in a given situation, not to make the
situation even worse. Reforming a situation requires that one analyze it
with an unbiased mind and then undertake efforts to reform it through
constructive planning. Those who act contrary to this are, without any
doubt, unleashing destruction and not carrying out reform.
Without God
Man's life is incomplete
without God.
DEATH A POSITIVE REMINDER
Live a Fruitful Life
PAKISTAN’S legendary former captain and batsman, Hanif
Mohammad, who held the record for the longest innings in Test
cricket, passed away on August 11, 2016. Hanif Mohammad played
for the Pakistani cricket team in 55 Test matches between 1952–
1969–70. At his peak he was considered one of the best batsmen in the
world.
ICC’s chief executive David Richardson paid tribute to the cricketer in
these words: “His contribution to the game has been enormous and
one can only imagine the kind of impact his batting had on others over
the years. Hanif’s triple-century against the West Indies was a legendary
innings and unsurprisingly he was one of the original inductees into
the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame.”
Hanif Mohammad had been undergoing treatment for respiratory
complications from his lung cancer in Karachi’s Aga Khan hospital. His
son Shoaib Mohammad said, “My father was in a lot of pain in the last
few weeks but didn’t give up, such was his fighting spirit.”
There is a verse in the Quran which reminds everyone that no one
is so powerful that they can prevent the onset of death. The Quran
says: “Every soul shall taste death” (
might be, in comparison to death, every
hero becomes a zero. Death gives one this
message: ‘Even if you are a super-achiever,
when it comes to death, there is no exception
at all.’
Death gives one this
message: ‘Even if you
are a super-achiever,
when it comes to
death, there is no
exception at all.’
Death is the greatest reminder, which makes
every person a man ‘cut-to-size’. Ignoring the
reality of death is not possible for any human
being. Every death admonishes a person to
live in this world with modesty.
The Prophet of Islam said, “Remember death much, which demolishes
all desires.” (al-Tirmidhi). This means that the thought of death serves
to make a person a realist. It is the reality of death that helps one
to come out of wishful thinking. Death makes a person distinguish
between ‘what he is’ and ‘what he is not’. If a person focuses on ‘what
he is’, it would bring about realism in his thinking. On the contrary, if a
person is governed by thoughts of ‘what he is not’, he would develop
an unrealistic approach to life.
A person’s greatest strength is in developing a realistic approach. It is
realism that makes a person a right thinker. One who is a right thinker
is in a position to do successful planning for his work; no one can place
obstacles in the path to his success. Remembering death is the greatest
source of wisdom for any person—it guarantees that one’s planning
will be realistic.
A survey shows that 151,600 people die every day all over the world.
This fact is a warning, which makes a person think that perhaps his
name is included in the list of people who are to die the next day. This
realization creates a sense of urgency. A person thus decides that he
should do today what he has postponed for the next day. There is no
more stronger incentive than the thought of
death to keep a person active on a permanent
basis.
Remembering death
is the greatest
source of wisdom
for any person—it
guarantees that
one’s planning will be
realistic.
Moreover, thinking about death prevents a
person from committing evil. This is because
all evil planning has value only as long as one
is alive. But when one is not sure of being alive
the next day, it is also doubtful that one would
be able to complete one’s planning. Death is
thus the greatest teacher for everyone.
Apparently, death is a negative event. However, in terms of the result it
works as the greatest positive factor in the life of a person.
Tolerance
The act of tolerance is not a matter
of compulsion; it results naturally
from the doer being of an elevated
moral caliber.
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 610 and 632 CE 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 God who splits the seed and the fruit-stone. He brings forth the
living from the dead, and the dead from the living. That is God. How
then can you, deluded, turn away from the truth? (
When anyone has to manufacture a motor car or any other such
complex mechanism, he manufactures every part of it separately.
Then he assembles these parts and gives them the requisite finish.
But when God causes a tree to grow or creates a human being, the
methodology is different. He produces the entity in its totality all at one
time. In God’s workshop the whole tree or the whole man issues forth
from the one seed or the one drop and then proceeds to grow. This is
a unique process which no human being can set in motion. This proves
that there exists a Being superior to the human being, a Being whose
plan is superior to all other plans.
He causes the break of day, and has made the night for rest and He
made the sun and the moon to a precise measure. That is the measure
determined by the All Mighty and the All Knowing. It is He who has set
up for you the stars so that you might be guided by them in the midst
of the darkness of land and sea. We have made the signs clear for
people who want to understand. (
The volume of the sun is 1.2 million times that of the earth, and the
earth itself is four times larger than the moon. The moon is about two
hundred and fifty thousand miles away from the earth and revolves
around it. The earth is at a distance of about 95 million miles from
the sun and is moving round the latter in two ways—one in rotation
on its axis and the other in orbit around the sun. Similarly, there is
the revolution of other stars which are at vast distances from us and
each other but all moving with extreme regularity. Due to this system of the universe, day and night come into existence; systems based on
the measurement of time take shape; in turn, it becomes possible for
man to regulate his life on land and sea. This gigantic system runs with
such exactitude that no discrepancy has crept into it even after millions
of years. This proves the immanence of a Being whose powers are of
unlimited greatness.
These large-scale signs of God show that the Maker of this workshop
is extremely knowledgeable. No ignorant being could erect such a
complex structure. He is all-powerful; otherwise the running of this
enormous workshop in this manner would not have been possible. Its
planning is absolutely perfect; without such planning, it would not have
been possible to have such meaningfulness and harmony in such a
colossal universe.
God’s world is full of His signs and arguments. But reasoning or
argument is the name of theoretical reasoning and not that of a
hammer. So, acceptance of an argument by a man is possible only
when he is really serious, i.e. when he is consciously ready to accept
the argument, irrespective of whether it goes in his favour or against
him.
It is He who first produced you from a single soul, then gave you a
place to stay [in life] and a resting place [after death]. We have made
Our revelations clear to those who are men of understanding. (
Man-made workshops, or factories, are not capable of making a
machine which can start giving birth to similar countless machines.
Our factories have to manufacture such machines one after another.
But in the workshop of God, such an event takes place every day. The
seed of a tree is sown and then generations of trees go on multiplying
out of that simple, original seed. This is the case with human beings
also. Starting with a man and a woman, billions and billions of human
beings have started coming into existence—and there is no end to this
process. This observation shows that the power of God, who created
the universe, is limitless. He is capable of this rare feat of creation by
which, primarily, one entity is brought into existence and thereafter
it continuously replicates itself in countless numbers. Similarly, God
can create a great and perfect world out of this present world. The
concept of the Hereafter is not a far-fetched theory; belief in it amounts
to acceptance of the possible occurrence of certain future events on
the strength of the present observation of similar events taking place
every day.
It is He who sends down water from the sky. With it We produce
vegetation of all kinds; out of green foliage, We produce clustered
grain; and from the date-palm, out of its sheath, We produce bunches
of dates hanging low. We produce vineyards and olive groves and
pomegranates, alike yet different. Look at their fruit as He causes it
to grow and ripen. In this are signs for people who believe. (
Earth, or mud, is apparently a dead and inert thing. Then rain falls on
it. Soon after the absorption of water, a new lush green world springs
out of the earth. Sundry varieties of crops and different kinds of fruitbearing
trees come forth from it. This event also is an example of the
coming world after this world. As soon as water permeates the earth,
the emergence of a fresh, beautiful and fragrant carpet of colours
from the earth indicates the potential which the Creator of the World
has implanted here. The righteous deeds which a man performs in
this world of today are on a parallel with this. When God’s grace rains
down, this potential will become a reality—flourishing and producing
the burgeoning crops of the Hereafter.
Man, in the beginning, is nurtured in the womb of his mother and
thereafter makes his entry into the present world. The grave is also,
so to say, a sort of ‘womb’, to which man is ultimately consigned.
Thereafter, he opens his eyes in another, future world, so that he
may be sent to Heaven or Hell according to his deeds. Glimpses of
and arguments in favour of the unseen hidden world, which man
must necessarily accept, are already there in the present tangible and
visible world. But only that person will accept it who is already mentally
prepared to do so. It is only when a man has travelled half the distance
along the path towards Faith (iman) that it is possible for the call to
the faith to enter freely into his mind and to be acceptable to him.
Exhortations to believe in God will not in any way benefit a man who
has been travelling in a direction opposite to that of Faith.
They have set up jinns as associates with God, even though He created
them! They have even dared, in their ignorance, to attribute sons and
daughters to Him. Hallowed be He and exalted far above what they
ascribe to Him, the Originator of the heavens and the earth. How
could He have a son when He has no consort? He created everything
and is aware of everything! This is God, your Lord, there is no God but
Him, the Creator of all things, so worship Him; He is the guardian of
all things. (
Since ancient times it has been a weakness on the part of man to
find some distinction or mysticism in a thing and then to consider that thing to be a partner of God and start worshipping it in order to seek
its help or save himself from any harm it may do him. It was because of
this mentality that many people started worshipping angels, stars and
jinns, though the clear proof of their not being gods is that they do not
possess the capacity to create. They have neither created themselves,
nor are they capable of creating any other thing. They were themselves
created by some other Being. So, the question is, whether the Creator
will be accepted as God, or His creatures will usurp the position of His
godhead.
A tree receives the things it requires for its sustenance in perfect
proportions. This is the condition of all things in the universe. When
it is a fact that they receive things, (whatever be their nature) because
a Giver gives these things to them, then it naturally follows that the
Giver will be the One who is aware of all things at all times. If He were
not aware of them, how could He fulfil the needs of every single thing
exactly according to its requirements? Now, for what purpose should
God—the Possessor of such superlative attributes—take anybody as a
partner in His godhead?
ASK MAULANA
Your Questions Answered
Greed is a sin. How would you consider someone
who does good deeds (including prayer, charity
etc.) simply out of desire for Heaven, and not
because he loves doing good or for the love of
God. Can this sort of desire for Heaven be a form
of greed?
Greed is a social evil. When one is greedy, one
tries to take something which is meant for all
members of society. Social greed is a kind of social
exploitation. Thus, greed is essentially a manifestation of selfishness.
But when one expects something in the world of Paradise, it is a reward
from God Almighty.
When a person who seeks to enter Paradise performs good deeds, he
is living according to the creation plan of God rather than being greedy.
According to God’s creation plan, human beings have to lead their lives
in this world in such a way that they can be held deserving of being
settled in the heavenly society of Paradise. If a person leads his life in
this world while being conscious of this scheme of things devised by
God for his life, then he is fulfilling his duty. And it is in appreciation of
his conduct that God rewards him with Paradise in the Hereafter.
How would you consider someone who abstained from bad deeds
simply out of fear of Hell, and not because he genuinely wanted to
stay away from evil?
Being cautious of doing something that would take one to Hell is not
really the fear of Hell. Rather, it is a means not to deprive ourselves
of the blessings of God. When we are born into this world, there are
numerous blessings and bounties granted to us by God. Without
these, we would not be able to lead our lives on this planet. One who
consciously realizes this fact would try to live in this world in a way
that God’s mercy and blessings continue for him even in the world of
Hereafter. One who does not acknowledge God’s blessings and His
favours will have to later face the consequences of such disregard.
God is just. In His wisdom, He arranged for people to be born in
families that are associated with different religious and/or ideological
traditions. Because of this, most children grow up socialized into
believing that the particular religion they were ‘born into’ is the best
one or even the only true one.
If there is only one true religion and people who do not follow it will
go to eternal Hell, as some people say, is it just of God to make some
people to be born into families that follow this particular religion
(because of which they are socialized into believing this religion), while
He causes other people to be born into families that follow some other
religion (because of which they are socialized into following these
other religions). This second category of people did not consciously
choose to be born into such families.
Now, if God is just, why would He send the latter people into Hell
forever? After all, He was the one who arranged for them to be born
into families that follow religions other than the one that is said to be
the only true one, because of which they were socialized into believing
their religion is true.
Some people will say that this belief—that only those who follow
one particular religion (in the sense of believing in a set of beliefs
and performing a set ritual practices) will go to Paradise and that all
others will go to eternal Hell—indicates a wrong image of God, one of
God as being supposedly unjust. They would also say that such a belief
is inherently intolerant and aggressive.
How would you respond?
Reward and punishment in the Hereafter are not dependent on one’s
birth into a family or a particular religion, but is, rather, dependent
entirely on self-discovered truth. A person, to whichever religion or
family he belongs, will succeed in the Hereafter only if he has been
successful in self-discovery of the truth and the realities of life.
Successful People
The people who ultimately are
successful are those who are
undaunted by disadvantageous
circumstances; who waste no time
in lamenting over them.
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 )
