TOLERANCE
Eternal Principle
Tolerance is a law of nature stamped on the
hearts of all men. —Voltaire
NOTHING could be truer than this statement;
tolerance is, indeed, a permanent law of
nature. But it is not something which has
to be externally imposed, for the human desire for
tolerance is limitless. Just as truth and honesty are
virtues, so is tolerance a virtue. And just as no one ever needs to ask
for how long one should remain truthful and honest, so does one think
of tolerance as having an eternal value. The way of tolerance should
be unquestioningly adopted at all times as possessing superior merit.
A man who is intolerant is not a human being in the full sense of the
expression. To become enraged at antagonism is surely a sign of
weakness. Of course, there are many who do not want to recognise the
principle of tolerance as being eternal, for, in conditions of adversity,
the temptation to retaliate becomes too strong. The feelings of anger
which accompany negative reaction must
somehow be vented, and those who think
and act in this way are keen to retain the
illusion that, in hitting back, they are not
doing anything unlawful.
If people could
only learn to
tolerate others'
differences, their
very forbearance
would become a
great enabling factor
in collective human
development.
Such thinking is quite wrong. In reality,
when a man is enraged at anything which
goes against his will, tolerance as a priority
becomes paramount. Many men strive to
become supermen. But the true superman
is one who, in really trying situations, can
demonstrate his super-tolerance. Just any act
of antagonism does not give us the licence to
be intolerant. Rather, such occasions call for greater tolerance than in
normal circumstances. In everyday matters, where there is none of the
stress and strain of opposition, no one has difficulty in being tolerant.
It is only in extraordinary situations, fraught with conflict, that the truly
tolerant man will prove his mettle.
The United Nations proclaimed that the ability to be tolerant of the
actions, beliefs and opinions of others is a major factor in promoting world peace. The statement issued by the United Nations Educational,
Scientific and Cultural Organisation, (UNESCO), emphasises that amidst
the resurgence of ethnic conflicts, discrimination against minorities and
xenophobia directed against refugees and asylum-seekers, tolerance is
the only way forward. It pointed out that racism and religious fanaticism
in many countries had led to many forms of discrimination and the
intimidation of those who held contrary views.
Violence against and intimidation of authors, journalists and others
who exercise their freedom of expression, were also on the increase
along with political movements which seek to make particular groups
responsible for social ills such as crime and unemployment. Intolerance
is one of the greatest challenges we face, said the UNESCO Statement.
Intolerance is both an ethnic and political problem. It is a rejection
of the differences between individuals and between cultures. When
intolerance becomes organised or institutionalised, it destroys
democratic principles and poses a threat to world peace. This
proclamation of the U.N. is most apt. The
prime need of the world today is indeed
tolerance.
In this world, unity
is achievable only by
learning to unite in
spite of differences,
rather than insisting
on unity without
differences. For
total eradication
of differences is an
impossibility.
One of the stark realities of life is that
divergence of views does exist between man
and man, and that it impinges at all levels.
Be it at the level of a family or a society,
a community or a country, differences
are bound to exist everywhere. Now the
question is how best unity can be forged or
harmony brought about in the face of human
differences.
Some people hold that the removal of all
differences is the sine qua non for bringing about unity. But, this view is
untenable, for the simple reason that, it is not practicable. You may not
like the thorns which essentially accompany roses, but it is not possible
for you to pluck out all the thorns and destroy them completely. For,
if you pluck out one, another will grow in its place. Even if you run
a bulldozer over all rosebushes, new plants will grow in their place
bearing roses which are ineluctably accompanied by thorns. In the
present scheme of things, roses can be had only by tolerating the
existence of thorns. Similarly, a peaceful society can be created only
by creating and fostering the spirit of tolerance towards diversities.
In this world, unity is achievable only by learning to unite in spite of differences, rather than insisting on unity without differences. For total
eradication of differences is an impossibility. The secret of attaining
peace in life is tolerance of disturbance of the peace.
There is nothing wrong in diversity of opinions. In fact, this is a positive
quality which has many advantages. The beauty of the garden of life is
actually enhanced if the flower of unity is accompanied by the thorn of
diversity.
The policy of
tolerance or
forbearance
enhances your
efficacy, while
intolerant behaviour
reduces it.
An advantage flowing from this attitude is that
it builds character. If you are well-mannered
towards those whose views are similar to
yours, you may be said to exhibit a fairly
good character. But, if you behave properly
with those holding divergent views from you
or who criticise you, then you deserve to be
credited with having an excellent character.
In the same way, a society whose members
hold identical views and never have any
controversial discussions, will soon find itself in the doldrums. The
intellectual development of the members of this society will be frozen,
because personal evolution takes place only where the interaction of
divergent thinking provides the requisite mental stimuli. It is only after
running the intellectual gauntlet that a developed personality emerges.
If, in a human society, this process ceases to operate, the development
of character will come to a standstill.
Nobody in this world is perfect. If a man is endowed with some good
qualities, he may be lacking in others. This is one of the reasons for
differences cropping up between people. But, for life as a whole, this
disparateness is actually a great blessing: the good points of one
man may compensate for the shortcomings of another, just as one
set of talents in one man may complement a different set in another.
If people could only learn to tolerate others’ differences, their very
forbearance would become a great enabling factor in collective human
development.
After 1947, when the first government of independent India was
formed, two important leaders were included in it. One was Pandit
Jawaharlal Nehru and the other was Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel. Pandit
Nehru’s westernized ideas were in great contrast to the orientalism of
Sardar Patel. And this caused frequent differences of opinion between
these two leaders. But this proved to be a boon for the nation, because
with Pandit Nehru’s abilities compensating for the shortcomings of Sardar Patel, and vice versa, the end result was one of an efficacious
complementarity. The above is a good example of the difference
between the respective natures and opinions of individuals essential
for human development in general.
The habit of tolerance prevents a man from
wasting his time and talent on unnecessary
matters. When negatively affected by
another’s unpalatable behaviour, your
mental equilibrium is upset, whereas when
emotionally untouched by such behaviour,
your mind will fully retain its equilibrium
and, without wasting a single moment, you
will continue to carry out your duties in
the normal way. The policy of tolerance or
forbearance enhances your efficacy, while
intolerant behaviour reduces it.
A peaceful society
can be created only
by creating and
fostering the spirit
of tolerance towards
diversities.
Tolerance is not an act of compulsion. It is a positive principle of
life, expressing the noble side of a man’s character. The existence of
tolerant human beings in a society is just like the blooming of flowers
in a garden.
Key To Success
When work is done in a spirit of cooperation,
co-ordination and blessed
with an atmosphere of harmony in an
organization, the sky is the limit in quantity
and quality of production. It is unity then
which is the true key to success.
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
Believers, be strict in upholding justice and bear witness for the sake
of God, even though it be against yourselves, your parents, or your
kindred. Be they rich or poor, God knows better about them both. Do
not, then, follow your own desires, lest you swerve from justice. If you
conceal the truth or evade it, then remember that God is well aware
of all that you do. (
In life it often happens that man is confronted with a situation where,
on the one hand, lies the path of desire and self-interest, and on the
other hand, lies the path of justice. Now those who are unmindful
of God, those who have no conviction that God is watching them
on all such occasions follow the path of their desires. They consider
it an achievement to ignore the call of truth and take to the path of
self-interest and worldly considerations. But those who fear God, who
regard God as their guardian, have their eyes always set on truth and
justice and act according to their demands. They sincerely desire that
they may leave this world having done no injustice to anyone, having
fully adhered to the path of truth and justice.
This desire for truth and justice is so heightened in them that it
becomes impossible for them to tolerate any behaviour which does not
measure up to the standard of absolute justice. When confronted with
wrongdoing, they dare to proclaim the demands of truth and justice,
even if such a stand amounts to adversely affecting the interests
of their family or goes against their own worldly considerations. They
say only what justice would demand. It is also very wrong from the
standpoint of justice to give influential persons their due while denying
the rights of those who are weak and without influence. A true believer
is one who deals justly with everyone, whether weak or powerful.
Believers, believe in God and His Messenger and in the Scripture He
sent down to His Messenger, as well as what He sent down before.
He who denies God, His angels, His Scriptures, His messengers and
the Last Day has surely gone far astray. (
Believers, believe’ is like saying, ‘Muslims, become Muslims!’ Calling
oneself a Muslim or regarding oneself as such does not suffice for one
to be held a Muslim in the eyes of God. A true Muslim is only that
person who has made God the centre of his life and the source of his
trust and confidence. A Muslim is one who believes in the Prophet and
his guidance to the exclusion of all else. A Muslim is one who adheres
to the revealed Scripture in such a manner that his thinking and his
feelings become totally subordinated to it. A Muslim is one to whom
belief in the angels means that he is surrounded by God’s guardians
who are constantly watching him. A Muslim is one whose belief in the
Hereafter is so profound that he begins to examine all his words and
deeds in the balance of the Hereafter. One who becomes a believer in
this sense is, in the eyes of God, on the right path, on the straight path
to success in the Hereafter. One who does not become a believer in
this sense has gone astray, however much he may consider himself a
Muslim, a believer.
As for those who come to believe, and then deny the truth, and
again come to believe, and again deny the truth, and thereafter grow
stubborn in their denial of the truth—God will never forgive them,
nor will He guide them. Warn the hypocrites that for them there is a
painful punishment. As for those who take the deniers of the truth for
their allies rather than the believers—do they seek honour in their
company? Surely all honour belongs to God. (
This tussle between belief and unbelief continues through life. In
dealing with any matter the human mind starts thinking along two
lines: it tilts either to the demands of desires or of truth and justice.
If on such occasions the thinking and feeling of a person take to the
path of desires, this will amount to a denial of the faith he professes
to believe in. On the other hand, if he makes his thinking and feelings
subservient to the demands of truth and justice, this would amount to
his becoming a true Muslim.
Whenever any matter of truth is brought before people, it is met
with two kinds of responses: one from a person, who adopts the
attitude of modesty and acknowledges the truth, and the other from
a person who is so proud and haughty that he denies the truth. The
first response stems from Iman and faith, while the other stems from faithlessness. One who is not a true believer loves worldly honour
and prestige. He, therefore, feels attracted to like-minded people
who—even if they be the deniers of the truth—will add to his honour
and glory. One so enamoured of worldly affairs is not interested in
those whose association does not add to his honour and prestige, even
if they be true God-worshippers.
Failure
Failure in one field is no
reason to lose hope. There is
always another field awaiting
one, in which the flower of
one's destiny can thrive and
flourish.
ASK MAULANA
Your Questions Answered
How did you first think of the term ‘deconditioning’?
As per my knowledge, the term ‘de-conditioning’
in the sense in which I take it is not used in the
dictionary. This term first came to my mind
when I read a Hadith of the Prophet of Islam.
According to this Hadith, every person is born as
Mr. Nature, but due to environmental influences
he very soon becomes Mr. Conditioned. I learnt
from this Hadith that the first task before a person is to remove his
environmental conditioning and return to his original nature. Therefore
I say that a person must break down his conditioning, and hence
become de-conditioned. It is only after going through this process can
right thinking be initiated in a person.
What do you mean by de-conditioning?
I would like to give an example to explain my point. When a person is born,
he instantly begins to benefit from the life-support system provided
universally in nature. This system is a human being’s prerequisite to
lead life on earth. But experience shows that every person takes for
granted the resources of nature’s life support-system. As a result, one
does not show gratefulness to the Creator for all the blessings that one
enjoys right from birth. Here one must de-condition himself and must
consciously discover these support systems as bounties of the Creator,
otherwise one will continue to remain ungrateful to God.
Please give an example to explain conditioning.
An example of conditioning is that when a person is born, he receives
everything from his parents. This is why all of his emotions become
associated with his parents: his affections are for his parents alone. As
a person matures, he must think and realize that whatever he gets in
this world is entirely from the Creator. When a person de-conditions
himself, he will discover this reality and then will be able to form a
bond with the Creator and draw in nearness to Him. Generally, people
are unable to de-condition themselves in this matter as their emotional
attachment is only with their parents, although it is the Creator who
should be the centre of one’s emotions.
What is the method for de-conditioning our wrong conditioning?
There is only one method for undertaking one’s de-conditioning. This
method is to engage in introspection. A person needs to develop selfthinking.
Without any bias, one must study on one’s own. One should
be so serious in this matter that one should even go to the extent of
self-hammering to overcome wrong conditioning. This is the only way
of de-conditioning ourselves, there is no other method in this regard.
What will happen if we do not de-condition ourselves?
In the light of my experience, not doing one’s de-conditioning leads to
failure in life. De-conditioning develops rational thinking in a person
and makes him adhere to value-based ethics. One who does not decondition
himself is left with only self-interest to guide his life. After
de-conditioning one develops objective thinking, whereas without it,
one is driven only by self-interest. The latter kind of person is unable to
develop his personality.
How much time does it take to de-condition years of wrong
conditioning?
Overcoming one’s wrong conditioning depends upon one’s own
willpower. If a person possesses strong willpower, he will be able to
instantly and completely de-condition himself. However, if a person
is devoid of strong willpower his process of de-conditioning will be
delayed depending on the level of his determination. It is also possible
that one who has weak willpower may never be able to de-condition
himself at all.
How to prevent further wrong conditioning?
There is only one way to save oneself from wrong conditioning, and that
is by way of intellectual development. Without intellectual development
a person cannot even know that he is a case of wrong conditioning.
And when a person is unaware about himself, he will also not be able
to de-condition himself.
An example of an intellectually developed person is one who does not
get offended when somebody critiques him, rather he takes it as an
opportunity to think why he was criticized. This approach would help
him understand that he was a case of conditioning and that he should
come out of it.
Is it possible to become fully free of wrong conditioning?
It is true that one takes the influence of one’s environment, and hence
becomes conditioned. But if a person is intellectually awakened and at the same time has a strong spirit of self-correction, he will surely be
able to completely de-condition himself.
Can one de-condition oneself on one’s own or does one necessarily
require a mentor?
In my view a person can undoubtedly do his own de-conditioning. For
this self de-conditioning two conditions are essential: first is that one
should be intellectually awakened and second is that he should have
a strong desire for self-correction. Without these two prerequisites,
self de-conditioning is not possible. Since most people do not possess
these two qualities, it is advisable that the majority should discover
some competent person and take him as their guide or mentor in this
matter.
If de-conditioning requires a guide, then should it be done in person or
can we do it by reading the literature and listening to the talks given
by the person whom we choose as a guide?
If one reads the writings of one’s guide and regularly listens to his talks,
then this method can be an alternative of having a personal audience
with the guide. But the condition for this is one should repeatedly read
the writings of the guide and listen to his talks on a daily basis.
Spiritual Training
To train oneself spiritually, the most
important thing a person must do
is to train himself to refrain from
taking offence. The moment one
allows oneself to be offended, the
door to spiritual training closes.
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 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.
A SANE VOICE FROM AMERICA
AN Australian immigrant to America, Nick Adams, has written a book titled Green Card Warrior. An introductory note to this book, which appeared in The Times of India, is being quoted here in full:
Millions of immigrants hanker after a permanent residency in the United States, in a tortured pursuit often dubbed the “green card blues”. Now, President Trump has indicated what could be an easy route to it under his watch: show your merit, and possibly, be conservative!
In an unusual plug that comes at a time his aide Kellyanne Conway is still under fire for hawking his daughter’s merchandize from the White House podium, the US President on Friday endorsed on twitter, a book on the green card pursuit. “Nick Adams new book, Green Card Warrior, is a must read. The merit-based system is the way to go. Canada, Australia!” Trump wrote, days after he proposed economic criteria for immigration rather than the family-based one that is currently the primary driver.
It turns out that Adams is an Australian immigrant who struggled for nearly five years to get a US Green Card, because, he says, he was persecuted by the Obama administration for being a conservative. He writes in the book that he was eventually granted an “extraordinary ability” Green Card by the US, but it wasn’t easy.
“It was a 4.5 year battle, and cost almost fifty thousand dollars. It is an incredible tale of sabotage and juxtaposes the enormous difficulty of legal immigration with the red-carpet welcome of illegal immigration”, he says.
Now a resident of Texas, Adams runs a foundation on “American Greatness” and calls himself a conservative “culture warrior” appearing often on TV shows plugging the Trump line. It was one such appearance on Fox News channel on Friday morning that appears to have caught President Trump's eye and generated the tweet a few minutes later.
In the show, Adams maintained that “if America is going to remain the best nation on this earth, we’ve got to make sure that we bring only the best people here”.
“There has to be a cultural buy-in from those that decide to make America home. They can’t just come here and milk us. They’ve got to love the place and they got to become American”, he argued.
Incidentally, Government ethics rules barring product endorsements don’t apply to Presidents, so Adams can happily milk the bonanza.
(‘Donald Trump endorses book on Green Card pursuit via merit’, The Times of India, 6 March 2017)
The comment made by Nick Adams is appropriately applicable to American Muslims as well. The work culture that developed in America after freedom was completely merit-based. The formula of this culture was ‘compete or perish’. Those who settle in America from outside must know that this principle is considered a sacred creed. Muslim immigrants should also know that they are not an exception to this rule. They must necessarily stand up to this competition: they cannot prevent themselves from paying this price. No hue or cry can help them in this matter.
If Muslims, not only in America, but also in every country of the world, qualify on merit they will be surely successful in achieving what they set out for.
If Muslims, not only in America, but also in every country of the world, qualify on merit they will be surely successful in achieving what they set out for. However, if they want to achieve something through favour, they will not be able attain anything in this world.
Muslims must not become emotional in this matter, rather they should be realistic. They must accept reality. No other strategy will work in this regard. This method is not only an American formula, but has been laid down by God. It has been mentioned in the Quran in these words: “He sends down water from the sky that fills riverbeds to overflowing, each according to its measure. The torrent carries along swelling foam, akin to what rises from smelted ore from which man makes ornaments and tools. God thus depicts truth and falsehood. The scum is cast away, but whatever is of use to man remains behind. God thus speaks in parables.” (
According to the above verse of the Quran, Muslims must prove themselves a ‘giver’ community. If they become a ‘taker’ community, they will not have a respectful place anywhere in the world, in America or any other country.
Maulana Wahiduddin Khan This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Ego or Conscience If you challenge someone's ego, your success is doubtful but when you challenge someone's conscience, then your success is guaranteed.
DEFEAT IN ONE ARENA
Victory in Another
IN 827 CE, the Mediterranean island of Sicily became part of the
growing Islamic empire. For nearly three hundred years it remained
under Islamic rule. Then, in 1070, it was re-conquered by the
Normans.
The founder of the Norman kingdom of Sicily was Roger II (1095-1154).
In 1110 he succeeded his brother as Count of Sicily and in 1130 was
crowned king. Although he belonged to a nation of conquerors, and it
was the Muslims whom he had defeated, he still retained a high respect
for Arabs and Islam. His coronation mantle was designed by a Muslim
artist, and had Arabic inscriptions woven into it. After his coronation,
he decided that he would like to have a chart showing the full extent
of the Norman empire. He chose a Muslim cartographer, Al-Idrisi, to
design this chart, for he was the greatest expert in the field. Al-Idrisi
then went on to prepare an atlas for the king, consisting of seventy
maps and extensive geographical data. Originally written in Arabic, the
first European edition of this atlas was published in 1619.
The solution to
the problems of
the Muslims in the
modern age lies
in their cultivating
technological
capability, and
establishing
dominance in the
field of modern
scientific knowledge.
The selection of Al-Idrisi for the mammoth
task of preparing maps of the whole of the
known world shows, as the historian J.H.
Kramers has pointed out, that at that time
the intellectual and academic excellence of
Muslims was recognized. Roger II certainly
appreciated the worth of Muslim scholars: he
encouraged and sponsored them in their work
and—in the words of one historian—”made
Sicily a major meeting place for Christian and
Arab scholars”.
Though defeated on the field of battle,
Muslims continued their intellectual and
academic dominance, even in the court of
their conqueror. This was because at that
time Muslims were by far and wide an advanced community in different
fields of knowledge. The legacy of Islam lives in European languages,
which retain many words of Arabic origin.
Muslims today complain of their political, economic and military
subjection to non-Muslim nations. They think that they can take back,
by protest and militancy, what has been seized from them. But the case of Roger II of Sicily—his respect for Muslim scholars and their
continued intellectual domination even after military defeat—shows
that the solution to the problems of the Muslims in the modern age lies
in their cultivating technological capability, and establishing dominance
in the field of modern scientific knowledge. This can be achieved—not
by protests and militant “fundamentalism”, but by earnest academic
endeavour alone; it can be acquired by seeking to give to the world,
rather than just taking from it.
Be a Super Achiever
Be ambitious, but not an adventurist.
Be confident, but never lose your modesty.
Be clear about your target, but never try to achieve
it at the cost of another person's success or peace of
mind. You have to be a good planner, but keep away
from any kind of corruption. It is good to be a selfmade
person but not by usurping other's rights. Always
remember that it is not your intention or your desire
that determines the course taken by the external world.
It is a wise adjustment between your desires and
external realities that leads to success. It is a fact that
no one can overrule your ambitions but it is also a fact
that you cannot overrule the laws of nature.
So always be a realist.
ALL THE BLOOD OF ONES BODY
Total Dedication
PROFESSOR Paul Dirac died in Florida, U.S.A., in October 1984 at the
age of 84. Recipient of the Nobel Prize and many other awards,
he was considered—after Newton and Einstein—the greatest
scientist of modern times. He is known mainly for his development of
quantum mechanical theory—in effect the physics of the smallest part
of the atom—and his effective prediction of anti-matter before it had
been experimentally discovered. His “anti-matter” and “anti-universe”
became the leading physical ideas for explaining the character and
contents of the contemporary universe, its origin and history. J.G.
Crowther’s obituary to Dirac in The Guardian (November 4, 1984) was
fittingly given the headline “Prophet of the Anti-universe”.
Dirac’s discovery of the first anti-particle, known as a positron,
revolutionized the world of nuclear physics. Students were naturally
interested to know how he arrived at this world-shaking discovery. His
answers often proved somewhat disconcerting. “When people asked
him how he got his startling ideas about the nature of sub-atomic
matter”, Crowther writes, “he would patiently explain that he did so
by lying on his study floor with his feet up so that the blood ran to his
head”.
Great intellectual
feats can only be
accomplished by
letting all the blood
of one’s body run
to one’s head—by
channeling all of
one’s energy into the
intellectual pursuit
one has undertaken.
Dirac’s answer might appear tongue-in-cheek,
but in fact what he said was quite true. Great
intellectual feats can only be accomplished by
letting all the blood of one’s body run to one’s
head—by channeling all of one’s energy into
the intellectual pursuit one has undertaken.
Few people actually do this. They rather
tend to diversify their efforts. Their failure
to concentrate on a single goal renders all
their efforts incomplete and ineffective. Every
worthwhile task demands all the strength
that an individual can muster. The only way
to be successful in one’s work is to give it all
one has.
DISCOVER YOURSELF
Pay the Price
OF the several definitions which attempt to define mankind,
there is one which is met with more general approbation.
That is, man is born with an innate feeling which tells him that
he is better than another; better than that intolerant neighbour and
that incompetent colleague. This uncanny awareness constitutes one
of the first characteristics of man’s being. Indeed, the most ordinary
thing about each individual is the fact that he considers himself a little
extraordinary.
In thinking that we are extraordinary we acknowledge only a portion
of the truth. The other half of the truth is the fact that every individual,
without exception, is born different, and is therefore unique. This part
of the truth we unwittingly choose to ignore.
The intention of this article is not to deal with either the undue pride
which the consciousness of this thought sometimes entails or the sad
repercussions which its ignorance yields. The urgent, unaddressed
question is: Why do most people, if they are born unique, consequently
talented in some sense of the word, not achieve the success which they
are entitled to?
Man starts dreaming while he is a child.
Throughout his life, he strives and struggles
to realize his dreams. However, when unable
to establish his uniqueness, he sinks low in
dejection and disillusionment.
To bring to the
surface that talent,
that will reveal the
measure of your
mind, you must work
towards developing
it with complete
dedication and
undivided attention.
In view of these circumstances, the first step is
to understand the role that we can best play.
Discovering this uniqueness is the starting
point. Explaining the situation of one who
is bereft of this self-knowledge, the Prophet
Muhammad has said: “The condition of an
unwise man is that of an animal who is not
aware of why its master has tied it or untied
it.”
The answer to the question as to why many fail to actualize the gifts
heaven bestows on them, if looked at from different perspectives,
might have varying answers. One perspective could be that we have to
pay a price to acquire anything in life whatsoever. Nothing comes for free. The uniqueness of the individual can be brought into light only
after paying the due price.
“To do one task, you have to abandon all others”, are the enlightening
words of an eminent Sufi which could be an answer to this question of
why don't people achieve success in spite of being unique?
Therefore, to bring to the surface that talent, that will reveal the measure
of your mind, you must work towards developing it with complete
dedication and undivided attention. All else should be secondary.
On the other hand, it must be conceded that this is not an easy path to
tread. Embarking on such a journey calls for practicing an iron restraint
over your whims and fancies, a need to control unruly emotions and
avoid every distraction.
Problems multiplying our fears and shaking our resolve, will show up
at every corner. It is in such circumstances that we must hold on. To
overcome such unpleasant situations one ought to become a 'big bird'
thinker. For when a storm strikes, big birds fly
well above the reach of the storm, and thus
save themselves. It is this which is required
from a man who undertakes the mission to
discover himself.
To overcome
unpleasant situations
one ought to become
a 'big bird' thinker.
For when a storm
strikes, big birds fly
well above the reach
of the storm, and
thus save themselves
You will falter, commit mistakes and
sometimes even get derailed; it will require
colossal courage to get up again and march
ahead with renewed zeal and determination.
Truly, the value of a man lies in his excellence;
nevertheless, he must not forget that to
achieve this most desirable goal, he must pay
an equally difficult price.
Life is an opportunity. It gives us the freedom to act as we should want
to. If we fail to avail it because of our own neglect, we will have no
justification to complain later.
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.
ISSUE OF BLASPHEMY
THE Arabic equivalent of blasphemy is shatm. Blasphemy finds
no mention in the dictionary of Islam. It is only an innovated
term. According to Hadith (saying of the Prophet of Islam),
any innovation in the religion of Islam is liable to be rejected. The
authentic sources of Islam are only two: the Quran and the Hadith. No
Mufti or legislature has the right to add any law to the Islamic Shariah
(Jurisprudence).
The Prophet of Islam started his mission in 610 CE in Makkah and
he died in 632 CE in Madinah. During these twenty-two years there
were some people both in Makkah and Madinah who used abusive
language against the Prophet of Islam. But the Prophet never said they
should be killed. He opted only for two kinds of response: either he
avoided the issue or he asked some of his
Companions to meet them and remove their
misunderstanding.
The Quran does not
ask others to refrain
from using abusive
language against
Islam; it enjoins
Muslims not to use
abusive language
against other
religions.
Looking at the early history of Islam, one can
say that the present day Muslims must adopt
this prophetic model. Muslims must either
ignore such events or they must respond to
them in a peaceful manner, that is, statement
for a statement, a book for a book. There is no
other option for Muslims.
According to the Creation Plan of God, everyone is free. Freedom is
everyone’s birthright, so no one can abolish anyone’s freedom. People
are free to use their freedom as they please, if you disagree with the
point of view of your fellow beings, you can express your views in a
rational manner; you must try to address their minds. Guns and bombs
are no options for Muslims.
Killing in the name of blasphemy is common. Further, it is strange
that no Muslim of repute speaks against this un-Islamic act. Almost all
Muslims are silent on this issue. This silence is highly objectionable as
there is a Hadith, that if one sees an evil and fails to speak out against
it, such a person is as a dumb Satan.
If one takes the act of blasphemy as a difference of opinion, then it will
be to one’s advantage. Difference of opinion invites discussion, which
gives a good opportunity to remove the misconceptions. Moreover
according to the Quran, differences create an opportunity to turn an
enemy into a friend.
Islam emphasizes a rational approach. The Quran does not ask others
to refrain from using abusive language against Islam; it enjoins Muslims
not to use abusive language against other religions. Islam tries to root
out the cause of blasphemy rather than command people to kill those
who commit blasphemy. Save others from your evil, to be saved from
the evil of others.
Freedom of Expression
Islam greatly believes in freedom of expression. As such blasphemy
in Islam is a subject of intellectual discussion rather than a subject of
physical punishment.
The responsibility
of the believers is to
observe the policy
of avoidance, and
with a well wishing
attitude, convey
the message of God
to them in such a
manner that their
minds might be
properly addressed.
The concept of blasphemy is completely alien
to the original teachings of Islam. Before the
advent of Islam, difference of belief was also
a punishable act. They used to punish on
matters of belief just as on matters of social
crime. This old practice is called religious
persecution in history. Islam abolished this
practice. The Prophet of Islam declared that
personal belief is a subject of discussion and
exchange rather than of legal punishment.
If you go through the Quran and Hadith, the
only two authentic sources of Islam, you will
find that there is not a single Quranic verse or Hadith that gives this kind of injunction which says: Kill the person who
commits blasphemy against the Prophet.
The Quran tells us that since ancient times God has sent prophets in
succession to every town and every community. It says, moreover,
that the contemporaries of all of these prophets adopted a negative
attitude towards them.
There are more than two hundred verses in the Quran which reveal
that the contemporaries of the prophets repeatedly perpetrated the
same act which is now called ‘blasphemy or abuse of the Prophet’ or
‘using abusive language about the Prophet’. Prophets throughout the
ages have been mocked and abused by their contemporaries (
some of the epithets cited in the Quran being “a liar” (
(
these words of abuse used by prophets’ contemporaries but nowhere
does the Quran prescribe the punishment of lashes, or death or any
other physical punishment.
The Prophet of
Islam declared that
personal belief is a
subject of discussion
and exchange
rather than of legal
punishment.
This clearly shows that ‘abuse of the Prophet’
is not a subject of punishment, but rather a
subject of peaceful admonishment. That is, one
who is guilty of abusing the Prophet should not
have corporal punishment meted out to him:
he should rather be given sound arguments
in order that his mind may be addressed. In
other words, peaceful persuasion should be
used to reform the person concerned rather
than trying to punish him.
Those who adopt a negative stance towards the Prophet will be
judged by God, who knows the innermost recesses of their hearts. The
responsibility of the believers is to observe the policy of avoidance,
and with a well wishing attitude, convey the message of God to them in
such a manner that their minds might be properly addressed.
Another important aspect of this matter is that at no point in the Quran
is it stated that anyone who uses abusive language about the Prophet
should be stopped from doing so, and in case he continues to do so
he should be awarded severe punishment. On the contrary, the Quran
commands the believer not to use abusive language against opponents.
The teachings of the Quran make it plain that it is not the task of
the believers to establish “media watch” offices and hunt for anyone
involved in acts of defamation of the Prophet, and then plan for their
killing, whatever the cost. On the contrary, the Quran enjoins believers to sedulously refrain from indulging in such acts as may provoke people
to retaliate by abusing Islam and the Prophet. The Quran makes it clear
that this responsibility devolves upon the believers, rather than on
others. So others should not be held responsible and demands should
not be made for them to be punished.
Looked at from this angle, the stance of present-day Muslims goes
totally against the teachings of the Quran. Whenever anyone—in their
judgment—commits an act of ‘abuse of the Prophet’, in speech or
in writing, they instantly get provoked and their response is to start
leading processions through the streets, which often turn violent, and
then they demand that all those who insult the Prophet be beheaded.
Muslims generally advocate the theory that freedom of expression is
good, but that no one has the right to hurt the religious sentiments of
others. This theory is quite illogical. Freedom is not a self-acquired right.
It is God, who, because of His scheme of putting man to the test, has
given man total freedom. Then the modern secular concept of freedom
is that everyone is free provided he does not inflict physical harm upon
others. In such a situation, the above kind of demand is tantamount to
abolishing two things: firstly, to abolishing the
divine scheme, and secondly, to abolishing
the modern secular norm. Neither goal is
achievable.
Muslims generally
advocate the theory
that freedom of
expression is good,
but that no one has
the right to hurt
religious sentiments
of others. This theory
is quite illogical.
Freedom is not a
self-acquired right. It
is God, who has given
man total freedom.
So the hue and cry against the so-called
abuse of the Prophet is simply untenable.
By doing so, Muslims can make themselves
permanently negative but they cannot change
the system of the world.
There is a relevant Hadith in which the
Prophet of Islam said, 'A good Muslim is one
who refrains from indulging in a practice
that is not going to yield any positive
result'. This Hadith applies aptly to the present
situation of Muslims. They have been raising
a hue and cry for a very long time against
blasphemy, but it has been in vain. Muslims
must know that they are not in a position to change the world, so
they must change themselves. There will be two instant advantages of
adopting this policy: they will save themselves from becoming a victim
of negative sentiments and will be able to devote their energies in
constructive work.
UNDERSTANDING THE QURAN
Need for Piety
IN order to understand the Quran, Quranic commentators mention
the need to know several disciplines. This is right, but there is
another way to understand the Quran, and which is undoubtedly
the most important. And that is taqwa, or God-consciousness. We learn
this point from the following verse of the Quran:
Be mindful of God; He teaches you:
He has full knowledge of everything. (
Taqwa (God-consciousness) builds up a certain kind of mindset that
makes one turn to God for help in every matter and for everything. To
ask God for help is simultaneously a supplication or dua and a form of
worship or Ibadat. One obtains great help in understanding the Quran
from this sort of supplication. And along with this, one also obtains the
reward for worship.
To pray to God for guidance in understanding
the Quran is very important. It is to consult
the author of a book in order to understand it.
It is a quality only of the Quran that its Author
is present every moment for consultation.
There is no doubt that God provides guidance
to every person. But this guidance comes, not
in the form of words, but, rather, in the form
of inspiration.
To pray to God
for guidance in
understanding
the Quran is very
important. It is to
consult the author
of a book in order to
understand it.
From the Quran we learn that God inspires
the heavens (
beings too (
who prays to Him to be able to understand the Quran properly.
Of the scholar Ibn Taymiyyah, it is said that when he found it difficult
to understand any verse of the Quran, he would pray to God thus: “O
Teacher of Abraham, teach me!” The Quran mentions God providing
knowledge to Abraham.
God-consciousness is what will invoke God’s help which comes in the
form of inspiration for us to understand the correct meaning of God's
guidance in the Quran.
THE FIRST LAW OF SUCCESS
Persist and Persevere
THE British physicist and mathematician, Sir Isaac Newton (1642-
1727) is famous for his formulation of the laws of motion.
The third law of motion states that for every action, there is
an equal and opposite reaction. But there is also another law which
was demonstrated in Newton’s own life. This may be called the law of
success.
Newton’s father died three months before he was born. His mother
soon re-married. As a result, Newton was deprived of his parents’ love.
A biographer of Newton’s wrote: “Basically treated as an orphan, Isaac
did not have a happy childhood.” Apparently, this was a setback in
Newton’s life, but in reality it became his life’s greatest plus point.
Every human being is
born with unlimited
potential. Nothing
can stop his journey
towards success,
except apathy or a
sense of frustration.
If he does not
become frustrated
or apathetic, his
own true nature will
automatically guide
him and take him
to a destination of
incredible eminence.
During his childhood days, the outside world
held no attraction for Newton, and he started
living in his own world. He came to be called a
wool-gatherer, or absent-minded person. But
it was later learnt that Newton, rather than
being absent minded was really very focused.
As a result of this intellectual bent, he was
able to discover great scientific laws.
The lack of love and affection on the part of
his parents was apparently a great drawback,
but according to the law of nature, this turned
out to be to his advantage. This was because
it caused him to intensify his thinking capacity
and he was able to unfold his hidden potential.
In this way, his intellectual proclivities were
turned to good account. Thus, in this sense,
his minus point proved to be a plus point.
This is not just the story of an individual.
It is more than that. It is the story of nature. Newton’s life is a
demonstration of a very important law of nature. Every human being
is born with unlimited potential. Nothing can stop his journey towards
success, except apathy or a sense of frustration. If he does not become
frustrated or apathetic, his own true nature will automatically guide
him and take him to a destination of incredible eminence.
There are many examples in history of people who, in their early
years, became victims of all kinds of adversity. Yet, they did not allow
themselves to become disheartened by the difficulties they faced, and
their nature ultimately guided them—continuously channelizing their
energy and talents—towards a goal they could not even have thought
of in their early days.
In life, people often have to face untoward situations, for example,
having to live in an orphanage, suffering accidents, sustaining material
losses, receiving an incomplete education, having no inheritance to
look forward to, failure to get a good job, etc. But those who, in spite
of these drawbacks, never lose their courage and continue to make
unflagging efforts, emerge in the end as super-achievers.
Man's Personality
Man's personality is paradoxical.
He is intellectually the strongest creature
in the world but, at the same time,
he is the weakest of all creatures.
He who is controlled by his mind, is a
strong person, while he who becomes the
victim of his emotions, is a weak person.
It is in one's own hands to become either
strong or weak. Through the mind man
becomes a superman. By contrast, it
is the feelings or emotions that render
human beings vulnerable. He who can
prevail over his own feelings can prevail
over the whole world. This is the master
principle for high achievement.
THE ROAD TO PARADISE
Beset by Challenges
THE world of nature is a zero defect world. In it, there are all kinds
of activities, but they do not produce any noise pollution. It has
‘factories’ operating round the clock but they do not produce
any smog. There are many great industries, but they do not sully the
water. For millions and millions of years, the world of nature has
been functioning, but without causing any deterioration. All its parts
are active, but we do not find anywhere that they have such a thing
as a labour problem. The world of nature, although ephemeral, is
nevertheless a complete world.
Of the numerous things in this world, everything has taken its ultimate
shape. We cannot think of any other colour for the sky except blue.
Neither can we think of any other colour for light and water. We cannot
think of any other form which the grass or the trees could have had.
Nor can we think of any other colour for the
vegetation but green. Even our greatest artists
could not produce any other model for the
ants or the tiger, for the deer or the elephant
or the birds. It is a fact that everything in this
world has been cast in its final mould. We just
cannot think of a better model for anything
that exists in this world of nature.
The present world,
in actual fact,
makes Paradise
understandable to
us. It is not Paradise.
But man often
mistakes it for his
destination, and his
life thus becomes
one of missed
opportunities.
Sometimes things happen which appear to be
undesirable, for instance, landslides, floods,
droughts, volcanic eruptions, earthquakes,
etc. Therefore, the opinion of some is that,
the world of nature is not evil-free. But such
remarks are the result of misunderstanding. In
fact, such apparently unwanted occurrences
are either to maintain a balance in the world of nature, or are aimed at
giving man a lesson—to cut him down to size. Such events, therefore,
are desirable so that the natural state of the world may be maintained.
In contrast to the above, the human world is beset by many flaws
and all kinds of defects and shortcomings, as a result of which man is
continually faced with a state of unrest. Our human world is marked by
the recurrence of the many unpleasant events. Here, there is suffering,
old age, accidents and death. Life is marked with all kinds of misery
and fear. Even when there does not appear to be any problem, there is boredom and tension which in themselves are unbearable. The human
story is one of continual effort to overcome this state of discontent.
Everyone cherishes a dream of a perfect world for himself.
When we look at the human world in comparison to the world of
nature and are aware of the fact that man dreams of a perfect world,
we get to the question—is there a perfect world? In answer to this the
beautiful world of nature in itself can be understood as a possibility of
the existence of a perfect world. But, why is our human world full of
imperfections?
The reason is the world of nature is governed by fixed laws and one can
predict their pattern; an example to understand this would be the fact
that man is able to predict the eclipses of the sun and the moon with
precision and prepare calendars for the years ahead.
In contrast to the above, as man is bestowed with freedom one cannot
predict consistent behaviour. The whole history of mankind is full of
incidents of man’s misuse of freedom and unpredictable behaviour.
The only exception being a few individuals who have lived a God
oriented life by surrendering themselves to God and living a life without
misusing their freedom. Such precious people
will get their desire fulfilled in a perfect world
in the kingdom of God, which is Paradise.
The Creator of the
universe made
another world
besides the present
one, in accordance
with the desires of
human beings. That
world is free of all
kinds of limitations
and disadvantages,
including fear
and pain.
Paradise puts an end to the contradiction.
The Creator of the universe made another
world besides the present one, in accordance
with the desires of human beings. That
world is free of all kinds of limitations and
disadvantages, including fear and pain. There,
man will have every opportunity to live to his
full capacity. His being will have its fulfillment.
It is moreover an eternal world, where one
shall remain young forever, and old age
will not afflict one any longer. One shall not
fall victim to any decline or decay. Paradise
signifies a perfect world of eternal comforts
and pleasures for man, a world invested with a meaning far greater
even than that immanent in the natural world. Paradise is an eternal
abode: a perfect place for all kinds of happiness and comforts. It is the
realization of human dreams of finding an ideal world. If the present
world is a ‘thorn,’ then the world of Paradise is the ‘rose’. Paradise is a
heavenly colony where peace, love and noble character prevail.
Perhaps it is this divine plan which has thus been alluded to by Jesus
Christ in these words:
Pray to God in these words: Our Father in Heaven, hallowed be
Your name, Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as
it is in heaven. (MATTHEW 6: 9-10)
The present world is just an introduction to Paradise. It is not Paradise
in itself. The present world is a passageway and not the destination.
It is the place for preparation, and not for reaping the harvest. The
present world is full of limitations. It does not have the means to fulfill
the unlimited desires of man. It has all the means of subsistence at the
animal level, but does not have the spiritual necessities of the higher
level for man.
In this world everyone suffers frustration and failure. The reason is that
everyone wants to find his desired world here itself, whereas the present
limited and ephemeral world is not created for this purpose. That is
why, despite all efforts, one fails to find one’s
dream world in this life. The present world, in
fact, makes Paradise understandable to us. It
is not Paradise. But man often mistakes it for
his destination, and his life thus becomes one
of missed opportunities.
A paradisiacal
person, that is,
one fit to inhabit
Paradise, is such
an ardent seeker
of Paradise that he
begins to feel as if he
is living in Paradise
while remaining
physically in this
world.
It is a waiting room and not the final
destination of the journey. The question,
“Who am I?” is asked by everyone, consciously
or unconsciously. The answer is: "I am a
traveller to Paradise". This world is a pathway
and Paradise is its final destination. Man has
come here to tread this path while on his way
to eternal bliss.
The animals have no consciousness of tomorrow. They live only in their
‘today’ and die in their ‘today’. Whereas, man has a sense of tomorrow.
Man cherishes a very pleasant consciousness of tomorrow, an aspiration
towards a better day, or the fulfillment of his dreams. All human beings
strive hard to make their tomorrow better and better. But they do not
find this ‘tomorrow’. The reason being that this ‘tomorrow’ is not to
materialize in this world, but will come into existence in the eternal life
to come, i.e. in the Hereafter.
However, the entry to the Paradise of the next world is not open to
all, being on a selective basis. It is only those who, in their life before death, come up to the standard of the citizenship of Paradise, who
will be granted an abode in this perfect world. Entry to this world of
Paradise has been restricted. It will be given only to those pure souls
who have brought with them the necessary qualification.
What is the necessary qualification and who are the pure souls?
The qualifying factor is for man to discover God who is in the unseen
and voluntarily surrender himself before Him. He should adopt divine
ethics without any external pressure to do so. He should develop his
intellectual and spiritual being to such an extent that he produces
in himself, the ability to inhabit the refined world of Paradise. Of
the inhabitants of this world, only those will find a place, who have
succeeded in maintaining a high moral character.
The qualifying
factor is for man to
discover God who is
in the unseen and
voluntarily surrender
himself before Him.
One who is able to discover Paradise, begins
his life in Paradise from this world itself. Here,
he will have the pleasure of its intellectual
discovery; and after death he will have the
pleasure of actually experiencing it. Today,
he is blessed with peace of mind; tomorrow
he will experience this peaceful life in his
external world also. Today he has the full
satisfaction of conviction at the intellectual
level, tomorrow he will find an opportunity to
live in the pleasures and comforts of practical life. Today he is living
in a world of limitations, tomorrow he will find an unlimited world
in which to live forever, in total freedom. Today he finds Paradise in
the intellectual sense, tomorrow he will find it in the practical sense.
Indeed, there is nothing greater than this for man.
Such are the souls who have discovered God, and whose greatest
concern is the Almighty. They worship only the one God, and devote
their lives to improving their intellectual and spiritual abilities to a
high degree. They have shunned the life of falsehood and adhered
steadfastly to the way of truth, staying away from hypocrisy and
remaining resolutely on the path of sincerity. They have adopted the
path of honesty throughout their lives; and have of their own imposed
the divine discipline upon their words and deeds. They reserve their
feelings of love and fear exclusively for God. Their life and death is
for truth. They do not live their lives for anything less than the higher
cause.
Their activities are Hereafter-oriented rather than world-oriented.
They succeed in steering clear of all negative feelings such as hatred, jealousy, prejudice, selfishness and other such shallow thinking, and
raise themselves to the highest moral level. They associate themselves
with people for the sake of truth and distance themselves likewise for
the sake of truth. They give and take for God alone. Their lips open for
the truth alone. They follow the way of forgiveness and not of revenge
in this world and do not embroil themselves in the attractions of the
world, but fix their gaze on the Hereafter in all situations.
A paradisiacal person, that is, one fit to inhabit Paradise, is such an
ardent seeker of Paradise that he begins to feel as if he is living in
Paradise while remaining physically in this world. If he has found
Paradise in terms of such a feeling, in the next world he will physically
become a resident of Paradise.
When this paradisiacal personality develops in human beings, their
intellectual plane reaches such heights that everything becomes
immaterial. They do not find any fulfillment in the material things of
the world. Owing to their heightened consciousness, they realize that
the present world is not the place that they have been created for.
Their hearts cry out to God: “O God! Bestow on us, the Paradise of the
Hereafter. Give us a place in the world of Your neighbourhood.”
God’s angels will welcome those men and women, who reach the
Hereafter with all the above qualities. The angels will come forward and
say: “Congratulations, O Blessed Souls! Enter God’s heaven by divine
decree. Here, there is no death and no parting from this joyous world.
The eternal life has been given to you for all eternity.” The Quran says:
O Soul at peace! Come to your Lord well pleased, and He will also
be well pleased with you. So enter among My chosen servants.
And enter My Garden. (
For one who has no concept of Paradise, total satisfaction in this
present world will turn out to be a lifelong quest, that will end in failure.
People expend all their energy in its pursuit, but they fail to construct
this dream world for themselves.
According to the Quran, after death everyone will discover that
‘tomorrow’. Those who have prepared for it will meet with all kinds
of success there, while those who have not made the necessary
preparations will be doomed. In the world of the Hereafter, all evil
people will be separated from the good. They will be denied all the
good things of that life.
HUMAN LIFE
A Flowing River
HUMAN life can be likened to a flowing river. What is a river? A
river in fact is a unique phenomenon of nature. In the river fresh
water is being added to the existing water at every moment.
This everyday phenomenon is responsible for the freshness of the river
water. In the absence of this continuous flow of newly-added water,
the river will lose its freshness; it will not be able to maintain its healthgiving,
nay, life-giving properties.
The same method is adopted by nature with regard to man. As we
know, human beings continue to be born generation after generation.
Within a period of a hundred years the previous generation is replaced
by new men and women. If the old water in a river is replaced with
fresh water, in human beings this same occurrence takes place in the
form of previous generations yielding place to new generations.
A great wisdom lies behind this system set up in human life by nature.
Its aim is that the coming generation should learn its lesson from the
experiences of the previous generation. By benefitting in this manner
it may continue its life’s journey in a far better way. This is a precious
gift of the previous generation to the new generation.
For instance, a father in the light of his experience, is able to give
valuable advice to his overconfident son saying that while confidence
is good, overconfidence can result in failure. The younger generation
will not be able to understand this side of confidence on their own and
can benefit from the experiences of the older generation.
When we read stories of heroic people we can find that they have
acknowledged the role of many an elders’ advice in their life. Such
examples show how important the older generation is for the new
generation. They bequeath wisdom to the new generation. They pass
on principles in the light of practical experiences. In this way the
younger people can avoid doing the same mistakes and be safe from
losses.
The wise elderly are a valuable gift of nature to the energetic young. If
human life is like flowing water it will remain fresh but if it is stagnant
in a closed space it will become stale and unhealthy. This is a beautiful
lesson of nature for us and the experience of human history testifies
to this in practice.
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
GIFT FROM THE LORD OF THE WORLDS
THE Prophet Muhammad began his mission in Makkah in 610 CE.
Then, the time came when the chieftains of Makkah compelled
him to leave the city. At that time, the Prophet said to his
Companions: “I was ordered to migrate to a town which will swallow
other towns. It is called Yathrib, and that is Madinah”. (Sahih al-Bukhari)
What is said in this Hadith is not about the superiority of the Prophet or
of the city of Madinah. Rather, it refers to a general law of God. When
a person faces one-sided oppression or when something is wrongly
taken away from him, such a person becomes eligible for God’s special
assistance. God gives him much more than
what other people have wrongly taken away
from him.
A person who
displays positive
behaviour in the
midst of negative
experiences becomes
eligible for God's
special gift.
This special gift of God is given to the person
who develops the eligibility for this gift. In
these conditions of oppression, he must
remain patient and non-complaining till the
final limit. Under no circumstances should his
sight turn away from God. He should pray for those who oppress him, and as for himself, he must always remain
hopeful of succour from God.
When a person displays this kind of positive approach, it is no ordinary
matter. It leads to the creation of a new sort of character within
him, a character that is imbued with a desire for the well-being of
his oppressors, that remains firmly established in positivity despite
negative experiences, and that leaves all one’s affairs to God. Such a
person’s heart is, under all circumstances, filled with spirituality. He
does not react to his circumstances, but, rather, entrusts all his affairs
to God to manage. It is this sort of person who is given that special gift
from God that is mentioned in the above-quoted Hadith.
MORE THAN MONEY
Potential
A BOY who worked in an airport as a helper to passengers on
wheel chairs was offered money for his services. The boy refused
saying, “Don’t give me money, but give me your blessings. I am
appearing for an examination, please pray that I pass”. The elderly
passenger placed his hand on his head and prayed for him.
The boys words are not ordinary words. They are the words representing
a creative mindset. It is to opt for a self-made principle rather than
trying to live by favours.
When you try to live on your own, you are trying to tap your own
potential. Everyone is born with enormous potential, but potential can
be developed only by hard work. The best policy for anyone trying to
succeed in life is to try to unfold this potential rather than try to receive
any advantage from elsewhere.
People generally say with envy that a particular person was born
with a silver spoon in his mouth. But this is wrong. Fortunate is one
who is born with an incentive spoon in his
mouth. If you are born to a life of hardship,
it will activate you and this will give you the
incentive to work. On the other hand, if you
are born to a life of comfort, it will kill your
motivation. It is a fact that self-motivation is
far greater than external support.
The best policy for
anyone trying to
succeed in life is
to try to unfold his
potential rather
than try to receive
any advantage from
elsewhere.
Every favour is limited in nature. There is no
favour that has unlimited scope. But when
you try to unfold your own potential, that is
like embarking upon a journey that has no
limit. Favour may give you temporary relief,
but hard work is the only way to achieve great success. All the super
achievements in history were the result of hard work rather than
favours.
It has been rightly said: ‘It is not ease but effort, not facility but difficulty
that makes men.’ Facility may seem to be good, but difficulty is better in
terms of results. Opting for effort is good for both physical health and
intellectual development.
Living on favour means living as a 'taker' in your society. But living as a
hard worker means being a 'giver' in your society. And it is a fact that
the 'giver' is better than a 'taker'.
When you achieve something by dint of hard work, it gives you one
precious thing, and that is confidence. Hard work is always accompanied
by confidence. And confidence leads to peace of mind. Nothing is better
than peace of mind.
Once a poor man came to the Prophet of
Islam and said, “Give me some money for my
livelihood”. The Prophet said: “That would not
be good for you”. Then the Prophet advised
him thus: “The upper hand is better than the
lower hand”, gave him some silver coins and
said: “Go to the forest, cut some wood and
sell it to earn your livelihood and meet me in
two month’s time.”
Every favour is
limited in nature.
There is no favour
that has unlimited
scope. But when you
try to unfold your
own potential, that is
like embarking upon
a journey that has no
limit.
The man accepted this advice of the Prophet.
Two months later he came back to the Prophet
and said: “I am happy with my job. Now I have
decided not ask for anything from anyone”.
By hard work one can earn money but through money one cannot
achieve hard work. For a life of dignity one should not obtain favours
from others, but rely on one’s own efforts.
Unpleasant Experiences
Unpleasant experiences
are painful but they make
a necessary contribution
to advanced intellectual
development.
POLITICAL INSURRECTION UNLAWFUL
No Confrontation
AFTER the period of the pious Caliphate,
corruption set in amongst the Muslim rulers.
However, the religious scholars did not rise
in revolt against the rulers, scrupulously avoiding
any confrontation. They continued to expend their
efforts in non-political fields. This was not simply a
matter of chance but the adoption of a policy based
on the clear injunctions of the Shariah.
Books of Hadith record the teachings of the Prophet in detail, in this
regard. The Prophet had clearly foretold that in later times all kinds of
rot would set in amongst the rulers. They would become tyrants and
unjust, but even then his guidance to the people was never take up
arms against the rulers. Instead the Prophet advised that when the
believers found themselves being ruled by such tyrants, they should
take to the mountains with their ‘camels and goats’, instead of launching
campaigns against them.
‘Camels and goats’, signify those opportunities which existed in nonpolitical
fields, and which will always exist irrespective of the corruption
of the rulers. The Prophet’s injunction meant that at such times, the
believers have to peacefully exploit the existing opportunities in nonpolitical
fields by avoiding any confrontation in the political field. These
injunctions of the Prophet were so clear that the religious scholars
formed a consensus that, staging an insurrection against the rulers
was unlawful, and therefore to be totally avoided in all circumstances.
In the commentary of Sahih Muslim, Imam an Nawawi, commenting
on the traditions in the chapter ‘Al-Imarah writes: “Do not adopt the
way of confrontation with the rulers in the matter of their power. If
you find them going against Islam, you should try to make the truth
clear to them by sincere counseling. So far as launching campaigns and
taking up arms against them to oust them from positions of power is
concerned, that is unlawful by the consensus of Muslims, even if the
ruler is evil and a tyrant (Sahih Muslim).
This injunction of the Prophet of Islam, as made clear above, was based
on extremely important considerations. The truth is that in the first
phase (and in later phases as well) a large number of academic, dawah
and reform works outside the political field, had to be performed.
Without this, the very history of Islam
would have remained incomplete, for if the
religious scholars had engaged themselves in
confrontation with the political institutions,
all these constructive activities could never
have been carried out. Therefore, the Prophet
of Islam gave express commands to avoid
political confrontation with the rulers at any
pretext. This avoidance served as a guarantee
that all the constructive activities outside the
field of politics would continue uninterrupted.
The Prophet of
Islam gave express
commands to
avoid political
confrontation
with the rulers at
any pretext. This
avoidance served
as a guarantee that
all the constructive
activities outside
the field of politics
would continue
uninterrupted.
In every society, two parallel systems exist
side by side—one political and the other
non-political. The latter governs a variety of
institutions, which function independently of
politics. According to the scheme of Islam, the
non-political system established at the social
level has to be always kept stable; all believers
are expected to do their utmost to ensure that despite changes, rot or
corruption in the political set-up, Islam should be firmly established on
a non-political basis.
Spiritual Food
Extracting the spiritual content
from material things will give you
the spiritual food to enable you
to develop yourself as a spiritual
person. If your earnest desire is to
live your life as a spiritual person,
you must learn the art of such
extraction.
ACCEPTANCE OF REALITY
For a Stress Free Life
ACCEPT reality, and you are bound to enjoy a life that is stress
and tension free. What is stress and tension? Stress is a feeling
of excessive demands being made on one’s physical and mental
energy and tension is a feeling of mental strain. Why are people afflicted
by these ills?
Perhaps, in most cases, it is because they want to live their lives
according to their own way of thinking, without taking into account the
existence of the external world. Its demands must necessarily be met,
otherwise you will fall prey to that form of negativity, which is generally
referred to as stress.
The fact is that our life is like a cogwheel. A cogwheel is a toothed wheel
that engages with another toothed wheel in order to change the speed
or direction of a moving mechanism. Life runs with the help of two
wheels: one is ours and the other is nature's. Your cog is weak, while
nature’s cog is strong. The latter has a speed of its own and you have
to adjust to its pace. If you try to run your cog at a pace faster than
that of nature, your cog will crack and disintegrate, while nature’s will
remain intact. It is this difference that inevitably creates stress. People
try to run their cog according to their own will, and thus nature does
not help them. As nature’s cog is stronger and man’s cog weaker, it is
always man who suffers.
If you plan your
life as you ought,
you need not suffer
stress. Right planning
is realistic planning.
If you plan your life as you ought, you need
not suffer stress. Right planning is realistic
planning. First of all, you have to make an
objective estimate of your strength and then
attempt to adjust to the laws of nature. Rather
than place yourself in confrontation with
these laws, you should fall in line with them,
and in this way, you will certainly be able to
lead a stress-free life.
For example, if you get a job in a multinational organization, you will
naturally not want the hire and fire rule to be applicable to you. But, to
encourage a desire of this kind is unrealistic. It will lead to unpleasant
complications, as this is the procedure generally followed in such
companies. If you want to have a stress-free life, you have only two options: either take a multinational job and accept that the principle
of hire and fire will be applicable to you, or don’t take a job there at all.
Once an American professor, who had come to Delhi to deliver a lecture
in a university, was approached by an Indian student who, with the aim
of studying in America, asked for his help in getting admission to some
university there. The professor smiled and said that, admissions to
universities in America was done on the basis of merit and not through
recommendations. If in such a situation, an unqualified student went
to America and did not measure up to the standards there, he would
certainly suffer from tension. However, if he were eligible for a place in
an American university, this would not be the case. There would be no
tension involved.
It is important not to be over-ambitious but preferably to be a realist.
If you are over-ambitious, you will become a victim of tension. It is
only if you set yourself achievable goals that you will be able to lead a
tension-free life.
Stress in not a naturally occurring problem. It is a problem created by
individuals themselves. Be ready to accept reality. And then you will
certainly be able to enjoy a stress-free life.
Social living
Social living means living through
experiences, meeting challenges, learning
lessons and teaching. Society is like an
informal university. One who tries to stay
away from society will commit social suicide.
Instead of complaining against society one
should adopt the principle of adjustment.
LABOUR OF A LIFETIME
Motivation
HELEN HOOVEN SANTMYER was an American writer, educator and
librarian. She is primarily known for her best-selling epic, And
the Ladies of the Club, published when she was in her eighties.
The following is one of the incidents in Helen Hooven Santmyer’s life
(1895-1986) which can inspire us and motivate us in our lives.
At one point of time in her life, while working as a librarian in a reference
section, she started to write a book. At first she worked on it in her
spare time. Then, ill health forced her to retire. She continued her work
in the nursing home where she was hospitalized. She wrote the whole
book out herself, in long hand, on a ledger. After completing her work
she presented it to the Ohio State University Press for publication. The
final manuscript filled eleven boxes. A handful of copies were printed,
but the book met with no initial success. It seemed as if Helen Hooven
Santmyer’s name would vanish without trace from the American
literary scene.
Then one person who bought the book read it and liked it. He was
praising it in an Ohio library one day, when the librarian overheard
his conversation. The word was passed on to a producer, then to an
agent, and then to the American Book Club. Each party found the book
entrancing and worthy of a greater audience.
Finally, Helen Hooven Santmyer’s book entitled “And Ladies of the Club”,
was nominated for the Book Club Award. It won the award, and with it
a sum of over a million dollars.
Strong belief in
something makes
one rise above one's
worldly situation.
It makes one
concentrate on one's
goals in life.
Helen Hooven Santmyer did not seek fame or
wealth from her novel. Its topic—the story of
two Ohio families in the period between the
American Civil War and the great depression
of the early 1930’s, was obviously not aimed at
the commercial market. The author believed
that Sinclair Lewis had painted a false portrait
of the American dream in his novel of the
1920’s “Main Street”. She wanted to correct
that picture, as Haynes Johnson writes in the Washington Post.
The author was clearly not in the market for big bucks. She obviously was
motivated by saying something which she believed. The bare account
of how she produced the work over the years, in her spare time, in sickness and in health, in itself provides an astonishing testament of
her perseverance.
Strong belief in something makes one rise above one’s worldly
situation. It makes one concentrate on one’s goals in life. No matter
what hindrances and obstacles lie on the
path, one soldiers on until one reaches the
final destination.
The believer labours
all his life for the
attainment of reward
in the Hereafter.
The conviction that spurs a true believer on,
is faith in the life to come. He bears all forms
of hardships, suffering and adversity in this
world. He realizes that this ephemeral world
is for the trial of man; in the next eternal world
of God he will be rewarded for his efforts. As
Helen Hoover laboured for over half a century
in the compilation of her book bearing all forms of adversity in her
determination to attain her goal in life, so the believer labours all his
life for the attainment of reward in the Hereafter. And, as her sustained
efforts bore her due reward in this world, so the believer’s sustained
effort will bear him due reward in the next world: he will be made to
enter a Paradise of eternal repose and bliss.
Superior Moral Status
One has attained a superior
moral status when one becomes
indifferent to praise or blame and
when his opinion of others does not
depend upon whether they agree or
disagree with him.
PARENTING
An Intellectual Challenge
THE present age is the age of education and the greatest need
is that our generation should be equipped with the learning of
the highest standard. The right role of the parents is of utmost
importance in this issue.
For parents there are only two options; either to accept whatever their
children do or to understand their needs and minds and address them
in such a way that they are able to grasp what is being said to them.
Those parents who fail to do this have nothing but complaints about
the behaviour of the younger generation. It must be understood
that it is possible to help our children to change their attitudes. The
requirement for this is the intellectual ability of the parents and elders
to properly address the minds of the present smart generation.
The facts however point out that majority of parents use traditional
methods of putting across things to the children. This mindset of the
parents needs to reassessed and a healthy blend of the traditional
and the modern has to be worked out.
Parents need to redefine their thinking in
order to make it understandable to the new
generation. It is failure in this regard that has
given rise to resistance from children towards
higher standards of learning. It is a question
of self-training. If parents want to bring about
a change of attitude towards learning in their
children they must prepare themselves to be
good counsellors. It is weak counselling on
the part of the parents that has created this
problem.
The second problem in regard to this aspect is the problem of pampering.
Parents in their great affection for their children often pamper them.
While caring is good, pampering is bad. Pampering fosters an easygoing
nature in children. A comfort loving nature is the worst thing in
this world of harsh realities. Pampered children know nothing beyond
their own desires. They cannot meet the challenges which they have to
face in the external world.
We can see many examples in our circle of acquaintance where children
brought up under pampered conditions with their parents find it very difficult to cope with studies or work away from home. They find that
everything is different and that they do not get the unconditional
affection or care that they are used to, by those around them. Here,
everything comes with a price in terms of hard work, adjustment,
acceptance of reality, proving their ability and
accepting the fact that many things cannot be
changed. Without being trained for this they
find themselves thrown into this situation.
This leads them to facing a bigger challenge
within the normal challenges of life.
The above result is the negative aspect
of pampering. A pampered child is like a
product turned out in the factory called home
which is not suitable for the market. Parents
should understand that their children require
education not only in the professional field
but that they also need spiritual training.
The former kind can be had in educational
institutions but the centre of learning for the
latter is home. The parents are the teachers
in this institution.
Parents need
to redefine
their thinking in
order to make it
understandable to
the new generation.
It is failure in this
regard that has given
rise to resistance
from children
towards higher
standards
of learning
It is very important for the parents to realize that the language of do’s
and dont’s will not serve any purpose. They must prepare themselves
for a more sensitive and complex approach. Indeed they must prepare
themselves in what may be termed as ‘rational spirituality’.
Memories
Of the two kinds of memories good and
bad, the former gives you energy, while
the latter ruins your life.
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 )
