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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.
WELCOMING THE 71ST
INDEPENDENCE DAY
THE British rule lasted in India for about 200 years. India’s
freedom struggle was launched in 1857, but in 1919 after the
Jallianwala Bagh incident, it received a further boost under the
leadership of Mahatma Gandhi. This movement proved successful and
on the night of 15 August 1947 at 12:01 a.m., the Viceroy of India Lord
Mountbatten announced on All India Radio: “Today India is free”. On
that day the Union Jack was taken down from Parliament House and
the Indian flag was raised in its place.
I was born on 1 January 1925. My family was involved in the freedom
struggle since its inception and so I too became a freedom fighter from
my youth. Listening to elders, I began to cherish the golden dream of
seeing a free India and harboured great hopes of becoming the citizen
of a free country.
When India was declared free on 15 August 1947, I was in the city of
Azamgarh with my family. I remember, on that night, people in their
jubilation celebrated the newfound freedom by lighting up the entire
city. I stepped out of my home and reached the downtown area of the city. Walking on the streets of Azamgarh, my condition at that moment
can be rightly described by these Hindi lines: Khushi se paon zameen par
nahin padh rahe the. (My happiness lifted my feet off the ground!)
When I woke up the next morning, all the lights of the city had faded.
They have not been lighted up again because the joy that people had
expected to arrive in their lives after Independence was missing.
Now I am over 90 years of age, and I am still waiting for the India that
I have been dreaming of since my younger days. I have since given
much thought to this matter. My opinion is that before Independence
we had successfully set in motion a movement for gaining freedom in
the Gandhian style, but we were unable to initiate the movement that
was desired after Independence.
On 8 August 1942, Indian leaders advanced the political slogan of ‘Quit
India’, which was successfully realized on 15 August 1947. The slogan
we were required to work towards after Independence was ‘Build
India’. However, as a senior citizen of our country, my feelings are that
perhaps the second phase of our struggle was not set forth in the right
direction. Instead of ‘Build India’, our leaders
adopted the formula of ‘Rule India’, which was
like putting the cart before the horse. In other
words, most of our rulers aimed to simply
become rulers of India instead of expending
their energies in working towards building
our country.
In this matter, I consider the American model
very suitable. At one time America too was a
British colony. It gained its freedom in 1776.
The plan made by the Founding Fathers of
America to realize the American dream was
centred on three points: education, infrastructure and a competitionbased
economy. As everyone knows, this planning of the American
leaders bore fruit and their nation became the superpower of the
world. Had India emulated the American model of development, it too
would have reached the position of a global power. Indian leaders,
however, did not pattern their country’s development on the model set
by America, and instead chose to adopt the socialist model.
In the present circumstances, we may not be in a state to pursue
the American model. The option before us at this juncture is to draw
lessons from the French statesman Charles De Gaulle, who served as
President of France from 1959 to 1969. The example he set involved making radical changes towards making France a strong state, while
taking the risk that he may not get elected for a second term.
In life it often happens that individuals or nations are unable to avail of
the first chance. This is why they have to plan again for a second time.
This is what happened with France: it was not able to avail of the first
chance, as its leaders realized that they had been left far behind in the
age of nuclear science. Then they engaged in re-planning, which was
successful and France again became a powerful country of Europe. But
the price of this re-planning was that when Charles De Gaulle died on 9
November 1970, he had lost his former popularity and very few people
came to mark his funeral.
De Gaulle suffered a personal setback, but France emerged with
a stronger economy and an independent nuclear capability as the
most powerful nation of Europe. This is a good example for India to
emulate and with sound re-planning, we too can become a strong
nation amongst the nations of the world.
Maulana Wahiduddin Khan
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Peace is the Only Religion
Peace is the only religion for both
man and the universe. In a peaceful
environment all good things are
possible, whereas in the absence of
peace, we cannot achieve anything of a
positive nature, either as individuals, or
as a community. The same holds true at
national and international levels.
ISLAMS COMMITMENT TO NATIONBUILDING
Islam As It Is
OUR country India has been the land of opportunities in every
way. Opportunities for education, businesses, ownership of
properties, employment and every other facility has been
available to all to make use of and to progress in life. Places of worship,
religious organizations, schools and colleges run exclusively by
particular communities for their own communities are thriving all over
the country. One cannot ignore this reality by citing few stray negative
incidents.
Islam’s teaching with regard to unpleasant incidents should be seen
in the backdrop of the entire creation plan of God. According to the
creation plan of God, the present world is only a small part of our
eternal life. It is meant as a ground for our personality development,
so that we can make ourselves deserving inhabitants for the eternal
world of Paradise. It is a personality development workshop for those
who freely and willingly want to develop themselves to be worthy of
God’s Paradise.
Negative experiences or problems in life are actually challenges and
opportunities for development. If every situation were to be smooth
and easy, and every experience positive, one’s personality would not
flourish. For instance, unless one undergoes
suffering, one will not be able to cultivate the
virtue of patience. Similarly, if there were no
rivers to cross, people would not have to build
any bridges.
This world is
a personality
development
workshop for those
who freely and
willingly want to
develop themselves
to be worthy of
God’s Paradise.
God has given man freedom of action as part
of His creation plan. God does not desire
us to live as mechanical beings; He wants
us to be thinking and conscientious beings.
Freedom has been bestowed on man so that
he can utilize his talents towards developing
creativity and achieving progress. God wants
us to turn towards Him of our own free will.
However, where there is freedom, there is also the chance of misuse
of freedom. Each time a person misuses his freedom it results in a
negative situation for others who may be associated with him. Many
challenges thus arise due to the misuse of freedom.
Negative incidents should not be looked at as a personal attack on
oneself. The true believer is expected to give a positive response to
negative situations by way of wise management. Here, managing a
situation means avoiding reaction and taking the right actions after
due consideration. It refers to looking at the situation objectively
without prejudice. This is possible only for a person who is free of all
complexes.
We can easily understand this point if we observe that people of the
same community also have problems with each other. It is not that
problems exist only between people of two different communities.
Two brothers can also become enemies to each other. Problems and
challenges can thus arise from anywhere and anyone, and are a part of
our life in this world.
Taking life with a positive mindset, we can find guidance in Islam
for nation-building. According to the Quran, every prophet of God
addressed people of the entire nation, not only members of his own
community. The Quran specifically mentions several prophets, all of
whom addressed their respective nations as, ‘O my people’, and not
specifically as, ‘O my community’. The religion of these prophets’ was
based on monotheism, while the religious beliefs of the people they
addressed were different. Despite this fact,
the prophet’s vision of their addressees was
not determined by their religion. It was based
on their common homeland. All prophets
addressed them as, ‘My people’.
Negative experiences
or problems in
life are actually
challenges and
opportunities for our
development. If every
situation were to be
smooth and easy,
and every experience
positive, one’s
personality would
not flourish.
The Quran says, Lakum deenukum waliyadeen
which means, ‘to each, his own religion’.
(
of secularism of our nation. The Prophet
Muhammad too had set an example of
this principle in Madinah when he issued a
charter called Sahifatul Madinah (Madinah
Declaration). According to this charter every
citizen of Madinah had the freedom to follow
his own religion.
Love of one’s nation comes naturally to a human being. No one needs
any instruction in this. What we must avoid is conditioning ourselves
with wrong ideas, which may lead to negativity for our nation. We need
to keep our natural feelings alive for the development of a national
character.
What is national character? It is the capacity and the will to hold the
interests of the nation supreme in every sphere. Whenever a nation
has made any progress, it has been due to this spirit of nationalism.
Without such a spirit, no nation can progress internally or externally. No
personal gain of any kind and magnitude will ever make such a person
disloyal to his country. Activities like spying,
giving away secrets of the country, helping the
enemies of the country to perpetrate violent
acts against the country are the most heinous
crimes according to Islam. A true believer
will know and strongly believe that such acts
are going to make him deserving of God’s
punishment and deprive him of Paradise.
The true believer is
expected to give a
positive response to
negative situations
by way of wise
management.
Managing a situation
means avoiding
reaction and taking
the right actions after
due consideration.
In his teachings, the Prophet of Islam laid the
foundation of a duty conscious society, not
a rights conscious society. The Prophet said,
“A believer should be duty conscious and as
far as his rights are concerned, he should ask
of them from God.” The best society is a duty
conscious society. The duty of one person is
the right of another. If each one of us took
care of our duties, the rights of all would be taken care of. But if each
one of us were to be only demanding and protesting for the fulfillment
of our rights, nothing would be accomplished. Performing one’s duties
instead of demanding rights, is the strongest foundation for building a
prosperous nation.
Islam gives guidance even for situations where a country might have
unjust rulers. In such circumstances the citizens are required not to
rebel against the rulers. They must continue to obey their rulers and
peacefully try to bring about a change in the mindset of the people,
in the hope that once the term of the present ruler is over, capable
people will come into power and rule in a just manner. Rebellion of any
kind only leads to anarchy in society.
Unity is the greatest strength of a nation. Islam gives utmost importance
to unity. It believes that unity must prevail in spite of differences and
diversity. Differences are a part of nature. Nature abhors uniformity. We
must remain united and live harmoniously while tolerating differences.
We must agree to disagree and irrespective of individual beliefs, work
together in harmony for the greater good.
According to Islam, every citizen must abide by the law of the land.
For example, a particular institution might have regulations on
uniform which might go against the religious dress code of a particular
community. Here the person does not have any right to fight against
the regulation. He has to choose between two options. Follow the rules
if one is keen on being a part of the institution or give up the desire
to be a part of it. This is the teaching of Islam. Life is a package deal
of both pleasant and the unpleasant; one cannot create one's own
package. We cannot pick and choose everything we desire in life.
A true believer—one who follows the pristine teachings of Islam—will
be involved in progressive work for the neighbourhood, city, nation and
humanity. It will be an unthinkable contradiction for him to be engaged
in something harmful to society, not only to human society but also
to the environment. The Prophet once remarked, “By God he is not a
believer, he is not a believer, he is not a believer, whose neighbour is
not safe from his evil.”
Clarification of a Few Misconceptions
It would be relevant here to discuss a few
issues regarding the attitudes of the people
of a community which sometimes indicate to
others that wherever they are in a minority
they do not consider themselves as a part
of the nation. What does Islam have to say
about such attitudes?
We can find guidance
in Islam for nationbuilding.
According
to the Quran every
prophet of God
addressed the entire
nation as, ‘O my
people’, not as, ‘O my
community’.
Community Superiority
Is any particular community superior in the
eyes of God? The Quran clearly mentions
that no community is inherently superior to any other. (
not have a special relationship with any particular community. He has
regard solely for a person’s thoughts and deeds. In the Hereafter,
people will be judged according to their deeds and character and not
on the basis of the group or community to which they belong.
Numerical Strength
Does being less in numbers mean that one can never progress in
life? According to the Quran, a minority with the right attitude can
contribute even more than the majority. We have examples before us
where small communities have contributed positively to their nation
and are also doing very well as a community. On this Indian soil of great opportunities, their selfless service in the field of education, medical
care, charities and development is exemplary. The Christians are a
good example of this. They have been doing this work from the time
when others had hardly started and in places where others feared to
venture. They have welcomed everyone, irrespective of beliefs. People
from all walks of life benefit from their services.
Religious Unity
Should everyone have the same religious beliefs in a country for it to
progress? A few thinkers were of the opinion that religious unity had
the power to bring about national progress. Religious unity implied that
all religions were essentially one. It was believed that if this concept
could take root in people’s minds, it would produce a sense of unity
all over the country. Historically speaking, of course, this assumption
was proved wrong; there is a long, sorry record of even co-religionists
fighting fiercely among themselves. If the task
of constructing the nation is to be successfully
accomplished, we must rid ourselves of our
obsession with such impracticable concepts
as unity of religion and culture, and should
forge ahead despite our differences.
The Quran says,
‘Lakum deenukum
waliyadeen’ which
means, ‘to each, his
own religion’. This
is the fundamental
principle of
secularism of
our nation.
The truth is that the only practicable basis
of nationhood is patriotism. Our prime
target should be the fostering of the spirit of
patriotism amongst the people of our country.
The Quran (
created you from a male and female, and
made you into peoples and tribes, so that you might come to know
each other.’
The term ‘peoples’ in this verse indicates groups that share a common
homeland, while the term ‘tribes’ refers to groups based on racial
commonality. According to the Quran, both types of grouping of
people are simply for the sake of knowing each other, not for indicating
relationships of belief or religion.
According to the Islamic perspective, religious unity is not the path for
a nation’s progress. At the same time, adherence to Islam does not
clash with one’s love for one’s country. However, the behaviour of some
Muslims gives this kind of impression to the world. The reason is that
some Muslim thinkers have interpreted Islam in an extremist manner
that brands all other systems as false. This notion of ‘false systems’ was the product of some extremist minds. It does not have anything to do
with Islam.
Based on the above notion, some Indian Muslim leaders declared
nationalism to be un-Islamic. It is this wrong understanding which has
led to such erroneous beliefs. Similarly some extremist Western thinkers
of the early 20th century had expanded the notion of nationalism so
much that they presented it in the form of a complete religion by itself.
But when this notion had to contend with practical realities, it broke
into smithereens.
From the aforementioned points, it is quite clear that Islam considers
nationalism to be part of human nature.
Methodology as Presented by the Prophet’s Teachings
It is individual temperament which plays the most crucial role in the
making of a nation. It is important for nation-building in the same
manner that individual bricks are important in the construction of a
building.
The growth and development of a nation is a
lengthy affair. There has to be a tremendous
input at both the individual and national
levels before it finally blooms and finds the
position of honour and glory that it merits
in world affairs. The work of nation building
is like nurturing an orchard. If instead of
nurturing the orchard with care and skill,
people come out on to the streets and launch
a protest campaign in the name of trees, or
gather in some open place or march through
the streets shouting slogans about it, they will
never possess even a single tree, far less own
an orchard.
National character
is the capacity and
the will to hold the
interests of the
nation supreme
in every sphere.
Whenever a nation
has made any
progress, it has been
due to this spirit of
nationalism.
A nation cannot fortify itself by working miracles only in the field
of politics. One can make impassioned speeches and attract great
crowds. But real results can be achieved only by long-term planning
and unflagging dedicated effort. Needless to say, the two great virtues
which are indispensable in the struggle are patience and fortitude.
These two virtues are promised the highest rewards by Islam, as can
be seen in the Quran and the teachings of Prophet Muhammad.
Conclusion
One might want to know our specific efforts towards the cause of nation
building. With all humility we would like to say that under the guidance
of Maulana Wahiduddin Khan, our mentor who is well versed in both
classical Islamic learning and modern disciplines, we are working
towards promoting and reinforcing the culture of peace through mindbased
spirituality and inter-faith efforts.
Drawing inspiration from the Quran, and
the Sunnah, the sayings and actions of the
Prophet Muhammad, the Centre for peace
and spirituality International, seeks to share
the spiritual principles of Islam with the world
and to reveal its true face, based as it is on
peace, tolerance and co-existence.
The best society is
a duty-conscious
society. The duty of
one person is the
right of another. If
each one of us took
care of our duties,
the rights of all would
be taken care of.
We believe in self-introspection and towards
contributing positively to the nation. We have
dedicated ourselves single-mindedly towards
building a better society. Our magazine Spirit
of Islam is a step in this direction.
May God in His Infinite mercies grant us peace and security and help us
to usher in an era of global brotherhood.
The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi has
congratulated noted Islamic scholar and peace
activist Maulana Wahiduddin Khan, on being
conferred the Sayyidina Imam Al Hassan Ibn Ali
Peace Award at a function in Abu Dhabi.
“Congratulations to Maulana Wahiduddin Khan,
on being conferred the Sayyidina Imam Al Hassan
Ibn Ali Peace Award at a function in Abu Dhabi.
Maulana Wahiduddin Khan’s knowledge and efforts
towards peace make him one of the most respected
scholars, admired all over”, the Prime Minister said.
(30th April 2015)
THE POLITICAL INTERPRETATION OF ISLAM
A Most Fundamental Error
AVERSE in the Quran says: “All power belongs to God alone.”
(
appears in this verse, is “power” or “authority”. In this verse,
hukm is meant in the sense of God exercising control and authority
over the universe. In other words, the verse asserts that it is God alone
who has created the vast cosmos and it is He who is sustaining and
regulating it. The above verse in the Quran thus speaks of a reality
which is already manifest. Such an understanding of God inspires a
human being to surrender himself completely to his Creator.
In present times, however, some Muslim thinkers have taken the word
hukm in the above verse to mean political power or political authority.
This interpretation entrusted Muslims with the responsibility of
imposing God’s political rule over the whole world. Since all people
were not yet under Islamic or divine political rule, it became Muslims’
primary duty to confront with those in possession of political power.
Therefore their activities were directed at dethroning and replacing
such rulers so that divine political rule could be established.
The truth is that the belief that God has control over everything requires
a person to lead life in the spirit of modesty. Belief in a Creator who
has absolute power over the world inspires a person to be extremely
cautious in his words and deeds, taking care to always adhere to the
path of justice in his conduct and dealings with others. Such a person
will bear in mind that one day he will have to be accountable to God for
all of his actions. Thus the idea of an all-powerful God is instrumental
in cultivating noble and sublime virtues in a person.
But the political interpretation of the above verse caused Muslims
to view themselves as political opponents of those in the position
of power. Some Muslims took up the role of ideological opposition
to people in authority, while others became involved in practical
opposition to rulers whom they sought to dethrone. Such a movement
of political opposition is tantamount to engaging in non-Islam in the
name of Islam. An interpretation of this kind can only serve to take
Muslims further away from Islam. Those Muslims who believe in the
theory of imposing their political rule over others will have nothing but
hatred and violence to give them.
UTILIZE ANGER AS A BLESSING
Life Skill
ONCE a person said to the Prophet of Islam: “O Prophet, give me
a master advice by which I may be able to manage all the affairs
of my life.” The Prophet simply replied: "Don’t be angry." (Sahih
al-Bukhari) It means: ‘Don’t be angry even when provoked.’
If someone keeps himself from becoming a victim of anger, then how
can this habit become a master principle for his life? The moment of
anger is a high moment in the life of a person. Anger is not just anger,
it also creates brainstorming. Anger releases high energy in the angry
person. It is a high moment for the individual concerned. If at this
moment, he is able to divert this “anger energy” to the positive side, it
will lead him towards healthy activities from negative activities. Anger
is energy, and anger energy cannot be released in normal situations.
An abnormal situation is required for unleashing it, for example when
one becomes angry due to provocation.
Silence is a positive response when dealing
with anger. The Prophet’s teachings contain
the importance of silence. Here are the exact
words of a Hadith ‘When you are angry, keep
silence.’ (Musnad Ahmad). How does silence
help?
Anger releases high
energy in the angry
person. It is a high
moment for the
individual concerned.
If at this moment, he
is able to divert this
“anger energy” to the
positive side, it will
lead him towards
healthy activities
from negative
activities.
When you become angry due to some
provocation, you should remain silent.
Maintaining this silence will help in bringing
about a change in the thinking process of
the mind. This can be understood with the
following analogy. There is a term used in
driving called “shift time”. It refers to the time
interval between gear changes. Shift time
changes the speed and direction of your car.
So is the role of silence. Silence at the time
of anger, shifts the direction of your thinking
from negativity to positivity.
At the time of anger, keeping silence is like changing gears of the mind.
When a person is angry and he instantly becomes silent, the mind
then takes a new pace. Instead of running to the negative side, it starts
running in the positive direction and the result will be a well thought
out action instead of a rash harmful reaction.
PURIFICATION TAZKIYA
On the Road to Paradise
ACCORDING to the Quran, those people will gain entrance to
Paradise who, while in this world, had purified themselves. For
instance, the Quran says: “Successful is he who purified his
soul.” (
those who purify themselves.” (
What is tazkiya or purification? One can understand this with the help
of a Hadith. According to this Hadith, every person is born on an upright
nature, but due to the influence of his environment he adopts an
unnatural life. (Sahih al-Bukhari). This means that by birth every person
has a purified personality or an upright nature, but because of the
conditioning of his environment he becomes an artificial personality. In
this context then, tazkiya or purification is for
one to properly understand this problem and
to de-condition himself and thereby make
himself once again, a person on true nature.
It is this personality that would be regarded
as a purified personality.
By birth every person
has a purified
personality or an
upright nature,
but because of the
conditioning of his
environment he
becomes an artificial
personality.
De-conditioning is, in other words, the name
for the process of self-correction. This task
of self-correction or de-conditioning is not
something that someone else can do for
another. It is each one's own responsibility.
The first duty of every person is to engage
in introspection and carefully search out every notion that was not
present in them by birth but that later became part of their personality
because of the conditioning of their environment. If one seriously
engages in this sort of deconditioning oneself, one’s natural personality
will emerge, having been purified. This is the meaning of a purified
personality.
United we Stand
Those who are intellectually
awakened have the power to
convert their disunity into unity.
MORAL AND ETHICAL DEVELOPMENT IN SOCIETY
Harmonious Living
ALL major religions have two different aspects theology and the
moral scheme. Theology means the set of beliefs or doctrinal
base of a religion; in other words, the inner contents of a religion.
Whereas, the moral scheme of a religion refers to its ethical system.
In terms of theology, there are differences between religions. For
example, some religions have the monistic concept of God, while other
religions believe in the monotheistic concept of God.
Differences of this kind have always been the subject of discussion
among theologians, and no doubt they will continue to be so in future.
But like other intellectual discussions about differences, these are
basically confined to scholars, having nothing to do with the common
people. Most people can live their daily lives without concerning
themselves with, or without even knowing about these issues. These
issues are the concern of a few individuals
and not of the majority of any society.
In terms of theology,
there are differences
between religions.
Differences invite
discussion, lead to
intellectual exchange
and necessitate
knowing more and
more about one’s
own religion as well
as the religion
of others.
However, these differences are not simply
matters about which people are at odds
with each other; they also have a positive
role to play. Differences invite discussion,
lead to intellectual exchange and necessitate
knowing more and more about one’s own
religion as well as the religion of others.
Thus, differences in terms of results, lead
to intellectual development and enhancing
the level of thinking. They lead to overall
development in religious disciplines. In fact,
difference is not an unwanted evil; on the
contrary, it is a great good. Difference has a
positive role in religious studies.
The other aspect of any religion is its ethical system. That is, the
standard of moral conduct. In this area, there is little difference between
religions. Almost all the religions preach the same moral values to be
followed in daily life.
There are two main branches of religions: the Aryan religions and the
Semitic religions. A study of both branches of religions shows that in terms of moral teachings, there are great similarities between them,
and likewise with Islam. For example:
Mankind as one family
Islam teaches that all mankind is a single family. The Quran declares:
O mankind! Fear your Lord, who created you from a single soul.
He created its mate from it and from the two of them spread
countless men and women [throughout the earth]. (
It means that all men and women share a common ancestor. That is,
all men and women are brothers and sisters to one another. There is
complete commonality between different races and groups of people.
The Prophet of Islam declared:
Mankind is a divine family. (Al-Baihaqi)
The Prophet of Islam used to rise early in the
morning and say after his morning prayer:
“O God, I bear witness that all men and women
are sisters and brothers to each other.”
(Abu Daud)
Every religion has a
standard of moral
conduct. In this
area, there is little
difference between
religions. Almost all
the religions preach
the same moral
values to be followed
in daily life.
The above quoted teachings from Islamic
scriptures are also found in other religions
such as Hinduism, Judaism, Christianity
etc. They provide the initial base of a good
relationship between people. The best
culture to emulate in this regard is the family
culture where all its members inspite of their
differences live with a sense of oneness.
This family culture is desirable on a global level among all nations and
races. This kind of universal relationship is endorsed by almost all
religions. There may be some differences in belief, but in terms of social
life, every religious individual—irrespective of his personal traditions—
should live in society just as he is living in his family.
Love and Compassion
There is a famous saying of Jesus Christ:
Love your enemy. (Luke 6: 35)
It means; love all, including your enemy. Likewise, the same teaching
is to be found in the Quran. The Quran in one of its chapters gives the
following guidance to its believers:
Good deeds and bad deeds are not equal. Do a good deed in
return for a bad deed and you will see that your enemy has
become your dearest friend. (
Love or compassion is the greatest social value; it is the basis of all
moral teachings or moral requirements. And it is also a fact that every
religion aims to inculcate these values in its followers. If you study the
various religions, you will find that all of them try to promote a ‘culture
of love’ in society. To build a love-based society is the sole target of
every religion. Do unto others as you would have others do unto you.
The Prophet of Islam once said:
Do with others what you want others to do with you.
(Sahih Muslim)
The same maxim is to be found in Judaism. Rabbi Hillel the Elder is
known to have said:
What is hateful (or hurtful) to you, do not do to any other man.
(Talmud-Shabbat)
This is a universal teaching, given by every
religion, in one form or the other. This religious
teaching gives us a very simple criterion for
living as a good member of society.
A family culture is
desirable on a global
level among all
nations and races.
This kind of universal
relationship is
endorsed by almost
all religions.
Everybody knows what is good for him and
what is bad for him. Apply this personal
experience to all other members of society.
If everyone observes this formula of moral
conduct, the whole of society will emerge as
a good society. This common religious rule is
the simplest approach for social construction.
Peace at any Cost
The Quran lays great emphasis on peace. For example, there is a verse
in the Quran which says:
Reconciliation is the best. (
That is, in the case of controversy, adopt the peaceful rather than the
confrontational course of action. This concept has also been adopted
by other religions as their basic teaching. For example, in Christianity
the following verse of the New Testament:
Blessed are the peacemakers. (Matthew 5: 9)
It is a fact that peace is a common teaching of all the religions. It is also
a fact that peace is the summum bonum; peace is the greatest good
which leads to the building of a better society; without peace there
is no development. Peace provides the environment in which every
group can flourish without being harmful to others; peaceful living is
the most important part of moral living.
Good Social Behaviour
Moral development is not simply a matter of individual conduct towards
others. It is profoundly related to the development of an individual’s
personality. When one engages in good social behaviour, one is in the
process of self-development. Good social
behaviour is thus a great aid to the building of
one’s character. Good social behaviour means
positive behaviour; and positive behaviour
inculcates positive thinking making one a
good human being.
Religion being
intended to build
a moral base for
society, it is the duty
of religious people to
condition the minds
of people on a moral
basis and promote
human-friendly
behaviour among all
members of society.
Human society is based on a well-known
maxim—give and take. When you give
something to others you create a situation
in which you certainly garner positive fruit
in return. The relationship between an
individual and society is one of interchange;
both the partners give something to the other
and receive something from others, so it is a
reciprocal relationship.
The establishment of a harmonious relationship between all the
members of society is a common requirement of all religions. No
religious activity can be carried out without normal social conditions.
It is therefore, in the best interests of all religions for moral behaviour
to be recognized as the greatest means of normalizing the relationship
between different sections of a society and ensuring peaceable living
conditions. So, in view of this, every religion teaches its members to
adopt a good moral standard.
There are ample references in all religions that provide us with a good
base for building a better society through partnership. This is the
basic role of every religion. Without playing this role, religion becomes
irrelevant to humanity
The above commonalities amongst religions provide a base for the
development of a harmonious society. However, in order to administer
and regulate practical matters in society the role of a suitable political
administration cannot be denied.
Different roles of Religion and Political Administration
Religion and political administration are the two basic instruments by
which every society is regulated. Both have an important role. Religion
being intended to build a moral base for
society, it is the duty of religious people to
train the minds of people on a moral basis. It
is their duty to create an ethical atmosphere
in society and to promote human-friendly
behaviour among all members of society.
Love or compassion
is the greatest
social value; it is the
basis of all moral
teachings or moral
requirements. And it
is also a fact that this
teaching is found in
every religion.
Political rule has a basic regulatory function
in the practical matters of a nation. It is put
in place to maintain peace and harmony
among the people, to ensure justice and to
check crimes. No religious institution can
play the role of political masters. And no
political master—given the limitations of
political administration—can play the role of a religious institution.
Both the institutions have their specific roles and both institutions are
complementary to each other. It is the complementary roles of these
two institutions that ensures building of a better society.
Reform of Society
To bring about real change
in society we will have to first
change individual minds.
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.
DECEPTION (DAJJALIYAT)
DAJJALIYAT (Deception) is no mysterious word. Rather, it is the
name for a known fact. In the words of the Quran (
can be defined as ‘the beautification of wrong deeds’. Briefly, it
is to express something in such a deceptive manner that the listeners
are led to consider something that is wrong to be right. This art of
excelling in beautifying wrong ideas or deeds is dajjaliyat.
Dajjaliyat is to
express something
in such a deceptive
manner that the
listeners are led to
consider something
that is wrong to
be right.
For example, in the present-day, some Muslims
are engaged in suicide-bombing. In order to
seek to pass off this action as legitimate, they
say that when the community is faced with
great danger, suicide-bombing is permissible
in order to save the community. They cite
the instance of the Japanese, who resorted
to suicide attacks against America during
the Second World War. But this reasoning
is based on a fallacy, because through harakiri,
the Japanese nation could not be saved
from their enemy. Rather, in the war, Japan
suffered a miserable defeat. After this, the Japanese abandoned this
method, and instead, adopted peaceful means for their community’s
progress, which turned out to be very successful.
Likewise, in the present-day, some Muslims have adopted violent
methods against their supposed enemies. Because of this, they are
called terrorists. But they argue that what they are doing is not terrorism but, rather, terrorizing of “oppressors”. They claim that this is just the
same as what the police in some countries do—to break the resolve
of criminals, they sometimes terrorize them. And so, they argue, just
as this method is considered to be proper for the police, it is proper
for the Muslims, too. They also claim that people who call Muslims as
terrorists are guilty of double-standards. If freedom fighters are not
termed terrorists but heroes, in the same way, they insist, Muslims too,
should not be called terrorists, but rather, crusaders for justice.
This wrong logic is used by some Muslims to seek to justify suicidebombing.
They claim that this action is impelled by the desire to seek
martyrdom, or shahadat.
These arguments are all based on a great misunderstanding. Shahadat is
an Islamic term. Nowhere in the Quran and Hadith is it said that the
believers must kill themselves and become shaheeds, or martyrs. In
Islam, there is no teaching that enjoins the believers to perform such
acts so that they are labelled ‘martyrs’. Rather, if believers die while
performing a lawful act they may be called ‘martyrs’.
Deception through beautification of wrong actions has always been
present in this world. In a Hadith it is said that in later times, a great
deceiver (Dajjal) will arise. This does not mean that the deceiver will be
huge in the physical sense. Rather, it means that the deception of the
deceiver will happen in an age that will offer the deceiver many tools
on a large scale for the ease of his task.
For instance, in a Hadith of the Prophet, it is said that Dajjal will speak
with a voice which will be heard between the East and the West.
(Kanz al-Ummal). This does not mean that the Dajjal will be some giant
personality. Rather, what it means is that those who will be engaged
in deceiving people will appear in such a time when the age of global
communications will have arrived and that they will use the means
available in their time in order to make their ideas and thoughts reach
far and wide.
In another Hadith, it is said the word kufr will be written on Dajjal’s
forehead. (Sahih Muslim). This means that, although the Dajjal will
present his misleading thoughts in a manner that make them seem
fair, those who are firmly on the truth will be able to recognize the
deception and will be saved from going astray.
WORKING YOUR WAY UP
Natural Process
AMAN entered a certain recruiting office and said, “I want to join
as a soldier.” “But how old are you?” the sergeant asked. “Sixty,”
was the man’s reply. “You know quite well that sixty is too old for
you to become a soldier.” “All right, if sixty is too old for a soldier, don’t
you need any generals?” retorted the man.
If one wants to start a career as a general, one will be hard put to do so.
It’s just like a race where one can’t leap straight from the starting point
to the finishing line. To succeed in anything, we have to be like the tree,
starting from the seed, growing slowly and putting out branches, twigs,
leaves and flowers when the appropriate
times come around. Similarly, business starts
with investing money, not with earning profits.
The construction of a house starts with the
foundation and not with the roof.
Not until the
individuals of a
nation are imbued
with a sense of
purpose and an
understanding of
the importance of
hard work, honesty,
endurance and
unity, can measures
be taken for the
advancement of
the nation.
Congregational matters are very much on
a parallel. They begin from the inculcation
in individuals of a sense of purpose and an
understanding of the importance of hard
work, honesty, endurance and unity. Not
until the individuals of a nation are imbued
with these important ideals to a high degree
can measures be taken for the advancement
of the cause. If we ignore the importance of
preconditioning, our missionary ventures
are bound to end in failure. Any attempt to
launch a movement without a solid, national
infrastructure would be like trying to roof a house without raising its
walls. A roof put up in this way is bound to collapse on one’s head.
In much the same way, any steps taken before individuals have been
properly prepared will inevitably lead to failure and chaos, even death
and destruction.
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
CONVERSION TO GOD
THE sun is nature’s laboratory, in which atomic reaction converts
matter into energy and light. Cows are a living laboratory in
which grass is converted into milk. Trees are also a laboratory of
nature, which take in water, minerals and gases and convert them into
blossoms and fruits.
God requires man to undergo the same process of conversion as the
sun, trees and animals undergo with such perfection. But there is one
difference: in other things, conversion is an
instinctive process, whereas in man it is a
conscious one; in other things conversion
occurs on a material plane, whereas in man it
occurs on a spiritual plane.
The Creator of the
universe requires us
to see His reflection
in the mirror of His
creation. Facts may
enter our minds as
information, but we
should convert this
information into
knowledge of God.
Normally, we just observe the outside world,
but we should do more than just observe.
The Creator of the universe requires us to see
His reflection in the mirror of His creation.
Facts may enter our minds as information,
but we should convert this information into
knowledge of God. When we are successful in this world, we should attribute our success wholly to God. When we fail
we should, through our failure, acknowledge our helplessness. When
we have cause for complaint against somebody, our inner mechanism
should convert resentment into forgiveness and pardon.
A land which converts earth into trees is fertile; a land which does not
do so is sterile. So it is with man. Whoever is able to awaken his inner
mechanism in such a way that it begins to convert raw matter into
sublime matter is a person who can look forward to heaven when he
comes before God and the one who does not do so will be deprived of
this blessing.
THERE IS A REASON BEHIND EVERYTHING
Matter of Understandin
IF only this had not happened at this particular time. These words
speak of a feeling of apprehension in the mind of a person. Certain
sets of circumstances come into being at the exact points in time
allotted to them by God.
How often have we heard people say things like, “If only we had thought
of this before,” or “If only we had postponed our journey,” or ”if only
this had not happened at this particular time,” or even, “If only we
could have lived in a different century!” All these statements betoken
a feeling of unease or distress at a sequence of events which we feel
might have been different. This is often a pointless exercise and should
not be a cause for worry.
We think things such as, “If we had postponed our journey, we wouldn’t
have had an accident". “If we lived in the next century, life might be
more comfortable than it is now”, etc.
Things, we feel, could have been better ordered in terms of our own
personal destinies. But, recorded in the sayings of the Prophet, we find
these portentous words of God: “Do not speak ill of Time, for I am Time,
all is in My Hand; I make the night and the day succeed one another.”
This profound and awesome statement leaves us in no doubt that
everything which takes place in the world does so according to the law
laid down by God.
Just as the passage of time, and events in nature, conform to this law,
so do certain sets of circumstances come into being at the exact points
in time allotted to them by God.
To rail against this system and to wish that the order of events could be
different, is nothing short of speaking ill of God’s law and amounts to
an act of being disobedient to God. Why then must one indulge in such
a pointless exercise?
Instead one should convert the incident as a stepping stone to
introspection and analyze the situation to see what best can be done
to overcome its ill effects and to proceed in life with better planning.
In brief, one should concentrate on giving the right response to each
situation.
WORKING IN UNISON
Teamwork
AMERICAN shipbuilders take sixteen months to complete a
50-thousand ton tanker. The Spaniards take even longer to
produce a ship of similar tonnage—
shipbuilders do the job in just eight months.
What is the secret of this Japanese miracle? A survey conducted by
Western experts shows that the deciding factor is teamwork. Japanese
workers and management function together in complete unison. At no
stage during the work processes is this bond disrupted. The result is
the production of high quality goods within an amazingly short time.
Group harmony is something, which is part of the whole fabric of
Japanese culture and work methods. Whether in the home or in
the factory, in large institutions or small, the will to be co-operative
manifests itself as the truly distinctive feature
of the Japanese character. William Ouchi, an
expert in Japanology writes: “Every activity in
Japan is group activity and not a springboard to
individual glory and personal advertisement.”
When work is cooperative
in spirit,
well co-ordinated
in organization and
an atmosphere of
harmony prevails,
the sky is the limit in
quality and quantity
of production.
It is to this speciality that Japan’s greatest
secret of national progress can be traced. The
willingness of large numbers of people to work
together with good grace is a prerequisite for
success in any venture. The only flaw in this
system of joint effort is that the personality
of the individual has little opportunity to
flourish. But it is only a nation which is made
up of individuals who are prepared to make this personal sacrifice
which can ever aspire to success. Where individuals keep pulling in
opposite directions, no substantial progress can even be made at the
national level.
When work is co-operative in spirit, well co-ordinated in organization
and an atmosphere of harmony prevails, the sky is the limit in quality
and quantity of production. It is unity then which is the true key to
organizational success.
TOWARDS AN ADVANCED NATION
Result Oriented Work
INDIA, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the
seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country
(with 1.
world. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean on the south, the Arabian Sea
on the southwest, and the Bay of Bengal on the southeast. It shares
land borders with Pakistan to the west; China, Nepal, and Bhutan to
the northeast; and Myanmar (Burma) and Bangladesh to the east. In
the Indian Ocean, India is in the vicinity of Sri Lanka and the Maldives.
India’s Andaman and Nicobar Islands share a maritime border with
Thailand and Indonesia.
India has become one of the fastest growing major economies and is
considered a newly industrialized country. It consists of 29 states and 7
union territories. It is a pluralistic, multilingual and multi-ethnic society.
Maulana Wahiduddin Khan shares his wisdom regarding a few of the
challenges faced by the citizens of this country and hopes that if we
all work together in unity in spite of our differences we could be an
advanced nation.
The Solution to Corruption
Every Indian complains about corruption, but no one tries to get to
the root cause of this phenomenon. The Gandhian movement in the
first half of the twentieth century was, in a sense, an anti-corruption
movement. In the mid 1970’s Jayprakash
Narayan’s ‘total revolution’ was a strong
movement against corruption. Then followed
V.P. Singh's movement in the late 1980’s and
the fourth in this sequence was Anna Hazare’s
movement in August 2011. The criterion to
judge the success of these movements is not
the crowds they draw, but the results they
produce. It is an undeniable fact that in terms
of results, all these previous movements
completely failed to achieve their declared
goal.
All these anti-corruption movements made their demands from the
system. But it is not the system that is responsible for corruption; it is
the human mind.
To eradicate the corruption we see today, we need to re-engineer
individual minds. This requires a spiritual campaign. We need to
replace the money-oriented mind with a value-oriented mind. We need
to make people believe that money is a need, and not a goal. People’s
concern for the self needs to be replaced with concern for the nation.
To eradicate corruption, we have to give
individuals a goal greater than money, just
as to shorten a line, you only need to draw
a longer line next to it. In the same way, to
eradicate corruption, we should have a higher
goal of intellectual or spiritual development.
In other words, we have to replace money
as a goal with wisdom as a goal. Although it
is a long process, it is nevertheless the only
process that can produce results. There are
no shortcuts.
To eradicate the
corruption we see
today, we need to reengineer
individual
minds. This requires
a spiritual campaign.
Anti-corruption movements generally demand the enactment of anticorruption
laws. We already have anti-corruption laws. But these laws
have obviously failed to eradicate corruption. Why? Because without
implementation, laws are just words on paper. Laws can only be
implemented by people. These people have to be persons who are
not corrupt and who possess full authority. People such as these are
the rarest of the rare; they seem to be non-existent. Had such people
existed, the laws we have would have been sufficient.
The pursuit of wealth will only lead to discontentment, while the pursuit
of wisdom will always lead to contentment. Only the content can
abandon corrupt practices. To achieve this goal, we have to address
individual minds, not attract crowds. A spiritual revolution cannot be
brought about by a mob.
And, it is only a spiritual revolution that can root out corruption in our
country.
Expectations from Media as a Tool of Social Reform
It is said that media is a powerful tool for ushering in social reform. It
is certainly true that the media has achieved the status of the greatest
industry; it is present in every home, big or small. But there is no social
reform. Everyone complains about the deterioration in human and
social values. Why this failure of media in bringing about social reform?
In spite of great expansion, the media has had little positive effect on
our present society.
The reason lies in the very nature of media. The subject of media is to
write instant history; it has no interest in the past or the future. The
sole focus here is what is going on in the present. Due to this nature of
media, it has failed to bring about any positive change in society.
Thinking about the past means taking lessons from previous
experiences. The past is full of experiences and every experience has
a lesson; but when we are not interested in the study of the past, we
deprive ourselves from such lessons, and thus from reassessing our
lives.
On the other hand, the future means thinking
about tomorrow. The best planning is only
one that is future-oriented, but the media has
no interest about future events either.
Dialogue is not a
meeting of rivalry
but is a brotherly
meeting. Such noble
tasks are performed
by rising above
the victory-defeat
psychology.
In such a situation, the media simply becomes
a source of intellectual enjoyment on a daily
basis. One who is engaged in it—both, in print
and electronic forms—can only think about
the present and their formula of life becomes,
‘right here, right now’. This state of mind
makes them self-centred; they cannot think
about social values. Social betterment needs a mind that is sociallyoriented,
but people of the above kind live with a self-oriented mind,
and such people cannot play any role in social reform.
Another aspect of media is that it is not a mission; media is an industry.
This nature of media makes it unsuitable for playing any role in terms
of social reform. Social reform is a mission, it cannot be a business.
And media, being an industry, like any other business organization
cannot play a significant role in terms of social reform. This is not a
value judgement about media; it is simply an objective assessment.
A Good Society
A good society is the cherished ideal of every human soul. But a
consensus has yet to emerge on what constitutes a good society. This
is undoubtedly one of the most complex questions facing man today.
It would be no exaggeration to say that three major initiatives,
designed in their separate ways to offer a solution, have been utter
failures. A hundred years ago it was generally assumed that the setting
up of a national government would provide the answer. It was felt that
foreign rule was responsible for the rot that had set in society, and that indigenous rule alone could set matters right. In 1947, we finally
succeeded in establishing a national government, but it failed to yield
the desired result of a good society.
Similarly, the initiative which led up to ‘Home
Rule’, i.e. the non-violent movement started
seventy-five years ago by Mahatma Gandhi,
did not usher in any utopian ideal. It had
come to be assumed that once the principle
of non-violence became the mainstay of
Indian politics, it would automatically be put
into practice in society. But this transference
of a principle from the political to the social
sphere did not take place. We may have been
successful in launching a political movement
based on non-violence, but we were to find
that it took more than earnest enunciation of
the principle of non-violence to build a good
society.
Our basic
shortcoming is
to think purely in
terms of systems.
This has caused us
to devote all our
attention to overall
‘social reform’, at the
expense of the more
worthwhile ‘reform of
individuals’.
The third initiative, carried out after independence, was the attempt to
bring about a good society by legislation. There are now scores of laws
aimed at social reform, each social evil having several specially framed
laws to counteract them. But this multitude of laws has done little to
bring a good society into existence.
As seen, our basic shortcoming is to think purely in terms of systems.
This has caused us to devote all our attention to overall ‘social reform’,
at the expense of the more worthwhile ‘reform of individuals’. Over a
period of a hundred years, all the major movements launched in our
country have been system-based, rather than individual-based.
The individual is the primary unit of society. If individuals are reformed,
society follows suit. And if individuals degenerate, society too goes into
decline. That is why our best efforts should centre on the individual,
who is, after all, the basic building block of society. The day we reform
individuals in their thousands, we shall have set ourselves well and
truly on the path of successful social reform.
The solution to our problems lies in inter-community meeting, instead of
protests and demand meetings with the government. The most urgent
need of today is to hold inter-community dialogues at a national level.
Serious-minded and influential people from all communities should
participate in these interactions. Their goal should be the securing of
peace on the basis of purely non-political grounds.
Representatives of all communities should hold discussions with open
hearts. They must strive to put an end to controversial situations on
all sides and should discover a common basis by adopting which, all
communities can live together as good neighbours.
A dialogue of this kind is exactly in accordance with the Islamic
Shariah. The Hudaibiya peace treaty in Islamic history is an instance
of a successful dialogue of this nature. After the Prophet’s emigration,
relations between Muslims and non-Muslims in Arabia considerably
deteriorated. A number of battles and skirmishes ensued, and walls of
prejudice and hatred barred them from coming closer to each other.
Finally, peace could only be established at Hudaibiya near Makkah in 628
AD, through peaceful negotiations between the Prophet Muhammad
and the non-Muslim Makkan leaders.
If such a dialogue is held with full justice and sincerity, a new chapter
will be opened in the history of India. It is this point of inter-community
relationship where the history of India is standing still. Once this
problem is solved and relations between communities improve,
nothing else will come in the way of India’s progress.
The dialogue, if it has to succeed, should not take the form of polemics.
Representatives should not become spokesmen of their respective
communities during the discussion. What should be uppermost in their
minds are the larger national interest and the paths of progress and
harmony for all.
All parties must commit themselves to differentiating between issues
and non-issues, so that they will not hold anything as a matter of
prestige; that they will not adopt the way of claim and counter-claim;
that they will speak only with a vision of the result before them; that
their way will be one of impartiality; that while pressing their demands,
they will also be willing to concede; that while taking from others, they
will also be willing to give.
Dialogue is not a meeting of rivalry but is a brotherly meeting. Such noble
tasks are performed by rising above the victory-defeat psychology. Its
aim is to solve matters and not confound them. The feeling at work
behind a dialogue is one of reconciliation and not one of rivalry.
Dialogue means, an attempt to solve controversial matters through
negotiation; rather than, through confrontation. If a dialogue is started
with this spirit, its success is certain. The door to the progress of
our country has been shut for about half-a-century; and a dialogue
keeping this spirit in view, can surely open the closed door, provided it
is conducted with true spirit.
THE KHAWARIJ
Extremist Mindset
A QUESTION often asked with respect to the Khawarij is:
“If one thinks of sensitivity for right and wrong and discipline in
adhering to God’s commands, the case of the Khawarij comes
to mind. Then why were they removed from the mainstream of Islam?
Was it because while being strictly observant of God’s commands
themselves, they also believed in stringently making others follow
religious injunctions? What is the correct interpretation of the matter?”
The Kharijiyat sect emerged in the first century of the Hijri calendar,
which was the period of the caliphate of Ali (656-661 AD). Initially, these
people had sided with Caliph Ali, but later they developed differences
with him and parted ways. This is why they are called Khawarij, meaning
“those who walked out”, or “those who left”.
Extremist tendencies
begin to appear as
harmless ideas, but
after some time they
assume dangerous
proportions. This
is why in Islam
extremism that
leads to violence is
considered extremely
abhorrent.
People who belong to this sect call themselves
al-Sharah, which means those who sell
themselves for the sake of God’s religion.
Members of this sect identify themselves with
a group of people referred to in the Quran as
Aʿrab (
way of life was marked by extremism. Today
such people will be defined as radicalized
Muslims. They were contemporaries of the
Prophet who had entered Muslim society
by reciting the Islamic creed, however,
they had not undergone proper training in
religion. This is why they still possessed the
pre-Islamic extremist mindset. They would
excommunicate people for minor differences.
Any person who expressed dissent from their extremist beliefs was
held worthy of being killed. For example, the Khawarij had declared
that Caliph Ali be executed because in the matter of resolving his
differences with Muawiyah he had chosen to accept an arbitrator, while
the Khawarij believed that he should have instead consulted the Quran,
the Book of God for decision.
It would not be right to say that the Khawarij were sensitive in matters
of religion. Being sensitive is proper if it keeps one peaceful, but if
one’s sensitivity leads one to assume that one’s opponent is worthy
of being killed then such sensitivity would be appropriately described as undesirable extremism. Those who are sensitive in this sense have
actually developed a self-styled version of Islam, for which they have
no right.
The Khawarij were the first sect among Muslims which brought in the
concept of “thought crime” in Islam. Those who believe in such extremist
views cannot be regarded as being sensitive in religious matters,
instead their case is of those who make alterations in God’s religion. If
these people keep their ideas to themselves, then they should be left
alone. However, if they promote their extremist ideas and issue death
verdicts on their opponents, then according to Islam, they would be
viewed as criminals.
The Khawarij sect originated over political differences. In the later history
of Islam when Muslims had acquired political power, differences also
arose between various groups among Muslims. These differences were
originally only differing viewpoints. An example is the case of Sad ibn
Ubadah, who differed with Caliph Abu Bakr on a matter. Despite holding
a divergent opinion from the Caliph, he did not protest and remained
peaceful. But later the differences among Muslims became so intense
that people began to engage in confrontation with each other. In this
period, in order to lend credence to their respective viewpoints, each
group attempted to Islamize their particular ideas and notions. That is,
every faction tried to prove its opinions right by seeking legitimacy and
justification in Islamic teaching.
As a result, the phenomenon of sectarian extremism emerged among
Muslims. There were several instances of extremism exhibited by
various groups. Extremist tendencies begin to appear as harmless
ideas, but after some time they assume dangerous proportions. The
entire Muslim society became marred with evils such as anarchy,
hatred and civil war. This is why in Islam extremism that leads to
violence is considered extremely abhorrent. If those who believe in
such extremist views begin to give practical shape to their ideas, then
an established state has the right to enter into peaceful negotiations
with the extremists, as was done by the Caliph Umar ibn Abdul Aziz.
However, if these people do not desist, then the government has the
power to initiate strict proceedings against such groups to put an end
to their destructive activities.
In present times, those who have raised political power to the status of
religious belief are the Khawarij of the modern age.
NECESSARY PREPARATION
Sincerity of Purpose
GANDHI is a famous biographical film, released in 1982. It is based
on the life of Mahatma Gandhi. The character of Gandhiji has
been played by the English actor Ben Kingsley.
It is said that Kingsley had to experience great rigour in the process of
the preparations of moulding himself in Gandhiji’s character. For the
proper portrayal of the role of Gandhiji, he observed partial starvation
for a long time.
Kingsley had a plump body, while Gandhiji was a man with a thin frame
who would often walk holding a stick in his hand for support. It was
therefore important that when Kingsley came on screen, he should
appear to the audience, slender in build just
like the real Gandhi. For this reason, before the
making of the movie Kingsley would often eat
less or remain hungry in order that he could
look slim. As a result, he was able to reduce
his weight by seven kilograms. The Indian
actress Rohini Hattangadi who starred in the
movie as Gandhi’s wife, Kasturba Gandhi, also
had to adhere to a similar demanding and
harsh lifestyle prior to playing her role.
Those who shoulder
the responsibility
of guiding their
community without
equipping themselves
adequately are
committing a grave
mistake.
To enact the role of a fictional character in a
movie is much less difficult than to perform
the task of a leader who has to guide his
nation in real life. In spite of the enormity of this task, it is very strange
that when it comes to the responsibility of guiding their community,
people make haste to plunge into the field without any preparation at
all.
Training and instructing of one’s people is undoubtedly one of the most
challenging of duties. To portray himself as Gandhi in a film, Kingsley
had to subject his body to hardship, but to play the role of a leader of a
nation, one has to subject one’s own being to adversity. For the former
role, an actor may have to reduce the size of his physical body, but for
the latter role a person has to cut his real self down to size.
Those who shoulder the responsibility of guiding their community
without equipping themselves adequately are committing a grave
mistake.
CONCEALING OTHERS FAULTS
Sign of Good Character
ACCORDING to a Hadith, the Prophet Muhammad has said: “For
whoever conceals the faults of another, God will conceal his
faults in this world and the Hereafter.” (Sunan Ibn Majah)
This Hadith forbids using someone’s faults in order to defame the
person. It forbids talking about a person’s faults to unrelated people in
order to spoil the image. On the other hand, helping someone improve
or reform is the duty of every person of faith. As another Hadith says:
“A believer is like a mirror for another believer.” (Sunan Abu Dawud). It
means that if a person has a certain fault or shortcoming, one should
tell him about it in a compassionate manner.
If you see or hear about a fault in someone, you could do one of two
things. You could keep this fact in your heart and not speak about it
to anyone. Or, you could meet this person yourself, and in a spirit of
compassion and genuine concern for reform,
speak to the person about it. This method
helps promote positivity, in individuals and in
the society at large.
If you go about
trying to find faults
in others and gossip
about them, it is
tantamount to what
is called ‘character
assassination’.
As opposed to this, if you go about trying to
find faults in others and gossip about them,
it is tantamount to what is called ‘character
assassination’.
If you have differences with somebody, you
could respond to the person by providing
evidences to support your stance. But to pick on personal faults and
defame the person amongst other people is wrong and hypocritical.
INTELLECTUAL CRUSADES
For a Better Society
WHAT has gone wrong with India? Before Independence,
everyone had high hopes of freedom, but now they feel
that something more is required to fulfil their dreams. Our
most pressing need is to discover this missing element and re-plan our
strategy accordingly. This is the most urgent task before us.
The genesis of the problem is that we failed to differentiate between
pre-Independence and post-Independence India. The failure in
recognizing this situation is the basic cause of all our problems. We are
the victims not of any kind of internal or external conspiracy but of our
own misguided planning.
In pre-Independence India our struggle was based on our political
rights rather than on our social duties. The whole struggle was centred
on rights-activism. This strategy made the whole society a rightsconscious
society, while a better society is one whose members are
duty-conscious.
In the pre-Independence period, the equation
was between Indians and foreign occupiers. At
that time, rights-based action seemed to be a
valid form of activism and therefore, it worked
naturally. But in the post-Independence
period, the equation was between Indians
and Indians. Now it has become essential to
change our strategy from being rights-based
to being duty-based. But, in this regard, we
have failed completely. No single movement
has produced duty-conscious people. The
Constitution of India was drafted by India’s
best brains. When it came into effect all its
clauses were about rights: no single clause
referred to duties.
In pre-Independence
India our struggle
was centred on
rights-activism.
This strategy made
the whole society
a rights-conscious
society, while a
better society is one
whose members are
duty-conscious.
There is no use in blaming others; it is better to blame ourselves. Now
is the time to launch a new struggle, under the banner of ‘intellectual
crusades’. By intellectual crusades, I mean educational crusades, not in
terms of formal education but in the sense of informal education.
Formal education is not going to help us with this, because it is totally
based on professionalism. Anyone who seeks formal education knows that this is the age of professionalism and that he should gain
professional qualification to secure a place in the job market. The
whole structure of formal education is based on the concept of making
oneself qualified for the professional market, rather than on making
oneself a good member of society. To build a better society in India,
we need a parallel intellectual campaign. It is this campaign that I have
termed ‘intellectual crusades’.
If you ask me about the model of intellectual crusades, I would say
that I have dedicated myself single-mindedly to this very task. We use
various means of communication for this purpose, such as the print
and electronic media, conferences, seminars and other places of
intellectual activity.
‘Intellectual crusades’
means giving an
intellectual dose
to people at every
opportunity, which
makes them better
human beings, and
consequently better
members of society
I would like to share an incident here that illustrates my way of
working. Once, when I was at Geneva airport, I met an Indian woman.
She had been working on a cultural project for two months and
was now returning to India. While sharing her
experiences in Switzerland, she immediately
took to complaining. I intervened and
politely said that in spite of our best efforts
situations do occur in life that lead to
negative experiences. At such times instead
of responding negatively we must follow the
‘cow culture’. You consider the cow a sacred
animal in the ritual sense. But you have to
follow the cow culture in your real life. The
cow is a natural ‘industry’ which converts what
is non-milk into milk. This is a demonstration
by nature telling humans to adopt the cow
culture by converting negativity into positivity. She instantly understood
this concept and said that she would abandon the complaint culture
and maintain positive thinking in every situation.
So ‘intellectual crusades’ means giving an intellectual dose to people
at every opportunity, which makes them better human beings, and
consequently better members of society.
CLOSEMINDEDNESS
Un-Islamic Practice
ACCORDING to a tradition, the Prophet of Islam once remarked:
“The remedy for ignorance is asking questions.” If the ignorant
man does not inquire, his ignorance will stay with him. But if he
has a questioning mind, some knowledgeable person will answer him,
and he will no longer remain ignorant. There is a common belief about
Islam that it teaches its adherents to be close-minded. In fact, Islam
teaches the spirit of enquiry and asks its adherents to remove their
ignorance by seeking answers to questions.
There is a saying in Arabic to the same effect: To know that you do not
know is half knowledge itself. If an ignorant person is not aware of his
ignorance, he will continue to remain in the same state. But when he
becomes aware of his ignorance, he sets about seeking knowledge.
He will try to turn his ignorance into knowledge. In this way his
awareness of his ignorance will become the stepping-stone leading
towards knowledge.
In ancient times, phenomena of nature
were considered to be manifestations of
God. The sight of the manifestations of
nature, therefore, aroused in man the spirit
of worship. It was only when these natural
phenomena were divested of their divinity
that the spirit of inquiry could be aroused in
man. As a result, many of the mysteries of
nature now lie unraveled.
If the ignorant man
does not inquire,
his ignorance will
stay with him.
But if he has a
questioning mind,
some knowledgeable
person will answer
him, and he will
no longer remain
ignorant.
An inquisitive mind is a sine qua non for the
acquisition of knowledge. Only those who are
possessed of this quality will achieve great
success in intellectual and academic fields.
Those devoid of this spirit will remain static,
and will fail to climb to the top of the ladder
of success.
It is this spirit which is the foundation of all scientific progress.
Knowledge is of two distinct kinds: that which we have been blessed
with in the Quran and the Hadith, and that which we acquire as a result
of our own research and endeavour. The first kind acquaints us with
our Lord, and makes plain the issues to be faced in the everlasting world, which awaits us after death. More important, it shows us how, in
the course of our present life, we may prepare ourselves to meet those
issues. The second kind of knowledge provides solutions to the social
and economic problems, which we encounter in everyday life.
It is imperative that we should seek both forms of knowledge, but we
should never lose sight of the fact that they vary considerably in their
application. The knowledge of the Quran and the Hadith is essential
for us to know the purpose of our life, understand our connection
with God and God's creation plan for us and discover other aspects of
spirituality.
The acquisition of knowledge of other sciences is a matter of worldly
necessity. On the other hand, without knowledge of religion, the course
of life to be adopted in this world for earning an everlasting reward in
the Hereafter will constantly elude us.
The secular sciences guide us in our worldly matters, giving us
instruction in the agricultural, industrial and civic practicalities of life.
On the other hand, the Quran and Hadith set our feet on the path to
eternal development. Clearly, it is just as important for Muslims as it
is for anyone else to study various branches of knowledge, but they
must distinguish between ultimate objectives
and adventitious necessity. We must not only
study the Quran and the Hadith, but must
be keenly aware that the real reasons for
studying them are very different from those
which prompt us to seek worldly knowledge:
we must constantly bear in mind also that
religious knowledge is a moral priority.
It was only when
natural phenomena
were divested of their
divinity that the spirit
of enquiry could be
aroused in man. As
a result, many of the
mysteries of nature
now lie unraveled.
The emphasis of Islam on learning and
teaching was not confined to the Quran or
the teachings of the Prophet. The Quran,
in fact, has given a new outlook, a new
perspective or paradigm as coined by Thomas
Kuhn (The Structure of Scientific Revolution, 1955). According to this
Quranic paradigm, man’s most important activity being intellectual
contemplation or reflection, he is not supposed to blindly follow any
idea or notion just because it was attributed to his ancestors or some
other authority. He has to ponder on it critically and realistically. That
is why we find that the Quran is replete with hundreds of inspirational
and motivational verses that invite man to reflect on the wonderful
creations of God.
For example: In the creation of the heavens and the earth, and the
alternation of night and day, there are signs for people with intelligence,
those who remember God standing, sitting, and lying on their sides, and
reflect on the creation of the heavens and the earth, (saying) Our Lord! You
have not created all this in vain (without purpose), Glory be to You. (
This, we can say, was the intellectual seed, which is called in academic
circles, the spirit of enquiry. It is this spirit of enquiry, which has played
the greatest role in bringing about the age of science. It is the zeal to
discover which has led man to knowledge.
According to Toynbee and other world historians, this spirit of enquiry
was the first and foremost prerequisite for the inauguration of the
scientific era and the elimination of a superstitious outlook on nature
and life.
The Quran has specific verses calling man towards shunning superstition
and encouraging him to think. The Prophet himself had dealt with dayto-day
problems of life in accordance with
this realistic approach taught by the Quran.
Consequently the same realistic approach
became an integral part of the frame of mind
of his Companions. They all became curious,
inquisitive and realistic in all matters of life.
It is the spirit of
enquiry, which has
played the greatest
role in bringing about
the age of science. It
is the zeal to discover
which has led man to
knowledge.
For example, once the Prophet passed by an
oasis where he found some farmers who were
date planters at work. When he asked what
they were doing, he was told that they were
pollinating the clusters of dates in order to
produce a better yield. The Prophet expressed
his disapproval of this process. Knowing this,
the farmers immediately stopped it. But later on the Prophet was told
that due to lack of proper pollination the yield had been very low as
compared to the previous years. On hearing this, the Prophet replied.
“You know your worldly matters better.” (Sahih al-Bukhari). In other
words, experiment and observation should be the final criteria in such
worldly matters.
From the above example one can understand that Islam does not teach
close-mindedness but rather desires one to be open-minded, so that
one understands the importance of each branch of knowledge and
strives to gain such knowledge instead of living in ignorance.
WHEN LIFE CEASESWHAT THEN
Be Conscious Now
WHEN a murderer is sentenced to death, from the moment the
sentence is pronounced, he is as good as dead. Whether his
execution is to take place the very next day or weeks later,
is of no consequence: life simply loses all meaning for him. All smiles
are wiped from his face and it is with difficulty that he brings himself to
speak. His hands, once raised so savagely to rain blows upon the weak
and innocent, now hang limp and lifeless by his sides. He becomes a
forlorn creature, a mere shadow of his former self.
The judgement in court has made plain the reality—a man’s sudden fall
from power to powerlessness, from light to darkness, from material
triumph to nothingness. Even before death, he finds himself in a world
where his will is no longer his own. What then, will be his fate after
death? After death, he will enter another world where he will be forced
to bow to the will of the Creator.
Were man to remember this reality, his life would undergo the
most sublime of transformations. It would then be brought home to
him with tremendous force how inane it was to oppress the poor,
unfortunate individuals who crossed his path and fell into his clutches.
He would realize how senseless it was to ill-treat others, if he himself
were to be subjected to divine retribution in the after-life. He would
finally understand how mindless it was to entertain ideas of his own
greatness, for greatness which cannot endure is of no intrinsic value.
In the end, having realized all this, he would hang his head in shame.
Man drifts through life, an unthinking, pleasure-seeking, materially
ambitious creature who enjoys making friends and accumulating riches.
He revels in trivial distractions. Then something happens which stops
him dead in his tracks. All of his faculties fail him. His eyes are sightless,
his breathing stops. Death has come unannounced and unbidden. And
in an instant he is bereft of all his worldly possessions, his friends, his
pleasures, his riches, all that he holds dear—and he is carried away to
the utter solitude of the grave.
Everyone alive today is under the sentence of death. But people are
preoccupied with today and give no thought to tomorrow. In this
world everyone is to a greater or lesser degree a culprit, but few pay
heed to the fact that death is perpetually stalking us, and can catch us
unawares—it can strike any moment.
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 AD. 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 was He who spread out the earth and placed upon it mountains and
rivers, and fruits of every kind in male and female pairs. He drew the
veil of night over the day. In all this, truly, there are signs for people
who reflect. (
When we observe the earth, we will find that the conditions here appear
to be most suitable for human settlement and growth. The earth is
spread out beneath human beings like a natural floor. Deep oceans
cater to human needs on the one hand and on the other there are the
mountain ranges, so that both of them together help in maintaining
a balance on the earth. The plants and trees could have grown
independently, but they have been paired off, and pollination must play
its part between them so that flowers, fruits and seeds will grow. The
position of the earth is that, apart from its annual revolution around
the sun, it rotates continuously on its axis. This rotation is completed
in twenty-four hours, resulting in the creation of night and day. Anyone
who seriously gives consideration to signs of this kind will be forced
to accept that this earth is under an authoritative and powerful Lord.
And He, by His own will, has made it subject to purposeful planning.
Without conscious planning, this meaningfulness on earth would not
have been at all possible.
On the earth are diverse tracts, adjoining one another: vineyards and
cornfields and groves of palm, the single and the clustered. Their fruits
are nourished by the same water; yet We make the taste of some excel
that of others. In this also are signs for people who understand. (
Abdullah ibn ‘Abbas says that one strip of land is fertile while another
is barren. One strip of land produces crops while one nearby does not.
Mujahid says that the same is the case with mankind. There are good
people in this world and also bad, though the origin of all is one. There is a strange phenomenon on this earth: the soil in different places may
be similar and may be watered by the same water, but in one place it
will produce a tree whose fruit is sweet, while in another place it will
produce a tree whose fruit is sour. One tree may have a high yield and
another a low yield. This is a parallel in nature to the human condition.
It is like all human beings, although cast in the same mould, showing
a marked difference from one individual to another when it comes to
deriving any benefit from the divine guidance which is consistently
offered to all. One will receive the full benefit of such guidance, and
thus have his entire life enriched by it, while another may avail of only
a part of it or even reject it altogether. In other words, the same ‘seeds’
of guidance when ‘sown’ in different individuals will produce outcomes
as different as the sweet and sour fruits of our analogy.
True Reform
The legal system and the
administration have their limits.
Genuine reform will come about only
if the spirit of reform is generated
among the people concerned.
ASK MAULANA
Your Questions Answered
India got its freedom in the year 1947 and on 15th
August 2017, we are stepping into the 71st year
of the Independence. Kindly share with us your
experience of August 15, 1947.
Born in 1925, I grew up in a family where active
interest was taken in national affairs, and there
was much talk of independence. The whole
atmosphere outside the house was likewise
emotionally charged with the urge to be free.
All this led me to believe that slavery was the worst of conditions and
independence the very best. Like many others I formed an innocent
conception of the independence movement as being designed to bring
the country straight out of hell and into heaven.
With all those impressions I waited for the day of Independence in a
state of high expectation. It came finally on August 15, 1947. I was then
going out at night and seeing all the shops and houses illuminated. The
new sense of freedom made me feel elated and as I walked along in a
state of jubilation, I felt my feet were barely touching the ground. This
was a state of happiness I had only so far read about. Now I was having
my first real experience of it on August 15, 1947. Unfortunately, it was
also my last.
Why do you say that the feeling of happiness was your last?
When the dawn appeared after the night of August 15, all the lights had
gone out, and never again did they shine with the same brilliance. Never
again in our state of freedom, did we experience the same euphoria as
we did when we were as yet on the brink of being independent. We
now had our freedom realized. The happiness we had expected had
failed to materialize. This tragedy is attributable not so much to the
British as to the Indians themselves. There had indeed been a problem
between the British and the Indians prior to 1947, but the only solution
offered was an intensification of the loathing the Indians felt for the
British in the hopes that the latter would begin to feel themselves so
alienated from the country that they would become unable to rule it.
It was in this atmosphere of antagonism that the journey towards
freedom was made. The period prior to 1947 was marked by
destructiveness; the policy of animosity and opposition proved highly effective. After 1947, there should have ensued a period of
constructiveness inspired by love and fellow-feeling. But this was not
to be. For reasons of a very convoluted nature, the politics of hatred
persisted throughout the dawn of this supposedly new age. The failure
to transform them into the politics of love proved the greatest obstacle
to the realization of the Indian dream of post-Independence days—the
dream which had sustained and inspired all Indians in the very darkest
of hours.
What do you think the Indians should have done or should not have
done after Independence for fulfilling the dream which had inspired
them?
Before 1947, certain unwise Muslim leaders had wrongly advocated
the idea that Hindus and Muslims were two separate nations. This
theory, responsible for their isolation had nothing whatsoever to do
with either reason or Islam. Without doubt Hindus and Muslims have
separate religions, but both are one nation because both live in the
same country. That is why all the prophets have addressed their nonMuslim
country-men as ‘O my people’. But in the post-Independence
years this concept has not been effectively presented before the people.
So far as I can gather from my study of this matter, both the Hindus and
Muslims are equally responsible for the problem facing the country
today. Neither group has fulfilled its responsibility to the new India. It is
the intellectuals in a community who lead the people. But in free India
the intellectuals of both the communities have failed in this respect.
What can the citizens of India do now which can bring about the real
progress of this country? Is there hope?
Hope should always be there but we should adopt the right methods.
In my opinion we have to address the individual minds. Win the mind
and you will win the battle is what I believe in.
All the Indians should come out of the negative thinking which they
have fallen into because of one fear or another about each other.
Further, I would advise Muslims to take the initiative in putting an
end—on a unilateral basis—to all mutual discord. In the process they
should not ask others to change their course of action, nor should they
allow themselves to be provoked. They should abandon the methods
of protest, complaint and reaction and should launch their movements
on the basis of sound internal construction. If Muslims resolved all
controversial matters on unilateral basis, they would be following the
method followed by the Prophet of Islam.
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 )
