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.
The End
ASK MAULANA
Your Questions Answered
There is a perception that intolerance is on the rise in India. What do
you say?
Intolerance is there in every society. It existed in the past, the only
difference being that now, with modern means of communication,
news about it spreads far and wide.
Tolerance, intolerance—these are part of every society. Human beings
have freewill, and so there will sometimes be intolerance, there will
sometimes be dissent, there will be differences. These things will always
be there. Now, the key is how to handle them. The wise approach is
that if someone says something that might hurt you, you should simply
not react. Just ignore it. Why should you enter into a debate? If you do
not react, if you simply keep quiet, the matter will die out on its own.
But there’s so much violence happening in the world, in the country.
Millions of things are happening in the world, in the country, but the
media is highlighting only that one incident of violence. It ignores
everything else. And so, following the media, people also do not look at
the million good, constructive things that are happening and get taken
up by the one thing that the media highlights.
But don’t you think that intolerance has increased in India, if
you compare the situation today with that of a few decades ago?
Especially Muslims, since they are a minority in India, are affected
more by intolerance, violence and by communal riots. How do you
think communal violence can be stopped?
The solution is not through protests, issuing fiery statements or through
taking out demonstrations. If you want to solve the problem of riots,
you should understand why they happen in the first place. Generally,
riots are a result of some very small issue. If you just ignore this issue
and do not blow it out of proportion, it will not escalate into a riot.
I’ll give you an example. Once, a Muslim boy drank water from a handpump,
with his mouth or hand touching the pump’s spout. Some Hindus
told him not to do that. The Muslims protested against this, and it soon
turned into a riot! Now, the same thing has happened with another
Muslim, too. He was told not to drink like that, and he responded very
differently. He simply said, “Okay, I’ll use a glass to drink”, and then of
course no one got angry and the matter ended there. So, the lesson from this is: Do not exaggerate or get agitated about a small thing,
because that could easily lead to a riot. Just ignore these issues and
everything will be fine.
Let me cite another example. A temple and a mosque stood in the
vicinity of each other. One day, Bhajans (religious hymns) were being
broadcast through the temple’s loudspeaker. A group of Muslims went
to the temple and demanded that they turn it off. The Hindus refused,
and then the agitated Muslims destroyed the loudspeaker. And after
this, matters escalated into a riot.
Now, this happened because these Muslims reacted angrily to a small
thing. Why should they have got agitated like that? No one was stopping
them from praying in the mosque. They could have continued doing
just that, isn’t it? And then there would have been no riot.
So, the point is that avoiding getting agitated about petty issues and
avoiding confrontation are the solution to communal riots.
On many occasions there seems to be a contradiction between what
is said to be Shariah law and the law of the land. What do you feel
about this?
In this regard, Islamic teachings are very clear. Some people may talk
of enforcing Shariah in India, but this is totally irrelevant since India
is a secular country. With regard to the Indian context, the Islamic
position is that Muslims should focus on their faith, their worship,
their character-building as per Islamic teachings but the law of the land
must be in accordance with the country’s Constitution. That means that
Muslims have to follow the country’s Constitution. Muslims should not
raise the question of enforcing Shariah law in the country. It has no
relevance. Shariah law may apply to countries where Muslims are a
majority, but not in a country like India.
Many Indians suspect Indian Muslims of being pro-Pakistan. Do you
think this is true?
This suspicion is unfounded. Soon after the Partition, many Indian
Muslims migrated to Pakistan. But who migrates there now? No one!
So, the Indian Muslims have joined their fate with India’s. If there are
one or two people who think otherwise, you shouldn’t use that to form
a general impression of the Indian Muslims as a whole.
In your experience what is the actual problem of Muslims?
The root of the problem is that while Muslims have religious education,
they lack secular education. To understand this, you have to go back a bit in history. When the British came to India, many of the ulema
stiffly opposed modern education. They thought that Western-style
education was against Islam. On the other hand, Hindus enthusiastically
embraced this sort of education. That is why the Indian Muslims are at
least a hundred years behind their Hindu compatriots. That’s the basic
reason for Muslim backwardness. It can’t be resolved unless Muslims
go in for modern education in a big way. Without that, Muslims cannot
change.
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
Those who bear the Throne, and those who are around it, glorify
their Lord with His praise, and believe in Him. They ask forgiveness
for those who believe, saying, ‘Our Lord, You embrace all things in
mercy and knowledge. Forgive those who turn to You and follow Your
path. Save them from the punishment of Hell and admit them, Lord,
to the Eternal Garden You have promised to them, together with
their righteous ancestors, spouses, and offspring: You alone are the
Almighty; the All Wise. Protect them from all evil deeds: those You
protect from [the punishment for] evil deeds will receive Your mercy—
that is the supreme success. (
The subjects of God who set themselves the task of preaching the pure
and unadulterated Truth are always harassed. They are made to feel
lowly and small and treated as such wherever they may be. But, at the
very time when this treatment is being meted out to them, the heavens
and the earth are bearing testimony to their righteousness. The angels
who have been charged with managing the affairs of the universe, will
look forward to their ultimate glorious reward. Those who were looked
down upon by the ignorant in this ephemeral world will be raised to
such an exalted position that the angels nearest to God will pray for
them.
Those who deny the truth will be told, ‘God’s abhorrence of you is
greater than your hatred of yourselves. You were called to the faith
but you denied it.’ They will say, ‘Our Lord! Twice You have made us
die, and twice You have given us life! Now we have confessed our sins:
is there any way out [of this]?’ [They will be told], ‘This is because
when God alone was invoked you denied the truth, yet when others were associated with Him you believed in them.’ Judgement rests with
God, the Most High, the Most Great. (
God has showered His mercy in the form of guidance. But, people in
general have not accepted it. As a result in the Hereafter, the rejecters
of guidance will be completely deprived of God’s grace. In the world,
they ignored God’s grace. In the Hereafter, God’s grace will pass them
by.
At that time, those who deny the truth will say, ‘O God! You created
us from the earth, that is, we were lifeless and you infused life into
us. Afterwards, when our lifespan was over, we became lifeless for
the second time. Now we have been raised again in the world of the
Hereafter. In this way, you have twice given us life and twice given us
death. Now, if you give us a third opportunity and send us back into
the world, we will admit the Truth and live a life full of righteous deeds.’
But, this request of theirs will not be heard, because they proved that
they could not recognise the Truth when it was hidden from their eyes.
They were capable of recognising only so-called gods. They did not have
the ability to recognise the real invisible God, and such people who are
enamoured by outward appearances have no value in the eyes of God.
It is He who shows you His signs, and sends down provision for you
from heaven; but none pays heed except the repentant. Therefore call
upon God, making faith pure for Him, averse as the deniers of the
truth may be to it: Exalted and throned on high, He lets the Spirit
descend at His behest upon whichever of His servants He will, so that
he may warn of the Day of Meeting, the Day when they shall rise up
[from their graves] and nothing about them will be hidden from God.
‘To whom shall the kingdom belong that Day?’ It shall belong to God,
the One, the All Powerful. That Day every soul shall be requited for
what it has earned. On that Day none shall be wronged. And God is
swift in reckoning. (
There are countless signs in the universe which teach us lessons in
symbolic language. One of these is the system of rains. This natural
phenomenon is symbolic of God’s inspiration. Just as rains are useful
for fertile land and useless for barren land, similarly the inspiration
from God brings forth fruit in some but not in others. This ‘rain’ enters
the souls of those who have kept their hearts open and makes their
existence lush green. On the contrary, those whose hearts are full of
the greatness of beings other than God are like barren lands.
God is fully aware of His subjects. Whoever He finds capable, He
chooses for the purpose of conveying His message. The main aim of
this message is to warn the people of the fast approaching day when
they will be presented before the Lord of the Universe, from whom
nothing will be hidden and whose judgement will not be influenced by
anybody.
CREATIVE ABILITIES OF MINORITIES
Law of Nature
IN recent times there has been a great deal of research done on
‘minorities’ and ‘majorities’. This research has highlighted numerous
issues that were hitherto not known or not properly understood.
One of these issues is about creativity and about how certain conditions
encourage people to be creative—in terms of ideas or practical work.
When there are
two groups in a
society—a majority
and a minority—
then, according to
the law of nature,
a sort of gulf is
created. As a result
of this gulf, a process
is set in motion,
which nurtures the
creative abilities of
the minority. It acts
as an incentive to the
minority, enabling
them to progress.
When there are two groups in a society—a
majority and a minority—then, according to
the law of nature, a sort of gulf is created.
As a result of this gulf, a process is set in
motion, which nurtures the creative abilities
of the minority. It acts as an incentive to the
minority, enabling them to progress.
This process is evident in every country where
there is a majority and one or more minorities.
In such a situation, the process that promotes
creative abilities among the minority is always
set in motion, whether or not direct efforts
are made for this. If this process of nature is
not blocked, it will function on its own, till it
reaches its culmination.
There is only one thing that can stop this
process of creativity. And that is, if the minority
develops a violent mentality. If leaders lacking
foresight emerge among the minority who
stir up their people with emotional rhetoric and, drowning them in
negative thinking, lead them on the path of hate and violence, the
process of creativity will definitely stop. Otherwise, this process will
never—under any conditions—come to a halt. This is, you could say,
nature’s decision. And nothing, except for suicide, can stop nature’s
decision.
WISDOM
Ability to Sort out the Relevant from the Irrelevant
WISDOM is the greatest human quality, but it is strange that
no clear definition of wisdom can be found in the dictionary.
The reason is that wisdom is not an independent concept; it
is another name for practical wisdom.
As expressed by a scholar, wisdom is the ability to discover the relevant
by sorting out the irrelevant. That is, a wise man is one who knows the
relative value of things.
It is also noteworthy
that information
and wisdom are not
one and the same
thing. If a certain
person has a lot
of information, it
does not necessarily
imply that he also
possesses wisdom.
Generally people live in a wrong dichotomy,
that is, of right and wrong. They take what they
think is right and reject that which appears
wrong to them. But this is not wisdom.
Wisdom demands one to judge on the basis
of result. Experience shows that in this world,
one does not have a choice between good or
bad. Rather, the choice is between lesser evil
and greater evil. Wisdom in such a case is to
choose lesser evil over greater evil.
It is also noteworthy that information and
wisdom are not one and the same thing. If
a certain person has a lot of information, it
does not necessarily imply that he also possesses wisdom. Information
is related to memory and one who has a good photographic memory
can store a lot of information and facts. Wisdom, in truth, is related to
the power of analysis of these facts.
It requires wisdom even to differentiate between internal or inner and
external or outer knowledge. Someone has very rightly remarked:
Knowing others is wisdom; knowing the self is enlightenment.
In this present world, each of us needs to equip ourselves in two
ways—one, vis-à-vis our own self, and the other, vis-à-vis others. It is
not enough for us to be prepared in only one of these ways and not in
the other.
With regard to other people, wisdom lies in expecting only what is
realistically possible. Any over-expectation in this regard always leads to harm. While forming our expectations of others we must completely
set aside our emotions and establish our expectations on the basis of
reality.
But as far as our own selves are concerned, we must have the highest
expectation. We must discover ourselves and try to use our abilities
to the maximum extent possible. Vis-à-vis others, realism is desirable,
while vis-à-vis our own selves it is idealism.
The guiding principle with regard to the above mentioned points is,
“Be an idealist in your own home, and as soon as you step out of your
home, become practical.” To fulfil both these demands is a difficult
task. In this world, only those people are successful who can fulfil them
both.
We need to be realist when it comes to others and idealist when it
comes to our own selves. One who does the opposite can never be
successful in this world.
HAVING REGARD FOR OTHERS
A Prophetic Practice
Make things easy for people and do not deal with them harshly.
Give them glad tidings and do not make them hate you.
(Prophet of Islam, Sahih al-Bukhari)
THE above Hadith teaches us about having regard for others. If
you study the corpus of Hadith, you will learn that it was the
practice of the Prophet of Islam to have regard for others to
the maximum extent. One should completely abstain from harshness,
whether in word or deed.
Having regard for others does not mean
being indifferent to people or leaving them as
they are. Rather, it means, to adopt the right
starting-point for the process of reform. The
right method of reform is to make allowances
for the external aspects of people’s actions
and to focus more on the inner aspects
of their actions. This is because reform of
the inner dimension does not come about
through reforming the external dimension.
Rather, it is when the inner being is reformed
that the external or outer dimension comes
to be transformed too.
Having regard for
others is another
name for a wise
approach. And it
is a fact that true
transformation
always comes about
through a wise
method, not through
an unwise one.
One benefit of having regard for people is that following the path of
religion does not appear difficult to them. They would thus try to adopt
religious teachings without feeling repulsed. As a result, a person is
first reformed internally, and then, gradually, his external deeds and
actions also take the religious form.
Having regard for others is another name for a wise approach. And
it is a fact that true transformation always comes about through a
wise method, not through an unwise one. The method that a religious
reformer uses must always be that of having regard for people. The
reformer’s entire stress should be on trying to inculcate the spirit of
religion among people. As soon as this spirit emerges, people begin to
behave and conduct themselves according to religion, something which
a reformer who uses extremist measures may never be successful in
achieving.
POLITICAL POWER NOT AN OBJECTIVE
Spiritual Individual
Contrary to common belief, gaining political power
is not the main objective of Muslims. This is a
misconception.
IN modern times, those nations who have
understood this have achieved success even
without having political power. Some have become
established and excelled in the field of education,
while others have set up empires in industry, communications and
finance. The last in the list of these non-governmental empires is that
of information technology. This has given man the opportunity to keep
his finger on the pulse of human activity at the international level.
To accept that times have changed, it is important to understand
the following reports which are enshrined in Sahih al-Bukhari. After
the fourth Caliph Ali ibn Abi Talib, political conflict ensued between
Abdullah ibn Zubayr and the Umayyads. Abdullah ibn Umar, one of
the senior-most Companions of the Prophet,
held himself aloof from the battle. People
approached him and by quoting a particular
verse of the Quran about fighting, they asked
him why he was not joining in the battle.
Abdullah ibn Umar replied that fighting as
mentioned in the Quran did not refer to
political infighting, but rather to the religious
coercive system, which had already been put
an end to by the Companions of the Prophet.
(Fathul Bari)
The Islamic method,
being based totally
on the principle of
non-violence, makes
it unlawful for
believers to initiate
hostilities. Except in
cases where selfdefence
has become
inevitable, the Quran
in no circumstance
gives permission for
violence.
From this we learn that the war against
persecution was a war of limited duration and
temporary in nature, meant to be engaged
in only until its specific purpose had been
served.
Invoking the Quranic exhortation to do battle
against persecution in order to validate acts of war, which had quite
other aims, is highly improper. This verse could be cited only if the
same state of affairs as existed at the time of its revelation, were to
prevail once again.
The biographers of the Prophet Muhammad have put the number of
ghazwah (battle) at more than 80. This gives the impression that the
Prophet Muhammad in his 23-year prophetic career waged about four
battles in a year. But this impression is entirely baseless. The truth is
that the Prophet Muhammad in his entire prophetic life, engaged in war
only on three occasions. All the other incidents described as ghazwah
were in actual fact examples of avoidance of war and not instances of
involvement in battle.
For instance, in the books of Seerah, the incident of Al-Ahzab is called a
ghazwah (battle), whereas the truth is that on this occasion the armed
tribes of Arabia, twelve thousand in number, reached the borders of
Madinah with all intentions of waging war, but the Prophet and his
Companions dug a deep trench between them, thus successfully
preventing a battle from taking place. The same is the case with all
the other incidents called ghazwah. The opponents of the Prophet
repeatedly tried to embroil him in war, but on all such occasions, he
managed to resort to some such strategy as averted the war, thus
defusing the situation.
There were only three instances of Muslims really entering the field
of battle—Badr, Uhud and Hunayn. On all these occasions, war had
become inevitable, so the Prophet was compelled to encounter the
aggressors in self-defence. Furthermore, these battles lasted only
for half a day, each beginning at noon and ending with the setting of
the sun. Thus it would be proper to say that the Prophet in his entire
life span had actively engaged in war for a total of a day and a half.
That is to say, the Prophet had observed the principle of non-violence
throughout his 23-year prophetic career, except for one and a half
days.
The Islamic method, being based totally on the principle of nonviolence,
makes it unlawful for believers to initiate hostilities. Except
in cases where self-defence has become inevitable, the Quran in no
circumstance gives permission for violence.
MANS QUEST
What is Truth?
MUCH as we long for a perfect world, we are compelled to live
in an imperfect one. Our happiness is always short-lived and
our every success is, in some way, eventually a failure. The
aspirations that we cherish in the early days of our lives are shattered
as we begin to age. Just as we begin to take root on earth, disease, old
age and death overtake us.
How enchanting the flowers are, but they blossom only to wither. How
delicate the sun’s radiance, but it shines for only a short while before
being covered in darkness. Miraculous though man’s existence is, no
miracle can save him from death. Everything in this world shall perish.
Although this world is inexpressibly beautiful and meaningful, all its
virtues are bound to fade. All mundane things have a dark side to them.
How, one may ask, could a God who is Himself perfect, be satisfied with
the creation of an intrinsically imperfect world? The absolute cannot
abide in the non-absolute. This world must be inconclusive. Another
world must follow to compensate for the inadequacies of the present
one.
Paradise is that
eternal world of
God in which His
attributes will appear
in all their perfection.
It will be free of
all the defects we
experience in the
world about us.
There is no doubt about the transitory nature
of this world. It came into existence at a specific
time some four and a half billion years ago.
Its Creator must have existed eternally, for
only an infinite Creator could have fashioned
a finite world. If God had not always existed,
then this transitory world could never have
come into being. The very existence of an
ephemeral universe shows that there must
be an eternal Creator. If the Creator had not
existed eternally, He could never have existed
at all and, if there had been no Creator, there
would have been no creation either.
If we assert that the world was created on a certain date, then this
means that there must have been a Creator before that date. If we go
on to assert that this Creator was Himself created on some previous
date, then our claim can have no meaning. The Creator cannot himself
have been created; He always was. In His infiniteness He has created a
finite world. His existence, and that of all mortal creatures, is dependent
upon His immortality.
Since God is immortal, He must also be absolute, for absoluteness is
the greatest attribute of immortality. The one cannot be found without
the other.
This world is a manifestation of God’s attributes, but its shortcomings
and limitations show the manifestation to be incomplete. A complete
manifestation of a perfect and infinite God would itself be perfect
and infinite. Another world must be awaiting us. This incomplete
manifestation of God’s attributes requires a sequel for its fulfilment.
Paradise is that eternal world of God in which His attributes will appear
in all their perfection. It will be free of all the defects we experience
in the world about us. Paradise is evidence of God’s absolute power
to make beauty perpetual and joy boundless in a world of everlasting
peace and contentment.
Everyone is seeking some unseen fulfilment. Everyone seeks a perfect
world, but this has always eluded man. Yet, it is quite natural that he
should continue to strive, for the universe in which he lives testifies to
the existence of one, infinite God. The emergence of a world of infinite
blessings is just as likely as the existence of
the present transitional world. How can an
inherently infinite Creator be satisfied with
a finite manifestation of His attributes? God,
who created all things from nought, can surely
endow creation with perpetuity. This second
creation is no more difficult than the first.
Man is always
searching for a
world of everlasting
content. This quest
is quite correct and
in accordance with
human nature; but
our dreams cannot
come true in this
world, for here, there
cannot be
an eternally
perfect order.
Immortality is God’s unique quality, in which
He has no partner. Immortality signifies the
highest possible perfection which only God
can attain. No one can today imagine the
wonderful nature of that Paradise which is
a manifestation of God’s immortality; that
beauty which will never fade; that joy which
will never end; that life, the continuity of which
will never be interrupted; that world where all
our hopes and desires will be fulfilled. No one
will wish to part for even a moment from this wondrously delightful
Paradise, no matter how many millions of years have passed.
Man is always searching for a world of everlasting content. This quest
is quite correct and in accordance with human nature; but our dreams
cannot come true in this world, for here, there cannot be an eternally
perfect order. The resources needed for such a world are lacking.
The Prophet taught that God has made this world one of trial and
tribulation, not one of reward and retribution.
The world is full of things which put man to the test, whereas the factors
required for a life of everlasting delight and repose will be forthcoming
only in the next world. Death divides these two worlds. Death marks
the completion of the trial of man and his entrance into the world of
eternity.
If one wishes one’s dreams to come true, one should not try to construct
a heaven on earth. One should rather try to succeed in the trial of life,
accepting the role of God’s true servant, adopting the life pattern of
the Prophet and restricting one’s freedom to the limits which God has
laid down. The dreams of those who succeed in the trial of life will
be fulfilled in the next world. Those who fail will find nothing but woe
awaiting them.
ONES OWN RESPONSIBILITY
Developed Societies
DURING the Second World War, Sir Winston Churchill, Britain’s
Prime Minister and popularly acclaimed military leader, gave to
the people of Britain the motto: IT ALL DEPENDS ON ME.
The following incident of a training camp is a good illustration of this
motto. It was in Chandigarh that a camp was to be inaugurated by an
Indian minister, which had been arranged for the Principals of various
polytechnic colleges. A British Professor had been invited to address the
gathering. When the minister was about to start his inaugural address,
the power suddenly went off and the loudspeakers went dead. There
was no battery on hand as an alternative arrangement. However, there
was a battery available in the polytechnic’s workshop.
The trainee Principals started looking around for an attendant who
could be sent to the workshop to fetch the battery. But as soon as
the British Professor realized what had happened, he himself dashed
to the workshop, picked up the heavy battery
and came running back to connect it to
the loudspeaker system. The microphone
immediately started functioning again.
Genuine reform will
come about only if
the spirit of reform is
generated among the
people concerned.
Such an attitude on the part of an individual,
whatever his community, is the underlying
cause of collective progress of the society to
which he belongs. Similarly, at the national
level, progress and development are directly
correlated with the prevalence of this spirit
among the people.
For any work which people want to take up to correct some wrong
in the society or its improvement, they start with proposals for new
laws by the government, or demand for changes to be made in the
administration, so that the malady may be set right. But the legal
system and the administration have their limits and, as such, are only
partially effective. Genuine reform will come about only if the spirit of
reform is generated among the people concerned.
AN EXEMPLARY TALE
Progressive Individuals
MR. A.M.Khan had procured a B.E. degree in electrical engineering
from Banaras Hindu University. A few years later a vacancy for
the post of a senior lecturer arose in a private polytechnic of
Chandauli, a district in Varanasi. The successful candidate was expected
to function as the head of the Department of Electrical Engineering.
The interview for this post was to be held at the official residence of the
then Commissioner of Varanasi who at that time was the President of
the Managing Committee. In his capacity as President he was present
at the interview.
Two professors from the Banares University
were the other members of the interview
board. One of them had taught Mr. A.M.Khan
at the Banaras Hindu University. As soon as
one of the professors put a question to Mr.
Khan the other professor addressing the
commissioner said. ‘He is the best candidate,
there is no question of interview. Mr. Khan
received his appointment letter one week
later for the post of Senior Lecturer of the
Chandauli Polytechnic and the Head of
the Department of Electrical Engineering.
Subsequently, he continued to receive
promotions until he retired as Joint Director,
Technical Education.
The world runs on
the principle of give
and take. Here no
value is placed on
grievances, protests
and demands. The
simple rule observed
by this world is
receiving and giving
in equal measure.
Often we come across people who try to give us the impression that
employment opportunities are scarce. If we go to the root of the matter
in many cases we will find that there is a dearth of worthy candidates.
Mr. Khan received such an unexpected response only because he
had worked very hard at his studies, always securing good marks.
His performance and character throughout his studies were highly
commendable. His professors formed a good impression of him. This
was the reason why he had become their first choice.
Every Institute and office wants good workers, because without
competent persons offices cannot be run satisfactorily. No one is an
enemy to his own self. That is why no one can ignore a good worker.
Good, dependable workers are generally in demand. If you fulfill the
needs of others, you will be sought out by them.
The world runs on the principle of give and take. Here no value is
placed on grievances, protests and demands. The simple rule observed
by this world is receiving and giving in equal measure. If you want
employment, you must make yourself useful. You must develop the
skills needed by other people. Then you will see that you don’t need to
pursue employment instead employment will pursue you.
SIMILARTIES BETWEEN SIKHISM ISLAM
Benefit from Understanding
Islamic scholar Maulana Wahiduddin Khan, and Giani Harpreet
Singh, Jathedar of Takhat Shri Damdama Sahib, discuss Islam and Sikhism.
The Jathedar recently released a Gurmukhi version of Maulana’s translation
of the Quran. The samvad was moderated by Mona Mehta and Reena Singh
from The Times of India.
GIANI HARPREET SINGH, Jathedar of the Takhat Shri Damdama
Sahib says that it took him more than two years, working
with scholars at Punjabi University, Patiala, to translate
Maulana Wahiduddin Khan’s translation of the Quran into Gurmukhi.
“Mohammad Habib, my PhD guide, Mohammad Yusuf, Satinder Singh
and I, worked on the project. Mohd Habib motivated me and introduced
us to Maulanaji’s translation of the Quran. He said a Gurmukhi
translation will send out a good message.”
The Quran’s message
is ‘take your nectar of
wisdom, and ignore
the rest’. Wisdom is
present in everything
in nature. The rose
has both beauty and
thorns—the wisdom
is to live in peaceful
coexistence. “That is
the spirituality
in Islam.
The Jathedar continues, “It was a great learning
experience. There are many similarities
between the Quran and the Guru Granth
Sahib. They both talk about Aek Khuda, or Aek
Rab—One God. Ishwar or Parmatman is One;
He is the creator, Brahman; He runs the show.
Gurbani talks of Aek Rab ka hukum—that the
world operates according to the Supreme
Being’s will. The Quran talks of one Rab,
Supreme Being. The Guru Granth tells Sikhs
that their aim should be to live according to
His hukum (commandment); whether you
experience sukha or dukha (happiness or
sorrow), that’s His will.”
Maulana adds: “After my education, I became
a seeker. I went to the jungles and mountains, and kept repeating to
myself, Khudawand tu kabb aayega, mein kabb tak tera intezaar karoon
(When will you reveal yourself to me, O God; how long do I have to
wait?) During this phase I read extensively. The basic teaching of Islam
is oneness of God. I studied Islam from the prism of science, not
philosophy.
“In The Brief History of Time, Stephen Hawking described creation as
part of one big whole; everything tied in one string. We talk of the
oneness of God, and science calls it the (single) string theory. That’s when I returned to Islam. Science proved to me that there is one source
managing creation.” Then why is religion often used to incite violence
and terrorism? Jathedar Harpreet Singh laments that “while people are
adopting religion, they have not understood the thought behind it. Till
they do, violence will continue. Swarth, (selfishness), is also responsible
for violence. Science has made life easier; it has provided us with
luxuries; but, our desires have increased. Some want to acquire things
even at the cost of killing others.”
Politicisation of Islam
Maulana says that the “Violence that you see
in the name of Islam is not due to faith; it is
politicisation of Islam for votes.” He cites the
example of a person he knew in his youth,
who made his money building mosques and
pocketing half the donations. He would play
on people’s emotions, saying, the donations
they made for Mosques would ensure them
Paradise.
Guru Granth Sahib
talks about Aek
Khuda, or Aek Rab—
One God. Ishwar or
Parmatman is One;
He is the creator,
Brahman; He runs
the show. Gurbani
talks of Aek Rab
ka hukum—that
the world operates
according to the
Supreme Being’s will.
The problem is not that some people do
not follow religion. The biggest problem is
the rabble rouser; he is present in every
faith, group, and community.” But for every
rabble rouser, isn’t there a spiritual leader
who can bring people back on the right path? Jathedar Harpreet Singh
says, “People have always been drawn to materialism. The desire for
‘matter’ actually becomes a weakness. These people then follow a path
that leads to fulfilment of desires, and they don’t think of right and
wrong. Padarthwaad or materialism, overpowers religious thoughts.
Materialism becomes number one, and religion, a poor second.”
But Maulana says that he finds people who follow the Sikh dharma
(religion), exceptional. “I went to Amritsar to know why the Sikhs never
have gurus (priests) who provoke or instigate them, unlike the Muslims.
I discovered that in Sikhism, the gurus made the Granth Sahib as eternal
guru. The Guru Granth cannot be a rabble rouser. So, among Sikhs,
there is lot of positive unity, and relatively, they are more peaceful.
But Muslims instead of following the Quran and the teachings of the
Prophet are following those who have interpreted Quran in any way.
The differences among the two religions were created by Mughal kings,
especially Aurangzeb. Otherwise, I think both religions have many
similarities. It was Aurangzeb who politicised Islam.” The Jathedar adds,
“As Maulanaji points out, the Guru Granth Sahib is both our Granth and Guru. What we call the shabad, the word, in which there is wisdom—
that is the guru, the voice of Parmeshwar. Guru Nanak acknowledges
the vaani he wrote as coming from Akal Purakh. Whatever is written
here has come from Him....”
Maulana recalls an article he wrote at the peak of the Sikh separatist
movement. “I addressed both Kashmiris and Sikhs and denounced
the separatist movements. But reason prevailed upon the Sikhs and
the Khalsa movement died out, but the Kashmir trouble is alive.
Kashmir has been destroyed, while the Sikhs are flourishing. The same
is happening to the Rohingyas and in Palestine, too.” He points out
that Sikhs should be considered as role models. The Jathedar clarifies
that the Punjab violence was not based on religion but on economics.
After Partition, Sikhs were upset that some Punjabi-speaking areas had
gone to other states, while other states were carved out on the basis
of language. They were also upset about sharing of river waters with
other states. “The riparian rule for water was not followed as was done
in other states. Punjab is an agricultural state, but gives water to other
states, even when there is no water left for its own lands. It was then
that the cry for a separatist movement started.”
What are their views on leaving worldly comforts in the pursuit of
spirituality? “When Guru Arjan Dev was asked what is the best religion
in the world, he said, sab dharam meh saraysat dharam, har ko naam jap
nirmal karam—of all religions, the best religion is to chant the name
of the Lord and maintain pure conduct. There is no need for sanyas,
isolation, or havans and dips in freezing waters. Bhagat Dhanna in the
Guru Granth Sahib, demands food, shelter, wife, and a horse. He says,
‘If I have all these means of sustenance, then I will serve you without
worries’,” points out the Jathedar.
Maulana adds: “This talk about leaving one’s home (which is called
rahbaniyath), like the monk who sold his Ferrari, does not exist in Islam.
Islam does not say materialism and spirituality are different. Both are
intertwined. Just don’t rob anyone to become a billionaire. In the Quran,
there is a chapter on the honeybee, which is seen as a role model.”
The honeybee takes only nectar from flowers, ignoring the rest. The
Quran’s message is ‘take your nectar of wisdom, and ignore the rest’.
Wisdom is present in everything in nature. The rose has both beauty
and thorns—the wisdom is to live in peaceful coexistence. “That is
spirituality in Islam,” says Maulana. He ends on a cautionary note: “But
Muslim society today has degenerated. Like Guru Granth Sahib guides
the Sikhs the Quran and the life of the Prophet should be the guidance
for the Muslims."
FROM THE SPIRITUAL TRE
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
SPIRITUALLY STRONG
A strong believer is better and more lovable to
God than a weak believer, and there is good in both.
(Prophet of Islam, Sahih Muslim)
THERE are two kinds of people—strong and weak. Believers too
can be categorized into these two groups. However, just as a
strong believer shall be rewarded for performing outstanding
feats on account of his superior abilities, a weak believer too shall be
rewarded. The only prerequisite is that the weak believer must possess
the true spirit of faith. A strong believer will be naturally given reward
for putting to use his special capacities for the religious cause. But
God’s bounties are not limited or restricted to such people. If a weak
believer proves deserving, he too will be given high reward by God.
A weak believer has certain additional qualities. For example, he is
generally more modest as compared to others. Such a person tends to
be more engaged in prayer and remembrance of God. A weak believer,
due to his helplessness, is in a far better position to utter such words of
prayer as may invoke God. Such aspects of his nature serve to increase
the spiritual feelings of the weak believer. If a strong believer is marked by great physical power, a weak believer is
strong in terms of spirituality.
A weak believer, due
to his helplessness,
is in a far better
position to utter such
words of prayer as
may invoke God.
For a strong believer there is the possibility
of developing pride, however, a weak believer
is always shielded from such inclinations. His
helplessness further strengthens his humility.
In this way, a weak believer, in spite of his
weaknesses becomes deserving of God’s
special blessings as compensation for his
helplessness.
CONSTANT CHOICES
Introspective Attitude
WE are judged not only by how well or how badly we answer
our test papers at school and college, but by how we acquit
ourselves in our day-to-day experiences. Some of these
require no exercise of our sense of right and wrong, make no appeal to
our consciences and involve no moral choices. They are simply routine
matters which require a physical or mechanical response. But there
are many occasions on which we must consider what is good and right,
and having made our decisions, we must act accordingly.
Some other types of experience are not so clear-cut, in that they place
us in the dilemma of not being able to tell which the right course is, or
of feeling that no matter which course we take, the outcome is likely
to be harmful or disagreeable. It is simply a choice of the lesser of two
evils. It is such experiences which are the real ‘test papers’ in life. For it
is upon our making the correct responses and upon our unshakeable
will to abide by them that our ultimate fate will depend. On the Day
of Reckoning, all our correct answers will be measured against all our
wrong answers. Only those who have made the correct moral decisions,
and consistently followed them through, will find favour in the eyes
of the Almighty. Those who have taken the
wrong course, or who have simply run away
from difficult situations, will fall from divine
favour into eternal perdition.
The lust for power
must be tamed and
extirpated and one’s
energies devoted
instead to furthering
the interests of
others.
But in situations in which the human mind
will seem too frail to be able to deal with
overwhelming moral complexities, we should
never lose sight of the fact that man does not
stand alone; God is forever there, at his side.
Man has only to turn to Him to receive divine
succour. Once a man has put his trust in God,
he finds that all his problems can be appropriately solved and that, in
order to do what is right, he no longer feels any hesitation in embarking
on courses which had previously struck him as too difficult, unpleasant
or even dangerous. He is then armed with the knowledge that engaging
in right action gives one strength, and that adopting the wrong course
can only bring about one’s downfall. Right action will take him closer
to God and wrong action further away from Him. One who deliberately
turns away from his Saviour will find himself in the hands of the devil,
whereas one who turns to God will be given shelter and support, and guidance as to the correct response to give in any situation calling for
principled behaviour. Those who turn to Satan seldom realize that they
are launching themselves on the downward path to self-destruction.
Often, the experiences which we have in life are the result of the
circumstances which we find ourselves in. Pain and deprivation may
be our lot, we may be forced to live in poverty. Such circumstances
call for curbing our impatience and indignation, and to show gratitude
to God for whatever mercies He has chosen to bestow upon us. One
may, on the contrary, find oneself in a position of rank and affluence,
in which case it is arrogance, overweening pride and miserliness which
have to be guarded against. Then one should go out of one’s way to
be unfailingly humble and to be consistently generous in spending for
God’s cause to the point of leaving oneself with nothing more to spend.
Perpetual counting and accumulating of wealth must be avoided at
all costs, for its glitter has such a mesmerizing effect that it begins to
take the place of faith and religion. The lust for power must likewise be
tamed and extirpated and one’s energies devoted instead to furthering
the interests of others.
How many believers, who are ostensibly imbued with religious fervour,
suffer a moral collapse the moment they have to go through an exacting
phase in life? How many give way to scepticism and despair the moment
they have the merest whiff of adversity. It is at such junctures in life
that they should prostrate themselves before the Almighty and beg
for forgiveness, mercy and guidance. God will be there. He will not fail
them.
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.
GOING AGAINST THE CREATION PLAN
SUBSCRIBING to the notion that violence is a viable method of
gaining one’s ends and then launching a violent course of action
are against the creation plan of God. Neither the concept nor the
deeds stemming therefrom are in accord with the divine scheme of
things. That is why the violent way is destined not to produce any good
results and serves no end save that of destruction.
If a farmer has a fertile piece of land, he can grow crops in abundance.
But this will be possible only if he follows an appropriate method which
is in consonance with nature. If however, he mindlessly starts pelting
his fields with stones or dropping bombs on them, he will never be able
to harvest the desired crops. In spite of being the owner of fertile acres,
he will be no better off than one who has not a square yard of land to
his name. The same is true of human life. Human life flourishes in an
atmosphere of peace, but is destroyed in an atmosphere of violence.
Violence is the outcome of differences between people. One who
believes in violent methods considers differences as evil or an
obstacle in his path. For this reason, he becomes bent on obliterating
evil, for he thinks that he can achieve his objective only when he
has removed the differences between himself and others. This is a
great misunderstanding, for differences are not man-made. They are
ordained by the Creator Himself, and are an essential part of nature.
And something which is an essential part of nature cannot be brought
to an end. We can only accept nature. Eliminating it is beyond our
power. When one group is annihilated in the name of differences, another such group immediately takes its place, and so it goes on and
on quite endlessly. That is why this chain of action and reaction over
the issue of differences can never be halted.
The method of violence goes against the plan of nature, which ensures
that each individual has full opportunities to perform his role in human
progress by exploiting their capabilities to the fullest extent. This benefit
can be availed of only in a peaceful atmosphere. The perpetrators of
violence, by categorizing people as enemies, attempt to obliterate
the precious lives of human beings, even before they have had the
opportunity to utilize their potential and benefit humanity.
According to the
law of nature, any
great task always
requires the support
of society as a whole.
Without collective
participation, no one
can accomplish any
great feat.
According to the law of nature, any great
task always requires the support of society
as a whole. Without collective participation,
no one can accomplish any great feat.
And this can materialize only in a peaceful
atmosphere. Mutual co-operation is just
not possible in an atmosphere of violence.
In such an atmosphere people tend to be
psychologically unbalanced. How then can
mutual co-operation become possible in such
an environment?
One of the evils of violence is that, in the vicious
atmosphere created by it, there is no possibility of any sustainable
development. Any great task of progress becomes result-oriented only
after long-term planning and action. This kind of planning can make
headway only in a peaceful atmosphere. In a violent atmosphere, such
plans face setbacks time and again, without any progress being made;
on the pretext of killing the enemy, the process of human progress is
dealt a deathblow.
The worst effect of the use of violence is that one receives nothing in
return, and perhaps even forfeits previous gains. Any victory earned by
means of violence is actually a defeat.
Violence is a wrong choice made by one suffering from the feeling of
deprivation. Any group, rightly or wrongly, may suffer from this feeling.
There is only one useful way of getting rid of it and that is by peaceful
means. The violent method is so lethal that it is no choice at all for
anybody. Violence, from the point of view of its result, only adds to
this feeling of deprivation, instead of putting an end to it. Violence is
nothing but an outburst of a provoked person. Violence provides no
positive solution to any problem.
Victory is also a Defeat
King Pyrrhus, a Greek king of the third century BC, went to war with
the Romans. Ultimately, he won a complete, but costly victory over the
Roman army. In this prolonged battle his armies were destroyed, and
his country’s economy was totally devastated. For King Pyrrhus it was
apparently a victory, but its result was nothing more or less than a
defeat. It was his costly military successes which gave rise to the now
current phrase “pyrrhic victory”.
When we look into the history of different
wars, it would be no exaggeration to say that
most victories are pyrrhic in nature. Each victor
has to suffer two losses. First, he sacrifices
life, wealth and resources, and secondly, he
loses the love and respect of the vanquished.
No victor can avoid suffering these losses.
The only difference between one victor and
another is that while some victors suffer their
losses sooner, others suffer them later.
The real process of
human progress is
set in motion only
when the individuals
making up society
have the capability
for peaceful thinking.
This matter of loss relates only to the violent method. A peaceful
method leads to a totally different outcome. Once the peaceful method
has been employed, victory and victory alone ensues; there is no room
for defeat. If a peaceful method does apparently lead to a defeat the
final outcome even then is a victory. For, by using a peaceful method,
one might lose a war, but one does not lose opportunities. One still has
opportunities and possibilities, by availing of which one can start life all
over again and reach the destination of success.
The Age of War has come to an End
In ancient and mediaeval times, military encounters took place in the
form of hand-to-hand fighting between soldiers wielding swords. But in
modern times, highly sophisticated weapons such as nuclear missiles
are used.
The basic difference between early and modern warfare is in the extent
of the carnage in each case. The wielding of swords could sever the
heads of only a few of the combatants, but now in the atomic age the
equation has totally changed. For now war means general destruction.
Moreover, the bomb aimed at the enemy is destructive to the user too.
When we face up to these hard facts, we have to concede that war has
become a futile exercise. War is now only a manifestation of madness,
instead of being a measure calculated to enable one to achieve one’s objective. After the emergence of nuclear weapons, war has become a
thing to be abhorred and abandoned. When we can see that resorting
to war shows no positive results, waging it, far from being a wise step,
is nothing short of madness.
It is believed by some that the establishment of peace requires a world
government. This would require an armed police force and an army, on
the strength of which peace would be established all over the world.
But this concept of world government is impracticable, for it would
only serve the purpose in a very limited way. The scheme of world
government for establishing peace is far from ideal.
Let us suppose that such a world government were to come into being.
It would be able to establish peace only at the level of administration.
In other words, this projected world government could at best establish
social peace. But what is more important than this is mental peace,
which cannot be brought about by any world government.
Peace in the form of social stability, as enforced by established
governments, was prevalent in the monarchies of ancient times. But the
desired results could never be achieved. The
Roman Empire provides one such example.
During its rule which lasted for more than a
thousand years, it established peace over a
large area of the globe. This was known as the
Pax Romana. But in spite of the establishment
of peace for such a long period of time, no
scientific or intellectual progress could be
made.
So far as external
peace is concerned,
it is necessary
for everyone to
cooperate in order
to maintain it. But
any individual can
achieve inner peace
of mind, by one's own
personal decision.
MEN AND WOMEN
Status in Islam
UMME SALMAH, the Prophet Muhammad’s wife, once remarked
to the Prophet, “I hear of God mentioning men but not women.”
It was in this context that the following verse was revealed to
the Prophet:
I will deny no man or woman among you the reward of their
labours. You are members one of another. (QURAN 3: 195)
This makes it clear that, although males and females differ from one
another biologically, they are equal in terms of human status, they have
a definite partnership with one another, and there is no distinction
made between them as regards their respective rights. They are in fact,
each other’s lifetime companions.
The Principle of Division of Labour
Within the social framework, however, Islam—to the extent that it is
both natural and practical—has adopted the principle of division of
labour in respect of the genders; the man’s field of activity being basically
external to the home, while contributing what is practically possible in
the home. The woman’s role is to do basically with management of
home and family while contributing what is practically possible to the
society.
This division, however, has never been intended as a form of
discriminatory treatment. Its main purpose has always been to preserve
the distinctive characteristics of both, while deploying their respective
talents and skills in the most socially useful manner. This enables them
to make the best use of their innate capabilities without causing any
undue disruption in the family or in society.
In modern parlance, this is a form of managerial optimization rather
than gender discrimination. For this principle to be effective, the
spheres of activity of men and women have had to be quite different
and of course, separate from each other. The traditional distinction
has been so often cited by feminists as an inhibiting factor in women’s
lives that the true meaning of equality has been lost sight of. After all,
it will be the very same virtues in thought, word and deed which will
be prerequisites for both genders to enter Paradise. If the qualities
of piety, humility, honesty, patience and compassion are demanded
of men, they will in like measure be demanded of women. The fact that men and women function in different spheres has no bearing
whatsoever on the ultimate equality—equality in the eyes of God.
Basic Attributes of Men and Women
The characteristics of true believers, both men and women are depicted
in the Quran in the following words:
Men and women who have surrendered, believing men and
believing women, obedient men and obedient women, truthful
men and truthful women, enduring men and enduring women,
humble men and humble women, men and women who give in
charity, men who fast and women who fast, men and women
who guard their chastity, men and women who remember God
in abundance—for them God has prepared forgiveness and a
great reward. (
These then are the basic attributes which both men and women must
cultivate if they are to endear themselves to God and become His
favoured servants:
ISLAM: Islam means one should willingly obey God, leading one’s life
within the bounds of God’s commandments.
IMAN (Faith): Islam really begins to take root with the conscious
discovery of God, which is known as iman (faith). When iman is genuine,
the men or women concerned cannot but surrender themselves to God
and mould their thinking upon the truth.
QUNUT (Sincere obedience to God): This entails the adoption of the
path of piety as shown by God and His Prophet. It means the fullest
concentration of the heart and mind on the will of the Almighty.
SIDQ (Truthfulness) means living an honest, straightforward life in the
sense of saying plainly what one is going to do, and then actually doing
as one has said. In other words, it means leading a life of principle.
SABR (Patience) is a quality which enables one never to deviate from
the right path, even when faced with difficulties in following it.
KHUSHU (Humility) is a powerful emotion which engenders an
attitude of humility and submission. One comes to this state through a
realization of God’s greatness and His absolute power in stark contrast
to man’s total powerlessness. In consequence, he becomes kind and
humble towards other human beings.
SADAQAH (Charity) is the duty of acceding to others the right to share
in one’s wealth. It makes one aware that if one’s own needs require the
expenditure of money for their satisfaction, so also do the needs of
others. One is never then oblivious to the needs of others.
SAWM (Fasting) must be practiced for the sake of God. By fasting, man
contrasts his own helplessness with God’s omnipotence and thanks
God for the food and drink which He has bestowed upon him.
IHSAN (Chastity): It is important as it keeps one pure and guards one
against shameful behaviour. The sense of shame which God has given
man acts as a natural deterrent against permissiveness.
DHIKR (Remembrance of God): Truly virtuous men and women must
remember God at all times.
Another chapter in the Quran mentions three more qualities of believing
men and women. These are penitence, devoutness and obedience.
TAWBAH means feeling penitent about having committed a wrong and
then turning away from it. This is a very special attribute of believing
men and women.
IBADAH (Worship): Believing men and women worship only God.
SIYAHAH (Travelling) implies the virtues of undertaking journeys for
God’s cause. Travelling for the cause of God includes taking such action
for the sake of God as necessitate moving about from one place to
another. Examples of such travel are covering long distances in order
to acquire knowledge of religion; visiting scenes of natural beauty or
places of historical interest which have some lesson for mankind; and,
especially undertaking journeys in order to convey God’s message to
His creatures.
The Quran by laying out the qualities which both men and women
should posses has brought out the point of equality of the genders in
the highest area of life. The other differences are merely of different
roles in worldly life based on the biological and physiological differences
which are in the very nature of men and women.
JUSTICE IN THE HEREAFTER
Divine Retribution
THERE are many instances in the Quran and Hadith of the unerring
justice of divine retribution, for in the life after death, a person
will be rewarded or punished strictly in accordance with the
virtues or vices of his deeds in this world.
The Quran says, “The punishment of the life to come is much more
severe, if only they knew it.” (
When the Prophet went on his Night Journey to the Heavens, amongst
the things that he was shown was a world of allegory in which man’s
worldly actions appeared in another-worldly form. He was shown not
only the results of good deeds in the everlasting life after death, but
was also given an insight into the forms which evil deeds would assume
in the eternal world. Different types of punishments were shown
which represented evils of corruption done on the earth: backbiting,
slandering, usurping other people’s properties, oppressing, etc.
Man’s response to the situations he faces in
life can take one of two forms: the infernal
or the heavenly. An infernal response is one
which is categorically opposed to the will of
God, while a heavenly response is one which
humbly conforms to His will. Those who make
the former response are Satanic in character
and deserve punishment. The latter evince
divine characteristics and will be admitted to
the Garden of Bliss.
Divine
characteristics, being
deep rooted in the
fear of God, cause
a man to rise above
fleeting emotions
and prevent him
from being swayed
by passionate love or
hate in his dealings.
How do we define ‘Satanic’ characteristics?
They are those personality traits which cause
an individual to embark on a retaliatory course,
quite unmindful of the consequences, whenever he is confronted with
circumstances which are not to his liking. Whether it be pain, sorrow or
mere embarrassment which is inflicted upon him, he feels he must hit
back, returning hate for hate, anger for anger.
Divine characteristics, on the other hand, being deep rooted in the fear
of God, cause a man to rise above fleeting emotions and prevent him
from being swayed by passionate love or hate in his dealings. Such
characteristics deserve the rewards of God. The Quran explains that
the reward given in Heaven will be of the same hue as one’s actions in this world. “Proclaim good tidings to those who have faith and do
good works. They shall dwell in gardens watered by running streams.
Whenever they are given fruit to eat, they will say: ‘This is what we
used to eat before’, for they shall be given the like.” (
the rewards of the Hereafter will be in exact accordance with one’s
actions in this world. The form of this reward will be exactly suited to
our deeds.
One can understand the need for a place of compensation and reward
from the following example. In the science of light, there is a law of
nature called refraction. Today this is known as Snell’s law, having
been discovered initially by Willebrord Van Roijen Snellius. He made
his discovery in 1617, but this discovery remained unknown to people,
lying unpublished, until a Dutch scientist, Christian Huygens, came to
know of it and mentioned it in his research paper in 1703. Only then
did the world come to know of Snell’s discovery.
That is, Snell’s scientific discovery remained
hidden from the eyes of the world for a period
of 86 years. It was only after this long period,
when Christian Huygens highlighted it, that
the world came to know of its importance.
The Garden of
Paradise is an
exquisite and
unblemished
haven, which God
has specifically
created for the truly
righteous among His
servants.
The matter of the Hereafter too is somewhat
similar. How many of God’s servants are
there who are sincerely engaged in virtuous
activities away from the limelight, unknown to
people, unheralded in the media? How many
God-fearing people are there whose inner
selves are shaken with the fear of God, but
whose undemonstrative expressions fail to show this inner tempest.
These are God-fearing people who keep their mouths closed for fear
of God, yet no other human being is aware of the virtuous acts of the
true believer. How many pious souls are there who have had every
opportunity to display their ego and torment others, but who have
been halted in their tracks by the fear of God’s chastisement.
There are many true believers whose good actions have been lost in
the wilderness, recognized neither by near ones nor by more distant
people. But this state of affairs will not last forever. In the Hereafter,
God will unravel all veils. Then all things hidden from view will appear
as clear as daylight. It will be the place where no action done in the
world will remain hidden. Even a tiny good deed in the world will
appear as plain as daylight, and all virtuous people will be rewarded
for their good deeds.
The Garden of Paradise is an exquisite and unblemished haven, which
God has specifically created for the truly righteous among His servants.
Every situation which confronts a man in this world invites one of two
kinds of responses. It is on the basis of this response that one will
be pronounced fit for Heaven or for Hell. Man is an aware, sensate
being, who is stirred by the situations he faces in life, and who reacts
to them mentally and physically, in word and deed. God has given man
this freedom to see how he uses it—whether, for example, he returns
abuse for abuse, malice for malice, or whether he suffers these things,
yet offering only prayers and goodwill in return.
In this world there is no escaping adverse sets of circumstances in
which unpleasantness occurs over and over again, thus arousing strong
antipathies. But believers are exhorted, by divine commandments, to
rise above the treatment meted out to them and to confront negative
treatment with positive behaviour.
When a true word is spoken, one acknowledges it, another denies
it. An issue arises, eliciting justice and mercy on the one hand, and
cruelty and oppression on the other. Adverse circumstances come into
being, arousing feelings of humility in one and contumacy in another.
Attitudes of goodwill and regard for others are faced off by the urge
to hate and avenge. These opposing reactions are what determine our
fate in the Hereafter; the positive taking us to Heaven and the negative
to Hell. We should never lose sight of the fact that it is by them that we
stand, or fall.
Great Minds!
Only those who stand firm in
the face of adversity, are finally
able to advance towards a new &
successful life.
UNDERSTANDING THE QURAN
Through Contemplation
WAHAB IBN ABDULLAH AL-SAWAI, who belonged to the
generation after the Companions of the Prophet, once asked
Ali ibn Abi Talib whether he possessed any divine inspiration
which was not contained in the Quran. Ali said, that they had nothing
besides the Quran, “The only additional source of inspiration was the
true understanding of the Quran which God bestows upon a person.”
(Tafseer Ibn Kathir)
Ali’s answer shows that it is one thing to understand the written words
of the Quran, and another to penetrate into the deeper meanings of
the Book of God. To understand the words of the Quran all one has
to do is read it. But true understanding of Quranic meanings can only
come from deep thought and contemplation. The Quran is an ocean of
profound meanings; only one who plunges into the depths of its waters
can fathom the treasures it contains.
One can put this in another way and say that to understand the words
of the Quran one has to know the Arabic language; but to understand
the meaning of the Quran one needs to be versed in divine wisdom.
One can study the Arabic language, read the Quran, and understand
the outward meaning. But the Quran has meanings that lie hidden
beneath the surface. These meanings can only be understood by one
who has illuminated his vision with the light of God.
All one has to do to ascertain the words of the Quran is open its pages.
But to discover the Quran’s meanings, one has to explore it in depth.
One can sit and listen to a recital of the Quran, or hear someone else
reading a translation, but this will only enable one to understand the
words of the Quran. To penetrate its inner meanings on the other
hand, requires an effort on one’s own part.
If we study the Quran on a superficial level, it will only have a superficial
effect; our belief in the Quran will lack the force of inner conviction. One
who discovers the Quran with its inner meanings, on the other hand,
develops a live attachment to the Book of God. The Quran becomes
a source of inspiration and spiritual nourishment in life. All of one’s
thoughts and actions spring from the Quran. It becomes the very life
and soul of one’s existence.
MANAGEMENT OF ENVY
In Comparison we may Understand
THE Prophet Muhammad taught that in worldly matters one
should look, not at those above themselves, but at those below.
Only in this way will one be able to appreciate God’s bounty.
In the distribution of worldly benefits, there is no uniformity; some
possess less and some have more. And this is a state of affairs which
has perennially aroused envy and created friction in society. Now, if
an individual compares himself to one who is apparently less wellendowed
than himself, he will be filled with a sense of gratitude. But
if he always has an eye on those who seem
better placed in life, his soul will become
corroded with ingratitude.
A simple way of guarding oneself from this
emotional evil is to compare oneself to those
who have less than oneself and not with
those who have more. Sheikh Saadi (1213-
1292) one of the greatest figures in classical
Persian literature, writes that he had no shoes
and walked barefoot. Seeing people wearing
shoes, he wondered why he had been denied
such things. No sooner had this thought
entered his head than he came upon a man
with no feet. He was at once full of gratitude,
and thanked God for showing him the greater
munificence of granting him the use of two
healthy feet.
If an individual
compares himself
to one who is
apparently less
well-endowed than
himself, he will be
filled with a sense of
gratitude. But if he
always has an eye
on those who seem
better placed in life,
his soul will become
corroded with
ingratitude
God desires that each and every one of His
servants should be thankful to Him, but, for this to become a reality,
we must all subject ourselves to a constant process of self-appraisal.
This means assessing the truly positive aspects of our lives in relation
to others, and an unceasing scrutiny of our thoughts so that we should
not unwittingly allow ourselves to slip into negativism. The sight of a
man consumed with envy is the saddest of spectacles.
WHEN THINGS LOSE THEIR NOVELTY
Being Conscious & Aware
“When opened, it was like a small tent, and when shut, it was all curiously
jointed and would fold up to the length of a man’s hand.”
THIS curious description applies—in case you hadn’t already
guessed—to the umbrella as we know it today. No one nowadays
finds it necessary to describe an umbrella nor to express any
astonishment over it, because it is now such a commonplace object.
When it was first manufactured in London in 1749, it seemed such
a strange, new, wonderful contrivance that it caused a great deal of
excitement. An invention which aroused even greater awe was the
hand pump which was installed for the first time in an Indian village
at the beginning of the previous century. When it caused water to
gush forth from the ground, a village woman exclaimed, “Now it is only
death which can defeat man.” Today we feel that there is nothing so
extraordinary about a hand-pump, and even pumps which operate on
electricity and diesel oil have come to be regarded as run-of-the-mill
items of agricultural equipment.
The moment that something becomes familiar—be it a discovery or an
invention—we tend to take it for granted. We no longer have any sense
of wonder about its appearance, functioning and creation. This is even
truer of the vast array of God’s creation. Yet everything which exists in
this world, be it a leaf, a snowflake, or a ray of sunshine, is a veritable
miracle of creation. From his earliest childhood, man has been aware
of these things; yet they have become objects of such familiarity, that
he almost ceases to notice them. Imagine how different his attitude
to them would be if he were to see them for the first time; he would
be like someone who had been cured of total blindness examining his
surroundings with tremendous joy and a great sense of wonderment.
This is how we ought to look at God’s creation all around us. We should
not lose our sense of awe and gratitude simply because familiarity has
taken the edge off our awareness.
The next time sunlight enters a darkened room, a bird sings by the
wayside, the moon casts it silvery spell or a rose gives its fragrance to
the air, we should remember that these are things which go far and
beyond human creativity and that ultimately we owe everything to
God.
MOST JOYOUS MOMENT
Discovery of God
ANEWS report in a magazine started off a train of thought in
the mind that became significant as regards to the realization
of God. A celebrity married and in due course, had a beautiful,
healthy son. After his birth, she expressed her feelings by exclaiming,
“It was the most joyous moment of my life when I held the baby in my
arms for the first time. My heart and my mind are full of my son. I am
all love for him.”
Pondering on the fact as to why the sight of
her son should make a woman so overjoyed
led to the realization that it was a case of
diversion from the truth. Everyone is born
with the concept of the Creator. This concept
is integral to everyone’s thinking. One knows,
consciously or unconsciously, that there is a
great God who has granted all the bounties
which we possess. Therefore, a feeling of deep
acknowledgement for the Creator is ingrained
in the human psyche. But because no one can
physically see the great Giver, whenever any
precious thing falls to their lot, this feeling of
gratitude gets diverted. The love which they
should have given to their Creator is given to
something or to someone else.
A feeling of deep
acknowledgement
for the Creator is
ingrained in the
human psyche. But
because no one can
physically see the
great Giver, whenever
any precious thing
falls to their lot, this
feeling of gratitude
gets diverted.
From this we learn what the greatest virtue for man is, and his greatest
wrong. For a person the greatest virtue is to acknowledge the true
Giver of all blessings. The true Giver is God. In terms of religion, this
acknowledgement is called ‘thanksgiving’. Conversely, the greatest
deviation of a person, is to seek out a supposed giver, and then attribute
the blessings to him. Such a deviation amounts to an eternal failure.
Where proper acknowledgement is the greatest virtue, misdirected
acknowledgement is the greatest evil.
FROM THE EDITORIAL DIRECTOR
Dr. Farida Khanam has been a professor at the Department of Islamic Studies at
Jamia Millia Islamia in New Delhi. A Study of World's Major Religions, A simple guide
to Sufism are two of the books amongst many others, of which she is the author. She
has also translated many books on Islam authored by Maulana Wahiduddin Khan.
Currently, the chairperson of Centre for Peace and Spirituality (CPS International),
an organization founded by her father Maulana Wahiduddin Khan, she is a regular
contributor of articles to journals, newspapers and magazines. Dr. Khanam has
edited Maulana’s English translation of the Quran and has also translated his Urdu
commentary of the Quran into English. Under Maulana Wahiduddin Khan Peace
Foundation, along with the CPS team, she is designing a series of courses on peacebuilding,
countering extremism and conflict resolution.
THE CULTURE OF SPIRITUALITY
WHAT is spirituality? Spirituality is an experiential state of
being. It is non-material and intangible, yet it is the inner
essence of everything, like the nectar is to the flower. Nectar
can be found only in a flower, but spirituality is omnipresent. You can
extract spirituality from all things, even from wood, thorns and stones.
But this requires a creative mind. The honeybee can extract nectar only
from flowers, but a prepared or creative mind can extract spirituality
from everything—even from abstract ideas. Art is everywhere but it
requires an artist to discern the artistry, and he can do so only if he has
a truly prepared mind. Those who want to live in a state of spirituality
must prepare their minds. It is futile to try to discover spirituality
directly from the external or physical world.
For example, you observe a thorn, then you see a flower and the
branch of a tree. Then your mind is aroused and you start thinking.
An idea takes shape and your mind is further engaged. You think that,
in reality, the flower and the thorn are the same. Both spring from the
branch of a tree, but both reflect their own inner power which allows
them—both deriving from the tree—to assume their own distinctive
shapes by availing of their separate energy sources. The same is true
of spirituality. Spirituality is a creative phenomenon. It is the mind that
creates spirituality, as it is the mind that gives birth to an idea. Just as
after a very delicate process, the bud—potential flower—is converted into a flower, so also is spirituality not a ready-made thing. It is a
product of an intellectual process. It is the culmination of a process
that occurs between the mind and external realities.
If you want to experience spirituality, you need not visit any spiritual
expert. Nor should you try to purchase it from shopping malls. Rather
you must develop your own mind and soul in order to initiate the kind
of process to produce the state of spirituality. There is no other way to
attain spirituality.
Every human being is like a spiritual factory but this factory must be
looked at in terms of potential, for it is only you who can convert this
potential into actuality.
Spirituality
is a creative
phenomenon. It is
the mind that creates
spirituality, as it is
the mind that gives
birth to an idea.
Spirituality is like milk. Any milking cow is a
milk factory, but its milk does not as such
exist in its body. The cow ingests food, then
this food is processed in its body and after a
complex mechanism, it is converted into milk.
This is true also of spirituality. Spirituality
is like a kind of non-physical milk. It is like
aroma-milk and aroma are products of an
inner process and are not extraneous entities.
You must prepare such a cogitative, analytical
mind as is creative and capable of processing
your outer experiences. Once you have done so, you will be able to
develop spirituality. Spirituality is a self-engendered thing. It is not
something manufactured. It is a product of your own factory. Develop
your creativity and you will be able to derive spirituality from every
observation and experience.
Dr. Farida Khanam
hub@the spiritofislam.org
Grow Wiser
One may be beset by most
grievous handicaps in life, but
it is always possible to rise
above one’s handicap
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.
IN SINGAPORE, THE ENRAGED
GO TO THE FRAGMENT ROOM
A RECENT news report talked of how some people in Singapore’s
offices are trying to relieve their stress. One such report is
summarized here: Bad day at the office? A ‘rage room’ in offices
lets stressed-out people take a baseball bat to items ranging from glass
bottles to televisions. The ‘Fragment Room’ consists of a bare, cell-like space
with concrete walls, where customers pay to indulge in an unusual form of
destructive stress relief.
After being given overalls, helmets, gloves and shoes, people proceed
to smash up items ranging from plates to printers. “Everyone in
Singapore, no matter where you come from, what your background is,
whatever you do, whatever age you are, everyone is stressed out,” says
Royce Tan, the founder of ‘Fragment Room’.
The set-up, one of several such rage rooms in cities around the world,
has two main offerings: half-hour slots with a limited amount of items
to smash or the higher priced ‘annihilation pack’ that lets customers
smash as much as they can in half an hour.
This practice lacks seriousness in treating this problem and it is not a
remedy for the problem. In a photograph that shows someone wielding
a bat, smashing things, the person is apparently hitting external items
but in reality, he is hitting his own self. And he is making the mistake of
not availing of a great opportunity.
Psychological research shows that anger is not an evil. Anger is the
release of a great amount of energy from within the mind. You need to
give a positive direction to this energy and utilize it for your intellectual
development. All you need to do when you get angry is to keep
mum. Your total silence will automatically initiate a natural process
within you and the released ‘anger energy’ will be diverted to a positive
target. Anger energy is the greatest energy to be released from the
human mind in times of crisis.
A simple experiment will demonstrate this point. Whenever you get
angry, you should fall completely silent and continue doing whatever
work you had been doing. You will see that, even in the state of anger,
you will be able to perform better. If you are doing something in which
thinking is involved, your inner mechanism will make you more creative.
De-stressing does not require you to physically go some place. When
you feel stressed out, you should direct yourself to doing some positive
work. If thinking is involved in your work, then intensify your thinking.
You will observe that your thinking energy has increased and that you
have become more creative. You will be able to take double advantage
of this process, because not only will your anger soon get dissipated,
but your intellectual energy will also be enhanced.
I have personally experienced this technique in a practical way. There
have been two phases in my life. In the first phase, I used to get very
angry, while in the present phase, I have successfully dealt with my
anger after my discovery. I am a writer. If I compare my previous
writings with my current writings, I find that in the latter, my creativity
has definitely increased.
All my writings have been published. Anyone may compare both
these sets of writings and discover this difference. Anger is not to be
frittered away in destructive activity. The reality is that anger is not an
unwanted problem—rather, it is a great natural gift that needs to be used
wisely.
Maulana Wahiduddin Khan
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Follow Maulana at speakingtree.in
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 )
